The cheapest new car in Australia costs $19,990 drive-away, and right now two very different cars share the title: a petrol city hatch and an electric one. Below them sits a tight pack of hatches and small SUVs between $22,000 and $30,000 drive-away, covering every powertrain on sale. This guide ranks the 10 cheapest, lowest price first, whatever powers them.
How we ranked them: every price below is a manufacturer's own drive-away figure for a private buyer, checked against each brand's Australian website on 29 September 2026. Drive-away means registration, CTP insurance, stamp duty and dealer delivery are included, so these are the numbers you actually pay, before metallic paint or options. Several are limited-time offers, and a lot of them end on 30 September. We flag every deadline, and we will update this list as prices move. For the electric-only view, see our cheapest EVs in Australia guide.
1. BYD Atto 1 Essential: $19,990 drive-away (electric)
The BYD Atto 1 Essential is $19,990 drive-away on BYD's current campaign, which runs for orders to 15 December 2026 with delivery by 31 December. That makes it the only car at this price with a deadline measured in months rather than hours. It runs a 30kWh LFP battery and a 65kW/175Nm front motor, with a claimed 220km WLTP range and DC charging at up to 65kW, backed by a six year, 150,000km warranty. The range suits city and suburban driving, not regular country trips. Charging at home on a cheap overnight tariff, it will also be the cheapest car on this page to run. Our news desk covered the price cut when it landed: BYD Atto 1 now $19,990 drive-away.
1 (equal). MG3 Vibe: $19,990 drive-away (petrol)
The MG3 Vibe matches the BYD at $19,990 drive-away, but only with a $1,000 cashback that ends on 30 September. Without it, MG's own drive-away price is $20,990, which is still the cheapest petrol car in the country. It uses a 1.5 litre four-cylinder with 81kW and 142Nm and a CVT automatic. If you cannot charge at home, or you want a car with nothing to plug in, this is the cheapest way into a new car with a warranty. More detail in our news story: MG3 Vibe back to $19,990 drive-away.
3. Kia Picanto Sport: $22,290 drive-away
The Kia Picanto Sport manual is Kia's estimated $22,290 drive-away, or $23,390 with the four-speed automatic, with those prices valid to 30 September. It is the smallest car here and the one that makes the most sense for pure city driving and tight parking. Standard kit includes an 8 inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, autonomous emergency braking, lane keeping and blind spot collision avoidance. The big selling point is Kia's seven year unlimited kilometre warranty with capped price servicing.
4. MG ZS Vibe: $22,990 drive-away
The cheapest SUV in Australia is the MG ZS Vibe at $22,990 drive-away, on an offer that ends 30 September. It is a genuine small SUV for barely more than a Picanto, which is why the ZS sells in such big numbers. The step up to the ZS Excite Turbo is $25,990 drive-away with its current cashback, and the ZS Hybrid+ starts at $29,990 drive-away, also to 30 September. If you want the hybrid version explained, it is ranked in our cheapest hybrid SUVs guide.
5. Chery Tiggo 4 Urban: $23,990 drive-away
The Chery Tiggo 4 Urban is $23,990 drive-away for orders placed by 30 September, with a further $1,500 factory bonus on remaining 2025 builds. For that you get a 1.5 litre turbo petrol with 108kW and 210Nm, a CVT, a claimed 7.4L/100km, 17 inch alloys, dual 10.25 inch screens, wireless phone mirroring and a five star ANCAP rating. Chery backs it with a seven year unlimited kilometre warranty and seven years of capped price servicing. Chery says it is the best selling small SUV in the country, and at this price it is easy to see why. More in our Chery range and our news on the Tiggo 4's sales climb.
5 (equal). GWM Haval Jolion Premium: $23,990 drive-away
The GWM Haval Jolion Premium ties the Tiggo 4 at $23,990 drive-away, a price for Victorian private buyers that includes $3,000 of savings and ends on 30 September or when stocks run out. It gets a 1.5 litre turbo petrol, 17 inch alloys, a 10.25 inch screen, adaptive cruise control and a seven year unlimited kilometre warranty. The Jolion is roomy for a small SUV, and it is the one to test drive against the Tiggo 4, because on paper there is almost nothing between them.
