Johannesburg, 2 March 2020: New vehicle sales statistics for the month of February 2020 show overall sales of xxx units, an overall decline of xxx% on the same month last year in February 2019. An estimated xxx units were sold by the dealer channel which is xxx% of total sales in February 2020.
“Today’s new vehicle sales figures showing a decline of -7.3% in February are disappointing, however, this follows a particularly strong December when consumers could benefit from a wide range of manufacturer offers”, said Sue Robinson, Director of the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA), which represents franchised car and commercial vehicle retailers in the UK commenting on the latest SMMT’s new passenger car registration figures.
Unpacking passenger vehicle sales, the overall new passenger car market showed a decline of 5.1%, with the dealer channel showing some degree of resilience with a decline of 1.5%.
Overall light commercial vehicle sales fell by a whopping 16.3% over the same month of 2019, with dealer sales falling 15% – a “telling a tale” as to consumer affordability in this segment, commented Mark Dommisse, Chairperson of the National Automobile Dealers’ Association (NADA).
According to Dommisse, “We are in for an interesting ride with industry forecasts in the red for the new car market in 2020. Over the past five years, the South African franchised motor dealer environment has been under enormous pressure. The decline in sales volumes and the vehicle park has had a direct impact on employment and dealer profitability.”
