In a previous post I had a trip down memory lane about the Ford Cortina in South Africa. Today, I will be exploring if there is an automatic car, brand new, available for under R200k in South Africa.
A new car, “out of the box”, comes with benefits like a warranty, often with a service plan and many times also with a maintenance plan. I’d say it is well-known that automatic cars are more expensive than their manual siblings, but is there an auto shifter available for under R200k?
A search on websites with car prices indicates there is 1 (one) available, with an Automated Manual Transmission (AMT).
The Suzuki S-Presso 1.0 GL AMT has a price tag of R192,900.
What do you get for about R193k in short?
- 5-speed AMT
- 1 litre engine
- Steering wheel controls
- ABS with EBD
- 27 litres fuel tank
- 239 litres boot space
- Manual aircon
- Front electric windows
- Dual front airbags
The Suzuki S-Presso includes a 2 year / 30 000 km service plan for all deal models. All variants of the S-Presso include a 5 year / 200 000 Km warranty.
The alternative, a used car, automatic, with some of the warranty and/or service plan remaining. There are many available, and many of those are Suzuki S-Presso cars.
Searching Cars.co.za for automatic vehicles between R150k and R200k, 2024 and newer, gives currently 274 results. A lot less if you do not look at the Suzuki S-Presso.
There is for example a Renault Kwid Auto for R160k:
A Hyundai Grand i10 Auto for R170k:
A Nissan Magnite AMT for just-just under R200k:
…and many more.
In my subjective experience, Suzuki vehicles are quality vehicles for you what you pay, and the Suzuki warranty gives a good measure of peace of mind. If I needed a new automatic car, and I don’t need a bigger car, I would go for a brand-new S-Presso instead of a used vehicle from another brand.