Who made it? South Africa’s 15 best-selling vehicles of 2025 are…

South Africa’s new vehicle sales finished 2025 as it started the year by setting a new record of 12 months without a single month-on-month increase.

Twelve-month record

According to the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (Naamsa), December’s 48 983 vehicle sold saw the local industry end 2025 with an overall total of 596 818 – 15.7% up on 2024’s 516 976, and the highest since 2023’s 531 334.

ALSO READ: New vehicles sales end 2025 on a record 12 month high

At the same time, vehicle exports, which experienced a seemingly difficult year, ended on 404 224, an uptake of 4.4% from 2024’s 391 129, and equal highest since 2023’s 399 808.

Naamsa reaction

The highest since before the global pandemic six years ago, Naamsa said the 150 basis point cut of the repo rate, lower inflation and influx of cheaper Chinese vehicles played a significant role in the figures, which have not decreased month-on-month since September 2024.

“The welcomed upswing in new vehicle sales surprised to the upside, achieving sound double-digit growth,” Naamsa said

This surge was further underpinned by political stability and a significant easing of vehicle inflation, which hit a record low of 1.5% – the lowest since tracking began in 2008, as well as the influx of affordable models contributing to the intensely competitive trading environment in the country.

Winners are…

Unsurprisingly, the Toyota Hilux remained the overall best-selling vehicle, but with an uptake in sales from 2024’s 32 656 to 36 525.

The Volkswagen Polo Vivo also remaind steady in second place with an offset of 26 067 – up on 2024’s 25 913 – while the Ford Ranger kept its third place on 25 465, a drop from the previous year’s 25 533.

After a year, which it started as the number one seller in January, the Suzuki Swift jumped two places from 2024’s sixth to fourth in 2025 with a total offset of 23 921.

Slipping a place to fifth, the Toyota Corolla Cross still raked in 22 191 sales, followed by the Isuzu D-Max, which also dropped a notch to sixth place as the only vehicle to have more than 20 000 sales with 21 194.

Finishing seventh, the same as in 2024, the Hyundai Grand i10 saw its performance improve from 2024’s 14 390 to 17 201, while in eighth, the Chery Tiggo 4 rose a single position to be the country’s best-selling Chinese car, with its total of 16 838 considerably up on 2024’s 12 646.

Dropping from eighth to ninth, the Toyota Starlet still enjoyed its stock rise from 14 129 to 16 281.

In completing the top 10, the Suzuki Fronx formally makes it debut by just edging out the Great Wall Motor’s Haval Jolion with 13 645 versus 13 607.

Top 15

The full top 15 results, including their comparison to last year, are as follows:

NOW READ: Who made the cut? South Africa’s top 15 best-sellers of 2024