OUR RATIONALE

Have you noticed a new trend of large-scale storage units popping up in and around town and each one being at capacity within a few weeks of opening? One assumes these are customers scaling down their living arrangements who are not yet willing to offload excess furniture or goods in the process. Indeed, friends of mine are now living in a small flat that is less of a commute to their respective offices and have their surplus items in storage. Their longterm plan is that once they reach retirement age, they will once again purchase a house before collecting their precious possessions.

Regarding scaling down and that dreaded weekly commute to office or campus, with the price of fuel at a record high, many people are having to reconsider the wisdom of filling a tank, only for this commodity to disappear out the exhaust while they’re sitting in seemingly endless daily congestion. As with homes, South Africans are finding ways to scale down on the costs associated with running a vehicle.

The powertrains featured in this trio of compact hatches incorporate designs from the early 2000s, prior to the trend of downsizing traditional fourcylinder engines to three- or even two-cylinder units. Despite the distinct characteristics of these new downsized motors, including the off-beat thrum of a ‘triple’, many motorists still prefer the more refined workings of a four-cylinder. From the earlier, thirstier days of four-cylinder motors, which relied on carburettors, to compact, modern units that use fuel injection, the average fuel consumption figures associated with these powertrains has lowered from more than 9,0 L/100 km to, in some cases, less than 6,0 L/100 km.