South Africa Full Year 2012: VW Polo Vivo snaps up top spot

The VW Polo Vivo is a facelifted previous generation VW Polo

* See the Top 50 best-selling models by clicking on the title! *

A very solid year for new car sales in South Africa: 2012 is up a healthy 9% on 2011 to 623,914 registrations. If in 2011 the VW Polo Vivo lost the year-end pole position to the Toyota Hilux at the last minute (or month), this year it takes its revenge and finishes 2012 as the most popular vehicle in the country thanks to 34,873 sales and 5.6% share, albeit down 1% year-on-year. The Toyota Hilux is kicked down to 2nd spot at 34,396 units and 5.5% (-9%). Illustrating how close the fight was, both the Polo Vivo and Hilux led the monthly ranking 6 times this year. Like in 2011, the VW Polo rounds up the podium and is up 17% to 28,667 sales and 4.6%, followed by the Chevrolet Utility at 3.1%.

Nissan NP200

Excellent year for the Nissan NP200 (aka Dacia Logan Pick-up), up 45% and 4 spots to #5 at 17,789 units and 2.9%, it’s also its highest monthly ranking in the world, hit in January, March and April. Thanks to the new generation, the Ford Ranger is up 139% and 14 ranks to #7 with 15,662 sales and 2.5%, peaking at #5 in December. But the biggest event this year in South Africa is the thunderous arrival of the Toyota Etios among the traditional heavyweights in the ranking: it landed directly at #7 in May for its first month of sales in the country, broke into the Top 5 in June and stayed there for the remainder of the year, peaking at a fantastic third place in October. It finishes the year at #8 with 14,950 sales and 2.4%.

The Toyota Etios has convinced South African buyers, as opposed to Indian or Brazilian ones.

The success of the Etios in South Africa is all the more interesting that it has struggled in both other two countries it has launched so far: in India and Brazil… Other great performers in 2012 include the Toyota Quantum and Nissan NP300 both up 19% to #11 and #15 respectively, Chevrolet Sonic up to #19 for its first full year, BMW 1 Series up 75% to #24, VW Jetta up 61% to #27 and Nissan Juke up 196% to #29. In 2012 Mercedes stopped reporting detailed models sales data for South Africa, and Hyundai-Kia still hasn’t decided to share any sales figures, which is baffling given some reports suggest Hyundai is battling for the #1 brand spot in the country…

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Previous year: South Africa Full Year 2011: Toyota Hilux edges VW Polo Vivo out

Full Year 2012 Top 50 Ranking Table below.