Juliet McGuire tests a trio of budget cars

Cars.co.za

Aug 21st, 2017

Experienced Cars.co.za contributor and Cars.co.za Consumer Awards judge Juliet McGuire reviews the Suzuki Ignis, Kia Picanto and Tata Bolt. The 3 budget-positioned new cars offer crossover, city car and supermini transport solutions, are well-specced and have low running costs.

First up is the Suzuki Ignis. With its quirky looks, funky interior and plucky 1.2-litre engine, the recently-launched Ignis crossover has bucketloads of character. It is compact, yet surprisingly spacious and the engine delivers strong performance, yet the overall efficiency is remarkable. In this video, Juliet presents a detailed look at the Ignis' engine, interior, luggage space and fuel economy. Plus, we compare the newcomer to the Sandero Stepway and Volkswagen Cross Up!

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Meanwhile, with the arrival of the all-new third-generation Picanto, Kia's budget car has remained the same size (which is somewhat out of the ordinary when a range is replaced), but the Korean brand's top-selling city car has gained a youthful exterior design, while the interior has been enhanced with better space utilisation and a host of new technological features.

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Lastly, Indian auto giant Tata has been promising a product overhaul for some time now, and while there is a lot more still to come, Cars.co.za recently had the opportunity to sample the Indian brand's Bolt compact hatchback for an extended test period. How big of an improvement does the Bolt represent compared with its cheap, but unrefined, predecessors? And, given stiff competition from more proven brands, should you consider the Bolt at all? Juliet investigates...