Which car brand is the most searched for online in South Africa?
The annual AutoTrader Car Industry Report provides us with insight into the behaviours and preferences of the South African car consumer. We dive into the report to see which car brand was the most searched for in South Africa in 2022.
One of the benefits of having the most prominent and busiest motor vehicle classified site in South Africa is that AutoTrader is able to get a relatively accurate snapshot of the landscape. We're able to extract data that helps us form a better understanding of the typical South African consumer, especially when it comes to their vehicle buying habits. This insight also allows us to continually improve our product and help give you the best information to help assist your vehicle buying and selling journey.
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This insight into buyers' behaviour is correlated and compiled into an annual report. The insights gleaned from this can help consumers and dealers, giving them insight into pricing, timelines, and most importantly, the popularity of makes and models. You can view the report yourself by clicking here:
AutoTrader Car Industry Report
Popular brands
It should come as no surprise that the people's car is the one that comes out on top. With a total of more than 652 million searches over the 12-month period from January to December, it was a busy year. This figure means that there was an average of 21 searches happening every second on AutoTrader. However, Volkswagen came out as the most searched-for brand on AutoTrader.co.za. A whopping 85 585 450 searches were for the German brand that has local models such as the Polo Vivo and Golf GTI under their umbrella.
The second most searched-for brand was the aspirational BMW marque. With 82 899 017 searches for BMW in total, it isn't too far behind Volkswagen in first place. The second runner-up is Mercedes-Benz which amasses a total of 74 806 102 searches for the same 12-month period. It's reassuring to see that all of the top three brands for searches have manufacturing facilities in South Africa.
Most viewed
Searches are one thing, but when it comes to choosing their next car, serious South African consumers operate a little differently. The most viewed vehicle brand in South Africa isn't Volkswagen, but rather BMW. BMW amasses a total of 47 501 278 advert views while Volkswagen came in second with a total of 44 945 956 advert views. Third place in the race for the brand with the most advert views is Mercedes-Benz with a total of 43 343 803 views, showing that South Africans certainly have a taste for the finer things in life.
A total of 318 million adverts were viewed in this 12-month period, equating to 10 advert views every second!
