Different types of cars and their retail rates in Ghana
If you cannot differentiate among the various types of cars that are in vogue today, choosing the best one that meets your needs can become a bit challenging. Even though you may have the money to buy any type of car, it will eventually pay off if you get exactly what you need and not just what you want. This is why, in this article, we take a look at the types of cars in Ghana and also explain what characterizes each of them together with their prices. With this ample information at your disposal, making the right choice when it comes to the type of car you want will be easy.
Source: Depositphotos
Gone are the days when people could only make a selection from the few models of cars that were in the market. Those days, you would find a few selections like the saloon, hatchback, estate, coupe, and sports, but today, you can talk of the odd supercar or luxury car and all that. Guess what? Virtually every year, there is always an introduction of a new model of car into the market. And interestingly, each of these models serves various needs.
However, the challenging aspect of it all is that even though this variety grants everyone the opportunity to make their own selection, a person who is not acquainted with these automobiles may get confused and end up making the wrong choice. Therefore, to avoid that, gaining an understanding of the classes of these cars will help to differentiate between what is good and what is not right for you. It will also help you to know the cost of what you are going for.
Types of cars and their prices in Ghana
Cars are of different types and each of them has their specific features. These features can be based on their size, weight, power, and how economical they are. So, in the next few paragraphs, let us explore some types of cars that based on their body type. This will help you to differentiate cars when you see them.
1. Hatchbacks
According to the Collins English Dictionary, the hatchback is defined as a car with an extra door at the back which opens upwards. From this definition, the major feature that characterises this type of car is that the rear door swings upward. Depending on their configuration, they may either be classed as being three-door or five-door. The tailgate is sometimes considered to be a door on its own. However, now that things are changing, the three-door hatchback is becoming less popular.
Source: Depositphotos
Many of these hatchbacks operate with the two-box design body style. To increase the available cargo area, one can easily fold the rear seats down. They also come with a removable rigid parcel shelf or flexible roll-up tonneau cover that can be used to cover the space for cargo at the back of the rear seats. Some of the cars in this category include small-sized vehicles like ultra-compact cars. A few of the examples of cars that fall within this category are Renault Clio, Fiat 500, Volkswagen Golf, and Suzuki Swift.
READ ALSO: Land guards attack pastor and members of Agape Church with cutlasses
Presently in Ghana, a 2012 Hyundai Accent hatchback can go for GHC 38,500 and you can also get a 2014 Kia Rio Hatchback Full Option for GHC 53,000. Other ones include the Honda Civic hatchback 2015 at GHC 66,000, KIA Cerato hatchback at GHC 28,499 and 2012 Nissan Versa hatchback at GHC 35,000.
2. Sedans
Sedans (as is called in the US) or saloon (as known in the UK) cars are cars that are built with four doors and a boot or trunk. They can be classified into different models such as mid-size, compact executive, full-size, full-size luxury, and sports sedan. However, when you hear someone use the word "sedan", most likely, they are referring to a mid-size or full-size vehicle. An important thing to bear in mind about sedan cars is that they come with 3-box configuration features which are used for the engine, passenger, and cargo.
More so, the modern sedan comes with a long wheelbase which gives both the front and rear passengers an opportunity to stretch out. Also, it has reasonable cargo space which makes shopping excursions and road trips interesting for families. At the rear bench seats, three adults can sit comfortably without squeezing themselves. Some examples include the Honda Civic, Toyota Camry, Lexus IS, and the BMW 5 series.
Source: Depositphotos
While the price of sedan cars may vary from one dealer to the other depending on the model and the year of release of the car, the prices range from: Mercedes C-class C300 4MATIC sedan 2016 at GH₵ 170,000, Honda Civic Sedan 2006 at GH₵ 22,800 and Honda Civic Sedan 2016 at GH₵ 92,000, to mention a few. You can also check online platforms so as to compare prices.
