...is a motoring portal forpetrolheads, bypetrolheads,inourbeautifulLandof the Brave, Namibia Besides this bimonthly digital publication, you can alsofindlotsofcargoodnessonour websitewwwnamwheelscomaswell asoursocialmediapages(seebelow)
Weaimtobringyouafairlyregularkick ofallthingsautomotivewhichshould be exciting for viewers, beneficial to advertisers and something which all Namibiancarloverscanbeproudof
Quiteabitofcopyrightandregional stuff may apply Unless otherwise stated,reviewsandperformancetests areconductedinSouthAfricaat(or near) sea level while all prices and specificationswerecorrectatthetime ofbeingpublished
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Pg 2 You’relookingatit
Pg 3 News&NewModels
Pg 4 OurlatestYoutubeVideos
Pg 5 NamWheelstop5List
Pg 6 LaunchReport:HondaCivicTypeR
Pg 7 SprintReview&PhotoSafari throughNamibia:Mercedes-Benz GLB220d4MATICProgressive
Pg 13 Review:Hyundaii30N
Pg 15 LaunchReport:SuzukiEECO
Pg 17 SprintReview:HondaBR-V15
EleganceCVT
Pg 18
LaunchReport:HyundaiPalisade
Pg 20 Review:IsuzuD-MaxV-Cross(AFR)
Pg 21 SprintReview:BMW220iMSport
Pg 22
NamWheelsCaroftheYear2022
Pg 23 Review:Mercedes-Benz
C220dAvantgarde
Pg 25
Chart:Fastestsedans
Pg 26 Review:HyundaiVenue10T(AFR)
Pg 27 Safety:Whyyoushouldnotneglect yourcar ’ swindscreen
Pg 30
Classifieds
Waze is now available to all VolvocarswithGooglebuilt-in
Ourcollaborationalsobrings thein-carWazeapptodrivers intheUSandAsiaPacificfor thefirsttime
The best of Waze's real-time routing,navigationandalerts are accessible with nothing more than a one-time setup after downloading in the GooglePlayStoreinyourVolvo car No matter who's driving thecarandwhatdevicethey use,navigationwithWazewill bejustonesimpletapaway
The in-car Waze app helps make your everyday journey easier by avoiding phonerelated hassles and distractions,whilecontinuing to offer the excellent functionalities that you ' ve cometoexpectfromtheWaze apponyourmobilephone
Uitenhage–TheKariegaplant of Volkswagen Group South Africabuiltthe100000thunit ofthecurrentPoloforthelocal market.Thespecialmilestone vehiclerolledoffthelineon1 Marchduringthenightshift.
VWSAcelebratedseveralPolo milestonesin2022,reachingits 1-millionthPolobuiltforexport inMay2022Theplanthasbeen buildingthecurrentPolosince January 2018 and began productionofthefaceliftmodel inAugust2021
VWSAcurrentlybuildsthePolo Vivoforthelocalmarket,and thePoloforallright-hand-drive marketsandcertainleft-handdrive markets The Kariega plant is also the sole manufacturerworldwideofthe PoloGTI
Suzuki wrapped up a busy salesmonthandfinancialyear withrecordsales
The brand sold 3 734 new vehiclesforan118%shareof thepassengervehiclemarket inMarch Thisisnearly12% betterthanthesamemonth last year, when Suzuki Auto South Africa ranked fourth overallintotalvehiclesales This most recent financial yearisthefifteenthsincethe company first opened its doorsinSouthAfricain2008 anditisalsothefifteenthyear ofsales,andthefifteenthyear ofdealergrowth
The automotive business council,naamsa,reportsthat Suzuki Auto South Africa closedthemonthofMarchin thirdplaceoverall
It’s official: Toyota South AfricaMotors'(TSAM)GAZOO Racing stable will further expandinthesecondquarter of2023whentheGRCorolla hothatcharrives,bringingthe numberofGRmodelsinSouth Africatofour–includingthe GRSupra,GRYarisandGR86 UnderthebonnetoftheGR Corolla, the G16E-GTS 16litre three-cylinder turbocharged engine has been furtherenhancedtosuitthe larger hatch, with a 12% increaseinpowerto221kW NB: At the time of publishing, we could not confirm pricing or availability for Namibia
DunlopTyres,proudlylocally manufactured by Sumitomo RubberSouthAfrica,isexcited toannounceitspartnershipto provide high-performance tyresfortheiconicvehiclesin theBMW///MPerformance PartsRaceSeries
Thenewpartnershipdealwill see Dunlop Direzza highperformancetyresfittedtoa fieldofover50vehiclesinthe seriesoveratwo-yearperiod Contenders will have the supportoftheATSMotorsport Dunlop Service Crew, who provide full trackside tyre serviceatallSAnationaland upcountrymeetings
is
Welcome toaregularNamWheels feature:ourtop5car-relatedlist
Hopefully this list of our favourite tyre brands won’t offend to many peoplebutwehavetostressthatitis simplybasedonourexperience!
We’vedrivenandownedplentyof vehiclesfittedwiththesetyremakes andbasedourlistonthepercentage ofgoodand/orbadexperienceper brand notpersetorindividualtyre
Feelfreetosendusyourcomments orfeedback:info@namwheels.com
Inourvastexperiencewithtyres, onebrandsticksoutFARabove the rest in terms of blow-outs, punctures and other failures
Michelin
They’rejustassoftasPirellisbut, forwhateverreason,we ’ vehad nothing but trouble with the highly-regardedproductsofthis establishedFrenchbrand
DISCLAIMER
Whenweconsiderthecollectivecarexperienceof allourstaff,thisreputableGermantyrebrand alwayscomesupasdependable,long-livedandat afairlydecentvalue-for-moneyproposition. Onetesterrecentlywitnessedasmallhatchback
withaContinentaltyrepuncture,plusthesetyres canhaveshuffling(orasidewaysshimmyeffect) insomeluxuryorhigh-performancevehicles. However that’snotenoughreasontowithhold firstplacefromthisexcellenttyrebrand.
