NamWheels Edition 32

INEOS GRENADIER PARTNERS WITH METJE + ZIEGLER IN NAMIBIA

INEOS Automotive has signed an agreement with Metje + Ziegler as its official retail partnerinNamibia

ThecountryjoinsSouthAfrica, KenyaandTanzaniainINEOS Automotive's growing sales footprintinSubSaharanAfrica “SecuringMetje+Zieglerasour officialpartnersinNamibiais first prize for us, ” says Tim Abbott, INEOS Automotive Head of Region South Africa andSubSaharanAfrica “Our strategy worldwide is to identify sales and service partnerswhoknowtheirregion [ ]withareputationforservice excellence Metje+Zieglertick alltheboxesandmore,andwe areconfidentthattheywillhelp usgrowtheINEOSGrenadier brandinNamibia”

By the end of 2022, INEOS

Automotive plans to have a network of more than 200 salesandservicesitesforthe Grenadier spanning over 50 countries,includingestablished dealer groups, 4X4 specialists and agricultural equipment dealers

EkkoEisenberg,Metje+Ziegler Managing Director, said: “We immediately jumped at the opportunity to partner with INEOS Automotive. We know Namibia well, and from the startitwasclearthattheINEOS Grenadier is built for terrain likeours Welookforwardto getting our first vehicles and showing our customers just howcapablethisamazingnew off-roader is. It's an exciting timeforus ”

15 YEARS OF GWM IN SOUTHERN AFRICA

GreatWallMotors(GWM)is celebrating its 15th anni versaryinSouthernAfricaThe Chinesegiantwasfoundedon 1July1990bythen26year oldJackWeyandproducedits first vehicle in 1993 The Southern Africa subsidiary wasestablishedin2007,with thefirstshipmentofvehicles containing only one model, availableinSingleCab,Double Cab,andMultiwagon In2017,thecompany ' sname changed to HAVAL Motors South Africa with GWM, symbolising an investor change GWMchangedfroma distributormodeltoawholly ownedsubsidiaryoftheGreat Wall Motors group while establishingapresenceinover 60countries

VWSA BUILDS THE 500,000TH POLO

Lessthanfiveyearssincethe launch of the current Polo model, Volkswagen Group South Africa celebrated the half million mark of this vehiclebeingbuiltinKariega The 500,000th unit of the current Polo recently rolled offtheproductionlineatthe Kariegaplant.Thismilestone followsaboutfourandahalf yearsafterthelaunchofthe currentPoloinJanuary2018, and a few months after the faceliftedPolowasintroduced tothelocalmarketatthestart of2022

This special vehicle, a white lefthanddriveGTIwhichwill beexportedtoFrance,marked the4,202,260thunitbuiltat theKariega(Uitenhage)plant since1948

NEW STAMPING PLANT FOR FORD

FordMotorCompany's158 billion (ZAR) investment in its Silverton Assembly Plant operationsinPretoriaSA is coming to fruition, with the completion of one of its largest and most ambitious projects to date – the high tech new Stamping Plant, whichisnowinoperation

The vast facility measures a staggering10,320m2,which is equivalent to almost 1.5timesthesizeofastandard soccerfield(7,140m2)

CLICK ON ANY IMAGE FOR MORE INFORMATION

VENUE

Haveyoueverwonderedwhichisthe mostpopularvehiclecolourinour country?Well,wehave!

It’sfairlyeasytoseethatwhiteand silverarethemostpopular,butwe ’ re alwaysdelightedtoseeagreatmixof other automotive hues around the highwaysandcitystreetsWhichone is your favourite, maybe one that didn’tmakethislist?

Feelfreetosendusyourcomments orfeedback:info@namwheels.com

HOW WE MEASURED THIS

Umm,thislistwascomposedin mid September 2022 while we weerebombingaroundtheupper parts of our beautiful country, withalengthyreturntriptothe capitalviasomecoastaltowns Omittedfromtheseobservations arethefareasternandnorthern areas,aswellastheverysouthern coastalbitsofNamibia

top5 NAMIBIAN CAR COLOURS

WHITE

SILVER

Thisshouldcomeasnosurprise;forquiteafew reasons.Firstly,whiteisagreatchoicewhenthe annualrainfallis2mmandthesunbakesdownon usrelentlesslyfor364.5daysperyear

Secondly,whitecarsareveryvisibleontheroad

Whatdoyougetwhenyouwantthecoolnatureof whitebutwithsomeextrasparkletoit?

Well,besidespearlwhite,asilvercarisjustaseasy tospotintrafficortokeeplookingshinyTheonly downsidetothiscolouristhatanyresprayworkis

REDS BLUES

Wespottedquiteafewredormarooncarsaround thecoastalpartsofourcountrybutwanttonote thatalargeproportionofthemwereolderand/or importedvehicles.

ComparedtoSouthAfrica,Namibiacertainlyhas

Asoneofourfavouritecoloursformostvehicles, wecertainlyapproveofthemanyblueswe’veseen aroundthecountry;beitlight/baby/powderblue, variousmetallichues,navyordarkblue. Thedarkershadesofbluearenotonlydifficultto

difficulttoblend;meaningthatmostexpertswill beabletospotarepaired/sprayedpanel.

Silverfollowswhiteasapopularfactorycolourin ourregion,alsoaddingakindof(herd-mentality) resaleassurancetoanynewcarbuyer

morecolourfultrafficandwehavetwotheories forthis:Asaveryvibrantnation,Namibiansshow theirloveforcolourwhenpurchasinganewcar! Orsecondlythedealercouldnotsecureanyother stockfromSA...

keepcleanbutarealsohardtospotonahazyroad. Repairscanbedifficult(orexpensive)asthespray workhastobeperfectlymatchedtoalltheother bodypanels.Darkbluecarsarealsohotterin summer,whichbringsustothenextcolour

GREYS & BLACK

Andthehottestvehiclesofthemall-literallyand figuratively-areusuallyblackones!Nothinggives acaraclassy,sinisterorexecutivelooklikeadeep coatofpremiumSchwarz.

