uying a new car is quite an investment here in the Philippines. Despite that there are thousands of dealerships throughout the country and a good number within Metro Manila, and countless more crazy drivers. So most buyers might be overwhelmed by the sheer number of choices—if they decide to expand their search beyond the popular brands.
Set your budget below a certain level however, and the options become limited. Only a few dealers sell new vehicles below half a million pesos, an amount that’s over a thousand times the daily minimum wage. If your access to funds or credit are limited, check out our list of brands selling cars for less than ₱500,000.
– THE LIST –
Chana | www.focusventures.com.ph | |||||||||||
Vehicle | Price | Engine | Length x Width x Height (mm) | Sits | ||||||||
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Benni 1.3L | ₱450,000 | 1.3 | 5MT | SOHC 16 | Inline 4 | 84 HP | 110 Nm | FWD | 3520 | 1650 | 1550 | 5 |
Star II 1.3 | ₱499,500 | 1.3 | 5MT | SOHC 16 | Inline 4 | 80 HP | 110 Nm | RWD | 3845 | 1580 | 1900 | 7 |
Starlight Jr. | ₱395,000 | 1.0 | 5MT | SOHC 16 | Inline 4 | 53 HP | 106 Nm | RWD | 3395 | 1535 | 1920 | 7 |
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Chery | www.cherymotors.ph | |||||||||||
Vehicle | Price | Engine | Length x Width x Height (mm) | Sits | ||||||||
₱399,000 | 0.8 | 4AT | DOHC 12 | Inline 3 | 51 HP | 70 Nm | FWD | 3550 | 1508 | 1491 | 5 | |
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Geely | www.geely.ph | |||||||||||
Vehicle | Price | Engine | Length x Width x Height (mm) | Sits | ||||||||
LC 1.3 GB | ₱449,000 | 1.3 | 5MT | DOHC 16 | Inline 4 | 85 HP | 110 Nm | FWD | 3598 | 1630 | 1465 | 5 |
LC 1.3 GL | ₱498,000 | 1.3 | 5MT | DOHC 16 | Inline 4 | 85 HP | 110 Nm | FWD | 3598 | 1630 | 1465 | 5 |
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Haima | www.haima.com.ph | |||||||||||
Vehicle | Price | Engine | Length x Width x Height (mm) | Sits | ||||||||
FStar 1.0 Hunda Deluxe | ₱489,000 | 1.0 | 5MT | SOHC 8 | Inline 4 | 61 HP | 85 Nm | RWD | 3836 | 1566 | 1865 | 5 |
FStar 1.3 Tenda Practical | ₱489,000 | 1.3 | 5MT | SOHC 8 | Inline 4 | 82 HP | 102 Nm | RWD | 4100 | 1566 | 1865 | 5 |
Haima 1 1.0 Comfort | ₱439,000 | 1.0 | 5MT | SOHC 8 | Inline 4 | 61 HP | 85 Nm | FWD | 3590 | 1540 | 1486 | 5 |
Haima 1 1.0 Deluxe | ₱479,000 | 1.0 | 5MT | SOHC 8 | Inline 4 | 61 HP | 85 Nm | FWD | 3590 | 1540 | 1518 | 5 |
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Hyundai | www.hyundai.com/ph | |||||||||||
Vehicle | Price | Engine | Length x Width x Height (mm) | Sits | ||||||||
Eon 0.8 GL | ₱438,000 | 0.8 | 5MT | SOHC 12 | Inline 3 | 55 HP | 75 Nm | FWD | 3495 | 1550 | 1500 | 5 |
Eon 0.8 GLS | ₱498,000 | 0.8 | 5MT | SOHC 12 | Inline 3 | 55 HP | 75 Nm | FWD | 3495 | 1550 | 1500 | 5 |
i10 1.1 GL | ₱488,000 | 1.1 | 5MT | DOHC 16 | Inline 4 | 65 HP | 99 Nm | FWD | 3565 | 1595 | 1540 | 5 |
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Mitsubishi | www.mmpc.ph | |||||||||||
Vehicle | Price | Engine | Length x Width x Height (mm) | Sits | ||||||||
Mirage GLX (MT) | ₱498,000 | 1.2 | 5MT | DOHC 12 | Inline 3 | 77 HP | 100 Nm | FWD | 3710 | 1665 | 1490 | 5 |
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Suzuki | www.suzuki.com.ph | |||||||||||
Vehicle | Price | Engine | Length x Width x Height (mm) | Sits | ||||||||
Alto Standard | ₱379,000 | 0.8 | 5MT | SOHC 12 | Inline 3 | 47 HP | 62 Nm | FWD | 3495 | 1495 | 1455 | 5 |
Alto Deluxe | ₱408,000 | 0.8 | 5MT | SOHC 12 | Inline 3 | 47 HP | 62 Nm | FWD | 3495 | 1495 | 1455 | 5 |
Alto K10 | ₱439,000 | 1.0 | 5MT | DOHC 12 | Inline 3 | 68 HP | 90 Nm | FWD | 3495 | 1495 | 1455 | 5 |
800 Standard | ₱388,000 | 0.8 | 5MT | SOHC 12 | Inline 3 | 47 HP | 62 Nm | FWD | 3395 | 1490 | 1475 | 5 |
800 Deluxe | ₱388,000 | 0.8 | 5MT | SOHC 12 | Inline 3 | 47 HP | 62 Nm | FWD | 3395 | 1490 | 1475 | 5 |
Celerio GA (MT) | ₱498,000 | 1.0 | 5MT | DOHC 12 | Inline 3 | 68 HP | 90 Nm | FWD | 3395 | 1490 | 1475 | 5 |
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Kia | www.kia.ph | |||||||||||
Vehicle | Price | Engine | Length x Width x Height (mm) | Sits | ||||||||
Picanto 1.0 EX (MT) | ₱545,000 | 1.0 | 5MT | DOHC 12 | Inline 3 | 68 HP | 94 Nm | FWD | 3595 | 1595 | 1490 | 5 |
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Wondering why I included the Kia Picanto, even though it retails at ₱545,000? It’s a personal favorite of mine, the spiritual successor to the Kia Pride. Besides, savvy car buyers with the right connections might be able to haggle the price below half-a-million. |
Chinese Dominance
As you can see, the list is dominated by Chinese manufacturers. Yet we also see relatively more-established brands like Mitsubishi, Suzuki, and Hyundai sneaking through with their budget offerings.
Any corrections, suggestions, violent reactions? Let us know in the comments below.
Notes
- It is your responsibility to verify the information listed above before committing to any purchase.
- All of the vehicles listed above run on gasoline.
- The number after the price is the engine displacement.
- The number before MT or AT represents the number of transmission gears.
- MT = Manual Tranmission, AT = Automatic Transmission
- Out of all the vehicles listed above, only the Chery QQ has automatic transmission.
- The number after SOHC or DOHC represents the number of engine valves.
- HP stands for horsepower, a measure of the engine’s power.
- Nm is short for Newton Metres, a measurement of the engine’s torque.
Image Credits:
8. autos.culturamix.com, cars.sulit.com.ph, cars.sulit.com.ph.
7. green.autoblog.com, worldcarslist.com
6. geely.ph, sulit.com.ph
5. lausautogroup.com, pinoyautotrader.com.ph, pinoyautotrader.com.ph, chinaautoweb.com
4. sulit.com.ph, sulit.com.ph, sulit.com.ph
3. pinoyautotrader.com.ph
2. kotse.com
1. otife.com, pakwheels.com