Phuti Mpyane

Phuti Mpyane

Reports of the fuel price reduction do not seem to catch the same buzz as the opposite scenario - the fuel price increase. But looking at it from a new Ssangyong Actyon customer perspective, this is great news.

I say this because certain dealers are running the now fashionable "free fuel with a new car purchase" special. It's quite legitimate and where Ssangyong is concerned, the company has dangled a R1500 fuel carrot on any new Ssangyong Actyon bought.

Calculations of that amount and the car's claimed average fuel consumption suggest an estimated 13500km that Ssangyong will pay you to drive. Sounds like a sweet deal to me.

The running special on the Citroen hatchback must mean there's a new model on the way. There are plenty of demo models with less than 50000km on their clocks going for a staggeringly low R134995.

There are also service and warranty plans.

Another brand that's serious about selling its cars is Proton.

Initial reluctance on the part of potential consumers seems to be fading as more and more of these honest cars are doing the rounds.

The Satria Neo variants seem quite popular, while the smaller Proton Savvy has its fair share of representation in South African homes. However, the Arena bakkie seems almost obscure as I haven't come across one in a very long time. Regardless, economy-minded customers are more than welcome and the Malay car's local dealers have sprung up some enticing deals that include NO DEPOSIT finance schemes on low mileage examples.