Triton brings the challenge to competitors
The bakkie war has intensified with the local launch of Mitsubishi’s next-generation Triton, an evolution in the iconic bakkie’s 46-year legacy.
- Product News
- 21 November 2024
Chery South Africa hosted its dealers, business partners and key customers at a gala event in Sandton where the past year’s record-breaking performance and best dealers were honoured.
“It is hard to believe that we have only been in South Africa since the fourth quarter of 2021,” says Jay Jay Botes, General Manager of Chery in South Africa.
“Since then, Chery has grown to one of the ten best-selling vehicle brands in South Africa, with models such as the Tiggo 4 Pro regularly registering among the three best-selling passenger cars. We owe a debt of gratitude to our customers and our hard-working dealers for their part in making this happen.”
Since launching its first model in October of 2021, Chery has grown its dealer network to over 86 branches. Each of these dealers represents an entrepreneur or dealer group that has invested in the Chery brand and that now acts as the representative of the Chery brand to customers in their city or town.
“If you grow at the speed that we have done since 2021, you run the risk of damaging your brand by offering poor customer service and aftersales support. Yet we have managed, with our dealer partners, to maintain industry-leading levels of customer support despite having to double our parts warehouse and vehicle stock several times over this period,” says Jay Jay.
“There is no doubt that our 10-year or 1-million-kilometre engine warranty has helped to cement Chery’s reputation for quality among customers. Having dealers that can back this warranty and keep our customers happy have done the same,” he says.
Among the dealers that won an award or received special recognition, there are ten dealers that stood out. These dealers had the best performance in either Sales, Aftersales or Parts support throughout 2023.
In the category for Best Overall Parts Support, Chery honoured Chery Umhlanga in the category for Large and Extra-Large Dealers, Chery Krugersdorp in the Medium Dealer category and Chery Germiston in the category for Small and Extra Small dealers.
Chery Sandton took home the award for the Best Aftersales Dealer in the Large and Extra-large category, followed by Chery Midrand, Medium Dealer Category and Chery Trichardt taking home the award for Small and Extra Small dealers.
Lastly, Chery honoured the dealers who outsold their peers in the Best Sales Performance category. Here Chery Phalaborwa was the Best Extra Small Dealer, Chery Trichardt received the award for the Best Small Dealer and Chery Vanderbijlpark won the Best Medium Dealer Award.
In the large category for Best Sales Performance, Chery Pinetown took home the silverware and Chery Pretoria won in the category for Best Extra-large Dealer.
The bakkie war has intensified with the local launch of Mitsubishi’s next-generation Triton, an evolution in the iconic bakkie’s 46-year legacy.
Unlike in the past, when dealerships primarily waited for customers to come to them, we now take a more proactive approach, bringing our vehicles directly to places where people gather, allowing them to experience the product first-hand, including offering test drives,” says Gerrie van der Kaay, Dealer Principal at Supergroup Dealerships Jetour Midrand.
JAC Motors added ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) to its X200 2.8L TDI 1.5-tonne single-cab, enhancing safety for both the crew and cargo. This latest upgrade complements the ABS-equipped X200 1.3-tonne double-cab targeted at organisations with labour-intensive crews.
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Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?
George Carlin
Unlike in the past, when dealerships primarily waited for customers to come to them, we now take a more proactive approach, bringing our vehicles directly to places where people gather, allowing them to experience the product first-hand, including offering test drives,” says Gerrie van der Kaay, Dealer Principal at Supergroup Dealerships Jetour Midrand.
One of the latest Chinese automotive brands to establish itself in South Africa, GAC Motor, is benefitting from the expertise of well-known motor groups in the country, like the BB Motor Group.
Stellantis has announced the expansion of its multi-franchise dealer network with the addition of the Fiat and Jeep brands to the existing Westvaal Motor Group dealership in Klerksdorp in North West Province.