Volkswagen Polo named WeBuyCars’ most sought after car

South Africa’s car buying and selling service, WeBuyCars, has named the Volkswagen Polo, in pre-facelift form, as it’s most sought after second-hand search.

According to commissioned research, the Polo took top honours between October 2021 and April this year as not only the most frequently asked for car, but also the car that amassed the most sales.

Overall, the Polo placed second behind the Ford Ranger as the overall most popular used vehicle. Placing third was the BMW 3 Series, followed by the Toyota Hilux and the Volkswagen Polo Vivo.

Best performing brand honours also went to Volkswagen with Toyota placing second. Next-up was BMW, followed by Ford and Hyundai with the list being rounded off by Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Audi, Chevrolet and Renault.

In a surprise turnaround from current local and international market trends, WeBuyCars’ biggest bodystyle demand is for hatchbacks, with SUVs coming in second. Even more intriguing is the placing of sedans in third position with single cab bakkies coming fourth ahead of double cabs and MPVs.

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The study also concluded that the majority of vehicles sold during this time fell in the pricing category of between R80,000 and R135,000.

“Demand for used cars is currently at an all-time high, due to a combination of factors ranging from the global shortage of new vehicles, financial constraints and most significantly, the rise in the cost of living exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic,” WeBuyCars’ General Manager for Marketing, Rikus Blomerus, said.

“Consumers are feeling the pinch and are therefore turning to used cars for financial relief and value for money. As they continue to make this shift, it’s clear from the volume of queries on our platforms that top among their requirements are affordability, reliability, and durability, all key characteristics that help take your money further.

“These characteristics define the brands that have made the most sought-after list which makes the data revealed by our report come as no surprise,” Blomerus concluded.