Small car comparison to suit any budget

POLOKWANE – Buying a car these days with the current rand, dollar exchange rate and South Africa’s difficult economic climate is becoming a daunting prospect for many a car owner.

Getting a new car to give as a present to your loved one or to your child who has perhaps just left school and plans to go study at varsity is, however, another matter all together.

Or is it?

There is a wide range of affordable or entry level car manufacturers in South-Africa with small to medium size cars on offer at competitive prices.

All this comes coupled with a host of advanced technological and safety items.

However, a smaller vehicle is not necessarily cheaper to buy these days.

There are small cars with a price range which comes uncomfortably close to medium to large luxury family cars.

Review compiled a short list of recently released small budget cars and competitively priced medium segment size cars making it a bit easier to choose. The cars picked for this article are not lined-up for comparison as each has an appeal or identity of its own.

This list purely compares prices.

There is also a wide selection of other models from other manufactures to choose from.

Here is a list of the most competitively priced cars available on the market. Our list was compiled of budget cars which were released during the four months prior to December.

• Toyota Aygo:

Toyota launched its second generation small city car, the Aygo in October, and according to Toyota South Africa’s website, the prices have not yet changed since its release.

Buyers of these small city cars have come to expect more from these vehicles with their styling, funky design, great fuel efficiency and range of standard features.

The new Aygo delivers just that and sells from R138 900 for the entry level model and R139 900 for the other two X-play models in offered in silver or black finishes.

The Aygo comes with a three-year or 100 000 km warranty with a service plan as an optional choice.

• Chery J2 Swag:

Chery South Africa launched the special edition J2 Swag hatchback.

The Chinese automaker states this stunner is particularly designed to appeal to the younger generation who are looking for a stylish car that makes a statement about its owner as being independent, and sporty with an active lifestyle. It retails for R154 900, VAT included.

The J2 Swag features 17-inch ten spoke alloy wheels, an F1-X exhaust tailpipe end, full leather interior, touch screen satellite navigation, Bluetooth with streaming capabilities, USB port, and a MP3 player connected to a six speaker audio system.

The J2 Swag is further equipped with air-conditioning and electric windows on all four doors.

Power comes from a 1.5-litre engine that produces 72 kW.

• Ford Figo:

Ford recently launched the new Figo hatch and sedan.

There are six models in the hatch line-up and three sedan models.

The 1.5-litre petrol driven Ambiente is the entry level model for the hatch and sedan line-ups.

It comes with a four speaker audio system connected to a radio, CD unit with MP3 compatibility, Bluetooth connectivity as well as USB and auxiliary ports.

The 1.5-litre petrol four cylinder engine generates 82 kw of power and 136 Nm of torque.

Despite the Ambiente’s entry-level status, the Ambiente features colour-coded bumpers and rear fog lamps as standard along with tinted windows.

Key-operated central locking and a perimeter anti-theft alarm system offer additional peace of mind.

The Figo Ambiente Hatch retails for R158 900 and the sedan for R160 900.

• Tata Bolt:

Tata launched the new Bolt hatch and sedan in November into the B-segment.The cabin is spacious with an impressive list of standard equipment.

Comfort features in the cabin to be found are air-conditioning, electric windows for front and rear door, electric adjustable side mirrors and a five-inch infotainment screen providing multi-information.

The layout and treatment of the various aspects of the instrument panel are impressive and show influence from the Jaguar Land Rover stylists in Coventry, England.

The Bolt is powered by the newly designed 1.2-litre Revotron turbocharged petrol engine that produces 66 kW of power and 140 Nm of torque. The Bolt further comes with ABS brakes and electronic brake force distribution (EBD) which include a corner braking feature. The entry level Bolt Hatch XMS retails for a competitive R132 995 with the Bolt Sedan XMS selling for R142 995.

• Volkswagen Up!

Another option to consider is Volkswagen’s new Up! which consists of two models, the Take up! and the Move up!.

Both are powered by a 1.0-litre engine that produces 55 kW of power and 95 Nm of torque. This little compact VW goes for R140 000 for the entry level Take up! and R147 100 for the more upmarket Move up!

Each vehicle on this list has something unique to offer which will lure a specific buyer to a specific manufacturer of these above mentioned budget buys.