Monday, 16 January
14h ago
Hyundai is one of South Africa’s top automakers, but which of their models find favour with local buyers? We take a look at which models moved off showroom floors in November and December.
The Korean brand has quietly been selling more than 2000 new passenger vehicles every month, keeping it firmly in place as one of the top five automakers all year. But which of their cars are their most popular based on the monthly National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (Naamsa) reports? The automaker sold 2 693 passenger cars in November, of which only 506 were absorbed into the rental industry.
Just like Toyota, Hyundai hardly has any products which don’t move numbers month after month. The three vehicles with the smallest sales figures are pretty niche products in the form of the i30 N, which only found two new homes in November, and the Kona (24 units sold). The third model is the Sante Fe, Hyundai’s luxurious SUV. Pricing for this vehicle starts from R856 900 (and it’s worth every cent), and it slots in just below the automaker’s most expensive SUV, the Palisade, priced from R1 066 900.
You would think that the brand’s smallest and most affordable model would be its biggest volume seller, but surprisingly, the little Atos only moved 256 units in November. While that’s a healthy figure, it’s the Grand i10 which is its bread-and-butter model with 971 units sold.
Numbers dropped slightly in December, but this is mainly still due to stock issues most automakers are experiencing all over the world. Let’s take a look at which of these Korean models were highly favoured by local customers in December:
By far, the automaker’s most popular model is the adorable and feisty Grand i10, banking 780 new sales in the bag for the Korean automaker, of which only 62 went to the rental industry, meaning 718 new Grand i10s found new homes last month.
Next is the Venue, which moved 499 models off showroom floors, of which 148 went to rental companies. The Atos is still vastly popular in SA, despite the Grand i10’s success, as it sold 342 models of the little city car. Just behind it is the i20, which has gone from the quiet kid in the corner to a bold, independent teen, with 339 units sold in December.
Then comes the Creta, one of the most underrated cars of the year, with 133 models sold last month. Earlier in 2022, Hyundai launched a refreshed version of its Creta, which is still selling well for the automaker. We’ve been driving it in the News24 Motoring test garage, and it became a great fit as a daily drive.
READ | Stylish, comfy, and frugal: Hyundai’s new Creta SUV ticks all the right boxes. We drive it
On a good day, I can achieve 5.4 litres/100km – with the aircon on full blast and driving below 120km/h. Even with heavier foot driving, at the national speed limit, and stop-and-go traffic, a reading of 6.9 litres is still pretty good on a bad day. The Creta has proved to be such a practical vehicle and one of the most fuel-efficient cars you can find in today’s new car market. It takes about R600 to fill the tank from empty and will give you just under a 600km range.
In an extended test, I have been quite happy with the 5.9-litre average fuel consumption I’ve achieved in day-to-day driving in all sorts of weather and road conditions. And, I have to add again that the air con is always turned on. My best reading so far is 4.9-litres/100km, and for its size and massive boot, that is a very impressive reading.
Hyundai also launched its new Grand Creta in 2022. Initially, I had thought the seven-seater’s more versatile appeal would climb heavily into the Creta’s monthly numbers, but surprisingly, it hasn’t. The split is almost even, with the larger vehicle bagging 121 sales for the brand.
The Tucson moved 83 models, while the ever-practical people-mover Staria sold 82 units for the automaker. Surprisingly, none of the 82 Staria minivans sold went to the rental companies, and all found new happy homes instead.
The Kona sold 45 units, the incredible Sante Fe sold 27 (not bad, considering pricing starts from R856 900), and the sporty GTI-eater, the i30 N (R779 900), found 13 new homes last month.
And last but not least, the mega Palisade sold three models.
13 Jan
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