The 106

Whilst it's not a highway rocket, the 1.1 litre engine still manages to chug its way up the most challenging summits; a tough job when bearing ten crates of larger, and whilst nothing exclusive lurks under the bonnet, the 106 will crusade happily from bar to bar. If you're willing to spend a bit more cash, the 120 bhp GTi is a definite winner, but beware of the 1.6litre engine if you're drowning in debt.

Not as trendy as you might aspire, but unless your parents can claim it on expenses, chances are you'll need to wait for that Subaru. For the overdraft junkies among us, we trust you'll find this little life-saver at almost any car dealers in the country, so mass hysteria can definitely wait. Casual and no-nonsense, this car is perfect for those who drift from lecture to beach, plus you'll never feel guilty about not hoovering it. Not exactly vogue material, but a pleasing enough package all the same. I guess we'll just have to wait for that double rollover.

The 106 may be ticking along, but it won't retire this side of graduation. Before we add it to the fossil pile, let's see what we can salvage. Crazily cheap fuel and minor emissions make it great on the essentials, and if you're the type, one of the rarer cars that will happily accommodate spoilers, side skirts and wheel trims (want our advice? Don't get em). Purchasing one of the 'Aztec' or 'Inca' models could make you feel a degree more prestigious, but avoid earlier versions if you don't want your girlfriend to see the cassette player. If you're after a bit more progress, we recommend the phase 2 models, whose airbags are a reassuring new feature. You won't be able to party in the back, but in alliance with the boot, there's ample room for approximately 12 bags of washing.

Peugeot RCZ

Knowing only too well that the petroleum reserves of the world are limited and diminishing day by day, Peugeot started working on diesel electric hybrid versions long time ago. Despite being very successful in the traditional petrol and diesel cars, it knew that a day would come when alternatives to petrol cars would be in demand as the petroleum reserves of the world is depleting everyday.

Right now, Peugeot is building the latest petrol version of Peugeot RCZ, which promises to take the Peugeot cars to a new level of quality and capability. Initially proposed as a concept car in 1997, the excellent reception Peugeot RCZ got made the company serious in its production.

Peugeot, an automobile car major, is a famous French car manufacturing company that is loved all over the world for its outstanding cars by the people and the connoisseurs alike. Peugeot has constantly been bringing new ideas and concepts to the fore and this is one feature its products are lapped up by the car lovers. Peugeot is known for producing sleek, aerodynamic machines that are amazingly robust. Its cars are not only fast and fuel efficient, but infact look like works of art on road.

The iOn

The only obvious advantage that the iOn has over SA's Joule is its soon-to-be availability. The fact that this is the only obvious advantage is testament to Optimal Energy's dedication to creating a top-notch product. From a purely South African perspective, another two years is a relatively short time to wait for what is surely going to be the biggest new vehicle launch the country has ever seen. Your "green" conscious, on the other hand, may think differently.

In the UK, Peugeot opted not to sell iOn directly to consumers but offered an "all-inclusive" mobility package (£415 ex VAT per month) that allowed consumers to benefit from a special government subsidy. As there is no such subsidy in place in South Africa, pricing has yet to be determined.

The Joule

The car can comfortably hold five passengers and has an expected price range of R235 000 - R285 000. As it's reputed to have zero-emissions, at least consumers will be spared the new vehicle carbon tax which came into effect in September 2010. Unlike conventional car purchases, the price does not include the (lithium ion) battery; instead it will be leased to Joule owners for R1 500 a month. Apparently, many other vehicle manufacturers are looking at similar ways in which to secure the successful role out of electric cars.

The Joule was designed by Keith Helfet, a South African-born designer responsible for a number of Jaguar's most iconic models, including the XJ-220 supercar (once the world's fastest car), XK-180 and F-Type concept cars.

It can be argued that the R1500 per month is easily made back in significant savings on fuel, 50 per cent savings in maintenance costs and extended service intervals of around 40 000km or every two years. As an added bonus the batteries are completely recyclable.

Electric cars

The Joule is not only South Africa's first electric car, it's also the first electric car in the world that has successfully thrown off its hippie image and won over a picky audience with its good looks and performance.

Electric cars have a reputation for being slow and as uncool as a library in a rugby club. The Joule changes all that. At first glance you can't tell that it is five times more energy efficient than all fossil fuel reliant cars. It's sleek, it's sexy, it's stylish and it's a passenger car to boot.

Electric cars have not taken off in the way that environmentalists would have hoped. The excuse is that they are incredibly expensive to make and would, therefore, be incredibly expensive to buy. Car manufacturers have instead chosen to focus on hybrid cars, which are at least more environmentally-friendly the conventional gas guzzlers but are nowhere near as 'green' as electric varieties. Fortunately, not all manufacturers are of the same mind, as evidenced by Optimal Energy, a Cape Town-based company, which is producing South Africa's first all electric car: the Joule.