As one of the four global brands within the General Motors family, Chevrolet stands out as not only the most recognisable but also the largest selling GM brand globally. The Chevrolet nameplate is steeped in tradition and, as part of that tradition, is aimed at both family oriented customers and the youth in whichever market it competes. Hallmarks of the brand are: reliability, build quality, low whole life costs, safety and above all affordability.
These traditional and historic values stand behind the rapid growth of the Chevrolet brand in South Africa over the past year as a key element of General Motors South Africa’s market representation in the country. In the first ten months of 2009 Chevrolet accounted for 5.2% of all passenger vehicles sold in South Africa. Vehicle sales figures released by NAAMSA for October show that Chevrolet accounted for 9,3% of passenger vehicles sold that month with year to date penetration running at 7.9%.
Behind this success lies a strategic revitalisation of the Chevrolet brand with the updated Aveo hatch, all-new Cruze with an efficient diesel engine option, and Hot New Spark together with the Spark Lite providing an exciting extension to the Chevrolet range of vehicles. The Captiva SUV and the brutal Chevrolet Lumina SS sedan and ute at the top of the range add interest as successful established players in the South African passenger vehicle market.
Earlier in the year the Corsa Utility was incorporated into the Chevrolet brand providing a significant boost to market representation for the brand in both the light commercial vehicle sector and in the total market. In October 2010 Chevrolet’s share of the light commercial vehicle market was 12,2% with the year to date average running at 7.2%. This increase has been driven by the continued success of the Corsa Utility in the half-ton market where it has retained its position of market leader for 68 months in succession.
The Chevrolet Cruze which was launched into various markets around the world between 2009 and 2010 has logged more than 381,215 units since 2009 including 252, 143 units so far in 2010.
“The full impact of the significant growth in the Chevrolet brand can be seen in the overall market penetration which was at 9,6% for the month of October and 7.7% for the first ten months of the year compared to 3.6% for the same period in 2009,” says Malcolm Gauld, GMSA’s Vice President Sales and Marketing. “This success follows the expansion of the Chevrolet range with exciting new models from the global Chevrolet stable, like the Cruze and new Spark, that are tailored to local market requirements and boast exceptional quality and value for money.”
The history of Chevrolet goes back to 1911 when the company was co-founded by Louis Chevrolet and William C. Durant. It was merged into General Motors as a separate division in 1917. The Chevrolet brand was introduced into South Africa in the 1920s and local assembly operations began in 1926. Chevrolet remained the key GM brand in South Africa until 1982 when the focus shifted to Opel. The classic Chevrolet bowtie was reintroduced to South Africa in 2003.
Chevrolet is supported, together with the Opel and Isuzu brands, by the GMSA national network of 130 dealers in South Africa (plus 8 in Namibia, Botswana and Swaziland).
Chevrolet Range in South Africa includes:
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Chevrolet Spark Lite
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Hot New Chevrolet Spark
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Chevrolet Aveo Hatch and Sedan
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Chevrolet Optra Sedan
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Chevrolet Cruze
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Chevrolet Corsa Utility
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Chevrolet Captiva
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Chevrolet Lumina SS Sedan and ute
