What South Africa’s cheapest new car in 2022 bought a decade ago

For less than the price of a new Suzuki S-Presso, buyers had a lot to choose from 10 years ago.

Chevrolet Spark Campus cost less than R100 000

Campus sat below the entry-level L with only basic equipment, but a full range of then acceptable safety items.

With the discontinuing of the Datsun brand earlier this year and the Renault Kwid priced from almost R180 000, the Suzuki S-Presso remains the cheapest new car South Africans can buy with a starting price tag of R162 900.

Updated last week with an array of new features, mostly safety across the three model line-up, the S-Presso also became the recipient of a new engine, the same three-cylinder 1.0 K10C from the Celerio that punches out 49kW/89Nm.

For its R162 900, the S-Presso GL comes standard with air-conditioning and power steering, 14-inch steel wheels with plastic covers, a radio prep with two speakers and not a factory sound system as erroneously previously reported, electric front windows, rear parking sensors, electric mirrors, dual front airbags, ABS with EBD and newly added, Electronic Stability Programme.

Also included is a five-year/200 000 km warranty, a two-year/30 000 km service plan and a year’s free insurance.

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While indeed a proposition many will appreciate as fuel prices fluctuate and the price of living increases, ten years ago, the exact price of a new Suzuki S-Presso bought significantly more, including what had been the country’s cheapest double cab bakkie at the time.

Back in time

As such, The Citizen rewinds the clock to December 2012 when South Africa’s cheapest new car was the R79 900 Chery QQ3 0.8 TE, when 46 501 vehicles were sold during the month and when petrol cost between R11.66 and R11.78 a litre and diesel R11.38 a litre.

Chevrolet Spark 1.2 Campus – 60kW/108Nm – R99 900

Even after parent company General Motors departed South Africa in 2017, the Spark remains popular for good reason as it offered a lot when it debuted.

As its name points out, the Campus very much had first time buyers in mind as it eschewed a factory fitted sound system for an aftermarket unit, with the same applying to the lack of alloy wheels. Standard though were ABS, EBD, dual front airbags, colour coded bumpers and door handles, air-conditioning and a 60/40 split rear seat.

Fiat Panda Young debuted as a run-out model — *_{Young and Young+ were last effort inclusion to clear stock ahead of the third generation Panda’s debut in 2013.}*

Fiat Panda 1.2 Young – 44kW/102Nm – R107 250

By the time of the Young’s introduction, the second generation Panda had already been replaced by the third that remains in production till today.

The final encore versions, called the Young and the better equipped Young+, were again aimed at budget focused buyers, but in the case former, still with air-conditioning, dual front airbags, ABS and EBD, front electric windows and as with the Spark above, a radio prep for the audio system.

Ford Figo was the Blue Oval's take on the CitiGolf recipe — *_{The original Figo went off with a bang and remains a sought after model today, even in base-spec Ambiente trim.}*

Ford Figo 1.4 Ambiente – 62kW/127Nm – R118 670

Applying a similar philosophy Volkswagen had with the CitiGolf, the Figo debuted in 2010 as a repackaged, slightly altered version of the fifth generation Fiesta produced at the former Blue Oval’s now former Chennai Plant in India.

A sales hit right out of the blocks, the entry-level, Ambiente amount to anything but as it came standard with front electric windows, dual front airbags, ABS, EBD, central locking, air-conditioning and a factory audio system complete with an auxiliary input and capable of playing something called MP3s.

Original Toyota Aygo probably not the hit expected — *_{Late on arriving on South Africa, Toyota probably had higher exceptions of the Aygo than what sales figures eventually came to.}*

Toyota Aygo 1.0 Wild 5dr – 50kW/93Nm – R127 400

Unlike the Etios that sat above it, the Aygo probably didn’t turn-out as the success Toyota had expected as it only arrived in South Africa in 2008, three years after debuting in Europe as the B-Zero joint venture model with the then PSA Group that resulted in the Peugeot 107 and Citroën C1.

Small and offered with either three or five-door, the top-spec Wild got items such as front electric windows, an auxiliary and MP3 compatible sound system, ABS and EBD, dual front airbags, a height adjustable driver’s seat and a full trip computer.

