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The cars that dominated 2023
A Volkswagen Tiguan is reliable and unique for a car of its classification.
What you need to know:
- The motor vehicle industry is one that becomes interesting every other year.
For many motorists, owning a car is a necessity and while the economy has hit some the hard way, many have fulfilled their dreams of owning a car this year. These were among the favourites.
The motor vehicle industry is one that becomes interesting every other year. It can be summarised in one statement; when one brand manufacturer releases car that is well received, another brand immediately comes up with a competing similar car with the same features.
For example, when Toyota released the seven-seater 4WD Vanguard, Mitsubishi also came up with a seven-seater 4WD Outlander whose price tag was lower than the Vanguard, just like the Ford Raptor is giving the Toyota Hilux a run for its money. Because of this, motorists have adopted many other brands which have also proved reliable.
These are some of the cars motorists bought the most in 2023.
Subaru Forester, Outback and Imprezza
Subaru outback
Saeed Bilal, a sales manager at Yuasa Investments Limited, says the Subaru Forester has overtaken the Toyota Harrier, RAV4 and the Toyota Vanguard when it comes to mid-range sport utility vehicles (SUVs). They are all SUVs and have 4WD systems and cost between Shs65m to Shs70m, while the engine size was at an average 2400cc.
“The Subaru Forester 2010 model came in as an alternative to the Harrier, RAV4 and Vanguard because it is also an SUV, is raised and runs on a lower engine size of 2000cc compared to the Harrier with 2400cc and 3000cc. Its cost was almost 30 percent cheaper than its competitors,” Bilal says, adding that the Subaru Legacy B4 has also been popular because it is more luxurious and stylish, especially to the corporates.
The Toyota Axio and Allion
With the cessation of once popular cars such as the Spacio, emerging new entrants such as the Toyota Allion, Axio, Passo Sette and the Toyota Sienta have become darlings to motorists who prefer cars with low fuel consumption and pocket friendly maintenance costs. All these cost less than Shs40m at different car bonds.
Volkswagen Tiguan
Some of the popular compact SUVs of 2022 included cars such as the Harrier and RAV4. However, trends have since changed and some motorists now prefer smaller mini-SUVs, which is where the Volkswagen comes. It is a strong car, has a smaller engine size of 2000cc and is reliable and unique for a car of its classification.
“It is heavier and stable on the road. It is also fairly cheaper compared to the ML and Volvo and has a number of safety features,” says William Kawuma, who owns a Tiguan.
Also, the fact that Volkswagen opened assembling plants in Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda puts Uganda at the centre of the three countries which has promoted the German car brand. The Tiguan comes in two models; the 2008 to 2012, which has 2000cc and costs between Shs40m and Shs55m. The 2015 to 2018 models cost between Shs65m and Shs85m.
The Nissan X-Trail
Previously, the Nissan X-Trail was not popular because of suspension problems and the fact that it was hard to find its spare parts.
There has, however, been a turnaround due to improved features such as the seven seater capacity in some models, as well as the 4WD and enough legroom for a car of its size.
The two extra foldable seats are at the rear.
It is also well raised and has a strong suspension and costs between Shs42m and Shs47m, which is a fair price for a compact SUV.
Toyota Fielder
The Toyota Fielder has been quite popular throughout 2023. Initially, it was the Toyota Premio but according to Richard Kabuye, a car dealer, motorists have realised that the Fielder also has a high resale value and is better when it comes to fuel consumption compared to the Premio, much as the two cars have similar aspects.
Cars to look out for in 2024
Eric Amadi, a car enthusiast and mechanic, says the Subaru Forester is expected to gain popularity in 2024 because it runs on a relatively smaller engine size of 2000cc compared to its competitors of the same category such as the Harrier, Vanguard and the Mercedes ML.
Other cars to look out for in 2024 include a more stylish Mercedes Benz 2023, the 2015 Toyota Fielder which is classier compared to the 2010 model, among others.
