South Africa’s auto industry has developed over the past decade, encouraged by a growing local market and a burgeoning role as a low-cost sourcing location for several OEMs. Glenn Brooks looks at the future model programmes for car makers with operations in South Africa.
Volkswagen Group
Automotive investment in South Africa, which slowed to a trickle as the economy contracted in 2009, has lately begun to pour into the country following several rounds of interest rate cuts. Volkswagen, the market leader, is the best example, having created 1,000 new jobs created between mid-2009 and mid-2010 at its Uitenhage plant in Eastern Cape province.
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Volkswagen sold 35,283 vehicles in the first half of 2010, an increase of 35% compared with the corresponding prior-year period, while the overall passenger car market rose by 28.3%. VW’s market share increased to 21.0%, up from 20.1%. This, incidentally, is identical to the percentage of the European market controlled by the OEM in the first six months of this year.
Production at Uitenhage will double this year to 120,000 units with the export volume for the new Polo expected to rise from 30,000 cars shipped in 2009 to more than 75,000 units in 2010. Three Polo-based models (Polo, Polo Vivo and CrossPolo) are set to be built in South Africa until 2017, at which time they should be replaced by rebodied cars on the same A05 platform. Before then, VWSA may add assembly of the Amarok pick-up on a new line at Uitenhage.
BMW
BMW has long had local manufacturing operations in South Africa, with the 3 Series sedan a steady seller. Expect the next-generation model to again be assembled at the company’s Pretoria plant from 2013.
Mercedes-Benz
While the BMW 3 Series is the major player in what is an unusually large segment for the size of the overall market, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan also sells well in South Africa. A new-generation model is expected to roll off the assembly line in the city of East London in 2012.
Fiat
Fiat has only modest plans for growth in Africa, with its Rosslyn plant in South Africa’s Gauteng province central to this. The company already builds Palio-based models there and is expected to replace these in late 2011 or early 2012 with all-new vehicles from the second-generation model range. Then, in late 2013, Fiat’s next-generation Punto should appear.
Due to the existence of a manufacturing joint venture with Tata Motors in India, opportunities for Fiat South Africa to export into major right-hand drive markets continue to be limited.
Ford
Ford’s South African operations have had much success with a Focus export programme, increasing numbers of cars going to Australia, for example. As Ford Australia will source the next model from Thailand, Ford’s Silverton plant in Pretoria will need to find other markets for its products.
Silverton also makes the Bantam (Courier), a small pick-up or ‘Bakkie’ but this aged model is overdue for replacement and a successor is expected in late 2010 or 2011. This is also the case for the larger Ranger, another pick-up. The T6-codenamed replacement should enter production at Silverton in late 2011.
General Motors
General Motors’ South African operations have had a troubled recent past, having been unlucky enough to be the location of a CKD assembly project that built Hummer pick-ups. With the end of that brand worldwide, GMSA is now pushing Chevrolet harder as a low-cost mainstream nameplate while Opel is moved slightly upmarket.
GMSA’s two plants in the coastal city of Port Elizabeth are each awaiting new investment but for now, the only future product in sight is the 2013 replacement for the Chevrolet Corsa Utility. Production of this small bakkie began in South Africa in August 2004. Its model name there was originally ‘Opel Corsa Utility’ but in April 2010 it changed brands and became a Chevrolet. The next model is believed to be under development by GM do Brasil, with GMSA likely to handle right-hand drive variants.
Toyota
Toyota, which is easily the most successful entrant in South Africa’s LCV market, prefers to concentrate its overall focus on rugged light-commercial based-vehicles rather than the small cars built by some rivals. A plant in Durban makes the Daihatsu-based Toyota Avanza, a minivan-SUV crossover (replacement due in 2012), the Fortuner (new model due in 2012) and Hilux (2012). Expect the next generations of these models to again use the IMV emerging markets platform.
Renault-Nissan Alliance
In South Africa, the Renault Nissan Alliance shares what was formerly a Nissan-only plant in Rosslyn. This currently makes the NP200, a small bakkie, for the Nissan brand. Little more than a rebadged Dacia Logan pick-up, albeit with toughened suspension, the NP200 is due for a styling update later in 2010. A rebodied model is expected to be launched in Europe in 2013 and in South Africa one year later.
Renault also makes several Dacia-based models at Rosslyn, among them the Sandero, with a Sandero pick-up variant reportedly due later in 2010. A facelift for the Sandero hatchback should follow in early 2011, with a full replacement expected in 2013. This and the next-generation NP200/Sandero pick-up are expected to use a re-engineered B0-platform.
This article was extracted from the just-auto research report ‘OEM future car model programmes to 2020’. It provides analysis of each OEM’s model launches by region and provides tables of future models to be launched out to 2020. The report offers analysis and background information into ten global markets, the aim being to offer expert and non-specialist readers alike, a clear, succinct picture of the future models which most matter.
Find out more: ‘OEM future car model programmes to 2020’
