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IOL News
a day ago
- Automotive
- IOL News
49% of SA's cars come from one country, and it's not China. But is local manufacturing in trouble?
84% of Japanese-branded vehicles sold in South Africa are sourced from India, including popular models like the Toyota Starlet Cross. Image: Supplied South Africans are buying fewer locally produced vehicles than ever before, sparking fears of deindustrialisation as the market's appetite for affordably priced imports grows. Although the growing array of Chinese brands offered locally is usually seen as the greatest threat to local manufacturers, the vast majority of South Africa's imported cars actually originate from India, according to the latest data from Lightstone. 36% of all the vehicles sold in South Africa in 2024 were imported from India, Lightstone said, while 37% were locally manufactured. Chinese imports accounted for just 11% of vehicle sales last year. Where SA's vehicles are built: 2009 versus 2024. Image: Lightstone When we exclude the bakkies and light commercial vehicles, India's share grows to almost half of our market. Lightstone figures for the first five months of 2025, shared exclusively with IOL, show that 49% of all passenger vehicle sales were imports from India. The majority of these vehicles emanate from the Maruti Suzuki operation in India, which also supplies Toyota with vehicles such as the Starlet, Starlet Cross, Vitz and Urban Cruiser. Suzuki Auto's own vehicles, such as the Swift, Baleno and Fronx, are also gaining market share, with the new-generation Swift having dominated the passenger car market on numerous occasions in 2025. Interestingly, 84% of all the Japanese-branded light vehicles sold in South Africa in 2024 were imported from India, Lightstone said, with just 10% actually built in Japan. Likewise, the majority of South Korean (81%) and French branded vehicles (74%) are also sourced from India. 'The growth in vehicle sales originating in India can be attributed to the large number of vehicle manufacturers now producing vehicles in the country, leveraging the relatively cheap cost of labour and overall manufacturing costs,' said Andrew Hibbert, Auto Data Analyst at Lightstone. Affordably priced Indian- and Chinese-build vehicles have, on the one hand, become a significant blessing to cash-strapped South African consumers. Yet it is of concern that in 2009, around half of the light vehicles sold in South Africa were locally produced. In that year, just 5% of our vehicles were sourced from India. Does this mean that South Africa's local manufacturing industry is in trouble? Although Toyota SA head Andrew Kirby has warned of a slow and steady 'deindustrialisation', and other CEOs such as Ford's Neil Hill and VWSA's Martina Biene have also expressed serious concerns about local manufacturing feasibility, South African carmakers have shifted their focus to exports, while gradually increasing production volumes over the years. For instance, 632,000 vehicles were produced locally in 2023, up from 571,000 in 2016. 2023 was a record year for SA vehicle exports, with 399,000 vehicles shipped abroad, according to Naamsa, and although 2024 saw a dip to 308,000 exports, the value of these exports actually increased and the lower volumes were largely seen as a temporary setback due to economic conditions abroad. 2024 Toyota Hilux Raider facelift South Africa There remains a massive demand for locally-produced bakkies, such as the Toyota Hilux. Image: Supplied Also somewhat encouraging is that South Africa's five top-selling vehicles in 2024 were locally produced. These were the Toyota Hilux (32,656), VW Polo Vivo (25,913), Ford Ranger (25,533), Toyota Corolla Cross (21,861) and Isuzu D-Max (11,153). But below that, gradually eating into the volumes of locally produced cars and bakkies, is a proliferation of affordably priced SUVs imported from India and China.
