Most powerful car under R400,000 in South Africa

The most powerful passenger car you can buy in South Africa for less than R400,000 is the Omoda C5 Style, which you set you back a total of R364,900.

The Style is the second-most affordable derivative in the C5 lineup, landing between the R329,900 Street and the R477,900 Lux.

However, unlike the Street, the Style has managed to hold onto its more powerful turbocharged engine, while coming in at a significant R113,000 discount compared to the Lux, making it one of the most affordable yet powerful cars on the market.

Power on a budget

The C5 Style is fitted with a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine, which generates a total of 115kW and 230Nm.

This allows the crossover to accelerate from 0 to 100km/h in approximately 8.8 seconds, and reach a top speed of 190km/h.

The Omoda also features a CVT transmission and a front-wheel-drive system, the combination of which leads to an average fuel consumption of 6.9l/100km.

To put the C5’s engine stats in context, the second most powerful cars under R400,000 in South Africa are the Chery Tiggo 4, Tiggo 7 Pro, and Tiggo Cross, all of which are available a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol plant with 108kW and 210Nm.

This is followed by the Haval Jolion, which also sees a 1.5-litre turbo with a similar output of 105kW and 210Nm.

The first non-Chinese car on the list, meanwhile, is the Toyota Corolla Quest with its 1.8-litre mill that produces 103kW and 173Nm, illustrating how Chinese brands are currently leading the market when it comes to powerful budget models.

Looking at the C5’s other selling features, the spec sheet includes 17-inch alloy wheels, automatic LED headlights, front Sports seats, a leather multifunction steering wheel, automatic air conditioning, cruise control, a 10.25-inch digital driver display, a 10.25-inch infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and six speakers. 

The crossover also comes standard with an assistance suite comprising a rearview camera, rear parking sensors, tyre-pressure monitoring, ABS with electronic brake-force distribution, and four airbags. 

Each purchase is completed with a 5-year/150,000km warranty, a 10-year/1-million kilometre engine warranty for the original owner, a 2-year/30,000km service plan, and 5-year/unlimited-kilometre roadside assistance.