The SA Vehicle Industry Thread

notayoba said:
Came here searching for this.

I live under an automotive rock apparently. Decided I need a half ton bakkie. Go to carmag's site and check prices. NP200 shows there. Checks finances, and I decide I'm buying one.

Go to Nissan's site. Nothing. Nada.

WTF. Can't believe we can't get new half ton bakkies anymore. No way I'm getting a Suzuki Super carry. that's just ridiculous as a runabout, and I'm not driving a giant 1 tonner around town either because I'm not a 3 point turn enthusiast.
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Yeah, your only bet will be a 1-2 year old use NP200 with low mileage but they all come with a massive price premium (sellers know what they've got!).

A year ago we searched high and low and eventually settled for the local dealerships PARTS run about which was 9 months old and only had 3000km on - we had to pay the original new price but with 5 years of factory warranty left, we're glad we grabbed one when we still could as we use it for our site rep to run around seeing clients.
 
Interesting that there has been such a surge in automotive purchases. Could it be that the positive Rand sentiment + SARB Repo outlook played a significant role in forcing the hand of many of the purchases before we see a gradual decline in ZAR strength and the end of the repo easing cycle by the central bank?
 
Mista_Mobsta said:
Interesting that there has been such a surge in automotive purchases. Could it be that the positive Rand sentiment + SARB Repo outlook played a significant role in forcing the hand of many of the purchases before we see a gradual decline in ZAR strength and the end of the repo easing cycle by the central bank?
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40% residuals now the default amount in all car adverts that advertise a car for Rx per month....

And 96 months installments available as well.

It's all fun and games now with the easier affordability due to lower repayments for higher priced cars, but thousands are going to learn what "negative equity" means when they try and trade in or sell in a few years time.....

As I've said too many times on this forum and on X, these ever increasing sales are a bubble as it just does not match consumer spending power during these tough cost of living times.
 
Real world example (brand not relevant but not a strong resale brand like Toyota):

A R595k car is being offered to you at R6499pm. Looks manageable, right? 72 months, no deposit, 40% residual. I WANT THAT CAR!

4 years later you're struggling financially. The cost of everything has gone up, both kids are now at school and the fees keep rising, along with rates, electricity etc.

No problem, let me sell this car and get a cheaper one. Settlement? 2 years of outstanding capital from the original loan totalling about R120-R150k AND R238k residual = R358k to R388k settlement figure but you didn't look after the car and it has some dents, scratches etc - The best you have been offered for the car is R250k

Minimum R100k negative equity just came a knocking and you're poked! You either drive it till the wheels come off, roll the debt into another car and just kick this can down the road as a future problem or stop paying and let the bank reposess and destroy your credit record.

Life comes at you fast!
 
FlashSA said:
40% residuals now the default amount in all car adverts that advertise a car for Rx per month....

And 96 months installments available as well.

It's all fun and games now with the easier affordability due to lower repayments for higher priced cars, but thousands are going to learn what "negative equity" means when they try and trade in or sell in a few years time.....

As I've said too many times on this forum and on X, these ever increasing sales are a bubble as it just does not match consumer spending power during these tough cost of living times.
Click to expand...

I noticed that monthly pricing for cars lately, and I'm not a fan. I want to know what the actual price to be paid is, including stupid on the road fees.

Sadly many car adverts now look like hire purchase furniture adverts, with the monthly price being the most prominent value.
 
Hyundai was SA’s fourth largest motor brand in 2025

Hyundai Automotive South Africa was the fourth best-selling motor brand in South Africa in 2025.

Hyundai Automotive South Africa recorded a total number of 36 409 new vehicles sold in 2025, making it the fourth largest automotive brand in the country. This represents a 19% year-on-year growth. On 7 January, the vehicle sales report for December 2025 by the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (naamsa) revealed that the Korean car brand registered 3 068 new-vehicle sales in that month.

