What car models were South Africans looking at in August 2019?

The twenty most requested models* in August 2019 were:

• Volkswagen Polo Vivo
  
• Volkswagen Polo
  
• Kia Picanto
  
• Hyundai i20
  
• Renault Clio
  
• Hyundai Grand i10
  
• Renault Kwid
  
• Kia Rio
  
• Toyota Yaris
  
• Haval H2
  
• Mazda CX-3
  
• Ford Fiesta
  
• Datsun Go
  
• Ford EcoSport
  
• Toyota Corolla Quest
  
• Toyota Etios
  
• Toyota Hilux
  
• Mazda Mazda2
  
• Renault Captur
  
• Renault Sandero

Beat the Price offers a unique insight into the preferences of South African car buyers because it captures their initial preferences, rather than the vehicle they eventually settle for. If we compare the list above to the Naamsa figures, we see some marked differences.

Haval keeps growing

Since Haval launched in South Africa in mid-2017, the Chinese brand has been a surprise hit with local car buyers. Its two most popular models - the H1 and H2 - have appeared in every New Car Demand Index so far for 2019.

In August the H2 broke into the top 10 for the second time this year, beating out perennial favourites like the Toyota Hilux and Kia Sportage.

In August Haval was the 8th most requested brand across all its models, ahead of global giants like Nissan and Honda (#14 and #16 respectively). Given that the brand is currently ranked only 12th by sales, this latent demand is likely to propel Haval into the NAAMSA top 10 in the not too distant future.

Renault Kwid - a marketing success

Since it launched in 2015, the Kwid has proved to be a strong seller for Renault and now, thanks to the impending launch of the facelifted version, it has never looked stronger. The model is now our 7th most requested vehicle - it’s highest point for 2019 so far. This jump is definitely the result of some effective marketing in the local market, and we expect it to remain in the top 10 for the rest of 2019.

* This list combines model variants by engine capacity. The data underlying this list represents a statistically significant sample of national car sales (at 95% confidence)The standard Naamsa stats include trucks and other heavier vehicles