Don’t despair if you own a Chevrolet

By Justus Visagie

Many owners of Chevrolet vehicles are unsure about the imminent departure of parent company General Motors and how it will affect them.

General Motors (GM) hasn’t left Mzanzi quite yet, but you can be sure they won’t be around next year (2018). If you drive one of their products, a Chevrolet, Opel or Isuzu, you might experience some separation anxiety. But there’s no reason for panic.

First of all, Opel and Isuzu will remain in South Africa under new stewardship and it will be business as usual for most owners of these vehicles. Unfortunately there will be a fallout for owners of Chevrolets, as additional depreciation (over and above normal depreciation that most cars are subject to) has already set in, because of their exodus. This means owners will generally receive less for their Chevrolets than before when trading them in or when selling them on. On the upside, new Chev Spark Campus cars are now being advertised for R120 000, while the list price is R141 200. So you might find some bargains among existing new stock, but new Chevrolets will be imported no more.

Where does that leave you if you own a Captiva, Trailblazer, Spark, Cruze, Aveo or any of the other Chevrolets? The best course of action is to drive the car for as long as possible. They remain good vehicles with many virtues and they will be supported.

General Motors South Africa (GMSA) states that “on-going after sales and parts support will continue through the existing GM dealer network to the end of 2017. All existing warranties and service plans remain in place and will be honoured beyond 2017. We will continue to ensure parts are available for Chevrolet vehicles for up to 10 years after production of your model has ceased.”

If you were hoping for some sort of compensation for GM’s departure and any consequences thereof, you’re out of luck. “Should a customer want to sell their vehicle back, normal business practices will be followed, whereby the value transfer will be a negotiation between the dealer and customer,” GMSA says. So, a sympathetic dealer who’s keen on a trade-in might give you a fair deal, “but there’s no special resale value protection or assistance and the normal market forces, condition of vehicle, mileage and so on will apply when any customer decides to replace or sell the vehicle,” GMSA adds. “Normal business practices will be followed, whereby the value transfer will be a negotiation between the dealer and customer,” they say.

Another change that will affect some owners are the merging or relocating of dealerships. This could mean that your GM dealer, who used to be just down the road, will now be an Isuzu dealer in another town or suburb.

A development that could also bring some change in future is the recent sale of German manufacturer Opel to the French PSA group (Peugeot/Citroën). But with the well-established and local Williams Hunt group as the new sole distributors of Opel in South Africa, the sale is unlikely to have any negative effect for Opel owners.

In a recent media statement Isuzu Motors South Africa said it will “appoint a network of approximately 90 dealers in optimal locations around the country committed to serving the needs of both its bakkie and truck customers.” In addition local production of Isuzu KB bakkies will continue.

If you still want to part ways with your Chevy, Opel or Isuzu you will find advice at AutoTraders marketplace here.