Toyota and Suzuki are two of South Africa’s most popular carmakers, thanks in large part to their extensive line-up of vehicles that caters to the more affordable side of the market.
A big reason for this is that the two companies are in a partnership that has allowed them to split the cost of development and production, which in the past has resulted in massive hits such as the Toyota Urban Cruiser and Suzuki Vitara Brezza – cars that are essentially the same underneath with the same platform and engines, but are differentiated by their looks, features, and price tags.
Two new vehicles to have come out of this partnership in recent years are the Suzuki Baleno and Toyota Starlet, hatchbacks that have quickly established themselves as a firm favourite within their respective brands.
However, despite the two cars being nearly identical to one another, the Toyota has proven to be the far more popular choice for local consumers, selling roughly two to three times as many units as its half-sibling every month.
Which is more popular
You can see a breakdown of the Suzuki Baleno and Toyota Starlet’s sales for the past one-and-a-half years in the table below:
Month | Suzuki Baleno sales | Toyota Starlet sales |
---|---|---|
May 2022 | 19 units | 494 units |
June 2022 | 340 units | 1,574 units |
July 2022 | 466 units | 1,264 units |
August 2022 | 476 units | 774 units |
September 2022 | 333 units | 786 units |
October 2022 | 233 units | 839 units |
November 2022 | 272 units | 1,322 units |
December 2022 | 385 units | 1,036 units |
January 2023 | 652 units | 2,037 units |
February 2023 | 656 units | 1,311 units |
March 2023 | 581 units | 1,276 units |
April 2023 | 554 units | 1,098 units |
May 2023 | 504 units | 1,218 units |
June 2023 | 502 units | 1,415 units |
July 2023 | 436 units | 1,187 units |
August 2023 | 407 units | 1,372 units |
September 2023 | 409 units | 1,247 units |
October 2023 | 490 units | 1,363 units |
November 2023 | 414 units | 1,176 units |
Based on Naamsa’s monthly vehicle sales data, it’s clear that the Starlet is the more sought-after of the two vehicles, selling 22,789 units over the course of its life compared to the Baleno’s 8,129 units.
What’s interesting to note is that the Suzuki is actually the cheaper of the two options, even when considering the fact that the Toyota offers a third Xi trim level that is meant to be more affordable than the XS and XR (GL and GLX on the Suzuki).
The Starlet’s price tag ranges from R252,100 to R339,000 and includes a 3-year/100,000km warranty and a 3-service/45,000km service plan, while the Baleno costs between R247,900 and R319,900 and is bundled with a 5-year/200,000km warranty and a 4-year/60,000km service plan.
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