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The Toyota Corolla Cross, a recent entrant in the popular compact SUV segment, is SA’s best selling passenger car. Picture: SUPPLIED
The Toyota Corolla Cross, a recent entrant in the popular compact SUV segment, is SA’s best selling passenger car. Picture: SUPPLIED

New-vehicle sales in SA exceeded expectations last month, recording the highest monthly total since pre-pandemic October 2019.

The Naamsa automotive business council reported that 50,607 new cars, light commercials and trucks were sold in March — an increase of 7,184 units (16.5%) over the 43,423 vehicles sold in March 2021.

It’s been a good first quarter for the local motor industry. In the first three months the biggest growth has been in the passenger car market, and year to date 93,377 cars have been sold, a 25.4% rise over the same period last year. Light commercials have improved by a smaller 2.9% to 35,888 units in the first three months of 2022. However, SA’s top-selling vehicle remains a light commercial: the Toyota Hilux, and by quite a margin. With 4,561 sales last month it more than doubled the number of its nearest competitor.

Market leader Toyota set a new record of 15,008 sales last month, helped by the strong popularity of models such as the Corolla Cross which was the country’s best-selling passenger car, the Hiace (top-selling minibus) and the Starlet budget hatchback.

Alongside bakkies, the budget car and compact SUV segments continue to lure large numbers of SA consumers. In the budget category the VW Polo Vivo and new-generation Polo continue to rule sales, while Toyota dominates the compact SUV league with the Corolla Cross and Urban Cruiser.

Suzuki also recorded a new domestic sales record of 3,347 units in March for a near 10% share of the passenger vehicle market and a top five position among SA’s best-selling brands.

Electric vehicles (EVs) are still selling at a trickle compared to internal combustion engined (ICE) cars, but the momentum is picking up after the introduction of new models. EV sales more than doubled to 218 units in SA in 2021 with the recent launches of battery-powered cars such as the BMW iX and Audi E-Tron, off a very low base of 92 EVs sold in 2020.

The list below gives a snapshot of what vehicles South Africans are buying, although the numbers are not driven purely by popularity as supply constraints caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and the Ukraine war are affecting some brands worse than others.

Since 2020 there has been a global semiconductor chip shortage affecting the automotive industry, and this year several automakers have been forced to cut their production after reduced supplies of wiring harnesses from war-hit Ukraine.

SA’s top selling vehicles by segment — March 2022

 

Budget cars

VW Polo Vivo — 2,117

VW Polo — 1,430

Toyota Starlet - 1,243

Suzuki Swift - 1,118

Renault Kwid - 848

VW Polo sedan - 829

Hyundai Atos - 763

Kia Picanto - 656

Renault Triber - 652

Toyota Corolla Quest - 527

Hyundai Grand i10 - 508

Hyundai i20 - 508

Toyota Agya - 487

Kia Rio - 364

Nissan Almera - 274

Kia Pegas - 171

Peugeot 208 - 128

Renault Clio - 109

 

Compact SUVs

Toyota Corolla Cross - 2,384

Toyota Urban Cruiser - 1,196

Ford EcoSport - 866

Haval Jolion - 798

Hyundai Venue - 780

Hyundai Atos - 763

Renault Kiger - 718

VW T-Cross - 702

Suzuki Vitara Brezza - 663

Nissan Magnite - 637

Suzuki S-Presso - 558

Suzuki Jimny - 440

Hyundai Tucson - 379

Haval H6 - 290

Kia Seltos - 283

Renault Duster - 256

Mazda CX-5 - 212

Hyundai Creta - 205

VW T-Roc - 191

Mahindra XUV300 - 187

Mazda CX-3 - 183

 

Midsize/large SUVs

Toyota Fortuner - 1,082

BMW X3 - 313

Ford Everest - 256

Toyota Rav4 - 173

Nissan X-Trail - 162

Toyota Prado - 127

BMW X5 - 116

Mitsubishi Pajero Sport - 98

Land Rover Defender - 96

Range Rover Evoque - 93

Jeep Grand Cherokee - 86

Isuzu MU-X - 65

Audi Q5 - 55

Audi Q5 Sportback - 48

Toyota Land Cruiser 300 - 45

 

Bakkies

Toyota Hilux - 4,561

Isuzu D-Max - 1,378

Nissan NP200 - 1,327

Ford Ranger - 1,052

Mahindra Scorpio Pik-Up - 711

Nissan Navara - 603

GWM Steed - 493

GWM P Series - 441

Toyota Land Cruiser pickup - 242

Hyundai H100 bakkie - 180

Kia K2700 - 149

VW Amarok - 144

Suzuki Super Carry - 119

Mahindra Bolero - 100

JAC T8 - 51

Kia K2500 - 37

JAC X200 - 36

Mitsubishi Triton - 33

Peugeot Landtrek - 27

VW Transporter pickup - 21

Mazda BT-50 - 18

 

MPVs and minibuses

Toyota Hiace - 1,644

Renault Triber - 652

Toyota Rumion - 348

Hyundai Staria - 149

Mitsubishi Xpander - 90

VW Kombi - 72

Hyundai Grand Creta - 67

Suzuki Ertiga - 63

 

Electric Vehicles

Audi E-tron - 16

Mini Cooper SE - 11

BMW iX - 6

BMW i3 - 1

* Lists exclude Mercedes-Benz and Porsche, who do not report detailed sales figures.

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