According to the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of SA (Naamsa), new vehicle sales for the month of March deteriorated sharply during the month, with all segments registering double digit declines.
This was partly attributed to the proliferation of public holidays (Easter) during the month. Export sales also reflected a double digit decline - but this could in part be attributed to the Toyota Hilux model run out.
The new car market continued to experience pressure, and the 30 702 units sold showed a 4 766 unit (13.4%) decline compared to March last year.
Domestic sales of new light commercial vehicles (LCVs), bakkies and mini-buses were down 2 359 units (14.0%) to 14 507 units. Model run-outs and run-ins played a role in the decline, said Naamsa.
The 752 unit sales of vehicles in the medium truck segment registered a 343 unit (31.3%) drop. The 1 670 unit sales of heavy trucks and buses was a decline of 290 vehicles (14.8%).
