Coronavirus lockdown brutalises April new vehicle sales

The almost five weeklong countrywide lockdown attributed to the Coronavirus resulted in new vehicle sales falling to an all-time record low in April with both domestic and export numbers ending in three digit figures.

In a development widely expected as factories closed doors and production halted, the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (NAAMSA) revealed that total sales plunged by a whopping 98.4% from last year’s 36 787, to a mere 574 this year.

Accounting for 318 of the mentioned 574, light commercial vehicles were down 96.8% from last year’s 9 812, while passenger vehicles totalled 105 units, a massive 99.6% nosedive from the 24 982 recorded twelve months ago.

Making-up the remainder of the month, medium duty commercial vehicles raked-up 64 unit sales, a wallop of 88.9%, while heavy and extra heavy duty vehicles added 87 units. Exports for April suffered just as much with 901 units leaving local shores, of which 880 were light commercial vehicles.

Out of the best performing manufactures, Ford took top spot with 304 followed by Toyota (93), truck marques MAN (62) and Iveco (60), with Suzuki being the last to post double digit number with 12.

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