The arrival of the new generation Suzuki Swift in Ukraine has become a pleasant event: a compact, stylish car, a fairly well-known brand, sufficient equipment, a full-fledged 4/5-seater interior and at least some trunk - and all this for $20 thousand plus or minus. Are there similar alternatives on the market? If you look hard enough, you will find them!
Citroen C3 - from 621 thousand UAH or $15 thousand
A typical 4-meter-long B-Class, a 5-door hatchback body, a well-known brand, a pleasant design and interior, and a comfortable suspension - all this is not about the Suzuki Swift, but about the Citroen C3, which is one of the Japanese's key competitors.
Even though the new Citroen C3 has already appeared, it will take a while for the prices to be announced, for it to arrive in Ukraine and for sales to start... All this time, the current generation Citroen C3 will remain relevant in its familiar form and with familiar technology. For example, you can choose a gasoline atmospheric 1.2-liter PureTech engine with 82 hp paired with an automatic transmission, or choose a 1.2-liter turbo engine with 110 hp paired with an automatic transmission. However, the latter option is already on the verge of the above price range, but the base versions of the Citroen C3 start at a much lower price - about 621 thousand hryvnias, taking into account various promotional offers.
Citroen C-Elysee - from 665 thousand UAH or $16 thousand
If you don't want to flirt with design, but need a very spacious interior and a large trunk, you should choose the Citroen C-Elysee sedan instead of the Citroen C3.
In the case of the Citroen C-Elysee, you won't find any state-of-the-art systems or sophisticated interior materials. However, this car offers a very soft suspension and a robust design designed to withstand harsh conditions: reinforced fasteners, special door seals. And even (attention!) an atmospheric 1.6-liter gasoline engine (115 hp) or a surprisingly economical 1.6-liter turbodiesel engine (92 hp); both are paired exclusively with a manual. The cost of the Citroen C-Elysee sedan starts at 665 thousand hryvnias for 2023 cars with a gasoline engine. However, even the turbodiesel and 2024 versions easily fit into our price range.
FIAT Panda - from 660 thousand UAH or $15.9 thousand
The arrival of the FIAT Panda in Ukraine was no less a pleasant surprise than the debut of the Suzuki Swift: a stylish car from a European brand not for all the money in the world.
We present versions of the FIAT Panda with the unchanged version of the 1-liter 70-horsepower gasoline engine and manual; but you can choose one of two configurations, including even the crossover version. Moreover, any variant of the FIAT Panda easily fits into the above price range: the promotional price of the 2023 car starts at 660 thousand hryvnias, the crossover costs 690 thousand hryvnias.
In addition, don't forget about the FIAT 500: it's only a 3-door and rather cramped in the back, but it's timelessly stylish and has an automatic transmission (even if it's a "robot"). The price of the FIAT 500 in Ukraine starts at UAH 729 thousand - that is, if you forget about the 3-door body, then it also fits our conditions.
Hyundai i10 - from 658 thousand UAH or $15.9 thousand
The Hyundai i10 compact hatchback seems to be trying to combine playfulness and practicality. It has an interesting design with distinctive headlights, the option of contrasting black roof paint, colorful interior trim - and at the same time, a good deal of space thanks to the high ceiling, heated seats and steering wheel, and a multimedia system with an 8-inch touchscreen display.
In addition, the Hyundai i10 provides a very wide range of versions (four configurations, two engines, manual or automatic) and offers many active safety systems - a miracle for an A-class model! Of course, all the best is available in the maximum versions of the Hyundai i10, which cost a lot; however, even they fit into the above price range. And the basic variants of the Hyundai i10 are generally among the most affordable on the list - from 658 thousand hryvnias.
Opel Crossland - from 791 thousand UAH or $19 thousand
The first crossover in this selection, and a good one at that: a German brand, a fairly modern design, a spacious interior with high-quality trim - all this is about the elderly but still relevant Opel Crossland.
