It was a tight race for the title of South Africa’s best-selling passenger vehicle in 2023, but the winner has been crowned. Here are Mzansi’s 10 top sellers from last year…
In 2023, South Africa’s new-vehicle sales were flat, with the industry experiencing just 0.5% year-on-year growth to end on 532 098 units. We’ve already looked at Mzansi’s best-selling bakkies for last year, so now it’s time to turn our attention to the most popular passenger vehicles.
For the record, the country’s passenger-vehicle segment experienced a year-on-year decline of 4.4%, with 347 695 units registered in 2023, according to Naamsa. That said, just 3 of the models that placed inside the top 10 suffered a fall in sales, with the remaining 7 all reporting (varying degrees of) growth.
Polo Vivo edges out Corolla Cross
So, which nameplate took the title of South Africa’s best-selling passenger car in 2023? Well, the Kariega-built Volkswagen Polo Vivo retained its crown, growing its registrations 14.6% year on year to 23 904 units. That translates to a monthly average of nearly 2 000 units, with the prolonged-lifecycle model hitting a high of 2 698 units in September.
That said, the Toyota Corolla Cross wasn’t far behind, placing 2nd on 22 592 units – or just 1 312 units off the pace. It’s worth noting national sales of the Japanese firm’s locally built crossover (which looks likely to receive an update in 2024) surged 42.5% year on year, helping the Corolla Cross climb 2 positions to claim the runner-up spot. Of course, production of this model stuttered in 2022 owing to the KwaZulu-Natal floods that damaged Toyota’s Prospecton plant.
Swift slips while Starlet climbs
In 2023, the Suzuki Swift dropped a spot to 3rd, with sales of the Indian-built hatchback – which was again South Africa’s best-selling imported vehicle overall – slipping 7.6% year on year to 15 974 units. That said, it’s worth keeping in the mind this performance came off an extremely high base, with Swift sales having more than doubled in 2022 (compared with 2021).
Interestingly, another Suzuki-built product narrowly missed out on a podium position. Yes, the Baleno-based Toyota Starlet moved up 2 places to 4th, with registrations increasing 21.6% to 15 713 units in 2023 (or just 261 sales fewer than the Swift). For the record, the closely related Baleno (6 004 units) placed 15th.
Polo sales drop but hatch retains 5th
Although registrations of the Kariega-manufactured Volkswagen Polo hatchback fell 25.2% year on year (an even more significant decline than the B-segment contender suffered in 2022), it nevertheless managed to retain 5th position with a total of 11 748 units.
In 2023, the Polo hatchback hit a high of 1 235 units in October, before bottoming out at 708 units in December. At the end of the reporting period, this model’s monthly average came in at 979 units, while it managed to breach the 4-figure mark only 6 times during the year.
Fortuner rebounds and Tiggo 4 Pro surges
The year 2022 wasn’t the best for the Toyota Fortuner, but the Prospecton-made ladder-frame SUV – which benefited from a facelift in February – bounced back impressively in 2023, climbing 5 places to 6th position and finishing on 10 385 units. That represents a year-on-year increase in sales of 33.1% for Mzansi’s most popular adventure SUV.
Meanwhile, the Chery Tiggo 4 Pro was the highest-placed Chinese vehicle at 7th, with sales of this crossover soaring 117.5% year on year to 10 054 units. Though the smallest member of Chery SA’s Tiggo family failed to crack 4 figures in a single month, its performance was incredibly consistent through the year, with more than 800 registrations reported in 8 of the 12 months.
Jolion sandwiched by rising Indian-built models
The Hyundai Grand i10 range – which was facelifted and expanded to include not only hatchback derivatives but also sedan variants in 2023 – climbed 10 places to snaffle 8th, with sales improving more than 50% year on year to 9 829 units (note this figure excludes the few Cargo-badged panel-van units registered in the light-commercial vehicle space, since we’re concentrating on the passenger-vehicle segment here).
While sales of the Haval Jolion dropped 5.1% year on year, the Chinese vehicle’s tally of 8 604 units was enough to see it hold steady in 9th place. The Indian-built Nissan Magnite, however, was close behind on 8 580 units, having enjoyed a 41.5% increase in sales to climb 9 rankings and secure the final spot in the top 10.
South Africa’s 10 best-selling passenger cars in 2023
1. Volkswagen Polo Vivo – 23 904 units (+14.6%)
2. Toyota Corolla Cross – 22 592 units (+42.5%)
3. Suzuki Swift – 15 974 units (-7.6%)
4. Toyota Starlet – 15 713 units (+21.6%)
5. Volkswagen Polo (hatch) – 11 748 units (-25.2%)
6. Toyota Fortuner – 10 385 units (+33.1%)
7. Chery Tiggo 4 Pro – 10 054 units (+117.5%)
8. Hyundai Grand i10 (excluding LCV) – 9 829 units (+55.6%)
9. Haval Jolion – 8 604 units (-5.1%)
10. Nissan Magnite – 8 580 units (+41.5%)
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