Sales for new vehicles were down 7% in 2016 to 3 393 units attributed to an increase in imported second-hand vehicles, a report on the sector has shown.
BY TATIRA ZWINOIRA
In 2015, sales of new vehicles were 3 633.
Toyota was the dominant brand for 2016, having an 8% growth to 728 vehicles sold six more than the prior year.
Toyota Zimbabwe reported a 21,5% market share by the end of the year, followed by Nissan Clover Leaf Motors at 18,4%.
In an overall view, Nissan models experienced a 10,7% decline to 626 vehicles sold during the year under review, from 751 recorded in 2015.
Sales for Volkswagen vehicles grew to 56 from 15 cars sold in 2015.
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CFAO Motors Zimbabwe managing director, Marius Prinsloo told NewsDay the boost in sales was due to them experiencing a full financial year in selling Volkswagen vehicles.
“The main reason for that is that there was a change in distributors, so we took over the brand in 2015. So we had just taken over the brand and did not have a full year of trading,” he said.
“We had to organise the brand within our business. So in 2016, we were now established and managed to grow our sales.”
The Volkswagen models, which sold were the Polo, Polo Cross and Jetta.
However, in terms of volumes, Datsun had the biggest sales, with 126 vehicles in the year under review from 48 recorded in 2015, a movement of 181,1%.
“The tender business contributed to that increase and nothing else. You get your normal sales, where customers buy one or two vehicles, but occasionally, you get a tender, where maybe it is government or corporate who order, for example, 50 or more vehicles,” Nissan Clover Leaf Motors managing director, Stanford Sibanda said.
Movement of the Datsun brand, owned by global automobile manufacturer, Nissan, was due to sales of the Datsun Go by local distributor Nissan Clover Leaf Motors.
Nissan Clover Motors introduced the car to the local market in mid-2015. Land Rover dominated luxury vehicle space with 60 down from 93 vehicles in 2015.
