South Africa has said goodbye to 28 cars over the past two years, as carmakers reassessed their local lineups and global strategies.
Early 2024 started with a handful of discontinuations, which turned into a major shift by the end of 2025.
Familiar models quietly disappeared from showrooms, and manufacturers moved toward newer, more efficient, or more profitable vehicles.
The early wave of withdrawals included several well-known cars. Subaru replaced the VX with the Crosstrek, and Kia ended production of the Rio for all right-hand-drive markets, which meant its exit from South Africa.
Citroën dropped its European-built C3 and C3 Aircross and replaced them with Indian-made versions that share the same names but are completely different cars.
Honda also retired the WR-V and introduced the Elevate in its place, in line with the growing demand for compact SUVs.
Mahindra made a similar move by discontinuing the XUV300 and introducing the newer XUV300 TurboSport.
Volkswagen discontinued its entry-level Amarok bakkie, signalling a shift in focus for its commercial lineup.
Other models were discontinued due to slowing sales. Hyundai dropped the Kona, Nissan removed the Qashqai, Jeep ended the Renegade, Mazda discontinued the BT-50, and Toyota phased out the C-HR.
The Nissan NP200, one of the best-selling small bakkies in the country, was discontinued because its ageing engineering could no longer keep up with modern standards.
Suzuki also removed the Vitara, saying its newer Fronx and Grand Vitara already filled that space in the SUV market.
The pace of changes picked up sharply in 2025, with at least 16 more models being discontinued.
While many of these decisions were driven by low demand, others were tied to major global shifts in the industry—especially the shift toward electric vehicles and simplified product ranges.
Jaguar made the most dramatic move. In late 2024, it announced a complete shift to electric cars as part of a major rebrand.
Big exit from Ford
It then stopped building all its petrol and diesel models, including the popular E-Pace and F-Type.
The company has already shown off its first new concept, the Type 00, but for now, Jaguar has no new cars on sale in South Africa.
Its parent company still operates locally through the Land Rover and Range Rover brands.
Maserati took a similar step, removing the Ghibli, Levante, and Quattroporte from its South African lineup as it prepares to introduce future electric models.
Audi continued trimming its global range, discontinuing the A4 in 2025 and replacing it with the new-generation A5. The A1 and Q2 will also be cut in 2026 as the company simplifies its offerings.
Fiat discontinued the Tipo, consistent with its small footprint in South Africa. Ford dropped the Puma even though it was well-reviewed, because it was considered too expensive to compete effectively.
With its removal, Ford’s only locally available passenger vehicle is the Territory SUV, alongside its strong-selling Ranger and Everest.
Honda also discontinued the Ballade and BR-V in 2025, while Lexus ended the RC. Toyota made two noteworthy cuts this year, which are the Corolla Quest and the Land Cruiser 79 V8.
The Quest, once one of the most affordable sedans on the market, fell victim to declining interest in sedans as more South Africans choose crossovers and SUVs.
The Land Cruiser 79 lost its iconic 4.5-litre V8 turbodiesel after Toyota shifted globally to more efficient engines, leaving Toyota with no V8 models in South Africa.
The 28 cars that have been discontinued in South Africa over the course of two years are listed below.
2024
Citroen C3
Citroen C3 Aircross
Honda WR-V
Hyundai Kona
Jeep Renegade
Mahindra XUV300
Mazda BT-50
Nissan Qashqai
Suzuki Vitara
Toyota C-HR
VW Amarok 110kW
Nissan NP200
2025
Audi A4
Fiat Tipo
Ford Puma
Honda Ballade
Honda BR-V
Jaguar E-Pace
Jaguar F-Type
Jaguar I-Pace
Jaguar XE
Jaguar XF
Lexus RC
Maserati Ghibli
Maserati Levante
Maserati Quattroporte
Toyota Corolla Quest
Toyota Land Cruiser 79 V8
