Five small cars for Hongkongers who can no longer afford electric vehicles

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Smaller cars make more sense in Hong Kong. After all, they are now comfier, easier to park, cheaper to run and pollute less. Electric versions are arguably even more eco-friendly, but higher taxes have made them more costly here since April 1. So, here are five little gas guzzlers for eco-minded or budget-conscious Hongkongers who can no longer afford to buy electric vehicles.

The new Mini Cooper (from HK$273,800/US$35,000) is arguably the best small car in Hong Kong. Volkswagen fans might point to the safety of the new Golf, but the Mini Cooper rewards fresh graduates and delights grannies with a compact look, a more pedestrian-friendly bonnet and short overhangs – and good all-round visibility for traffic and parking. Its 1.5-litre, three-cylinder Mini TwinPower Turbo engine delivers 136 horsepower and 100km/h in under eight seconds, the marque says, and that is probably all the power anyone needs in increasingly crowded Hong Kong. This Mini is also hip, with chrome-ringed headlights and an attractive, gadget-friendly dashboard for music and Bluetooth hands-free functions. The marque now offers optional head-up display, changeable ambient lighting and a range of driving modes, from Green to Sport “if you feel like burning some rubber”. The 1,085kg three-door’s fuel consumption is about 4.5 litres per 100km for 105g/km in carbon dioxide emissions. Go for the saloon version in Hong Kong until Mini improves the rear view of its convertible’s hood.

The 1.5-litre Toyota Spade (US$179,480) is boxy and seems tinny and cheap, but it might make space for tall people and fat dogs. Dealer Crown Motors presents the Spade as an affordable drive for active youngsters, but this 3.99-metre poor man’s multi-purpose vehicle might do for oldies who largely drive on quieter roads and potter to out-of-town shopping hubs such as Sai Kung, Tai Po or Mui Wo. The Spade’s weird door design might even work in town because the sliding door on the pavement side is wide, just 300mm off the ground and more inviting to people with limited mobility. There are two normal doors on the driver’s side, and the Spade seems spacious in the back when the front passenger seat folds forward into a table. Bigger people might test the lean-back substance of the rear seats, however. The Spade seems a gentle 107hp drive with 16-valve VVT-iE engine that has a stop-start system and consumes about 4.5 litres per 100km. The dashboard’s plasticky, but it will do for trips to the vet and Sai Kung.