By Staff Reporter

Vehicle sales figures from January do not make for pretty reading but Suzuki seems to be swimming against the tide. The Japanese outfit has beaten its previous monthly sales record set in October 2019. According to the official national sales figures, as reported by the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers (Naamsa), Suzuki sold 1,632 vehicles in January.

Swift leading the charge

Suzuki’s passenger vehicles and SUVs took the lion’s share of all sales, with the Swift (824 new units) and the Jimny (189 units) leading the pack. The Swift now lies 6th and ranks firmly in the top 10 best-selling passenger vehicles in South Africa. Other models that fared very well include the Ertiga (159 units), the Ignis (116 units) and the Vitara (106 units). Expect a further jump in sales with the upcoming Kwid fighting Suzuki S-Presso.

A healthy pipeline

André Venter, divisional manager for sales and marketing for Suzuki Auto South Africa, says that, “dealer sales have grown by 58.7% over the past year, when compared to January 2019. He says that many dealers report a healthy sales pipeline and pent up demand, with orders in place for February and beyond. In total, Suzuki’s dealers sold 1,222 of the 1,632 units for January.”

“Our demand for models such as the Swift, Jimny and Ertiga has never been stronger, and we are working hard to get models to our dealers on time. With new models on the horizon, such as the upcoming affordable S-Presso, we believe that our sales will continue to grow,” says Venter.