South Africa Top 50 Model Sales : 2022

This is an updated list with models not listed before now shown. Data is somewhat haphazard as some brands are reluctant to share anything.   

VW has the top two passenger car spots for two generations of the  Polo model but had I added light commercial models then Toyota would be well in charge with the Hilux. The Ford Ranger too would be well up the list. 

Suzuki is going well in the RSA and the Swift model has lifted to third. It has no fewer than eight models in the top 50. Toyota has nine so between them a third of the total below. 

Chery has recently relaunched here but only reported sales for the second half of the year. However, as that's when the majority of the sales were made, the figure below for the Tiggo 4 and 7 models are not far off the real total. 

Renault does well with cars not well known generally but sourced it seems from India. In fact, India would be a major supplier of cars here going by some of the models selling strongly. Of course, the RSA also has a car industry which is a success in its own right. 

USA Sales : 2022

This article has been updated as further research showed that some of the data from reputable sources wasn't as accurate as I had expected. 

Registrations change from source to source so the list below should be viewed as indicative of what happened but not absolute. Some of the brands, especially the smaller selling ones are estimates, obvious with rounded figures. 

Sales were down 8% according to my data. The '+/- diff' column below is for market share change so small increases in that column would have been a slight reduction in sales.

Ford was unable to regain its top nameplate ranking from 2020, although it's close at the top. Toyota lost some of its buffer but did enough to be number one again.  

Early in the year, the VW Group had a ship coming to the US that sank due to a fire on board. Nearly 4,000 cars are now luxury condos for the local fish. There were around 1,900 Audis, 1,100 Porsches, 500 Volkswagens, 189 Bentleys, and 85 Lamborghinis on the ship. 

New brands (usually electric) are starting to appear at the bottom of the list such as Rivian (very top picture) and Lucid (pictured above left). Going from a great idea to successful production is no mean feat, something they all know now if they didn't before. Chinese brands have been prioritising a move to electric cars so I wonder when will take the plunge and come to the US? 

Data source: Various. 

Kazakhstan Vehicle Sales : 2022

Total sales were up 3% with Chevrolet establishing itself at the top. Hyundai is next but unable to regain the top spot it surrendered in 2020. Chinese brands are moving in and doing well. Chery is quickly up to 6th place and Haval 10th. 

The data below is slightly different from the  AKAB where I used to get it from but it's extremely close so regardless of which is the more accurate I'm happy to present it.  

Myanmar Vehicle Sales : 2022

This is a country where political turmoil is never far from the surface. Nearly 22,000 sales in 2019 have slumped to barely 7,000 in 2022. For 2022, the drop was 25%. Suzuki had to pause production during the year due to currency exchange issues. The volatility is more than just customer preference driven.

Suzuki took the top spot in 2017 and has since made it their own. Chinese brand Jetour (pictured above) turns up and in no time is second. Toyota held off starting production at a new plant until late 2022 after a military coup in early 2021 just as they were about to commence assembly.  

Toyota LCV UK Sales : 2019-2022

Toyota does well with light commercial vehicles in many regions but it has never been that big in Europe with them. It is steadily expanding its sourcing of LCVs from Stellantis and a large van is the next to join the ranks in mid 2024. For now, the ProAce (midsized van pictured below) and ProAce City (compact van pictured above) are from that cooperative. 

The big one is of course the Hilux pickup truck, with over half the LCV volume. The Landcruiser is also part of the LCV range with just two seats and a larger rubberised cargo area. A Corolla hybrid model has been added with the same two seat layout. It sounds like a really smart idea, combining a compact van with economical hybrid motoring. 

Sales are growing nicely, up from 9,000 to 13,000 over this period. The ProAce City seems to be the reason as it adds another option to van buyers to consider Toyota. How will the Corolla van go? It surely deserves to succeed but I'm not sure the size of the market for this sort of vehicle. It's certainly worth adding to the range. 

Data source: Toyota UK.

Lexus UK Model Sales : 2019-2022

Lexus sales have been steadliy declining through the period below but that is a general trend with premium marques in the UK. Tesla is an exception so maybe there is the answer. Or maybe a bit of belt tightening in the UK. Then again the CT and IS haven't been replaced which has affected numbers. Could be a mixture of all three.

The 'X' in the model name denotes crossover and the three top selling models are of that variety. They carry the brand as is the case for many manufacturers these days. 

The brand has a reputation of being well built and reliable which are what I expect in a car. They would like to add an exciting driving experience to that as well no doubt but I'd call that a work in progress. 

Data source: Lexus UK.

Toyota UK Sales : 2019-2022

It's nice that Toyota UK provides sales information for the public. Virtually no one else does so I'm all for rewarding the openness shown by TMUK with some publicity. The car range on sale is listed below. 

The Yaris is the leader and has been since the year 2000 when it replaced the Starlet. In 1999, it was the Carina that was the best selling Toyota model in the UK. The UK made Corolla comes next and deservedly has a strong following. The C-HR crossover is close behind and the new Yaris Cross is next. 