1980'sand90'sP-ZeroAsimmetrico.
PIRELLI
Ifmoneywerenoobject,mostofourvehicles wouldprobablybefittedwiththebeautifultyres producedbythepremiumItalianbrand,Pirelli. It’sevenrumouredthatoureditorhasabizarre attractiontothecrazytreadpatternofaclassic
Afewyearsago,thisage-oldbrandoftyreswould havenevermadeourlistbecause-evenbytheir ownadmission-Dunlophadafewproduction issuesinthemid-2000's. We’venotonlybeenassuredthatlessonswere
TheAmericanbrand“GoodYear”canalsolook backonalongandvariedhistoryoftyres,and whilewehaven’thadtoomuchexposuretotheir products,it’sallbeengoodsofarThatincludesa setoftheirbudget“Hi-Fly”tyres.
Injointfifthplacearetwotyrebrandswhichwe’ve only experienced “second-hand”, meaning they werefittedtootherpeople’scars. Thisincludesdozensofpressvehiclesandsome privatecars,yetbothofthesebrandsimpressedus
Bethatasitmay,we’veonlywitnessedasingle Pirellipuncture(ScorpionA/TontheC26near WalvisBay)andthesoftcompoundofthesetyres wearsoffabitfasterthanwe’dlike.
learntandcorrectionsweremade,italsostrikes usthatthismiddle-pricebrandhasnotproduced anydudsinrecentyears.
Infact we’vejustcompletedsomegrueling4x4 tripswiththeirnewGrandTrek5A/Ttyres...
Sneakingintothesamepositionistheexcellent Japanesetyremanufacturer,Yokohama.Someof theirrecentproductsareabitheavy(butsturdy) whiletheyarealsoattheforefrontofacoustic/ quietandefficienttyretechnology
withtheirgoodmixofgripversuslongevity upto apoint Dependingontheapplication(orvehicle)we’ve alsonotedthatsomeHankooksorBridgestones canberatherfirm;givingaharsherride.
Thisinformationisgivenwithoutguaranteesorliabilityit’sjustasillylittlelistforanyonethinkingofbuyingsomenewrubberfortheirrideIfyouhaveanycommentsorsuggestionspleasegetintouch!
Dagger 1 to 5, up and ready…! That is the vocabulary that came to mind, when my wingman and I headed out of Cape Town from a hangar full of aeroplanes… in a car that felt more like a weapon than anything else with four wheels and a lightened ly-wheel
Ireallyfeltlikeaboybeinghandedajarfullof candy,whenIgotacallfromHondaSAone morning, saying that they’d like us at Galimoto Media / NamWheelsto join the launch of the much-anticipated FL5 Civic TypeR Thequestionformereallywas,can Hondamakeabettercarthantheiralready record-breakingFK8TypeR?
Theanswersimplyis:theyhavebuiltacar thatliterallyhasonlyonecomparison,and thatisthesamecarinadifferentcolour,next to it This lingo was heard from many journalists,thatthereisnorealcomparison for this car It simply came from another planet,andhasabsolutelynorespectforany forcesofnature
Thepricetagofjustbelowabarshouldreally beseenincontext,becausetheintentional buyerwillhaveagoodideaofwhatthey’re gettingHeorsheshouldbeapplaudedwitha uniquecall-signundertheseat,becausethey arebuyingacarthatcouldhavemorevalue thanmostcryptocurrenciesoneday
TheFL5reallyfeltlikeitwasdesignednextto aracetrack,andthat’sexactlywhereit’smost
comfortable,comingfrommewhocanbarely spell‘healandtoe’,nevermindexecutingitin real life The rev-matching function is absolutegenius Evenmywingmannextto me,whoinitiallydetestedtheidea,changed hismindaboutit.
witharacinginstructornexttome,andthe natureoftheFL5overtheolderEP3andFN2 typeR’scertainlyismoremid-rangetorque orientated than high revving, keeping the powerupthereatstratosphericrpm ’ s
Our trip around Clarence Drive, and then throughHouwhoekPass,mostlytookplacein “PlusR”mode,forobviouscorneringreasons
Thethingthatreallysetthiscarapartfrom the previous FK8, is the individual set-up mode WehadmostfunctionssettoPlusR, butthenkeptoursuspensionin“Comfort”,to makeupfortheimperfectionsofthepasses wewerecarvingthrough ThankyoutoKyle Kockforthegeniusset-up!
Our day ended in Franschoek with a very special track experience, which I’m not allowedtosharethecoordinatesof,asit’s privatelyowned Ipersonallydideightlaps
IpersonallyownedtwoK20Honda’s The irstwasaUK-spec2004EP3,andthesecond wasapure2003JDMimportEuroRAccord, thatred-linedat8500rpm Youcouldeasily shiftat9000rpmandyes,itwasgloriousto stay up there in the rev range. I quickly learnedthatIhadtorecalibratemyinstinct towardstheblownK20C1,havingbeenused tothelegendaryK20
ThenewCivicTypeRisavailableoffthe loor with235kWofpowerand420Nmoftorque, plus an audible exhaust change in Plus R mode Thisisalreadyaftermarketterritory Hondahaslistenedtoenthusiaststhroughout mostgenerationsofTypeR’sandtheyhave putthecherryontothecakewithindividual modeintheFL5
Some say that the gasoline hot hatch is headingforextinctionHonda’sreplywiththe FL5:“Nottoday!”
“The rev-matching function is absolute genius.”
