Which vehicles surged up South Africa’s passenger-car sales rankings for H1 2025 and which ones fell? We’ve crunched the numbers to identify the market’s winners and losers…
In the first half of 2025, sales in South Africa’s passenger-car segment increased 21.3% year on year to 196 100 units. So, which vehicles led the charge – and which ones slipped down the charts – in H1 2025?
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Well, we’ve crunched the numbers for the opening half of the year, allowing us to identify Mzansi’s 15 best-selling passenger vehicles for this 6-month reporting period as well as track instances of year-on-year growth or decline. We’ve also noted any movement up or down the rankings (check out the table at the bottom of this article).
Interestingly, as many as 9 of the models that ranked in the top 15 in the opening half of 2025 were sourced from India (comfortably the top country of origin for light vehicles imported into Mzansi in 2024), while 4 were built here in South Africa and the remaining 2 shipped over from China.
Swift leapfrogs Polo Vivo and Corolla Cross
The Suzuki Swift emerged as SA’s top-selling passenger vehicle in H1 2025, with sales of the Indian-built budget hatchback – which entered its current generation in the final quarter of 2024 – surging 37.9% year on year to 11 948 units. In the end, the Swift climbed 2 rankings to assume pole position going into the 2nd half of the year.
That meant the Volkswagen Polo Vivo had to settle for 2nd place, with local registrations of the Kariega-built hatchback slipping 3.6% year on year to 11 310 units (just 638 sales behind the Swift). Similarly, the Prospecton-made Toyota Corolla Cross – which was facelifted in early 2025 – fell a place to 3rd, with sales sliding 7.5% year on year to 9 576 units.
Grand i10 squeezes in ahead of Starlet hatch
Meanwhile, the Hyundai Grand i10 (excluding sales of panel-van derivatives in the light-commercial vehicle segment) gained 27.8% year on year to end H1 2025 on 7 836 units. As such, the Grand i10 climbed a place to 4th, pushing the Toyota Starlet (-3.3% year on year to 7 330 units) down a position to 5th.
The Chery Tiggo 4 Pro (also excluding LCV sales) was again the highest-ranked Chinese passenger vehicle, holding steady in 6th place. Tiggo 4 Pro sales increased 19.6% year on year to 7 297 units, though note Chery started including Tiggo Cross sales in its Tiggo 4 Pro figure from June 2025.
Fronx and Jolion post strongest growth in top 15
While the Swift was the chief volume driver for its still-growing brand, the performance of the Suzuki Fronx should not be overlooked. In H1 2025, Fronx sales rocketed 162.8% year on year to 6 463 units – the most robust growth in the top 15 – seeing this crossover scale 12 places to 7th. Interestingly, the closely related Toyota Starlet Cross (5 195 units) ranked 9th, some 1 268 units behind.
The Haval Jolion registered the 2nd strongest instance of year-on-year growth in the top 15, gaining a whopping 79.5% to end H1 2025 on 6 385 units. That saw the Chinese crossover – which was refreshed in South Africa in mid-2024 – climb 2 positions to 8th.
Sonet returns to top 10 as Polo hatch is relegated
Mirroring the South Korean brand’s return to the list of SA’s 10 best-selling automakers in the first half of 2025, the Kia Sonet (excluding LCV sales) rose 3 rankings to squeeze back into the passenger-car top 10. In the end, Sonet sales soared 72.8% year on year to 4 930 units.
Things weren’t quite as rosy for the Volkswagen Polo hatchback, which found itself relegated from the top 10, slipping 4 places to 11th. For the record, local registrations of the Kariega-built hatchback fell 14.7% year on year to 4 809 units.
Ertiga and Urban Cruiser climb as Fortuner falls
Sales of the Suzuki Ertiga grew a considerable 53.8% year on year to 4 352 units, seeing the Indian-made MPV rise 2 rankings to 12th. Meanwhile, the Nissan Magnite (4 293 units, excluding LCV sales) suffered an 11.7% year-on-year decline, tumbling 4 places to 13th in the process.
The Toyota Urban Cruiser moved up 2 positions to 14th on the back of a 56.2% year-on-year gain in sales to 4 247 units. Finally, the Prospecton-built Toyota Fortuner plunged 7 places to 15th, with local registrations of SA’s best-selling ladder-frame SUV sliding 14.7% year on year to 4 242 units. The Toyota Vitz (+8.8% to 3 549 units), Suzuki Baleno (-30.0% to 2 421 units) and Volkswagen T-Cross (+14.0% to 3 121 units) all dropped out of the top 15.
SA’s 15 best-selling passenger vehicles in H1 2025
| Vehicle | H1 2025 SALES | Y-O-Y CHANGE | RANKING CHANGE | |
| 1 | Suzuki Swift | 11 948 units | +37.9% | +2 |
| 2 | Volkswagen Polo Vivo | 11 310 units | -3.6% | -1 |
| 3 | Toyota Corolla Cross | 9 576 units | -7.5% | -1 |
| 4 | Hyundai Grand i10 (ex LCV) | 7 836 units | +27.8% | +1 |
| 5 | Toyota Starlet | 7 330 units | -3.3% | -1 |
| 6 | Chery Tiggo 4 Pro (ex LCV) | 7 297 units | +19.6% | unchanged |
| 7 | Suzuki Fronx | 6 463 units | +162.8% | +12 |
| 8 | Haval Jolion | 6 385 units | +79.5% | +2 |
| 9 | Toyota Starlet Cross | 5 195 units | no H1 2024 data | no H1 2024 ranking |
| 10 | Kia Sonet (ex LCV) | 4 930 units | +72.8% | +3 |
| 11 | Volkswagen Polo (hatch) | 4 809 units | -14.7% | -4 |
| 12 | Suzuki Ertiga | 4 352 units | +53.8% | +2 |
| 13 | Nissan Magnite (ex LCV) | 4 293 units | -11.7% | -4 |
| 14 | Toyota Urban Cruiser | 4 247 units | +56.2% | +2 |
| 15 | Toyota Fortuner | 4 242 units | -14.7% | -7 |
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