Every month, we examine the Naamsa industry sales statistics to pick out the 10 best-selling passenger vehicles and 10 best-selling bakkies in South Africa, before turning our attention to the worst-sellers.
But those lists cover only entire model ranges. What about sales figures for derivatives within ranges? It’d shed some light on exactly what people are buying and make for interesting reading, wouldn’t it?
Well, with a little help from the folks over at Lightstone Auto, we’ve managed to lay our paws on more in-depth sales figures. Bear in mind, however, that certain importers – such as Hyundai, Kia and Mercedes-Benz – do not submit individual model sales figures.
So, which derivatives proved the most popular with South African buyers in January 2017?
Well, interestingly (since Toyota SA reports a combined figure of Corolla, Auris and Corolla Quest sales to Naamsa), Lightstone Auto says the best-selling derivative of the month was the base Corolla Quest 1,6, which is priced from R208 500.
The R172 600 Toyota Etios 1,5 Xs hatchback snatched second place on the list (and intriguingly easily beat the entry-level Xi model), while the Ford Fiesta 1,4 Ambiente (R226 400) snaffled third place, despite the fact that the 1,0-litre turbo-triple version is ever-so-slightly cheaper.
Meanwhile, the cheapest Volkswagen Polo hatchback (the 1,2 TSI Trendline) at R225 200 claimed fourth place, ahead of the 1,4 Trendline version of the Polo Vivo (R181 900). All five on this list likely benefited from strong sales in the rental industry in January.
For those with an interest in the light commercial segment, Lightstone Auto lists the Ford Ranger 2,2 TDCi XL double-cab as the best-selling bakkie derivative of the month, with 497 units.
SA’s best-selling model derivatives of January 2017:
1. Toyota Corolla Quest 1,6 – 1 617
2. Toyota Etios 1,5 Xs (hatchback) – 1 347
3. Ford Fiesta 1,4 Ambiente (hatchback) – 1 144
4. Volkswagen Polo 1,2 TSI Trendline 66 kW (hatchback) – 1 082
5. Volkswagen Polo Vivo 1,4 Trendline 63 kW (hatchback) – 984