However,thisisthemostproblematiccolourto

ownasit’salmostimpossibletokeepclean,jolly difficulttospotinanyroadorlightingcondition, andshowsupanyimperfectionsimmediately Thesamegoesforgreysbutwefindthatmedium andbrowntonesofgreyarethebestathidingdirt!

andeasytocleanorrepair,whichmakesthemso popularwithhard-workingsouthernAfricans. DidsomeonesaySouthAfrica?Callitasheeple syndromeorjustplainsupplyissues:whitecars arealwaysavailablefromthefactories.

RANGE ROVER

Since its international showcase and launch, several viewers and readers bugged us as to when the new Range Rover will be launched locally. Well, wait no more…

South Africa recently welcomed the new RangeRover,whichissaidtostartaroundR3 million With a wide variety of models available,wetookthisnewversiononthe openroadaroundtheCapePeninsula

ThisBritishhightech,exclusiveSUVisnow somewhat longer and a bit taller than its predecessor,andwillincludeseveralhybrid unitswithintherangeThenewRangeRover borrowstheinline6cylinderturbodiesel engine(257kWand750Nm)fromthelikesof thenewDiscoveryandDefender

ShouldthegruntofaV8bemoreappealing, LandRoveralsooffersa44litreturbopetrol unit (390kW and 750Nm) And lastly, the straightsixhybridengineswillcompletethe range,however,theyareonlyscheduledto arrivebytheendofthisyear

ThemonstrousV8iscapableofa0100km/h dashinjust46seconds,causingmanyhot hatchbackstohidetheirtailsbetweentheir legs Obviously,theV8willbemorethirsty compared to the turbodiesel The former averages around 145l/100km, while the latterpresentsaigurejustabove11l/100km

Thatmodelisalsosaidtocoveradistanceof 113kmonelectricpoweralone.RangeRover furtherhopestoaddafullyelectricunittoits armouryby2024.Thenewlineuptherefore catersforawidearrayofcustomerchoices

Another new addition to these vehicles is fourwheel steering This system works marvelouslytodecreasetheturningradiusof thislargeSUV

The interior has also been upgraded with luxuriousandverycomfortableleatherseats Theinfotainmentscreenaswellasthedigital clusterbehindthesteeringwheelarelarger andmoredetailed;withimprovedcontents andoperation

Toaddtothis,thecarnowfeatureswireless connectivityandthelatestappconnectivity (AndroidAutoandAppleCarPlay) There’s alsoafridgeinthecentreconsole,capableof storingandcoolingfourwaterbottles

The Range Rover would not be complete withoutluxuriessuchasawidevarietyof cameras,seatmassaging,andmorescreensin thesecondseatingrow

Text & Images: Nico Boshoff

The large 2.6-ton luxurious SUV certainly attractsalotofattention,witheventheside stepsbeingelectricallyoperated Yet,some mightfearthatsuchalargevehiclemustbeas dificulttomanoeuvreasalargeship

Well,fearnot.ThenewRangeRoverfeels extremely reined, highly composed and surprisinglylightonitsfeet.BoththeV8and in-line six-cylinder engines provide ample powerdelivery,whilethecaritselfglidesover theroad,thankstoairsuspension.Thecabin issowellinsulatedthatalmostnoroadnoise makesitswaythrough

ThenewRangeRoverrangesimplystands abovetherestofthecompetitionandbrings withitanewthresholdwhenitcomesto status,luxury,technology,reinement,power andridequalityWewoulddeinitelynotshy awayfromtestingthisvehicleonthewide opengravelroadsofNamibia!

Forthelatestpricingandmodelavailability, werecommendthatyouconsultthenearest LandRoverdealerEachnewRangeRoveris soldwitha5year/100,000kmwarrantyand maintenanceplan

UPDATED HYUNDAI

VENUE

As part of their relentless drive to introduce or update their SUV line up, Hyundai South Africa recently invited us to sample the new Venue.

Thisfairlysmallcompactcrossovervehicleis one of their youngest model lines, having beenintroducedtotheworld(andusherein southernAfrica)around2019to2020 By now,thetailendof2022,itprovidestheentry pointintoHyundai’slocalSUVrangewhich continues with Creta, Kona, Grand Creta, Tucson,SantaFeandPalisade

NamWheelshasbeenextremelyfortunateto attendtheintroductionorupdateofalmost allthesevehicles,asquiteafewofthemgota stylishfaceliftinrecenttimes FromTucson downwards,it’snowprettyeasytospotthe family resemblance through design details likethisVenue’sintricateradiatorgrill!

The local representatives also took this opportunity to refresh the lineup of their best-seller: there is now a sporty N-Line derivativewithbespokedesigndetailstoset itapartfromitsstablematesThosecomein either “Motion” or “Fluid” trim with well thoughtout speciications that make these carsexcellentvalueformoney

Othernewfeaturesincludeahorizontallight barattheback,aswellasaredesignedboot lidwithawiderbottomapertureforeasier loadingofcargo

Motionmodelsmayonlyhavestylishhub caps,butallVenueshaveabasespeclevel whichincludesmodernconveniencefeatures, sensiblesafetydevicesandafewdriveraids

Other headlines of this newcomer include ABSandhillstartassist,twoairbags,Isoix anchorpoints,foldingrearseats(60/40split inthedearermodels),removablecargocover, multifunctionsteeringwheel,aswellasan8 inch touchsensitive infotainment system with rear view monitor Both Apple and Androidphonesaresupportedbythismedia unit.There’salsoavarietyofUSBports