Only the Opel Crossland in the Edition trim meets the rules of our rating regarding price, but even it offers a lot: a 110-horsepower gasoline turbo engine and manual transmission, lane-departure control, heated steering wheel and seats, Eco LED headlights, a 7-inch central display, cruise control, and much more. Such a crossover Opel Crossland Edition 2023-2024 will cost 791-847 thousand hryvnias. But if you definitely want an automatic transmission and improved equipment, the cost of the car will instantly soar to almost UAH 1 million.
Renault Duster - from 712 thousand UAH or $17 thousand
It's the same with the Citroen C3: even though the new generation of the Duster has already been introduced, we'll wait for it - all the while, the current Renault Duster crossover, which already has many fans in Ukraine, will be sold.
After all, there is a lot to like: excellent energy-intensive suspension for bad roads, a fairly spacious interior and a roomy trunk, good "enough for me for real life" equipment; you can also choose a 115-horsepower gasoline engine or a 110-horsepower turbodiesel engine. I would like to mention all-wheel drive and versions with an EDC automatic; however, such options do not fall into our price range at all - they are too expensive. But other variants of the Renault Duster are included in the price limit without any problems: you can choose gasoline or diesel, Life or Zen equipment. Moreover, if you take a car on credit under a company program, you can get a reduced price tag - and then the minimum will generally be from 712 thousand hryvnias.
SEAT Ibiza - from 739 thousand UAH or $17.8 thousand
Have you forgotten about the SEAT brand yet? I often mention it and note it, because you can find quite an interesting option in the SEAT lineup. For example, the SEAT Ibiza hatchback!
Stylish, compact, European; with good driving manners and a pleasant interior. And yet (well, you won't believe it!) the SEAT Ibiza model range still includes the "canonical" 1.6 MPI atmospheric engine in combination with a manual transmission. An alternative is a combination of a TSI engine and DSG gearbox, but this option will be more expensive. Instead, the minimum cost of the base SEAT Ibiza Reference is about 739 thousand hryvnias; and it will already have a digital instrument panel, multimedia system, air conditioning, and LED headlights. Even with the addition of options, the SEAT Ibiza Reference still fits within the above price limit without any problems.
SKODA Fabia - from UAH 717 thousand or $17.3 thousand
The SKODA Fabia model is nothing more than a more practical sister of the aforementioned "Spaniard": a restrained design, more dealers in Ukraine, and a wider range of versions.
For example, the SKODA Fabia range is opened by an atmospheric 1-liter 80-horsepower engine and a manual, but buyers are also offered a 95- or 115-horsepower TSI turbo engine, the latter combined with a DSG transmission. The maximum option for the SKODA Fabia in Ukraine is the 150-horsepower 1.5 TSI engine, which can turn a light hatchback into a mini-sport car. However, this variant of the SKODA Fabia costs about UAH 1 million; the base and middle versions, on the other hand, easily fit into our price range.
Suzuki Ignis - from UAH 661 thousand or $15.9 thousand
It may look a bit strange, but Suzuki keeps two cars of almost similar size and class in its range. It is already clear that we are talking about the Suzuki Ignis.
Similar to the Suzuki Swift, the Suzuki Ignis offers a 5-door body and a 1.2-liter gasoline engine with a microhybrid, and a choice between a manual or automatic transmission and between two trim levels. However, the main difference between the Suzuki Ignis is that it has a narrower and taller body, and cross-hints can be seen in its design. In addition, the Suzuki Ignis is more affordable: just to put it in perspective, its maximum equipment is only slightly more expensive than the cost of the basic Suzuki Swift.
Suzuki Swift - from 720 thousand UAH or $17.3 thousand
So we have reached the root cause of this list. And it is unlikely that anything can be added to what has already been said in the first review of the new Suzuki Swift. Therefore, I will add it later, when the test drive and detailed review will be prepared.
In conclusion, I would just like to note that this material deliberately avoided Chinese cars, compact commercial vans, and miniature 2-seater city cars (such as the Citroen Ami unicam, which is already on sale in Ukraine) - otherwise, we would have had not the Top 10, but all the Top 20 cars for $20 thousand. However, I will be looking forward to reading your comments and options for other new cars that can be purchased for this kind of money. I am sure that many readers will be able to add many interesting options. Do you know any? Then write in the comments!