{"id":801588,"date":"2024-12-24T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-12-24T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=801588"},"modified":"2024-12-24T17:41:25","modified_gmt":"2024-12-24T15:41:25","slug":"south-africa-kissed-these-24-cars-goodbye-in-24-months","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/motoring\/801588\/south-africa-kissed-these-24-cars-goodbye-in-24-months\/","title":{"rendered":"South Africa kissed these 24 cars goodbye in 24 months"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Over the past 24 months, South Africa\u2019s automotive landscape has undergone significant changes, with 24 vehicles discontinued by the end of 2024. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beginning in early 2023, this wave of discontinuations has seen several beloved models phased out, reshaping the market and leaving a mix of surprise, adaptation, and evolution in its wake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2023, South African motorists bid farewell to popular budget-friendly SUVs, including the Ford EcoSport, Suzuki Vitara Brezza, and Toyota Urban Cruiser. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These models were staples in the sub-R300,000 SUV segment, offering affordability and versatility that resonated with a wide audience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

News of their discontinuation sent ripples through the motoring community, as each had carved a niche in the local market. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, their respective manufacturers swiftly introduced replacements. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ford unveiled the Puma, Suzuki introduced the Grand Vitara, and Toyota launched a revamped Urban Cruiser. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the new Urban Cruiser shares its predecessor\u2019s name, it is built on an entirely new platform, emphasizing a fresh start rather than a direct continuation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other automakers also made notable exits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

BAIC discontinued the X25, while Mahindra retired the KUV100 and KUV500, narrowing its lineup. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Toyota bid adieu to the iconic FJ Cruiser, and Nissan removed the Almera, further diminishing the already limited pool of affordable sedans available locally. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hyundai followed suit by phasing out the Atos, making the Grand i10 its new entry-level offering. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Toyota also replaced the Agya with the Vitz, which is now based on the Suzuki Celerio platform, reflecting an ongoing trend of platform sharing and strategic rebranding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2024, the pace of change accelerated, with at least 12 models being discontinued in the first 11 months alone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Subaru replaced the VX with the Crosstrek, and Kia confirmed the end of its Rio hatch production for right-hand-drive markets. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Citro\u00ebn took a bold step by revamping its entire lineup, switching from European imports to Indian-manufactured models. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This transition meant the departure of the old European C3 and C3 Aircross, which were replaced by similarly named but distinctly different Indian versions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Honda also joined the movement, retiring the WR-V in favour of the Elevate, while Mahindra\u2019s XUV300 gave way to the XUV300 TurboSport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Volkswagen ended production of its entry-level Amarok bakkie, marking a significant shift in its lineup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Similarly, models like the Hyundai Kona, Nissan Qashqai, Jeep Renegade, Mazda BT-50, and Toyota C-HR were pulled from showrooms, largely due to declining sales. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet, exceptions to this trend emerged, such as the Nissan NP200. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite being a strong seller, the compact bakkie was discontinued due to its ageing engineering\u2014a decision that surprised many, given its ongoing popularity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suzuki also decided to streamline its offerings, phasing out the Vitara. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The company justified the move by pointing to its newer models, such as the Fronx and Grand Vitara, which now dominate its SUV lineup. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This decision underscored a broader industry shift toward focusing on updated designs and modern engineering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The evolving automotive market continues to reflect shifting consumer demands, cost considerations, and the relentless pursuit of modernity, leaving a dynamic and ever-changing landscape in its wake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 24 cars that have been discontinued in South Africa over the course of two years are listed below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

2023<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

BAIC X25<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

Ford EcoSport<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

Hyundai Atos<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

Kia Rio<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

Mahindra KUV100<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

Mahindra XUV500<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

Nissan Almera<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

Subaru XV<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

Suzuki Vitara Brezza<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

Toyota Agya<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

Toyota FJ Cruiser<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

Toyota Urban Cruiser<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

2024<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Citroen C3<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

Citroen C3 Aircross<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

Honda WR-V<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

Hyundai Kona<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

Jeep Renegade<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

Mahindra XUV300<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

Mazda BT-50<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

Nissan Qashqai<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

Suzuki Vitara<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

Toyota C-HR<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

VW Amarok 110kW<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

Nissan NP200<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

Read: <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

These are the 24 cars that have been discontinued in South Africa in the last two years.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":92,"featured_media":687573,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11119],"tags":[4745,853],"class_list":["post-801588","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-motoring","tag-cars","tag-south-africa"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/801588","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/92"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=801588"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/801588\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":804945,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/801588\/revisions\/804945"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/687573"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=801588"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=801588"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=801588"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}