Polo Vivo was a risk to emulate the CitiGolf that paid off — *_{While not accepted by everyone at the beginning, the original Polo Vivo can look back at history without shame.}*

Volkswagen Polo Vivo 1.4 Trendline – 63kW/132Nm – R137 200

Introduced two years before as the “modern CitiGolf” in response to the Polo moving upmarket, the Polo Vivo remains an institution today in spite of not being universally accepted as the “new Citi” ten years ago.

Besides its obvious downgrades from the Polo, the Trendline-spec still felt premium for the segment at the time, but fell short on spec compared to the Figo. Still, it came with a factory sound system, air-conditioning, two airbags, ABS, EBD, alloy wheels and a trip computer.

Fiat 500 still on-sale after fifteen years — *_{It’s hard to believe that the internal combustion engine 500 has been around since 2007. In 2012, the Pop started the range off.}*

Fiat 500 1.2 – 51kW/102Nm – R142 900

It is frankly incredible to believe that the Fiat 500 has weathered a number of storms at it continues to be marketed today, an incredible fifteen years after returning as a chic and trendy retro-styled take on the 1950s original.

By 2012, the 500 had already been through a number of revisions and for under R150 000, the base Pop offered a lot, namely seven airbags, daytime running lights, steering wheel audio controls and big car tech such as Bluetooth and voice recognition.

GWM has come a long way since the early Steed — *_{In 2012, the Steed was the cheapest double cab on-sale in South Africa.}*

Great Wall Motors Steed 2.2 Lux double cab – 76kW/190Nm – R144 990

Great Wall Motors, or GWM, might be a powerhouse today, but a decade ago, it was still finding its feet, albeit with a lot more success than some other early Chinese vehicles.

A significant improvement over the initial GWM product that still resembled an Isuzu KB intertwined with a Nissan Hardbody, the Steed Lux officially served as South Africa’s cheapest double cab bakkie in 2012 with the basic suite of items, despite the Lux moniker, being electric windows, a factory sound system, electric mirrors, air-conditioning but no airbags or ABS.

Renault Sandero Stepway created smash-hit model — *_{The original Stepway became a runaway success and helped set the template for what ultimately became an accomplished and much loved model.}*

Renault Sandero 1.6 Stepway – 64kW/128Nm – R149 900

The first real modern-day Dacia to find success in South Africa badged as a Renault, the original Sandero Stepway became such a hit with its mini off-roader-type looks, that it accounted for a significant chunk of the moniker’s sales soon after arriving on dealership floors.

Like the Logan from which it was spun-off, the rugged looks didn’t buy a lot of spec as it omitted a factory audio system, but it did came as standard with a trip computer, alloy wheels, front electric windows, electric mirrors, air-conditioning, ABS, EBD and a pair of airbags.

Third generation Honda Jazz a turning point for the moniker — *_{Second generation Jazz was the last to garner significant sales appeal as prices after that started to get high. Note: Higher-spec European model pictured.}*

Honda Jazz 1.3 Trend – 73kW/127Nm – R158 000

Unlike ten years later, in 2012, Honda was still a major player in South Africa with the Jazz being one of its standout models.

Introduced the year before, the versatile MPV-like hatch, now called Fit, sported not only the trademark Magic Rear Seats, but in entry-level Comfort spec, four airbags, electric front windows, alloy wheels, electric mirrors, all around electric windows and a multi-function steering wheel

Chevrolet Utility ultimately lost ground to the Nissan NP200 before GM left South Africa in 2017 — *_{Known as the Montana in South America and assembled from CKD kits in Nelson Mandela Bay, the Utility never came also to matching the success of the Opel/Chevrolet Corsa Utility that went before it.}*

Chevrolet Utility 1.8 Club – 77kW/161Nm – R152 600

At its unveiling the previous year, the Chevrolet Utility didn’t come with the same fanfare as its still much loved and missed predecessor, the Opel/Chevrolet Corsa Utility.

While still build at the plant Isuzu now calls its own in Nelson Mandela Bay, the Utility’s polarising looks derived from its home market of South America and less than sorted interior didn’t resonate with many buyers who gravitated towards the still-going-today Nissan NP200.

As a half-ton bakkie, the Club spec brought a factory sound system, air-conditioning and central locking, but bizarrely no ABS or airbags the lesser 1.4 Club came out with as standard.

Certain images sourced from favcars.com.