Which cars are South Africans buying most in these tough economic times? Looking at the sales results of the first quarter of 2017, it would appear trusted favourites remain the way to go…

The source for the sales figures below is Lightstone Auto, and for the purpose of this report we've selected only vehicles sold through the dealership channel– totals exclude sales to rental companies andgovernment etc. Also note that sales volumes forthe following brands, Chery, Daihatsu, Foton, FAW, Hyundai, Kia and Proton reflect estimates calculated from the aggregated volumes reported, as well as financial data.

Passenger cars

Toyota and Volkswagen dominate this segment, but the Korean brands (see note above) and Ford also do well. Volkswagen's Polo, recently bolstered with the addition of the 1.0 TSI R-Line model, continues to dominate the market, closely followed by what is essentially its predecessor, the Polo Vivo, which recently gained the nostalgic CitiVivovariant. Toyota claims a spot on the podium with its Fortuner, the country's top-selling SUV.

Even though a new Polo is around the corner, the current model still dominates the SA market.

Commercial Vehicles

It continues to be a closely matched contest at the top of the charts, where the Toyota Hilux and the Ford Ranger are slugging it out. In the first quarter of this year, the Hilux has come out tops, but only by around 300 units. It is interesting to note, however, that the Hilux's win is largely because of its dominance in the single-cab segment. If one compares only Double-Cab sales, then Ford is the comfortable leader (5 135 vs 2 998). Nissan's ageing NP200 and NP300 line-ups continue to sell well with General Motors' Chevrolet Ute and Isuzu KB seemingly under pressure.

The Toyota Hilux is South Africa's favourite bakkie, but not in double-cab form.

You may also be interested in:

New car sales summary for April 2017

10 Fastest-selling used cars on Cars.co.za

Interested in buying a new/used VW Polo? click here

Interested in buying a new/used Toyota Hilux? click here