What Are Small Cars?
A compact car Is a vehicle size class predominantly used in North America that sits between subcompact cars and mid-size cars. “Small family car” is a British term and a part of the C-segment in the European car classification.
Many people consider small cars to be a modern evolution of the automobile, but tiny cars have been manufactured since the 1940s. The reasons manufacturers produce small cars are varied but satisfy public demand for a small, affordable, economical form of transportation. We will examine the types of small cars historically as well as their modern counterparts.
The classification of small cars ranges from microcars to mini cars, subcompacts, minicompacts, and compact cars. This genre of vehicles has spawned some iconic cars and offerings from manufacturers of modern luxury vehicles. These cars made motoring accessible to a wider range of the public.
Cheap Small Cars In South Africa?
Suzuki S-Presso 1.0GL – from R169,900
Suzuki recently introduced an updated S-Presso in South Africa and it’s ideal for first-time car buyers looking for a quirky hatchback. The S-Presso is powered by a 49 kW/89 Nm 1.0-litre petrol engine and can be had with either a 5-speed manual or 5-speed automated manual transmission.
The S-Presso is offered in 3 trim grades including GL, GL+, and S-Edition. Pricing starts from R169 900 and goes up to R208 900 for the range-topping S-Presso S-Edition automatic.
- Suzuki Celerio 1.2 GL Auto – from R183,900
A Suzuki Celerio arrived in South Africa in 2022 to entice local buyers and it remains a popular choice in the budget car segment.
The Celerio is powered by a 3-cylinder 1.0-litre engine that offers 49 kW and 89 Nm of torque. A 5-speed manual transmission does service in the Celerio, but you can have the Celerio in a 5-speed automatic guise too.
The base-spec Celerio 1.0 GA is priced at R183 900 but the higher-spec Celerio 1.0 GL is priced at R204 900 while the automatic derivative is priced at R219 900.
- Renault Kwid 1.0 Climber Auto – from R184,999
The Renault Kwid is proving to be quite popular locally and it’s by far the best-selling model for Renault in South Africa.
The Kwid is powered by a 3-cylinder, 1.0-litre petrol engine with 50 kW and 91 Nm of torque. The range starts with the Kwid 1.0 Life priced from R184 999. The higher-spec Kwid Zen is priced from R194 999. A range-topping Kwid Climber is also on offer with pricing starting at R205 999. Renault also offers an Automated Manual Transmission (AMT) for the Zen and Climber trim lines in addition to a 5-speed manual transmission.
- Toyota Vitz 1.0 XR – from R189,900
Yes, it’s based on the new Suzuki Celerio as part of the Toyota-Suzuki product alliance, and the Vitz is powered by a 3-cylinder 1.0-litre engine with 49 kW and 89 Nm of torque. A 5-speed manual transmission and 5-speed automatic is available. Pricing for the Vitz starts from R189 900 and goes up to R239 900 for the Vitz 1.0 XR automatic.
- Suzuki Swift 1.2 GL – from R194, 900
The Suzuki Swift has been lighting up the sales charts in South Africa and is currently one of the best-selling cars in the country, and for good reason. It’s well-priced and offers good value in the budget car segment. The Swift is powered by a 1.2-litre petrol engine with 61 kW and 113 Nm of torque and can be had with either a 5-speed manual or a 5-speed automated manual transmission.
How Long Is A Small Car In Meters?
The average length of a small car (with a length (mm) x width (mm) between 7501-8300mm) in this part of the vehicular market falls somewhere between 3.5m and 4m long.