Corolla Cross record! SA’s top-selling passenger cars in August 2025

• Highest ever sales total for SA-built Corolla Cross
• 46.5% of Swift’s sales came via the rental channel
• Suzuki Ertiga and Toyota Vitz return to the top 10

In August 2025, South Africa’s overall new-vehicle market registered 18.7% year-on-year growth to end on 51,880 units, its best effort in nearly six years. The performance of the new passenger-vehicle segment was even more encouraging, with sales in this space increasing 22.5% year on year to 36,914 units – its highest level since September 2015, an entire decade ago.

For the record, the new-vehicle rental industry was responsible for a hefty 15.0% of the passenger-car total in August, translating to a considerable 5,523 units. In the end, Suzuki sold the most passenger vehicles to rental-fleet buyers (1,662 units), closely followed by Toyota (1,603 units).

VW’s Polo Vivo lost the top spot in August.

So, what happened on the list of SA’s best-selling passenger vehicles in August 2025? Well, the Toyota Corolla Cross grabbed back first position, with registrations of the Prospecton-built crossover surging 40.7% month on month to 2,743 units (including 372 sales via the rental channel). According to our records, that’s the highest ever sales total for the Corolla Cross, which launched back in November 2021.

Meanwhile, local registrations of the Volkswagen Polo Vivo slid 3.9% month on month to 2,314 units (including 527 rental sales), which saw the Kariega-made hatchback – which is now available in “15 Edition” guise, celebrating 15 years of production – slip a ranking to second.

That said, the Vivo kept its nose ahead of the Suzuki Swift (again the highest-ranking imported car), which stayed in third place despite sales increasing 12.2% month on month to 2,101 units. As many as 976 units – or a whopping 46.5% of the Swift’s total – came courtesy of rental sales.

The Chery Tiggo 4 Pro (1,339 units) held steady in fourth place in August, again ranking as Mzansi’s best-selling Chinese vehicle. It’s worth noting that after curiously including Tiggo Cross sales in its Tiggo 4 Pro figure for June and July, Chery is now back to reporting these nameplates separately.

Hyundai’s Indian-made Grand i10 retained fifth place.

The Hyundai Grand i10 (1,270 units) again completed the top five, despite local registrations dipping 8.8% compared with July 2025. Keep in mind this figure excludes 31 sales of the Grand i10 Cargo-badged panel van in the light-commercial vehicle (LCV) space.

In August 2025, the Suzuki Fronx climbed a spot to sixth, with local sales dropping a negligible 0.8% month on month to 1,210 units. The Fronx’s position change effectively came courtesy of the Toyota Starlet (1,160 units), which fell a ranking to 7th on the back of a 12.3% month-on-month decline in registrations.

Suzuki’s Ertiga cracked four figures to break back into the top 10.

With 1,123 units (+1.9% month on month) sold, the Haval Jolion retained eighth position, finishing just ahead of the Suzuki Ertiga (1,055 units, up 7.7% compared with July). The Japanese firm’s Indian-built MPV returned to the table to secure ninth, cracking four figures for what we believe is the first time ever.

Finally, the Toyota Vitz likewise made its way back into the top 10, with sales of the Celerio-based hatchback improving 17.5% month on month to 885 units. As many as 349 of those registrations – translating to 39.3% of the Vitz’s total for the month – were reported in the rental-sales segment.

With some help from the rental industry, the Toyota Vitz returned to the top 10.

So, which models dropped out of the top 10 as the Ertiga and Vitz climbed in August? Well, the SA-built Toyota Fortuner (789 units) fell from 10th to 11th, while the Kia Sonet (752 units) slipped from ninth all the way to 15th. These two models were separated by the Toyota Rumion (772 units), the SA-made Volkswagen Polo hatch (763 units) and the Toyota Starlet Cross (755 units).

SA’s 10 best-selling passenger vehicles in August 2025

1. Toyota Corolla Cross – 2,743 units
2. Volkswagen Polo Vivo – 2,314 units
3. Suzuki Swift – 2,101 units
4. Chery Tiggo 4 Pro (excluding LCV) – 1,339 units
5. Hyundai Grand i10 (excluding LCV) – 1,270 units
6. Suzuki Fronx – 1,210 units
7. Toyota Starlet – 1,160 units
8. Haval Jolion – 1,123 units
9. Suzuki Ertiga – 1,055 units
10. Toyota Vitz – 885 units

This article was originally published on Cars.co.za...