Fluid and N-Line models boast additional featuressuchasfourmoreairbags,electronic stabilitycontrolandbrakeforcedistribution, cruisecontrol,leathertrimonselectedcabin items, cooled glove box and rear cabin ventilationducts Exclusivetothetopmodel aregoodieslikeaglasssunroof,automaticair conditioningandvariousdrivemodes

Powercomesfromoneoftwoengines:a12L 4cylinder petrol engine with 61kW and 115Nm, or a 1.0L 3-cylinder turbo-petrol motordelivering88kWor172Nm.The1200 engineisonlyshippedinMotionspecwitha 5speedmanualgearboxwhilethe1Lturbo

Text: Hanjo StierImages: Hyundai Automotive SA

comes in all spec levels with a 6speed manualor7speed(automated)dualclutch transmission

Fuelconsumptionforallpowerplantsand speciicationlevelshoverbetween65and 69L/100kmfromthe45Ltank,whileevery newVenueisfrontwheeldriveonly Shod with 195/65R15 (Motion) or 215/60R16 tyres(allotherversions)travelonMcPherson suspension struts at the front and a coil assistedtorsionbeamattheback

During our launch route in South Africa’s WesternCape,wefoundtheridetobewell balancedandquitesupple,absorbingroad imperfections quite well The vehicle feels reasonablyplantedforanuprightcrossover while the spritely 10T engine offers good powertoweightdynamicswithconidence inspiringperformance

Atitslaunch,exteriorcolourchoicesinclude PolarWhite,PhantomBlack,TyphoonSilver, TitanGreyandFieryRed,whileNLinebuyers canoptforatwotonedesign:White,Greyor “Nicobar Blue” with a black contrast roof Pricesrangefromabout300,000to450,000 andincludea7year/200,000kmwarranty and3year/45,000kmserviceplan

DieIsuzunaamwordhooggeagonderSuid AfrikanersenNamibiersIsuzuhetnogaltyd betroubaarheidgetoon,enhoeweldieeerste generasie muX gans te laat (volgens vele menings)diemarkingetreehet,ommetdie ToyotaFortunerenFordEverestmeeteding, hetangstigeIsuzueienaarsenaanhangers steedslojaalgebly

VirdieeerstegenerasiemuX,watreedsagter was, het die tyd vinnig aangestap Na ons meninghetdieeerstegenerasiemuXgou verouderenmoesdievervaardigerspringen drastieseveranderingemaakombytebly

MeteersteoogopslaghetIsuzubeslis’ nreuse stapgeneemomdienuwemuXmeermodern telaatlyk Reedsvoordiebekenstellingvan die nuwe 7sitplek SUV het ons navraag ontvang ’ ngoeieaanduidingdatIsuzuhul bemarkingstrategieregbenaderhet.

Ditisbinnewaarhierdienuwevoertuigdie meestemoderniseerhet.Insterkkontrasmet dievorigemodel,lykdiebinneruimnounie netmodernnie,maarookunivormBeidedie sitplekke, sowel as die instrumenpaneel is metleerbekleedselgestik,sowelasmetsagte plastiek,watdiemuXveelmeerluukslaat voel

Met 915mm beenspasie in die tweede ry, sowelasdiefeitdat’ nvolgroeidepersoon gemaklikindiederderykansit,ishierdie generasieookveelmeergemaklikviraldie insittendes Ongelukkigisdaargeensyfers rakendediealgehelekajuitspasienie,maar onsrekendatmetdiederderysesitplekke platgeslaan,isditeenvandiegrootstekajuite indieklas

Bygevoegisdievoorstesitplekkeelektronies verstelbaarasookverhitbaarDaarisdubbele klimaatbeheer,’ nelektroniesekattebakdeur, verdonkerde agterste vensters, ‘n 9-duim informasieskerm(met’ ntruratkamera)met draadlose konneksie en Apple CarPlay / AndroidAuto,eenUSBvoorentweeagterin diekajuit,sowelas ‘ n12Vpunt.

Die bestuurder word ook toegerus met ’ n digitalespoed-enrevolusiemeter,sowelasas ’ nbanddrukmonitor

Verder het die muX ook ‘ n 5-ster NCAP toekenningvirveiligheidmet7lugsakke,ABD (metEBDenBAS),stabiliteitsbeheer,bult stilstandsenafdraendbystand,ISOixpunte, blindekol monitering en voor / agter parkeringbeheer

ditveronderstelisomtedoen Metmeeras viermiljoenkilometerreedsgedoenomdie betroubaarheidvanhierdie4JJ3enjintetoets, isIsuzusefokusnatuurlikregverdiglikgestel opbetroubaarheidennienoodwendigspoed nie

Met140kWen450Nm,sowelas ‘ n6spoed outomatieseratkas, is die nuwe enjin nie noodwendig veel meer opgewonde as die uittredende enjin nie, maar is dit instaat daartoe om 3500kg (gerem) se gewig gemakliktesleep

Hoewelonsookmeestalindiestadmetdie voetuiggeryheten ’ nbrandstofverbruikvan 9.8literper100kmgekryhet,gloonsvasdat dielangpad’ nveellaeriguursalaandui,baie naderaandie76l/100km,watdeurIsuzu gestelis

Ons top Onyx model het ook gekom met verstelbarespoedbeheer,outomatieserem bystand, ongeluks verhoeding, en baan verwisselingsbystand

DiemuXtekendan’ nregmerkieaaninterme vandiebinneruimenveiligheid,maarwat vandieenjin?Hetdiefokusopdiebinneruim juis Isuzu se bekroonde betroubaarheid belemmer?

