Cars.co.za report offers interesting insights
Cars.co.za recently launched Industry Report 2026 at its DealerCon summit, offers insight into the forces shaping South Africa’s vehicle market.
- Dealer News
- 22 September 2026
Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) celebrated the eighth edition of the State of the Motor Industry (SOMI) with Leon Theron, TSAM's Senior Vice President for Sales and Marketing, unveiling a variety of brand-new models from the company's diverse portfolio.
Special guest speaker, Rory Reid from the UK, and the Dakar Press Conference featuring the rally stars of the world’s toughest race, added a touch of entertainment to the proceedings.
Leon teamed up with Reid to do a Top Gear-inspired vehicle reveal. Six models were unveiled:
The final SOMI segment was dedicated to the 2025 Dakar Press Conference, chaired by celebrity petrol head Rory Reid. While this year’s second-placed podium finisher – Henk Lategan and navigator Brett Cummings – commanded most of the attention, it was a fantastic result all around and Glenn Crompton, Vice President of Marketing and the Head of Gazoo Racing in SA along with Team Principal, Shameer Variawa, expressed great optimism for their chances in 2026.
It was, however, a bitter-sweet moment for Giniel de Villers, one of the undisputed legends of Dakar, when he made the announcement that this year’s Dakar was his last. De Villiers did indicate that while he’s not sure what lies in his future, consensus is that it will still be in the motorsport arena. The conference also afforded the ideal platform to reveal the next GR Cup Car, which will be the freshly minted GR Yaris. Watch this space for more details on which names will adorn the race cars for 2025.
Cars.co.za recently launched Industry Report 2026 at its DealerCon summit, offers insight into the forces shaping South Africa’s vehicle market.
Nissan has introduced the Tekton, a new compact SUV for the South African market. The model is built on the Renault‑Nissan alliance’s CMF‑B platform and is closely related to the Renault Duster, sharing engines and mechanical components.
At the recent DealerCon 2026, hosted by Cars.co.za automotive excellence was celebrated by honouring top executives in the automotive retails industry.
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