Home / Features / Most powerful car in South Africa at R250,000, R500,000, R750,000, and R1 million

Most powerful car in South Africa at R250,000, R500,000, R750,000, and R1 million

No matter your budget, you should be able to find a ride with decent power in South Africa.

We scoured the new-car market for the most powerful set of wheels at four different price brackets so you don’t have to.


R250,000 – Toyota Starlet 1.5 Xi

The Toyota Starlet is the most powerful car at the R250,000 landmark.

Don’t expect break-neck performance from its 1.5-litre, naturally-aspirated petrol powerplant matched with a five-speed manual shifter, but at least you can do far worse at this end of the market.

The combination generates 77kW and 138Nm which is enough to get the front-wheel-drive (FWD) hatchback up to 100km/h in 11.2 seconds on its way to a top speed of 175km/h.

What you don’t get in pace you do in fuel consumption, as the Toyota sips 5.4 litres of petrol for every 100km driven, lending it a claimed range of 685km on its 37-litre tank.

The Starlet is available from R252,100 and gets a 3-year/100,000km warranty and a 3-services/45,000km service plan.


R500,000 – Haval H6 2.0GDIT Premium

If you don’t have a preference for a specific body style, the Haval H6 offers the most muscle out of any of its sub-R500,000 peers.

With a turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol mill the SUV pushes out 150kW and 320Nm, which is channeled to the front axle through a dual-clutch automatic box with seven cogs.

Haval doesn’t provide official acceleration figures for the normal H6, but expect it to sit around the 9-second mark considering the more powerful H6 Hybrid does the deed in 8.5 seconds. The manufacturer doesn’t disclose top speed, either, though other sources have it as 180km/h.

Buyers can further tailor the driving experience with several modes, including Standard, Eco, Sport, and Snow.

The petrol-powered H6 returns a net fuel usage of 7.4l/100km, guaranteeing a range of 811km on its 60-litre tank.

This particular H6 is the entry-level model in the range selling for R492,050 which includes a 5-year/100,000km warranty and a 5-year/60,000km service plan.


R750,000 – Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max 2.0TGDI 390T Executive

Chery offers the most powerful set of wheels if your budget splits the difference between half a million and one million rand.

The Tiggo 8 Pro Max is equipped with nearly the exact same drivetrain as the H6, taking the form of a 2.0-litre, turbo-petrol unit churning out 187kW and 390Nm, and it’s also FWD with a seven-speed, dual-clutch transmission.

The extra potential does come at the cost of frugality as the Tiggo reports an average consumption of 7.6l/100km giving its 51-litre tank 671km of range.

However, it offers a noticeably quicker 0-100km/h acceleration time of 7.3 seconds.

Once again, Chery does not quote the official top speed number, though one can assume it will probably be at or above 180km/h to be in line with its biggest rival.

The FWD Tiggo 8 Pro Max also offers Eco, Normal, and Sport drive settings.

The Chery SUV retails for R669,900 and boasts a 5-year/150,000km warranty, a 7-year/90,000km service plan, and a 10-year/1-million kilometre engine warranty for the original owner.


R1 million – Volvo EX30 Plus Twin Motor Performance

The only electric car on this list, the Volvo EX30 offers the most bang for your buck in terms of pure output – provided you have a million of those aforementioned bucks.

The battery-powered crossover features two electric motors for a combined 315kW and 543Nm of grunt.

Despite its rather hefty kerb weight of two tonnes, the electric Volvo can rocket from 0-100km/h in a startling 3.6 seconds – which coincidentally also makes it the quickest sub-R1 million car in the country – and it maxes out at 180km/h.

The 69kWh battery pack under the floorboards is good for a driving range of 450km, and it can be topped up from 10-80% in just 26 minutes using a 175kW DC cable.

This EX30 can be yours for R935,900 and is supported by a 5-year/100,000km warranty and maintenance plan, as well as an 8-year/160,000km battery warranty.


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