This type of car offers the best value for money in South Africa

AutoTrader says that the intersection between price, mileage, and body type shows that hatchbacks continue to offer the best value for money given that on average, it has the lowest mileage. The trade-off, however, is a higher average vehicle age.

The group noted in its annual Car Industry Report that over 102 million searches were conducted by body type in the 12 months between January and December of 2021.

Volkswagen leads the body type-specific searches appearing in 4 of the top 6 categories (out of 18) as well as once again, dominating the top 3 for hatchbacks. The Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupé continues to show popularity for consumers looking for a sportier executive Sedan, surpassing the BMW 2-series within the Coupé category.

AutoTrader said that as the fastest growing body type globally, it was no surprise that SUVs had the most searches over the course of the last year. Single and Double cab bakkies however still continued to generate high search volumes resulting in bakkies retaining the highest consumer consideration if one combines single and double cabs.

Top 3 most searched models by body type

Just prior to the outbreak of the Covid pandemic, vehicle evaluation group True Price published a report identifying the cars with the best resale value in South Africa. It found hatchbacks to feature prominently on the list of vehicles with the best resale value.

Read: ‘Hey Mercedes’ how much does the new C-Class cost?