How SA's Top 10 best-sellers fare on fuel
Taking a look at the 10 best-selling cars in SA, it leaves one wondering if consumers care at all about the facts and figures supplied in the data sheets. We decided to do some research to see if the best-selling cars tied up with fuel economy reporting, and the answer may surprise you.
South Africa's 10 best-selling cars vs fuel economy
At the end of every month, NAAMSA (National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa) releases statistics to let the industry know how things are going. These include exports, sales, build quantities and so on. Within these statistics, there is also a list of the 10 best-selling models for the month.
Related: What is the most popular car brand in South Africa?
With our fuel price edging ever closer to the stratosphere, we wanted to take September 2023's list and compare the manufacturer's fuel claims with our own returned during our vehicle tests to see if concerns over fuel economy are affecting the purchasing decision.
AutoTrader's Engines & Body Types Glossary of Terms
1. Toyota Hilux
Sitting atop the list of most sold vehicles in SA is the Hilux. Toyota's manufacturer claims of 7.3 l/100km are not too far off of the 8.3 l/100km that we achieved on our most recent test on the 2.8 GD-6 diesel.
2. Volkswagen Polo Vivo
By far the most prolific vehicle on this list, the Polo Vivo boasts a manufacturer claim of 6.0 l/100km, and we were blown away by the 4.8 l/100km it returned over our test period. You can read about it here
3. Ford Ranger
The new Ford Ranger has set the sales charts ablaze with its fresh new styling and features, but it is the 2.0 diesel that has impressed most. Ford claims the Ranger will return 7.7 l/100km, and our most recent test drive got close with 8.2 l/100km in our XLT long-termer; you can find out more here.
4. Toyota Corolla Cross
The darling of Toyota's local lineup has folks trading up and down into these fab family crossovers. Toyota claims sit at 6.8l /100km on the 1.8l petrol and 4.3 l/100km on the hybrid version. We did see those exact numbers in our test of the petrol and a test of the Corolla sedan with the hybrid engine.
5. Isuzu D-Max
When Isuzu updated the D-Max, the old tired 2.5l was dropped in favour of a new 1.9l turbo diesel. Isuzu claims the 1.9 should return 7.4 l/100km, and our real-world testing returned 8.9 l/100km, you can watch our video review here to see how we got there.
6. Toyota Hi-Ace
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out where the majority of these vehicles end up. The erstwhile 2.5 D4D turbo diesel returns a scrappy 9.9 l/100km. We have yet to test one ourselves, but as millions of South Africans can attest to every day, we are sure that it's right on point as you never see these at a petrol station.
7. Suzuki Swift
If there is one thing that our entire team will confirm, it is that we are yet to find one of Suzuki's vehicles that exceeds their consumption claims. Just about every vehicle of theirs that we have tested has come in well below or spot on the manufacturer claims. The 1.2l petrol engine in the Swift returns a miserly 4.9 l/100km which is bang on Suzuki's claims of 4.9 l/100km
8. Toyota Starlet
The Toyota Starlet is another excellent little city car from the Japanese firm that did kind of steal the limelight from its sister, the Suzuki Baleno. Both vehicles are equipped with a 1.5l petrol engine that Toyota claims will have a combined cycle consumption figure of 5.4l /100km. Our most recent test of the Starlet returned 5.1 l/100km, so once again, our Suzuki claim is proven true, and you can find out more about the Starlet here.
9. Volkswagen Polo (hatch)
Aaaah the Polo, a South African institution that has birthed more drivers onto our roads than we care to count. Volkswagen's latest incarnation of the Polo hatchback, equipped with a 1.0l 3-cylinder turbo petrol engine, should return combined cycle consumption figures of 5.3 l/100km, and in our most recent test of the model, we returned 6.1 l/100km.
10. Nissan NP200
Soon to be going the way of the Dodo, the esteemed NP200 half-tonner has serviced small businesses and entrepreneurs as the only vehicle of its type left on the market. Nissan lays claim to 8.1 l/100km from the 1.6l petrol engine and our last test of the NP200 in its Stealth livery returned exactly that.
Verdict
After collating the data and cross-referencing many other model tests, consumers are indeed still factoring in the fuel consumption figures on certain vehicle types. Fleet operators, small businesses and families rely heavily on these figures to be accurate for their buying decisions, and those manufacturers who are out of the ballpark on their figures will see the backs of their customers. Real-world testing is more important than benchmark figures, so do your homework before signing on the bottom line!
