VW Polo Vivo becomes SA’s best-selling car: Here’s the state of the automotive industry
Affordability of cars remains an issue.
Volkswagen's Polo Vivo, manufactured at the company's Kariega plant in the Eastern Cape, has once again become South Africa's best-selling new passenger car, according to Cars.co.za's 2026 Industry Report. This achievement highlights the continued strength of established brands with a local manufacturing presence in the market. The Chinese car brands, while making inroads into the South African market, have not yet managed to surpass locally manufactured models in terms of sales.
Among the top 25 best-selling passenger cars, four Chinese vehicles, which are not made in South Africa, also feature prominently. These include Haval Jolion, Omoda C5, Jetour T2, and Jetour T1. Chery, a Chinese brand that has a manufacturing plant in Rosslyn, Pretoria, holds the sixth position in the list.
Toyota remains the dominant brand on Cars.co.za, with 10 of the Top 25 most-enquired-about vehicles being Toyota models. Despite the strong sales of Chinese vehicles, the report revealed a growing gap between consumer demand and actual vehicle purchases. Rising financial pressure, persistent inflation, and weakening household confidence are making it increasingly difficult for consumers to convert their intentions to own a vehicle into actual ownership.
Written by urgent.news from The Citizen's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
