You can blame Covid-19 or the insipid economy - or both - but the trend of buying down is real. Choosing smaller and cheaper options instead of splashing out has become prevalent in all sectors, including the motoring sector. Last year, entry-level cars accounted for almost half of all the country's passenger car sales.
If you dig deeper into the numbers, you'll find that more than a third of these cheaper car sales were entry-level SUVs. As a result, the Suzuki Vitara Brezza (introduced in 2021) and its clone, the first-generation Toyota Urban Cruiser, were both huge success stories. More so for Toyota than Suzuki... Thanks to the strength of that Toyota badge, more than a thousand Urban Cruisers were sold per month. The Urban Cruiser outsold the Suzuki by a ratio of at least two to one, even though the Brezza cost less and had a more extensive warranty and service plan.
The fact that Suzuki was being beaten by a rebadged version of its own car must have been a source of irritation on showroom floors countrywide. Not that Suzuki was complaining too loudly... It's now the third-largest seller of passenger cars in South Africa, behind Volkswagen and Toyota, thanks to its wide offering of entry-level vehicles.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der June/July 2023-Ausgabe von go! - South Africa.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der June/July 2023-Ausgabe von go! - South Africa.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
The wilder shore
The final leg of a 30-day trek across East Africa sees lan Tyrer and the Africa - Wild & Untamed crew explore both shores of Lake Malawi. Get ready for an overloaded ferry, a croc attack and being surrounded by elephants...
A river runs through it
Sabie is onthe Drakensberg escaromentialongMpumalanga’s famous Panorama Route. Want a weekend away surrounded by forests and waterfalls? Here's wnat you need to know.
TAKE A HIKE
Harkerville's mini Otter
Sweet & juicy!
This issue's recipes all include lush seasonal fruit like nectarines, plums and apricots. Enjoy!
Big mountain magic
On a clear day, as you approach the Cathedral Peak Hotel, it happens involuntarily: You start to grin. You'll be standing up there soon, gazing over this valley, and the scuttling of ground-level life will seem irrelevant. Join us on a five-day adventure into the heart of the high Drakensberg
Your next weekend away
A self-catering house in the Tankwa, a campsite next to the Orange River, a guest farm near the Drakensberg... Toast Coetzer travelled a lot last year: Here are six of his favourite places to stay if you're planning a road trip or weekend escape.
A life through binoculars
If the name Hugh Chittenden sounds familiar, it's probably because you see it every time you use your Roberts Bird Guide he's one of the co-authors. He lives in Mtunzini on the KZN coast and birding is as much part of his day as a cup of coffee.
Wanderlust in the park
All great cities have great parks, writes Dara Kell: spaces where you can exhale and slough off the stress and grime of urban life.
The Kalahari remembers
The Kalahari is a place of magic and heartache, where drought is an ever-present threat. Drive a loop from Upington to the Kuruman River and discover soulful landscapes, brilliant skies and resilient people who never give up.
Take a Hike
Hug a baobab in the Bushveld