These days, most city dwellers rarely venture too far from city limits and as such owners of cars with 2.0-litre engines or bigger rarely are given a chance to reach their limits. Their abilities, no matter how grand are rendered moot by the bumper to bumper crawls, tight parking spaces and narrow roads that city life offers.
As such, city cars are the most practical vehicles to own for those still sceptical of the effectiveness of the public transportation system. Recently, our car market has seen an influx of city cars ranging from those of local makes to Japanese and Korean alternatives. Today we are going to look into three very sensible options that should fit in well with your budget and lifestyle.
Mitsubishi Mirage
Retailing for a smidgen over RM60k at RM60,198.65, the Mitsubishi Mirage is one of the most sensible choices south of a C-segment car. Measuring just 3,710mm long and 1,665metres wide, the Mirage is one of the smallest Japanese cars you can buy today that comes with impressive features. Keyless entry allows you to lock and unlock your vehicle without needing to take the key out of your pocket. Push start ignition, automatic light shutoff system, automatic climate control and a 2-din audio system further add to its desirability.
The Mirage is powered by a super frugal 1.2-litre three cylinder MIVEC engine (21km/L) that delivers 76bhp and 100Nm of torque. Though it doesn’t sound like much, because it weighs a mere 850kg, the three-cylinder MIVEC will be able to handle city commutes with decent composure.
Kia Picanto
The Picanto is probably one of the most underrated cars in its segment, often past over for local as well as Japanese models. Just like other models in its line-up, with the Picanto, Kia has designed and built a vehicle that brings a lot to the table for a relatively affordable price. Sporting a starting price of RM54,888.00, the Picanto comes with 15-inch alloys, “premium” looking interior, Push Start ignition, 6 speaker sound system and 6 airbags just to name a few features.
Under the hood is a 1.2-litre four-cylinder engine that produces 85bhp and 120Nm of torque that can be mated to either a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic.
Ford Fiesta 1.0 EcoBoost
For a car of its size, the EcoBoost equipped Fiesta is pretty expensive as it requires you to shell out RM96,551.65. That said, you do get what you pay for as it comes with all the bells and whistles of the regular Fiesta but with an award-winning 1.0-litre turbocharged engine that provides the same performance as a 1.6-litre unit but with better fuel consumption figures.
Out of the lot, the best pick would have to be the Mirage, as it’s as basic as they come without feeling cheap and offers the practicality and capabilities desired by city dwellers.
