Petrol prices continue to be an area of concern for South African motorists, but there are a few different options you can explore to reduce your monthly fuel spend.
While the obvious solution may be to purchase a hybrid, the downside of these vehicles is that they are still very expensive for most households.
While the price of the technology has come down in recent years, a hybrid like the Toyota Corolla Cross will still set you back R494,400, which is a big investment if your only goal is to save money on petrol.
For those who are shopping on a budget, it’s better to look in the sub-R300,000 segment for a fuel-efficient model that won’t break the bank.
Unsurprisingly, every vehicle that fits in this bracket is a Suzuki (technically), which demonstrates how consumer-friendly the Japanese carmaker’s price tags truly are.
We say technically because one of the cars on the list is the Toyota Vitz, which is a rebadged version of the Suzuki Celerio.
Consequently, the Vitz and the Celerio have the exact same 1.0-litre petrol engine and fuel consumption figure of 4.2l/100km.
Another wallet-friendly duo is the Suzuki Swift and Dzire, the latter of which is a sedan version of the popular hatcback.
Again, this means the two cars have the same 1.2-litre powertrain, which links to a 37-litre fuel tank.
With a frugal consumption of just 4.4l/100km, the Swift and Dzire are both capable of travelling up to 841km on a single tank.
Last but not least is the Suzuki S-Pressso, which is actually the cheapest entry on the list at R192,900 while achieving the same conservative fuel stat of 4.4l/100km.
A to B on a budget
These are the most fuel-efficient cars that can be bought for less than R300,000 in South Africa.
Interesting to note is that the two newer models – the Swift and the Dzire – are slightly more efficient if you select the manual version, while the opposite is true of the Celerio, Vitz, and S-Presso, according to the manufacturer’s official figures.
Click on the underlined prices for more information.
Suzuki Celerio 1.0 GL Auto
- Fuel consumption – 4.2l/100km
- Fuel tank size – 32 litres
- Driving range – 762km
- Gearbox – 5-speed auto
- Power – 49kW/89Nm
- Starting price – R225,900
Toyota Vitz 1.0 XR Auto
- Fuel consumption – 4.2l/100km
- Fuel tank size – 32 litres
- Driving range – 762km
- Gearbox – 5-speed auto
- Power – 49kW/89Nm
- Starting price – R224,900
Suzuki Dzire 1.2 GA
- Fuel consumption – 4.4l/100km
- Fuel tank size – 37 litres
- Driving range – 841km
- Gearbox – 5-speed manual
- Power – 60kW/112Nm
- Starting price – R224,900
Suzuki Swift 1.2 GL
- Fuel consumption – 4.4l/100km
- Fuel tank size – 37 litres
- Driving range – 841km
- Gearbox – 5-speed manual
- Power – 49kW/89Nm
- Starting price – R224,900
Suzuki S-Presso 1.0 GL Auto
- Fuel consumption – 4.4l/100km
- Fuel tank size – 27 litres
- Driving range – 614km
- Gearbox – 5-speed manual
- Power – 49kW/89Nm
- Starting price – R192,900
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