Affordable hatchbacks continue to form the bedrock of the South African car industry, as evidenced by the sales figures for December 2025.
The VW Polo Vivo was as popular as ever, selling 2,024 units over the holiday period. This is according to a report by The Citizen, based on NAAMSA data.
Second place went to the Toyota Starlet this time around, which managed to sell 1,608 units.
The Hyundai Grand i10 then took the final spot in the top three thanks to 1,563 customers.
The Suzuki Swift, which normally comes second, only placed fourth last month with 994 units – significantly less than the 2,364 it achieved in November.
While Suzuki hasn’t commented on why the Swift’s sales tanked last month, it’s possible that the carmaker may be low on stock, as it is highly unusual for a popular model to see such a large dip in sales.
In fifth place we have the VW Polo with 738 units, followed by the Toyota Vitz in sixth place with 704.
The Renault Kwid – the cheapest car in South Africa – moved 661 units, and the Hyundai i20 came ninth with 321 showroom success stories
The final hatchback to crack the top 10 was the Suzuki S-Presso, which sold 210 examples.
In total, the top 10 hatchbacks sold a combined 9,194 units, accounting for 18.7% of the 48,983 vehicles sold in South Africa last month.
Best-selling hatchbacks in South Africa
These were the top 10 best-selling hatchbacks in South Africa in December 2025.
Note that the Hyundai Grand i10 is sold in both hatchback and sedan formats, but Hyundai does not report body-specific sales figures.
Click on the underlined prices for more information.
1. VW Polo Vivo – 2,024 units
- Starting price – R271,900
2. Toyota Starlet – 1,608 units
- Starting price – R268,300
3. Hyundai Grand i10 – 1,563 units
- Starting price – R224,900
4. Suzuki Swift – 994 units
- Starting price – R227,900
5. VW Polo – 738 units
- Starting price – R373,800
6. Toyota Vitz – 704 units
- Starting price – R178,800
7. Suzuki Baleno – 661 units
- Starting price – R247,900
8. Renault Kwid – 371 units
- Starting price – R178,799
9. Hyundai i20 – 371 units
- Starting price – R309,900
10. Suzuki S-Presso – 210 units
- Starting price – R178,900
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