These are the 10 most popular used cars with the lowest CO2 emissions

Even some of the greatest sceptics realise global warming is real. The consequences of this phenomenon are dire: the hottest year in history has been followed by the warmest ever January. The results have been anything and everything from deadly floods in California to devastating fires in Chile.

Businesses and society are gearing up to achieve climate neutral goals to stop global warming and motorists and the automotive industry have important roles to play.

South Africa is a signatory to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement. As an energy and emissions intensive middle income developing country, it recognises the need to contribute a fair share to global efforts to move to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

However, South Africa faces the challenge of decarbonising while also enhancing transport services for consumers.

According to  AutoTrader CEO George Mienie, the automotive industry is one of the biggest contributors to CO2 emissions.

“Transport in South Africa is the third largest emitting sector, with more than 90% of transport sector emissions arising from road transport. However, automotive companies have not sat idly by. They have focused on the development of ‘greener’ cars such as electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrids. The industry has also focused on producing cars that, while they may still have internal combustion engines, have superior CO2 credentials,” he said.

In South Africa, consumers have not always focused on CO2 credentials when looking for a car. Factors such as value for money or performance may have been more top of mind.

This isn’t a uniquely South African situation. Even in developed markets such as the US, CO2 emissions figures aren’t necessarily taken into consideration when motorists buy a car and they don’t even appear in vehicle reviews. 

However, as South African motorists become more aware of the affect of their purchasing decisions on the environment, this situation could change. Alternatively, if they’re not concerned about the affect of the purchase on the planet, they may worry about the blow to their pocket.

The emissions tax on passenger cars is R132g/km on CO2 emissions > 95g/km. In other words, R132 has to be paid per gram of CO2 emitted per kilometre over the 95g/km threshold. Take the VW Polo for example, on average consumers will pay R4,250.40 in carbon tax when purchasing a vehicle new. 

There is also the possibility that South African motorists could be penalised for buying a car with an internal combustion engine in the future. Many countries have introduced financial incentives for EV purchases. In a first in environmental policymaking, France has introduced an incentive of €5,000 (R102,421) to €7,000 (R143,385) that will only be awarded to EVs with a production carbon footprint below 14.75 tonnes of CO2.4.

Hence, in the future, buying a car with low emissions could make sense — and cents too.

Which popular used cars available in South Africa boast low emissions?

An analysis of the top 10 most sold 2023 variants available on the used car market and listed for sale on AutoTrader from January 1 to December 31 2023 contains much insight. They are ranked based on  CO2 emissions and sales.

There are a number of outliers to emerge from this data. For example, the Suzuki Swift GL was the 10th most sold variant (2023 registration year) on the used car market but has the lowest CO2 emissions of all the cars that feature in the top 10 most sold list, emitting a mere 116g/km.

The Volkswagen Polo Vivo 1.4, on the other hand, was the most sold variant with a 2023 registration year but ranks fifth when comparing CO2 emissions (it generates 140g/km). The Ford Ranger Wildtrak was ranked seventh on the sold list but first on the CO2 emissions list, emitting 222g/km.

Two takeaways are the broad range of vehicles available — anything and everything from hatches and SUVs to bakkies — and the wide range of pricing. So, chances are excellent that if South African motorists want a particular used vehicle with low CO2 emissions they will be able to find it.

Ultimately, knowledge is power and the journey to greener roads and a carbon neutral transport sector in South Africa starts with information and education.