As Australia’s inhabitants continues to develop, our cities have gotten each larger and busier.
Regardless of this, metropolis vehicles have misplaced their attraction, with new automotive consumers as a substitute pivoting to compact SUVs and crossovers with additional floor clearance and an elevated seating place.
However there’s nonetheless a case to be made for one thing smaller that’s straightforward to drive, straightforward to park, and ideal for the workplace commute or a visit to the retailers.
There are nonetheless loads of autos on sale in the present day that match that standards – the Kia Picanto, BYD Dolphin, Toyota Yaris, Mazda 2, and MG 3, to call a number of.
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However that’s to not say the time period ‘metropolis automotive’ has a single definition, as you’ll see from our nominations beneath.
In spite of everything, some want cargo capability to lug hundreds round city, whereas others is perhaps higher served by a luxurious sedan that takes the stress out of lengthy hauls in peak-hour visitors.
So, with out additional ado, listed below are town vehicles that every member of the CarExpert editorial workforce would purchase.
Tell us your decide within the feedback beneath!
Marton Pettendy: Hyundai i20 N
I’m going to be boring right here and stick to a mainstream model that provides a five-year guarantee, lifetime service plan and a well-populated nationwide supplier community for the occasions I go away town.
However Hyundai’s smallest sizzling hatch is something however boring, with extra energy and torque than its solely direct competitor, the Volkswagen Polo GTI, and a guide transmission blessed with frivolously sprung, completely positioned pedals that make the day by day grind as pleasurable as heel-toeing within the twisties.
The i20 N additionally comes with all the protection and multimedia tech you want. And at simply $35,500 earlier than on-road prices, it’s not solely Australia’s most inexpensive bona-fide sizzling hatch however the final of an important but dying breed.
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MORE: All the pieces Hyundai i20 N
James Wong: Abarth 695
Sure, I’m loopy.
There are few metropolis motoring experiences extra alive and fascinating than the Italians’ ‘pazzo’ tackle the Fiat 500, particularly with a guide gearbox.
It’s loud, it’s fast, and it’s flippin’ lovely. There’s no parking spot it may well’t slot in, as a result of it’s principally a four-wheeled bike.
For me, a Melbournian in Australia’s most European metropolis, why not do because the Europeans do?
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MORE: All the pieces Abarth 695
Jack Fast: BYD Dolphin
Whereas I need to say the Ford Ranger Raptor only for laughs, I can’t in good conscience. Many individuals select this, although.
With this in thoughts, my final metropolis automotive is an EV on account of how nippy they’re at low speeds, how quiet they are often, and in addition how straightforward charging them may be (offered you’ve area at dwelling).
There are many small EVs to select from, however the one which stands out probably the most at the moment is the BYD Dolphin, which begins at $29,990 earlier than on-roads. That is wild as a result of many petrol-powered equivalents are actually pricier on the base stage.
One other metropolis automotive I’d love to choose, however can’t as a result of it’s not bought in Australia, is the Citroen Ami. Technically not a automotive however quite a quadricycle, I noticed heaps of those throughout my European vacation final 12 months and thought they might be so enjoyable to drive round in.
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MORE: All the pieces BYD Dolphin
William Stopford: Mazda 2
I might have mentioned the Ford Puma, given its compact dimensions, barely greater experience peak, however enjoyable hatchback-like dealing with, however Ford Australia went forward and dropped it. Boo!
I’ll preserve it easy and go together with the confirmed (codeword for bloody outdated) Mazda 2. The infotainment is horribly dated, however I nonetheless love the way in which it drives. It nonetheless seems to be sharp, and it feels constructed to final.
The MG 3 Hybrid+ is a runner-up, as I discovered it economical and the transitions between petrol and electrical energy usually clean, although it’s nonetheless in want of a tweak or two to its powertrain.
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MORE: All the pieces Mazda 2
Jordan Mulach: Hyundai i20 N
What’s the purpose in having one thing small if it may well’t be enjoyable too?
The i20 N is, by all accounts, a pint-size i30 N, with the power to outperform its huge brother on the appropriate highway.
It’s an absolute pleasure to drive and is arguably nearer in its ethos and execution to a real Nineteen Eighties hatchback than some other mannequin on sale in Australia.
Add in backing from a serious model plus limitless occasions for house owners, and it’s exhausting to disregard why this can be a efficiency automotive discount.
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MORE: All the pieces Hyundai i20 N
Josh Nevett: Abarth 695
It’s not lengthy for this world, however the petrol-powered Abarth 695 will go down as a pint-size motoring icon.
Compact, quick, enjoyable and comparatively sensible with the again seats folded down – what extra may you need from a automotive that’ll spend its time zipping across the metropolis?
And in my humble opinion, there’s no higher sounding four-pot going round. The 132kW T-Jet makes a mockery of some V8s in the case of aural thrills, all whereas sipping lower than 6.0L/100km.
Whereas you should buy the 695 with a guide transmission, I’d take the auto for day by day duties within the concrete jungle.
No matter variant and specification, Abarth’s ultimate ICE mannequin will carry a smile to your face throughout each drive, and also you’ll by no means wrestle to discover a appropriate parking area on the finish of it.
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MORE: All the pieces Abarth 695
Sean Lander: Peugeot Companion
Let’s be sincere, should you’re trying into shopping for a micro automotive and reside in a constructed up space, you most likely aren’t eager to be the native Uber. So a three-seater van makes excellent sense.
It’s solely about 200mm longer than a GWM Ora, can take as much as 1000kg of payload and the BEST half is you may park in loading zones to shortly duck into a store and seize your decaf-almond-soy-oat-milk latte.
It even is available in an EV model!
Yeah, I’m having a little bit of enjoyable right here, as a result of as the agricultural simpleton I’m, I detest the existence of those tiny vehicles. If it’s important to succumb to the requirement of a small automotive, it’s possible you’ll as properly have one that’s sensible too.
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MORE: All the pieces Peugeot Companion
Max Davies: Mini Cooper
It’s a metropolis automotive, so in my thoughts smaller is healthier.
Admittedly, I used to be swayed by Sean’s Companion decide for the loading zone advantages and was contemplating going for a Volkswagen Caddy, however then I remembered I’d have restricted use for that. I’m subsequently sticking to the traditional metropolis automotive method and going for the three-door Mini Cooper.
I’ve at all times preferred the look of the current-generation Coopers. They attraction to me as cute little issues with funky styling, even when they’re nowhere close to as little because the Minis of outdated was.
That matches completely as one thing enjoyable and straightforward to drive round metropolis streets, particularly as a result of it has these nippy driving traits fashionable Minis are recognized for. The inside can also be a enjoyable place to be with its left-field setup, and it’s all backed up by usually sturdy BMW tech – it simply ticks loads of packing containers for me.
The one factor is it’s pretty dear, beginning at just below $42,000 earlier than on-roads for the bottom mannequin. Nonetheless, this is able to be on the high of my metropolis automotive record, and it wouldn’t be dreadful on longer weekend drives both.
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