Can you still buy a no frills hatchback?

Even seven years ago you could buy an entry level five-door hatchback from any well-known marque without lots of options. Now there seems to be about £3k added to the price because extras have been made 'standard'. Does anyone sell a well-made, reliable 5-door hatchback without all this stuff?

Asked on 26 June 2023 by ian stronge

Answered by David Ross
If you are looking to buy a car without air conditioning or an infotainment screen unfortunately your only option may be to buy used. Even the cheapest new car on sale, the Dacia Sandero, comes with an infotainment screen including Bluetooth, DAB and media control as well as manual air conditioning. The Kia Picanto 1 is not fitted with any kind of air conditioning and has a 3.8-inch monochrome audio display rather than a touchscreen, so this is the closest you will get to a no-frills new car.
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