3. MPV
MPV is the short form of Multi-Purpose Vehicle. Sometimes, it can be called a minivan or a people carrier, and that is partly because of the space and capacity it has to carry a large number of people in safety and comfort. While it carries many people, usually five or seven comfortably, it also leaves enough space to house their luggage as well. The origin of this type of car can be traced to the Chrysler Corporation’s Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager that was launched at the tail-end of 1983.
The latest MPVs are characterised by sliding doors as well as seating arrangements that are so flexible. With the two to three rows of seating arrangement that they have, the third row can be reconfigured depending on your choice. And when it comes to its price in Ghana, each car dealer determines how much their MPV would be sold. But then, from research, you should get a Mazda MPV for GHC 25,000, a 2008 Mazda MPV for GHC 37,000. Please bear in mind that these prices are just the asking price and so, depending on how well you can negotiate, you should get something lower than that.
4. Convertibles
Other names given to this type of car are cabriolets and roadsters. Amazingly, there is virtually no producer of cars in the world that does not have a convertible in the market. Because of the fun that it comes with, this type of cars seems to be much pronounced among youngsters, but that does not mean that the older people do not use them.
Source: Depositphotos
A convertible is a four-seater or 2+2 vehicle whose roof is removable or foldable. There are different types of convertible cars and they include a hardtop convertible, classy convertibles like Audi RS 5 Cabriolet and Lexus IS C, and affordable convertibles like Fiat 500 C. Generally, examples of convertibles include the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet, Ferrari California and Mazda MX Miata.
If you check some of the notable car dealers in Ghana, you can get convertible cars like 2011 E550 convertible Mercedes Benz at GHC 195,000, 2008 Audi A4 convertible at GHC 80,000 and BMW M3 Convertible for GHC 220,000.
READ ALSO: Fresh crisis for Ronaldinho as police seize 3 luxury cars for owing fines
5. Sports cars
If you think of sports cars, the next thing that would probably come to your mind is speed. And truly, that is one of the special things that they are known for. Furthermore, they have special designs and consequently, they come in all shapes and sizes.
Source: Depositphotos
One thing that characterises these cars is luxury. They come with either a fixed hardtop, a convertible top, or a one-piece removable roof panel, often referred to as a Targa. As for how much these cars are sold in Ghana, depending on your budget, you can get a VW Jetta Sports for GHC 50,000 and a Chrysler 200 Sports for GHC 85,000.
6. SUV
An SUV is a Sport-Utility Vehicle with a perfect blend of on and off-road capabilities. Usually, they are four-wheel-drive vehicles even though most of the ones that people buy are driven around cities and on highways. For places with muddy fields, SUVs are specially designed to walk through those areas without any struggle. They have a powerful engine, only that they consume more fuel than most vehicles.
There are different sizes and specifications of SUVs, so it is possible for you to hear things like Mini SUVs, Compact SUVs, Midsize SUVs, or better still, Full-size SUVs. Some of the various types of SUVs that are in the market include Ford Explorer, Jeep Wrangler, Toyota Sequoia and Volkswagen Touareg. The fastest of all the SUVs that have been built so far is the Bentley Bentayga.
Source: Depositphotos
If you need an idea of the price of SUVs in Ghana, note that you can get a 2014 Toyota RAV4 for GHC 105,000 and a 2014 Land Rover Range Rover Sport also for GHC 597,624. Also, if you have very good negotiation skills, then you can get a Chevrolet SUV for as low as GHC 65,000, Mini Cooper All4 SUV for GHC 92,000, and even a Toyota Highlander SUV at GHC 86,500.
7. Crossover
Crossovers have the height of a truck-based vehicle that is built on a unibody frame that looks like a car. They can also be referred to as Crossover Utility Vehicles (CUV) and they usually come with a large cargo area which is a feature that appeals to quite a lot of people who go for the vehicle. Also, they don't consume too much fuel compared to other truck-based sport utility vehicles. You will find the front-wheel, rear-wheel, and all-wheel drivetrains to be common with the CUVs
If you are not too conversant with vehicles, it is possible to mistake a crossover vehicle with an SUV. Although both of them have the same high ground clearance, it is worth noting that while an SUV was built on a truck chassis, a crossover is built more like a modern car, with a unibody. When it comes to the price of a Crossover in Ghana, while the price varies from car dealer to the other, you can get a 2015 Nissan Rogue S Crossover AWD 4 Cyl 2.5 for as low as GHC 150,000.
