When the Clean Car Discount kicked in on April 1 this year, DRIVEN revealed that the Suzuki Baleno 1.4 GLX manual became the cheapest new car in the country.
But, Suzuki has announced the Baleno (the automaker's 4th top-selling vehicle) has been axed from its lineup to make room for a new model.
This means New Zealand has a new cheapest new car!
From April, the Discount scheme expanded to include all vehicles on sale, not just those that plug in. It means that low emissions vehicles (below 146g/km) now also receive a rebate proportional to how far below the baseline they fall, while vehicles above 196g/km will attract a fine (also proportional) that’s payable after registration. That leaves a 146-196g “zero band” in the middle where there are no rebates or fines.
And that’s just the start, as the Programme is set to evolve over the next few years. You can read more on just what the update means for customers and dealers here.
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So with more vehicles being included in the Discount Scheme, Suzuki's Baleno 1.4 GLX manual, became New Zealand's cheapest new car.
But now that Suzuki has axed the Baleno from its lineup, we have a new cheapest new vehicle.
The Mitsubishi Mirage XLS comes in at just $17,963.62 after a $2,026.38 rebate, making it New Zealand's new cheapest new car.
Of course, this is always changing. Prices have been volatile over the last few years with automakers facing hurdles with chip shortages, supply issues, and the pandemic. It's also relatively difficult to calculate, with different rebates applying to different cars, meaning there are some cars that may be cheaper than we thought.
But, we've done the research, and we've put together a list of cars that fall under the $20k mark.
Here are all the new cars you can buy for under $20k (spoiler, the list is very short).
Mitsubishi Mirage XLS: 17,963.62 (after $2,026.38 rebate)
Kia Picanto LX Manual: $18,067 (after $1,923 rebate)
Suzuki Swift GL Manual: $19,396.55 (after $2,593.45 rebate)
Suzuki Ignis GLX Manual: $19,499.66 (after $2,490.34 rebate)
MG MG3 Auto Core: $19,990 (carbon neutral, no rebate)
An honourable mention has to go to the Fiat 500 Lounge, which comes in just over $20k, at $20,705.86 after a $2,284.14 rebate.