VW dominates 2021’s list of most searched for used hatchbacks

There’s one particular automotive brand that really resonates with South Africans when it comes to the hatchback body style. Yes, we’re talking about Volkswagen, which again dominated the list of most searched for used hatches in 2021, claiming all three places on the podium.

One of many interesting statistical nuggets contained in the 2021 AutoTrader Car Industry Annual Report shows that the Wolfsburg-based company took the top three spots on the list of most searched for used hatchback models for the year, with the locally produced Volkswagen Polo attracting the most searches in this category (repeating a feat also achieved in 2019 and 2020).

The Volkswagen Golf was the second most searched for hatch of the year, just ahead of VW’s Kariega-built prolonged life cycle model, the popular Polo Vivo hatchback. Both likewise retained their respective positions from 2020.

Perhaps most fascinating, however, is what we find when we drill down to variant level. While model-level data includes everything from base variant through to fully fledged flagships (thus providing a useful general overview of metrics such as average list price), variant level data is far more precise and therefore, valuable.

As the only local motor marketplace with the capability to provide such data, AutoTrader’s figures reveal the Volkswagen Golf GTI was the most searched for hatchback variant of 2021, with an average price of around R370,000. The VW Polo GTI and Golf R, meanwhile, also ranked highly here, despite the latter featuring the second-highest average list price in the top 10 at just over R600,000.

Bar a pair of TSI-badged Polo variants, the rest of the list comprises high-performance hatchbacks such as the BMW M135i, BMW M140i, Mercedes-AMG A45 (with an average list price at over R750,000), Ford Focus ST (featuring the highest median mileage here at more than 112,000km) and Ford Fiesta ST.

“When it comes to hatchbacks, South Africans quite obviously have a love for VW products, and specifically the high-performance GTI and R versions. But there’s a distinct hankering for hot hatches in general, too, an insight clearly illustrated by our unique variant-level data,” said George Mienie, AutoTrader CEO.