In a society which unfortunately gauges people’s success by looking at what car(s) they own, we would all like to own something low, wide and has a four legged animal with hooves on its badge (I’ve narrowed it down for you). But realistically speaking, only a few will get to own these. However, no matter how many Gupta deals you’ve made so far, buying something cheap and cheerful is no crime at all because cars are a depreciating asset anyway, if that makes any sense! So if you’re going to lose money on a car, rather it be something that won’t leave a dent in your bank account. Here are the cheapest cars in South Africa for those who are starting out in life or for those who are super sensible with their money.
Kia Picanto 1.0 Start Manual (R134 995)
We all know someone who drives or once drove a Picanto – if there was an association for cheap and cheerful motoring, the Picanto would be president with the Hyundai i10 as its deputy. One would be baffled when they compare the Picanto’s price to what you’re getting as standard even in the bare spec entry level Start Manual. The interior is spacious and doesn’t leave you feeling claustrophobic for a car of this size. The exterior, although subjective, can get away with being called cheerful. You do get plenty of comfort features too, while safety isn’t that impressive if not poor with the exclusion of ABS (Anti-Brake Locking System) braking. The engine is a peppy little 1.0 litre 3-cylinder petrol which produces 49kW and 95N.m of torque. This may sound like a little but we must remember that the Picanto weights 885kg, so it should be ample for urban driving – anything more than that is just asking too much from the poor little thing.
Highlights
- 5 year / unlimited km warranty
- 3 year / unlimited km Roadside Assistance
- Service Plan
- Manual air-conditioning
- Electric power steering
- Bluetooth connectivity
- Aux & USB connectivity
- 35 litre fuel tank
- 255 litre luggage space
- 13-inch wheel cover
Suzuki Celerio 1.0 GA (R133 900)
“Aren’t they those guys who make bikes?” Yes, the company mostly popular for its incredible craft when it comes to motorcycles is also a manufacturer of passenger vehicles, and good ones too! The Celerio might not come across as exciting, but which car in this price range is? For your money you get enough equipment (I’ll leave that one up to you) and assurance that your car will remain intact and probably outlive you. Yes, Suzukis are that reliable! The Celerio’s looks aren’t something to be admired and just like in the dating world, you have to up your standards if you’re looking for something gorgeous. But if you’re taking its looks that seriously, you’ve already lost because the appeal of the “starter pack” or cheap and cheerful car is its “attractiveness” to your bank account. The interior of the Suzuki supermini presents a basic dashboard layout and some cloth seats. Filling the cabin is volumes of air enough to make you feel half the size you actually are as there are five doors (the boot is the fifth door) and seating for five as well. Under the short bonnet is a 1.0 litre 3-cylinder petrol engine producing 50kW and 90N.m of torque going through a 5 speed manual gearbox – no automatic available for the entry level GA. This buzzing 3-cylinder powerplant should sip fuel at a rate of 4.7 litres/100km, mostly thanks to its 835 kg kerb weight.
Highlights
- 35 litre fuel tank
- 235 litre luggage space
- Optional 14-inch alloy wheels
- Power Steering (non-adjustable)
- Manual Air-conditioning
- ABS braking (with EBD)
- Immobiliser
- 2 airbags (Driver and Passenger)
- 3 year / 100 000 km warranty
- Service plan (optional)
Datsun GO LUX 1.2 (R128 900)
Fun fact: Datsun is actually a sub-brand of Nissan. And Nissan is part of a bigger partnership with Renault and various other car brands and collectively, they are a force to be reckoned with – even more so than VW. After being killed off in 1986, Datsun got up like The Undertaker and immediately gave us the Datsun GO in 2013 as the cheapest new car on sale in South Africa. Datsun used to offer the super cheap GO Mid 1.2 model but they’ve reduced the range to just the GO Lux 1.2 before you get onto other body shapes (according to their website). The GO features a 1.2 litre 3-cylinder petrol engine which produces 50kW and 104 N.m of torque. All this power goes to the wheels through a lower dashboard mounted 5-speed manual shifter. Along with a kerb weight of 788 kg, you’re able to achieve a fuel economy figure of 5.2 litres/100 km, and with a fuel tank of 35 litres, you’ll be able to GO anywhere – who said car reviews can’t be pun-tastic? The Lux model now offers a driver’s airbag after the Mid alarmed many when it was found that it did not come equipped with airbags. Part of the safety features roster is an immobiliser and that’s pretty much it. No, not even ABS braking was included on Datsun’s “Safety Features To-Do” list.
