The best-selling passenger car in South Africa in the first quarter of 2026 was the locally-built VW Polo Vivo.
Image: Volkswagen
The Polo Vivo kept its crown as the top-selling passenger car in SA for Q1 2026, with VW’s local arm shifting 6,344 units of the SA-built hatch.
In March 2026, VW was the second-best selling car brand in SA — and the Polo Vivo led the charge with 2,258 units sold. That March figure accounted for 40.5% of VW Group Africa’s total sales for the month. The Polo Vivo was also the number one among the 10 best-selling passenger cars in SA in March 2026, followed by the Chery Tiggo 4/Cross (the best-selling Chinese passenger car in SA) and the Toyota Corolla Cross.
The Polo Vivo is built at VW’s Plant Kariega in the Eastern Cape, and the three-millionth car to roll off that line was a Polo Vivo, in October 2025.
As a reminder, the Polo Vivo comes with three powertrain options. A 1.4-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine powers the base Vivo, delivering 55 kW and 130 N.m of torque. The Life trim uses the same engine, but tunes to produce 8 kW and 2 N.m more than the base model. The Style and Life Tiptronic variants use a 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, delivering 77 kW and 153 N.m, and are paired with a five-speed manual (Style) and a six-speed automatic (Life Tiptronic), respectively. The GT version runs a 1.0-litre turbo petrol engine, delivering 81 kW and 200 N.m.
From April 2026, the VW Polo Vivo is sold with a two-year/30 000 km service plan as standard from the Life trim and up. A three-year/120 000 km warranty is included across the board.
Browse thousands of new and used vehicles here with CARmag!
