On the first week of every month, the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa complies figures for the latest vehicle sales. We have decided to break down the numbers for the passenger cars.

Passenger vehicles for January 2014:

1. Volkswagen Polo Vivo + Polo - 5778*
2. Toyota Etios - 2250
3. Ford Figo - 1446
4. Toyota Corolla/Auris - 1395
5. BMW 3 Series - 1107
6. Chevrolet Spark - 1101
7. Toyota Fortuner - 826
9. Ford Fiesta - 745
9. Volkswagen Golf - 732

10. Mercedes-Benz C-Class – 731

For well over a year now, Volkswagen's Polo and Polo Vivo have led the pack. A great deal of this can be attributed to the legacy of the VW Citi Golf, which the Polo marquee replaced as the car maker's entry-level offering in South Africa. Sales from the very previous month, December 2013, where lower however.

Toyota's Etios beat its best-selling car worldwide, the Corolla, to claim the second position. They're clearly still seeing some success with their Toyota Etios Smile Hub commercials that they ran a year ago.

Finishing the top three is the Ford Figo. One very important element that set Ford apart in 2013 was the rolling out of the Ford SYNC system, which puts intelligent technology at the forefront of your driving experience. This advantage is going to help them gunner more buyers behind the cars in 2014.

The Toyota Fortuner is the only Sports Utility Vehicle that cracks the top ten, which further enhances Toyota South Africa's profile as the leading car maker in the country. However, in a recent press release, the company did say sales of new cars will be muted in 2014, while we foresee and upward movement in the demand for used Toyotas.

Three of the top ten best sellers where launched in early 2013 (BMW 3 Series, VW Golf 7, and Merc C-Class). The sales numbers have gained traction since their respective launches.

In respect to Chevy, their line-up of cars has been quite impressive lately, and they like the Ford Fusion, Toyota Corolla and VW Golf, have a truly global car in the form of the Chevrolet Cruze. However, the Spark remains a favourite for South Africans.

*Figures for the Polo Vivo and Polo have been combined.

Author: Pierre Theron