Top-selling Car Brands in 2025 & the Car Insurance You Need

Are you in the market for a new vehicle? If so, there's never been a time before when South Africans have been more spoilt for choice. Whether you're looking for a sleek sportscar to celebrate your single status or a spacious family van packed with advanced safety features, you'll have multiple options available for your attention. 

To make your search more informed, Budget Insurance has highlighted a few popular South African car brands — after which you can complement your brand-new ride with our Car Insurance.

The top-selling car brand predictions for South Africa for 2025

If you're thinking of dipping your toes into the new car market, you're not alone. The South African new-vehicle market experienced its third consecutive month of growth1 at the end of 2024 as consumers responded to easing inflation and interest rate cuts. While it's challenging to predict what the single best-selling car in South Africa will be, here are a few contending brands.

Toyota

Toyota is one of the most trusted automotive brands in the country — unsurprising seeing as they've been in South Africa since the 1970s. They're also set to finalise the completion of a new plant this year, making many of their new car components proudly manufactured in South Africa. Rumoured to join the existing range of Toyota sedans, hatchbacks, SUVs, bakkies, sports vehicles and off-road cars is a revamped Fortuner and a compact SUV called the Champ.

Volkswagen

In 2024, Volkswagen introduced an updated T-Cross and Tiguan. If these vehicles didn't tickle your fancy, 2025 might introduce a spacious, spec-filled Tayron – an SUV that will join the existing Tiguan and Touareg — as well as a new Golf. There could also be a hybrid Tiguan and an updated Amarok pick-up. If you'd prefer to stick with a classic choice, late last year an updated version of the popular Polo Vivo was launched, with improved infotainment and safety features as well as a new range of colours, trims and accents.

Suzuki

South Africans love the convenience that comes with driving a compact car, and Suzuki is one brand that offers a few options without breaking the bank. In addition to attractively priced compacts like the S-Presso, Celerio, Swift and DZire, they also offer automatic variations on some of their most popular models, making them a perfect choice for city drivers wanting to leave gears behind for a more pleasant traffic experience.

Hyundai

If you've wanted to take the plunge and purchase an SUV but wanted a slightly more affordable model, Hyundai has launched the Hyundai Exter as a new compact crossover. 2025 will also see them kick off with an upsized version of the seven-seater Creta called the Alcazara as well as an improved Tucson. There could also be a new-generation Santa Fé entering the market this year.

The cover you need and other Car Insurance tips for your new vehicle

Now that you have a better idea of what cars are available for you to invest in, you'll need to make sure you have adequate Vehicle Insurance so that you can enjoy stress-free driving from the moment you drive that car off the dealership parking lot. Here's what you should keep in mind. 

1. Take your time — When it comes to Car Insurance in South Africa, insurers like Budget Insurance have several types of policies to choose from. Take your time to pick the one that best suits your needs in terms of cost and coverage. Do not let yourself be pressured into making a choice you aren't 100% comfortable with. Ask as many questions as you feel are necessary to make an informed decision. 

2. Comprehensive Vehicle Insurance is highly recommended, particularly if you have purchased a new vehicle — even if you haven't financed your car and it isn't mandatory. Comprehensive coverage will ensure that you're protected from accidents and collisions, whether it’s your fault or not; as well as theft and hijacking; and third-party liability claims. Weather-related damage is also covered.  

3. Understand your coverage — Remember that as you take official ownership of your car, it will start to depreciate. This means that if you have it written off in an accident, you might not be able to get an identical new car as a replacement unless you've insured your car for its market value and not its retail value. 

4. Manage your excess realistically — Whether or not you choose a high excess on your Car Insurance is dependent on your personal financial circumstances. Remember that if you're going to opt for lower premiums every month, your excess — should you need to make a claim — will be much higher, which means that having that amount saved up would be a good idea. 

5. Consider bundling your insurance — Having all your insurance packages with a single provider can result in savings and the added convenience of only having to deal with a single service provider when you need to place a claim. You could also access added benefits or reduced fees on items such as a car tracking device or a car rental service.

6. Reassess Annually —Check your policy and coverage every year to make sure that it meets your specific personal needs and adjust when necessary.

Get a Car Insurance quote

You might be ready to insure that new car or want more information on the coverage and costs you can expect. If so, Budget Insurance is happy to address all your concerns and help you settle on a solution that works for you and whatever new car you have in mind. Get a Car Insurance quote.