DienuwemuXmodellewordelkaangedryf deurdiebeproefde4JJ330liter4silinder turbodieselenjinHoewelhierdieenjinsteeds oudtydsklinkenvoel,vermagditsteeds,wat

IngeheelhetIsuzu’ nenormetreevorentoe geneemmetdiemuXsetweedegenerasieen isdievervaardigeropdieselfdevlakasdie Toyota Fortuner, Ford Everest en (na ons meningdieeintlikebekroondekoningvandie lot)dieMitsubishiPajeroSport.

NiemeervoelditvreemdomindiemuXte klim en son verblind te word deur ’ n aangeplakteraakskermnie Alsindienuwe muXvoelperfekbeplanenwaarditmoet wees

LaastensisdieprysvanR860500(met‘ n5 jaar/120000kmwaarborgen‘n5jaar/90 000km diensplan glad nie sleg vir hierdie luuksheidnie

Isuzuhetsowaarhulsokkiesopgetrek

Staan opsy Ford en Toyota; Isuzu is dalk net gereed om die kroon oor te neem

Text: Franco Theron Images:Isuzu South Africa

Mazda CX-30

Edition

I’ve painted my phone black. And my shower. The whole bathroom. Maybe I’ll paint my entire house black because – plainly – it’s the most fashionable thing to do right now

You should know: TheCX30isa fairlynew,semicompact,halfSUV, maybecoupelookingvehiclefroma sensible brand which recently decided to hop aboard the gravy train. What we need in southern Africaarecheap,sensiblecarsbut Mazda–likedozensbeforethem–arechasingthebigbucksbygoing “premium”

More info: That’sarealpityWhen evenVolkswagen(“thepeople’scar”) has priced themselves out of the people’s reach, the last thing we neededwasanotherbrandtoaskhalf amilliondollarsfortheirproducts

Yup That’sright,thisMazdaCX30 20 Carbon Edition costs about N$533,000Youcan,likefully,buyan entrylevelTRocforthat!

Why you shouldn't: I’lltrytocurb my cynicism for these negatives because(a)asmalloutitlikeMazda didn’tdeserveitand(b)mostofitis just my personal opinion. As I so delicately hinted at in the intro paragraph,Idetestthecurrenttrend ofpaintingeverythingblack

It makes this otherwise delicate machinelook blunt.Andcheap

TheonlytangiblenegativesIfound were the omission of a reversing camera and a comparably boring drivetrain Thisnaturallyaspirated engineandoleslushygearboxhave takendamagefrommypeersbutI’m one of those people who’ll defend them Mundane power but cool gadgetsinastylishnewcar–that’s Mazda’sUSPrightnow!

Why you should: TheCX30isfairly easytooperateandincrediblylightto drive Visibility is OK, so are the turningradiusandheadlights,while ridequalityisontheirmside;like mostmodernquasiSUV’s.

Theboottakesalmost300Lofcargo, thetankcanhold50Loffuel,plusthe warrantyandserviceplanarethree yearslongwithunlimitedmileage

What else?Yes,unlimitedReadthat again Youcoulddo120kayearand Mazdawilldotheirbesttolookafter yourcarThat’sreasonalonetoput thisCX30irstonyourtestdrivelist. And, quite obviously, if you ’ re a morbid emo undertaker; because yougetblackmirrors,blackwheels, blackseatsandablackgrill

FUELLEVEL

TYREPRESSURES

OILLEVEL

WATER(COOLANT)LEVEL

Andnowwehavetheholytrinity:oil,water andtyres Makesurethetyresareinflatedto thecorrectpressureforthevehicleload-an indexcanusuallybefoundinthedriver’sdoor jamorinsidethefuelfillercapAnddon’tforget tocheckthesparewheel,ifyouhaveone!

BATTERY

This depends on the type of battery your vehicleisfittedwith,assomemodernonesare dubbedmaintenancefreeOlderbatteriesuse wetcells(indistilledwater)andyoucancheck theirlevels

WINDSCREEN

Acleanwindscreenisabsolutelyvitalforroad safety,especiallyonalongjourneyIfyouwant togoastepfurther,checktheconditionofyour vehicle’srubberwiperblades Atmostlarge fillingstations,youcanfindaselectionofthese atthe24hourshoporadjacentworkshop

More info: I’mstillabitunsurewhy theginormousToyotaCorporationis leaning on the comparably tiny Suzukicompanyforsome swapsies and sharies ButwhatIcantellyou with absolute certainty is that the conceptisafantasticidea,because Suzukimakesfantasticproducts They’reaffordable,reliableandgreat valueLikeaToyota!

Why you shouldn't: I’llberealistic, tryingtoindfaultwithamodern Suzuki or Toyota is going to take forever. Unless we look at design, panache or exclusivity but those thingsareforeignconceptstowhatis essentiallya7seaterpeoplemover Itsjobistobespaciousandpractical, whichitis

Why you should: The Rumion is easy to drive, uncomplicated to operateandmostprobablycheapto run The1,462ccinline4cylinder onlykicksout77kWor138Nm,soit often requires both spurs in its lanks, especially if you ill it with passengers and/or head for high altitudes The far rear seats are (obviously)abittiny

0100tookus113secondsandthe topspeedisclaimedat175km/h

Highspeedmannersareabitwonky but as compensation for this, the Rumion offers 180mm of ground clearance. You may choose from threespeclevels(S,SXandTX)with escalatingluxuriesandanoptional4 speedautomaticgearboxonthetwo uppertiers

What else? The turning radius is excellent, so is the aircon and (claimed)averagefuelconsumption: 62L/100kmfromthe45Ltank On topofbeingasuperreliableSuzuki with the country’s favourite badge (anddealercount)youalsogeta3 year/100,000kmwarrantyandsmall 4visits/60,000kmserviceplan

