The cheapest new cars available in NZ
Nile Bijoux looks at the cars that give the best bang for your buck, when taking into account the Clean Car Discount.
Before the Clean Car Programme (CCP) affected all new vehicles under $80,000 and not just EVs and plug-in hybrids, the cheapest car on the market was the MG3 hatchback. But now that a great many more cars are eligible for a rebate, the little MG’s status is under threat.
After April 1, this year, the CCP rebate opened up to every low-emission vehicle under the $80,000 threshold with a safety rating of three stars or more on the Rightcar website.
Any new car that emits between 57 and 146g/km of CO2 will attract a rebate calculated by taking the full amount of $7500+GST and deducting the result of ‘‘emissions X $50 X 130/145’’. This means a car that emits 123g/km of CO will get a
2 rebate of $1987+GST.
Considering most cars $30,000 and under will be sitting here (which are generally those considered ‘‘affordable’’) we thought we’d take a look at which new cars in this bracket represent the best deal, going off manufacturer pricing at the time of writing.
Right off the bat, the Suzuki Swift is swinging for the fences. The base GL with a manual transmission, the cheapest Swift on offer right now, starts at $21,990 plus on-road costs, and gets a healthy $2593.45 rebate on the first registration. That means it comes in at $19,396.55, before on-roads. The auto is less of a steal with a $23,990 starting price and a smaller $2335.69 rebate.
Also check out the Ignis GLX, the manual version starts at $21,990 with a $2490.34 rebate ($19,499.66 total).
The MG3 starts at $20,990 including on-roads, but thanks to an old-school fourspeed automatic transmission, the engine spits out enough CO2 to put it into the 147 to 192g/km ‘‘zero band’’. That means it doesn’t incur a fee nor is it eligible for a rebate, as well as pushing it above the entry-level Swift.
Toyota’s Yaris starts at $28,290 in GX trim, but with a $2129.48 rebate, it goes down to $26,160.52.
Opting for a hybrid means a $31,290 sticker price and a $4294.66 rebate for a grand total of $26,995.34.
Similarly, the Honda Jazz Life kicks off at $28,000, down to $26,850 with a $1150 rebate. The hybrid Jazz doesn’t get below $30,000 even with a $4140 rebate. It pays to mention, Toyota and Honda include on-road costs in their pricing.
The somewhat ageing Mitsubishi Mirage puts up a good fight, with an official listed price of $19,990 and a rebate of $2026.38. That actually makes it the cheapest so far, with a total price of $17,963.62, although ORCs are extra.
Kia’s Picanto LX can be had for as little as $19,990 plus ORCs with the five-speed manual, which also pulls a rebate of $1923 for an end price of $18,067. It is on indent order, however, while the four-speed automatic looks to be in stock but asks a higher price of $20,990 and doesn’t get any rebate. The Stonic small SUV goes for $25,990 with no rebate.
Mazda’s cheapest offering remains the Mazda2 in SP15 trim, with a $27,990 sticker price and a $1562 rebate available for $26,482 total.
The SsangYong Tivoli Sport also comes in at $26,990 with no rebate.
Of course, all these prices could change next year as the Clean Car Standard comes into full effect at the beginning the year. It will push local distributors into lowering their fleet CO2 levels or otherwise be taxed.
Waka Kotahi says the regulations that set the formulas for the weight adjustment of targets, specify the types of vehicles excluded from the policy, and other details related to the Standard are expected to be available later this month, so we should know more about any potential price adjustments in the very near future.