“We saw a lot of first-time car buyers on the new vehicle side, since the lockdown restrictions were relaxed and trading conditions started to normalise.”
So says DP Spangenberg, the new Dealer Principal at Volkswagen NTT Worcester in the Western Cape.
“Despite all the obstacles brought about by COVID-19, we are thankful for the good year we had. The low interest rate and continued strong support from certain government institutions in our area contributed to our success.
“Although, in general, throughout the country new vehicle sales are battling to get back to pre-COVID levels, we also see the trend of buying down on the new vehicle side or looking for an alternative on the used car side,” DP says.
DP says the Volkswagen Polo and Polo Vivo are excellent sellers and constantly in demand. On the commercial side of the Volkswagen business, he says the Amarok had a strong showing and especially the last two months have seen a keen interest in the popular bakkie range.
With strict lockdown still in place in some countries, the supply chain is seriously interrupted, and stock of certain models is difficult to come by, according to him.
“Getting VW Tiguans is a challenge, but fortunately a new range is only a few months away and some prospective buyers are willing to hang on a bit and wait for the new model. There are also customers who settle for similar offerings like our T-Roc and even the T-Cross.
“Some customers opt for a good used vehicle although stock availability is a challenge owing to the lack of new vehicles sales that have an influence on what you can get on the used side,” DP says.
He tells Dealerfloor their predominant business area stretches over a 150 km radius around Worcester up to Swellendam, the Koue Bokkeveld and Ceres. There are also two Volkswagen dealers belonging to the NTT Motor Group in Stellenbosch and Paarl. The NTT Motor Group has more than 40 dealership representing different brands across the country. He says the Worcester dealership will be revamped in 2022 for a fresher look.
DP (Daniël Petrus) was recently appointed as the new Dealer Principal. He has been with the dealership since 2007 in different capacities and was born and bred in Groblersdal in Limpopo. He moved to Worcester at a young age where he was involved in the IT industry before joining the motor retail business. In his spare time DP enjoys mountain biking and motorsport.
Electric vehicles are older than many people realise. In the late nineteenth century, battery electric cars were common in cities because they were quiet, clean and easy to drive compared to petrol cars that needed hand cranking.
Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) announced the introduction of the Toyota Hiace PWD (Persons with Disabilities) model, a people-mover that puts accessibility at the heart of mobility.
One of the hot issues worldwide in the automotive business continues to be the drive towards new energy vehicles.
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A light on my car’s dashboard came on, and instead of fixing the problem, I waited for the bulb to burn out. Crisis solved.
Jarod Kintz
“We are ready to hit the road with DFSK and will celebrate the official opening of the East London DFSK dealership on 6th September,” says Melanie Herman, owner and Dealer Principal of the new facility in the Eastern Cape city.
Chery had a busy time over the last couple of weeks. Not only did it pull off a unique crash test with two Chery Tiggo 9s, the first of its kind locally, but it also awarded its top performing dealers during its national dealer conference held at Nasrec.
Hyundai Motor Group has officially announced Hyundai Pinetown as one of Global Top 100 Dealers of the Year, recognising the dealership’s remarkable performance, customer-centric innovation and market leadership in a highly competitive industry.
