The Kinsey Report, one of South Africa’s most recognised references for comparing the prices of commonly replaced vehicle parts, is returning after a two year pause with a renewed methodology and focused approach designed for the realities of South Africa’s changing vehicle market.
First published in 1990 by motoring journalist Malcolm Kinsey, the report’s purpose was simple: to help consumers and industry decision-makers look beyond the purchase price and better understand the costs associated with maintaining and repairing a vehicle.
Lightstone took responsibility for the report in 2021, with a commitment to respecting Malcolm Kinsey’s legacy and ensuring that the report remained relevant to the market it was created to serve.
However, respecting that legacy did not mean leaving the report unchanged.
A changing vehicle market
The South African vehicle market has grown significantly in size and complexity. Consumers now have access to more brands, models, derivatives and powertrains than ever before. New manufacturers have entered the country, SUVs and crossovers compete across several price bands, and battery-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles are becoming increasingly relevant.
Modern vehicles are more technically diverse. Parts that appear similar may differ in design, quantity, expected lifespan or replacement intervals. As a result, a simple part-for-part price comparison does not always provide a fair or useful view.
The report was therefore paused while Lightstone reconsidered its methodology, vehicle selection and approach to comparing parts.
The returning Kinsey Report will focus on carefully selected vehicles across seven categories: Entry, Budget, Family SUV, Premium, Adventure 4×4, Leisure Double-cab and BEV/PHEV.
The selected vehicles have been informed by South African market data, sales volumes and consumer relevance. Rather than attempting to represent an increasingly unmanageable number of vehicles, the report will concentrate on comparisons that provide the greatest value.
Stronger methodology, more meaningful insight
The renewed approach places greater emphasis on ensuring that the vehicles and parts being compared are technically appropriate.
Information collected during the research process will be cleaned, reviewed and validated before being included. Sample sizes and price consistency will be assessed, while unusual or conflicting responses will be investigated further.
The objective is not simply to publish a collection of prices, but to produce insight based on relevant vehicles, comparable components and dependable information.
“The value of a report like Kinsey lies in the strength of the methodology behind it,” says Bernard De Vantier-Strydom, Head of Projects and Research at Lightstone Auto.
“Collecting prices is only one part of the process. The real insight comes from selecting the right vehicles, confirming that the components are genuinely comparable and carefully validating the information before drawing conclusions. This renewed approach allows us to rebuild the report on a stronger foundation and provide more meaningful insight to consumers and the automotive industry.”
A focused public view
The free public report will compare commonly replaced parts across three main baskets:
Service Parts, Maintenance Parts and Body Repair Parts.
This focused view will allow users to compare important ownership and repair costs across the selected vehicles without overwhelming the report with components that are not relevant or directly comparable in every instance.
A legacy rooted in family
While Malcolm Kinsey’s name became synonymous with the report, its history was never his alone.
“The Kinsey Report was always deeply rooted in our family,” says Tim Kinsey, Malcolm Kinsey’s son.
“My father was the public face, but over the years we all contributed in different ways. There were many conversations around the dining-room table, many hours spent gathering and checking information, and a great deal of family effort behind each edition.
For us, the Kinsey Report is more than a name or an annual publication. It represents decades of shared commitment to providing South African motorists with practical and independent information. It’s return, with a refreshed methodology, while still respecting the purpose and values on which it was built, is something that means a great deal to our family.”
The Kinsey Report has always been about helping people make better-informed vehicle decisions. That purpose remains unchanged.
What is changing is the way the report delivers on it.
By combining the report’s established purpose with Lightstone’s automotive data, research experience and analytical capability, the renewed Kinsey Report will provide a more focused and robust view of parts pricing in the modern South African vehicle market.
The report will be different in several important ways, but its core purpose remains firmly intact: to provide credible, useful and accessible insight into the cost of vehicle ownership.