Fuel efficient cars in Kenya: Good driving habits and regular servicing of your car are the first steps to achieving good fuel economy.
Secondly any car with an engine capacity of between 1000cc to 1800cc, Variable Valve Timing , and start/stop technology ( switches off the engine when the car comes to a stop and starts the engine again when the brake pedal is released) is guaranteed to offer you good fuel economy if serviced well, loaded as recommended and driven well.
Well here is a list of fuel efficient cars in Kenya that you should consider if you intend to maximize your savings on fuel on a car for personal use.
There is a very long list of fuel efficient cars in Kenya that we can talk about but let us limit our list to the most common ones.
1 .2012 Toyota Prius v
Retailing for between Ksh.900,000 to Ksh.1,050,000
This is a full hybrid car. This means that it integrates an electric motor and a petrol engine. The technology used in it allows it to accelerate from 0Km/h to 24Km/h solely powered by electricity.
This makes it the perfect option for you if you manouever heavy city traffic frequently. On higher speeds or during heavy acceleration it switches to the petrol engine.
READ MORE: Best cars under Sh. 500,000 to buy in Kenya
2. 2012 Honda Insight
Retailing for between Ksh.800,000 to 950,000
This is yet another full hybrid car in the Kenyan market.It is a cheaper alternative to the Toyota Prius v, However it offers less space and fewer driving modes compared to the 2012 Toyota Prius v, but it will still guarantee you good savings when it comes to cost of fueling.
3. The popular super minis: Honda Fit, Mazda Demio and Toyota Vitz.
Retailing at between Ksh.600,000 to Ksh 650,000
These cars fall into a common category; City cars. They are relatively small in size and come in relatively small engines (from 1000cc) but the best would be either the 1300cc or 1500cc. One thing about small engines is that they are not suited for a heavy load. If you haul 5 grown men or Women (driver included) who are 65 kgs and above and decide to go to Naivasha, the fuel consumption will be rediculously high esp on your way back. This is because most of the time your gas pedal will be pushed to the floor and the car will mostly cruise on second or even first gear.
They will offer you amazing fuel economy if you travel alone or with your family ( 2-3) kids. These cars are not the best to haul heavy loads.
I have done a detailed review on these cars that will help you choose the best super mini among them.
Other fuel efficient cars in Kenya in this class that also offer good fuel economy include, Toyota Ist, Peugeot 206, Suzuki Swift, Nissan Note, Toyota Passo, Mazda Verisa.
4. Toyota Auris, Nissan Tiida, Toyota Passo Sette, Honda Fit Shuttle, Toyota Rumion.
Retailing for Ksh 850,000 to Ksh 1,000,000
These are slightly larger than their super mini counterparts. However their engines are similar. Their larger bodies compromise their fuel economy making it slightly lower than that of the super minis due to their larger hence heavier bodies.
5. Toyota Corolla Axio, Nissan Bluebird Sylphy, Toyota Premio, Honda Civic, Mazda Axella, Subaru Impreza Anesis(Non-Turbo)
Retailing for between Ksh1,050,000 to Ksh 1,300,000
These are saloon cars whose engine capacity ranges from 1500cc to 1800cc. Their fuel consumption is quite okay when driven well, however it can be very high if not serviced well or driven badly (Heavy acceleration and heavy braking)
6. Toyota Corolla Fielder, Honda Airwave, Nissan Wingroad, Nissan Ad, Toyota Probox
Retailing for between Ksh 550,000 to Ksh 1,300,000
These are station wagons that offer you that extra luggage space.
Their engines range from 1300cc to 1800cc.
Just like their counterparts, their fuel consumption is good when driven well and when not under heavy load.
When you decide to move some heavy luggage on these cars, your fuel budget will have to go up. Speeding and not servicing these vehicles well will also lead to high fuel consumption.
Please note that cost of fuel is not the only thing you should look at when buying a car. There are many other recurrent expenses that you should look at.
Always remember, driving responsibly does not only get you home safe, but also saves you some money on fuel.
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