Highlights
- 13-inch wheel covers/caps
- Power Steering (Manually adjustable and speed sensitive)
- Air-conditioning
- Seating for 5 people
- 5 doors
- 265 litres luggage space
- Digital tachometer/rev meter
- Onboard computer
- Electric front windows
- Aux connectivity
- 3 year / 100 000 km warranty
- Service Plan (Optional)
Renault Kwid 1.0L Expression (R124 900)
Is it a raised hatchback or a lowered SUV? Nobody knows what it is (apparently it’s an entry level crossover). Instead, all we know is that it’s called the Renault Kwid and that it’s taking South Africa by storm. The Kwid’s selling point is that it certainly looks like a crossover SUV but only at the cost of a super-mini hatchback and not forgetting the one year free insurance you receive when you purchase the vehicle – it seems that all of our dreams have come true through the Kwid. However, before everyone goes and buys one, do consider the rather big elephant in the room – the Kwid’s lack of safety features. Coming equipped with only the driver’s airbag, the Kwid received a zero rating during crash testing as it went on to fold like a soda can during a controlled collision. If you’re the type of person who would insure their legs if they could, we recommend you spend more money on something safer. However if you mention the phrase “you only live once” on several occasions per day, Renault would like to cover your insurance for the next 12 months! All 50kW and 91N.m arise from a 1.0 litre 3-cylinder petrol and go through a 5 speed manual gearbox before going to the front wheels. Along with the SUV look you get an SUV-ish 180mm ground clearance and solid build quality with some comfort to spare. Sure, the Kwid makes it clear that it’s a cheap car, but it certainly isn’t unbearable and actually quite nice to live with.
Highlights
- No ABS braking
- Top speed = 152 km/h
- Tare weight = 693 kg
- 7 litres / 100 km
- 28 litre fuel tank
- 13-inch wheels
- Electric power steering
- Electric front windows
- Air-conditioner
- Gear shift indicator
- Bluetooth connectivity
- Aux & USB connectivity
- 5 year / 150 000 km mechanical warranty
- 6 year anti-corrosion warranty
Tata Indica LGi (R118 995)
Tata maChance, tata maMillions! Before we start making jokes about Tata, you should know that they own Jaguar and Land Rover which means that your blesser is indeed driving a Tata – the joke is on you. The Tata Indica is a beautifully simple tribute to the hatchbacks of the 1990s – everything you need and no more. For that price, it’s surprising to discover that the tyres actually come with the car instead being an optional extra – how/why is it so cheap? Well, due to the general lack of attention to detail, the Indica comes across as very frugal even at this price range – cheap cars don’t have to feel cheap, and Tata would probably sell more of these if they focused on that principle alone. Powering the Indica is a 1.4 litre engine pushing out 55kW and 110N.m of torque which goes through a 5-speed manual gearbox. A claimed fuel economy figure of 7.4 litres/100 km would be a cause for concern for most, however it could also mean that the engine is underloaded in its duties, a huge advocate for its reliability.
Highlights
- No airbags
- No ABS
- 13-inch steel wheels
- Air-conditioning
- USB connectivity & CD player (Optional)
- 3 year/100 000 km warranty
- 2 year/45 000 km service plan
FAW V2 1.3 DLX (R114 995 – 2016 Pricing)
Is it just me or does the FAW V2 look like a tapir? Fortunately, that’s the only apparent pitfall of the V2 because it has the most powerful engine on this list – a 1.3 litre 4-cylinder producing 67 kW and 120 N.m of torque, all coupled to a 5-speed manual gearbox. The V2’s claimed fuel economy of 6.2 litres per 100 km and 37 litre fuel tank suggest that although not the most fuel efficient in class, you should get decent mileage from one tank of fuel. Despite the price, the V2 has a plethora of standard features that you’d expect to find in more expensive cars. In terms of safety, the V2 offers quite a bit here too with it having 2 airbags, ABS brakes with EBD and an immobiliser all fitted as standard. If FAW continues with this sort of momentum, they could just as well secure their place in South African’s hearts.
Highlights
- 3 year/100 000 km warranty
- 3 year/45 000 km service plan
- 1 year roadside assistance
- 320 litre luggage space
- Electric power steering
- Remote central locking
- 14-inch alloy wheels
- LED brake lights
- 4 electric windows
- Air-conditioning
- USB connectivity
- CD & MP3 player
- Electric mirrors
Chery QQ3 0.8 TE (R99 995)
The Chery QQ3 is indeed the cheapest new car you can buy in South Africa and there are two questions you might be asking: “How did they manage to make it that cheap?” and “This car looks very farmiliar”. Although the latter is more of a statement than an actual question, you can’t help but wonder that you’ve seen the QQ3 in the past, but under a different name. Yes people, it’s true – the QQ3 may have stolen designs from the old generation Chevrolet Spark and Daewoo Matiz, although we’re not sure if they bought the designs from the respective manufacturers. But since Chinese car makers are notorious for their plagiarism of designs, we can’t help but assume. Anyway, to answer the first question, the QQ3’s rather unbelievable price tag is probably due to their copy and paste exercise which sees them use tried and tested technology, albeit from an old generation of car – the Daewoo Matiz was launched in 1998 so you can see what we’re trying to explain. Under the tiny 880 kg body lies a 0.8 litre 3-cylinder petrol engine churning out 38 kW and 70 N.m of torque. This engine along with the lightweight body will help you achieve a claimed 6.3 litres per 100 km. Power goes through a 5-speed manual gearbox and the 0-100 km/h sprint is completed in 20 seconds before reaching a top speed of 138 km/h – it’s clear now that the word ‘speed’ was not imagined with the QQ3 in mind.
Highlights
- Power steering
- 35 litre fuel tank
- 190 litre luggage space
- 13-inch steel wheels
- USB connectivity
- CD & MP3 player
- Air-conditioning (Optional)
- No ABS braking
- No airbags
- 3 year/100 000 km warranty
- 3 years Roadside Assistance
- Service Plan (Optional)
Thabiso Malimela