8. Coupe
A coupe is a type of car that is usually defined as having two doors and a fixed-roof body style. Based on the International Organization for Standardization's definition of coupe cars as reported on Infiniti of Guam's website, they are cars that have a closed body, usually with limited rear volume. Apart from these, they also come with a fixed roof, of which a portion may be openable. They also have two seats in at least one row, two doors, and two side windows.”
Source: Depositphotos
A coupe generally has either 2 or 4 seats that are placed in a 2+2 configuration. This means that you will find only 2 seats in the rear compared to the standard 3 and funny enough, these seats are smaller than average. In terms of the price, at the moment, for a Hyundai coupe, you need to have nothing less than GHC 70,000. Apart from this, a Nissan Altima Coupe sports car will go for GHC 46,000, Honda Civic Coupe Turbo at GHC 120,000 and a Mercedes Benz W123 Coupè can be gotten at GHC 48,000.
9. Wagon
Wagons are known to have body styles that have an interior which extends to the back. Also called "station wagon" or "estate", they usually come with an extra seat or luggage compartment. The inspiration behind this type of car came from horse-drawn vehicles and they were so popular among families during the 1950s through the 70s. Some of the features that wagons come with are all-wheel drive, a roomy interior, rugged off-road ground clearance, abundant technology, turbo-diesel torque, and efficiency.
When it comes to the price of wagon cars in Ghana, you can get a Mercedes Benz G-Wagon for GHC 260,000, Nissan Rogue Station wagon for GHC 37,000, and a Kia Sportage wagon 2001 for as low as GHC 45,000. And should you need a brand new Mercedes Benz G-wagon, then with GHC 1,000,000, you could go home with one.
Apart from the types of cars discussed above, there are other features that people consider when classifying cars. These features are worth discussing as they will help you in your selection process.
How cars are classified
Based on the information that has been shared so far, it is important to note that there are a few other things that you should bear in mind before you choose the type of car to buy. Some of these things include the following:
1. Type of fuel consumption
Even though there are different models of cars in the market, you also need to understand that not all these cars use the same engine type. While some cars come with diesel engines, there are those with petrol. Apart from that, there are also those that use gas turbine as a power source, some use electricity such as electric cars, and they are those that are powered by steam engines.
2. Type of transmission
Interestingly, there are cars that use automatic transmission which enables them to automatically change gear ratios as they move. Virtually all the cars entering the market today are made as such. Then, there are manual transmission cars which means their gear ratios have to be manually changed. We also have the semi-automatic transmission cars that enable manual gear changing with a clutch pedal.
3. Drive of the vehicles
You will also see some cars whose steering wheels are fitted on the left-hand side, and some others whose steering wheels are fitted on the right-hand side. These are called left-hand drive and right-hand drive respectively. Also, we have cars that are fluid-driven. This means that they employ torque converter, fluid flywheel or hydramatic transmission as the case may be.
4. Variant level
It is possible that hear things like LDi, VDi, LXi, and you begin to wonder what they mean. Well, these are the variants available for customers. Specifically, there are three variants of two classes. We have in the first class, LDi, VDi and ZDi while in the other class, we have LXi, VXi, and ZXi. The difference in the two classes is the "D" and "X" where "D" represents diesel and "X" represents petrol. Each of these variants explains some of the features that are peculiar to each of the cars where "L" stands for the lowest variant, "V" stands for the mid variant and "Z" represents the premium variant.
With the information shared here about the various types of cars that are in Ghana and their prices, you should not have an issue when it comes to making a choice as to which car is best for you.
READ ALSO: Fella Makafui praises God for new VW car; promises to love Medikal forever
Source: YEN.com.gh
