Cheap SUV Cars In Ghana, Price, Reviews And Buying Guide

Most times, buying a car is not entirely a good investment because cars do not appreciate in value, like houses or land, but depreciate. Therefore, you will want to buy a car that has a good reputation but also has a good price that is not so expensive. 

You can easily get carried away by the hype associated with some car models but remember that the publicity enjoyed by a car does not guarantee its durability and it gives you value for your hard-earned money.

Carmart presents to you the most affordable SUVs in Ghana and their prices in this article.

Land Rover Freelander:

The Freelander was produced in both two- and four-wheel-drive versions, from 1997 to 2006 and came in both 5-speed manual and 5-speed automatic transmissions, with engine capacities of 1.8-litre, 2.0-litre and 2.5-litre V6. This compact SUV was easily accepted by Ghanaians because it was made by the popular British automotive manufacturer, Land Rover, and obviously, because it was the cheapest SUV in the marque’s line-up.

Most Ghanaians who own a Freelander acquired it from the second-hand market where these vehicles have been imported usually from North America or Europe. At first, the Freelander was fraught with quite a number of problems including those associated with its gearbox and engine, making it difficult for its owners to sell them off. Many users of the Freelander in Ghana thought it to be a gas-guzzler and so they replaced their upper-end engines, especially the V6 engine with a 1.8-litre engine of the same car or that of an entirely different make.

This only worsened the efficiency and performance of their Freelander and made it even more expensive to maintain. The Freelander is no longer in production. It was replaced by the Freelander 2 in 2006. Production of the Freelander 2 also ended in 2014 before the ‘Freelander’ nameplate was replaced by the Discovery Sport in 2015.

Brand new Land Rover Freelander	GHC40,000
Ghana used Land Rover Freelander	GHC25,000
Foreign used  Land Rover Freelander	GHC37,000

Ssangyong Musso:

This mid-sized SUV remains quite unknown to most Ghanaians. In fact, the Musso could be best described by the tag ‘the SUV that never was’ in Ghana. Manufactured by the South Korean automaker, SsangYong, the Musso was a very durable vehicle that came out of a collaboration between SsangYong and Daimler-Benz. The word ‘musso’ means ‘rhinoceros’ in Korean.

In some European markets, it was either marketed under the ‘Mercedes-Benz Musso’ or ‘Daewoo Musso’ names. This vehicle was produced from 1993 up until 2005 when its production ended. It came in 2.3-litre and 3.2-litre petrol and 2.3 and 2.9-litre diesel engines. Many Ghanaians did not deem the Musso a favourite, not because they had foreknowledge about its performance and durability, but just because they probably had little or no knowledge about this SUV. As a result, it was difficult for it to be accepted and those who had it could not sell them off with ease.

Brand new Ssangyong Musso	GHC35,000
Ghana used Ssangyong Musso	GHC15,000
Foreign used Ssangyong Musso	GHC23,000

Isuzu Rodeo/Opel Frontera:

The Rodeo is a five-door Japanese SUV manufactured by Isuzu Motors from 1988 to 2004 for the North American market. It was sold on the Japanese market as the Isuzu Wizard. The SUV’s three-door version was the ‘Amigo’ model which was later renamed the ‘Rodeo Sport’ in 2001. The Isuzu Rodeo and Opel Frontera were tough and had no particular faults. However, these SUVs were just never accepted by Ghanaians and so they remained unpopular. 

Brand new Isuzu Rodeo	GHC45,000
Ghana used Isuzu Rodeo	GHC20,000
Foreign used Isuzu Rodeo	GHC29,000

Hyundai Terracan:

This mid-size SUV was produced by the South Korean manufacturer, Hyundai Motor Company, from 2001 to 2007 and it came with a chassis derived from the second-generation Mitsubishi Pajero – but the latter could not guarantee the Terracan’s success in foreign markets. This Terracan model is powered by either a 2.9-litre inline-four Hyundai J engine or a 3.5-litre V6 Hyundai Sigma engine and comes in 5-speed manual and 4-speed automatic transmissions. It is agile and looks stylish but this SUV develops a series of electrical and engine faults as it ages, pushing it into the bin for many Ghanaians.