In the passenger-car segment, Hyundai SA sold 3 051 new vehicles, and 17 in the commercial segment in December 2025. This gave the automaker a 6.5% market share where a market total of 48 983 new cars were sold at the time.

Throughout 2025, the South African automotive industry expanded to almost 60 active motor brands. This is making our market incredibly competitive with many new entrants and established legacy brands. Stanley Anderson, CEO of Hyundai Automotive South Africa, acknowledges this and notes that finishing the year as the fourth largest brand amid intense pricing pressure and new entrants, reflects strong consumer confidence in the brand’s products, aftersales support and local business model. Regarding South African consumers increasingly demanding value-for-money vehicles, Anderson added, “We offer consumers total cost of ownership, including servicing, parts availability and long-term reliability, rather than headline prices alone.”

www.carmag.co.za

Hyundai was SA's fourth largest motor brand in 2025

Hyundai South Africa was the fourth best-selling motor brand in South Africa in 2025.
www.carmag.co.za www.carmag.co.za
 
SA’s best- and worst-selling bakkies of 2025

Where did your favourite pick-up place? We’ve tallied up the sales figures to identify South Africa’s best- and worst-selling bakkies of 2025. Here are some insights…

- Hilux wins bakkie race by over 11 000 units
- D-Max narrows the gap to runner-up Ranger
- Land Cruiser 79 in 5th as sales surge 58.8%
- Navara only just beats resurgent P-Series
- Triton down in 14th as sales decline 11.2%

With 2025 now firmly in the rear-view mirror, we’ve tallied up the sales figures to identify South Africa’s best- and worst-selling bakkies for the year. For the record, the local market’s light-commercial vehicle (LCV) segment grew 7.8% year on year to 143 637 units in a total market that was up 15.7% to 596 818 units.

So, which bakkies achieved the most robust year-on-year sales growth in 2025 and which contenders struggled by comparison? Well, of the 17 models* represented here, just 3 suffered year-on-year declines in sales, with all others showing some form of growth. Let’s break down the figures from the past 12 months and see which models placed where…

Total bakkie sales in South Africa for 2025

BAKKIE 2025 SALES Y-O-Y CHANGE
1 Toyota Hilux 36 525 units +11.8%
2 Ford Ranger 25 465 units -0.3%
3 Isuzu D-Max 21 194 units +11.7%
4 Mahindra Pik Up 9 297 units +11.5%
5 Toyota Land Cruiser 79 5 493 units +58.8%
6 Nissan Navara 4 985 units +2.3%
7 GWM P-Series 4 926 units +34.6%
8 Volkswagen Amarok 4 290 units +8.4%
9 Foton Tunland 2 329 units no 2024 data
10 JAC T-Series 1 991 units +66.2%
11 GWM Steed 1 460 units +22.0%
12 Peugeot Landtrek 1 307 units +67.1%
13 Mahindra Bolero 644 units +23.8%
14 Mitsubishi Triton 500 units -11.2%
15 Jeep Gladiator 73 units +9.0%
16 Changan Hunter 48 units no 2024 data
17 Nissan NP200 18 units -99.7%

 
BMW vs Mercedes-Benz: global sales for 2025 compared

The BMW Group and the Mercedes-Benz Group each sold over 2 million vehicles in 2025. But which of these German giants won the global premium sales race last year?

- BMW Group sales grow 0.5% compared to 2024
- Mercedes-Benz Group dips 10.0% year on year
- BMW M GmbH registers new all-time sales high
- G-Class records best-ever sales performance

With 2025 now behind us, it’s time to find out which automaker won the global premium sales race last year. So, did BMW manage to keep the crown or did Mercedes-Benz return to the top ranking in 2025?

Below, we’ll have a closer look at the global figures as reported by each automaker. Note, however, that the Mercedes-Benz Group appears to have rounded its figures to the nearest 100 units. In addition, the BMW Group says its numbers are “provisional and may change up until the BMW Group Report 2025 is published”.