Every now and then, we stumble across a car which ticks all the boxes for a modern urban family Meet the Mercedes-Benz GLB220d
You should know: Actuallyitsname ismuch,muchlongerthanthat:2022 Mercedes-Benz GLB 220d 4Matic Progressive. In plain English, that meansit'saboxycrossoverwitha frugal diesel engine, intelligent allwheel drive and a contemporary level of luxury, comfort and safety speci ications
More info: By“boxy”Ialsomeant spaciousandpractical,asthesquare rearquartersallowaverygenerous 565 to 1,800L of cargo capacity; while iveadultshaveplentyoflegroomandenoughverticalspaceto wearhats Thisraisedestatecaron road-biasedrubberisobviouslynota proper4x4,butoffers“4Matic”allwheeltractionandanoff-roadmode initsmultipledrivetrainsettings
What else? “Progressive”isoneof twotrimlevelsfortheGLBrange:the otherbeingasportier,harder,butno faster“AMGLine”
Unlessyouenjoythoseattributes,I would highly recommend staying with the softer ride and chunkier lookofthisProgressivemodelwith itsstandard215/65R17tyres 18's, 19'sand20'sareoptional
Why you shouldn't: Besides the price of million Dollars, a senior familymemberdismissedtherideas toohardAlso,ourtestcardidn'thave asparewheel,sunroof,navigation, keylessentryorpowertailgate
While some prospective customers won'tbebotheredbymostofthose, theycanallbeorderedindividually orintightly-knitoptionpackages;at additionalcosts.
Ourlocalretailer,M+ZMotors,can also itatemporarysparewheelon request.The8-speedDCT(gearbox) canbecaughtnappingattimes,but doesitsbesttobalanceperformance andfuelconsumption
Ourbest0-100km/hsprinttimewas 78seconds(Mercclaims76)while wedidseetheclaimed55L/100km duringsteadyhighwaycruises
Why you should: TheGLB220disa jolly expensive but incredibly nice wayofmovingaboutourcountry; especiallylongdistancesasithasa 60Lfueltank
It'shighlyre ined,extremelysafe,can do a little bit of soft-roading and comeswitha2-yearwarrantyand5year/100,000kmserviceplan
Engine:
Drive Train:
1,950cc i-4 Turbo-diesel
Power / Torque:
Avg consumption:
0-100km/h:
Top speed: List Price:
8-speed DCT, AWD
140kW / 400Nm
5 5L/100km*
7 80 seconds (7 6*)
217km/h *
From R998,388
Sunset near the Jettythe
a dashing igureinthecool Atlanticeveningcolours
Compactdimensionsand greatvisbilitymakeeasy workofnavigatingbusy citystreets
Althoughweonlyspenta ashorttimeinthemost southerlycostaltownof our beautiful country, youcanplainlyseethat theGLB220denjoyedits timeinOranjemund
Nexttimewe’llstayabit longer,promise!
NamWheels
What do a irst date, family holiday and this new Hyundai i30 N have in common? Easy.
Like most complicated things in life, they’re best enjoyed when you manage everyone's expectations…
I'llleavetheexactexpectationsofthat irst date up to your imagination, same for a crowdedseasidevacation,butI'msureyou'll join me in supposing that this 280hp hot hatchbackwillback ireatwill,shatteryour spineonabumpyroadandslayGTi'swhile torque-wrestlingyouintothenearesthedge
The reason for all these assumptions is simple.Justlookatthething!It'sbrightblue, adornedwithwingsand insandslatsand louvers,barelyclearsthegroundoninvisible alloys with painted-on tyres, shows two chromeovenpipestopursuingtraf icand probablycomeswithoneofthosenaughty Calvin-urinating-on-a-VW-badgestickers
OtherstuffIfoundinsidewereridiculously bluedrivemodebuttonsontheotherwise pleasantsteeringwheel,tonsofinformation ontheneatmediascreen,abrilliantclimate controlandloadsofothersensibleitemslike various storage nooks and charging ports, parkingaidsandfrontfurnitureheating
Speakingofwhich,thechunky-lookingseats created initial expectations of numb bums andchiropractorvisits,andwhilethelatter wastrueforoneofouryoungercolleagues,I'd liketoassureyouatthispointthatthenew Hyundai i30 N continuously exceeded or derailed my slightly cynical or negative expectations
Those seats, although blessed with rather irmbolsters,arecomparativelyspongyfora performancevehicle.Sure,measuredagainst thesofasin1970'slandyachts,thisfurniture iscertainlyonthehardsideofthespectrum, yetmynewfoundcomfortbehindthewheel raisedthehopethattheywouldhelpmestem theinevitablysolidrideofthisrapidracer
To get back to my initial point about expectations, after I had happily driven aroundforawhile(andnoticedthatitcanget closetotheclaimed89L/100km),Iputthis carintofull-lunatic“Nmode”and inallygot whatIwaslookingfor thecruderide,those rudenoises,suddenlynervoussteeringfeel andabar- ightattitudefromthedrivetrain
Ehh, wrong again Although the car starts with somewhat rude noises and reverseturnsoutofanelevateddrivewaywiththe delicacyofawheelbarrow,theridearound townwasmuchbetterthanIexpected Of coursethereisaslow-speedharshnesstoits damping,butleftinitsdefaultdrivemode, thisi30Nhasasurprisinglysmoothride
Letmequantifythatagain Ifyourtownis perfectly tarred and the council repairs brokenstreetlightstheverynextday,thiswill beafabulousadditiontoyour leet.However, iftheroadsaroundyourplaceareinanongoingstateofdecay–soyouliveinSouth Africa–thiscar ' ssuspensionmaypresent someproblemsattimes
Potholesshouldbeavoidedatallcosts
Allmycynicalexpectationswereunleashed byonepressofthebaby-blueNbuttonand, afterhavingbrawledwiththispsychopathfor awhile,IputitbackintoComfort/Normal modeuntilthedayofourperformancetests: 0-100km/hissupposedtotake54seconds butweonlymanagedabesttimeof622
DidIexpectthattoo?Mmm,notquite,butI wasnonethelessverypleasedwiththattime astheprevious(6-speedmanual)i30Nis causingalotofstrifeonourYouTubechannel becauseIdidn'tgetitundersevenseconds
The Hyundai fan-boys are understandably upset,yetitstractionissuesand2ndgear shiftpointhamperedmybestefforts
This7-speedDCTisnotonlyeasiertolaunch, it'salsoarguablyeasiertolivewithI'llalways champion the manual i30 N as a proper driver's car, especially since VW doesn't importanymanualhotmodelsanymore,but thereissomethingtobesaidforaquickshiftingstackofcogs
“
...newfound comfort behind the wheel...”
