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Over the past five years, however, a lot has changed. Five of the 15 budget light cars on sale in 2017 have been axed – including the Hyundai Accent and Honda Jazz – while the Ford Fiesta, previously available in a number of sub-$20,000 budget variants, is now offered as a $35,000-plus drive-away hot hatch only.
As for the Toyota Yaris… Its base price rose by up to $9000 drive-away with the arrival of an all-new model in 2020 (the first in a decade), due to a new platform, larger and stronger body, new engine and interior, front-centre airbags and, crucially, the fitment of AEB, lane-keep assist, rear cross-traffic alert and adaptive cruise control on all models.
In the end, no matter how you look at it, the era of the $20,000 new car is nearly over. Whether it’s killed by safety technology, COVID-19, rising inflation, electrification or any other factor… Enjoy your Kia Picantos and MG 3s while they last.
Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines as a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family.
Read more about Alex Misoyannis 
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