Whoever named a car a bZ4X? Pronouncing it would be an ask in itself. This new electric crossover (picture above) will be a welcome addition to a range featuring mainly hybrids. The Mirai was a statement of where Toyota would rather be heading than with electric but the infrastructure cost associated with establishing this new type of propulsion is not favouring fuel cell cars, for now at least.

Data source: Toyota UK.

Hyundai Factory Model Sales : 2022

The 3.541 million plant sales is a 3% increase in units despatched. The Tucson SUV has got its tux on with a healthy 17% gain and share of company sales up from 16.7% to 18.9%. Looking the part. The Avante/Elantra car and Creta SUV (for 'emerging' markets) came next. 

The small i10 car (picture above) is doing well along with its slightly larger sibling, the i20 hatchback. China hasn't been a happy hunting ground for Hyundai of late and that is reflected in the data below. The Sonata (picture below) is a shadow of the car it once was in terms of sales but still has a place in the line up for now.

Data source: Hyundai.

Kia Factory Model Sales : 2022

Twentyfour  models were part of the Kia stable in 2022, the Carens being the new kid on the block. It's a resurrected nameplate, but the model has gone from an MPV to a crossover and is now aimed at 'developing' markets.

The total of 2.715 million represents an increase of 7.7%, one I'm sure they will gladly take all things considered. The Sportage SUV retains its top spot with its share of the company sales up from 12.4% to 16.1%. Then came the Seltos of the same genre but smaller and up a whole percentage point to 10.6%.

The only model made in Russia was the Rio in a Hyundai factory I believe and that arrangement has obviously concluded. So Kia is moving along nicely, with headwinds not putting it off course. 

The pictured cars are not big selling models. The car above is the Ray (nice name) which reminds me of Japanese Kei cars. It is only sold in Korea and we see it here it is enjoying the rays of the sun. Below is the Stinger, a model that isn't in a segment that's popular these days. It's lost some of its...er sting.

Data source: Kia. 

Mauritius Sales : 2022

Registrations for December were +21% and for the full 2022 calendar year were up 34%. Overall, a very positive result. The 'Diff' figure below compares market share and with such an increase, many showing decreases in the +/- column have in fact increased volume. 

Suzuki has taken the 4,3,2,1 approach, improving each year and then has taken its chance in a disrupted 2022 to not only take the lead but do so in a decisive fashion. I don't have a breakdown by model but presume much of Suzuki's stock comes from India. Kia and Toyota have suffered setbacks, Kia in particular. 

Data source: NLTA.

Pickups: Sales in this segment are showing fluidity as brands are affected by supply issues. Ford had a new model arriving as did VW so they have both suffered as a result. In fact, VW failed to register a single sale this year. Nissan and Mitsubishi have been beneficiaries. Peugeot is now sourcing pickups from China. 

Hyundai Factory Sales : 2022 (By Nation)

It was a trying 2022 for car makers but Hyundai seemed to secure a sufficient supply of semiconductors to actually manage a 3% increase in factory sales. They also had to contend with reduced volume in China and winding down operations in Russia. I presume the latter two negatives freed up chips for elsewhere. 

Just over a third of the unit sales (36.6%) were from plants in Korea, about the same as a year ago. Its lowest level was back in 2016 when it was just under the 30% mark. India's contribution of 19.8% was its highest ever. China (at 7.1% of the cars Hyundai make) was the lowest since 2003 when they were just establishing manufacturing in that country. 

The plant in Indonesia was timely as that market is strongly protected and local production is essential for any hoped for success there. As mentioned, Russian production is over so that will be off the list in 2023. Production in Mexico comes from the Kia plant. 

Data source: Hyundai.

Kia Factory Sales : 2022 (By Nation)

This was a good year for Kia, with factory sales up 11%. Just over half came from Korean based operations. Kia was slow to open plants elsewhere and after a flurry of action, it seems to have plateaued. India only came on line in 2019 and already looks to be heading for the second spot. 

China started production in 2002 and that the lowest percentage (5%) in terms of contribution since that year. Sales are sluggish and capacity heavily underutilised. Jiangsu Yueda Kia, Kia's subsidiary in China isn't going well so something needs to happen. 

Of course, Russian production is now finished so the last time they will be listed for the foreseeable future. Yet, despite problems in China and exiting Russia didn't stop everywhere else from doing well. 2.8 million units is a strong result. 

Data source: Kia.

Genesis Global Model Sales : 2021-22

The Genesis marque is a bold attempt to take on the existing premium marques and for now it relies on the domestic market for much of its volume. It helps when the local market is heavily protected by tariffs but it is in no way as effective as it is against mainstream brands. Such cars rely on their reputation and status so cutting in on that is no easy task. Customers in this segment will pay extra for the cachet they carry. 

Global wholesale volume was up 7% in 2022, reasonable in a difficult trading year. In its home market, retail sales were 135,000, down 5%. If I was a high volume premium import brand in Korea, I'd be concerned having an idea of how things work there but I'll leave it at that. 

