South Africa’s passenger car market saw a healthy upturn in July, with the 29,934 new units sold representing a 6.8% rise over the same month in 2023.
Industry experts believe it may be a turning point for new car sales, which have been in the doldrums in the first half of the year.
SUVs and crossovers continued to be the most popular new car market segment last month, attracting buyers due to their raised ride heights and versatility. The automotive industry has witnessed a significant shift in consumer preferences in recent years, with buyers increasingly opting for crossovers and SUVs.
Changes in lifestyle needs have driven the shift away from sedans. South African consumers are increasingly looking for vehicles that can accommodate their active lifestyles and family trips.
In July the Toyota Corolla Cross continued to be Mzansi’s favourite SUV/crossover with 1,547 sales, and the locally built car has been a sales hit since its launch in 2021. Toyota is the country’s favourite brand by a wide margin and had five vehicles in the top 20 best selling SUVs last month. It included the Fortuner in fifth spot overall and the country’s most popular large SUV, while the Urban Cruiser and the new Prado were also good sellers for the Japanese brand.
The new Toyota Starlet Cross compact crossover made an instant splash in the sales charts despite being on sale for less than a month, entering the rankings in eighth place with 590 sales.
These were the 20 top-selling SUVs in South Africa in July
South Africa’s passenger car market saw a healthy upturn in July, with the 29,934 new units sold representing a 6.8% rise over the same month in 2023.
Industry experts believe it may be a turning point for new car sales, which have been in the doldrums in the first half of the year.
SUVs and crossovers continued to be the most popular new car market segment last month, attracting buyers due to their raised ride heights and versatility. The automotive industry has witnessed a significant shift in consumer preferences in recent years, with buyers increasingly opting for crossovers and SUVs.
Changes in lifestyle needs have driven the shift away from sedans. South African consumers are increasingly looking for vehicles that can accommodate their active lifestyles and family trips.
In July the Toyota Corolla Cross continued to be Mzansi’s favourite SUV/crossover with 1,547 sales, and the locally built car has been a sales hit since its launch in 2021. Toyota is the country’s favourite brand by a wide margin and had five vehicles in the top 20 best selling SUVs last month. It included the Fortuner in fifth spot overall and the country’s most popular large SUV, while the Urban Cruiser and the new Prado were also good sellers for the Japanese brand.
The new Toyota Starlet Cross compact crossover made an instant splash in the sales charts despite being on sale for less than a month, entering the rankings in eighth place with 590 sales.
In second place last month was the imported Chery Tiggo 4 Pro, a perennially popular seller for the Chinese brand. It reflects the growing local popularity of cars from behind the red curtain as consumers are won over by their affordable prices, high specifications and improving quality.
Other Chinese SUVs in last month’s top 20 sellers were the Haval Jolion and H6.
Nissan recently discontinued the Qashqai crossover but the Magnite continued to notch up strong sales and placed third overall.
Suzuki had a good showing with the Fronx, Jimny and Grand Vitara.
Volkswagen’s lone contender in the top 20 was the T-Cross with 322 sales.
Ford’s recently launched Territory midsized SUV slightly outsold the larger Everest (246 units vs 241), while the small but expensive Ford Puma sold 106 units last month.
The 20 top-selling new SUVs and crossovers in July 2024:
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