BMW dethrones Mercedes-Benz

3 Series edges C-Class in pre-owned individual online searches.

BMW has overtaken archrival Mercedes-Benz as the most search sedan brand of 2020

Sedans represent the third-most searched for used car body type in South Africa – but which specific sedans do South Africans most want? It used to be the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, but the sedan bearing the three-pointed star has been usurped by a fellow German, namely the BMW 3 Series. This much has emerged from an analysis of AutoTrader search data for the 2020 calendar year. AutoTrader is the largest digital automotive marketplace in South Africa. As such, it provides unparalleled insight into car-buying patterns in the country. While the 3 Series is currently reigning supreme, George Mienie, AutoTrader CEO, points…

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Sedans represent the third-most searched for used car body type in South Africa – but which specific sedans do South Africans most want?

It used to be the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, but the sedan bearing the three-pointed star has been usurped by a fellow German, namely the BMW 3 Series. This much has emerged from an analysis of AutoTrader search data for the 2020 calendar year. AutoTrader is the largest digital automotive marketplace in South Africa. As such, it provides unparalleled insight into car-buying patterns in the country.

While the 3 Series is currently reigning supreme, George Mienie, AutoTrader CEO, points out that both sedans are much loved in South Africa.

“AutoTrader’s latest annual Car Industry Report, which covers the period July 2019 to June 2020, reveals that the 3 Series is the country’s most sold used sedan. In second place in the used sedan sales statistics is the C-Class,” he reveals.

According to the same report, the 3 Series is the fourth-most searched for individual model in South Africa (irrespective of body type) – with an impressive 10.29 million individual searches. Used car buyers are great fans of specific BMW 3 Series model variants – they account for three out of the 10 most searched variants (a feat that is not achieved by any other nameplate).

The 3 Series also rules the roost when it comes to Consumer Advert Views (CAVs). It occupies the top spot – with 3.6% (6.3 million) of total CAVs. This represents over two million more views than in the previous reporting period ending June 2019.

But the C-Class certainly doesn’t need to hide its light under a bushel. It is the third most searched for individual model in South Africa (irrespective of body type) – with 2.65% of total model searches. This represents a staggering 10.65 million individual searches for the C-Class alone. The report reveals that the C-Class also recorded the fourth most Consumer Advert Views (CAVs) and the fifth most used car sales (irrespective of body type).

Interestingly, the best-selling sedan in the world – namely the Toyota Corolla – only clocks in fifth when it comes to local sedan search statistics.