The ten cheapest cars in the world

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After the introduction of the Tata Nano, lots of people began wondering what is going to happen when a lot of people in developing countries have enough money to afford a cheap car. While Tata tried to alleviate concerns of the Nano-boom by saying that the Nano is cleaner than most motorbikes that are running on Indian roads right now, the truth is that low-cost motoring helps developing the car industry - and pollution. If you need examples, take a look at stories like of the Fiat 500 (the old one) in Italy, the VW Beetle in Germany; the Citroën 2CV or the Renault 4CV in France or, dare I say, the Ford Model T in the U.S.

So, what might the future of cheap driving look like? Forbes went around the world and found the ten cheapest cars on the market and we've gathered up information on each of these in the links below. Although it may be bad news to have more cars sending more exhaust gases to the atmosphere, at least current technologies (when implemented) make new cars better and cleaner than cars of past decades.

So, are the cars on this list good to the world or a threat to the environment?

What follows is a list of the 10 least expensive cars in the world, ranked from most expensive to least expensive. Alternatively, you can jump straight to the car of your choice by clicking one of the thumbnails below.



Number 10

Built in Romania, Turkey, Brazil, India and even Iran, the Renault/ Dacia Logan was designed with low-cost and modern features in mind. This means it shares a lot with the Renault Clio/Modus and the Nissan Micra.
Renault/Dacia Logan: Romania/Turkey/Iran/Latin America. $9,477
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Number 9

Born in Brazil and built in other Latin American countries, as well as Poland, Morocco, Turkey, India, South Africa China and Russia (the sedan version), the Fiat Palio is truly a "world car." This car is one of the first models designed with emerging technologies in mind.
Fiat Palio. 5-door hatchback. "World-car." $9,242
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Number 8

Hyundai recently changed the names of its cars from actual words to numbers after the letter i. Because of this, the Atos, the smallest member of the Hyundai lineup, became the i10. It makes #8 on the list.
Hyundai i10. (The model that replaced the Atos) 5-door hatchback. South Korea. $9,096
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Number 7

The Indica has always been the ugly duckling in the European market, where it survives because there's nothing cheaper available (well, the latest Fiat 600 can sometimes be found for under 6,000 EUR). The car is also sold in South Africa, where it's a huge success.
Tata Indica: India. $8,500.
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Number 6

The A-1 looks like a competent subcompact and rumors are that it's going to be sold under the Dodge brand in Mexico. Nevertheless, it's Chery's partnership with Austrian company AVL that will be bringing the technology to make this car meet the Euro IV standards, something the environment should appreciate.
Chery A-1: 5-door hatchback. China. $7,340
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Number 5

The Geely HQ SRC is based on the mid-'80s Daihatsu Charade. If you don't remember that particular vehicle, rest assured it was a quite competent subcompact at the time.
Geely HQ SRV: 5-door "tall" estate. China $5,780
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Number 4

Very similar to the HQ, the Geely MR has its roots in the Daihatsu Charade from the mid-'80s. The difference is that this car can be fitted with more "sporty" powertrains.
Geely MR: 5-door. China. $5,500
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Number 3


Until the Tata Nano arrives, the Suzuki Maruti 800 -- the "smallest car in production" -- will be the cheapest car you can buy in India and in other nearby countries (and even South America). Some versions of the Maruti have even arrived in Europe.
Suzuki Maruti 800: 5-door hatchback. $4,994.
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Number 2

It's almost twice as expensive as the cheapest car on the this list, but that doesn't stop the Cherry QQ from coming in at #2. This car sparked some trademark issues because of similarities to the Daewoo/Chevrolet Matiz.
Chery QQ: 4-door hatchback. China. $4,781.
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Number 1


This car is well thought out, and lots of patents have resulted from the creation process -- from the Nano's powertrain to the assembly process itself. Will this car ruin the world? Some voices say that more cars on the roads imply more pollution, which is hard to argue against.
Tata Nano: 4-door hatchback. India. $2,497. 
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