More often than not, we are provided with stark reminders of how unsafe South African roads are. Buying a new car on a budget shouldn’t mean you have to compromise on your personal safety – here is a list of South Africa’s Top 5 safest cars under R270 000.
In 2021, South Africa recorded an alarming 12 541 road fatalities and according to the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC), there are 11 726 476 registered vehicles that make use of national infrastructure. With a growing vehicle population in our developing economy, more people are moving away from public transport and buying entry-level cars. Based on the aforementioned numbers, it is worth selecting a new car that has moderate safety measures as standard.
DRIVEN: Fiat 500 C 0,9 Dolcevita
With information provided by the Entry-Level Vehicle Safety Report (ELVS) courtesy of the AA, a list of thirty-eight vehicles within our local market were compared with the safety features that are included as standard. It is important to note that the ELVS does not consider the structural integrity of the driver and passenger compartment and that these findings do not provide a definitive measure of a vehicle’s safety which can only be determined through crash-testing.
“The purpose of the research is to provide consumers with a starting point for vehicle purchases, be they new or second-hand. We point out what safety features are stated as being available on these vehicles and urge consumers to consider these a priority as part of their decision-making process,” says the AA.
The scoring system was divided into three categories: Acceptable Safety, Moderate Safety, and Poor Safety. In terms of true safety points attained, points of 20 or less are considered as having ‘poor’ safety. Safety points between 20 and 50 can be considered as having ‘moderate’ safety, and safety points of 50 and above can be considered as having ‘acceptable’ safety. Have a look at the breakdown below to see which models and makes offer the most and least amount of safety under the R270 000 price bracket.
“The fact that so many vehicles offer moderate or acceptable safety is extremely encouraging and indicates that manufacturers are taking the presence of critical vehicle safety equipment seriously. This is a good trend, and we hope to see even fewer vehicles in the poor category in the years ahead,” says the AA.
Here is an ordered list of South Africa’s Top 5 safest cars under R270 000
- Fiat 500 0.9L FWD SMT
- Suzuki Celerio 1.0 GA MT
- Suzuki Swift 1.2 Manual
- Suzuki Dzire 1.2 Manual
- Suzuki Baleno 1.4 Manual
The Italian citycar claimed the top spot while the remaining places were dominated by affordable Suzuki products – crucial information for prospective buyers. For more information on the scorecard and a detailed approach to the scoring, read more at the full ELVS report here.
