It’s worth checking out these five cars under R165k

With the pandemic wreaking havoc on people’s finances, more and more South Africans will be more likely to opt for cheap cars and more fuel-efficient cars. After a little research, we’re pleased to tell you that you can get quite a bit of ‘car’ for R165k or less.

Here are five of the best cars under R165K available in South Africa right now:

A mean-looking hatchback, the S-Presso comes with a modest 1.0-litre petrol engine that’s paired with either a 5-speed manual or automatic transmission system. The car comes with an engine output of 50Kw along with an impressive fuel economy of 4.9L/100KM that’ll limit your visits to the petrol station. 

The S-Presso is available in a slew of colours including silver, orange and blue.

Pros

• Good ground clearance
• Spacious interior
• SUV-like styling

Cons

• Basic interior

Made by Chinese carmaker Beijing Automotive International Corporation (BAIC), the D20 is a cute little hatchback that not only looks great but also comes packed with a bit more power than its competitors. Powering the base model D20 is a 1.3-litre engine that produces 75 kW of power and 128 Nm of torque. The engine works in conjunction with a 5-speed manual transmission system. A 4-speed automatic transmission option is available with the higher-end 1.5litre 85 kW version.

The BAIC D20 is available in a ray of colours including silver, white, gold, red and blue.

Pros

• Spacious interior
• Attractive design

Cons

• Flimsy build quality
• Poor ride quality
• Fuel economy of 6.4L/100KM is worse than competitors’

The second Suzuki on the list, the Celerio comes with comparable performance to the S-Presso with a slightly better fuel economy of 4.6L/100KM. A 1.0L engine comes as standard and customers have a choice between a 5-speed manual or a 5-speed automatic transmission system. 

Colours available include silver, white, black, grey, red, blue, and yellow.

Pros

• Spacious interior
• Good fuel economy

Cons

• Cheap-feeling interior
• Limited infotainment system

The Mahindra KUV100 K2+ is an exceptional hatchback with several repairability, maintenance and safety awards under its belt. Armed with a 1.2 litre 3-cylinder petrol engine, the base model version comes packed with 61 kW along with 115Nm. The car ships with several advanced safety features that make it worth every penny of its R154 999 starting price.

The KUV100 K2+ is available in grey, red, silver and white.

Pros

• SUV-like styling
• Spacious Interior
• Safety Features

Cons

• Average ride quality
• Fuel economy could be better

Powered by a 3 cylinder 1.0-litre petrol engine that produces 50kW, the Kwid is Renault’s bestselling model in South Africa and it’s easy to understand why. The Kwid offers style, performance, fuel economy, and a feature-packed interior.

The Kwid is available in silver, bronze, red, white and two different kinds of blue.  

Pros

• Feature-packed infotainment system
• Stylish looks 

Cons

• Poor crash safety rating
• Ride quality could be better

(All prices correct at time of publication.)

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