Buyers look beyond sticker price in car purchases
South African car buyers are increasingly considering the full cost of ownership rather than focusing solely on the showroom price or monthly instalment.
- Dealer News
- 12 September 2026
Hino, which has been the dominant brand in Datatrack Management’s long-running comparative customer-care survey conducted among local truck operators for the past several years, has kicked off 2025 with another strong showing.
It not only retained top position in the combined category of sales, service and parts in the first quarter of the year but was also top in both the individual sales and service segments.
“What was particularly satisfying is that all three winning scores were over 99%, with a combined average of 99.01, and scores of 99.85 for sales and 99.78 for service,” comments Itumeleng Segage, General Manager of Hino SA.
“Competition from all the European and other Japanese brands is very strong, and the Hino team is very proud of being able to keep them at bay and to continue leading the way.
“Our ongoing strong performance in these quarterly surveys is largely owing to the commitment and dedication of our countrywide network of 67 dealers and head office staff, as well as the guiding customer-care strategies developed over the years by Hino Motors in Japan,” Itumeleng explains.
Datatrack Management has conducted this survey since 1986 and currently it interviews about 30 000 truck operators every three months.
South African car buyers are increasingly considering the full cost of ownership rather than focusing solely on the showroom price or monthly instalment.
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A striking collection of Alfa Romeo vehicles, spanning immaculate classics to the latest performance models, will gather at Modderfontein Bird & Sculpture Park on Sunday 20 September for the 2026 Concorso d’Eleganza.
Suzuki Auto South Africa has moved into its new head office and distribution centre at Longlake Logistics Park in Gauteng, marking another important milestone in the continued growth of the business in South Africa, the manufacturer claims.
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