With petrol prices in South Africa reaching record highs, cars that run on electric power are becoming more desirable.
But fully-electric cars aren’t cheap, and South Africa’s current “full-size” entry-level EV is the Mini Cooper SE – setting you back R709,400.
The next alternative is petrol-electric hybrids, which have an internal combustion engine but use a battery and electric motor to reduce fuel consumption.
We looked at the five most affordable hybrid cars currently available in South Africa, all of which you can buy for under R700,000.
Toyota Corolla Cross 1.8 Hybrid XS – R425,400
The most affordable hybrid currently on sale in South Africa is the Corolla Cross, which also happens to be one of Toyota’s most popular vehicles.
This hybrid model uses a continuously variable transmission (CVT) and has a 1.8-litre petrol engine combined with an electric motor.
This produces 90kW and gives the car a combined fuel consumption of 4.3l/100km.
Toyota has not revealed the maximum torque figures its hybrid vehicles produce, listing the Corolla Cross’s as “142Nm + e-torque”.
Exterior features include 17-inch alloy wheels, daytime running lights, LED headlights, front fog lights, retractable side mirrors, an automatic light control system with follow-me-home functionality, rain-sensing wipers, and black roof rails.
Moving inside you will find a multifunctional leather steering wheel, partial leather upholstery, automatic dual-zone air conditioning, cruise control, voice command, a six-speaker wireless infotainment unit with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and support for Toyota Connect.
Safety offerings range from five airbags to rear park distance control, hill-assist control, and stability control.
The Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid XS comes with a 3-year/100,000km warranty, a 6-service/90,000km service plan, and an 8-year/195,000km warranty on its battery.
Toyota Corolla 1.8 Hybrid XS – R439,000
This Toyota sedan has a 1.8-litre petrol engine and electric motor generating 90kW and 142+e Nm.
With a CVT this car does an impressive 3.5l/100km for its combined consumption cycle.
Interior amenities consist of fabric seats, a multifunction leather steering wheel, cruise control, automatic air conditioning, a reverse camera, and a six-speaker infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Additionally, the sedan includes seven airbags, hill-assist control, and vehicle stability control.
The body is then fitted with 15-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, daytime running lights, rear fog lights, heated side mirrors, and follow-me-home light functionality.
The Toyota Corolla Hybrid XS includes a 3-year/100,000km warranty, 6-service/90,000km service plan, and an 8-year/195,000km battery warranty.
Honda Fit Hybrid – R498,600
Honda’s hybrid hatch runs on a 1.5-litre petrol engine and electric motor – which combined puts out 80kW and 253Nm.
This allows the car to do a 3.7l/100km combined consumption using a CVT.
Perched on 16-inch alloy wheels, the Fit has LED headlights, front LED fog lights, rear fog lights, rain-sensing wipers, heated side mirrors, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, leather seats, and a 9-inch display with four speakers, and Apple Carplay and Android Auto support.
Other features include cruise control, automatic climate control, six airbags, emergency brake assist, agile handling assist, and driver attention monitoring.
The Honda Fit Hybrid comes with a 5-year/200,000km warranty, and a 4-year/60,000km service plan.
Toyota Prius – R604,100
One of the best-selling hybrid cars in the world, the Prius, has long been popular for its low combined fuel consumption of 3.7l/100km – courtesy of a hybrid drivetrain paired to a CVT.
The latest generation comes with 15-inch wheels, front LED fog lights, rear fog lights, auto-levelling headlights with automatic high beams and follow-me-home functions, daytime running lights, auto-retracting side mirrors, and rain-sensing wipers.
For the interior, there’s leather upholstery, heated seats, lumbar support for the driver’s seat, adaptive cruise control, wireless phone charging, automatic dual-zone AC with humidity sensing, a multifunction steering wheel, a reverse camera with guidelines, a six-speaker Bluetooth sound system, seven airbags, traction control, vehicle stability control, blind-spot monitoring, and lane-trace assist.
The Toyota Prius offers a 3-year/100,000km warranty, a 6-service/90,000km service plan, and an 8-year/195,000km battery warranty as standard.
Toyota RAV4 2.5 Hybrid GX-R E-Four – R663,400
The hybrid version of Toyota’s RAV4 SUV is powered by a 2.5-litre petrol engine and electric motor, giving the car 163kW and 221+e Nm.
The RAV4 utilises a CVT, too, and fuel consumption is listed at 4.8l/100km.
For keeping up appearances, the RAV4 uses 18-inch alloys, chrome door handles, LED headlights, daytime running lights, LED front fog lamps, rear fog lamps, LED rear lights, heated and retractable side mirrors, and roof rails.
The interior is equipped with partial leather upholstery, a powered driver’s seat, heated and ventilated front seats with lumbar support, cruise control, dual-zone air conditioning, a reverse camera with guidelines, seven airbags, a six-speaker infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support, wireless phone charging, and Toyota Connect support.
Also included are driver assistance systems like vehicle stability control, hill assist control, trailer-sway control, rear park-distance control, and three selectable drive modes – eco, normal, and sport.
The Toyota RAV4 Hybrid has a standard 3-year/100,000km warranty, a 6-services/90,000km service plan, and an 8-year/195,000km warranty on the battery.
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