AutoTrader Data Reveals a September Rebound in SA Used Car Sales

South Africans bought more used vehicles in September, with average selling prices also increasing as Toyota strengthened its lead in the market.

At a Glance – September 2026 Car Sales

Used Cars

• Sales: 33,824 (+1.4% MoM, -1.7% YoY)
• Average price: R432,938 (+3.4% MoM, +3.5% YoY)
• Top seller (overall): Ford Ranger (1,922 units)
• Top seller (passenger car): Volkswagen Polo Vivo (1,247 units)
• Trend: September used-car sales recovered as average prices climbed, although annual volumes remained under pressure.

South Africa’s used car market recorded a modest recovery in September 2026, with sales and average selling prices increasing month-on-month. Toyota strengthened its position as the country’s leading used car brand, while Kia climbed the rankings and the Ford Ranger maintained its lead over the Toyota Hilux, according to the latest AutoTrader sales data.

A total of 33,824 used vehicles were sold in September, up +1.4% from the 33,346 units recorded in August. However, sales remained -1.7% below the 34,402 vehicles reflected in the September 2025 comparison.

Toyota retained first place among used car brands with 6,146 sales, an increase of +7% month-on-month (MoM) and +9% year-on-year (YoY). Volkswagen followed with 4,444 units, up +4% MoM, although volumes were -6% lower than a year earlier. Ford remained third with 3,300 sales, declining -5% MoM and -4% YoY.

Suzuki continued to perform well in fourth place, recording 2,537 sales. This represented a +5% monthly increase and a substantial +20% improvement compared with September 2025. Alongside Toyota, Suzuki was the only manufacturer in the top 10 to register annual growth. Hyundai rounded out the top five with 2,187 sales, up +3% MoM but down -7% YoY.

BMW held sixth place with 1,808 sales, a decline of -7% MoM and -10% YoY. Mercedes-Benz followed with 1,192 units, down -7% from August. Its -21% annual decline was the largest among the leading 10 brands.

Kia recorded the strongest monthly growth, climbing from tenth to eighth place with 1,144 sales. This was +16% more than in August, although volumes remained -1% below September 2025. Nissan slipped to ninth with 1,126 units, down -2% MoM and -16% YoY, while Renault completed the top 10 with 1,034 sales, an increase of +2% from August.

“September’s figures show that the used car market has recovered some of the ground lost in August, although the results vary considerably between brands,” commented George Mienie, CEO of AutoTrader. “Toyota and Suzuki were the only two leading manufacturers to increase their sales year-on-year, but at model level, eight of the top 10 recorded annual growth. The Starlet’s performance was particularly strong, while the Hilux also narrowed the gap to the Ranger.”

At model level, the Ford Ranger remained South Africa’s best-selling used vehicle with 1,922 sales. Although volumes declined -3.4% MoM, they were +0.9% higher than in September 2025. The Toyota Hilux followed with 1,626 sales, growing +2.3% MoM and +2.2% YoY. The gap between the two bakkies narrowed from 401 units in August to 296 in September.

The Volkswagen Polo Vivo retained third place with 1,247 sales, followed by the Polo with 1,187 units. Both recorded monthly increases of +1.7% and +5.8%, respectively, but their annual performances were less encouraging. Polo Vivo sales fell -7.7% YoY, while Polo volumes declined -20.5%. They were the only two models in the top 10 to record annual sales declines.

The Suzuki Swift remained fifth with 832 sales, down from 874 in August but up +17.7% from September 2025. Its average selling price of R206,685 made it one of the more affordable vehicles among the top 10.

The Toyota Fortuner recorded a particularly strong month, with sales climbing to 816 units. This left it just 16 sales behind the Swift, compared with a 154-unit gap in August. Fortuner sales were also +6.1% higher than a year earlier.

The Toyota Corolla Cross maintained seventh place with 625 sales, increasing +7.8% YoY. Its average selling price declined from R380,569 in September 2025 to R373,172.

Toyota’s Starlet was another strong performer, climbing from tenth to eighth place with 595 sales. Volumes increased +24.5% YoY, giving it the largest annual increase among the top 10 models. The Isuzu D-Max followed in ninth with 566 sales, up +5.6% YoY, while the Hyundai Grand i10 completed the ranking with 538 units, an annual improvement of +13%.

Among individual derivatives, the Volkswagen Polo Vivo 1.4 remained the most popular with 944 sales. The Polo 1.0 TSI followed with 752 units, ahead of the Toyota Hilux 2.8 GD-6 with 724. The Ford Ranger XL placed fourth with 591 sales, followed by the Hilux 2.4 GD-6 with 570.

The average selling price increased to R432,938 in September from R418,649 in August, a rise of +3.4%. Compared with the R418,105 figure supplied for September 2025, the average was +3.5% higher.

Vehicles sold during September had an average mileage of 69,991 km, compared with 71,149 km in August and 72,785 km a year earlier. The average year model remained 2021, compared with 2020 in the corresponding period last year.

Top 10 Sold Used Models in September 2026

Source: AutoTrader Used Car Sales Data: 1 – 30 September 2026

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