Features / 7 April 2026 / Michael Taylor

5 cheapest hybrid cars you can buy in South Africa right now

Hybrid cars are a good option to consider these days as motorists grapple with the ever-rising cost of fuel.

Headlines over the last month have been dominated by updates on the war in the Middle East and its effect on the global price of oil.

While South Africa imports most of its oil from Nigeria, the international price shock was still enough to elicit a R3-per-litre price hike for petrol and a R7-per-litre hike for diesel.

These increases would have been worse, too, but the government intervened at the last moment with a temporary R3-per-litre reduction to the General Fuel Levy (GFL), softening the blow to motorists.

Unfortunately, the situation doesn’t look like it’ll get better anytime soon, as the latest data from the Central Energy Fund indicates that South Africa will receive similar price hikes in May.

Additionally, the R3 GFL reduction will expire at the start of next month, unless the government decides to extend the relief policy, meaning prices could go up even more than expected.

With all this in mind, many households have begun to look at hybrid cars in the hopes of reducing their monthly fuel bill.

The cheapest hybrid on the market right now is the Chery Tiggo Cross CSH, which starts at R439,900.

The CSH is a traditional hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), which pairs the internal combustion engine with a small electric motor to improve efficiency.

This helps the Chery achieve a frugal average fuel consumption of 5.4l/100km.

The second-cheapest hybrid, the R469,900 MG3, has an even lower consumption of 4.3l/100km while boasting an impressive power output of 155kW and 425Nm, making it the most powerful option on our top five list.

There’s also a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) on the list in the form of the BYD Sealion 5, which starts at R499,900.

PHEVs are a more advanced type of hybrid with significantly more powerful e-motors and a larger dedicated battery.

As a result, the Sealion is capable of full-electric driving for roughly 50km, letting users make short trips around town without using any fuel.

The fourth and fifth cheapest hybrids are the Toyota Corolla Cross and Haval Jolion Pro, which start at R501,100 and R521,450, respectively.