The most searched car brand in South Africa is a VW
It's fascinating to see that even in the toughest financial times in our
country, people are still focused on upgrading their cars... After all,
we can all dream, right?
Buying a new car might be a distant dream for many, but even amid news of a VAT hike and South Africa's challenging economic climate, it's clear that people's passion for cars hasn’t waned.
In fact, over the past year, people have continued to research their favourite vehicles, with used-car platform AutoTrader reporting an impressive 81,053,923 searches for VW (Volkswagen), making it the most-searched brand.
This equates to an astounding 2.6 searches every second over 12 months. BMW followed closely in second place with 79,299,132 searches (2.5 per second), and Toyota rounded out the top three with 71,047,526 searches (2.2 per second).
In total, AutoTrader saw over 663 million searches last year, reflecting a 42% increase from the previous year.
That's a significant increase, especially considering vehicles aren't exactly a basic necessity.
Yet, it highlights people's continued interest in buying new or used cars, even if it doesn’t quite align with the need to manage personal debt. However, it does give a boost to the automotive industry.
AutoTrader CEO George Mienie points out that these search trends are a true reflection of consumer interest in different vehicles and serve as a solid gauge for brand and model popularity.
What's particularly interesting is that while the top 10 most-searched vehicle brands make up less than 5% of the available market options, they account for 66% of all searches.
Here’s a look at the top 10 most-searched brands in South Africa's used-car market in 2024, according to AutoTrader's Annual Car Industry Report.
The Toyota Hilux remains the most searched model, with 12,371,080 searches in 2024. Following closely behind is the ever-popular VW Polo, with 11,305,009 searches. The Ford Ranger claims third place with 9,366,333 searches.
What’s particularly noteworthy is that the top three most-searched models also happen to be the most hijacked vehicles in South Africa.
Check out the list of the top 10 most-searched vehicle models in South Africa’s used-car market in 2024, courtesy of TopAuto.
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