Used-car market regains momentum with Toyota leading

While overall sales remained slightly below the level recorded a year ago, the latest figures indicate that consumer demand in the pre-owned sector remains resilient, particularly for well-established mainstream brands.

A total of 33 824 used vehicles changed hands during September, representing a month-on-month increase of 1.4%. Although this was still 1.7% lower than the figure recorded in September 2025, the improvement suggests the market has regained some of the ground lost during August. Average transaction values also increased, pointing to continued demand for newer and higher-value used vehicles.

Toyota further cemented its position as South Africa’s leading used-car brand, recording 6 146 sales during the month. The manufacturer was one of only two brands in the top 10 to achieve year-on-year growth, highlighting the continued strength of its products in the country’s pre-owned market.

Volkswagen remained the second most popular brand, while Ford held onto third place despite a slight decline in sales compared with August. Suzuki continued its strong run, retaining fourth position and delivering one of the best growth performances among the leading manufacturers. Hyundai completed the top five.

Further down the rankings, BMW and Mercedes-Benz remained important players in the premium segment, although both experienced declining sales. Kia emerged as one of the month's standout performers, recording the strongest month-on-month growth among the top 10 brands and moving up the rankings. Nissan and Renault rounded out the leading group.

According to AutoTrader CEO George Mienie, September's results highlighted significant differences in performance between brands. He noted that Toyota and Suzuki were the only manufacturers among the top 10 to improve their sales compared with the same period last year, although annual growth was much more widespread when looking at individual vehicle models.

The battle for top honours among individual models remained centred on South Africa’s two most popular bakkies. The Ford Ranger retained its position as the country's best-selling used vehicle, while the Toyota Hilux continued to close the gap. The difference between the two narrowed considerably during September, suggesting increasingly competitive demand between the long-standing rivals.

Volkswagen’s Polo Vivo and Polo remained among the country's most sought-after passenger vehicles, although both recorded lower sales than a year earlier. In fact, they were the only models in the top-10 ranking to experience annual declines, underlining the broader strength of the used-car market despite challenging trading conditions.

Several other models delivered particularly noteworthy performances. The Suzuki Swift maintained its place among the market's most popular vehicles and posted strong year-on-year growth. The Toyota Fortuner also enjoyed a notable month, significantly reducing the sales gap to the Swift.

Toyota's Corolla Cross continued to attract strong demand, while the Starlet delivered the largest year-on-year increase of any model in the top 10. The Isuzu D-Max and Hyundai Grand i10 likewise recorded annual improvements, reinforcing the appeal of both bakkies and compact passenger vehicles in the used market.

Among specific derivatives, the Volkswagen Polo Vivo 1.4 remained the country's most frequently traded used vehicle derivative, ahead of the Volkswagen Polo 1.0 TSI and Toyota Hilux 2.8 GD-6. Ford Ranger and Hilux derivatives also featured prominently, reflecting the continued dominance of the bakkie segment.

Broader market indicators were equally encouraging. The average selling price increased during September, while average vehicle mileage declined compared with both August and the same month last year. Buyers also continued to favour relatively newer vehicles, with the average model year remaining higher than the equivalent period in 2025.

Source: AutoTrader.