Crossover/SUV is SA's top vehicle bodyshape choice
Used vehicle preferences mirror new trends
Used vehicle buyers have switched to Crossover/SUVs in greater numbers in South Africa's three largest provinces, mirroring the well-established trend in new vehicle sales.
Lightstone's assessment of most recent data shows Crossover/SUV used vehicle sales tracked new vehicle sales, overtaking used Hatch sales in KwaZulu-Natal in 2025 while in the Western Cape, rising Crossover/SUV sales have almost drawn level with declining used Hatch sales.
Crossover/SUV used vehicle sales lead in Gauteng, having switched places, and trajectories, with used Hatch sales in 2023. The shifting fortunes of used vehicle sales mirrors entrenched activity in new vehicle sales. Crossover/SUV extended its lead over the other bodyshapes in Gauteng, South Africa's largest vehicle sales market (see graph below).
The Hatch, Single/Extended-Cab Pick Up and Estate/Sedan shapes continued to lose share in the new vehicle popularity stakes, while the Double-Cab Pick Up maintained a reasonably stable share.
New & used vehicle bodyshape preferences in Gauteng
The Crossover/SUV shape consolidated its growing appeal in the used market as Hatch and Estate/Sedan popularity continued to decline. The Single/Extended-Cab Pick Up was reasonably steady in its market share in the used vehicle space, whereas the Double-Cab Pick Up enjoyed visible growth.
The Crossover/SUV shape consolidated its growing appeal in the used market as Hatch and Estate/Sedan popularity continued to decline. The Single/Extended-Cab Pick Up was reasonably steady in its market share in the used vehicle space, whereas the Double-Cab Pick Up enjoyed visible growth.
New vehicle consumers in KZN, the second largest market in South Africa, mirror the bodyshape shifts in Gauteng, although the reasonably significant gap between the Crossover/SUV and Hatch was not widening as quickly as elsewhere in the country.
On the used vehicle front, however, local consumers remained partial to Hatches, and it was only in 2025 that this bodyshape relinquished its hold as the most popular in KZN. The rest of the bodyshape market was similar to Gauteng in that the Double-Cab share increased, Single/Extended-Cabs were reasonably constant, and the Estate/Sedan share slipped.
New & used vehicle bodyshape preferences in KwaZulu-Natal
Shifting from the east coast to the west, the Crossover/SUV bodyshape has snared 50% of all new vehicle sales so far in the Western Cape in 2025! Unlike in Gauteng and KZN, the Double-Cab Pick Up also felt the pinch, along with the likes of the Hatch, Single/Extended-Cab and Estate/Sedan shapes.
Amongst used vehicle sales in the province, the Hatch shape held on to its spot at the top of the popularity polls, although it appeared a matter of time before the Crossover/SUV shape took over. The Western Cape was the only province where the Hatch bodyshape continued to command more than a 30% share of used vehicle sales.
New & used vehicle bodyshape preferences in the Western Cape
Outside the top three provinces
Elsewhere around South Africa, the Crossover/SUV was the most popular bodyshape amongst new vehicle buyers, with market share in 2025 north of 40%.
The Hatch enjoyed second place for new vehicles across most of the nine provinces so far in 2025, except for the Free State (Single/Extended-Cab Pick Up at 18% share behind the Crossover/SUV on 44%) and the Northern Cape (Double-Cab Pick Up of 19% share compared to the Crossover/SUV at 40%).
The Northern Cape was the only province where the Crossover/SUV was not the most sought after bodyshape with respect to used vehicles - the Hatch was still number one although the gap was closing.