Pleaseallowmetoquicklyinsertmyusual rantaboutthedual-clutchgearboxparkingspeed lurches, although Hyundai must be creditedforcatchinguptothecompetition ratherquicklybyironingoutmostuntoward movements
Ifyouareconsideringthisvehicle,sinceits manual derivative has also sailed into the sunset,Istronglyrecommendyoualsotestit inslowtraf ic
Right.Whatelsetoyedwithmyexpectations?
Thesportyexhaustnote,whichissupposed tobeselectable,oftencreptintoregularstartups onlytodisappearafewsecondslater ThatmademewonderDidHyundaiforgetto programthatpartoftheexhaust'sbehaviour ordidtheyfailtocontainitsinitialboom?
Also,inanautomotiveworldscramblingfor maximumscreentime,it'srefreshingto inda goodhandfulofphysicalbuttons,plusthese clearanaloguegaugeswithaprogressiveredline, disco shift lights and a small but comprehensiveinformationscreen
Ialsoenjoyedtheheatedsteeringwheel
There's obviously a lot of space and practicalityinthismid-sizefamilyhatchback, andIalsolikethevalueofferingwhenyou consider the car ' s ire power, gadgets and warranty/serviceplanatthepriceofaround R767,000
IsitbetterthananewVolkswagenGolfGTi though?Consideringthatcar ' sfailuretomeet everyone ' sergonomicexpectations,I'dliketo thinkthatitis
VIEW THE ACCELERATION & BRAKE TESTS HERE
“Your Uber is here!” would be the nastiest thing I can think of when it comes to this recently refreshed Honda BR-V Ignoring the fact that we don’t have Uber in Namibia, let’s take a quick look at this newbie
You should know: TheBR-Visonly availablewithasmallyetgutsy15L 4-cylinder petrol engine and front wheel drive, with manual or automaticgearboxesdependingon itsthreetrimlevelsThebasemodel “Trend”isasix-shotmanual,middle child “Comfort” is manual or CVT, whilethisrange-topping“Elegance” versioncanonlybehadwithaCVT
Why you shouldn't: Those three letters often scare off buyers, yet Hondafollowsworldwidetrendsby trainingsitstoothlesstransmissions tomimicgearchanges.Soatleastthis gearbox won't make the engine scream constantly until you hit about 145km/h. That's when this onewentintofullwhiningmode
Why you should: Wediscoveredthis during performance testing in “S” (presumably “Sport”) mode, which alsoyieldedabest0-100km/htime of118seconds
Ifyoupulltheshiftpaddles,thisCVT allowsuptosevenforwardratios in varyingdegreesofef iciency,asdrive trainresponsestillfeelsabitrubbery Weapproveofthemanualoverride, asitexploitstheHonda-typicalrevhappiness;andlackoftorque
What else? AllBR-V'shaveatleast fourairbags,ABS/EBDandstability control, LED headlights, air-con, remote central locking, power windows and mirrors, Bluetooth audiowithAuxinput,USBand12V ports,cleversteeringwheels,Iso ix, alloywheelsandsevenseats.
More info: Trendcostsabout390k butyou'llhavetopass420ktogeta parking camera, keyless access, 4year/60,000kmserviceplan,aswell astwomoreairbags Thistop-spec Elegance requires about R470,000 and adds power sockets, pleather seats,biggeralloys,afewautomatic goodiesandactivedriveraids
In summary, all our testers were impressed by this Honda's rather roomy and sophisticated nature, comfortable ride and relative fuel economy (claimed 63L/100km), generous speci ications and hence, valueformoney
Andtheicingonthiscakeisthateach newBR-Vissoldwithamassive5year/200,000kmwarranty
Engine:
Drive Train:
Power / Torque:
Avg consumption: 0-100km/h:
Top speed:
List Price:
1498cc i-4 petrol 7-speed CVT, FWD
89kW / 145Nm
6 3L/100km*
No claim
No claim
From R459,900
* manufacturer claims
Traversing 850km: Suzuki addresses the shortage of small utility vehicles in southern Africa
SuzukiSouthAfricajustprovidedasolution tothelackofsmallutilityvehiclesavailable forSmall-andMedium-SizedEnterprises
These SMEs are vital in stabilising and reducing the unemployment rates within Southern Africa, yet manufacturers are providing less opportunities to purchase small, reliable, and inexpensive utility vehiclesundertheR200000mark;ultimately forcing these businesses to purchase expensive, larger (than required), or SUVconvertedvehicles
Luckily,Suzukisawthismarketgapandcame upwithapracticalandcost-effectivesolution
We recently covered 850km of highway, gravel, and pothole-strewn surfaces to not onlyprovidemuchneededschoolsuppliesto ruralcommunitieswithinKwaZulu-Natal,but toalsoputthenewEecothroughitspaces
What is it?
OneofseveralnewSuzukimodelsfor2023, theEecojoinsthemarketpurelyasautility offering
Onlyonemodelwillbeavailableatthistime, sothereisnopeoplecarrierversionavailable asthissegmentisalreadyverycompetitive
At a claimed 54 litres /100km, the name “Eeco” itsthisvehicleperfectlyThisisthanks tothe12-litrenaturallyaspiratedK12petrol engine,matedtoa5-speedmanualgearbox Whilethisresultsinarevolution-happydrive, Suzuki’senginesareknowntoproducegreat ef iciency and reliability, even when the enginenotetendstobehigh
What about the competition?
