New cars increasingly expensive in France: none for less than 10,000 euros

It is a symbol of the strong inflation that affects the entire economy, and in particular the automobile. New cars are no longer available for less than 10,000 euros in France. Indeed, the latest representative of this category of small budgets has seen its price increase in recent months, crossing this symbolic milestone.

The Dacia Sandero at 11,490 euros

If it is still the cheapest car on the French market, the Dacia Sandero now shows a price that currently starts at 11,490 euros for the version equipped with the Sce 65 gasoline engine. However, at the end of last year it was still listed at 9,990 euros. and even at 8,690 euros at the end of 2020, the year of the launch of the third generation of the Sandero. That’s almost 2,800 euros less than the current price.

However, it was not enough to stop its commercial success: in October, the Sandero even doubled the Clio to become the second best seller since the beginning of the year, behind the Peugeot 208, all channels combined. An affront that the Renault group, owner of Dacia, will surely forgive.

In Renault, in addition, it is still the Twingo that represents the entry level, with a starting price of 15,750 euros (here also with a Sce 65 gasoline engine).

The Fiat Panda from 13,000 euros

At Stellantis, Fiat stands out as the most affordable brand with its Panda, which currently starts at 13,000 euros in the 70 horsepower 1.0 hybrid gasoline version. A price that has remained stable compared to its launch price, only 10 euros less in 2020.

At Peugeot and Citroën, the end of the 108 and C1 makes prices jump

Always at Stellantis and its 14 brands, we have deliberately excluded the Citroën Ami, which currently starts at 7,790 euros, but which falls into the category of cars without a license and more precisely of light quadricycles. For a “real” car, count 16,590 euros for a Citroën C3 petrol 1.2 Puretech 83.

Same observation in Peugeot, where the cheapest car, the 208, currently starts at 16,630 euros in Puretech 75 gasoline.

In fact, the two brands have abandoned their micro-urban cars, the Peugeot 108 and the Citroën C1, which started at around 11,500 euros still at the beginning of 2020.

These models were produced alongside the previous generation Toyota Aygo. The Japanese brand has chosen to offer a successor to this model, the Aygo X, but with its minicrossover appearance its price has increased: currently it starts at 15,190 euros.

Korean and Japanese resistance fighters

Finally, the true successors of the 108 and the C1 are rather among the Korean brands, with the Hyundai i10 and Kia Picanto duo, which start at 12,940 euros and 12,790 euros respectively.

There are also similar starting prices at Mitsubishi, with the Space Star city car at 13,890 euros. At Suzuki, the catalog starts with the small SUV Ignis from 15,590 euros.