7. Suzuki Swift Hybrid: $24,990 drive-away
The Suzuki Swift Hybrid starts at $24,990 drive-away with a five speed manual, and unlike most prices on this list it is not tied to a September deadline. Its 1.2 litre three-cylinder is a mild hybrid with a small 12V lithium-ion battery that assists the engine; it cannot drive on electric power alone. The payoff is fuel use: Suzuki claims 3.8L/100km for the manual and 4.0L/100km for the CVT, the lowest of any petrol car here. The better equipped Swift Hybrid Plus is $29,490 drive-away. Standard kit includes a 9 inch touchscreen, adaptive cruise, six airbags and a five year unlimited kilometre warranty. The boot is 265 litres with the seats up.
8. BYD Atto 2 DM-i Essential: $25,990 drive-away (plug-in hybrid)
The cheapest plug-in hybrid in the country is the new BYD Atto 2 DM-i Essential at $25,990 drive-away, a launch offer for orders placed by 15 December 2026. It gives you electric driving for the daily commute and petrol for longer trips, with no range anxiety. BYD's electric Atto 2 is a separate model with its own pricing. Why BYD is holding its prices down despite pressure from Beijing is covered in our news story: BYD holds the Atto 2 at $24,990. The drive-away launch price above is the one BYD's own offers page shows today.
9. BYD Dolphin Essential: $28,888 drive-away (electric)
The BYD Dolphin Essential is $28,888 drive-away on a campaign that runs to 15 December 2026. It is a size up from the Atto 1 and the better pick if the car has to cover highway trips as well as the school run.
10. MG4 EV Urban Essence 43: $29,990 drive-away (electric)
The MG4 EV Urban Essence 43 rounds out the list at $29,990 drive-away with a $2,000 cashback to 30 September ($31,990 without it). The larger battery Essence 54 is $32,990 drive-away on the same deal. It is a separate model from the MG4, and it is the EV to shortlist against the Dolphin.
What did not make the list, and why
Two cars that often appear on cheapest-car lists are missing on purpose. Mahindra does not currently publish a drive-away price for the XUV 3XO on its Australian website, so we cannot verify one, and the Geely EX2 is sold on a request-a-quote basis with no public drive-away figure. Both are worth a quote if you are shopping this bracket, and the EX2 is covered in our cheapest EVs guide.
Petrol, hybrid or electric at this price?
At the bottom of the market the choice is now genuinely open. If you can charge at home, the Atto 1 costs the same as the cheapest petrol car and far less to run each week, but its 220km range is a city car's range. If you cannot charge at home, the MG3 is the cheapest petrol option and the Swift Hybrid is the most frugal one. If you need an SUV, the MG ZS, Tiggo 4 and Jolion all come in under $24,000 drive-away. We ran the full running cost comparison in EV vs petrol in 2026, and if this is for a new driver, read our best first car guide before you sign.
Cartell Assessment
Two things stand out. First, the sub-$20,000 new car is back, but only on promotion: the MG3 needs a cashback to get there and the Atto 1 needs a campaign that ends in December. Second, the value is in the small SUVs. The ZS, Tiggo 4 and Jolion give you more space and more equipment than the hatches for a few thousand dollars more, and two of them come with seven year warranties. Our pick for most buyers is the Tiggo 4 Urban if it is still at $23,990 when you shop, and the Atto 1 for anyone with a driveway and a power point.
AU Outlook
Expect this list to change fast. Most of the petrol and SUV prices above expire on 30 September, and October pricing may be higher or lower depending on stock. BYD's December campaigns look the most durable, and with Chinese brands now taking more than a quarter of the market, the pressure on the established brands at the cheap end is not going away. Before you buy, confirm the drive-away price for your postcode, because stamp duty and registration vary by state. Browse the full BYD and MG ranges, or compare best small SUVs for 2026.
