Why Suzuki is gaining traction in the used car market

Used car sales grew 7% year-on-year in April 2024 with sales amounting to R11.7bn. While this looks to indicate a market that might be slowly recovering, the fewer public holidays in April this year does not perhaps reflect an accurate comparison.

In the used car market, Volkswagen retained its second spot behind Toyota despite losing that position to Suzuki in the new vehicle market. Toyota led sales with 4,929 units ahead of Volkswagen’s sales of 3,903 and Ford sales of 2,943. Though still some way behind VW, Suzuki gained two positions in April, moving from ninth position to seventh in the top 10 brand sales ranking. 

“Suzuki has a reputation for reliability and affordability, factors that have driven the brand’s popularity,” said AutoTrader CEO George Mienie.

Sales of the brand’s compact hatchback, the Suzuki Swift, are a good indicator of the increased appetite for the Japanese brand. In the past year, used car sales accelerated by 128.4%, catapulting the Swift up the model sales ranking from 26th position in April 2023 to eighth in April 2024, according to AutoTrader used car sales data. 

Affordable, stylish and light at the pump, the average selling price of a used three-year-old Suzuki Swift with 36,708km mileage is R185,237, a smidgen cheaper than the April 2023 price of R189,097. 

The Ford Ranger continues to top used model sales with just more than 1,510 units, as the tussle between the Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux bakkies continues to play out.

Volkswagen’s Polo Vivo 1.4 still holds the title for the best-selling variant in the used car space followed by the VW Polo 1.0TSI and Toyota Hilux 2.8GD-6. 

With inflation biting and little wiggle room in wallets, consumers are increasingly concerned with pricing, running costs and value for money. 

The used car market is where they hunt for a better price tag, as well as a level of specification and quality they might not otherwise be able to afford if buying new.