Unusually, the top three most popular models decreased but were more than offset by the less popular models doing well. The G range of passenger cars claimed 47% of the sales, about 1% up on 2021. The GV crossovers I expected to take more in 2022, not less. Maybe just a temporary aberration. 

Data source: Hyundai.

Russia Car/LCV Sales : 2023 (Jan)

Most car brands have been pulled from Russia. Some have already sold out, for others, a few sales are still being registered until stock is exhausted. Those brands that remain actively operating here are either Russian or Chinese. In particular Haval, Geely and Great Wall are aggressively filling the void left by the departure of so many brands.

Chery stopped publishing sales figures around the middle of 2022 for the Chery and CheryExceed brands. Sales to that point are included in the 2022 'Share' column for the time they did reveal registrations. They did introduce the Omoda brand in November but that also disappeared in 2023. 

Sollers have appeared doing light commercials. BMW and Mercedes-Benz report quarterly so what they may have sold is unknown. Kia is still selling a surprising number of vehicles, five models were in the top 25 models for January. They must have had plenty of stock to clear. 

Data source: AEB.

Tata India Model Sales : 2020-2022

Tata Motors is a company that covers all segments of the car industry from small cars to heavy trucks and buses. It is part of the Tata Group which is a huge conglomerate in which cars are but a sideline business. It entered the passenger car business in 1991, making SUVs. Then in 1998, it released the Indica mini 5-door hatchback, then a few years later complemented by the Indigo, a 4-door version of the car. 

The Indica pushed the share of Tata in India from 1.2% in 1997 to 10% in 1999. In 2002, it passed 16% but then it slowly slip to 14% by 2009. The tiny Nano was introduced in 2008 and was supposed to bring car ownership to hundreds of thousands of Indians each year didn't achieve anything like that. 

By 2014, market share had crashed to 5% and new models were urgently required to meet the increasing competition. The Tiago and then the Nexon and Tigor models did a good job of steadying the ship and regaining some lost ground. 

The Harrier midsized crossover came out in 2019, the small Altroz 5-door hatchback in 2020 (picture below the sales data) and the Punch compact SUV in 2021 were a strong assault arsenal to get Tata Motors back to a respectable position. There's no show without Punch.

We can see the benefit those new models have brought Tata Motors over the past few years with market share up to 13.8% and climbing. If the current success can be maintained, Tata will pass Hyundai for second place. Some of its recent SUVs have a hint of Land Rover styling about them. I wonder why?

VW Brand India Model Sales : 2019-22

With the disappointment of the Ameo, what was VW planning to do now? Would it just walk away or persist with the market? The Ameo and Passat were retired, the latter for the second time in a few years. 

2020: The range was thinning and the T-Roc was imported. It came in two batches which sold out quite quickly but then VW stopped taking orders for them. It isn't cost effective to import so perhaps it was a stopgap measure until the Taigun arrived.

2021: Assembly of the Taigun crossover SUV (based on the T-Cross, picture to the right) commenced this year. It was a badly needed addition as VW tried to make a case for its being here at all. 

2022: The Polo and Vento models were discontinued this year but the imported Tiguan continues in limited numbers. A smallish saloon car named the Virtus (pic top) arrived and is shared by Škoda, named the Slavia. Market share has passed the 1% mark again! 

VW is continuing in India but it's not proved to be an Eldorado for the brand. Quite the opposite in fact. However, by working with Škoda it can presumably manage to remain due to cost savings from that collaboration. 

For the first in the series, simply click here.

Hyundai India Model Sales : 2019-2022

Hyundai sailed into this period with a strong tailwind and looking well established. The market is tight and Tata was was proving to be stiffer opposition so how would Hyundai react.

2019: As usual, with new models keeping the range fresh. The Venue compact crossover (picture below the sales chart) was successful as you would expect and the Kona also turned up but in tiny numbers. 

2021: The small to medium sized Alcazar crossover (above) was introduced and understandably was solid without being spectacular saleswise. Meanwhile, the slow selling Elantra was withdrawn.

2022: Hyundai's market share slipped noticeably to 14.4%, the lowest since 2012 and the second lowest since 2007. It may be a temporary blip but one to watch. India is not, for the most part, an easy place to be in for a car company. Tata is on the up and close to passing it.  

As for the pictures on their website as seen here, they are embarrassing. Computer generated but they are not very well done to boot. It's not just with Hyundai either. It seems to be an increasingly common practice, especially in Asia. You can't beat well taken photographs but can some manufacturers not be bothered?

The first in the series can be seen by clicking here.

Honda India Model Sales : 2019-2022

The Amaze interior

With market share declining from 2015 down to 5.4% in 2018, where would things go from here? The sort answer is down as some sort of rationalisation took place. Many manufacturers decided that profit was more important than volume and Honda is a company that has been embracing that philosophy more than ever.

In 2020, sales dropped below the 3% mark for the first time in eight years. It then plateaued but so far this year has dipped slightly more so. There are currently just two models of any note. It will be interesting to see where Honda moves from here. New models are coming but volume in itself will certainly not be the focus. 

To read the first of three articles, please click here.