According to the Cars.co.za Industry Report 2025, the double-cab bakkie has arguably replaced the German premium sedan as the most desired (4-wheeled) status symbol for local automotive consumers shopping in the R500 000-to-R1 million bracket.
Drawing on Cars.co.za’s proprietary market data and new-vehicle sales figures, the Cars.co.za Industry Report 2025 highlights that most South African car buyers now consider modern double cabs (such as the Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger, and Isuzu D-Max) as the luxury-vehicle status symbols they prefer most.
Download the Cars.co.za Industry Report 2025
“Our data shows a dramatic shift away from German sedans, such as the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class, which dominated the South African luxury vehicle market less than a decade ago, in favour of flagship bakkies,” says Alan Quinn, Executive: Product and Partnerships at Cars.co.za.
The Decline of Legacy Luxury Sedans
The shift is starkly evident in sales and demand data. Vehicles previously considered the benchmark for reasonably attainable premium desirability – including the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, and their respective variants – have seen their dominance severely curtailed.
- Disappearance from New Sales Charts: Pricier legacy luxury sedans like the 3 Series and C-Class have nearly disappeared from the top of the new-vehicle sales charts.
- Shrinking Lead Share: In the used market, demand for these sedans, and sedans in general, is declining. The lead share of vehicles like the 3 Series and C-Class has fallen. In 2020 (just five years ago), the 3 Series and C-Class achieved 3.9% and 3.4% of all leads (enquiries) respectively on Cars.co.za. During the first half of 2025, those percentages had shrunk to 2.4% and 2.9%; demand for the A4 declined even further.
- Overall Segment Contraction: The overall sedan segment’s lead share on Cars.co.za has shrunk significantly over the past decade, declining from 21.5% in 2015 to 14.33% in the first half of 2025.
This decline is largely attributed to the increasing unaffordability of new luxury sedans, which now compete at a problematic price point (even at base price, before options), driven by macroeconomic pressures like inflation, eroding purchasing power and even manufacturing location.
The increase in popularity of the crossover segment and the general decline in desirability and choice (internationally, too) of the sedan body type are also major factors.
“It is also worth noting that while the Hilux, Ranger and D-Max are produced locally, only the C-Class remains in local production among the aforementioned sedans,” says Quinn.
The Rise of the Sophisticated Double-Cab
In contrast, the desirability and capability of double-cab bakkies have surged. Double-cab demand has grown substantially, increasing by 71.3% since 2015.
As is shown in Cars.co.za’s unique cross-consideration charts in the Cars.co.za Industry Report 2025, the (increasingly sophisticated) double-cab bakkie is now being considered alongside almost every other body type on the market and at nearly all price points, demonstrating its widespread desirability.
“Interestingly, the cross-consideration charts suggest 3 Series owners or buyers prefer the Ranger, while those considering a C-Class are increasingly also considering a Hilux,” added Quinn.
Key factors fuelling the double-cab’s rise as a luxury replacement include:
- Increased Sophistication and Specification: South African car buyers appear to prefer higher-specification double cabs, reinforcing their status as preferred luxury vehicles. The bulk of double-cab stock on Cars.co.za is priced in the R500k+ price segment, which is about R100 000 higher than the average loan amount approved to finance a vehicle in South Africa, according to TransUnion data.
- Market Penetration of Automatic Transmissions: Modern double-cab bakkies are increasingly equipped with automatic transmissions to align them with luxury vehicle buyers’ and general ease-of-use expectations. The stock of automatic double cabs on Cars.co.za has seen a near-full reversal in the past decade.
- In 2015, only 25.03% of double-cab stock on Cars.co.za was automatic.
- Today, that figure has soared to 70.91%, representing a dramatic growth of 183.3%.
- Demand (leads submitted) for automatic double cabs has followed this trend, increasing from 20.59% in 2015 to 57.31% in the first half of 2025.
Because car buyers increasingly prefer flagship double-cabs from particularly the Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger and Isuzu D-Max (previously KB) line-ups means they are the only “pricey” vehicles (in the used market, Top 25) that have maintained or grown lead share between 2020 and 2025.
Released in conjunction with DealerCon 2025, the Cars.co.za Industry Report 2025 provides smart insights based on the proprietary market data of South Africa’s leading digital automotive marketplace, complemented by finance and consumer insights from partner TransUnion. The report utilises Cars.co.za’s lead and stock data from 2015 onwards to illustrate how much has changed in a decade, thereby enabling automotive dealers to identify market-demand hot spots.
Download the Cars.co.za Industry Report 2025
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Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the main finding of the Cars.co.za Industry Report 2025?
A: The report highlights that South African car buyers now consider modern double-cab bakkies as the luxury-vehicle status symbols they prefer most, replacing German premium sedans.
Q: Why have German premium sedans declined in popularity in South Africa?
A: The decline is largely attributed to their increasing unaffordability, the growing popularity of the crossover segment, and a general decline in the sedan body type’s desirability.
Q: What factors are fueling the rise of double-cab bakkies as luxury vehicles?
A: Key factors include their increased sophistication and specification, as well as a massive increase in the availability and demand for automatic transmissions, which has soared from 25% in 2015 to over 70% today.