Which competition?As mentionedearlier, mostmanufacturershavepulledtheirhalfton“bakkies”fromthemarket,withthelast availablesmallbakkienowalsoseeminglyon itswayout.
Theotheralternativescomeintheformof entry-levelhatchbacksorsmallfamilySUVs
which have been converted into utility vehicles NotonlyaretheyabovetheR200 000 price point, but these vehicles are generally impractical when loading large items Additionally,theEeconowentersthe segmentastheonly(justover)half-tonutility vehiclewithslidingdoors
Forus,theEecoismuchmorepracticalthana one-orhalf-tonbakkie,astallitemscaneasily bestoredwithinanenclosedspace,without theneedtopurchaseasecuritytoporcanopy Thisisduetotheloadcompartmentonits own,being1620mmlong,1300mmwide, and1070mmhighTheEecocancarryatotal loadof615kg
What is it like to drive?
Consideringthethinairatanaltitudeof1 500mabovesealevel,twooccupants,andour #RallyToReaddeliveries,westillmanagedto keeptothehighwayspeedlimit.Truetomost Suzukimodels,theEecoalsohasaveryshort turningradiusofonly45metersThismadeit considerablyeasytomaneuverourwayback ontotheopenroads,oncedeliverieswere completedattherespectiveschools
“
...a practical and cost-effective solution.”
TheEecoevendidwelltoglideovergravel andaroundthepothole-strewnsectionsof ruralKwaZulu-Natal.Thiswaslargelythanks toits160mmgroundclearance
The 32-litre fuel tank also held up well, consideringthatthe300kmhighwaysections atatime,onlysawhalfofthetankbeing consumedWeareeagertoseewhattheEeco willdoatsealevel!
Thecabinhasbeen ittedwithcomfortable seats,whichkeptusawayfromachingbones, whilst covering 300km at a time at some stages
Thesteeringwheelcompartmentisalso itted with a digital speedometer cluster display Additionally,thecentreconsoleisalsoradioready,while12-voltsocketshavebeen itted ratherthanUSBports Thereasonforthis decisionisthat12Vpointsaremuchmore versatilethanUSBpoints;apracticaldecision fromSuzuki’sside,consideringthatthisisa utilityvehicle
Furthermore, the vehicle also features an antennaandtwospeakers
Whilst the Eeco was launched in India a considerabletimeago,theneweditioncomes tosouthernAfricawithawholebunchofnew safetyfeatures
Southern-AfricanEecomodelsaresoldwith anairbagforeachoccupant,anti-lockbraking system (ABS) with electronic brake-force distribution (EBD), as well as electronic stabilitycontrol(ESP)
Practicality and simplicity are the design motivesoftheEecoAsabusinessvehicle,itis atruecostsaver
Withnoturbochargerorexpensiveelectrical components,theEecoiseasyandcheapto ownandmaintain.Partnerthiswithlowfuel costs,lowinsurancecosts,plusthefactthat theEecoisonlysoldinwhite;whichmakes forquickandeasyrepairs
InIndia,theEecoalreadysoldnearlyamillion unitssinceitsinceptionGiventhepricepoint ofR199900(includingVAT)anda3-year/ 100000kmmechanicalwarranty,wethink thisvanwillcertainlyre lectsimilarsuccess intheSouthern-Africanmarkets
TheEecoalsocomeswithside-impactsteel beams in the front doors and three-point retractingseatbelts
Moreimpressively,theEecocomeswithrear parking sensors, anti-theftimmobiliser, as wellasahighmountedstoplamp
“Practicality and simplicity are the design motives of the Eeco. As a business vehicle, it is a true cost saver. ”
“...ABS with electronic brake-force distribution, as well as electronic stability control...”
A couple of years ago Hyundai launched the Palisade for the irst time in southern Africa, where it was generally well received by the media.
ThefaceliftedPalisaderecentlyhitourshores herewithevenbolderdesign,followingthe stylingcuesofmorerecentHyundaimodels, especiallywhenitcomestogrilldesign
The grill especially follows a more linear designthanthatoftheMY21,anditcertainly communicatespremiumfromthefronttothe back Theexteriordetailscertainlyhelpthis largevehicletobeabitsofterontheeye
We headed out towards Hermanus from SomersetWest,onarouteconsistingofnot justtarmac,butamixtureofgravelroads whichthePalisadehandledextremelywell
Wearelookingforwardtotestthiscarinfull, because our experience so far (from the launch)isthatitridesreallywellandhandles evenbetterthanmostJapaneseladder-frame SUV wannabes I believe this car deserves moresalesthanhistorycanprovideus
Cabinspaceisample,plusyou ’ rebeingtaken careofwithheatedandcooledseats,forthis verywarmFebruarywe ’ reexperiencing
ThenewPalisadealsohassuf icientbellsand whistles to decorate a whole neighbourhood’sworthofChristmastrees, and believe me, they are not just Chinese gimmicks
TherearetwomodelstoconsiderintheMY23 range: a 7-seater and the 8-seater. Interestingly,bothmodelshitthe looratthe sameprice:
Isuzu nou nader aan mededingers...
