JOHANNESBURG – Data for the first half of 2026 shows that established vehicles such as the Toyota Fortuner and Suzuki Swift continue to sell in large numbers, while some recently launched models are selling quickly.
For used car dealers, the time a vehicle spends in the store is almost as important as the bottom line.
Faster inventory turnover means less capital is tied up in inventory, lower holding costs, and more opportunities to replace sold vehicles with inventory that is better suited to current demand.
On the other hand, a vehicle that takes too long to find a buyer may have to adjust its price and begin to lose revenue.
The best-selling used cars in South Africa have changed significantly between early 2025 and the same period in 2026, according to the latest data from AutoTrader.
Only three models made it to the top 10 in both periods, with recently launched Jetour and Tata products taking the top spots.
To prevent results from being skewed by small volumes of transactions, the analysis was limited to models with at least 100 vehicles in the data during each 6-month period.
Without a reasonable volume threshold, low sales numbers will result in abnormally short average sales times and do not necessarily represent sustained market demand.
The fastest-selling eligible vehicles took an average of 35 days to sell in both time periods.
In 2025, that car was the Toyota Starlet Cross. In 2026, it was Jet Tour T2.
Recently introduced models move quickly
Jetour T2 recorded an average sales period of 35 days from January to June 2026.
The average vehicle sold for R708,716, had just 2,420 km on the clock and was registered in 2025.
This suggests that much of the available T2 stock was nearly new, which is not unusual for recently launched brands and models.
Low-mileage vehicles may enter the used market through demo vehicles, trade-ins, or customers who change vehicles soon after purchase.
Jetour's smaller T1 also ranks in the top 10, with an average time to sale of 46 days. The average price was R579 330, the mileage was 3,121 km, and the year of registration was 2025.
T2 was represented by 202 vehicles in the data, while T1 accounted for 116 vehicles.
Despite still selling significantly less than established models such as the Toyota Fortuner and Suzuki Swift, both comfortably met the minimum standards.
The inclusion of two Chinese branded cars in the top 10 is not new. Haval H1 and Jolion Pro both appeared in the 2025 rankings.
What has changed is their position within the Order.
H1 and Jolion Pro ranked 8th and 10th, respectively, in 2025, with an average sales time of 48 days and 51 days.
A year later, Jetour took two of the first four spots, including the best-selling model overall.
Pricing is also worth noting.
In 2025, the average return for Haval H1 was R156 340 and the average return for Jolion Pro was R415 695. By comparison, the average earnings for T1 and T2 were R579 330 and R708 716 respectively.
Therefore, the rapid turnover of inventories of Chinese branded cars is no longer limited to more affordable markets.
Tata Tiago came second overall with an average time to sale of 38 days.
Like the two Jetour models, this typical vehicle was nearly new, with an average mileage of 1,580 km and a registration year of 2025.
However, with an average selling price of R197,921, the Tiago occupied a very different part of the market than the T2.
The two fastest-selling companies are therefore at opposite ends of the price spectrum, indicating that rapid inventory turnover is not limited to cheaper vehicles or more ambitious SUVs.
In the first half of 2025, the Toyota Starlet Cross topped the rankings for the same 35-day average.
At the time, the average vehicle sold for R343 802 had a mileage of 5,903 km and a registration year of 2024.
Starlet cloth was not included in the top 10 best-selling products of 2026.
This does not necessarily indicate a significant decrease in demand. A relatively small change in sales timing can be enough to move a vehicle out of the top 10.
However, this shows how quickly the composition of rankings can change as new products enter the used market.
More affordable vehicles become popular
Even though the Jetour T2 took first place, the broader ranking shifted to more affordable vehicles in 2026.
Five of the 10 models had an average selling price below R300,000: Toyota Etios, Tata Tiago, Suzuki Swift, Honda BR-V and Isuzu KB.
In 2025, only the Toyota Aygo, Haval H1 and Suzuki Swift fell short of that mark.
As a result, the median selling price of the 10 models fell from approximately R333,106 in 2025 to R292,514 in 2026.
Taken as a simple average of prices across the 10 model levels, this figure fell from R5,540,554 to R4,060,466.
This should not be interpreted as evidence that used car prices have fallen generally.
The changes reflect the best-selling models, with the expensive LandCruiser 200 and LandCruiser 300 dropping out of the latest rankings and being replaced by more affordable options such as the Tiago, BR-V and Etios.
However, it is important for dealers that there are more vehicles priced below R300,000.
Newer, more expensive SUVs may sell quickly, but inventory closer to the more affordable end of the market is still in high demand.
Keeping the charm of a practical car
The Toyota Lumion was one of only three models in the top 10 in both periods.
In the first half of 2025, it took an average of 43 days to sell, and in 2026 it took 46 days.
Over the same period, the number of vehicles increased from 444 to 549 and the average selling price rose from R322,410 to R333,803.
Therefore, a three-day increase in sales time must be considered in parallel with an approximately 24% increase in sales volume.
Although the market absorbed more Rumions at slightly higher average prices, this model continued to be one of the fastest-selling used cars in the country.
The Honda BR-V also featured prominently in the 2026 data, taking an average of 48 days to sell.
The average example was registered in 2019, covered 97,579km and sold for R229,874.
The inclusion of the BR-V, along with the Lumion and Toyota Fortuner, demonstrates the continued demand for practical vehicles that offer additional seating and family-friendly packaging. Importantly for dealers, that demand was not limited to low-mileage or near-new inventory.
