Motoring30.11.2023

Most fuel-efficient cars in South Africa — with prices

By Myles Illidge

There is a broad range of internal combustion engine (ICE) cars in South Africa that will average less than 5ℓ/100km, with the fuel consumption of some going as low as 1.6ℓ/100km.

MyBroadband found the most fuel-efficient cars in South Africa — regardless of pricing — and found four plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) models that use less than two litres of fuel per 100km.

The most fuel-efficient options include the Volvo XC60 Recharge, Volvo XC90 Recharge, Land Rover Discovery Sport P300e, Range Rover Evoque P300e, and BMW M760e xDrive.

These vehicles all have one thing in common: they are PHEVs.

PHEVs use the battery as their primary power source, and the internal combustion engine takes over when the battery runs flat.

On the other hand, traditional hybrids pair a typical petrol or diesel-powered engine with an electric motor with a small rechargeable battery. The engine and electric motor can work independently or together to power the vehicle.

Volvo states that the XC60 and XC90 recharge achieve a combined fuel consumption figure of 1.6ℓ/100km and 1.8ℓ/100km, respectively.

However, they are on the higher end of the price scale, with the XC60 Recharge priced from R1,314,000 and the XC90 Recharge from R1,713,000.

The Range Rover Evoque P300e and Land Rover Discovery Sport P300e use the same PHEV drivetrain, with prices starting at R1,715,000 for the latter and R1,647,900 for the former.

Both vehicles achieve a similar fuel consumption figure of 1.7ℓ/100km.

The two most expensive cars listed come from BMW. The BMW M760e xDrive costs R3,090,000 and offers a combined fuel economy of 2.2ℓ/100km.

On the other hand, the BMW XM starts at R3,400,000 and has a claimed fuel consumption figure of 2.7ℓ/100km.

The two vehicles offer the best performance specifications of the lost, with the XM providing 480kW of power and 800nm of torque.

The M760e xDrive offers a similar torque figure but is slightly down on power compared to the XM.

There are four conventional hybrid vehicles listed, and they also offer impressive fuel consumption figures.

The Honda Fit 1.5 Hybrid starts at R529,900 and has a claimed fuel consumption figure of 3.7ℓ/100km — the lowest of the traditional hybrids listed.

Our list features two hybrid Toyotas: the Corolla Cross 1.8 XS HEV and the Corolla Hatchback 1.8 XR HEV, priced at R486,100 and R571,900, respectively.

The hatchback Corolla achieves a combined fuel consumption of 4.0ℓ/100km, while the larger Corolla Cross has a stated fuel consumption of 4.3ℓ/100km.

Lexus’ UX 250h EX is the most expensive conventional hybrid listed at R857,900, with a combined fuel consumption of 4.5/100km.

Four ICE cars made our list. The cheapest car listed is the Suzuki S-Presso 1.0 MT, which the carmaker claims uses 4.6 litres of fuel per 100km on a combined cycle.

The more expensive Suzuki Celerio costs R188,900 and achieves a combined fuel consumption of 4.2ℓ/100km.

For R1,000 more, South African motorists can grab the Toyota Vitz, which uses 4.4 litres per 100km on a combined cycle.

The Fiat 500 is the most expensive of the ICE cars listed at R265,900 and offers the lowest fuel consumption of the ICE vehicles at 4.0ℓ/100km.

Fifteen of the most fuel-efficient cars in South Africa are listed with specs and prices below. They are listed from lowest to highest fuel consumption.