Johannesburg - South Africa is bakkie country, no arguments there, but SUVs and crossovers are becoming an increasingly formidable force on the local market, largely at the expense of traditional sedans and hatchbacks.
But which ones are the most popular?
Toyota’s Fortuner, now in its second generation, continues to lead the South African SUV market by a healthy margin and averages sales of more than 1000 units a month. In fact its best month in 2019 so far saw 1410 units moved. The Fortuner is based on the Hilux bakkie and buyers love it for its rugged nature, towing ability and roomy cabin.
Next up is Ford’s little EcoSport, of which a monthly average of 692 were sold in the first half of 2019. Last year the EcoSport was given an update, which also brought a smarter cabin, and the EcoSport remains one of the more affordable SUVs in the country while also offering a wide range of derivatives and engine options.
Toyota’s new Rav4 comes third with a monthly average of 621 units and the recently introduced new-generation model has been giving the EcoSport a run for its money on the sales charts in the last few months, particularly in April, when 839 units were sold.
Some of its closest rivals, the Volkswagen Tiguan and Mazda CX-5 come in fourth and fifth places respectively, with monthly averages of 465 and 372 units, while the Toyota Fortuner’s closest rival, Ford's Everest, comes in sixth place, with 368 sales on average.
See our table below for the best of the rest: