8 new cars from 6 different brands confirmed for South Africa this year – Photos and details

South Africa is getting eight new cars from six different brands this year, with two more already confirmed for 2025.

The incoming models are all coming from Stellantis, the automotive corporation that owns 14 different car brands around the world, eight of which are available in South Africa.

At a recent media event at the Gerotek testing grounds in Gauteng, the organisation revealed its upcoming plans for our market, including an exclusive peek at a few of the models arriving before the end of the year.

An epic line-up

For those who are not aware, Stellantis is the parent company of eight different carmakers in South Africa – Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Citroen, Fiat, Jeep, Maserati, Opel, and Peugeot.

To briefly touch on the brands that were not the focus of the event; Alfa Romeo is not expecting any new cars just yet, though its new entry-level car, the Junior (previously called the Milano) was recently unveiled in Europe and is under investigation for a local introduction.

Maserati did not make any appearance, but the manufacturer previously confirmed to TopAuto that the GranCabrio will be arriving in South Africa in the latter half of 2024.

The Alfa Romeo Junior is under investigation for South Africa.

Getting back to the new announcements, the first car we’ll be getting this year is the facelifted Opel Corsa, which is appearing in showrooms before the end of the second quarter.

Stellantis did not provide the pricing or a detailed equipment breakdown of every model at the event, but we already know that the incoming Corsa is using the same 1.2-litre, turbo-petrol engine as the current iteration, which produces either 74kW and 205Nm, or 96kW and 230Nm, depending on whether you grab the six-speed manual or automatic.

Interestingly, one of the vehicles not present on the stage was the new Peugeot 208, the Opel’s sister car, and was stated to be under investigation for South Africa back in July 2023.

2024 Peugeot 208

During the presentation, it was said that Stellantis is trying to avoid overlapping price brackets with all its models across its family of brands, which is likely why the 208 is not coming here just yet.

However, a representative did confirm to TopAuto that the 208 has not been ruled out entirely.

Opel is also wheeling out the new Frontera, which will replace the Crossland in our market, though this model is only coming in 2025.

2025 Opel Frontera

Next up are Fiat and Abarth, which are breaking ground with the release of their first electric vehicles (EVs) in South Africa.

Fiat is bringing out the electric version of the evergreen 500 hatchback, and Abarth is doing the same with its hot hatch take on the design – both of which use the “500e” nameplate and are arriving in the second half of the year.

The Fiat 500e in particular is an intriguing announcement, as it could become one of the cheapest EVs in the country alongside the GWM Ora, BYD Dolphin, and Mini Cooper SE, though we’ll have to wait and see where its sticker eventually lands.

Again, no powertrain details were furnished, but in Europe, the Fiat uses an e-motor with 87kW and 220Nm and a 42kWh battery good for 320km of driving.

The adrenaline-fueled Abarth uses the same battery but features a more powerful motor with 113kW and 235Nm, letting it reach 100km/h in 7.0 seconds.

Also coming in the second half of the year is the facelifted Jeep Wrangler, which is getting a new engine in the form of a 2.0-litre, turbo-petrol generating 200kW and 400Nm, letting the 4×4 tow up to 3,500kg, reflecting a 1,000kg improvement over the current 3.6-litre, V6 variants.

Other new items on the SUV include a 12.3-inch driver display, improved seat materials, a revised grille, a Gorilla Glass windshield, and an updated infotainment system.

In other markets, the Wrangler will also ship with a new plug-in hybrid powertrain, but the company did not indicate that South Africa will be receiving this model in the near future.

2021 Jeep Wrangler

From Peugeot’s side, we’ll be getting two new interpretations of the Landtrek bakkie aimed at widening its appeal in the light commercial segment.

This will include a new single cab, as well as a lower-spec double cab, both of which feature a six-speed manual gearbox and will be placed below the existing Allure and 4Action automatic double cabs for a total of four units.

The Landtrek is an especially important vehicle for Stellantis, as it is what the company has decided to produce at its new R3-billion factory in South Africa in the Eastern Cape, which is on track to begin construction next month with the first units expected to be produced by 2026.

The 2021 Peugeot Landtrek double cab already on sale in South Africa.

Finally, we have Citroen, which Stellantis is re-positioning to become the carmaker specializing in the under-R400,000 price bracket in South Africa.

We’ve already seen this in action with the new C3, which slashed the price of the previous generation by an incredible R76,000 upon its launch last year and is currently positioned as one of the country’s cheapest crossovers at a starting price of R239,900.

The C3 only had a single “Feel” specification with a five-speed manual on arrival, but the range was recently expanded with a new “Max” derivative, and this will be followed up with a six-speed automatic option later this year to complete the set.

2023 Citroen C3 Feel

The French carmaker is planning to repeat this market strategy with both the C3 Aircross and C5 Aircross, which will also see their prices cut to fall below the R400,000 threshold, which is where 53% of all passenger car sales in South Africa occur.

As a reference, the C3 Aircross currently retails for a minimum of R438,500 while the C5 Aircross starts at R639,900, so the new models will be drastically different from their predecessors to suit their targeted price point.

The C3 Aircross will make its local debut before the end of the year, but the C5 Aircross will only be arriving in 2025.