Prices range from R258,000 to R333,200,whichmeansthatthenew ToyotaRumionisanobrainerwith extranobrainersauce

Toyotasepremiumhandelsmerkvervaardig niemeergewonepetrol/dieselUXmodelle Pleks daarvan bring Lexus net hierdie hibriedemodelleuitDitmaaksin,siendedat diebatterysisteemgoedgepasisvirstedelike ritte,waardievoertuigeintlikmeestevandie tydsalspandeerNeemditegteropdieoop pad en die 20l turbo petrol enjin is goed gepasom ’ ngemaklikeritteverseker

Hierdieenjinskopdus135kWen180Nmuit, en word aangedryf deur ’ n stil en egalige eCVT(outomatieseratkas) Metdiehibriede sisteem,watmeestalindiestadoorneemteen lae spoed, was ons algehele brandstof verbruik tydens die week lange toets net onderdie7literper100km

Hiermeemoetonsbiegdatdatmeestevan hierdieverbruikspandeerisopdieooppad, endiegrondpad,waarhibriedesistemeegter nie so effektief is, in vergelyking met die stadigeenstopstaannatuurvanstedelike verkeernie

Dithetonsegterdiegeleentheidgebiedomte sienofdieUX250hoordiegeheel’ ngoeie voertuigis OpdielangpadisdieUX250h uitersgemaklikenskakelditonwetendoor tussen die petrol enjin en die elektriese sisteem

Binnedievoertuigselfisditstil,metbaiemin geraas wat deurkom Soortgeluk was die voertuig ook meer as gereed om stadiger verkeerverbytesteekopdielangpad;met geenkragleweringvertragingsnie

Diewaretoetswasegterdiegrondpad,siende datSUVsgebouwordvirdaardieeenmalige grondpad ekskursie, waarmee stedelinge hulselfbaiekeerbevindHierhetdieUX250h onsgeweldigverrasmetdiesagtervering, watdierowwerterrein’ nfeesgemaakhet.Te dankeaandie160mmgrondvlakhoogte,was dieUX250hookgereedomdieklipperige gedeeltesvandiepadmetgemakaantepak DieUX250hisookgeenlelikeeendjienie,met LEDhooligteenLvormigedagligte DieF Sportmodelkryook18duimallooiwieleby BinneworddieFSportmodelooktoegerus met’ nleerbekleedtestuurwielmetpedaal ratwisselaars,enaluminiumvoetpedale

EenpuntvankritiekmetdiedieUXisdatdaar geenraakskermisnie

Pleksdaarvankandieinformasieskermmet ‘n streel paneel hanteer word om vinger merketeendieraakskermtevermyTerwyl dit’ ngoeiekonsepis,dinkonsdatdiestreel paneelietwatsensitiefis;enmeeraandag vanafdiepadnadiepaneelverskuif.

Verderekritiekisdatdiekattebak,teen265l, bitterkleinis Veleintreevlakluikrugtebied tanskattebakspasiesvan300literofmeer Soortgelykisdaarookgeenspaarwielnie UiteindelikisLexusseUX250hgemikop stedelikependelaars Diebrandstofverbruik isuitstekend,nessypadgerief ’ nLangpad toermet4personemagegterbevraagteken word,veralasdaarbaiebagasiesaamgeneem wordengeendakrakbyderhandisnie

DieLexusUX250hissteedsegtereenvandie mees bekostigbare luukse hibriede model reeksetansopdiepadGepaardmet‘ n7jaar /105000kmwaarborgendiensplan,bieddie UX250hgoeiewaardevirgeld Die

Jaguar F-Pace

You should know: ThislittleSprint ReviewisaquickgapillerbecauseI madeaspecialrequesttodrivethis vehicleforasolereason:touseitina tribute video. A homage. Perhaps evenanobituary tothegloriousV8 engine.It’sgloriouslydecadentanda gloriouswasteoftimeintoday’slean, greenandrathermeanworld

More info: Acoupleofdecadesago, veeeightswerefairlycommonThey powered anything from lazy land yachts,brawnybakkiesandagitated sportscarsbut–asclimatechange, EVhysteriaandpoliticalcorrectness lood our collective consciousness, they’ve been pushed into the last namedvestige:assportscarmotors.

What else? Iwon’tlamentthatfact morethanIshould–whilenudging youinthedirectionofmyvideo–but it’smyprofessionaldutytotellyou

thatdownsizingandhigheficiency vehiclesarebetterTheyjustareBut formyfelloweightpotaicionados outthere,meetoneofthegreatestV8 SUV’sontoday’smarket.

Why you shouldn’t: Sure, it costs almosttwobarandwillhelpitselfto at least 12.2L/100km on average. Snort, giggle Try double that, if you ’ reahumanbeingwithemotions Emotionswhichwillbeishhooked and dragged into the gargling V8 soundtrack;accompaniedbyinstant superchargerresponse

Why you should:Besidesaglorious soundandlotsofBritishopulence? Performance.AccordingtoourGPS based Racelogic PerformanceBox, this405kWbehemothcansprintto 100km/h in just 42 seconds And althoughJaguarclaims02seconds less,that’swellwithinareyoucrazy

SUVterritory(seetableonpage15) Topspeed?Aninsane286km/h

TheSVRobviouslycomeswithevery imaginable toy and safety aid, probablyacomprehensivewarranty and service plan, although there’s onlyonedealershipinNamibia It’s silly,really Wasteful Almoststupid orbrash,butthat’sthewholepointof thatdyingstarwecallaV8Whichmy videoalsotriestoexplain

Kia

You should know: It’sabitofatough local segment, 7seater executive SUV’s, because southern Africans willalwaysdefaulttooneofthree GermanbrandsEventhoughmostof themhaveexorbitantoptionalextras pricing, eyewatering service costs (especially that fourringed brand) aswellasmineshaftdepreciation

