Toyota Hiace vs Toyota Hiace Ses'fikile

A proper head-to-head in South Africa — we cover price, performance, petrol economy, safety and what it'll actually cost you to own each one long term.

Toyota Hiace in South Africa

Toyota Hiace

2.5D Panel Van MT Diesel Manual
ZAR 680,900 ex-showroom
⚡ 75 kW 🔧 260 Nm ⛽ 11.8 km/l
VS
Toyota Hiace Ses'fikile in South Africa

Toyota Hiace Ses'fikile

2.5D 16-seat MT Diesel Manual
ZAR 549,300 ex-showroom
⚡ 75 kW 🔧 260 Nm ⛽ 11.0 km/l
Add a 3rd car

At a Glance — Who Wins What

Performance Tie
Fuel Economy Tie
🛡 Safety Tie
📦 Practicality Hiace
🔑 Ownership Tie
Both models start at the same price: ZAR 549,300

Key Specs Side by Side

The specs that matter most — highlighted where one car leads.

Spec Hiace Hiace Ses'fikile
Engine Power 75 75
Torque 260 260
Engine Size 2494 2494
Claimed Mileage 11.8 11.0
Ground Clearance 175 175
Boot Space 5200 Not Available
Airbags 2 2
Kerb Weight 2080 2080
Seating Capacity Available Available
Warranty 3 3

= leads in this spec

The Overall Score — Here's How They Stack Up

🏆 Winner
#1

Hiace

46
/ 100
+13
pts
#2

Hiace Ses'fikile

33
/ 100

Moderate difference between the models.

The Bottom Line

Hiace has a slight advantage, but Hiace Ses'fikile remains highly competitive.

Where They Actually Differ

Performance Equal
Efficiency Equal
Safety Equal
Practicality Hiace +13 pts
Ownership Equal

Score Breakdown by Category

🏆 Overall Winner

Hiace

Performance 8/20
Efficiency 0/20
Safety 6/20
Practicality 20/20
Ownership 12/20

Hiace Ses'fikile

Performance 8/20
Efficiency 0/20
Safety 6/20
Practicality 7/20
Ownership 12/20

What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)

🏆 Overall Winner

Hiace

Strengths
  • More practical for daily use
Weak Spots
  • No obvious weak spots to flag.
Best suited to: Family Usage

Hiace Ses'fikile

Strengths
  • Nothing stands out clearly here.
Weak Spots
  • Less practical in daily usage
Best suited to: General Use

Which One's Right for You?

Hiace

  • Large families needing more practicality and usability

Hiace Ses'fikile

  • Buyers looking for a balanced all-round vehicle

Full Specs, Side by Side

Spec Hiace Hiace Ses'fikile
Ground Clearance 175 175
Wheelbase 2985 2985
Length 5380 5380
Width 1880 1880
Height 2285 2285
Kerb Weight 2080 2080
Gross Vehicle Weight 3500 3500
Seating Capacity 2 16
Boot Space 5200 Not Available
Towing Capacity 2000 2000
Turning Radius 6.5 6.5
Number of Doors 5 5
Boot Space Seats Folded 1500 1500
Front Track Width 1550 1550
Rear Track Width 1540 1540
Load Bed Length Available Available
Load Bed Width Available Available
Front Legroom Available Available
Rear Legroom Available Available
Front Headroom Available Available
Rear Headroom Available Available
Front Shoulder Room Available Available
Rear Shoulder Room Available Available
Max Payload Available Available
Boot Volume Available Available
Doors Available Available
Seats Available Available
Front Overhang Available Available
Fuel Tank Capacity Available Available
Rear Overhang Available Available
Spec Hiace Hiace Ses'fikile
Engine 2KD-FTV 2KD-FTV
Engine Type Inline 4 Diesel Inline 4 Diesel
Displacement 2494 2494
Cylinders 4 4
Valves per Cylinder 16 16
Power 75 75
Torque 260 260
Fuel System Common Rail Direct Injection Common Rail Direct Injection
Top Speed 150 150
0-100 km/h 18.0 18.0
Power @ RPM 3600 rpm 3600 rpm
Torque @ RPM 1800 rpm 1800 rpm
Turbocharger Yes Yes
Cylinder Layout Inline 4 (I4) Inline 4 (I4)
Engine Aspiration Turbocharged Turbocharged
Engine Code Standard Standard
Compression Ratio 10.5:1 10.5:1
Cylinder Bore 82.0 82.0
Piston Stroke 92.0 92.0
Fuel Grade Required Petrol Petrol
Engine Position Available Available
Engine Oil Capacity Available Available
Power 150 150
Variable Valve Timing Available Available
Maximum Engine RPM Available Available
Engine Type Config Available Available
0–100 km/h Available Available
Battery Capacity Available Available
Charging Port Available Available
AC Charging Time Available Available
Engine Displacement Available Available
EV Range Available Available

So, Which One Should You Buy?

🏆 Toyota Hiace wins with 46 pts vs 33 pts for Hiace Ses'fikile

In structured scoring, Hiace emerges as the stronger overall package. However, Hiace Ses'fikile may appeal to buyers prioritising different factors. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your driving priorities in South Africa.

Buyers Also Looked At These

Other comparisons that people in the same boat tend to check out.

Questions Buyers Usually Ask

On our scoring the Hiace edges ahead overall. That said, the right choice depends on what you actually use the car for — the breakdown above shows exactly where each one wins and loses.

Efficiency scores: Hiace 0 vs Hiace Ses'fikile 0. In the real world, diesel variants of either car will beat the claimed figure on long highways and fall short in Joburg traffic.

Safety scores: Hiace 6, Hiace Ses'fikile 6. Check each model page for NCAP ratings and which trim levels include AEB and blind-spot monitoring — those features aren't always standard.

Long-term ownership scores: Hiace 12, Hiace Ses'fikile 12. Service intervals, parts availability in SA, and whether a service plan is bundled all factor in — check the individual variant specs for that detail.

Practicality scores: Hiace 20, Hiace Ses'fikile 7. This covers boot space, seat flexibility, and day-to-day usability — not just interior dimensions on paper.

Performance scores: Hiace 8, Hiace Ses'fikile 8. This looks at real-world pace — 0–100 kph, highway flexibility, and how either car feels when you actually need to overtake on an N-road.

Resale varies with colour, spec, and market timing, but Japanese brands — and Toyota specifically — have a strong track record in SA. Check current used prices for both on AutoTrader to see the real gap right now.

Ground clearance and 4WD availability are what matter most here. Scroll to the spec table above to compare both side by side — if either model offers a 4WD variant, that's the version worth comparing.

Fuel, insurance, and service costs are the big three. Diesel variants of both models typically save R800–R1,500/month in fuel at current SA pump prices. The Hiace edges the overall ownership score, but check whether either variant includes a service plan — that changes the monthly maths significantly.

The Hiace scores better overall, but neither car is a bad buy here. It comes down to what features matter to you — check the full spec table above to see exactly what you gain and lose at each price point.

In Depth — Breaking It All Down

The comparison between Hiace and Hiace Ses'fikile in South Africa evaluates performance, efficiency, safety, practicality and long-term ownership value.

Performance: Hiace scores 8 vs 8.

Efficiency: Hiace scores 0 vs 0.

Safety: Hiace scores 6 vs 6.

Practicality: Hiace scores 20 vs 7.

Ownership: Hiace scores 12 vs 12.

Final structured scoring gives Hiace the advantage in this comparison.