BMW Group and BMW brand widen the gap

So, let’s dive in. The BMW Group – which, as a reminder, comprises the BMW, Mini, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad brands – says it delivered 2 463 715 units to customers around the world in 2025, representing a marginal 0.5% year-on-year increase.

Meanwhile, Mercedes-Benz Group (which includes the Mercedes-Benz brand, Mercedes-Benz Vans and Smart) says it ended the reporting period on 2 160 000 units, down 10.0% year on year. That suggests the BMW Group beat the Mercedes-Benz Group by 303 715 units, a more considerable margin than the circa-62 000 units that separated the two in 2024.

How did the two core brands compare last year? Well, BMW brand ended 2025 on 2 169 761 units, down 1.4% year on year. Still, that was more than enough for the Munich-based firm to claim it “maintained its position as the global segment leader”. Indeed, Mercedes-Benz Cars reached 1 800 800 units last year (including Smart, which the Group unfortunately doesn’t report separately), representing a more significant 9.0% year-on-year decline. This suggests the BMW brand ended 368 961 units ahead.

 
5 automakers with the biggest sales declines in SA in 2025

While SA’s new-vehicle market saw strong growth in 2025, a few automakers suffered sales declines. Here’s which firms saw the biggest year-on-year percentage drops…

- Proton suffered biggest percentage drop at 48.3%
- Nissan saw largest decline in pure volume terms
- Volvo, Honda and Mitsubishi also slid year on year

South Africa’s new-vehicle market put in a strong performance in 2025, with local sales increasing 15.7% compared to the prior year to ultimately hit an encouraging 596 818 units – the highest total since 2015. But, despite this overall growth, a few automakers suffered year-on-year sales declines.

So, which automakers shrunk most in a growing market? Well, we’ve tallied up the sales figures for the year and compared them to 2024’s numbers. That allowed us to identify the manufacturers that endured the biggest year-on-year percentage drops. Note that we’ve focused on automakers that play in the light-vehicle segments, omitting truck- and bus-only manufacturers from this exercise.

Before we dive in, a few more caveats. We’ve based our calculations on “manufacturer” totals reported to Naamsa in each month of 2025. So, keep in mind that in this reporting method, certain individual brands are grouped under broader manufacturer banners. For instance, Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Jeep, Opel and Peugeot fall under Stellantis, which incidentally grew 22.8%, year on year. Other examples include Audi forming part of the Volkswagen Group (down 4.2%) and Lexus being part of Toyota (up 15.1%).

Also note not all manufacturers report sales figures to Naamsa, with the likes of BYD, GAC, Ineos and LDV keeping their sales private. Furthermore, we’ve opted to exclude Ferrari, considering this high-end brand’s comparatively low sales volumes. For the record, however, Scuderia SA – the official distributor of new Ferrari vehicles in South Africa – registered 53 units in 2025, down 18.5% year on year.

 
SA’s single-figure sellers: 2025’s least-sold cars

In 2025, as many as 24 models on South Africa’s new-vehicle market each sold fewer than 10 units. Meet Mzansi’s single-figure sellers: the “least-sold” cars last year…

- 2025 saw 24 models each sell fewer than 10 units
- From low-volume supercars to discontinued models
- Tipo, I-Pace, Roma, S8, e-tron GT, X25 make list again

We’ve already brought you the list of South Africa’s best-selling passenger vehicles of 2025, as well as the country’s most popular bakkies. Now it’s time to turn our attention to the other end of the sales charts: yes, the new-vehicle market’s single-figure sellers from last year. Based on our analysis, as many as 24 models each sold fewer than 10 units in 2025. These are SA’s least-sold cars.

Before we dive into the figures, we’d like to point out there are various potential reasons vehicles might find themselves on this list. For instance, a couple of the models below have not yet been launched (with the registered units seemingly coming into SA for homologation purposes), while several others have been completely discontinued (so, stock was limited, to say the least).

