December 2025 Sees Strong Annual Growth in Used Car Sales, Even with Monthly Decline

January 14, 2026 stocks24

Johannesburg – December 2025 concluded on a positive note for the South African used car industry, as sales stabilized after a remarkable rise in October and November 2025.

Despite month-on-month (MoM) reductions, year-on-year (YoY) sales saw a notable increase, reflecting the solid performance of 2025.

According to AutoTrader, South Africa’s premier platform for buying new and used cars, 30,742 used vehicles were sold in the last month of the year.

This followed exceptional sales in November (33,697) and October (36,042), indicating a MoM decline of -8.77%, while exhibiting a YoY increasley of +16.34% when compared to December 2024, which recorded 26,424 used cars sold.

On the brand leaderboard, Toyota remained dominant in the used car market, delivering 5,039 vehicles in December 2025.

Although this represents a slight decrease from November 2025’s 5,741 units sold (-12.23% MoM), it marks an impressive YoY growth of +11.14%.

As in previous months, Toyota maintains a 40% share of the top 10 best-selling used vehicles, reaffirming its stronghold in the South African automotive market.

Volkswagen followed closely with 4,299 units sold (-9.99% MoM, +7.66% YoY), with Ford securing the third spot (-9.78% MoM, +10.14% YoY).

Significant growth was observed lower in the rankings, with Hyundai (4th) and Suzuki (5th) capturing substantial market shares, achieving YoY increases of +52.59% and +48.09%, respectively.

Kia (9th) and Renault (10th) also reported growth at +16.85% and +19.44%, while the premium brand Mercedes-Benz faced a YoY decline of -7.37%.

Nissan saw a slight decrease of -0.60%, with BMW experiencing the least growth among the leading brands at +13.65%.

Retaining its position as the top seller in the South African used vehicle market, the Ford Ranger sold 1,744 units in December 2025.

Although this is slightly less than November’s figure of nearly 2,000 units at 1,952, it still signifies a YoY increase of +6.28%.

In second place, the Toyota Hilux registered an even larger YoY increase of +7.54%, with 1,312 units sold.

The Polo and Polo Vivo have been competing for the third position, often swapping ranks during the year.

In December 2025, the Polo Vivo narrowly surpassed the Polo with 1,262 sales compared to the Polo’s 1,261. The Fortuner completed the top five with 622 units sold, reflecting a YoY decline of -0.96%.

The final month of the year saw the absence of former top sellers like the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class, which were replaced by practical crossovers and budget-friendly hatchbacks.

The Suzuki Swift achieved a YoY increase of 39.77% in December, securing sixth place, while the Hyundai Grand i10 (8th place) reported the highest growth, boasting a remarkable YoY rise of 95.35%.

“After two strong months, it’s unsurprising to witness a slight slowdown in sales during December,” remarked George Mienie, CEO of AutoTrader.

“What stands out is the consistent year-on-year growth.

“Total volumes have risen, the overall value of used cars sold has increased, and the demand for popular models like bakkies and hatchbacks remains strong.

“This is a solid ending to the year, signifying a resilient used car market throughout 2025.”

Key metrics from the used car market in December 2025:

The total value of used cars reached R12.89 billion, with a MoM decline of -6.93% from November 2025 (R13.85 billion) but a YoY increase of +19.46% from December 2024 (R10.79 billion).
The average price of a used vehicle stood at R419,537 in December 2025, up from R411,084 in November 2025 and R408,516 in December 2024.
The average mileage rose to 72,433 km in December 2025, compared to 72,329 km in November 2025 and 75,779 km in December 2024.

By variant, the Polo Vivo 1.4 leads the used car segment with 969 sales in December 2025, closely followed by the Polo 1.0 TSI with 824 units sold.

The Hilux 2.8 GD-6 (554), Ranger XL (536), and Hilux 2.4 GD-6 (449) round out the list.

Bakkies and compact hatchbacks dominated South Africa’s used car marketplace in December 2025, with the Ford Ranger retaining its top position, the Toyota Hilux demonstrating solid YoY growth, and the Polo Vivo just surpassing the Polo as the urban favorite.

Top 10 sold used models in December 2025

Ranked by most sold	Model	Sold Count	Price (R) Average	Mileage (km) Average	Registration year Average
1	Ford Ranger	1,744	R497,960	83,958 km	4 years-old
2	Toyota Hilux	1,312	R476,873	110,049 km	5 years-old
3	Volkswagen Polo Vivo	1,262	R212,272	50,168 km	3 years-old
4	Volkswagen Polo	1,261	R273,289	66,742 km	5 years-old
5	Toyota Fortuner	622	R491,842	104,173 km	6 years-old
6	Suzuki Swift	615	R209,612	35,494 km	2 years-old
7	Toyota Corolla Cross	550	R378,859	30,486 km	2 years-old
8	Hyundai Grand i10	504	R192,654	49,704 km	3 years-old
9	Isuzu D-Max	489	R441,165	74,537 km	3 years-old
10	Toyota Starlet	427	R238,299	37,460 km	2 years-old