South African price comparison platform VehicleSA calculated that the cheapest hatchback to drive is the Toyota Vitz, while the cheapest SUV is the Kia Sportage, based on an average mileage of over 1,150 km.
The group predicted that as fuel prices continue to rise and household budgets tighten, South Africans are likely to shift their focus from a car’s purchase price to its running costs.
VehicleSA Managing Director Antoine Caradonna said that consumers are starting to pay more attention to fuel consumption than they did before.
“While electric vehicles are attracting interest, they remain out of reach for many budgets. Buyers are now asking a more practical question: Can I afford to drive this car every day?” said Caradonna.
VehicleSA has launched a fuel cost calculator for consumers to calculate potential monthly fuel costs depending on the average number of kilometres driven per month.
The fuel cost calculator takes into account the vehicle’s brand, model, and variant, and the monthly distance ranges from 100 km to 5000 km.
“Unlike traditional comparison tools that rely on fuel consumption figures alone, the calculator converts those figures into a real monthly rand amount based on current fuel prices and individual driving distance,” said Caradonna.
Based on an average monthly driving distance of 1,250 km and current fuel prices, the platform also calculates the cheapest cars to drive across a range of vehicle types.
“In the hatchback segment, models like the Toyota Vitz and Suzuki Celerio cost around R1,398 per month to fuel, while others, such as the Renault Kwid, rise to about R1,631,” said VehicleSA.
“Over time, that difference becomes substantial, with the most efficient models saving drivers more than R7,000 per year in fuel alone.”
Cheapest hatchbacks to run (Assuming a vehicle owner drives 1,250 km/month at R26.63/litre, inland 95 UL)
| Rank | Model | From | L/100 km | Monthly fuel cost |
| 1 | Toyota Vitz | R180,600 | 4.2 | R1,398 |
| 2 | Suzuki Celerio | R188,900 | 4.2 | R1,398 |
| 3 | Suzuki Swift | R228,900 | 4.4 | R1,465 |
| 4 | Suzuki S-Presso | R178,900 | 4.4 | R1,465 |
| 5 | Renault Kwid | R178,799 | 4.9 | R1,631 |
A similar trend appears with crossovers. The Renault Kiger is among the most economical, costing about R1,664 per month, whereas larger or less efficient models can exceed this by over R300 monthly in fuel expenses.
“Even within the same brand, moving up a model range can significantly increase your fuel spend,” said Caradonna.
Cheapest crossovers to run (Assuming a vehicle owner drives 1,250 km/month at R26.63/litre petrol / R31.18/litre diesel).
| Rank | Model | From | L/100 km | Monthly fuel cost |
| 1 | Renault Kiger | R219,999 | 4.9 | R1,664 |
| 2 | Suzuki Across | R349,900 | 5.0 | R1,764 |
| 3 | Tata Punch | R244,900 | 5.3 | R1,764 |
| 4 | Nissan Magnite | R252,200 | 5.3 | R1,764 |
| 5 | Volkswagen Taigo | R514,500 | 5.4 | R1,798 |
VehicleSA’s data indicates that in high-volume segments like hatchbacks and crossovers, the choice of model can significantly influence monthly expenses more than many buyers expect.
Cheapest SUVs to run (Assuming a vehicle owner drives 1,150 km/month at R26.63/litre petrol / R31.18/litre diesel)
| Rank | Model | From | L/100 km | Monthly fuel cost |
| 1 | Kia Sportage | R662,995 | 5.0 | R1,793 |
| 2 | Mercedes-Benz GLC | R1,194,200 | 5.1 | R1,829 |
| 3 | Kia Sportage | R232,995 | 6.3 | R1,929 |
| 4 | Toyota RAV 4 | R719,800 | 6.5 | R1,991 |
| 5 | Proton X90 | R559,900 | 6.8 | R2,082 |
Cheapest double cab bakkies to run (Assuming a vehicle owner drives 1,150 km/month at R26.63/litre petrol / R31.18/litre diesel)
| Rank | Model | From | L/100 km | Monthly fuel cost |
| 1 | Ford Ranger | R621,000 | 6.8 | R2,438 |
| 2 | Toyota Hilux | R577,700 | 7.1 | R2,546 |
| 3 | Volkswagen Amarok | R669,700 | 7.1 | R2,546 |
| 4 | Peugeot Landtrek | R454,900 | 7.1 | R2,546 |
| 5 | Nissan Navara | R493,600 | 7.2 | R2,582 |
