Kenya-made VW car sales at 55 in half-year

[MK254]

VOLKSWAGEN PRODUCTION LINE AT THE KENYA VEHICLES MANUFACTURES (KVM) IN THIKA. PHOTO | DIANA NGILA | NMG

Volkswagen Polo Vivo, the first passenger car to be assembled in Kenya, has recorded sluggish sales of 55 units since its launch in December.

Orders for the car, which is sold by DT Dobie, gives it a market share of about one per cent of all saloon car sales in the country, according to data from the Kenya Motor Industry Association (KMI) and Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS).

DT Dobie priced the Polo Vivo at Sh1.65 million as part of its strategy to attract price-sensitive middle class households who have preferred to buy used cars.

The motor dealer also added a warranty of three years or 120,000 kilometres but the sales performance in the six months ended June show the market is yet to warm up to the car on a significant scale.

DT Dobie will be looking at the government to boost sales of the Polo Vivo, with Industrialisation secretary Adan Mohamed having announced that the State had committed to buy 300 of the hatchbacks each year to promote its local assembly.

More dealers including Urysia (the Peugeot dealer) are looking at assembling their car brands locally to benefit from exemption from a 25 per cent import duty levied on fully-built imports.

While new cars last longer and have relatively little maintenance costs, their pricing has traditionally kept off most individual buyers who go for used models from Japan and other markets.

Second¬hand cars sell from as low as Sh700,000 depending on the model, year of manufacture and its condition.

The government, private companies, non-governmental organisations and wealthy individuals are the main buyers of new cars, most of which are priced between Sh2.5 million and Sh10 million.

DT Dobie earlier said the Polo Vivo’s pricing and its features makes it a compelling offer to those seeking value for money.

READ ALSO: Locally-assembled Mercedes passenger bus models launched

The car has a 1.4 litre engine, 6-speed automatic transmission, dual airbags, air conditioning, alloy wheels, under body protection, alarm, central locking and raised suspension. Other features include radio and Bluetooth connections.

Kenya-made VW car sales at 55 in half-year

 

[kilam]

"Volkswagen Polo Vivo, the first passenger car to be assembled in Kenya, has recorded sluggish sales of 55 units since its launch in December".

Kama nilivyotarajia, ni watu wachache mno Afrika wenye uwezo wa kununua magari mapya hasa ya kampuni za Ulaya.

 

[Geza Ulole]

Sluggish is the keyword overthere..the next step is a closure of that assembly line. Talk of cooked middle class number to attract investors! Ati Nairobi ina 8000 millionaires and 1/8 of them couldn't afford a Polo for their kids [emoji23] [emoji115]

Sent using Jamii Forums mobile app

 

[Sammuel999]

Lol 1.65mn na mark two second hand ni 900k ...lol hii gari second hand ni 540k kama hampunguzi bei mtakaa hapo tuanganliane......make the parts in Kenya and watch people buy those cars

Sent using Jamii Forums mobile app

 

[kilam]

Lol 1.65mn na mark two second hand ni 900k ...lol hii gari second hand ni 540k kama hampunguzi bei mtakaa hapo tuanganliane......make the parts in Kenya and watch people buy those cars

Sent using Jamii Forums mobile app

Wakipunguza bei sana wataishia kupata hasara, the middle-class in Africa is overrated.

 

[Sammuel999]

Wakipunguza bei sana wataishia kupata hasara, the middle-class in Africa is overrated.

Hasara wapi in South africa VW polo inauzwa 380k kenya wanauza 1.65mn ......muache kuwa na inferiority complex ....wapunguze bei

Sent using Jamii Forums mobile app

 

[Sammuel999]

kilam

The popular Volkswagen Polo Vivo has a new member in its family. Meet the eye-catching special edition Polo Vivo Storm!
Since its launch back in March 2010, the locally made Volkswagen Polo Vivo has been a runaway success. The Polo Vivo has been a top-selling passenger vehicle in South Africa and to date, nearly 220 000 Vivo's have been sold. To further the success of the Polo Vivo, VWSA has now introduced a special edition Storm derivative to the local market and its based on the Polo Vivo 1.4i Trendline.
It looks much sportier than the standard Volkswagen Polo Vivo and features front foglights with chrome surrounds, black metallic 15-inch Tosa alloy wheels, glossy black side mirrors and black decals. Furthermore, the rear is completed with chrome-tipped double exhaust pipes. The cabin also receives a makeover and gets a two-tone dashboard, while the steering wheel, gear gaiter and hand brake lever are all in leather with grey stitching. The seats are covered in three-tone trim while the roof lining is coloured in anthracite adding to the visual appeal of the interior. Nice-to-have features include a CD/Radio with Bluetooth connectivity, SD Card, USB port and six speakers as standard.
Volkswagen Polo Vivo Storm Price in South Africa
Polo Vivo Storm retails for R79 700, including VAT and emission tax (February 2017).
Click here for the latest Volkswagen Polo Vivo pricing in South Africa


1 ZAR = 5.8 KES


79000*5.8= 464000


Why are they selling it in Kenya for 4 times more??

Sent using Jamii Forums mobile app

 

[logframe]

Loh, middle income country citizens can't afford such a price?

Sent using Jamii Forums mobile app

 

[Iconoclastes]

Loh, middle income country citizens can't afford such a price?

