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Thursday / 6 February 2025
HomeFeatures10 most sought-after new cars in South Africa

10 most sought-after new cars in South Africa

South Africans have clear favourites when it comes to their choice of transport, as evidenced by the list of the best-selling cars from 2024.

To the surprise of no one, the Toyota Hilux was by far and away the most popular choice, racking up an incredible 32,656 sales over the last year – an average of 2,721 per month.

It’s an astonishing figure to be sure, but bakkies do have an advantage with their numbers being boosted by both the commercial sector and individual consumers, but we don’t have to look far to find the best-selling passenger car in Mzansi.

That title goes to the VW Polo Vivo, which came second overall with a very respectable 25,913 units, proving that there is still a huge demand for an affordable, locally produced model.

As a matter of fact, the top five performers are all made within our borders, with third place going to the Ford Ranger with 25,553 units, followed by the Toyota Corolla Cross with 21,861 purchases.

Fifth place was then taken by the Isuzu D-Max with 18,973 sales, illustrating just how bakkie-centric the local market is with “the big three” all landing a spot in the top five.

The most popular imported model, meanwhile, is none other than the Suzuki Swift at 15,768 sales, which was popular throughout the year with a big uptick in sales once the next-gen models arrived in November.

Next came the Toyota Starlet and the Hyundai Grand i10, which had 14,129 and 13,584 customers, respectively.

Another brand in the top 10 is Chery, which has cemented its place in our market with the Tiggo 4 Pro finding 12,646 new homes in 2024.

Finally, there’s the VW Polo with 12,253 units moved, which is gradually seeing lower demand each year as its price tag continues to go up but is still clearly a fan-favourite among local motorists.

An even more remarkable statistic is that the top 10 cars accounted for a combined 193,335 sales in 2024, representing 37% of the entire market.

It shows that brand loyalty and recognisable nameplates go a long way in South Africa, but the last year also saw a noticeable shift in consumer spending.

Primarily, luxury brands like Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz are falling out of favour while mass-market options like Hyundai and Citroen are scaling back their mid- and upmarket models in favour of more affordable Indian-sourced units.

Similarly, 2024 was the year when several new Chinese carmakers exploded onto the scene, attempting to capitalize on the market transformation with new models that promise the luxury of a Lexus at the price of a Toyota.

South Africa’s top picks from 2024

These were the 10 best-selling cars in South Africa across the whole of 2024.

Click on the underlined prices for more information.


1. Toyota Hilux – 32,656 units


2. VW Polo Vivo – 25,913 units


3. Ford Ranger – 25,553 units


4. Toyota Corolla Cross – 21,861 units


5. Isuzu D-Max – 18,973 units


6. Suzuki Swift – 15,768 units


7. Toyota Starlet – 14,129 units


8. Hyundai Grand i10 – 13,583 units


9. Chery Tiggo 4 Pro – 12,646 units


10. VW Polo – 12,253 units


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