Haval and other compact SUVs in demand by SA car buyers in November 2019

The twenty most requested models in November 2019 were:

1. Volkswagen Polo
   
2. Volkswagen Polo Vivo
   
3. Hyundai i20
   
4. Renault Kwid
   
5. Kia Picanto
   
6. Toyota Corolla
   
7. Kia Rio
   
8. Hyundai Grand i10
   
9. Renault Clio
   
10. Volkswagen Golf
    
11. Haval H1
    
12. Toyota Etios
    
13. Ford EcoSport
    
14. Ford Fiesta
    
15. Mazda CX-3
    
16. Toyota Hilux
    
17. Volkswagen T-Cross
    
18. Mahindra KUV100 Nxt
    
19. Toyota RAV4
    
20. Hyundai Accent
    

Mahindra makes an appearance - hot on Haval’s heels

Although Beat the Price receives a steady stream of requests for Mahindra vehicles, the KUV100 Nxt is the first model to break into our Top 20. The Indian car brand seems to be overcoming its early quality issues and is gaining significant traction in the local market.

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19 Nov 2019

In November, for example, Mahindra sold more vehicles than Honda. Granted this includes commercial vehicles, which make up more than half of Mahindra’s sales, but the brand is clearly on the rise.

It helps that the KUV100 is an attractive and affordable compact SUV - the fastest growing class of car in the local market. More than a third of models in our Top 20 are compact SUVs, including an appearance from the long-neglected Toyota RAV4.

Mahindra has a way to go before it can match the appeal of the other newcomer - Haval. That brand’s most popular models - the Haval H1 and H2 - have made it into our Top 20 every month this year.

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Historically South Africans have preferred locally manufactured cars, with brands like Volkswagen and Toyota dominating the market for decades. While these brands are still overwhelming favourites, the rise of imported brands from Hyundai to Haval is slowly giving South Africans more choice at lower prices, while chipping away at the dominance of the giants.

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.

Preferences vs. sales

Although the Naamsa sales figures are an invaluable resource for tracking the market, they are less useful for forecasting and tracking consumer demand for brands and models. This is because:

• The sales figures include sales to large organisations (such as rental agencies and corporate fleets), which significantly distort the trends and are largely unaffected by marketing
  
• Sales do not always reflect initial preferences. Many consumers end up “settling” for a different model or even a different brand because of problems with availability or financing
  
• Car sales tend to lag marketing efforts significantly because of the longer purchase cycle for consumer vehicles. Beat The Price’s stats reflect underlying preferences and future car buying intentions.

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Why no Ferraris?

As a free online service, you might expect that Beat The Price is flooded with requests for high-end luxury vehicles. Fortunately, this is not the case. Our customers tend to be serious, practical and focussed on good value for money. In other words, ordinary working South Africans, many of them from the emerging middle class.

*

• 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. Be sure to click the “Passenger” tab when looking at their monthly Flash reports to get a more accurate view of the consumer car market.