The list of South Africa’s 15 best-selling cars and crossovers features 3 new entrants at the year’s halfway point. Here’s a closer look at H1 2024 passenger-vehicle sales…
In the opening half of 2024, South Africa’s new passenger-vehicle market suffered a year-on-year decline of 6.9%. During H1 2024, a total of 161 981 new cars and crossovers were registered locally. But which models were the top performers?
Well, we’ve sorted through the year-to-date sales figures and identified South Africa’s 15 best-selling passenger vehicles during this 6-month period (after picking out SA’s best- and worst-selling bakkies, too). For the record, Toyota boasts 4 models in the top 15, while Volkswagen and Suzuki each take 3 spots.
As many as 8 models come from India, while 4 are produced here in South Africa. A further 2 nameplates hail from China, while the final model is imported from Spain. Right, let’s take a closer look at the sales statistics…
Polo Vivo back on top as Swift cracks podium
Having been relegated to the runner-up position at this point last year, the Kariega-produced Volkswagen Polo Vivo returned to the top spot, with as many as 11 736 units registered around South Africa in H1 2024. That total represents an 18.1% year-on-year improvement. As such, the Prospecton-made Toyota Corolla Cross had to settle for 2nd place, with local sales falling 2.4% year on year to 10 354 units.
Meanwhile, the Suzuki Swift – the facelifted version of which will surely arrive in Mzansi at some point later this year – cracked the top 3, moving up a ranking compared with H1 2023. At the halfway point of 2024, the Indian-built hatchback grew its local registrations 5.7% year on year to 8 663 units.
That saw the likewise Suzuki-built Toyota Starlet slip a spot to 4th position, with sales falling 9.2% year on year to 7 584 units. The Hyundai Grand i10 enjoyed the strongest year-on-year growth in the top 5, improving registrations 23.6% to 6 132 units (note this figure excludes light-commercial vehicle sales, which came to a further 261 units) and climbing 2 places to 5th.
Tiggo 4 Pro and Magnite up as Polo and Fortuner fall
The Chery Tiggo 4 Pro – which moved up 2 positions to 6th – came awfully close to cracking the top 5, with sales of this Chinese-built crossover growing 23.2% year on year to 6 102 units. That meant the Kariega-manufactured Volkswagen Polo hatchback was forced down a position to 7th, despite year-on-year sales holding steady (down 0.2% to 5 638 units).
The Prospecton-made Toyota Fortuner slipped even further, falling from H1 2023’s 5th position to 8th in H1 2024. Though still comfortably South Africa’s favourite bakkie-based adventure SUV, sales of the Fortuner declined 17.0% year on year to 4 973 units. Meanwhile, the Nissan Magnite jumped 3 rankings to 9th, with local registrations up 25.0% year on year to 4 864 units.
The Chinese-made Haval Jolion – which recently received an update and welcomed new Jolion Pro derivatives to the range – suffered a 25.6% year-on-year drop to finish this 6-month reporting period on 3 558 units. As such, the Jolion fell a position to 10th on the list of Mzansi’s best-selling cars and crossovers.
Indian-made Vitz, Sonet and Ertiga break into top 15
The Suzuki Baleno – the hatchback on which the 4th-placed Starlet is based – rose 2 rankings to 11th, with sales holding steady at 3 459 units (+0.3% year on year). Another Suzuki-made model, the Toyota Vitz, entered the top 15, ending H1 2024 on 3 261 units. Though that represents a massive 320.2% year-on-year increase, remember that this Celerio-based budget hatch hit the market only in May 2023.
Having recently undergone a facelift, the Kia Sonet also broke into the top 15, despite local registrations remaining almost unchanged year on year (down just 0.1% to 2 853 units). The Suzuki Ertiga earned 14th place with 2 829 units (a year-on-year improvement of 32.0%), while local sales of the Spanish-built Volkswagen T-Cross (also due a facelift soon) dropped 34% year on year to 2 737 units.
Models that made the top 15 in H1 2023 but were booted off the list in the corresponding period in 2024 included the Renault Kiger (down 37.7% to 2 523 units), the Toyota Corolla Quest (down 52.4% to 1 501 units) and the Renault Triber (down 29.9% to 2 128 units).
SA’s best-selling cars and crossovers in H1 2024
1. Volkswagen Polo Vivo – 11 736 units (+18.1%)
2. Toyota Corolla Cross – 10 354 units (-2.4%)
3. Suzuki Swift – 8 663 units (+5.7%)
4. Toyota Starlet – 7 584 units (-9.2%)
5. Hyundai Grand i10 (excluding LCV) – 6 132 units (+23.6%)
6. Chery Tiggo 4 Pro – 6 102 units (+23.2%)
7. Volkswagen Polo (hatch) – 5 638 units (-0.2%)
8. Toyota Fortuner – 4 973 units (-17.0%)
9. Nissan Magnite – 4 864 units (+25.0%)
10. Haval Jolion – 3 558 units (-25.6%)
11. Suzuki Baleno – 3 459 units (+0.3%)
12. Toyota Vitz – 3 261 units (+320.2%)
13. Kia Sonet – 2 853 units (-0.1%)
14. Suzuki Ertiga – 2 829 units (+32.0%)
15. Volkswagen T-Cross – 2 737 units (-34.0%)
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