Our roads are full of vehicles like the Suzuki Swift, Mazda Axela, and Ford Ranger, but what options do you have if you really want to stand out from the crowd?
We’ve put together a list of cars that don’t really follow the design status quo, and are available for under $20,000.
Citroen C4 Cactus
The Citroen C4 Cactus is a small SUV and started life back in 2015 with two engine variants - a 1.2 turbocharged manual and a turbocharged 1.6 diesel with a six-speed ETG6 automatic gearbox.
The French car draws a lot of attention to itself due to its avant-garde styling, which includes manual ‘pop-out’ windows and large air bump trims constructed from thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), which clad the exterior of the vehicle and are filled with air to absorb minor impacts. The Cactus was also one of the first vehicles to include ceiling-mounted airbags to help accommodate a stylish glove box.
Examples of the C4 Cactus manufactured between 2015 and 2017 are available for between $12,000 and $20,000.
Alfa Romeo 159
The Alfa Romeo 159 is a striking midsized saloon which replaced the stylish 156 whilst maintaining the Italian manufacturer’s unmistakable triangular grill. In 2012, its final year of production, the 159 saloon was available as a 1.8l turbocharged manual capable of 147kw at 5000rpm, or with a Q-Tronic 2.4l turbocharged diesel engine capable of 147kW at 4000rpm.
If you require extra space, the 159 is also available as a station wagon, with either the aforementioned turbocharged diesel engine or with a much thirstier 3.2 litre V6, which produces 191 Kw at 6200rpm and consumes 12.3l per 100km.
The Alfa Romeo 159 is available on the used market today for between $10,000 and $15,000.
Suzuki Ignis 2018
Ironically derived from the Latin word for ‘fire’, the Suzuki Ignis is a micro SUV that looks small from the outside but has an abundance of space once you get inside.
There’s no doubt that the Ignis stays loyal to the Suzuki heritage - the slits in the c-pillars are taken right out of the 1970’s Fronte coupé, and the headlight positioning is inspired by the first generation Cervo.
While the Ignis’ power isn’t going to break any records, all variants are nice and economical – the GLX & LTD models both come with a CVT gearbox and a 1.2l engine which produces 66kW @6000RPM and burns 4.9l per 100km. The GLX is also available in manual and is slightly more efficient, capable of just 4.7l over 100km.
You can buy a new Suzuki Ignis today from $18,990 (+ORC).
Smart Fortwo
Smart, a division of German multinational corporation Daimler AG, introduced what’s now known as the Fortwo back in 1998, and it proved to be quite popular in busy cities across Europe thanks to a wheelbase of just 1810mm.
Strangely it was originally a joint venture between watchmaker Swatch and Mercedes (Swatch Mercedes ART), and the car is currently in its third generation and offers several engine options including two petrol turbocharged variants and a diesel.
If you’re interested buying a used EV, there are some examples of Smart’s Fortwo Electric Drive available in New Zealand. Initially, Tesla provided the lithium-ion battery with a 17.6 kilowatt-hours capacity, which was capable of the range of 135 kilometres of range (NEDC) on a fully charged battery.
Depending on which variant you choose, you can buy a Smart Fortwo for anything between $7,000 for the 1.0l petrol and $18,000 for the EV.