Sent using Jamii Forums mobile app

Not that they cant afford that. Everybody would surely go for the available cheaper options with matching quality and content.

How many cars are bought in Tanzania in a year in comparison with Kenya?

 

[Iconoclastes]

Hasara wapi in South africa VW polo inauzwa 380k kenya wanauza 1.65mn ......muache kuwa na inferiority complex ....wapunguze bei

Sent using Jamii Forums mobile app

What I was telling t-time the other day. Our policies are killing our local manufacturing industries.

I dont think it is their fault that they have priced their vehicles that high. The burden of the blame lies with the govt.

 

[Quickly]

Hasara wapi in South africa VW polo inauzwa 380k kenya wanauza 1.65mn ......muache kuwa na inferiority complex ....wapunguze bei

Sent using Jamii Forums mobile app

sam, i think the problem with the sales is not that they are poor but marketing is just horrific! These guys seem to have a foreign marketing CEO who doesn't understand the psyche of the kenyan consumer. If they change tact, utaona sales and acceptance ikipanda. It reminds me of a certain VW model which had diff names in different countries : in Nigeria it was called the VW Igala and in Brazil it was the VW Brasilia. Its all down to marketing and people also generally buy and dispose of vehicles at year's end. Ever noticed the number of people with for sale signs on their cars around December? We have peculiar habits, including when we buy cars.

 

[REDEEMER.]

The so called middle income can't even afford a baby walker?

 

[REDEEMER.]

Tanzania kiwanda kikubwa cha kutengenezea not (assembling) mabus kinafunguliwa mtaona magari yatakavyochangamkiwa na hivi tulivyo na mtandao mkubwa wa barabara za lami lazima mambo yanoge.

 

[Kafrican]

Over 5000 new cars assembled locally are sold to Kenyans each 10Months , if VW managed to only sell 53 then its their own fault, nothing else, the market is there .... 100,000 second hand cars are imported to Kenya each year, if these people had a better and cheaper alternative available locally they would go for it

 

[Kafrican]

Sluggish is the keyword overthere..the next step is a closure of that assembly line. Talk of cooked middle class number to attract investors! Ati Nairobi ina 8000 millionaires and 1/8 of them couldn't afford a Polo for their kids [emoji23] [emoji115]

Sent using Jamii Forums mobile app

Then how comes more luxury personal cars of Ksh 15 Million and above are being sold more than this 1Million VW ?

One would rather buy a 2nd hand 2year old Subaru at the same price, VW should have accounted for things like that

 

[Kafrican]

"Volkswagen Polo Vivo, the first passenger car to be assembled in Kenya, has recorded sluggish sales of 55 units since its launch in December".

Kama nilivyotarajia, ni watu wachache mno Afrika wenye uwezo wa kununua magari mapya hasa ya kampuni za Ulaya.

You guys are jumping to one conclusion b4 following the logic .... Kabla hata hatujaonhelea uwezo wa watu kununua gari, soma hapo DT Dobie wamesema kulingana na numbari ya gari hilo walixouza VW inamaana VW iko na about 1% market share of all new saloon cars sold in Kenya ,yani hata haijafika 1% ....

Kama ingekua hizo gari 55 inampatia VW 50% market share hapo ndo tungesema hakuna magari yanayonunuliwa ...

So swali ni, if about 1% market share is 55 new saloon cars, how many cars is the rest of +99%? .... Then answer is about 5,500 new saloon cars each year....

So the discussion in this topic should not necessarily be about the ability of African/ Kenyan middle class to buy new PC cars but the strategy that VW used in entering the market , did they choose the right model according to our local needs or did they just sit down somewhere in a boardroom in Berlin and decided on our behalf that that particular model is what we need, was the vehicle superior than a 2 year old second hand car of a different model at the same price range ? ....

 

[Zero Hours]

Sisi huku tuna ivyo viwanda tunavisikiaga kwenye majukwaa ya wanasiasa.

Sent using Jamii Forums mobile app

 

[Kafrican]

Hasara wapi in South africa VW polo inauzwa 380k kenya wanauza 1.65mn ......muache kuwa na inferiority complex ....wapunguze bei

Sent using Jamii Forums mobile app

Tena hio 1.65m ni exclusive of Tax! Subaru ya mwaka mmoja tulinunua na 1.5M total including importation and registration cost .... There is more class in that 2nd hand car than this new polo... This VW polo model should be for the market of people who buy Vits and other look alike vehicles, but the price difference is too much

 

[Geza Ulole]

Then how comes more luxury personal cars of Ksh 15 Million and above are being sold more than this 1Million VW ?


View attachment 551133

One would rather buy a 2nd hand 2year old Subaru at the same price, VW should have accounted for things like that

Evidence of Kshs 15 mln luxury cars sold in Kenya every year? Another cooked stats...[emoji15]

Sent using Jamii Forums mobile app

 

[Kafrican]

Evidence of Kshs 15 mln luxury cars sold in Kenya every year? Another cooked stats...[emoji15]

Sent using Jamii Forums mobile app

Seems that is your only defence nowadays ....
It shows how much you have lost the argument these days...
Approx 400 new mid-sized luxury cars are sold in kenya each year, the price of a mid-sized and high-end luxury car is six figure meaning from $100,000, how much is that in ksh? Plus insurance, tax, registration ....?

Kumbe ile fact ya Nairobi alone having more millionaires than the entire UR of Tz imekua ikikuuma?