Major shift in used hybrid prices in South Africa
South Africans can buy affordable low-mileage hybrids at a fraction of the price of new models — and even their more fuel-thirsty petrol equivalents.
An analysis by MyBroadband found models selling for as much as 40% less than when bought new, despite having less than 50,000km on the clock and boasting model years from 2022 and later.
One of the major selling points of a hybrid is its fuel efficiency, which comes courtesy of a small high-voltage battery providing additional electric power.
However, the difference in pricing between a petrol-only model and its hybridised sibling will often take years to make up.
For example, the entry-level hybrid version of the Toyota Corolla Cross is priced at R486,100 — R42,200 more than the equivalent petrol-only model.
The hybrid promises fuel consumption of 4.3 litres per 100km, compared with 6.8 litres per 100km on the petrol-only model.
According to Numbeo, the average South African motorist drives about 44km in a day or 16,060km in a year.
The petrol-only Corolla Cross would consume around 1,092 litres during an average year, while the hybrid would only consume 691 litres.
At the current price of unleaded 95 petrol, the 441.42 litre difference would work out to a saving of R10,267 per year.
Therefore, the price difference could be made up after four years of driving.
However, various second-hand hybrids are on the market at a significant discount compared to their price when sold new — a sensible option for those considering a hybrid because of its potential savings.
MyBroadband searched major vehicle classifieds platforms Autotrader and Cars.co.za for the best deals on used hybrids for under R400,000.
This figure was chosen as it is slightly lower than South Africa’s cheapest hybrid’s price when bought new.
Given the massive market for used cars and the risk associated with buying a car that has been on the road for some time, we set minimum requirements for a model to be considered for our list.
These standards were as follows:
- Mileage — Must have less than 50,000km on the odometer
- Age — Model year must be 2022 or newer
- Dealership — Must be sold through a major recognised dealership with multiple branches
- Roadworthiness — Must be sold with roadworthy certificate
- Drivetrain type — Must be a “true” hybrid and not a mild hybrid (like the Suzuki Grand Vitara)
- General state — Pictures must show vehicle in a generally-good physical state
Extraordinary depreciation
We found that most of the models that met our criteria were Toyotas, which traditionally retain their values quite well.
The most affordable option overall was a Toyota Corolla XS hybrid sedan with 41,000km on the clock selling for R329,800 — 40% less than its new starting price of R549,300.
The only real difference between the new and used model is about 13kW of extra power and 20Nm of torque, which might not even be noticeable for many drivers.
The price differences between the other new and used models we collected varied between 22% and 35%.
One possible reason for the big price drops could be an impression that used hybrid batteries have significantly less capacity than new ones.
However, that would be very strange, considering all the manufacturers on our list offer extensive battery warranties that will last at least six years from 2024.
Toyota offers an 8-year/195,000km warranty on batteries as standard, while the two other brands with models qualifying for our criteria — Haval and Honda — provide 8-year/160,000km and 8-year/200,000km battery warranties.
Below are six of the best used hybrid models you can buy in South Africa in August 2024 for under R400,000.
2022 Toyota Corolla 1.8 XS Hybrid sedan — From R329,800 (40% less than new starting price)
- Power/torque: 90kW/142Nm+e
- 0–100km/h acceleration: 12 seconds
- Electric battery size: 1.3kWh
- Fuel consumption: 4.0ℓ/100km
- Odometer reading of most affordable unit: 41,000km (Bidvest McCarthy Toyota Sinoville)
- Standard warranty remaining: 1 year/59,000km
- Battery warranty remaining: 6 years/154,000km
2023 Toyota Corolla 1.8 XS Hybrid hatch — From R349,900 (35% less than new starting price)
- Power/torque: 103kW/142Nm+e
- 0–100km/h acceleration: 9.1 seconds
- Electric battery size: 1.3kWh
- Fuel consumption: 4.0ℓ/100km
- Odometer reading of most affordable unit: 24,595km (Killarney Toyota Stanger)
- Standard warranty remaining: 2 years/75,405km
- Battery warranty remaining: 7 years/170,405km
2022 Honda Fit 1.5 Hybrid e-CVT — From R359,900 (32% less than new starting price, 14% less than petrol model)
- Power/torque: 80kW/253Nm
- 0–100km/h acceleration: 9.4 seconds
- Electric battery size: 0.8kWh
- Fuel consumption: 3.7ℓ/100km
- Odometer reading of most affordable unit: 11,437km (CMH Honda Hatfield)
- Standard warranty remaining: 3 years/88,563km
- Battery warranty remaining: 6 years/188,563km
2022 Toyota Corolla Cross 1.8 Hybrid XS — From R379,500 (22% less than new, 15% less than petrol model)
- Power/torque: 90kW/142Nm+e
- 0–100km/h acceleration: 12 seconds
- Electric battery size: 1.3kWh
- Fuel consumption: 4.3ℓ/100km
- Odometer reading of most affordable unit: 49,681km (BB Hatfield Renault)
- Mechanical warranty remaining: 1 year/50,319km
- Battery warranty remaining: 6 years/144,681km
2023 Haval Jolion 1.5 Hybrid Luxury DHT — From R385,000 (34% less than new, 9% less than petrol)
- Power/torque: 140kW/375Nm
- 0–100km/h acceleration: 8.5 seconds
- Electric battery size: 1.6kWh
- Fuel consumption: 5.0ℓ/100km
- Odometer reading of most affordable unit: 14,000km (Mcgee Ford Groblersdal)
- Mechanical warranty remaining: 4 years/86,000km
- Battery warranty remaining: 7 years/156,000km
2023 Toyota Corolla 1.8 Hybrid XR — From R399,995 (30% less than new)
- Power/torque: 103kW/142Nm+e
- 0–100km/h acceleration: 9.8 seconds
- Electric battery size: 1.3kWh
- Fuel consumption: 4.0ℓ/100km
- Odometer reading of most affordable unit: 20,000km (Hyde Park Toyota)
- Mechanical warranty remaining: 2 years/80,000km
- Battery warranty remaining: 6 years/175,000km
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