Cars like the VW Golf, Ford Focus, and Opel Astra, which were once a massive hit with consumers, have disappeared from the market.
These models belong to the family hatchback category, which has steadily declined in South Africa over the last few years to the point that most nameplates have vanished, while those that remain are too expensive for most consumers.
A shift in the market
Large hatchbacks like the Focus are classified as C-segment vehicles, which are generally 4 to 4.5 metres long and are seen as a midsize presence on the roads.
The category used to be incredibly popular as it ostensibly offered a happy middle ground for most of the aspects people look for in a car.
They are simultaneously big enough to be useful for families while still being small enough to be easy to live with in urban areas compared to SUVs.
Generally speaking, C-segment hatchbacks also handle well and have reasonably punchy engines making them fun to drive, especially if you splash out for the hot hatch versions.
However, the biggest selling point of the family hatch is that it is meant to be very affordable relative to something like an SUV or a premium sedan, but this is where the segment has stumbled in South Africa.
First and foremost is price, as the cost of new vehicles has skyrocketed in recent years with family hatchbacks being one of the worst affected groups.
As things currently stand, the cheapest large hatches in the country are the Mazda 3 and the Toyota Corolla, which start at R477,600 and R546,500, respectively.
That’s a lot of money to spend on something that’s still technically a small car compared to other body types, so consumers are shifting to SUVs which offer better bang for your buck on paper.
As a result, several manufacturers have dropped their C-segment models entirely to focus on different avenues, which is what happened to names like the Focus and Astra.
Other companies have taken a different stance, keeping their options going in a limited capacity by only offering them in their hot hatch forms.
This is the fate of the VW Golf, Hyundai i30, Honda Civic, and Renault Megane, which are now exclusively sold in their R800,000+ GTI, N, Type R, and RS performance guise, as automakers can justify a higher margin on these units since they are not intended to be volume sellers.
A few other badges like Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz are also still selling the A3, 1 Series, and A-Class because they have always been regarded as premium vehicles, and thus their higher price tags come as less of a shock.
The other half of the story concerns the rise in popularity of the SUV and its smaller offspring – the crossover.
SUVs have surged in popularity over the last decade owing to a larger shift in consumer spending, as tough financial conditions are forcing households to downscale from two vehicles to just one.
This means that families that may once have had something like a hatchback and a bakkie are instead choosing to buy a SUV since it can ostensibly be driven like the former while providing the practicality of the latter.
Of course, SUVs are still very expensive, but this is where crossovers come into the equation.
Several crossovers share a platform and engine with a hatchback, such as the VW T-Roc and Ford Puma, which are based on the Golf and Fiesta.
Crossovers are pitched as a more affordable SUV that retains all of the best perks of a large hatchback while offering a trendier body style, and it’s a sales pitch that is evidently working as crossover sales have shot up while hatchbacks sales have declined.
There is one bit of good news for hatchback fans, however, as the non-GTI Golf is coming back to South Africa.
However, VW’s reasoning has nothing to do with improving market conditions, but rather the poor quality of our fuel.
The company’s original plan was to introduce the facelifted GTI and R in South Africa, but the advanced engines in these units cannot run on low quality fuel, and so we are instead being compensated with the regular TSI Golf instead.
Regardless of the intention, the re-introduction of the base Golf in 2025 will likely be a big win for motorists holding out for a semi-affordable version of the iconic badge.
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