New vehicle sales revving high

According to the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (NAAMSA), total sales were 53 478 vehicles, of which 35 167 were passenger vehicles.

The passenger vehicle segment showed a healthy jump of 23.5% over March 2010 and a growth of 3.3% compared to February 2011.

Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa (FMCSA) is upbeat over its prospects with its Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) range and Ford Figo passenger car after cementing its standing in March as an overall top-four sales performer in South Africa.

Easter expected to take a bite out of sales

In March Ford sold 930 of its new Ford Ranger models and 1204 Figo cars.

"The Ford Figo's independent recognition as a finalist in the South African Car of The Year competition will certainly continue to maintain Ford's presence as a leader in this highly competitive space," says Dean Stoneley, Ford's vice president Marketing, Sales and Service.

While the vehicle market remains positive about continued growth the figures are expected to dip slightly in April because of the Easter holidays.

Below is a breakdown of the top sales in the key categories:

Top performing new passenger vehicles:

Top performing light commercial vehicles