How much it costs to drive South Africa’s most popular cars right now

The new vehicle market’s performance continued to exceed expectations during the month of March, says the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa.

The aggregate domestic new vehicle sales in March 2022, at 50,607 units, represented the highest total monthly sales since pre-pandemic October 2019 sales.

Toyota as a manufacturer sold the most vehicles locally in March with 15,008 units, significantly higher than Volkswagen Group SA in second with 6,433 units, followed by Hyundai Automotive with 3,816 units.

A temporary reduction in the general fuel levy by R1.50 per litre from 6 April to 31 May 2022, announced by finance minister Godongwana has provided relief for motorists and has been welcomed by the market, said Naamsa.

This is how the petrol price has changed and is expected to be reflected:

Fuel (Inland) March official April official
95 Petrol R21.60 R21.96
93 Petrol R21.35 R21.63
0.05% diesel (wholesale) R19.49 R21.01
0.005% diesel (wholesale) R19.55 R21.24
Illuminating Paraffin R13.19 R15.84

The finance minister stressed that once the emergency interventions lapse at the end of May, a full review of the basic fuel price, which was previously mooted by the minister, will take place. Below is a table that details how much it roughly costs to fill a tank of various sizes, in April:

Tank size 93 unleaded 95 unleaded 0.05% diesel
45 litres R973 R988 R945
60 litres R1 297 R1 317 R1 261
80 litres R 1730 R1 756 R1 680

Naamsa said that the positivity in the new vehicle market performance during March 2022 could be attributed to pent up demand aligned with the increasing normalising of business conditions as well as new model choices in the domestic market. It noted that despite the decline in vehicle exports during March, prospects for 2022 remain optimistic on the back of further new locally manufactured model introductions during the year.

Despite the positivity, Naamsa cautioned that 2022 is expected to bring escalating inflation risks, ongoing record fuel prices, low and stagnant economic growth and a rising interest rate cycle.

Below are the top-selling new vehicles in the country right now and how much it costs to drive them:


Toyota Hilux 2.7 Double Cab S – From R479,200

  • 10.7L/100km
  • R234.97/100km
  • 4 561 units sold

 


Toyota Corolla Cross 1.8 Xi – From R360,400

  • 6.8L/100km
  • R149.32/100km
  • 2 384 units sold


Volkswagen Polo Vivo Hatch 1.4 Trendline – From R235,000

  • 5.7L/100km
  • R125.17/100km
  • 2 117 units sold


Toyota Hiace 2.7 Ses-fikile 16-seater – From R497,800

  • 14.3L/100km
  • R314.02/100km
  • 1 675 units sold


Volkswagen Polo Hatch 1.0TSI – From R315,000

  • 5.3L/100km
  • R116.38/100km
  • 1 430 units


Isuzu D-Max 250 double cab – From R424,900

  • 7.7L/100km*
  • R161.77/100km
  • 1 378 units


Nissan NP200 1.6i Safety Pack – From R203,900

  • 8.1L/100km
  • R177.87/100km
  • 1 327 units sold


Toyota Starlet 1.4 Xi – From R225,200

  • 5.1L/100km
  • R111.99/100km
  • 1 243 units

 


Toyota Urban Cruiser 1.5 Xi – From R272,200

  • 6.2L/100km
  • R136.15/100km
  • 1 196 units sold


Suzuki Swift 1.2 GA – From R184,900

  • 4.9L/100km
  • R107,60/100km
  • 1 118 units sold


*Indicates a car has a diesel engine. 

All prices are estimates and are based on the manufacturer’s average fuel consumption per/100km.

In each case, the manufacturer’s least expensive double-cab model was considered. 95 octane (R21.96) and 0.05% diesel price (R21.01) as of March 2022 were used for comparison purposes.