The locally built Toyota Corolla Quest has been discontinued in South Africa, bringing down the curtain on a nameplate that enjoyed a nearly 11-year production run…
The Toyota Corolla Quest is no more. Yes, Toyota South Africa Motors has confirmed to Cars.co.za that production of this prolonged-lifecycle sedan has officially ended at the Prospecton plant in KwaZulu-Natal.
As a reminder, what was effectively the 2nd iteration of the Corolla Quest was based on the 11th-generation Corolla Sedan. This model was, of course, preceded by the original Corolla Quest (itself derived from the 10th-gen saloon), with both Quest-badged models conceived primarily for Mzansi.
Toyota SA Motors confirmed to Cars.co.za that the Corolla Quest “came to the end of its production cycle” late in 2024, when the final examples rolled off the line at Prospecton, where it was built alongside the Hilux, Fortuner, Corolla Cross and Hiace Ses’fikile.
For now, it seems the 12th-gen Corolla Sedan remains on the market as Toyota SA Motors’ last saloon standing. Since this E210-series model is imported rather than made in South Africa, Prospecton will in all likelihood not have an opportunity to eventually repurpose it as a locally built 3rd-gen Corolla Quest.
Before its discontinuation, the Corolla Quest portfolio had comprised 6 derivatives across a trio of trim levels, with pricing bookends of R336 000 and R414 800. All variants employed the Japanese firm’s naturally aspirated 1.8-litre, 4-cylinder petrol engine (103 kW and 173 Nm), while there was a choice between a 6-speed manual gearbox and a continuously variable transmission (CVT).
The 2nd-gen Corolla Quest launched in South Africa in March 2020, meaning it was on the market for just shy of 5 years (its predecessor, of course, was available from 2014 until 2020). The line-up was updated a year later (in March 2021), with the base grade renamed “Plus” and a smattering of extra standard equipment added across the range.
In 2024, Toyota SA Motors registered 3 764 units of the Corolla Quest in South Africa, making it the market’s 2nd-best-selling sedan for the year (slightly behind only the Volkswagen Polo Sedan, which managed 3 798 units over the same period). A further 255 units were sold locally over the opening 2 months of 2025.
Interestingly, the future of the Suzuki Ciaz – regarded as something of a Corolla Quest rival, though a little more compact (and, incidentally, rebadged as the Toyota Belta in some markets) – is also in doubt, with Autocar India reporting that production of the budget sedan will end in that country in March 2025.
Suzuki Auto SA told Cars.co.za: “At this stage, we can’t comment on the changes to the production of the Ciaz, although Suzuki Auto South Africa continuously evaluates its product lineup to meet market demands, and any updates will be communicated in due course”.
The Nissan Almera, meanwhile, was put out to pasture locally back in mid-2023, with the Fiat Tipo Sedan seemingly following in 2024. The Honda Ballade, however, is still available in South Africa, along with a raft of smaller budget saloons (such as the Proton Saga, outgoing Suzuki Dzire, outgoing Honda Amaze, Hyundai Grand i10 Sedan and Kia Pegas).
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