Small yet slick: Nissan hope that the Pixo will be a big seller

THE cost of living here is dropping and the motor industry is doing its bit. Many motor dealers are heavily discounting the price of new car models, petrol models in particular, by up to €10,000 in some cases. Peugeot dealers were recently offering massive discounts on petrol 407 models, thousands of Euros are being knocked off petrol Vectra models, while Ford and Mazda heavily discounted the petrol 1.4 litre Focus model and the outgoing Mazda 3.

The switch to diesel efficient engines is partly responsible, but other manufacturers like Volvo are giving excellent value by adding to the specification of their models without increasing the cost to the customer. And there may be even more good news in the budget in December, the Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan has hinted that he has asked revenue officers to look at bringing in a scrappage scheme in some shape or form.

So as a dismal year for the motor trade comes to an end there is even more good news for those interested in buying new cars. Nissan has just announced the arrival of the lowest priced new car in Ireland, the Pixo. It hits the streets at €9,895 for the entry level model and if you buy during the forthcoming Nissan dealer's motor show you get a free 3 year servicing package worth over €600.

The Pixo enters the segment of the market where models like the Fiat 500, the new Ford Ka, Hyundai i10, Kia Picanto, Toyota iQ, Suzuki Alto, Citroen C1 and Peugeot 107 have all contributed to the doubling of sales in 2009. The forecast is that it will double again in size in 2010 as economic constraints force motorists to downsize to models calling for less outlay and lower running costs.

The Pixo is a 5-door, 4-seater car powered by a 1-litre 3-cylinder petrol engine that can return 4.4L/100km (64.2mpg) in fuel consumption. The CO2 emissions are just 103g/km which attracts the lowest road tax of €103 a year.