Land Rover is the latest in a line of automakers who are launching more affordable cars in South Africa as household finances continue to come under pressure.
The premium British marque this month lowered the price of the Range Rover Evoque by a whopping R190,100 through the introduction of a new entry-level powertrain.
While the SUV still sells for a not-very-cheap R1,142,000, the cut was nonetheless a step in the right direction in today’s economic landscape.
In doing so, Land Rover joined the likes of several other car brands who recently lowered the barrier to entry to their vehicles in one way or another.
Earlier in 2025, Chery slashed the price of its cheapest car, the Tiggo 4 Pro, by R10,000.
While its reasons for doing so remains unclear, given that the crossover was still a smash hit at its previous price point, we can ponder that it might have something to do with the rapidly increasing number of Chinese rivals entering the market as well as well-established manufacturers launching more accessible offerings.
Meanwhile, Hyundai in 2024 reduced the cost of not only the i20, but also the Grand i10 and the Venue.
“Hyundai Automotive South Africa has repositioned three models in our line-up (Grand i10, i20, and Venue) with additional assistance from our Original Equipment Manufacturer, Hyundai Motor Company. Included in this process, Hyundai Motor Company also made some minor spec adjustments to the models,” said a spokesperson for the brand.
“The strategy behind this move was with the customer in mind, where we provide the customer with quality vehicles at the right price.”
This wording suggests that Hyundai Motor Company might be subsidising a portion of these vehicles, or it removed features it deemed non-essential, to bring down prices.
Either way, local consumers now benefit from noticeably more affordable Hyundai cars.
In the case of GAC Motors, the Chinese nameplate made headlines last year when it dropped the prices of both its Emzoom and Emkoo by anywhere from R50,000 to a staggering R100,000.
The move came after a noteworthy improvement in the strength of the rand which allowed the company to lower import fees.
“This price drop is a testament to our belief that consumers deserve to benefit directly from favourable forex movements,” said Leslie Ramsoomar, GAC Motor South Africa MD.
Similar strategies to Chery, Hyundai, and GAC were followed by other companies in South Africa, such as GWM with its Tank 300, Ineos with its Grenadier, and Nissan with its Navara.
BMW to follow suit
With so many automakers already adapting their pricing to cost-conscious consumers, it only seems logical that more will follow suit in the near future.
One of the manufacturers who have confirmed that it would be doing so is none other than BMW.
BMW this week told TopAuto that it is working on developing more wallet-friendly options and that it won’t be that long until we get the first one.
“We understand that customers continue to face affordability challenges and we are developing more accessible offerings, especially in the SUV segment, which will shortly be introduced,” said a brand representative.
Considering the newcomer will be introduced “shortly” and there have been no rumours or sightings of a brand-new affordable BMW in development, we suspect that the car in question should be a lower-priced option of one of the manufacturer’s existing vehicles, perhaps the locally made X3.
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