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EV and hybrid resale values in South Africa

Hybrids now hold value better than petrol cars in South Africa while most EVs still depreciate hard. The full electrified ranking. Updated for 2026.

Top of the table
#1 Toyota Corolla Cross
New from
R 424 900
Retained after 3 years
79%
Worth then
R 336 286
±Monthly
R 7 427/m

#1 vs #20: the same money, very different outcomes

R0R250kR500kR750kR1mNow1y2y3y4y5yYears from now
#1 Toyota Corolla Cross #20 Lexus UX
#CarNew fromKept after 3yWorth then
1Toyota Corolla CrossR 424 90079%R 336 286
2Toyota RAV4R 770 50078%R 601 100
3Suzuki Grand VitaraR 359 90073%R 261 657
4Toyota CorollaR 590 20070%R 414 132
5Honda FitR 383 40066%R 254 654
6JAC X200R 349 90066%R 231 246
7Hyundai Santa FeR 1 249 90065%R 808 462
8Hyundai PalisadeR 1 204 50064%R 771 366
9GWM P500R 799 90064%R 509 896
10Chery Tiggo CrossR 359 90064%R 228 693
11Haval JolionR 348 95064%R 221 735
12Haval Jolion ProR 392 15064%R 249 186
13BAIC B30R 519 90063%R 327 104
14Chery Tiggo 7 ProR 429 90063%R 270 479
15Chery Tiggo 8 ProR 529 90063%R 333 396
16Chery Tiggo 9R 689 90063%R 434 063
17GWM Tank 300R 649 90063%R 408 896
18Haval H6R 495 50063%R 311 753
19Haval H7R 604 95063%R 380 615
20Lexus UXR 957 10063%R 601 811

Modelled retention on current new prices, retail basis. Tap any car for its full value page.

How to read this table

Retention percentages compress a lot of money into a small number. The gap between the top and bottom of this list is 16 points, which on these prices means a difference of tens of thousands of rand walking out of your pocket by year 3. Depreciation is the single biggest cost of car ownership in South Africa, bigger than fuel for most drivers, and it is decided the day you choose the model.

A strong retainer effectively lends you a nicer car for less: you pay more per month than a cheap fast-depreciator, but you get far more back at trade-in. Check the value page of any car here before you sign, and run your own deal through the value calculator.

Common questions

Which car in this list holds its value best?

Toyota Corolla Cross: it keeps 79% of its R 424 900 price after 3 years, about R 336 286 still in your pocket.

How is this ranking calculated?

We apply our 12-tier South African depreciation model to each car's current new price, adjusted for body type, fuel and price band, then rank by projected value retention after 3 years. It is modelled from market data, not a survey.

How big is the gap between the best and worst here?

16 percentage points across this table. On a R500 000 car that is a difference of about R 81 331 at resale time, which is why the model you pick matters more than the rate you negotiate.

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