2024 — the winners, the losers and the bruises

As we bid farewell to 2024, it is perhaps timely to reflect on the winners and losers that the year produced.

The best performing automotive brand is by far and away Chery which has seen a 108 per cent growth in sales, jumping from 5558 in 2023 to 10,718 sales at the end of November.

It was followed by another Chinese brand BYD with a 68 per cent increase in sales and the luxury brand Jaguar with a 39 per cent increase.

Rounding out fourth and fifth spots were Suzuki (25.5 per cent) and GWM (19 per cent).

Note that three of these five brands have their roots in China.

The winner Chery has made a miraculous return from the dead.

The Chinese brand sold just 4600 of its cheap and cheerful J1 and J3 hatches here, along with the J11 SUV — all between 2011 and 2018.

But it was forced to withdraw from the market after its vehicles no longer met the necessary safety standards.

Currently Chery’s best-selling model is the petrol-powered Omoda 5 SUV which is also available as an EV.

It has sold more than 10,000 vehicles so far this year.

At the other end of the scale Citroen, which is imported by Sydney’s Inchcape, has sadly decided to call it quits.

We say sadly because the company produces the more interesting cars that we have had the opportunity to drive.

Peugeot, which is part of the PSA Group, could follow with a decline of 22 per cent unless sales bounce back.

However, Polestar was the biggest loser, with an 87 per cent drop in sales, down from 2058 to just 264 at the end of November.

It was followed by Jeep with a 48 per cent decrease and Tesla with 47 per cent decrease.

Fourth and fifth positions were filled out by Ram (-45 per cent) and Cupra (-42 per cent).

Polestar is an offshoot of Volvo and produces high performance electric cars, including the Polestar 2, Polestar 3 and Polestar 4.

Jeep which is in the midst of transitioning from petrol/diesel to hybrid/electric could soon follow Chrysler into the abyss unless it picks up the pace, while Tesla appears to be finally feeling the effects of some significant competition.

What will 2025 bring?

Well, no doubt more Chinese cars and we will likely see the collapse of other established players as the market continues to evolve.

There’s only so much to around.

Rob bought it on eBay

Honda, Nissan and Mitsubishi are already circling the wagons with the signing of a memorandum of understanding to explore collaborative opportunities.

This collaboration could see the emergence of a new super brand, one that will not be as large as Toyota or Volkswagen, but still a force to be reckoned with.

Not sure what this means for the existing Nissan, Renault, Mitsubishi Alliance?

Commenting on collaboration, Honda’s Toshihiro Mibe said: “At this time of change in the automobile industry, which is said to occur once every 100 years, we hope that Mitsubishi Motors’ participation in the business integration discussions of Nissan and Honda will lead to further social change, and that we will be able to become a leading company in creating new value in mobility through business integration.

“Nissan and Honda will start the discussion from today onwards with an aim to clarify the possibility of business integration by around the end of January in line with the consideration of Mitsubishi Motors.”

Watch this space.