Want to know which cars and bakkies people actually buy most in South Africa? These are the 40 best-selling vehicles of 2016, as sold by dealers.
While it is interesting to look at the sales figures released by NAAMSA every month, things get even more intriguing when you dig deeper... Using data supplied by Lightstone Auto we can now provide a detailed look at the actual model derivatives South Africans bought most in 2016, and also exclude the rental, government and fleet figures which may skew the overall picture.
The list, unfortunately, doesn’t include Mercedes-Benz as this brand doesn't report its figures and neither does it feature the Koreans (Hyundai/Kia) as individual sales are only reported some 5 months later. We know, for example, that the Hyundai Tucson would have very likely featured highly on this list, perhaps more than once.
Reading into the figures
The main thing to take home from the sales figures is that South Africans still love bakkies... the Ford Ranger 2.2, Chev Utility 1.4 and Nissan NP200 1.6 in particular. You don’t have to look too far down the list to find the first Toyota Hilux either. Check out our comparison of SA's best double cabs here.
The top-selling passenger car, as expected is the VW Polo 1.2 TSI Comfortline, only rivalled by its Polo Vivo 1.4 sibling. In fact, you have to go down a fair way to find the next hatchback, which is the Toyota Etios 1.5 XS.
Compact SUVs continue to sell well with the Ford Ecosport 1.5 punching high up on the sales charts. Interestingly, the Mazda CX-5 2.0 performs extremely well, placing 2nd on the sales charts for SUVs. The Ecosport and CX-5 are the only SUVs in the top 40, although Hyundai’s Tucson – which we don’t have figures for – is also said to sell in large numbers. Read our comparison of the best family SUVs here.
Sedans are gone
The only sedans to make the top 40 sales chart are the BMW 320i and the Toyota Corolla Quest 1.6. Mercedes-Benz may have a C-Class that sells as well as the Bimmer but without the data we can't include it. This trend away from sedans is something that has picked up momentum as buyers look for all-in-one vehicles such as SUVs and Crossovers.
Top 40 selling cars in SA through the dealer channel
Make |
Model |
2016 Year |
1. FORD |
Ranger 2.2TDCI XL D-Cab Dsl PU MY15 |
5 725 |
2. CHEVROLET |
Utility 1.4 AC Base MY12 PU |
4 720 |
3. NISSAN |
NP200 1.6 8V Base PU |
4 353 |
4. VOLKSWAGEN |
Polo GP 1.2 TSI Comfortline 66kW 5-dr MY17 |
4 101 |
5. VOLKSWAGEN |
Polo GP 1.2 TSI Comfortline 66kW 5-dr MY16 |
3 896 |
6. VOLKSWAGEN |
Polo Vivo GP 1.4 Conceptline 55kW 5-dr MY16 |
3 539 |
7. CHEVROLET |
Utility 1.4 Base MY12 PU |
3 503 |
8. FORD |
EcoSport 1.5 Ambiente MY16 |
3 439 |
9. VOLKSWAGEN |
Polo Vivo GP 1.4 Conceptline 55kW 5-dr MY17 |
3 290 |
10. NISSAN |
NP200 1.6 8V Base +AC PU |
2 898 |
11. TOYOTA |
Hilux 2.8 GD-6 RB Raider 4x4 D-Cab Dsl PU MY16 AT |
2 720 |
12. NISSAN |
NP200 1.6 8V Base +AC Safety PU |
2 581 |
13. TOYOTA |
Etios HB 1.5 Xs 5-dr MY15.5 |
2 423 |
14. NISSAN |
NP300 Hardbody 2.0 LWB PS PU MY14 |
2 323 |
15. TOYOTA |
Etios Cross 1.5 5-dr MY15.5 |
2 300 |
16. DATSUN |
GO 1.2 Lux AB 5-dr |
2 199 |
17. MAZDA |
CX-5 2.0L Active MY15 AT |
2 183 |
18. TOYOTA |
Hilux 2.8 GD-6 RB Raider D-Cab Dsl PU MY16 AT |
2 125 |
19. BMW |
320i MY15 AT |
2 117 |
20. ISUZU |
KB250 HR D-Cab Dsl PU MY15 |
2 072 |
21. TOYOTA |
Corolla Quest 1.6 MY16 |
1 970 |
22. FORD |
Ranger 2.2TDCI Base Dsl PU MY15 |
1 902 |
23. FORD |
Ranger 2.2TDCI XL Dsl PU MY15 |
1 885 |
24. NISSAN |
NP200 1.5DCi Base +AC Safety Dsl PU |
1 846 |
25. FORD |
Ranger 3.2TDCI Wildtrak D-Cab 4x4 Dsl PU MY15 AT |
1 842 |
26. FORD |
Fiesta 1.4 Ambiente 5-dr MY14 |
1 785 |
27. TOYOTA |
Hilux 2.8 GD-6 RB Raider D-Cab Dsl PU MY16 |
1 764 |
28. VOLKSWAGEN |
Amarok 2.0 BiTDI D-Cab 4Motion Highline Dsl PU MY16 AT |
1 747 |
29. VOLKSWAGEN |
Polo Vivo GP 1.4 Trendline 63kW 5-dr MY16 |
1 732 |
30. FORD |
Ranger Super Cab 2.2TDCI XL Dsl PU MY15 |
1 724 |
31. TOYOTA |
Hilux 2.4 GD-6 RB SRX Dsl PU MY16 |
1 719 |
32. FORD |
EcoSport 1.5 TDCi Titanium Dsl MY16 |
1 684 |
33. ISUZU |
KB250 Fleetside Dsl PU MY15 |
1 675 |
34. RENAULT |
Sandero II 0.9 Expression 66kW Turbo 5-dr |
1 668 |
35. RENAULT |
Clio IV Turbo Blaze Limited Edition 5-dr |
1 667 |
36. TOYOTA |
Hilux 2.8 GD-6 RB Raider 4x4 D-Cab Dsl PU MY16 |
1 665 |
37. TOYOTA |
Fortuner 2.8 GD-6 RB Dsl AT |
1 647 |
38. FORD |
EcoSport 1.5 Titanium Powershift MY16 |
1 625 |
39. NISSAN |
NP300 Hardbody 2.5TDi LWB Base Dsl PU MY14 |
1 590 |
40. TOYOTA |
Hilux 2.0 VVT-I PU MY16 |
1 552 |
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