It wasn’t too long ago that hatchbacks were the most popular vehicle body type in South Africa, but then the bigger and badder SUV took over and the rest was history..
These high-riders first surpassed the hatches in 2021, and grew their share even further in 2022, taking 50.9% of the market.
Even so, the humble hatchback is still a significant player, currently accounting for over 35% of sales in SA, but some interesting trends are emerging.
Looking at the sales figures from the first half of 2023, the top three sellers are all budget-oriented hatchbacks, while the more traditional and increasingly premium B-segment hatches are taking a back seat.
According to the monthly Naamsa numbers that we stringed together, the Volkswagen Polo Vivo was the top selling hatchback between January and June this year, with 9 936 sales equating to a volume of 1 656 per month.
It was followed by the Toyota Starlet (8 355) and Suzuki Swift (8 193), and you can see the top 12 below.
Top-Selling Hatchbacks: Jan-Jun 2023
- 1. VW Polo Vivo - 9 936 (1 656 per month)
- 2. Toyota Starlet - 8 355 (1 393)
- 3. Suzuki Swift - 8 193 (1 366)
- 4. VW Polo - 5 650 (942)
- 5. Hyundai Grand i10 - 4 963 (827)
- 6. Suzuki Baleno - 3 449 (575)
- 7. Renault Kwid - 3 004 (501)
- 8. Hyundai i20 - 2 515 (419)
- 9. Kia Picanto - 2 604 (434)
- 10. Suzuki S-Presso - 2 488 (415)
- 11. Toyota Agya - 1 249 (208)
- 12. Kia Rio - 1 053 (176)
The latest-generation Volkswagen Polo, although still selling in significant numbers, is a perfect illustration of how moving upmarket can hurt sales in this segment. Not long ago it was neck-in-neck with the Polo Vivo on the sales charts, but now it accounts for just over half of its cheaper sibling’s volumes.
The only other ‘premium’ B-segment hatchbacks that made it onto the list were the Hyundai i20 (8th) and Kia Rio (12th).
One theory is that as buyers are able to shop at a more premium end of the market, SUVs suddenly become more of a consideration and we all know how aspirational these are at the moment.
Another interesting trend concerns the cheapest cars on our market, with the Renault Kwid emerging in 7th place and the Suzuki S-Presso in 10th.
You would think that in times as tough as these, a low purchase price would outweigh all considerations, but it appears that South Africans are still prepared to pay a little extra for a more substantial set of wheels.
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It’s here that larger but not too much more expensive cars like the Toyota Starlet, Suzuki Swift and Volkswagen Polo Vivo are hitting a sweet spot for local consumers. They may be more basic than modern B-Segment hatches, but they appear to offer the right amount of metal for the money.
But what’s happening at the upper end of the hatchback market?
Here we see some dismal performances in the traditional C-Segment, with the Toyota Corolla hatchback managing just 206 sales (34 per month) and the Mazda3 attracting just 136 (23).
The Audi A3 Sportback did a little better at the premium end with a volume of 283 (47) and we’re reluctant to include the BMW 1 Series as its sales were only reported in two of the six months, but it did achieve an impressive monthly average of 108 units.
When it comes to hot hatchbacks, the Volkswagen Golf GTI and R find themselves far in the lead with 303 sales in H1, which equates to 50 a month. That’s way ahead of the Hyundai i30 N at 36 (or 6 per month) or the Toyota GR Yaris at 27 (4.5).
It will be interesting to see if the GR Corolla can improve on these figures in the coming months.