The most fuel-efficient crossover you can buy in South Africa for less than R300,000 is the Suzuki Ignis, which can use as little as 4.9 litres of fuel for every 100km it drives.
There are a number of crossovers and SUVs that claim to have a lower average consumption than this, such as the Toyota Corolla Cross or the BMW X1.
However, both of these options feature hybrid technology that make them rather expensive to purchase.
In contrast, the Ignis starts at just R237,900, making it an option worth considering if you’re trying to save money upfront and over the long term.
Easy on your wallet
The Ignis is not a particularly big car, clocking in at just 3.7 metres in length, which may give the impression that it is actually a hatchback and not an SUV.
However, Suzuki classifies the car as a “micro SUV” and it has pretty good ground clearance for a vehicle of its size and status, clocking in at 180mm.
Power is sourced from a 1.2-litre, naturally aspirated petrol engine, which produces a modest 61kW and 113Nm.
However, the Ignis’ compact nature means this engine is more than up to the task, and a major benefit of having a small powertrain is its low fuel consumption.
For the best results, you’ll want to pick up the range-topping GLX with its five-speed automated manual transmission, as this version has the lowest consumption at 4.9/100km.
Admittedly, it is the most expensive at R293,900, falling just shy of our R300,000 cut-off.
The other two units in the series have a five-speed manual gearbox, which only raises the consumption to 5.1l/100km, so it’s up to you whether you want to spend more for the convenient and marginally better efficiency that the automatic provides.
Assuming you do pick up the GLX Auto, the frugal petrol usage means the Ignis can travel a remarkably far distance of 653km despite its small 32-litre fuel tank.
That works out to roughly 20.4km per litre, which equates to a fuel cost of just R1.05 per kilometre, based on April’s official price of R21.51 per litre for petrol 93.
The Ignis also has a number of features to help sweeten the deal, including LED headlights, daytime running lights, 15-inch alloy wheels, electric side mirrors, a multifunction steering wheel, automatic air conditioning, keyless start, all-electric windows, Bluetooth, an infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, ABS, two airbags, rear parking sensors, and a reversing camera.
Each model also comes with a 5-year/200,000km warranty and a 2-year/30,000km service plan.
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