More Mercedes Benz sold in April as overall car sales dip in Kenya

In April, 594 units of motor vehicles were sold in Kenya, down from the 846 sold in March.

The 29.8 per cent decrease continues a trend of falling sales as the industry feels the heat of the Covid-19.

Isuzu, which still remained the market leader in terms of total sales, traded off 179 units last month, a 52 per cent reduction from the 373 they sold in March. The company’s local completely knocked down units reduced by over 50 per cent, from 255 to 126.

Toyota came second in sales, selling only three units fewer than Isuzu with a total of 176.

In sharp contrast, sales of Mercedes Benz almost doubled, from 8 units to 14 in a month. Beiben, which had sold only one unit in March, managed 10 last month, all of them categorized as export Fully Built Units.

Mitsubishi remained the third most popular car brand in the country, selling 71 units, one less than the 72 they sold in March.

With the Covid-19 pandemic making many people financially handicapped, purchases of vehicles have taken a dip. Companies, most of whose operations have been downscaled, have slowed down in the purchase of commercial vehicles.

Andrew Omolo, General Manager Sales, Marketing and Logistics at Toyota Kenya, last month said people have been forced to cut on their spending due to the pandemic, and the shockwaves have hit the industry hard.

“Although we have experienced a decline in sales mostly attributed to the Covid-19 pandemic effects, the decline in sales is also attributed to customers putting off their purchasing decisions especially in certain sectors like public transport and tourism.”

“We expect a general slowing down of customer orders as economic activities are disrupted across the country, and this will have a direct impact on production levels,” said Charles Kariuki, Director Finance, and Strategy, Isuzu East Africa.