Suider-Afrika se bakkie segment is vinnig besig om die mees kompiterende motor segment te word By die dag raak hierdie voertuiemeerbetroubaar,meerluuks,meer modern,enbeterwerkesels Meerenmeer vervaardigerssluitookaanbyhierdiemark, wat dit moeiliker maak om ' n groot markaandeeltebehou
IsuzuhetonlangshulD-Maxbakkiemodelle “moderniseer”om met die mark leiers te kompiteerMetdiesewendegenerasiehoop Isuzuomdietoptweebekommerdtemaak
Dienuwe30Turbo-dieselV-Crossbakkieis dus' naansienlikeveranderingvandievorige modelle Terwyl Isuzu se enjins nog altyd betroubaarisenbekendstaanasuitstekende werkesels, het die vervaardiger nog altyd gesukkelombytehoumet'modernisering' vanhulvoertuie GelukkigbringdienuweVCrossmodelhulnaderaanhulmededingers
DieIsuzusebinneruimhetonsonmiddelik herinneraandievandieMazdaBT-50enmet goeierede Beidevoertuiedeelbaievanhul binneruim.Gelukkigisditniedieselfdegeval virdiesuspensieenbakwerknie
DusisdieV-Crossaandiebinneruimgekleein ' nleerafwerkingrondomdiesitplekkeen stuurwiel Terwyl die sitplekke uiters gerie lik is ('n groot kontras teenoor die vorige modelle), is die stuurwiel ook multifunksioneel en kan dit in lengte en hoogteverstelword
Die B-pilaar is ook vorentoe geskuif met 25mm,watdusbeenspasievirdieagterste personeaansienlikvermeerderendiehele kajuituitersgemaklikmaak Diebakagteris 15mmlangeren30mmdieper,eningeheel 1530mmlank
PadhouvermoevandienuweD-MaxV-Cross isaansienlikbeter,tedankeaandienuwe veiligheidspaketteenbakwerkveranderinge Dienuweenjinvoelveelsagter,invergelyking metdieouer3-liter
Isuzuhetduidelikhulhuiswerkgedoenom dieluuksemarkaantedurfHierdieisdadelik tekenneaandievermeerderingvanstoorspasiesandselfoon-houers
DieV-Crosskryook' n9-duimraakskerm,wat geintigreerd is met die nuutste slim-foontoepassings. Bykomend is 'n dubbele lugversorgings-eenheidenagtlugsakke
BuitehetdienuweV-CrossmodelnouBi-LED projektorhoo ligte,metLEDdagligte,sowel asLEDagterligteWategtermeerbelangrikis, isdatdienuwebakkie10mmlaer,en30mm langeris
Tesamemet‘ n6-spoedoutomatieseratkas, skopdieenjin140kW(teen3600opm)en 450Nm(tussen1600en2600opm)uit.Dusis ditdalkniesokragtigsoosdietop-model bakkiesvanandervervaardigersnie,maar voeldienuweIsuzuenjinveelwakkerderen gereedviraksie
BygeseisdieIsuzuD-MaxdubbelkajuitVCrossOutomatiesmeerbekostigbaarassy mededingers TeenR800000(ofR860000 virdie4x4model)met' n5-jaar/120000km waarborg,en5-jaar/90000kmdiensplan, magIsuzusenuwebakkiedalknetdiemees sinvollebakkieopdiehuidigemarkwees
“
...groot kontras teenoor die vorige modelle...”
Despite an af inity for – and a garage or two full of – products from their main competitor, I'm quite the undercover BMW fan This lat grey 220i Coupé proved once again why
You should know: Likemostofits rivals,BMWbuildsabewilderingmix of automobiles which are clearly intended to catch every niche and coverallbases
The 2-Series is supposed to be relatedtoa1-Seriesbutcanbehadas afour-doorGranCoupeorthistwodooreffort,inpetrolordiesel,with front-, rear- or all-wheel drive, as wellasthree,fourorsixcylinders!
More info: Ourtestvehiclewasfairly true to the original recipe: a twodoor,two-litre,four-cylinderturbopetrol with rear-wheel drive in ratherfetching“BrooklynGrey”.Like otherlocalretailers,BMWSA only offersthisparticularmodelwiththe sporty“MSport”package.Ifyouwant aregular220i,youhavetobuythe four-doorversion
Interestingly,BMWrevertedtotheir old lift-up door handle from three decades ago Saves weight and
lowers the drag coef icient, we guess?Thenthere'ssensiblestufflike areasonably-sizedandwell-laidout infotainmentscreenwithaphysical volume knob (hurray!), as well as skip buttons next to a row of customisableswitches
What else? Thepowerplantdelivers up to 135kW or 300Nm but – in keeping with my admiration of Bavaria's inest–itfeltlikealotmore
Thatmayalsobeduetothesnappy8speedSteptronicSporttransmission (especiallyinitsraciermodes),sharp steeringresponse,lowridehideand irmsuspensionsetup
Why you shouldn't: Theridequality reallyisonthehardsideoftoday's spectrum, no thanks to 19-inch wheels,whileentryandexitcanbe quiteanundigni iedaffairformost passengers.Thenthere'sthecurrent price of about R845,000 (without options)butatleastthey'llthrowina
2-year unlimited-mileage warranty and5-year100,000kmserviceplan
Why you should: Ifyoucanlivewith its extremely modern looks, the BMW220iMSportisawonderfully agile, exciting and sophisticated compactcoupe Basespecsinclude most modern safety and luxury gadgets but some tasty extras are reservedforthepriceyoptionslist.
Andalthoughyourcolourchoicesare limited, at least they are highly varied!
Engine:
Drive Train:
1,998cc i-4 turbo-petrol
Power / Torque:
Avg consumption:
0-100km/h:
Top speed:
List Price:
8-speed Auto, RWD
135kW / 300Nm
6 3L/100km*
7 5 seconds 236km/h*
From R842,590
* manufacturer claims
The Mercedes-Benz C220d won top honours in our NamWheels Car of the Year 2022 competition!
