11 cheapest six-cylinder passenger vehicles in SA

We recently discovered that buying a new vehicle equipped with a four-cylinder engine is by no means a guarantee that it will be cheap (check out our list of the 8 most expensive four-cylinder vehicles in SA for confirmation). But what if you want six cylinders … and want to pay as little as possible?

Well, we’ve had a search through South Africa’s new passenger vehicle market (take note that we’ve excluded commercial vehicles from this list) to unearth the 11 least expensive six-pot vehicles currently on offer. Needless to say, specifying a sixsome of cylinders can be an expensive exercise, but these are the cheapest currently out there…

1. Dodge Journey 3,6 R/T: R512 900

The cheapest six-cylinder new passenger vehicle in SA is the Dodge Journey equipped with a 3,6-litre V6. This engine is worth 206 kW and 353 N.m, which is sent to the front wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission.

2. Subaru Legacy 3,6 R-S Premium: R595 000

The horizontally opposed six-cylinder in the Legacy sedan sends 191 kW and 350 N.m to all four corners via Subaru’s surprisingly pleasant continuously variable transmission. The sprint to three figures takes a claimed 7,2 seconds.

3. Infiniti QX50 3,0d: R596 949

A turbodiesel SUV from Infiniti slots in at number three, with its oil-burning V6 churning out 175 kW and 550 N.m, which the Japanese automaker says is enough for a 7,9-second sprint to 100 km/h. Drive is to all four wheels via a seven-speed automatic transmission.

4. Jeep Wrangler 3,6L Sahara: R603 900

Like the Journey above, the Wrangler employs a 3,6-litre V6. But in this application, the naturally aspirated petrol engine makes 209 kW and 347 N.m, and is mated to an all-wheel-drive system via an old-school five-speed auto. The dash to 100 km/h? A claimed 8,9 seconds…

5. Subaru Outback 3,6 R-S Premium: R617 000

The flagship Outback shares its heart with the Legacy sedan above, and its peak outputs are thus identical. Thanks likely to its added heft, this Outback takes four-tenths longer (at 7,6 seconds) to hit 100 km/h from standstill.

6. Toyota FJ Cruiser: R622 700

There’s just a single derivative left in Toyota’s local FJ Cruiser line-up, and it’s powered by the Japanese brand’s familiar 4,0-litre V6. The free-breathing six-pot makes a pleasingly round 200 kW and 380 N.m, and comes connected to an all-wheel-drive system that includes low-range. Expect it to gallop to three figures in about 7,6 seconds.

7. BMW M140i 5-door: R640 726

The only hatch on this list, the M140i employs BMW’s familiar 3,0-litre inline-six, which sends its 250 kW and 500 N.m to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox (specifying an eight-speed auto will add a little more than R20 000 to the price). In stick-shift form, the M140i hits 100 km/h in a claimed 4,8 seconds.

8. Infiniti Q70 3,7 GT: R651 154

The second Infiniti on the list, this Q70 sedan derivative uses a 3,7-litre V6 worth 235 kW and 360 N.m, sent to the rear rubber via a seven-speed automatic transmission. The claimed dash to three figures? Some 6,2 seconds…

9. Jeep Cherokee 3,2L Limited: R658 900

This version of the Cherokee makes use of a V6 directing 200 kW and 315 N.m to the front wheels via a nine-speed automatic. The result is a claimed 8,1-second dash to 100 km/h.

10. BMW M240i coupé: R660 026

Sharing its 3,0-litre turbocharged inline-six with the M140i above, the coupé version makes 50 N.m less, but matches the 1 Series on its 0-100 km/h time when fitted with a manual gearbox.

11. Nissan 370Z coupé: R661 900

The final spot on the list belongs to the Nissan 370Z. The 3,7-litre V6 under this ageing model’s bonnet is mated to a six-speed manual transmission (going for the auto adds R19 000, in this case), and the Japanese automaker says it’ll reach three figures in 5,3 seconds.

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• 7 most fuel-efficient double-cab bakkies in SA
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• 5 cheapest automatics on SA’s new vehicle market
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• 5 most fuel-efficient cars we’ve recently tested
• 7 most fuel-efficient non-hybrid petrol cars in SA
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