Virus slams brakes on May car sales

New vehicles packed at the General Motors (GM) parking yard along Mombasa road, Nairobi. [File, Standard]

The sale of new motor vehicles in the country fell in May as the economy continues to grapple with the ravages of the coronavirus pandemic. 

A new report by the Kenya Motor Industry Association (KMIA) showed that a total of 568 vehicles were sold last month, down from 594 in April and 846 a month earlier.

The industry has been on a downward trajectory, with car dealers having sold 1,049 units in February, a month before the first case of Covid-19 was reported in the country.

During the month, Isuzu led the pack in the number of sales with 432 units, a position it held in May, selling 218 new vehicles.

Isuzu’s controlled 38 per cent of the market, with Toyota, who sold 120 units second, with a 21 per cent stake.  

Mitsubishi have maintained a steady sale, with 72 units in March, 71 in April and again 72 in May, meaning they remained the third highest selling motor vehicle company in the country.

Luxury brands such as BMW and Mercedes Benz still maintained their numbers for previous few months.

Overall, completely knocked down units usurped fully built units as the highest selling units.