Atotalofnine(9)vehicleswereselectedas finalistsbythepublication’sjournalists,chosen fromthedozensofpressvehicleswereviewed lastyear
Herearethefinalistvehiclesinalphabetical order:
•HavalH6AWD
•HondaCivicRS
•HyundaiTucson20DElite
•JaguariPaceEV400
•KiaCarnival22CRDi
•Mercedes-BenzC220d
•SuzukiBaleno15GL
•ToyotaYarisGRFour/Rally
•VolkswagenTaigo10TSiR-Line
Thefinalvotingwasleftentirelytothepublic whowereinvitedtoliketherelevantpost/son social media NamWheels also selected a randomwinnerofanautomotivehamper;for castingtheirvote/s
Thewinningvehicle,Mercedes-Benz’C220d Avantgarde Sedan, achieved the majority of public votes on the NamWheels Instagram pageRunner-upistheHavalH6AWDLuxury whilethirdplacegoestothenewVolkswagen Taigo10TSiR-Line
M-Benz C220d
Haval H6 AWD
VW Taigo R-Line Kia Carnival 2.2
Jaguar iPace EV400
Tucson 20D Elite
Baleno 1.5 GL
Honda Civic RS
Yaris GR Four
[ PLEASE NOTE:
Due to non-communication from the manufacturer PR, the Toyota entrant was disqualified
Also, we no longer receive press vehicles or launch invitations from Audi, as the company has deemed NamWheels / Namibia not worthy enough. ]
Not too long ago, medium-sized turbo-diesel luxury sedans were all the rage. This trend was admittedly quite regional but no matter where these automobiles once ruled supreme, their numbers have been mercilessly decimated by the onslaught of SUV's, crossovers, EV's or any horrid combination thereof.
Tostatethepainfullyobvious,SUV'sandtheir ilk represent better versatility, increased freedomof(mildoff-road)movementandan oftenmisplacedsenseofheightenedsafety I'vealsolearntovertheyearsthatpeople choosetheirsuperior loorclearancebecause itoffersbettervisibilityinheavytraf ic,plus easierentryandexitfromthevehicle
Fairenough Thereareprobablyafewmore goodreasonswhythesedan'stimecameand went–especiallypersonalandregionalones –butIsincerelyhopethattheystickaround andmakeasmallcomebackatsomestage Why?Becauseforunadventurousplebslike me,whoonlysticktosmoothtarmac,these carsareallweeverneed
There'salittlewhitelieinthatstatementas mydreamcarmusthavetwodoorsandabig
petrolengine,yetbackintherealworldI certainlywouldn'tsnuffattheef iciencyand smoothness of a modern diesel and four entryways Thanks to clever injection and turbochargersystems,theseonce-rattlingoil burners can easily match a petrol unit in termsofpowerdelivery
Betterstill,theystemalmost100%oftheir twistingpowerontothecrankfromverylow downintherevrange
And now that we're down here (in the tachometer), this is where you'll ind the vehicle'ssweetspotintermsofconsumption Mercedes-Benz claims an average of just 47L/100kmfromthiscar ' s66Ltank,giving carefulpilotsatheoreticalmaximumrangeof 1,400kmbetweenstopsatthedieselpumps
Sure, they can't rev as high as a petrol equivalent, but with today's 27-speed gearboxes(thisC220dhasnineratios,bythe way) the latest diesel lumps can use the 4,500-or-so rpm ' s in repeated intervals of properincreasesinspeed
IhopethatexplainswhyweatNamWheels stillenjoy driving a compact luxury sedan withsuchabeefyandef icientengineOntop ofthat,luxurymanufacturerslikeMercedes havelongagomanagedtoquietendownthe tractornoiseswhichonceemittedfromthese self-ignitingdevicesForadiesel,theC220dis remarkablyquiet.
“
...can easily match a petrol unit in terms of power delivery.”
Even early in the morning, with what we southern Africans would call “cold” temperatures, our white press vehicle refused to hammer or tappet its way to operatingtemperatures
Once warmed up and at cruising speeds, you'dbehardpressedto indanyproofthat it'sadiesel Eventurbo-lagiskepttoabare minimum
Ifyou ' restillinterestedintheactualcar,I highlyrecommendcheckingoutourvarious reviewsorvideos( indsomelinksonpage4) to get a better understanding of what the GermangiantbuiltintotheirnewC-Class
Asasummary,it'scaughtuptoeveryonein termsoftechwhiledoingitsutmosttoretain the trusted level of comfort, safety and understatement Once again we have to caution conservative buyers about the amountofgadgets,mostofthemcrammed intoaprettylargeandverticaltelevisionon thedashboard
Thesteeringwheelandinstrumentcluster (dependingonspeclevel)willalsorequirea fair bit of experimentation before you get usedtoalltheirincrediblefeatures
Thesemaybemodel-dependentbutinclude wondrousstufflikevoicecommand,keyless start,parkingsensorsandreversingcamera, LEDheadlights,climatecontrol,fullvehicle stabilitycontrolandsixairbags
Optionalwitchcraftincludesadaptivecruise control, head-up display, a glass roof and plentyofotherdriverorluxuryaids
Mercedes-BenzSouthAfricasellsaC200and C300petrolalongsidethisC220d,allofthem assedansorcoupes,andthepetrolversions asconvertibles,too
Wherebeforetheywouldofferabasespec(or “Classic” line) and then escalate over Elegance,SportorAvantgarde,onlythelatter isavailablenowadays;andabouttwomillion pretendAMGversions
If you require some more sedan-friendly numbers,0-100shouldtakejust73seconds whilethetopspeedisapparently245km/h
This1,993ccfour-potputsout162kW(with mildhybridassist)or 440Nm,thebootcan swallow455L,theturningradiusis111m andthegroundclearanceissowoefulthatit dragsitsfrontskirtsonanyavailablesurface
Whichbringsusfullcircletothereasonwhy everyonemigratedtoSUV's.AndIdomean everyone Myfolks,mywife,mybrother,my neighbours,almostallofmyfriends,mostof mycolleaguesand–basedonmypowersof observation – every single parent at my daughter'sKindergarten
ExceptmeIrefuseI'dratherhavethisC220d than the admittedly excellent GLB220d, althoughI'llprobablyhavetolivewiththefact thateveryonewillquestionmychoice,prefer todriveinsomeoneelse'sSUVandrobmeof anylineofsightatabusyintersection
Good-bye,compactluxurydieselsedan
As you may have just learned on the previous pages, sedans are a dying breed. What better excuse than that, to make a sedan vehicle acceleration chart with video links!
