The top 10 most fuel-efficient cars in the country
If you want to save money at the pumps, these are the cars you should consider buying.
Picture: © pramotephotostock/123rf.com
Relebogile Mabotja speaks with Sean Claase, owner of Automotive South Africa.
Listen below.
Fuel economy is important to consider when buying a car.
If you are on the road often, you will definitely want to find a car that can help you save at the pumps.
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Choosing a car with lower horsepower can lower your impact on the environment and save you money in the long run.
Other factors such as engine parameters, aerodynamic drag, weight, and driving behaviours also affect fuel efficiency.
According to Claase, people should consider diesel cars if they are looking for something more fuel efficient.
“People should not really look too much into the exact number of litres per 100km, rather look at the vehicle as a whole.”
- Sean Claase, owner of Automotive South Africa
He adds that you should look at the road tests on the car if you want to get an accurate assessment of their fuel efficiency.
“It can look good on paper but you want something fit for purpose.”
- Sean Claase, owner of Automotive South Africa
That being said, these are the top 10 cars that are thought to be the most fuel efficient:
Renault Kwid Automatic 1.0
The Renault Kwid is a popular budget car, and the automatic’s fuel consumption figures are around 4.4 litres/100km.
Toyota Agya 1.0 Manual
Toyota has a reputation for fuel efficiency and the manual Agya’s consumption reportedly sits at 4.8 litres/100km.
Ford Fiesta 1.5 TDCi
The 1.5 TDCi turbo diesel engine is powerful enough to get you where you need to go, while claiming an impressive fuel consumption average of only 3.3 litres/100km.
Fiat 500 0.9
The latest variation of the Fiat 500 gives drivers a speedy and stylish car with a fuel efficiency of 4.5 litres/100km.
Nissan Micra Turbo
Nissan’s latest version of the mighty, but minute Micra boasts a claimed fuel consumption figure of 5.0 litres/100km.
Datsun Go 1.2 Lux Automatic
The Datsun Go had a rough start in the local market but the newest version fixed the bugs and reports a fuel consumption at only 5.2 litres/100km.
Hyundai i20 Active
The Hyundai i20 got an upgrade with the Active version, which claims fuel consumption of 5.0 litres/100km.
Toyota Starlet 1.4 XR
The automatic version of the Starlet isn’t as fuel efficient as its manual counterpart, but still competes with the best in the economical bunch at the petrol pump, coming in at 5.4 litres/100km.
Kia Picanto Manual
This car is both affordable and fuel efficient with a starting price well below R200 000 and fuel consumption of 5.0 litre/100km.
Volkswagen Polo GTI
The Polo GTI’s fuel consumption is slightly higher than others on the list at 5.9 litres/100km, but is powerful and light on fuel in the right hands.
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