According to the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (Naamsa), in November 2022, South Africa’s best-selling car was the Toyota Hilux, which sold 3 048 units.
The entry-level Toyota Hilux 2.0 VVTI S PU retails for a cool R326,300. However, in November 2001, that bakkie, or the similar Hilux 2000 SWB, would have rolled off the showroom for R95 990.
Using old newspaper price listings, we looked closely at what new cars cost back in the day.
But first, let’s look at the cheapest car on the market in 2001.
Cheapest Car On The Market 2001
If you’re looking to get into the most affordable vehicle in 2023, you will drive home in the Suzuki S-Presso. Retailing for R162,900, you get a four-door hatchback powered by a 49kW/89 Nm 1.0 litre petrol motor, with an option for a 5-speed manual or automatic gearbox.
Also worth noting is the fuel efficiency of 4.6l per 100km. So, what was South Africa’s entry-level car in 2001?
Costing a colossal R46,302, South Africans could climb into a brand new Fiat Uno Mia. That’s the three-door version powered by the 1,1-litre motor producing 41kW/87Nm.
While the apparent price inflation can be jarring, the Suzuki offers some additional features, whereas the Uno was incredibly basic, even for its own time.
In the Suzuki, you get a safe car. It has ABS, airbags, air conditioning, parking sensors, electric windows in the front, power steering, and central locking.
In the early part of the 00s, some other big names in the entry-level car segment were the Opel Corsa, Citi Golf Chico, Ford Fiesta, and the Toyota Tazz.
Ask anyone getting their license around that time, and they’ll be familiar with these models.
And even though all these vehicles retailed for under R65,000, the current entry-level market simply doesn’t compete with the past portfolio of affordable cars on offer.
Sedans and Hot Hatches
Back in 2001, you also had some legendary sedans and hot hatches to choose from, which included two Volkswagen options.
Sliding in below the R100K mark was the VW Polo Playa. For R82,690, you could own the 1.4l, and for R93,800, you could get the 1.6l.
The Classic, which had a boot, retailed for a bit more, with the 1.4l costing R85,860 and the 1.6l at R97,500. And for the wild at heart, the powers that be slapped a 1.8l in both models.
In the bracket just above was the Golf IV, which came in a wide array of options. Also worth mentioning is that Golf came with all the bells and whistles, which wasn’t the case for the Polos at the time.
To buy in the Golf segment of the market, you’d have to find R128,300, which was only R10,000 more than the most kitted-out Polo, the Classic 1.8l Lux.
The VW portfolio was stacked in that section, selling the newly facelifted Beetle, Jetta IV, and Passat.
But the biggest selling car of the time was the Toyota Corolla. The base model in the range retailed at R82,065, which got you a car with a 1,3l engine without injectors.
To comfortably climb into a Corolla that offered some extra creature comforts, you’d have to shell out R103,425 for the next in the range. For the time, this was a significant jump in price.
The early 00s had some real gems in this section, such as the Opel Astra Classic, Nissan Almera, and the Mazda Etude.
Toyota also offered the Camry, which leaned towards the luxury market, with Rover and SAAB operating in the same segment.
Luxury Sedans
The E46 BMW 3 Series is an enthusiast’s favourite. The entry-level was the 318i at R177,000. While this was a 1.9l aspirated motor, most would have wanted to stretch their budget to get into the 330i, which at R260,500 wasn’t a bad deal at all.
When you compare the 3,0 Audi A4, offered at R262,810, we’d have taken the BMW. There were many new vehicles in this segment due to manufacturers eyeing the South African economy as an inlet into the African market.
Similarly in this segment, alongside the Mercedes C-Class and Audi A4s, you could climb into a Jaguar S-Type (R315,0000), Volvo S60 (R222,900), Alfa Romeo (R180,213), or even a Chevrolet Lumina SS (R263,000).
That’s quite the line-up for any motoring enthusiast.
Also, in the market at the time were several fun sports cars, with the Honda S2000 attracting everyone’s gaze. At R375,000, the legendary sports car has been a firm fan favourite and there are drivers’ clubs all over South Africa now.
If you did decide to stray off the path, you could hop into the second generation of the Mazda MX-5 (R229,500), MGF 1.8i (R234,950), or the Toyota MR-2 (R213,180), which had a centrally mounted engine that was rare in the local market.
In addition, the first winner of the local Pop Idol won an MR-2 along with a record deal.
SUVs and Bakkies
SUVs weren’t as popular in 2001 as they are now. Arguably, the station wagon market had reached its zenith. But then the BMW X5 was launched onto the market, causing all types of chaos.
Also, the idea of a double cab bakkie was relatively new at that time, but most of the leading manufacturers had an option. The Toyota Hilux 3.0 TD would have set you back between R206,470 and R259,375.
On the compact SUV front, the Honda CR-V (the 1st generation) retailed at R228,900, while the KIA Sportage (1st generation) retailed at R174,995. But the real investment gems were in the larger SUVs.
Larger SUVs included the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado for R362,095 and the fully blown Land Cruiser 100 for R408,650.
But a 2001 Land Rover Defender retailed for R255,000. If you’ve been monitoring the second-hand market, you’ll know those versions can currently be sold at a profit.
If you are still driving your 2001 vehicle today, your 20-year-old car deserves the best battery on the market.
Best Car Battery on the Market for Your 2001 Model
Willard Batteries has arguably been producing South Africa’s best car batteries. And through our Willard Xpress outlets or our faithful stockists, we can assure you get the exact battery you need.