Features / 23 December 2025 / Michael Taylor

Every automatic car you can buy under R250,000 in South Africa

There are only six cars left in South Africa with an automatic gearbox that can be bought for less than R250,000.

While self-shifting transmissions are now the norm for the vast majority of vehicles, this is not the case with entry-level cars, where manuals are still commonly found due to their affordability.

Of course, many people now prefer an automatic transmission because of its convenience, especially if they spend the majority of their time driving in urban areas with heavy traffic.

If you are in the market for an affordable car with an automatic, you’ll have to spend a minimum of R192,900 to pick up the Suzuki S-Presso 1.0 GL.

The GL is available with a five-speed automated manual transmission (AMT), which is fairly common to see on cheaper cars.

An AMT is essentially a manual gearbox that has been converted to an automatic through the use of a transmission control unit and mechanical actuators, which shift on the driver’s behalf.

AMTs and continuously variable transmissions (CVTs) are the most popular options for budget models because they tend to be cheaper and more economical than more advanced designs like a torque converter or dual-clutch setup.

The second cheapest automatic model is the R209,999 Renault Kwid, which received a major update earlier this year.

The Kwid is, in fact, the cheapest car in South Africa right now if we’re talking about base prices, but the S-Presso still has the edge when it comes to automatics.

Next up is the Proton Saga, which is the only sedan on the list with a price tag of R224,900.

Another option is the new R224,900 Tata Tiago, which is one of four cars introduced by the Indian carmaker following its relaunch in South Africa earlier this year.

The last two models are the Toyota Vitz and Suzuki Celerio, which share the same platform and engine, and are, therefore, almost identical in price.