Navara jumps to number two

FEW countries like their bakkies more than South Africa, with bakkie sales making up a substantial number of new vehicle sales monthly.

The Automotive Business Council (Naamsa) reported that in March, 14 870 units were sold, with the Hilux again the most popular choice by far.

Toyota Motors South Africa reported 3 104 Hilux units as 'sold' - more than any other new vehicle including passenger cars.

Nissan caused an upset last month when it overtook the Ford Ranger and Isuzu D-Max to claim the number two spot on the best-selling bakkie list.

A whopping 2 277 Navaras were delivered in March, up a heady 407.1% compared with Nissan's 449-unit tally in February.

For context, the Navara’s best previous month was February 2023 at 581 units.

While it’s not clear exactly how Nissan achieved such a significant month-on-month increase in Navara sales, it’s interesting to note that 2 153 of those units came via the dealer channel, with 98 units sold to the government, and 26 listed as so-called 'single' registrations (representing bakkies the automaker kept for its use).

Last month's figures from all manufacturers selling bakkies in South Africa:

1. Toyota Hilux – 3 104

2. Nissan Navara – 2 277

3. Isuzu D-Max – 2 095

4. Ford Ranger – 1 954

5. Nissan NP200 – 1 113

6. Mahindra Pik Up – 744

7. GWM P-Series – 591

8. Toyota Land Cruiser 79 – 454

9. Volkswagen Amarok – 421

10. GWM Steed – 76

11. Peugeot Landtrek - 60

12. Mitsubishi Triton - 53

13. Mahindra Bolero - 25

14. Mazda BT-50 -12 (now discontinued in South Africa)

15. Jeep Gladiator - 5.

Note that Chinese vehicle maker JAC reports only a combined figure for its T6, T8 and T9 bakkies, so it's not possible to place individual models.

Accumulatively, JAC managed to sell 131 units last month.