More info: ThestylishSwedesdon’t fare much better and all Japanese productswillbeimpossibletoindin acrowdedparkinglot.Ifyouenjoy anonymity,thosearetheonesyou shouldconsiderbuying Thereason you’dgetaSorentoisthat–muchlike theSantaFe–itoffersarefreshing mixofstyle,comfortandvalue

What else? Styleisaverypersonal thingsoyou ’ reexcusedforhavinga

favourite,butifIlookatthisfairly largecrossoverwithobjectiveeyes, it’s neither ugly nor boring when comparedtoitsEuropeanrivals Its angularpanelsandmoderndetails alsodifferentiatethisfromcuzzyFe quitenicely

Why you shouldn’t: Streetcredisn’t thesameaswithDeutschland’sinest butI’darguethatanyoneremotely interestedincarswillseeaSorento as an interesting, slightly left-ield choice Pricesaren’texactlyenticing butatleastKiaoffersfourescalating trim levels; the cheapest of which evenomitsallwheeldrive

Why you should: There’splentyof comfort (ride and seating) to be foundinthisSUV,whileitoffersall themodernsafetyandconvenience

features you desire; depending on speclevelThefar

areabit cramped(dittoforeveryoneelse)but folddowntoofferamassive820L boot.2000Lwithallseatslattened

Andlastbutcertainlynotleastisthe brand’siveyearunlimitedmileage warrantyandrathergenerous6year 90,000kmmaintenanceplan

DON’T DRINK & DRIVE

But that’s not necessarily a bad thing You should know: Theproperi20N hasa150kW16Lturboenginebutis not for sale in southern Africa Without even researching it, I can guarantee that it has paintedon tyres,solidsuspension,considerable tractionissuesandaheftypricetag OK,maybeit’snotthatawfulbutI’d liketochampionthislesserNLine modelforthefollowingreasons.

More info: Itlookshalfsportywith twinexhausttips,shinyalloysand sportyseats However,noneofthem produce an uncomfortable ride or sizableholesintheowner ’ swallet.I shuddertothinkwhatareali20N wouldcostbecausethisonealready requiresR412,000Ontheupside,it’s incrediblywellspec’dandhashardly anyoptionalextras

Why you shouldn’t: Performance may be a deal-breaker to serious speedfreaksasthis1litre3cylinder turbopetrolonlyputsout90kWor 172Nmthrougha7speedDCT.That means 0-100km/h in 9.9 seconds (wemanaged979)andatopspeed of187km/hComparedtotheproper i20N’s62secondsand230km/h, that’sratherpedestrian

Why you should: However Power deliveryisveryeagerandthechassis responds in a beautifully lively mannersoallourtestersremarked thatthisi20NLinefeltmuchfaster thanitsnumberssuggest.Itpopsand burblesbetweengears,hasexcellent brakes and great headlights, while claiming to use an average of just 69L/100kmfromthe37Lfueltank Ifyoubehaveyourself

What else? We’re probably not making friends with the following statement but this i20 N-Line felt moreexcitingthananewPoloGTiwe alsotestedrecentlyOfcoursetheVW hasfarsuperiorperformance(infact, closetothereali20N’snumbers)but ifyou ’ re100kshortofaPoloGTi’s price… we can highly recommend thischeekylittleHyundai! * manufacturer claims

You should know: TheGolfGTigot too heavy and complicated a few generations ago, and some might arguethatthisPoloisheadingthe same way Burdened with modern safety standards and consumer demands, this GTi is no longer a nimble little pocket rocket It’s an extremely intricate mediumweight battlecruiser

More info: Ifondlyrememberthe daysofcompactbodypanels,izzy fuel injection motors and snappy manualgearboxesbut–alas–we ’ ve allbeeninfectedbydrearytrends Whatweallwant, apparently,isa tyreshreddingturbotorquemotor andthemostoverhypednuisanceof modernmotoring:aDCT Why you shouldn’t:Thedualclutch (automated manual) transmission canpreloadallthegears,makeTaco Tuesdaynoises,andswapcogsfaster

thanyoucanblink,whichisgreaton aracetrackbututterlyhopelessat walkingpacetrafic,delicateparking manoeuvres,oranythinginvolvinga slightincline

Thealmostcompletelydigitalcabin maybeanotherpointofcontention formorematureaudiencesasalotof physicalbuttonshavewonderedinto theabyssofthedashboard’sshiny touchscreen.Ifyou ’ reintonewtech, you’llcertainlyloveit.Ifyou’renot,I suggest a night or two of heavy experimentation Oh, and on the brightside,atleastthismodelhasa physicalvolumeknob

Besidesthelooks, name,status,irepowerandtoys maybeevenresalevalue?Wemight notgetthefullfatPoloGTiastheydo overseasbutourlocalmodelscome nicelyspec’dwithsomemoretasty optionsforyoutochoose

Ford Ranger Stormtrak

Die huidige Ford Ranger is al op die mark sedert 2011 en is steeds ’n treffer in terme van verkope Hoewel die nuwe generasie Ranger amper hier is, verkoop die huidige Ranger modelle steeds baie goed Ford het onlangs die “Stormtrak” weergawe bekend gestel as ietwat van ’n laaste “hoera” vir hierdie generasie.

