Corolla Crosses are being targeted as part of a larger trend. When the model was introduced in 2021, it immediately rose to the top of the South African sales charts. By 2024, it was ranked fourth nationally, and this year it surpassed the Toyota Hilux to take second place.

BusinessTech reports once stolen, vehicles are either stripped for parts or illegally re-registered and resold, feeding a black-market economy that security experts say drives hijacking patterns.

Carjackings are most prevalent in South Africa’s most populous regions, such as Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, and the Western Cape.

‘The Corolla Cross is easy to maneuver in South African traffic’

“The Corolla Cross has been climbing the list of most targeted cars in the country since late 2024,” said Fidelity Group CEO Wahl Bartmann. Hijackers tend to focus on popular and inconspicuous models.

“Cars like the Corolla Cross are easy to maneuver in South African traffic since they blend in, especially when painted in common colors like silver and white. Cars from Toyota, Volkswagen, and Ford remain favourites for hijackers because their parts are widely needed and easy to sell on the black market.”

Police crime statistics for the fourth quarter of 2023/24 and the first quarter of 2024/25 recorded that approximately 65 vehicles were hijacked daily.

 CarTrack has noted trends or methods that hijackers use:

• The good Samaritan: At traffic lights, perpetrators trick victims into believing that something is wrong with their car, and when they exit the vehicle to investigate, they are hijacked.
• Driveway hijackings: When waiting for the gate to open or close, victims may become targets in their driveway, allowing criminals to enclose them as they enter or leave their property.
• The slow-moving traffic method: Criminals will either follow a target at a distance or pick a point in traffic where traffic is going slowly, then they will approach and hit the victim at a traffic light.
• The blockage method: In drive-throughs of fast-food restaurants, hijackers intercept unsuspecting drivers or even delivery personnel, leaving them with no choice but to comply with demands.

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