Stock Image Pixabay
The market for vehicle owners looking to trade down but maintain their “creature comforts” is booming in the Eastern Cape.
Where before motorists feeling the country’s economic pinch might have sought out an older high-end brand, their focus is now turning to a selection of out-the-box SUVs offered at the same price.
What is significant is that these new models come fully equipped with all the modern bells and whistles, such as 360-degree cameras, Apple or Android operating systems and leather interiors in some cases.
People are doing “a lot more research” and discovering that instead of having to buy a 2018/19 used vehicle short on modern features they can opt for brand-new models boasting a host of them.
Figures for new-car sales in August, released by the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (NAAMSA) last month, paint a telling picture of the trend.
SUV brands like Hyundai, Haval and Chery – the latter entering the Top 10 best-sellers list for the first time in July – are changing opinions in a hurry.
South African sales for these auto companies were 2 637, 1 819 and 1 498 units, respectively.
The shift has also given rise to even more affordable models being introduced to the motoring public.
