The 10 most searched-for cars in South Africa

·15 Jan 2019

AutoTrader, the country’s most-visited motoring marketplace, has released its search data for 2018.

The data shows the ten most searched for vehicles in South Africa and provides one of the most accurate reflections of consumer interest and buying preferences within the South African automotive industry.

“Accordingly, we analyse search statistics every year. Official sales statistics can be confusing, since some brands do not report their sales figures,” said George Mienie, AutoTrader CEO.

He noted that while South African motorists are known to be brand loyal, the figures pertaining to 2018 show some interesting shifts.

“In 2017, the 3 Series reigned supreme – in first position. Second was the C-Class (which soared to first position in 2018) and third was the Volkswagen Golf (which, in 2018, dropped to position number six),” Mienie said.

“On the other hand, 2018 was an excellent year for the Toyota Hilux, which raced from fourth spot in 2017 to second spot in 2018.

“It was a great year for the Volkswagen Polo too, which catapulted from sixth spot in 2017 to third spot in 2018.”

Mienie said that the success of the C-Class is likely due to a number of factors.

Firstly, the C-Class is Mercedes-Benz’s top-selling model – so it is very popular, not just here but all over the world.

Secondly, Mercedes-Benz introduced a revised C-Class in mid-2018, and this always bolsters sales and interest, he said.

The high rating of the Hilux comes as no surprise, he said.

“The year kicked off with the Hilux competing in the Dakar, which attracted a huge amount of attention (as is the case right now). The Hilux is also the country’s top-selling vehicle. It even outsells popular cars such as the Polo and Polo Vivo. In fact, one in five vehicles sold in South Africa is either a Hilux or a Fortuner (which is based on the Hilux). For many it’s a South African icon,” he said.

“The same can be said of the Polo, which attracted a considerable following in 2018. Like the Hilux, it is a South African institution.”

These are AutoTrader’s top searched-for vehicles for 2018:

Mercedes-Benz C-Class