COMMERCIAL vehicles have remained the primary driver of annual vehicle sales growth, accounting for 54.3% of total units sold in January 2025, the latest report by Simonis Storm shows.
Sales in this segment decreased by 4.57% year on year (y/y), reflecting slightly lower demand from businesses and industries reliant on fleet expansion and logistics. Within this category, light commercial vehicles dominated, with 540 new units sold.
According to economist Almandro Jansen, 25 medium commercial vehicles, 30 extra-heavy commercial vehicles and 10 heavy commercial vehicles were sold, while one new bus sale was recorded during the period.
In contrast, passenger vehicles accounted for 45.7% of total sales, with 511 units sold, marking a marginal 9.42% y/y decline in February 2025. Month on month (m/m), sales rose by 8.96% from January.
Year to date, passenger vehicle sales totaled 980 units, reflecting a 4.39% contraction from the 937 units sold during the same period in 2024.
“However, improved household liquidity, driven by tax refunds and interest rate cuts, could support a rebound in demand, particularly in the compact SUV and budget passenger car segments, which remain attractive amid economic uncertainty.
“Despite these fluctuations, the overall market performance remained resilient, with the commercial vehicle segment benefitting from improving business sentiment and a continued economic recovery. Tax-related incentives and greater access to credit have bolstered vehicle purchases among both individual and corporate buyers, sustaining demand in the market,” says Jansen.
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