It can be two-door, four-door, hatchback, or sports coupe, compact vehicles have become the option for many Abuja car users, as a result of the increase in the pump price of petrol.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) investigations reveal that many car owners in the nation’s capital are selling off or abandoning their big cars in preference to compact ones.
They are snapping up small cars not only because they are cheaper to own, but also typically more fuel-efficient.
Some vehicle dealers who spoke to NAN confirmed that small car sales are outpacing the rest of the market, since the fuel subsidy removal.
Mr Sankay Yagbaza, Manager of a car stand in Dawaki, said his frequenters now asked for cars like Kia Picanto, Forte, Suzuki Swift, Grand Vitara, Toyota Matrix, Nissan Micra and other low fuel consumption cars.
“The high fuel price has humbled buyers, a lot of people even prefer to join public transport these days, rather than drive their own cars.
“Before now, cars like Picanto and Matrix were mostly bought by women or beginners. People buy them to master the act of driving before buying bigger cars.
“But, men are buying them now, because they just need a small car that will not consume much fuel to move them around.’’
John Eze, a car stand manager at Airport Road, said his patrons have been asking for more small cars, adding that he had exhausted the compact cars available in his stand.
“It is the desire of most Nigerians now, to own cars that have low fuel consumption, such as Honda Civic and the small Toyota Corolla.
Another car dealer in Garki, Mr Usman Sombo, said that he had lost so much patronage because he did not have compact cars in stock.
“I used to sell between eight and 10 cars in a month, but since the fuel subsidy removal, the sale has dropped to two or three cars in a month.
"As you can see around, I deal more on big cars. Because of low patronage, it has been difficult for me to raise funds to stock compact cars which are now in vogue.
“Most of the customers we receive in our stand are asking for compact cars because of their fuel efficiency.
“They also consider the cost of the compact cars, which ranges between N4 million to N6 million, depending on the make and grade," the Tokunbo car dealer said.
A civil servant, Lawrence Ogunleye, who spoke to NAN at the Federal Secretariat car park, explained why he opted for a small car.
“Before owning this Kia Picanto, I drove a Toyota Venza, which I have now packed and reserved for a long journey.
” I come to the office and move around with this small car now, and it has saved me a lot of money on fuel.
“Although I feel less safe in the small car while driving on the highway, compared to the Venza, it has its own advantages.
“Besides the less fuel mileage, it is easier to move around narrow streets, easy to park and cheaper to own.
The car is more maneuverable, better handled and it is a lot more fun to drive,” he said.
Samson Ugwuoke, another civil servant said his Toyota Matrix has been serving him well, with an average fuel consumption of N25,000 weekly from his house in Dutse to his office, at the Federal Secretariat, a distance of about 20 kilometres.
“The car is helping me a lot, and I still pick passengers to and from work to help me cover the cost of fuel,” he said
Mary Jatau, a teacher said she bought a Nissan Micra in July 2023 and it has been serving her well.
“All I need is just N20,000 fuel for a whole week. I go to work, market and still drop off my kids in school.
“Before now, you hardly see my husband drive the car. But now, he competes with me, to the extent that I sometimes hide the key.
“My husband’s Lexus 330 Jeep has become a burden to him because of the high cost of fuel,” she said.
Victor Agbo, a lecturer, said he sold his Nissan Pathfinder SUV for a hybrid car, the Toyota Camry which uses petrol and electricity.
“When the car is running on petrol, it charges itself. Once it is charged, it will switch from fuel to electric, while driving at the speed of at least, 50km per hour.
“I have been using the car for about eight months now, it has not given me any serious issues,” he said.
An Auto Engineer, Sylvester Edosa, said most compact cars come with small engines that do not require much fuel, “they are light and the engine loads are also not heavy.
“While the big cars are more powerful in elegance and prestige, rugged and suitable on rough roads that we have in Nigeria, they consume a lot of fuel and are costlier to maintain.
“Driving compact cars, therefore, has several benefits, like being more fuel-efficient and taking up less room. They are also more comfortable to drive because of how small and manageable they are,” he said
The expert added that the modern compact cars, which are common in Europe, have more upright seating positions making them comfortable for anyone, irrespective of the size.
Edosa, therefore advised Nigerians to go for compact cars, instead of the big ones, to cushion the effects of fuel price hikes.