The average Fortuner in our data was registered in 2019, covered 108,701 km and sold for R502,389.
Despite the model year, mileage, and relatively high purchase price, it took an average of just 50 days to sell.
The Fortuner also accounted for 3,998 vehicles, significantly more than most of its predecessors in the rankings.
Although some newer vehicles had shorter average sales times, Fortuner's results were recorded across a deeper inventory pool.
For dealers, the difference is important.
A model with approximately 200 vehicles sold in 35 days reflects strong interest, whereas a model with approximately 4,000 vehicles sold in an average of 50 days represents a different level of repeatable demand.
There are few Toyotas, but there are quite a lot of types.
In the first half of 2025, Toyota occupied 6th place out of 10.
The Starlet Cross, Land Cruiser 200, Lumion, Aygo, Land Cruiser Prado and Land Cruiser 300 are the manufacturer's signature models spanning compact cars, family cars and large SUVs.
In 2026, the number has reduced to four companies, with Lumion, Fortuner, Prado and Etios making the list.
This decline does not necessarily indicate a decline in demand for Toyota products.
The four Toyota models in the top 10 in 2026 accounted for 6,119 units, accounting for just under half of the total ranking of 12,499 units.
Fortuner alone contributed almost 4,000.
Toyota therefore lost some of its breadth in the standings, but not its sales strength. Its latest models also covered several different parts of the market, from the R132 558 Etios to the R919 176 Prado.
What has changed is the emergence of different manufacturers.
The entire top 10 in 2025 consisted of only three brands: Toyota, Suzuki, and Haval. In 2026, in addition to Toyota and Suzuki, Jetur, Tata, Honda, and Isuzu will join, increasing the number to six.
As a result, the rankings are less concentrated on a small group of established brands.
The first four positions alone were shared by Jetzer, Tata and Toyota, while Honda and Isuzu appeared to be further down the rankings with older models and higher mileage vehicles.
Established models continue to absorb volume
The Suzuki Swift was also a featured model in both years, but its average sales time increased from 48 days in 2025 to 52 days in 2026.
The four-day rally itself might seem to suggest that the stock's performance is a bit weak. Volume data provides important context.
The number of Swifts represented increased from 3,303 in the first half of 2025 to 4,872 in the same period in 2026, an increase of almost 48%.
The average price also increased from R201 189 to R209 673, but the average mileage remained relatively stable at around 36,500 km.
Therefore, the market absorbed nearly 1,600 additional vehicles at higher average prices with only a small increase in sales period.
Although the Swift isn't particularly fast as an individual model, its combination of sales numbers and relatively stable rotations is still important to dealers.
Toyota Land Cruiser Prado also made a similar move. The average sales period increased from 47 days to 51 days, and the average price rose from R886,314 to R919,176.
The average registration year moved from 2018 to 2019, and the average mileage decreased from 116,257 km to 109,268 km.
As a result, buyers were willing to pay more for slightly newer, lower-mileage cars, even though dealers had to wait about four days longer to complete the sale.
Old vehicles remain commercially important
Not all of the best-selling cars were recent models with low mileage. Toyota Etios took an average of 52 days to sell in 2026.
The average vehicle was registered in 2016, has covered 118,666 km and has a retail price of R132,558, making it the most affordable model in the latest top 10.
The Isuzu KB was older and had traveled much further.
Despite having an average registration year of 2015 and 174,906 km on the clock, it took just 53 days to sell for an average price of R251,224.
Their inclusion shows that model year and mileage are only part of the purchasing decision.
With the right asking price and knowledge of your vehicle, you can continue to support demand, even if your inventory is over 10 years old or approaching 200,000 km.
The Etios also occupied a segment of the market where purchasing a new replacement vehicle would require significantly more money.
For buyers looking for easy and affordable transportation, an older vehicle from a well-established manufacturer may still be preferable to financing a newer, more expensive model.
Meanwhile, KB shows that older bakkies remain relevant in the second-hand market.
Despite having the highest average mileage among the top 10 in 2026, it sold within three days of the Fortuner and within two days of the Prado.
The fastest sellers changed, but the overall pace remained the same
The average sales time across 10 major models increased from 45.5 days in the first half of 2025 to 47.1 days in 2026.
The difference is relatively small, especially considering the changes in the vehicles that make up the rankings.
Seven of the top 10 cars in 2026 were not featured in the previous year, with Jet Tour T2, Tata Tiago, Jet Tour T1, Honda BR-V, Toyota Fortuner, Toyota Etios and Isuzu KB all making the list.
These models replaced the Starlet Cross, Land Cruiser 200, Toyota Aygo, Suzuki Fronx, Habal H1, Land Cruiser 300, and Habal Jolyon Pro.
The latest rankings cover a particularly wide range of markets.
Average prices range from R132,558 for the Etios to R919,176 for the Prado, with average registration years ranging from 2015 for Isuzu KB to 2025 for Jetzer and Tata.
Jetour T2 and Tata Tiago had the shortest average sales time, while Fortuner and Swift achieved average sales time with much higher sales volume.
At the same time, the increase in the number of models priced under R300,000 shows that affordable inventory still makes up a significant part of the rapidly changing market, even though more expensive Chinese SUVs are starting to establish themselves near the top of the rankings.
