Car buyers expect modern cars to come fitted with a certain level of equipment. So much so, that car makers are increasingly cramming their offerings to the gills with every bit of kit possible.

And it is getting to a point where some features are essentially superfluous – when was the last time you used a piece of tech buried deep within the labyrinth of sub-menus in most new cars?

But the Neta AYA appears to be, on paper and in photos at least, not your so-called “modern car”. Instead, Neta seems to be trying to build a genuinely simple, back-to-basics car. And such a move is bold, considering we are living in 2025.

Which is why I went into the road test not really knowing what to expect. Are we already so used to all the gizmos and gadgets that a spartan car would just feel off? And could this really be one of the reare few new cars with close to no frills? Guess there’s only one way to find out.  

It Isn’t Bad to be Unassuming

For starters, most new cars adhere to a set design language, determined by its automaker’s general design direction for its specific era. The AYA though, doesn’t. Now I’m not saying that it is unattractive, but with a name that is an acronym of “Active, Young, Amazing”, the AYA does underwhelm.

But am I missing the point here? The AYA sure knows what it is. It doesn’t pretend to be flashy. Give it a chance and drive it for a few days and you’ll start to realise that it isn’t ashamed to be what it is – a sensible, practical, daily driver.

Let’s break down its formula. It has a high roofline for increased rear headroom, a large (in relation to the rest of the car) tailgate to facilitate easy loading, and nondescript 16-inch wheels wrapped with thick sidewall tyres. Which ride better than flashier rims with lower-profile sidewalls. 

This practicality-centric approach continues with its lights. I wouldn’t call them stylish, at least not in the traditional sense, but the LED headlights and daytime running lights and a full-length LED light bar means you’ll still enjoy proper illumination in all weather conditions.

Focused and Uncluttered Inside

The utilitarian theme continues on the inside. Most of the cabin materials are designed to be hard-wearing, with only slightly softer vinyl being using on the steering wheel. There are very few physical buttons in the interior, with most of your features being controlled through its centrally-mounted 14.6-inch touchscreen.

I’m happy to report that it is extremely intuitive, and I had no issues navigating through the menus while on the move. Apple CarPlay is included, though there’s no Android Auto – if you use an Android phone like I do, you’re limited to Bluetooth connectivity. The audio quality is nothing to write home about, but understandably so.

Four adults will fit in the car in relative comfort, with rear headroom just about sufficient for those slightly above 1.8 metres. And this is even with my large frame fitting in the driver’s seat fairly comfortably. It has a decent amount of boot space, with 335 litres with the second row up. Knock those down and you can expand the boot capacity to 585 litres instantly.

The AYA isn’t exempt from your usual new-car-maker oddities, with one such example being its frankly rather old-school 12-inch TFT-style screen. A quirky choice, no doubt, but it does its job well, with all information clearly displayed, even under direct sunlight. 

Sensible When Driven

Equipped with a 40.7 kWh battery, a 94 bhp front-mounted electric motor powers the front wheels, translating into a claimed range of 338 kilometres. While I didn’t achieve the full 338 kilometres (manufacturer estimates tend to be inflated afterall), I did get close.

How close? Well, at an average real-world efficiency of about 6.7 km/kWh, I could return a theoretical range of about 315 kilometres. There’s definitely room for further range improvements though – the one pedal mode isn’t all that aggressive, so there’s still an untapped buffer for energy recuperation, perhaps fixable with a future OTA update.

With a fairly small footprint and a low kerb weight (the AYA weighs just 1180 kilograms), the car feels properly nimble. The softly sprung suspension does a fair job at riding over larger bumps and expansion joints, even if said bumps and undulations do have a tendency to upset the car a little at expressway speeds. 

As for recharging, the AYA will do a maximum rate of 56 kW using DC charging, taking just under an hour to juice up from empty, while using AC charging will take 6 to 8 hours at a maximum rate of 6.6 kW.

An Honest Little Car

For what it is, the AYA is actually a rather decent sum of all its parts. It doesn’t drive the best, but it doesn’t need to. It is fairly comfortable, will fit four passengers without a problem, and has usable real-world range.

I’m convinced that with minor tweaks in its firmware, the AYA will not only achieved its claimed range, but even exceed it. It may not have been built to wow petrolheads, but it is actually surprisingly fun to drive.

Personally, my only gripe would be its cost, which is $145,888 (prices correct at press time). Given that it is aimed at the most budget conscious market segment, it could greatly benefit from a price reduction to put it on par with its segment counterparts.

Once that happens, this could possibly be a no-brainer choice for the consumer who’s looking for a new and very affordable set of wheels. 

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