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.