The Nissan Sylphy is a five seater saloon that comes with excellent interior space and a refreshed exterior look. It’s one of the few cars in the market that offers a perfect balance between luxury and economy making it highly recommended for people with families. It competes with the Toyota Premio, Toyota Allion, Mitsubishi Galant Fortis and Mazda Atenza.
We love the Nissan Note for being one of the most spacious hatchbacks in the market offering excellent legroom that is far much better than most station wagons in the market. It is also an efficient car that ranks highly in fuel economy which makes it an excellent car to buy for people on a tight budget. It competes with the Toyota Ractis, Subaru Trezia, Honda Fit and Mazda Demio.
The 2012 Mazda Demio improves on fuel efficiency by introducing the 13C-V SMART EDITION II grade that uses a rear roof spoiler and undercover to improve fuel efficiency by 0.4km/L. This is in addition to the existing SKYACTIV grade that is super efficient and yet powerful.
The Range Rover is a premium SUV that inhabits the pinnacle of luxury and a preeminent symbol of affluence around the world. A distinction it has held for the last 50 years and doesn’t look to relinquish any time soon. In Kenya, it’s favoured by the old money and the wealthy patriarchy, more so for its legendary safety than its luxury. The political class largely avoid it preferring the Toyota Land Cruiser and its lesser brother, the Toyota Prado.
The BMW X3 finds itself in the unenviable position of constantly being overshadowed by its bigger brother the X5 and has never really carved its own niche in the Kenyan market. Most people who buy the X3 would prefer the X5 if all factors were held constant. The deal breaker is usually the price but regardless, the X3 is a solid SUV that boasts of top notch safety ratings, luxurious interior and excellent performance. It competes with the Audi Q5, VW Tiguan, Volvo XC60, Mercedes GLK, Subaru Forester, Mazda CX5 and Discovery Sport.
The Audi Q5 is not getting the proper attention it deserves in Kenya and we feel it’s our duty to put the good word out there. Its capabilities manifest themselves in many ways but more so when stacked up against its competitors such as the BMW X3, VW Tiguan, Volvo XC60, Land Rover Discovery Sport, Subaru Forester and Mazda CX5. The Q5 was always a top performer but the equilibrium shifted in 2013 with the arrival of the SQ5 that totally blew the competitors out of the window. Of course it comes with its fare share of problems as with any modern SUV but when all factors are considered, the Q5 emerges tops.
The Toyota RAV4 continues to be one of the best selling compact SUVs in Kenya and its demand is projected to grow with the phasing out of the Toyota Vanguard which is no longer available for import into the Kenyan market from 2021. It’s also important for buyers to know that both the 3rd generation(2005 – 2016) and the 4th generation(2013 – 2018) RAV4 will be sold in Kenya concurrently until 2023.
The BMW 5 Series is an executive car that bridges the gap between the smaller 3 Series and the swanky 7 Series. In Kenya, the 5 Series appeals to a corporate and upscale clientele that is drawn to its high-end luxury and uncompromising safety features. It’s locked in an eternal duel with the similarly loaded Mercedes Benz E-Class with buyers torn between the two. Both are really excellent cars and a choice between either usually boils down to personal preference.