The VW Polo Vivo is still the most popular hatchback in South Africa, moving 2,060 units in January 2026.
This not only makes it the best-selling passenger car in the country, but also the third most popular vehicle overall behind the Toyota Hilux and Ford Ranger bakkies. This is according to a report by The Citizen, based on NAAMSA data.
While the Vivo is still on top, its dominance is being threatened by the Suzuki Swift, which made an incredible comeback last month with 2,029 sales – more than double what it sold in December.
Another solid performer was the Toyota Vitz, which jumped from sixth to third place thanks to 1,514 customers.
Consequently, the Hyundai Grand i10 was bumped down to fourth place with its 1,374 units, which was followed by the Toyota Starlet in fifth with 1,372.
Outside the top five, the VW Polo landed in sixth with 738 units, and the Hyundai i20 moved up from ninth to seventh place with 550 purchases.
The Suzuki Baleno and Renault Kwid came eighth and ninth with 440 and 381 sales, respectively, and the Suzuki S-Presso closed out the top 10 with 338 sales under its belt.
In total, the top 10 hatchbacks sold a combined 10,796 units, representing 21% of the 50,073 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 January 2026.
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 – 2,060 units
- Starting price – R271,900
2. Suzuki Swift – 2,029 units
- Starting price – R227,900
3. Toyota Vitz – 1,514 units
- Starting price – R178,800
4. Hyundai Grand i10 – 1,374 units
- Starting price – R224,900
5. Toyota Starlet – 1,372 units
- Starting price – R268,300
6. VW Polo – 738 units
- Starting price – R373,800
7. Hyundai i20 – 550 units
- Starting price – R309,900
8. Suzuki Baleno – 440 units
- Starting price – R247,900
9. Renault Kwid – 381 units
- Starting price – R178,799
10. Suzuki S-Presso – 338 units
- Starting price – R178,900
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