Most affordable automatic cars on the South African market

Automatic transmissions, whether they be torque converters, dual-clutch, or CVTs, are increasingly finding their way into more entry-level cars.

These gearboxes are preferred by many since they take away much of the effort of driving a vehicle as there’s only one pedal to focus on at a time.

While automatics were always known for being the domain of pricier vehicles, even South Africa’s most affordable new car, the Suzuki S-Presso, now offers an auto-shifting variant.

The same can be said for Hyundai, Kia, Renault, and Toyota, too, as each of these manufacturers’ cheapest models are now available in automatic guises.

While they are still on the affordable end of the market, each of these examples demands a noticeable premium over their manual counterparts.

In the case of the Hyundai Grand i10, the automatic variant of the same entry-level Motion trim is R28,000 more expensive than the manual.

Depending on who you are and how much you enjoy shifting gears, though, this additional spend might be worth your while.

Most affordable automatics

The most affordable automatic cars on the South African new vehicle market can be found below.

Click on the underlined prices for more information.

Suzuki S-Presso 1.0 GL+ Auto

• Starting price – R175,900
• Power – 50kW/90Nm
• Average fuel consumption – 4.9l/100km

Renault Kwid 1.0 Zen Auto

• Starting price – R194,400
• Power – 50kW/91Nm
• Average fuel consumption – 4.9l/100km

Hyundai Atos 1.1 Motion Auto

• Starting price – R199,900
• Power – 50kW/99Nm
• Average fuel consumption – 5.9l/100km

Toyota Agya 1.0 Auto

• Starting price – R207,300
• Power – 49kW/89Nm
• Average fuel consumption – 4.9l/100km

Suzuki Celerio 1.0 GL Auto

• Starting price – R209,900
• Power – 49kW/89Nm
• Average fuel consumption – 4.2l/100km

Kia Picanto 1.0 Start Auto

• Starting price – R212,995
• Power – 49kW/95Nm
• Average fuel consumption – 5.3l/100km

Suzuki DZire 1.2 GL Auto

• Starting price – R221,900
• Power – 61kW/113Nm
• Average fuel consumption – 4.9l/100km

Suzuki Swift 1.2 GL Auto

• Starting price – R222,900
• Power – 61kW/113Nm
• Average fuel consumption – 4.9l/100km

Hyundai Grand i10 1.0 Motion Auto

• Starting price – R232,900
• Power – 49kW/94Nm
• Average fuel consumption – 5.9l/100km

Renault Triber 1.0 Intens Auto

• Starting price – R233,400
• Power – 52kW/96Nm
• Average fuel consumption – 5.5l/100km