DievoordeelvanFordseRangerbakkies,is datditplaaslikvervaardigwordinPretoriaen dusdiepartevinnigbekombaarenrelatief bekostigbaarmaak

Hierdie, gepaard met Ford se 10spoed outomatieseratkas,maakdituitersvaardig as ’ nwerksvoertuig,maarookas ’ nstedelike voertuig Sogerusstellendishierdieratkas, dat die revolusies konstant onder ’ n sagte 2000toer,terwyldie20ldubbelturboenjin niestadigisomdie157kWen500Nmte lewernie

RondomdieWesKaap,sowelasnasionale paaie,hethierdieratkasdus’ npuikbrandstof verbruikvan92l/100kmgelewer,terwyldie enjinenalgehelepadgeraasonopmerkbaar gegaan het Hierdie is te danke aan die maksimumkrag,watverkrywordteen’nlae 1500–2000opm,terwyldiemaksimumkW teen3750opmblootgestelword

DieStormtrakiseintlikdieselfdebakkieas ‘ n RangerThunder,watonsin2020getoetshet.

Die enigste verskil is natuurlik die kleur skema,sowelasdiebykomendeelektroniese rolluik, wat met die Stormtrak kom (as standaard)

Hierdie laasgenoemde funksie maak die Stormtrak model uiters prakties en kan eenvoudigdeur’ ndrukvan ’ nknoppieopdie sleutel,ofbinnediekajuitbeheerword Ons praathieruitondervinding,siendedatonste veeldieafgelopetydgesukkelhetomswaar rol-ofmateriaalluikeprobeerahaalhet.

Saammetdieelektronieserolluik,komdaar ook ’ n verdeler, wat bagasie verder kan kompartementaliseer,soosdievanbraaihout en ‘skoon’ bagasie Hierdie verdeler kan maklik uitgehaal word, sowel as verskuif word Die rede waarom bakkies vervaardig en gekoop word, is eerstens om prakties en effektieftewees Met’ nsterkaanvraagvir hierdievoertuieomindiestadgebruikte word,skuifdiekwessievandiefstalindielig

Kopers wil graag goedere buite sig in hul voertuie plaas, nes in ’ n SNV Hierdie elektroniese rolluik is dus die perfekte antwoord

Binne is die Stormtrak dubbelkajuit baie oorreenstemmend met die Thunder en Wildtrak modelle. ’n Kombinasie van leer sitplekke,dieSync3inligtingstelselmetfoon konneksie, gemaklike beenspasie in die agterste sitplek ry, sowel as elektronies verstelbare en verhitbare voorsitplekke, maakhierdieeenvandievoorlopersindie bakkiemark,asditbyalgehelegemakkom

DieRangersestuurkolomwasooknogaltyd eenvandieligsteenmeesmaklikbeheerbare opdiemarkOmdieRangertebestuur,isselfs meergemaklikasvelenuwekleinSNV’sop diemark

TerwyldienuweRangergenerasieingewag word,isdaarsteeds’ ngoeieredeomdie huidigemodeltekoop DieStormtrakmodel dui aan waarom Ford steeds een van die topverkopersis,wanneerditbybakkieskom

DieStormtrak(4×2)wordtansverkoopvir R815100,terwyldie4×4weergaweietwat duurderisteenR874100

Elkvanhierdiebakkies,wordnuutmet‘ n4 jaar/120000kmwaarborg,en ‘ n6jaar/90 000kmdiensplanverkoop

Text: Franco Theron

Images:Ford SA

To be completely honest, even I am hard pressedtospotthedifferencesbetweenthis 2022modelandthepreviousversions That goesmostlyfortheexteriordesigndetails, whichdotheirutmosttodisguisearather chunkyshapewithplentyofpanelcreases, contrastcoloursandchrometouches

Theinteriorisslightlyeasiertodifferentiate because the older derivatives had (mostly model dependent) twotone efforts with a light creme covering We have it on good authoritythatsuchahueisconsideredclassy and luxurious in India… but is absolutely detestedbyeverysingleSaffabuyerIt’sblack leatherorbust.

Andguesswhat?

Despite my incessant wailing about the current black fad, Mahinda ZA listened to theircustomers OursilverW8turbodiesel presscarhadfurniturecoveredinafairlysoft andittingblackhide Nowaddsubtlewhite contrast stitching, black dash and door panels,plusafewsilverhighlightsandthis cabinisbangonforlocalbuyers

That also goes for the technology in here, which starts with the obligatory power windows,ABSbrakes,etc butstartsfroma fairlysubstantialbaselevel extendingwith dearermodelstokeylessentry(andstart), climate control, more airbags and clever drivingassistants Mahindraclaimsthetitle of“safestcarinitsclass”forthisXUV300

Auniversalobservationofallourtesters(and passengers) was that the cabin quality is slightlyinferiortocurrentcompetitors The doorcardsanddashtoparemadeofhard plastic,plusthere’savisiblecontrastbetween paneltexturesandinishes Someareshiny pianoblack,othersaredullandgrainy

Mostsilversurfacesandswitchesarematt,no problemthere,butitallgoeswrongonthe centre dash where a stylish silver wedge separates the infotainment screen and climatecontrolIneveryXUV300I’vepiloted so far, this bright panel is mismatched in colour, misaligned to its neighbours and housesafewproperlypuzzlingbuttons

combination:it’seasytostallthiscarifyou ’ re notusedtoitsdelicateleftpedalandlackof lowdowngrunt.

