Cars
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ByJowi Morales/
If you're looking for a brand-new budget car, you'd probably have thought of the Nissan Versa, which is a pretty good car that starts at $16,680. Or perhaps you're thinking ofthe subcompact Mitsubishi Mirage hatchback, which starts at $16,695, but has less than stellar reviews. These sub-$20,000 prices might be extremely affordable for a car in the U.S., but this is not true for the rest of the world — especially for emerging markets.
Many car makers have made models specifically tailored for markets where many don't have that much buying power. All of these cars fall under $10,000, but we're excluding models that you cannot take on the freeway. We also have a mix of EVs and ICE-powered cars, showing how electric vehicles have gone a long way to gain price parity with gasoline cars.
Furthermore, many of these models are sold in different territories, so their prices will vary. Nevertheless, the purchase price we list is the ballpark figure that the car usually sells at from the dealer across the globe, unless the country has an egregious excise tax on cars, and isn't taking into account any other dealer markup.
Suzuki S-Presso
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Suzuki is known in the U.S. as a motorcycle manufacturer, and it makes some of the fastest 1000cc bikes in 2024, like the GSX-R1000R. But for those who remember the off-road car market in the '80s and '90s, they would've remembered the Suzuki Samurai and other Suzuki SUVs. The Suzuki S-Presso is another affordable SUV from Suzuki, with an affordable price oraround $9,935 USD (178,900 ZAR in its home country of South Africa).
The Suzuki S-Presso is basically a Suzuki Alto — one of the most awesome 80s cars most of us don't remember — on steroids. This little car has a one-liter engine that outputs 67 horsepower and delivers 67 lb-ft of torque,and is paired to either a five-speed manual or auto-manual transmission. Even though this car is just considered a five-door hatchback city car, and is only available in front-wheel drive, its 180 mm minimum ground clearance is pretty tall, allowing it to safely go over light floods and potholes. However, we cannot deny its diminutive size, especially with its tiny dimensions140 x 60 x 62 inches.
Depending on the trim you get, the S-Presso comes with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, allowing you to enjoy your phone's features while you're driving. It's small engine and relatively light weight —less than 2,600 pounds— means it has great fuel efficiency, with the car capable of hitting 53 mpg.
Renault Kwid
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The Renault Kwid is another SUV-esque city car that competes with the S-presso, although it's a tad bit larger The nameplate first arrived on the scene in the 2014 Delhi Auto Expo as a futuristic concept car, with a drone, butterfly doors, and off-road tires that's aimed at young buyers. However, reality set in, and the Kwid you can buy today is an affordable five-door hatchback without any of the fancy features from the concept.
Nevertheless, the Kwid is still an excellent city car for its price. The base trim RXE 1.0L starts at $5,638.65 USD, while the most expensive Climber 1.0 AMT DT will only set you back $7,726.66 in India (469,000 Indian Rupees). Despite its low price, all trim models get several safety features, like a traction control system and tire pressure monitoring systems. Buyers can also choose between five single-tone and five two-tone colors, allowing you to pick the perfect color that will fit your personality.
This little car's one-liter engine can output 67 horsepower and 67 lb-ft of torque, which is about the same output as the Suzuki S-Presso. However, it's larger size at 147 x 62 x 58 inches means that it will probably be a tad slower than the latter.
Tata Tiago
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Tata was once the king of cheap cars, with the Nano selling for $2,500 when it was new. However, it has since gone out of production and is now replaced by the Tata Tiago. This hatchback city car starts at just $6,772, but is larger than the Renault Kwid at 148 x 66 x 60 inches. It also has a larger 1.2-liter engine, pushing out 85 horsepowerand 83 lb-ft of torque.
However, the Tiago can drop its price by cutting out non-essentials to its most basic model. For example, to get the most affordable version of the Tiago, you'll have to choose the XE trim:This trim doesn't include a radio, and only comes with manual windows and 14-inch steel rims. Nevertheless, it does have some safety features, like ISOFIX safety tethers in the seats, rear parking sensors, and three-point seatbelts for all seats.
If you want creature comforts like power windows, a touchscreen infotainment system, and an automatic transmission, the price goes up to $12,416, which is quite a jump from less-than-$7,000 base price. Nevertheless, if you just need a car that will take you from A to B, the Tiago is a good option for those on a budget.
Maruti Suzuki Alto K10
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Suzuki has another entry in our most affordable cars list — this time in partnership with the Indian government — with the Maruti Suzuki Alto K10. This hatchback is even smaller than the already tiny S-Presso, with its length, width, and height at 139 x 59 x 60 inches. Both cars use the same K10 engine, but the Alto K10 outputs 66 horsepower and 66 lb-ft of torque — about 1 horsepower less than the larger Suzuki. However, since this vehicle is also smaller, you can expect it to have better mileage at 58 mpg.
The base model LXI starts at $5,795 with a manual transmissionand no radio, although you get reverse parking sensors and a digital speedometer. The top-of-the-line VXI+ AGS trim starts at $6,953, which is just a little bit over the base trim of the Tata Tiago. This car comes with features like an automatic transmission, a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, steering mounted controls, and an advanced trip computer.
Although the Alto K10 is the smallest cheap car to come out of India, it comes with a lot of value. This makes it a tempting offer for your buyers who don't have the much cash to spare or can't afford a high monthly amortization.
Wuling Mini EV
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China has a booming EV market, and it's not just premium cars like Tesla that sell well there. In fact, the country is dominating the EV battery market because of the local EV demand, so it's no surprise to us that one of the most affordable cars you can buy today is an EV from China.
This car is the Wuling Mini EV, which starts at $4,730. You can even go lower for this car if you're willing to pay for a monthly battery subscription, meaning its initial cost will drop to $2,850 — but then you'll have to pay a monthly fee of $29 for five years. This little EV only seats two people, and measures 115 x 59 x 64 inches in size.
It has a single electric motor that delivers 27 horsepower and 63 lb-ft of torque, and you can pick a battery that will deliver a range between 120 to 170 kilometers (or 75-106 miles), and a top speed of 100 kph — 62 mph. While these numbers might not be much, it's good enough for a daily commute in the city. And because of its low price, it's easily accessible to many buyers, making the Wuling Mini EV the best-selling car in China.
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