Motoring13.12.2024

Most fuel-efficient cars under R500,000 in South Africa

By Myles Illidge

Several highly fuel-efficient cars are available to motorists in South Africa for under R500,000, with the most fuel-efficient option being the Suzuki Celerio 1.0 GL Auto at a price of R225,900.

While the country’s fuel prices have dropped over the past year, they are still relatively high, and the government is discussing how to reduce the price motorists pay per litre further.

One such promise came from the Minister of Minerals and Petroleum Resources, Gwede Mantashe, during the African Oil Week conference in October 2024. He believes motorists should be paying around R14 per litre.

Mantashe said the add-ons of the general fuel and Road Accident Fund (RAF) levies had pushed the price to around R20 per litre, adding that the government is investigating how to lower prices further.

“In the fuel price, there is the general fuel levy, there is the Road Accident Fund, linked to the price of fuel. So instead of buying a litre of fuel for R14, you buy it for R20,” said Mantashe.

“Our argument is: you are distorting the price of fuel. Let’s find the formula for separating these two things and have the price of fuel visible.”

“We intend to conclude this discussion in the shortest possible time,” he added.

In a media briefing following his address at the conference, Mantashe said his department had calculated that fuel prices in South Africa should be around R14 per litre.

Until the government finds a sustainable way to lower fuel prices without causing a significant gap in tax income, motorists will be stuck with the higher prices.

However, driving a more fuel-efficient vehicle is one way to mitigate the high fuel costs.

MyBroadband looked for the most fuel-efficient cars you can buy in the country for less than R500,000 and found five options offering a fuel efficiency figure of 4.8ℓ/100km or lower.

Regarding pricing, all the vehicles listed are priced between R203,900 and R486,100.

The Suzuki Celerio 1.0 GL Auto is the most fuel-efficient option, which has a claimed economy of 4.2ℓ/100km and produces 49kW and 89Nm. It costs R225,900

It joins two other Suzukis that made the cut: the Suzuki S-Presso 1.0 GL+ and Suzuki Swift 1.2 GLX Manual, which both have a claimed fuel efficiency of 4.4ℓ/100km.

The S-Presso is the most affordable option listed, with a price tag of R203,900. The Switch costs R61,000 more.

Two Toyotas made the list — the Vitz 1.0 XR Auto and the Corolla Cross Hybrid XS — and they hold second and third place on the list.

The Vitz is slightly more economical at 4.2ℓ/100km and costs R239,900, while the Corolla Cross is the most expensive vehicle listed at R486,100. It has a claimed fuel efficiency figure of 4.3ℓ/100km.

Other cars that made the top 10 most fuel-efficient cars under R500,000 include two panel vans in the form of Fiat’s Fiorino 1.3 and Opel’s Combo Cargo 1.6TD, the Fiat 500 1.2, the Renault Duster 1.5dCi Zen, and the VW Polo Vivo 1.0TSI GT.

The 10 most fuel-efficient cars you can buy in South Africa for less than R500,000 are listed below. The images used may not match the exact vehicle trim listed. We only included one spec for each vehicle model.