For most of those who still own one, their Terracan has become expensive to maintain just as it has been difficult for them to dispose of. It probably came as no surprise that the model was discontinued after only six years of production in 2007 and replaced by the Hyundai Veracruz. However, production of the Terracan ended in 2011 in China, where production had begun in 2004 and sold under the Hawtai marque.

Brand new Hyundai Terracan	GHC50,000
Ghana used Hyundai Terracan	GHC25,000
Foreign used Hyundai Terracan	GHC35,000

Mahindra Bolero:

The Mahindra Bolero is produced by the Indian automobile manufacturer, Mahindra and Mahindra. It was accepted in Ghana mainly due to two reasons. The first is because it is cheap and the second is because of its presumed durability and finally because it is a fuel-efficient SUV with engines starting from 1.5-litre to 2.5-litre turbo diesel. The Bolero, which is distributed by the Svani Group in Ghana, is assumed to be durable in Ghana for a number of reasons. Despite this, Ghanaians hardly consider the Bolero an ideal family SUV.

Brand new Mahindra Bolero	GHC60,000
Ghana used Mahindra Bolero	GHC30,000
Foreign used Mahindra Bolero	GHC47,000

Tata Sumo:

Another Indian-made SUV, the Sumo was rugged and cheap, in fact slightly cheaper than the Mahindra Bolero, making it a favourite for Ghana’s security services,  MMDAs, political parties, schools and some firms. It was launched in 1994 by Tata Motors and has been enjoyed by many with over 100,000 units sold in its first three years. The Sumo came in two versions which were a rear-wheel drive and a four-wheel drive with a standard 5-speed manual transmission and powered by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder Peugeot XD88 diesel engine. The SUV began losing out on the Ghanaian market to its sister model, the Safari. 

Brand new Tata Sumo	GHC30,000
Ghana used Tata Sumo	GHC19,000
Foreign used Tata Sumo	GHC23,000

Buying Guide For Cheap Suvs In Ghana

These are the things to consider before buying an SUV at all. They include;

1. SEATING: Almost all SUVs carry at least five people. Some midsized and full-sized models add a third-row seat that increases the passenger capacity to six, seven, or eight. This does not mean that some three-row SUVs do not have limited cargo space. Some do when the third-row seats are upright. Most third-row seats can fold flat when not in use, or nearly so, opening up additional luggage space.

2. CARGO: The SUV’s dynamic seating configurations mean that all the space behind the front seats is available for cargo with the second-and third-row seats folded down. You should look out for seats that fold flat to get the most out of the space. SUVs usually have a higher cargo floor than minivans, which can make loading heavy objects difficult. However, most offer power-operated, hands-free liftgates, making it easier to access the cargo bay.

3. SAFETY FEATURES: Safety features such as forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, and blind-spot warning are crash-avoidance technologies that should be standard on all vehicles.

4. 2WD vs. AWD vs. 4WD: Most car-based SUVs use a front-drive platform and are available with all-wheel drive. AWD and 4WD provide power to all wheels, but even though they sound similar, they are not exactly the same thing. AWD is a lighter-duty system that stays permanently engaged. It is usually fine for typical adverse weather conditions and tackling dirt roads. SUVs with traditional 4WD are quite rare. They usually have robust low-range gearing for tackling difficult off-road terrains, such as rocks or steep dirt hills.

5. TOWING: SUVs offer much more towing capacity than any other vehicle. Most full-sized models can tow up to 9,000 pounds while some powerful midsized models can pull as much as 5,000 pounds. Therefore, buyers should look at the tow-capacity rating and be sure they get a vehicle that can comfortably handle the load they need to tow. Midsized and larger SUVs often require an optional tow package to reach that maximum rating.