Furthermore, multi-million-rand supercars tend to be low volume by design – as you’ll see below, there are several Ferrari models here. That said, for the models mentioned on this least-sold list – which, for the record, is restricted to light vehicles and based on figures reported to Naamsa – we’ll do our best to provide some context. Right, let’s take a closer look…

SA new-vehicle market’s least-sold cars of 2025

As mentioned, low-volume manufacturer Ferrari has a strong presence here, with every model bar the 296 GTS (which hit 22 registrations) coming in at under 10 units in 2025. Indeed, the 12Cilindri and Purosangue each managed 9 units, while the Amalfi-preceding Roma added 5 units. Finally, the 296 GTB and SF90 settled on 4 units apiece.

 
SA’s best-selling R1m+ vehicles in 2025

We’ve combed through 2025’s figures to find SA’s best-selling vehicles with a starting price of over R1-million. Yes, these are the nation’s most popular 7-figure vehicles…

- Prado takes top spot as sales surge 68.3%
- Land Cruiser 300 stays ahead of Defender
- Outgoing Audi Q5 Sportback enters the list

South Africa’s new-vehicle market enjoyed a strong 2025, with local sales increasing 15.7% year on year to 596 818 units. While relatively affordable models drove much of that volume, certain pricier vehicles played their part, too. So, we set out to identify SA’s best-selling vehicles with a starting price of over R1-million.

Yes, we painstakingly combed through the 2025’s sales statistics and picked out the nation’s 5 best-selling vehicles that start in 7 figures. Keep in mind, however, that certain premium manufacturers – such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche – don’t share full sales figures with Naamsa, so are unfortunately not represented here.

2025’s best-selling vehicles with a R1m+ starting price

VEHICLE 2025 SALES Y-O-Y CHANGE
1 Toyota Land Cruiser Prado 3 545 units +68.3%
2 Toyota Land Cruiser 300 1 736 units +12.2%
3 Land Rover Defender 1 468 units +18.7%
4 Range Rover Sport 643 units +2.7%
5 Audi Q5 Sportback 482 units +17.3%

 
Top 10 used Chinese cars dominating sales: why South African buyers are choosing them

Not too long ago, buying a Chinese car was somewhat of a gamble. People thought you were trading quality and durability for a lower price, with solid alternatives from Japan, Korea and Europe.

That reputation was built on the earliest Chinese imports, many of which failed to convince.

However, that is quickly starting to change with brands such as Chery, Haval, GWM and Omoda now firmly established, offering competitive products that match mainstream rivals on safety, build quality and day-to-day usability, often at a lower price and with more standard equipment.

Pre-owned confidence

Chinese brands continue to perform strongly in the new-car market. Omoda and Jaecoo sold close to 2,500 vehicles in the third quarter of 2025, but more importantly, how that success is translating into used-car demand.

According to data from AutoTrader, buyers are no longer dipping a toe into the segment but are spending money on relatively young Chinese vehicles, often with low mileage and remaining factory warranty.

These are the 10 best-selling used Chinese vehicles in South Africa for 2025.

Chery Tiggo 4 Pro leads

The Chery Tiggo 4 Pro leads the rankings, which comes as no surprise, as it’s consistently one of South Africa’s best-selling new passenger vehicles, regularly moving more than 1,000 units a month.

That popularity also feeds into the used car market, where 3,144 examples were sold in 2025. With a wide choice of trims, multiple transmission options and different power outputs, it appeals to a broad audience.

An average used price of R284,779, mileage under 22,000km and a typical age of two years make it one of the strongest value propositions on the list.

Jolion follows

The Haval Jolion comes in second, competing in the same compact crossover segment. With fewer entry-level derivatives than the Tiggo 4 Pro, overall volumes stood at 2,736 units.

Used Jolions average R319,259, with higher mileage and older registration dates suggesting buyers are leaning towards better-specified versions. The newer Jolion Pro also features in the top 10, with fewer sales but much lower mileage and higher prices, reflecting its more recent arrival.


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