There was a time when our roads were flooded with hatchbacks - from Charades to Swifts, to the spicy Colt Version-Rs. That era is long gone now, but that does not mean you can't get a good hatch today.

In fact, the market is still churning out some decent offerings across the board. Perhaps the prohibitive COE levels have turned away potential buyers. Or that petrol prices are getting out of control. But if you belong in the minority with some cash to spare, and are keen to get a brand new hatchback, here are some of the cheapest options for you to choose from!

Sub-$100,000 range

We start our list with arguably the most inexpensive car of the lot at S$95,000 - the Mitsubishi Space Star. While it only churns out 79 horses from its asthmatic 3-cylinder engine, it is still a decent family runabout.

With six airbags on board and an infotainment system that supports Android Auto and Apple Carplay, it ticks just enough boxes to please owners who value safety and some form of modern entertainment. Just don't expect a lightning fast drive from this Three-Diamond hatchback.

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Up next is a fan favourite - the Perodua Myvi. Well, for our neighbours up North, at least. For $1000 more than the Space Star at S$96,000, the Myvi is a fairly equipped car.

Not only do you have several more ponies under the hood than the Mitsubishi from its Toyota engine - 94 in total to be exact - you have some added functionality like storage hooks built into the front seats; useful for when you are grocery-shopping! And because it is made in Malaysia, spare parts are abundant and relatively quick to obtain.

$100,000-$110,000 range

For a few dollars more, you can get a lot more car, as Mazda demonstrates. Their entry-level 2 hatchback is not only packed with equipment, it is also fairly zippy with 114 horsepower on tap. Mazda also provides its G-Vectoring Control Plus tech across the range, which helps to vastly improve your driving experience by adjusting engine torque depending on road conditions.

For the Classic variant (at about S$105,000) though, you only get two airbags, while the Elegance variant (at about S$110,000) packs six on board, along with other goodies like the Connect Centre Display.

A perennial favourite among car buyers here since the 1990s, we have the Suzuki Swift. Priced at about S$108,000-$109,000, the Swift is a step up in terms of technology, as it is using a mild hybrid system.

That means that running costs in the long run should be lower than the others, with its impressive fuel economy figures (24.2km/l from Suzuki). The overall horsepower takes a dip though, at about 82 bhp. The Swift is also safe for family commuting, as it is equipped with the Suzuki Safety Support Suite, and has six airbags.

$110,000-$120,000 range

Available from $114-117k, this next-generation Nissan Note hatch brings an altogether different experience. While it has both an electric motor and a petrol engine that produce about 114 horses in total, the latter only serves to charge the battery, making it a pretty frugal machine.

It is also equipped with seven airbags and Nissan's Intelligent Trace Control, the latter of which helps drivers to stay in their cornering line when turning via applied braking on each wheel. The top-spec Premium even comes with a 10-year Li-Ion battery warranty and Nappa leather upholstery.

Entering the Singapore market just over a month ago, the Citroën C4 hatchback is bringing the fight to the Japanese, and it isn't holding back. Polarising sheet metal aside, the C4 boasts a well-appointed cabin and a slew of features that are aimed at providing comfort for all occupants.

With technological innovations like the Progressive Hydraulic Cushions, to its Advanced Comfort Seats, the 129 bhp turbocharged 3-cylinder French contender is more than adequate in bringing you from Point A to Point B in comfort. It also has a suite of passive & active safety features, like Lane Keep Assist and Active Safety Brake, along with six airbags as standard. Prices for the C4 currently hover around $116,000.

Tipping just under the $120k mark is the Honda Jazz, a veteran player in our market. The 2022 Jazz is available in Base and Home trim levels (S$117k and S$119k respectively), and ditches its boy-racer image from previous generations for a more homely (no pun intended) and restrained one.

Its 1.5 litre i-VTEC powerplant produces 119 bhp, making it pretty spritely for city runs. It also comes equipped with Honda's innovative foldable ULTRA seats, also found in the new HR-V crossover. And with six airbags and a 5-Star Euro NCAP safety rating, this is a solid contender for those who seek a safe ride.

This article was first published in Motorist.