We all know that buying a new car can be an expensive exercise but if your budget is below R165,000, what are your options?
1. Suzuki S-Presso – From R149,900
Suzuki welcomed its new S-Presso to market in 2020 and the newcomer is ideal for first-time car buyers looking for a quirky hatchback. Most of the S-Presso range is priced below the R165k cutoff, barring the S-Presso GL+ Auto and range-topping S-Presso 1.0 S-Edition auto. The S-Presso is powered by a 50kW/90 Nm 1.0-litre petrol engine and can be had with either a 5-speed manual or 5-speed automated manual transmission.
2. Baic D20 – From R149,990
Baic, one of the largest automakers in China, launched in South Africa in 2017 and introduced the D20 hatchback to the market. The base-spec D20 is powered by a 1.3-litre petrol engine with outputs of 75kW and 128Nm of torque. The rest of the D20 range is powered by a 1.5-litre petrol engine with 85kW and 148Nm of torque. Buyers can choose between a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission.
Pricing for the base-spec D20 1.3 Comfort starts at R149,990 while pricing for the 1.5-litre derivatives starts from R169,990.
3. Suzuki Celerio – From R153,900
The Suzuki Celerio came to market in 2015.
This article originally appeared on Cars.co.za.
The Celerio is powered by a 3-cylinder 1.0-litre engine that offers 50 kW and 90 Nm of torque. A 5-speed manual transmission does service in the Celerio, but you can have the Celerio in 5-speed automatic guise too.
The base-spec Celerio 1.0 GA is priced from R153,900 but the higher-spec Celerio 1.0 GL is priced at R171,900 while the automatic derivative is priced at R185,900.
4. Mahindra KUV100 Nxt 1.2 G80 K2+ – From R154,999
The entry-level Mahindra KUV100 Nxt 1.2 G80 K2+ is priced from R154 999 and in our Budget Car Comparison, the KUV100 Nxt performed very well against its rivals. Powered by a 1.2-litre, 3-cylinder petrol engine with 61kW and 115 Nm, the Mahindra offers decent performance using a 5-speed manual transmission. Safety features include 2 airbags and ABS with EBD.
5. Renault Kwid – From R162,900
The Renault Kwid is proving to be quite popular locally and it’s by far the best-selling model for Renault in South Africa.
The Kwid is powered by a 3-cylinder, 1.0-litre petrol engine with 50kW and 91Nm of torque. The range starts with the Kwid 1.0 Expression priced at R162,900. The higher-spec Kwid Dynamique is priced from R172,900. A range-topping Kwid Climber is also on offer with pricing starting at R183,900. Renault also offers Automated Manual Transmission (AMT) derivatives across all three trim levels as well as a 5-speed manual transmission.
It is also worth highlighting that the Kwid is now equipped withtwo airbags and ABS.