
Asian brands, EVs dominate 2025 Best Buy Awards
The 2025 Best By Awards, announced by Kelley Blue Book, reflect the rapidly shifting landscape of the automotive market not only in the USA, but also elsewhere.
- Industry News
- 17 April 2025
Suhail Suder at Key Pietermaritzburg has taken on a big challenge, but one he feels he was raised to succeed in. The 26-year-old salesman sells Citroën, Peugeot and Opel at what many locals in the Midlands still consider to be an Isuzu dealership.
“I’ve been selling cars for only three years now, starting on GWM bakkies, and I look forward to reintroducing the three European brands to new and old buyers in the Midlands,” he told Dealerfloor.
“The main selling points are the high levels of luxury and safety built into even the entry level models. Unlike other brands, there is no down-speccing for our price sensitive market. Instead, you get everything European motorists demand.”
He said he had all but grew up in Peugeots. “My grandfather used to have four 404 models, two to drive and two for spares.” But he adds the brand has come a long way from those robust old 404s”.
Suder said while he had a slow start, the new signage that was installed at the dealership during December will help a lot to spread awareness that the Key dealership no longer sells just bakkies and trucks.
“Using social media, local events and our CMS system, I plan to spread the word a lot further,” he said.
He said he hopes to set his marketing plans apart by using the long histories and unique modern selling points of each model to sell them to potential buyers.
“Knowing the strengths and legends of each model helps to connect with interested buyers. For example, the 5008 has a brilliant massage seat, the Corsa handles like it’s on rails and the C3 continues the legend of the Pallas.
“My challenge is to find venues and gathering places where I can best demonstrate each car’s strength to potential buyers,” he said.
“And once a person experiences what the European brands offer, they understand why our annual Cars in the Park gatherings still draw our grandfathers to talk of the Kadett Superboss, the Peugeots’ frugal toughness or the Citroëns’ unique little luxuries.”
In the face of a shifting premium automotive market, Audi South Africa is also currently re-aligning its retail operations according to the new reality where the premium vehicle sector has contracted to nearly a third of its size compared to a decade ago, with 2024 marking the lowest level yet.
The Halfway Group has opened the doors to a brand-new Lexus dealership, located in Lynnwood, Pretoria, with Chris Jones as the Dealer Principal.
Stellantis has announced the expansion of its multi-franchise dealer network with the addition of the Fiat and Jeep brands to the existing CMH East Rand dealership in Boksburg, Gauteng.