Automatic crossovers you can buy under R400,000 in South Africa

Automatic gearboxes are quickly becoming the norm for the vast majority of cars on the road in South Africa.

They can make the driving experience much easier on your daily commute in traffic, and potentially lead to greater fuel savings depending on your driving style and the type of transmission involved.

Unfortunately, automatics still come at a premium that can add tens of thousands of rands to the cost of a new purchase over a manual option, but the good news is there are nine different models in the popular crossover segment that can be bought with an auto-shift for less than R400,000.

There’s the duo of the Nissan Magnite and Renault Kiger, the former of which is the cheapest automatic SUV in South Africa with a starting tag of R251,800.

Suzuki, in keeping with its wallet-friendly reputation, has three different models under this price point, and Chery, Kia, Toyota, and Haval all bring at least one.

When shopping for a self-shifting car, it’s also important to pay attention to the type of gearbox being used, as there are four different options in this price bracket – automated manual transmissions (AMTs), torque converters (TCs), dual-clutch transmissions (DCTs), and continuously variable transmissions (CVTs).

Easy travels

These are all of the automatic crossovers you can buy for less than R400,000 in South Africa, including a breakdown of the transmission types available.

Click on the underlined prices for more information.

Nissan Magnite 1.0 Visia auto | 1.0 Turbo Acenta

• Starting price – R251,800 | R346,300
• Gearbox – 5-speed AMT | CVT
• Power – 53kW/96Nm | 74kW/152Nm
• Fuel consumption – 5.9l/100km | 6.0l/100km

Renault Kiger 1.0 Zen auto

• Starting price – R274,999
• Gearbox – 5-speed AMT
• Power – 52kW/96Nm
• Fuel consumption – 5.2l/100km

Suzuki Ignis 1.2 GLX auto

• Starting price – R285,900
• Gearbox – 5-speed AMT
• Power – 61kW/113Nm
• Fuel consumption – 4.9l/100km

Chery Tiggo 4 Pro 1.5 LiT CVT | 1.5T LiT DCT

• Starting price – R314,900 | R382,900
• Gearbox – CVT | 6-speed DCT
• Power – 83kW/138Nm | 108kW/210Nm
• Fuel consumption – 6.8l/100km | 6.7l/100km

Suzuki Fronx 1.5 GL auto

• Starting price – R317,900
• Gearbox – 4-speed TC
• Power – 77kW/138Nm
• Fuel consumption – 5.7l/100km

Suzuki Grand Vitara 1.5 GL auto

• Starting price – R376,900
• Gearbox – 4-speed TC
• Power – 77kW/138Nm
• Fuel consumption – 6.1l/100km

Toyota Urban Cruiser 1.5 XR auto

• Starting price – R382,900
• Gearbox – 4-speed TC
• Power – 77kW/138Nm
• Fuel consumption – 6.1l/100km

Kia Sonet 1.5 LX auto

• Starting price – R387,995
• Gearbox – CVT
• Power – 85kW/144Nm
• Fuel consumption – 7.2l/100km

Haval Jolion 1.5T Premium

• Starting price – R389,150
• Gearbox – 7-speed DCT
• Power – 105kW/210Nm
• Fuel consumption – 7.5l/100km