The salary you need to earn to afford Nissan’s new SUV in South Africa

You will need to earn at least R37,000 per month to afford the new Nissan Tekton on a finance plan in South Africa, according to a calculation by TopAuto.

The Tekton is Nissan’s new mid-range crossover in South Africa, slotting between the smaller Magnite and the X-Trail SUV.

It is the latest product in Nissan’s ongoing efforts to expand its catalogue in our market, which began with the updated X-Trail earlier this year, and is set to add the new Patrol and Navara in the near future.

The Tekton is available in five specifications with one of two engines, and prices range from R339,900 to R529,900.

The entry-level Visia is the only option to come with a six-speed manual gearbox and a 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine, which develops 74kW and 160Nm, and consumes 5.9l/100km.

Every other model is fitted with a more powerful 1.3-litre turbo-petrol plant with 115kW and 260Nm, paired with a six-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT), which averages 6.3l/100km.

Features on the Nissan start with LED headlights, daytime running lights, 17-inch alloy wheels, a chrome grille, and flush roof rails.

It also has a multifunction steering wheel, air conditioning, cloth seats, a digital instrument cluster, a 10.1-inch infotainment screen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, rear parking sensors, and a reversing camera.

The mid-range Acenta gains cruise control, partial leather seats, front parking sensors, and a surround view camera, and the top-spec Tekna units have dual-zone climate control, a wireless charger, keyless start, ventilated front seats, and an electric tailgate.

The Tekna units also have an expanded driver aid suite with rain-sensing wipers, Lane Keep Assist, Blind Spot Monitoring, Traffic Sign Recognition, Front Collision Warning with Autonomous Emergency Braking and Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control.

Each purchase includes a 6-year/150,000km warranty and a 2-year/60,000km service plan.

What you need to earn

We can use the following formula to work out the monthly payments on the new Nissan:

• Car price – R339,999/R529,999
• Payment term – 60 months (5 years)
• Interest – 10.75%
• Deposit – 0%
• Balloon – No balloon payment
• Extras – No optional extras

According to this, you’ll need to pay at least R7,445 per month for the Visia Manual, and up to R11,553 per month for the Tekna+.

Financial experts then recommend that you do not spend more than 20% of your gross monthly salary on vehicle payments.

This means you’ll need to earn anywhere from R37,225 per month to R57,765 per month to afford the new Tekton on a finance plan, assuming you don’t pay a deposit.

Note that this figure does not account for insurance, fuel, and maintenance, which must all be factored into your budget.