Thisphenomenonishappilycounteredbythe livelynatureofthislittle15Lturbodiesel4 cylinder engine Peak power is 81kW at 3,750rpmwhile200Nmoftorquearrivesat 2,000rpm So,oncepeaktwistingpoweris reached, the sixshot manual gearbox providessuficientratiostoaidyourforward momentum;inallbuthighspeedscenarios

Mahindra South Africa claims a maximum speedof175km/hforthe15TD,whileour performance tests with an identical (prefacelift)modelin2019yieldedabest0100 sprinttimeof1169seconds Reversingthe processtookahighlyimpressive27seconds andjust3881metersAndfortherecord,the ‘300isalsoavailablewitha12Lturbopetrol 3cylindermotor

The hazard switch works well (and looks good,bytheway)butitislankedbyfourthin slithersofredtranslucentplastic:onewhich functionsasasinglebuttonforaventilation setting, another that isn’t a button but displays four safety belt settings, another whichoperatestwotripmeteritemsanda singlebuttonforthesteeringfeel/response

It’snotacompletedealbreakerinmyeyes but its ill itment and bizarre controls irritated me a bit While we ’ re noting negatives,someonebemoanedthefeather light clutch and initially weak engine

Withtwopowerplantsandthreedistinctive trimlevels,Mahindraiscateringtoawide rangeofpotentialcustomersPricesstartata veryreasonableR250,000andreachthistop levelturbodieselatalmostR350,000 Still, considering all the features and claimed eficiency (48L/100km) this little XUV300 ticksalltherightboxes

Includedin each sale of a new Mahindra XUV300 is a 5-year/150,000km warranty and5year/90,000kmserviceplan

2018 BMW 520d M Sport 37.89

2020 Toyota Corolla 2.0 XR 37.89

2021 Volvo XC40 T4 37.91

2018 VW Tiguan Allspace 2,0TSI 37.96

2022 Volkswagen Polo GTi DSG 37.99

2021 Hyundai Santa Fe 2.2D Exec 38.01

2021 Volkswagen Golf e 38.02

2016 Volvo V40 CC T4 38.04

2017 Volvo V40 D3 38.08

2020 BMW X4 M Competition 38.10

2017 Hyundai Tucson 1,7D 38.11

2020 Suzuki Vitara Turbo 38.12

2018 Volkswagen Polo hatch Tsi 38.16 2020 Hyundai i30 N 38.16 2021 Mercedes-AMG CLS53 38.17 2021 M-Benz V300d Avantgarde 38.17 2022 Volkswagen Taigo 1.0 TSi 38.19 2018 Audi TT RS 38.19 2022 Honda Civic RS 38.28 2017 Ford Fiesta ST200 38.30 2022 Kia Sorento 2.2 CRDi 38.33 2017 Lexus IS200t 38.42 2018 Volvo XC40 D4 38.50 2022 Hyundai Grand Creta 2.0 38.53 2022 Mercedes-AMG GLS63 38.53

Renault Duster dCi Dyn. (A) 41.70

Ford Mustang GT 41.77 2020 Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR 41.81 2019 Toyota Corolla hatch 1.2T Xs 41,83 2018 Hyundai i20 1.2 Fluid 41.84 2017 VW Amarok D/C V6 Tdi 41.99 2017 Suzuki Ignis GLX 42.02 2022 Hyundai Staria Elite 42.03 2020 Jaguar i-Pace EV400 AWD 42.03 2020 Ford Figo 1.5 Freestyle 42.00 2017 Ford Everest 2.2d M 42.31 2019 Mahindra XUV500 2.2 W10 42.31 2017 Toyota Etios Sprint sedan 1,5 42.34

2019 Isuzu m-UX 3,0 4x2 42.36

2022 Suzuki Celerio 1.0 GL 42.36

2018 Nissan X-Trail 1,6 dci Tekna 42.38

2021

Ford Ecosport 1.5 Amb. (A) 42.39

2021 Mazda CX-30 2.0 Active 42.41

2017 Fiat Panda TwinAir 42.46

2016 Chevrolet Captiva 2,2D LT 42.49

2017 Kia Rio 1,4 TEC 42.51

2016 Volvo XC90 T8 42.61

2022 Toyota Starlet 1.5 Xr 42.61 2020 Mitsubishi ASX CVT 42.63 2018 Ford Figo hatch 1,5 Trend (A) 42.66 2021 Toyota Urban Cruiser 1.5 XR 42.67 2020 Datsun Go CVT 42.68 2021 Toyota Prado 2.8TD VX-L 42.73 2021 Hyundai Creat 1.5 CVT 42.75 2018 Lexus NX300 F-Sport 42.79 2019 Land Rover Discovery 5 Td6 42.83 2019 Honda BR-V 1.5 CVT 42.96 2021 Toyota Agya 1.0

40 TFSi qtr S-line 44.06 2021 Citroen C3 1.2T Shine 44.12 2021 Mazda CX-30 2.0 Active 44.15 2021 Isuzu D-Max 250 D/C X-Rd (A) 44.18 2018 Suzuki DZire 1.2 GL 44.22 2016 Mahindra KUV100 K8 P 44.23 2019 Mits.Triton 2.4 D/C 4x4 (A) 44,34 2017 Ford Kuga TDCi AWD 44.46 2020 Ford Ranger D/C SiT 4x4 XLT 44.47 2021 Toyota Hilux GD6 D/C 4x4 Leg. 44.56 2021 Mercedes-AMG A35 sedan 44.57 2021 Kia Pegas 1.4 EX 44.77 2021 Peugeot Landtrek D/C 4Action 44.78 2018 Suzuki Swift 1.2 GL 44.80 2018 Mits. Pajero Sport 2,4 D4 4x4 44.83 2019 BMW X5 xDrive30d (AT tyres) 44,91 2021 L-R Defender 90 D300 X-dyn. 44.99 2019 Mahindra KUV100 nxt D75 K8 45.23 2021 VW Tiguan 1.4 Tsi R-Line 45.26 2021 Renault Duster 1.5 Dyn. 4WD 45.26 2018 Isuzu D-Max 3,0TD D/C 4x4 LX 45.54 2021 Toyota Starlet 1.4 XR 45.62 2018 Mazda BT-50 3.2 D/C 4x4 (A) 45.64 2018 Fiat Panda Cross 0,9 4x4 45.68 2021 Ford Ranger D/C XLT

2021 Audi