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.  

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.

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.

Taiwan Top 50 Model Sales : 2022

I have been following this data for a while and it may not be 100% accurate, but it's close enough to pass my standard of reasonable accuracy. It's a market with protection for its assembly industry, but it does seem not to be as restrictive as others in the region. They also count imports with domestically made which is rare in any country in Asia with a car industry. 

The models below include light commercial vehicles too. Toyota is the big brand here and it shows on the list below. The top three models are top, with the Corolla Cross well ahead. As the advert above says, it's so fun. Further down, quite a few German premium models appear.

Toyota India Model Sales : 2014-2022

Toyota had about a 6% share in 2013 so the challenge was to at least maintain that. Was that objective achieved? Nothing much changed and keeping things the same slowly eroded market share. The Yaris arrived in 2018, replacing the Etios saloon but didn't exactly set the place alight.

After a few years of deliberation, in 2019 Toyota and Suzuki acquired shares in each other, forming an alliance and in doing so expecting to achieve mutual benefit through various collaborations. The next two models Toyota released must be part of that arrangement. 

2019: Toyota introduced the Glanza (picture above), which is a Suzuki Baleno compact 5-door hatchback. 

2020: A second Suzuki model was added in the form of the Urban Cruiser (right), sold by Suzuki as the Vitara Brezza. 

Both of the above models added useful volume but despite that, Toyota couldn't avoid a drop in market share. The Yaris proved to be a belly flop and was soon withdrawn. Toyota's share is currently below 4.2% so even the Big T has had to admit its current situation in India isn't where it wants to be.  

To do the first installment, please click here.

UK CV Production : 2012-22

The production of commercial vehicles in the UK is the best going back to 2012. What's not to like? Well, the fact that historically, the volume is poor. Going back to 1945, 122,500 units were made and it grew from there. The peak was in 1969 when nearly 466,000 CVs were made. 2020 heralded a low point. Now the numbers are returning. It sounds like a wildlife programme for an endangered species. Maybe an apt comparison.

Two fairly recent negatives were the ending of the Vauxhall Astra van in 2012 and a year later Ford ended UK Transit production. Leading up to their demise, neither was made in prolific numbers but for an already limited industry it was felt.

In better news, Stellantis has made a commitment to van production in the UK although car manufacturing for the firm is going altogether. That is no doubt helping but without a breakdown of production by brand it's speculating as to which company is doing what. LVEC is growing but as for the likes of Leyland DAF trucks and Alexander Dennis buses, I lack recent data. 

For 2022 40% of the volume is for the local market, but that tends to fluctuate. It was nearly 50% a year previous. The overall CV assembly industry is tiny but at least it is moving in a positive direction.

Data source: SMMT.

Toyota/Lexus Sales : 2020-22

The information below comes from Toyota and I could have added many other countries but stuck with what was provided. Company data is rarely if ever the same as what is available from each country anyway. The only exception is India was added by Toyota for 2022 and I put in rounded figures for the previous two years. 

Asia: About half of all sales are from this region, 48.2% to be precise. China and Japan make up 70% of that region. 

North America: The biggest market for Toyota/Lexus is the USA and the region accounted for slightly in excess of a quarter of total sales.

Europe: An area Toyota would like to be more successful in and is working on that. Its effort is being hampered by Germany. The largest market in Europe it may be but paltry sales and penetration put it a miserable fifth in the region. 

Oceania, ME & Africa: Almost the size of Europe thanks in part to Toyota's success in the GCC region, a union of  Gulf states. Australia and South Africa are also strong markets for the company. I added NZ from my own data, so it's not Toyota supplied. 

Latin America: An area Toyota has been playing catch up and doing so effectively. Small in the overall scheme of things but Toyota is nothing if not thorough.

Data source: Toyota.