Motoring9.10.2023

Most fuel-efficient cars under R300,000

South African motorists looking for an affordable car that won’t suck their wallets dry at the fuel pumps have a wide selection of hatchbacks to choose from under R300,000.

The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy recently announced a big fuel price hike in October 2023, following significant increases in September.

From 4 October, the price of unleaded 95 petrol increased by R1.14, while unleaded 93 petrol jumped by R1.08.

That pushed the price of unleaded 95 inland to R25.68 — the second-highest price to date — and not too far off the record price of R26.74 in July 2022.

Diesel vehicle owners are getting an even bigger punch in the gut, with the wholesale price of 50ppm diesel increasing by R1.94.

That has put the wholesale price of the fuel over R25 per litre and within R1 of its highest price yet.

The wholesale price excludes the profit margins fuel stations need to add onto diesel, likely pushing diesel prices well beyond petrol.

Nevertheless, diesel cars tend to be more fuel-efficient overall than petrol cars, so their running costs can be lower.

Unfortunately, most manufacturers have stopped offering low-end cars with diesel engines.

The cheapest passenger diesel car with a fuel-efficient engine we could find for sale in South Africa at the time of publication was the Mahindra XUV300 1.5TD, which starts at R315,999 for the W6 model.

Mahindra XUV300. The only passenger car in South Africa with an efficient diesel engine option priced close to R300,000.

The next most affordable option is the Renault Duster 1.5dCi, which will set you back at least R377,999 when bought new.

Most passenger diesel cars cost well over R500,000, with a handful of panel vans and single-cab utility bakkies below that price.

These days, the most affordable fuel-efficient passenger vehicles are lightweight cars with small petrol engines.

MyBroadband compiled a list of affordable cars in South Africa to help motorists focused on fuel efficiency pick the best set of wheels to save money.

One brand — Suzuki — had five models that checked both boxes.

Three of these models share the same 49kW/89Nm engine, while the two others come with a 61kW/113Nm engine.

The Toyota Vitz is technically just a Toyota-branded Celerio with the 49kW/89Nm engine, so it could also count towards Suzuki’s tally.

If Suzuki or Toyota are not to your taste, Fiat, Kia, and Renault also have options available.

Below are the nine cars we identified with fuel consumption of 5.0ℓ/100km or lower and a price tag under R300,000.

Fiat 500 — Starting from R265,900

Power/torque: 63kW/145Nm
Combined fuel consumption: 4.0ℓ/100km or 25km/ℓ
Tank size: 35 litres
Estimated distance per tank: 875km

Suzuki Celerio — Starting from R183,900

Power/torque: 49kW/89Nm
Combined fuel consumption: Manual — 4.4ℓ/100km or 23km/ℓ | Auto — 4.2ℓ/100km or 24km/ℓ
Tank size: 35 litres
Estimated distance per tank: Manual — 795km | Auto — 833km

Toyota Vitz — Starting from R189,900

Power/torque: 49kW/89Nm
Combined fuel consumption: 4.4ℓ/100km or 23km/ℓ | Auto — 4.2ℓ/100km or 24km/ℓ
Tank size: 35 litres
Estimated distance per tank: Manual — 795km | Auto — 833km

Suzuki S-Presso 2023 — Starting from R169,900

Power/torque: 49kW/89Nm
Combined fuel consumption: AMT — 4.4ℓ/100km or 23km/ℓ | MT — 4.6ℓ/100km or 22km/ℓ
Tank size: 27 litres
Estimated distance per tank: AMT — 613km | MT — 587km