NamWheels
SedertHyundaiseVenue,4-jaargelededie klein-SUV mark aangevat het, het hierdie einstemarkveelmeetmededingendgeword Veelmeernasieshetdiestrydaangedurfen ' n grotemarkaandeelvanafdieSuid-Koreaners geneem
Nou, met ' n “ nuwe ” gesig, is die Indiese vervaardigde Venue, slaggereed om die aandeelinhulgunstedraai
Terwyl die Volkswagen T-Cross slegs drie maandevoordieVenuebekendgestelisin 2019,hetToyotaseUrbanCruiserveellater aangekom. Beide hierdie modelle verkoop egtersteedsmeermodelleasHyundai
Nou,metSuzukiseVitaraBrezza(identies aan die Toyota Urban Cruiser), Ford se EcoSport,dieKiaSonet,NissanMagnite,en RenaultKiger,isdiekompetisiestrengeras ooitvantevore
Mengditmetdienuweuitskietsterrevandie CheryTiggo4Pro,sowelasdieHavalJolion, endie“pizzaskuiwe”indiemarkaandeelraak alhoekleiner
Hyundaibeplanomdiegewigweernahulle kanttoetegooienmetgoeieredeDienuwe Hyundai Venue, soos sy voorganger, is gemaklik, ekonomies, en prakties Ons enigstekommerisdieprys,wateffehoeras dievandieChinesemededingersmagwees
DienuweVenuehetnou ' n42duimmoderne raakskerm, 'n lug-verkoelde paneelkassie, 16-duim allooi wiele, outomatiese LED hoo ligte(insluitenddagligte),leersitplekke, dakrelings,enverselbareagtersitplekke
PersoonliksienonssteedsdieVenueaseen vandietopkeusesindiekompakteSUVmark Hierdieisgrootendeelstedankeaandie10literenjin(3silinder),wat88kWen172Nm verskafdeur' n7-spoeddubbele-koppelaar ratkas Waar' n3-silinderenjingewoonlik' n harderaspergeluidhet,isdieVenuesekajuit redelikgoedgeissoleerdvanafdieenjinblok
DieVenuemagdalkniedievinnigstevoertuig opdiemarkweesnie,terwylditookietwat swaarisopbrandstof(74literper100km), maar terselfdetyd is die Venue goed hanteerdbaarinbeidediestadenopdieoop padDitisstil,enkantot343litersebagasiein diekattebakneem
Hierdie word bygevoeg by die standaard lugverkoelingvirdieagterstesitplekke,Tipe C USB punte vir agterste sitplekke, lugversorging,' ndigitaleinstrumentpaneel, parkeringwaarskuwings,' ntruratkamera, sleutellosetoegang,enBluetoothsoosopdie Motionmodelgevind
Metgerie likeveranderingebinnedieVenue vir alle insittendes, mag Hyundai dalk net hoeropmetdierangleergeklimhet.Ditis besliseenvanonsgerekendekompakteSUVs
DieVenueTGDIFluidDCTisdiemodelnet onder die befaamde N-Line DCT en word verkoopteenR429900met' n7-jaar/200 000km waarborg en 3-jaar / 45 000km diensplan
“Hyundai beplan om die gewig weer na hulle kant toe te gooi ”
Text:Eugene Herbert
Source:Quickpic / MasterDrive
It is one of the features that protects drivers the most in the car. It is a standard part of every car and if you did not have it you would be acutely aware of it: this is the invaluable windscreen Yet, drivers will often neglect to fix cracks and chips even though a windscreen is vital to your safety
The CEO of MasterDrive, EugeneHerbert, saysmanydriversmaypostponerepairs untiltheyhavemoretimeorbecauseof financialconcerns
“Theamountofdangerthisactuallyplaces driversinisconsiderableAtthemostbasic level,cracksandchipscanimpedevisionIt canreducevisibilityandmakeitdifficultto clearlyseeoncomingtrafficandobstacles
“Evensmallchipsorscratchescancreate glarefromsunlightorcreateahaloaffect fromoncomingvehiclesIfyourwindscreen ishitbyaflyingobjectitcanalsoshatter once you are driving causing injury to yourselfandotheroccupants.”
On a more serious note, the windscreen actually contributes to the structural integrity of the vehicle. “A windscreen provides 34% of a vehicle's torsional stiffnessanddissipatestheforceinacrash
Inanaccident,theroofofthevehiclecan cavein up to30%moreifyou havean improperly installed windscreen or one thatisdamaged
“Additionally,asvehiclesbecomelighterfor various reasons, it also increases the importanceofhavinganundamagedand correctlyinstalledwindscreen
They also play a role in reducing the possibilityofpassengersbeingejectedfrom a vehicle in a crash. It plays a role in ensuring airbags deployed correctly in a crashaswell”
Thesolutiontothisisquitesimplytoensure youneverneglectachiporacrack
“Additionally,thesooneryouattendtochips andminorcracksthemorechancethereis thatthecostoftherepairwillbemuch lower as it can be fixed as opposed to replacingtheentirewindscreen
“Itisalsoimportanttoensurethatyougoto a reputable windscreen fitment centre. Correct installation is essential for the windscreentohavetherequiredstructural strength and, consequently, protection shouldtheworsthappen.Thisisnotone placethatshortcutscanbetaken”
Delaying a crap crack or chip until later whetherthisisduetotimeconstraintsor financialconcernscanultimatelycostyou muchmoreinthelongrun
“If you are driving with a damaged windscreentoday,makesureit'sfixedby tomorrow,”saysHerbert
• Don’t wait to replace or fix your car’s windscreen, it is a vital part of your safety behind the wheel
• A cracked or damaged windscreen hampers your vision and can be the cause of an accident
• Windscreens are a big part of any vehicle’s structural strength, so a damaged one will compromise your car’s rigidity in an accident
• The windscreen also forms part of the airbag’s proper deployment. If the glass is compromised, the airbag may not work properly
