The best 5 cheap new cars in SA
Looking for a new car but not quite sure which one will give you the longest period of worry-free, quality motoring? Well, we have four words for you: Suzuki, Hyundai, Toyota, Kia. You can’t make a mistake with any of the cars we’ve listed below - and they all cost less than R200 000.
1. Suzuki Celerio 1.0 GA, R174 900
The Celerio has always been an AutoTrader favourite as it ticks all the most important boxes for new drivers, but we are even more impressed by the new model which was launched a few months ago.
The new, better-looking Celerio is light on its feet, fun to drive, and now comes with stability control as standard, which prevents wheels from skidding and the driver from losing control of the car. In this segment, it’s not seen very often, and being the cheapest model in our list, we salute Suzuki for adding this all-important feature. Other safety features include ABS, EBD, brake assist, two airbags, and ISOFix child seat anchorage points. It also offers plenty of legroom on row two (which can be split and folded!), making it the perfect little family runabout.
The Celerio is powered by a 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder engine and has 50kW and 89 Nm mated to a five-speed manual transmission. It’s quite sufficient, considering that this Celerio weighs in at only 825 kilos!
Should you want the techno goodies such as Bluetooth, USB port, a touchscreen and smartphone mirroring (ie Apple CarPlay/Android Auto), you’ll have to fork out another R20 000 for the GL model, but if money’s tight, you can’t go wrong with the GA.
Search for new and used Celerios on AutoTrader
2. Hyundai Atos 1.1 Motion, R183 500
The Hyundai Atos is another fantastic little starter car if you want brand reliability and all the techy bells and whistles such as an infotainment touchscreen system (with 4 speakers) and Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay and a USB port in the entry-level model. This 1.1 Motion variant also gets front electric windows and even a digital clock!
The Atos is powered by a 4-cylinder, 1.1-litre engine (with 50 kW and 99Nm) mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox.
Safety is taken care of by two airbags, ABS brakes with EBD and central locking (but no stability control). The Atos is sold with Hyundai’s winning 5-year/150 000 km warranty as well as an additional 2-year/50 000 km powertrain warranty and 7 years (or 150 000 km) of roadside assistance.
Search for new and used Atos models on AutoTrader
3. Suzuki Swift 1.2 GA, R189 900
The Swift is a tad more expensive, but it’s rather upmarket for its price and has plenty of street cred too. The GA is the cheapest model but its 4-cylinder, 1.2-litre engine (with 61kW and 113 Nm) makes this little hatch feel zesty and enthusiastic, and its handling is a step up from the Celerio too, plus it only weighs 885 kilos. Comfort features include electric windows in the front and rear and Suzuki is generous with its list of safety features too: The GA gets ABS with EBD, brake assist, stability control, dual front airbags, and Isofix anchors (x2) as well as rear park distance control.
If you feel you need the touchscreen and infotainment goodies, it’s not a massive step up to the 1.2 GL MT model which retails for R207 900, but smartphone connectivity and a rearview camera are only available in the GLX which is priced at R226 900, (
or R242 900 if you want an automatic model - but we vote for the manual!). A 2-year/30 000 km service plan and 5-year/200 000 km promotional warranty are part of the deal.
Search for used and new Suzuki Swifts on AutoTrader
4. Toyota Agya 1.0, R192 300
This entry-level contender from Toyota looks the business with its LED lights, a spoiler in the front and rear, and alloy wheels, not just steel wheels with wheel covers. On the inside things look solidly built and cheerful, plus the rear bench has plenty of legroom for adults and there are three 3-point safety belts on row two, instead of the usual lap balt in the middle.
Another feather in the Agya’s cap is built-in Wi-Fi which can be topped up via the MyToyota App which offers its own range of convenience benefits. Safety features comprise ABS and EBD and two airbags as well as ISOfix points for the outer rear seats. The Agya 1.0 5MT has no audio system but if you opt for the Agya 1.0 MT with audio, you’ll pay only a little bit more (R196 400).
The Agya is powered by a 1.0-litre 3-cylinder petrol engine with 49 kW and 89 Nm of torque and is paired with a 5-speed gearbox. The Agya feels very planted and has a sense of sturdiness which is reassuring for a sub-R200k car.
Search for used and new Toyota Agya models here
5. Kia Picanto 1.0 Start, 195 995
The Picanto 1.0 Start not only looks cool, but has excellent interior build quality and it’s such a joy to drive. It’s an upmarket product and Kia Picantos are always in high demand. With the slightly higher price tag comes a decent amount of comfort and convenience features such as a start/stop button, alloy wheels, Bluetooth, USB port, an auxiliary input, 12V power socket, electrically adjustable mirrors, electric windows x 4, and LED headlights. The Picanto’s rear seat is foldable if you need to transport larger items.
The diminutive Picanto’s 3-cylinder, 1.0-litre engine is light on fuel and output is decent at 49kW and 95Nm, and feels lively because of its low kerb weight.
As for safety, the Picanto is equipped with ABS, EBD and two airbags with two ISOfix points on the outer rear seats. And Kia’s 5-year / unlimited km warranty and 2-year / 30 000 km service plan mean you’ll have nothing to stress about for quite a while. (Please note that older Picanto models in Start trim didn't have ABS, so make sure that you do buy one with this life-saving feature.)
