Used car sales see small monthly rise despite overall decline

23 Sep 2024

August showed a mixed performance in the used car market. AutoTrader data revealed an -8.2% year-on-year decline in sales. On a brighter note, monthly sales saw a slight uptick, rising by 1%.

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The month brought sales of 31,877 used cars that generated a value of just over R13 billion, a -6.8% year-on-year value reduction.

Predictably, Japanese brand Toyota maintained its position as the top-selling used car brand, ahead of Volkswagen and Ford. However, Suzuki and Kia were the only brands in the top ten to show year-on-year growth, with sales increases of 40% and 11%, respectively, and monthly growth figures of 11% and 8%.

The only change in the brand ranking was Suzuki, outselling Nissan to move up a spot and claim seventh in the ranking.

“Facilitating that movement up the brand ranking were the 598 sales of the Suzuki Swift, a figure that equates to more than a third of Suzuki’s 1,612 sales in August. The popular Japanese hatchback, which has an average selling price of R194,248 for three-year-old models, has climbed seven places in a year from 13th to 6th position,” reveals AutoTrader CEO, George Mienie.

Japanese models continued to excel, with a new contender, the Toyota Starlet, making its way into the top ten most-sold used models.

Averaging a sales price of R233,635 for two-year-old models, the Toyota Starlet posted sales of 482 units, helping the hatchback climb from eleventh to tenth place in August. Reliable, affordable, and economical, the roomy five-door hatch comfortably accommodates the average family and offers generous boot space – key factors contributing to its growing popularity.

Still, with sales of 1,930 units, it was the Ford Ranger that continued to head up model sales ahead of bakkie opponent Toyota Hilux and the Volkswagen Polo.

Retaining the variant sales trophy was the VW Polo Vivo 1.4 with 942 transactions ahead of stablemate VW Polo 1.0TSI and bakkie Toyota Hilux 2.8GD-6.

While the average used car price is still up 1.5% year-on-year, the good news is that in August the average selling price of a used car declined by a smidgen to R408,488, a -0.2% month-on-month reduction.