Hilux sales climb to 2-year high! SA's best-selling bakkies in July 2025

In July 2025, the Toyota Hilux registered its highest single-month total in nearly 2 years, breaching the 3 000-unit mark for the 2nd time this year…

In July 2025, South Africa’s total new-vehicle market hit a near-6-year high, improving 15.6% year on year to 51 383 units. In the process, the light-commercial vehicle (LCV) segment registered its 4th straight month of year-on-year growth, gaining 6.9% to 12 356 units. So, what happened on the list of Mzansi’s best- and worst-selling bakkies in July?

Well, the Toyota Hilux registered its highest single-month total since September 2023 – yes, almost 2 years ago – ending July 2025 on a whopping 3 120 units (including 395 sales via the rental channel). That represents not only the 2nd time this year the Prospecton-built stalwart has cracked the 3 000-unit mark but also a 2.8% month-on-month improvement over June 2025‘s showing.

*Some 24.3% of the Isuzu D-Max’s total in July were sales to government.*

Meanwhile, the Ford Ranger retained the runner-up position, though sales of the Blue Oval brand’s Silverton-manufactured contender – which was recently the subject of a recall, along with 3 other Ford models – slipped 6.5% month on month to 2 168 units. The Isuzu D-Max was thus just 166 units behind in 3rd, with local registrations of the Struandale-produced bakkie growing 19.3% month on month to 2 002 units (including a heady 487 sales to government).

There were likewise no positional changes in the rest of the top 5 in July 2025, with the KwaZulu-Natal-assembled Mahindra Pik Up (down 9%, month on month, to 783 units) keeping hold of 4th and the Toyota Land Cruiser 79 (down 9.6%, month on month, to 534 units) retaining 5th. Sourced from Japan, the latter was therefore again the top-ranked fully imported bakkie.

Interestingly, the only ranking change compared with the prior month came courtesy of the GWM P-Series (including new, recently launched P300 derivatives) and the Nissan Navara (now available in Stealth guise). In July, the Chinese contender moved up a place to 6th, with sales increasing 7.6% month on month to 395 units. The Rosslyn-made Navara, however, finished a mere 2 registrations behind on 393 units (down 2.5%, month on month), though that was enough to see it fall to 7th.

While local registrations of the Volkswagen Amarok increased 7.6% month on month to 381 units, the German firm’s Ford-built bakkie remained in 8th position. The Foton Tunland G7 (down 4.5%, month on month, to 214 units) ended July in 9th once more.

*The GWM P300 was the only top-10 bakkie to climb the rankings in July.*

Finally, the JAC T-Series again rounded out the top 10, with its combined tally – comprising the T6, T8 and T9 line-ups – of 174 units representing a 13% increase compared with June’s effort. While JAC reports only a combined T-Series figure to Naamsa, we have an unofficial breakdown of the range’s sales for July. According to our source, the Chinese brand sold 108 units of the T9 last month, along with 60 examples of the T8 and 6 units of the T6.

Best of the rest in July 2025: bakkies outside top 10

*Peugeot’s Landtrek fell just short of 3 figures in July.*

So, which bakkies didn’t rank in the top 10 in July 2025? Well, the GWM Steed – which is these days offered exclusively in single-cab workhorse form – was again best of the rest with 150 sales, finishing ahead of the likewise Chinese-made Peugeot Landtrek (98 units).

The Mahindra Bolero put up a total of 67 sales, while local registrations of the latest-generation Mitsubishi Triton fell to just 28 units. As has become tradition, the Jeep Gladiator – which, incidentally, is still awaiting its facelift – completed the table, garnering 6 registrations in July.