Kia made itself a market leader in Australia in terms of aftersales care when it became the first auto brand to offer a factory-backed seven-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, and now it’s making a name for itself as one of the most consistent brands in terms of drive-away deals.
The Korean brand has long made regular appearances in our weekly Deal Hunter column, and this week it’s the turn of the 2023 Kia Cerato S automatic – the most affordable version of Kia’s popular small car.
Positioned at the bottom of the local Cerato range, the S usually retails for $26,290 plus on-road costs. But Kia is currently offering it from $27,890 drive-away, marking a saving of at least $1500 regardless of which state or territory you’re purchasing in.
On-road costs can be a strain on the wallet for the unwary, which is why drive-away offers like this come in so handy – $1500-$2000 change in your pocket would leave plenty of room to protect your new ride with tinting or ceramic coating, or fit it out with mats, seat covers and myriad other accessories.
That said, mid-size SUVs are more popular than small sedans and hatches, and the current offer on the 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan 132TSI Life Allspace 4MOTION automatic is pretty tasty too.
The seven-seat German SUV usually sells for $48,490 plus ORCs, but can now be had from $49,990 drive-away.
Like Kia, Volkswagen is slashing on-road costs from at least several grand to an easy-to-swallow $1500, leaving plenty of room for accessories or other expenses.
But the undisputed king of the drive-away deals would have to be Isuzu Ute Australia, which has an odd but effective strategy of offering its flagship models for a promotional drive-away price several thousand dollars below the official list price for the bulk of the year.
In the case of the 2023 D-MAX X-Terrain 4x4 automatic, that drive-away price is $64,990 versus a normal retail price of $67,500 plus ORCs.
This equates to a saving of more than $10,000 in some states and territories, making the flagship D-MAX ute significantly cheaper than the mid-range LS-U+ variant by the time it’s on the road.