The Mitsubishi Delica D5 has perpetually lived in the shadows of the dominant players such as the Toyota Noah, Toyota Voxy, Nissan Serena and Mazda Biante. This is surprising given the D5’s versatility and strong credentials both off-road and on-road. Of course other factors such as affordability, safety and reliability come into play but even here, the D5 still beats its competitors
The Subaru Levorg is a medium sized station wagon that has been in production from 2014. It aims to bridge the gap between the bigger sized Legacy Wagon and the smaller sized Impreza. It’s a dynamic and maneuverable car that is suitable for both urban and cross country driving. The only drawback is the low ground clearance that is not suitable for Kenyan roads. It’s smaller in length and wheelbase by 100mm and 50mm lower than the 5th generation Legacy. It competes with the Audi A4, Mercedes A-Class and Mazda Atenza.
The Mitsubishi Pajero has had a long and illustrious tenure in the 4×4 club spanning 37 years in which there have been only four major iterations. This is not only a demonstration of its timeless appeal but also its ability to thrive in the ever changing automotive landscape. In Kenya, it reigned supreme in the 80s and 90s before it was dethroned by the Toyota Prado. Other competitors include the Land Rover Discovery, the Ford Everest and the Nissan Pathfinder.
The Mazda Axela is without question one of the most superior hatchbacks in the market today. It offers the same level of luxury and refinement as its closest European rivals such as VW Golf and Audi A3 while retaining the famed reliability of Japanese cars. Its alternatively sold as the Mazda3 in markets outside Japan and globally it accounts for the bulk of Mazda’s worldwide sales. It competes with the VW Golf, Audi A3, Subaru Impreza and Toyota Auris.
The Mitsubishi Outlander is a solid SUV that is somehow overlooked in the Kenyan Market. People would rather buy the less practical and over-glorified Toyota Harrier and overlook this versatile SUV. There’s freedom of choice and all but if important factors such as utility, off-road capability and 7-seater capacity are considered, then the Outlander is without question the better SUV. It competes with the Toyota Harrier, Nissan X-Trail, Toyota Vanguard, Toyota Rav4, Mazda CX-5 and Subaru Forester.
The Toyota Urban Cruiser is a rebranded version of the Suzuki Vitara Brezza which has been in the market since 2016. It’s referred to as an SUV but it lacks the crucial 4WD capability which in our view makes it more of a hatchback than an SUV. It’s however well suited to the Kenyan market offering desirable features such as good ground clearance and excellent fuel economy. It competes with the Subaru XV, Honda Vezel, Nissan Dualis, Mitsubishi RVR and Nissan Juke.
The 2014 Toyota Fielder carries on with the same features from the previous year and only adds a few cosmetic changes. Given its strong performance over the years, Toyota has been in no particular hurry to change the winning formula. The hybrid version that was introduced in mid 2013 continuous to gain ground in Kenya but it is yet to find widespread acceptance due to reliability questions that plague hybrid. The demand for the Fielder is strong and consequently the prices are high even for locally used options.
The Toyota Wish continues to enjoy a strong demand in the Kenyan market due to its fuel efficiency and 7-seater capacity. The 2014 model has seen minimal changes and it still retains all of the features from the previous year. Other alternatives you can buy in Kenya include the Mazda Premacy, Nissan Lafesta, Subaru Exiga and VW Touran.