Mail & Guardian
17-05-2025
- Automotive
- Mail & Guardian
Stylish but sluggish: The Starlet Cross is a necessary addition to Toyota's line-up
Stylish: The Toyota Starlett Cross has an agressive exterior. Toyota has filled a gap in its line-up with the new Starlet Cross. Prior to its release, the Toyota hatchback offering ended at the Starlet, and the SUVs began at the Urban Cruiser, but there was nothing to fill the void left between the small hatchback and the spacious but compact SUV. Through the Starlet Cross, Toyota has managed to bring a crossover vehicle that gives both hatchback and compact SUV vibes in one vehicle — while also being affordable. But it must be noted that this is one of those Toyota vehicles that is just a rebranded Suzuki Fronx. You would be forgiven for thinking that you were seeing a lot of Starlet Crosses on the road when, in fact, they were Fronx. This is a result of the mutually beneficial agreement between the two manufacturers, which allows Toyota to gain from Suzuki's expertise in compact vehicles and rebrand those products. In turn, Suzuki gets access to Toyota's hybrid and battery electric vehicle technology. While this does mean we get a lot of similar vehicles from Toyota and Suzuki in the budget segment, it also allows loyalists to stick with the Toyota brand. But back to the vehicle. The Starlet Cross is very attractive from the outside. The striking front grille, with chrome garnish, commands attention and the thin, sharp headlights put the mean and aggressive front together. Unlike many other vehicles that put a lot of effort into the front but offer a boring, plain rear, the work done by Toyota to make the back of this vehicle match the front is exceptional. The two tail lights are connected by a strip that brings the stylish look to the back. This is complemented by a sporty rear skidplate and roof end spoiler for a sporty, yet functional, finish. The interior I found the interior interesting. I was not expecting it to be posh, with leather seats and bold colours. Both Suzuki and Toyota like to keep interiors simple but solid. There was all you needed in a crossover in this vehicle. You will get a 7-inch or 9-inch infotainment system, depending on which variant you choose. It is clear and responsive and comes equipped with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The screen and buttons for the aircon have been tilted towards the driver for improved ergonomics. There's a multi-functional steering wheel and all models come standard with three USB chargers, cruise control, leather tilt steering wheel and four speakers. The XR models include a colour multi-information display; a wireless charger; a push-to-start button and keyless entry; a heads-up display and a 360-degree, panoramic view monitor reverse camera. Space was also not an issue in this vehicle. As the driver, I was comfortable at all times and, even when I had three adults in the back, they all had no complaints during an hour-long drive from Springs to Lenasia. The dashboard is stylish, with finishes in charcoal, silver and Bordeaux. But I did have issues with the fact that the hard plastics on the dashboard and door panels feel cheap and look dated. The other issue was the cloth on the interior roof of the vehicle which was very rough and felt like what you would find in a vehicle straight out of the Eighties. These things detracted from what is otherwise a stylish and comfortable interior. The drive The Toyota Starlet Cross is powered by a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine that delivers 77kW of power and 138Nm of torque. This is the same engine that I criticised in the Suzuki Jimny. When we drove that car, we had the automatic variant, but we opted for the five-speed manual with the Starlet Cross. The vehicle also comes in a four-speed automatic variant. Going by the extremely underpowered automatic Jimny, I was glad that I was driving the manual version of the Starlet Cross. The vehicle picked up speed very nicely in and around town. I actually found it quite nippy around the small streets. However, when I got on to the highway, it struggled slightly. It became difficult to constantly maintain speeds of 120km/h, especially when facing the tough inclines that the N17 and N12 have to offer. I often found myself dropping a gear to maintain those speeds. That also makes it tough to overtake. While the gear changes were smooth, I just wasn't a fan of constantly dropping to fourth to maintain speed on an incline or to pick up speed so I could pass other vehicles. The ride was smooth — but I would stay away from the automatic variant as they might feel even more sluggish. There's no fighting how amazing the Starlet Cross is when it comes to fuel consumption. Toyota claims a figure of 5.6 litres/100km but I managed a lovely 5.2 litres/100km. Safety The Toyota Starlet Cross has not been crash-tested by Euro NCAP, so it doesn't have its safety rating. However, it has a 5-star rating from the New Car Assessment Program for Southeast Asia and, while it's not explicitly stated, the Starlet Cross uses a strong, lightweight chassis with high-tensile steel, which suggests a focus on safety. It also comes equipped across all variants with features such as vehicle stability control, hill assist control and ABS with electronic brakeforce distribution, providing enhanced stability and control. The XR variants come with six airbags and the XS variants only two. Verdict Although the Starlet Cross is pretty much a Suzuki Fronx with Toyota branding, I quite like how Toyota have positioned this vehicle in their line-up in South Africa. It perfectly fits the crossover category and sits slap-bang in the middle of the Starlet and Urban Cruiser. It offers a great alternative to those who are not ready to drive a big car but want something that is not going to be affected by the poor road conditions in South Africa. Furthermore, it is stylish and compact, but spacious enough for the entire family. The Toyota Starlet Cross is available in four models: Xs manual (R299 900), Xs automatic (R322 300), XR manual (R339 300) and XR automatic (R359 300).
