Revealed: South Africa’s top 10 most popular cars for under R50k

So, you have R50 000 to spend on a used car but don’t quite know what you can pick up for your money.

To provide you with some real-world options, we’ve decided to take a look at the variants available at that price point that generate the most leads for dealerships. In other words, the most popular options.

We’re basing our list on AutoTrader data covering the first nine months of 2021, identifying the 10 derivatives that are most enquired upon by potential buyers. What comes up is an interesting mix of vehicles that is predictably dominated by one particular body style.

The hatchback is the shape of choice in this budget-conscious corner of the market. The Hyundai Atos Prime 1.1 GLS – bearing an average registration year of 2008 – generated the most leads for dealers.

The ever-popular Volkswagen Citi 1.4 Chico is next, but its average mileage is the highest of the lot at more than 200 000 km. The Opel Corsa Lite 1.4i and Kia Picanto 1.1 are similar to each other in terms of average registration years and mileage, although the former is on average listed for some R6 000 less.

The Chery QQ3 0.8 TX makes do with the smallest engine on the list. But it also features the lowest average mileage at just over 100 000 km. The only derivative here that isn’t a conventional hatchback is the Renault Scenic 1.6 Expression.

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The French MPV that’s been discontinued shares the oldest registration year of 2005 alongside Volkswagen’s Citi 1.4 Chico. The Scenic is easily the most spacious of the variants to make the list, while its average odometer reading comes in at just over 150 000 km.

The Indian-built Tata Indica 1.4 LE, meanwhile, has the lowest average list price (R34 618). But the LTD version pushes that figure to R42 982. Finally, we have the Chevrolet Spark 1.0 LS and the Fiat Punto 1.2 Active, with the latter’s average list price sneaking in just below our limit.

“This list provides useful insight into what serious shoppers are looking for at this price point, as enquiries with dealers are seen as a clear indicator of consumer intent. So, these are the sub-R50 000 variants that local buyers are most earnestly looking to purchase,” points out AutoTrader CEO George Mienie.

Top 10 cars listed under R50k that generated the most leads according to AutoTrader data from 1 January to 30 September 2021:

• Hyundai Atos Prime 1.1 GLS – R43 269 – 139 281 km – 2008
• Volkswagen Citi 1.4 Chico – R42 005 – 202 072 km – 2005
• Opel Corsa Lite 1.4i – R40 808 – 162 896 km – 2006
• Kia Picanto 1.1 – R46 400 – 167 727 km – 2007
• Chery QQ3 0.8 TX – R40 378 – 102 537 km – 2011
• Renault Scenic 1.6 Expression – R40 512 – 153 294 km – 2005
• Tata Indica 1.4 LE – R34 618 – 138 259 km – 2010
• Chevrolet Spark 1.0 LS – R42 577 – 120 870 km – 2007
• Fiat Punto 1.2 Active – R49 713 -144 445 km – 2011
• Tata Indica 1.4 LE LTD – R42 982 – 119 067 km – 2013

To see the official monthly sales figures for new cars in South Africa, click here.