Is there still a market for a reasonably priced saloon? We’ve sorted through Naamsa’s detailed sales figures to identify the 7 best-selling budget sedans for February 2022…

The reveal of the new Volkswagen Virtus – a booted model that is destined to arrive in South Africa later in 2022 as the new Polo sedan – had us thinking: what’s the current state of the market for budget saloons on local shores?

While bakkies and hatchbacks typically dominate the monthly list of the country’s best-selling new vehicles (with a crossover and SUV appearing here and there), a deeper look at the figures suggests there’s still something of a market for budget-beating sedans, even if it’s not nearly as robust as it once was. A significant slice of that demand, of course, comes courtesy of the ride-hailing (Uber, Bolt etc.) industry, along with the rental and government channels.

So, we sorted through the statistics to pick out South Africa’s 7 best-selling budget saloons for February 2022, with three-box model ranges bearing a starting price of less than R300 000 qualifying for inclusion.

The best-selling budget sedan during the second month of 2022 was the outgoing Volkswagen Polo sedan, with the Indian-built model finishing on an impressive 818 units, almost doubling its January tally. Just under half of those (387 units) were registered as sales to the government, with 83 units coming via the rental channel.

The locally produced Toyota Corolla Quest grabbed second place with 575 units (down 166 units month on month), though 277 of those came courtesy of the rental industry. Despite shedding almost 200 units over January’s effort, third spot went to the seemingly evergreen Nissan Almera (286), with around 45% of its registrations likewise attributed to rental companies. Fascinatingly, the Almera was still Nissan’s top seller for the month, finishing ahead of the Magnite (211 units).

The Chinese-built Kia Pegas (170 units) settled in fourth place, with every single unit interestingly sold through the dealer channel. Fifth went to the Honda Amaze (123 units), which proved the Japanese firm’s best-selling product overall in February 2022 thanks largely to a 50-unit boost from rental buyers.

The Suzuki Ciaz fell just short of three figures (95 units) but still managed to take sixth, while the Suzuki Dzire (65 units) occupied the seventh and final place on the list, having fallen from a more impressive tally of 282 units in January. Interestingly, the Maruti-built Dzire couldn’t come close to matching the popularity of the closely related Swift hatchback, which was the country’s seventh best-selling vehicle overall with 1 313 units.

7 best-selling budget sedans in South Africa for February 2022

1. Volkswagen Polo sedan – 818 units

2. Toyota Corolla Quest – 575 units

3. Nissan Almera – 286 units

4. Kia Pegas – 170 units

5. Honda Amaze – 123 units

6. Suzuki Ciaz – 95 units

7. Suzuki Dzire – 65 units