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Pick up to 3 cars to see how they stack up on score, price and specs.

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Mazda Demio

Fuel-economy leader pairing sleek Kodo design with responsive SkyActiv.

Highest ratedBest value
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Toyota Vitz

The gold standard subcompact daily city fuel saver with 20.0+ km/L efficiency, Magic interior flexibility, and sub-1,000 cc duty savings.

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Nissan Note

Extremely popular compact hatchback featuring revolutionary e-Power hybrid technology and 28+ km/L efficiency.

Mazda DemioToyota VitzNissan Note
Mandai score
8/10
7/10
7.5/10
Typical price
KSh 1,250,000
KSh 1,350,000
KSh 1,500,000
Years
2017-2023
2017-2020
2017-2023
Body type
Compact Hatchbacks
Compact Hatchbacks
–
Fuel
Petrol, Diesel
Petrol, Hybrid
Petrol, Hybrid
Transmission
Automatic
Automatic, CVT
Automatic, CVT
Doors
5
5
5
Most popular trim
Demio 13S Touring
Vitz 1.0 F / 1.3 F / 1.5 Hybrid F / Jewela
Note e-Power X / Medalist / Aura e-Power
Dealer listings
None listed
None listed
None listed

Fuel and running cost

Fuel consumption
22.0 km/L4.5 L/100km combined · about 968 km a tank
20.8 km/L4.8 L/100km combined · about 874 km a tank
28.0 km/L3.6 L/100km combined · about 1148 km a tank
Running cost
KSh 1,032 / 100 kmKSh 10 a km · KSh 10,316 for 1,000 km · petrol
KSh 1,091 / 100 kmKSh 11 a km · KSh 10,912 for 1,000 km · petrol
KSh 811 / 100 kmKSh 8 a km · KSh 8,106 for 1,000 km · petrol

Dimensions

Length
4,060 mm
3,945 mm
4,100 mm
Width
1,695 mm
1,695 mm
1,695 mm
Height
1,500 mm
1,500 mm
1,520 mm
Wheelbase
2,570 mm
2,510 mm
2,600 mm
Ground clearance
145 mm
145 mm
150 mm
Boot space
280 L
286 L (750 L folded)
340 L (1,000 L folded)
Kerb weight
1,030 kg
970 kg (1,110 kg Hybrid)
1,220 kg
Seats
5
5
5

Specifications

Engine
1.3L SkyActiv-G Inline-4
1.0L 1KR-FE / 1.3L 1NR-FKE / 1.5L 1NZ-FXE Hybrid
1.2L HR12DE 3-Cylinder + EM57 Electric Motor (e-Power)
Power
93 hp
69 hp (1.0L) / 99 hp (1.3L) / 100 hp combined (1.5L Hybrid)
116 hp (136 hp Aura) electric motor output
Torque
123 Nm
92 Nm (1.0L) / 121 Nm (1.3L) / 111 Nm (1.5L Hybrid)
280 Nm instant electric torque
Drivetrain
Front-Wheel Drive
Front-Wheel Drive / 4WD
FWD or e-4ORCE AWD
0–100 km/h
10.8 s
11.5 sec (1.3L) / 12.0 sec (1.5L Hybrid) / 14.5 sec (1.0L)
7.9 sec
Top speed
180 km/h
170 km/h
150 km/h

Fuel economy

Combined
22 km/L
20.8 km/L (1.0L) / 25.0 km/L (1.3L) / 34.4 km/L (1.5L Hybrid JC08)
28.0 km/L (e-Power) / 18.0 km/L (1.2L Petrol)
City
18 km/L
17.5 km/L (1.0L) / 21.0 km/L (1.3L) / 30.0 km/L (1.5L Hybrid)
30.0 km/L (e-Power) / 15.5 km/L (1.2L Petrol)
Highway
25 km/L
23.5 km/L (1.0L) / 28.0 km/L (1.3L) / 36.0 km/L (1.5L Hybrid)
25.0 km/L (e-Power) / 20.5 km/L (1.2L Petrol)
Tank size
44 L
42 L (Petrol) / 36 L (Hybrid)
41 L
CO₂ emissions
104 g/km
110 g/km (1.0L) / 82 g/km (Hybrid)
82 g/km

At a glance

Model
Mazda Demio / Mazda2
Toyota Vitz (XP130 Series 2nd Facelift)
Nissan Note (E12 / E13 Series)
Production years
2017–2023
2017–2020
2017–2023
Body type
5-Door Hatchback
5-Door Subcompact Hatchback
Hatchbacks / Compact MPV
Seating capacity
5
5
5
Fuel types
Petrol, Clean Diesel
Petrol, Full Hybrid (THS-II)
Petrol, e-Power Hybrid
Engine sizes
1,298 cc, 1,496 cc
996 cc (1.0L) / 1,329 cc (1.3L) / 1,496 cc (1.5L Hybrid)
1,198 cc (1.2L e-Power / DIG-S)
Transmission
6-speed Automatic
Super CVT-i Automatic / e-CVT
Automatic (CVT / Single-Speed e-Power)
Drivetrain
FWD / AWD
FWD or 4WD
FWD or e-4ORCE AWD
Ground clearance
145 mm
145 mm
150 mm
Source market
Japan (RHD)
Japan (RHD)
Japan (RHD JDM spec)

Pros and cons

What’s good
  • Superior fuel efficiency: The SkyActiv petrol and diesel engines achieve up to 25 km/L on Kenyan highways.
  • Premium interior finish: Soft-touch materials and available MZD Connect screen rival European subcompacts.
  • Smooth torque-converter automatic: Avoids the rubber-band CVT feeling found in competitor hatchbacks.
  • Sub-1,500 cc tax advantage: Qualifies for Kenya lower customs valuation and excise duty bracket.
  • Gold standard city fuel saver: 20.0+ km/L on petrol models and up to 30.0+ km/L on 1.5L Hybrid variants.
  • Lowest KRA import duty bracket: 1.0L and 1.3L engines sit in the lowest customs tax valuation category.
  • Top-tier resale value retention: Exceptional liquidity and universal spare parts availability across Kenya.
  • Nimble 4.5-meter turning radius: Effortlessly parks and navigates tight Nairobi urban traffic.
  • Instant 280 Nm electric torque: Smooth, rapid acceleration away from Nairobi traffic lights.
  • Exceptional 28+ km/L fuel economy: Slashes monthly commuter fuel bills by over 50%.
  • Generous rear knee room: Cavernous rear passenger space despite compact 4.1m length.
What’s not so good
  • Modest rear legroom: Tighter rear passenger seating space compared to the Honda Fit or Toyota Vitz.
  • Diesel DPF sensitivity: The 1.5L SkyActiv-D diesel requires regular long highway runs to prevent DPF clogging.
  • Low ground clearance: The 145 mm clearance requires careful driving over tall speed bumps.
  • 1.0L engine can feel sluggish on steep highway climbs: 69 hp 1KR-FE labors when fully loaded ascending Limuru hills.
  • Low 145 mm ground clearance: Requires cautious driving over tall speed bumps.
  • 150 mm ground clearance: Requires care over tall speed bumps when fully loaded.
  • Engine generator sound under heavy hill climbs: 1.2L engine revs up to charge battery during steep ascents.
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