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THE WITNESS
AUGUST 13, 2020
WHEELS
www.witness.co.za
The Isuzu X-Rider is now available with 3-litre diesel engine and six-speed automatic gearbox. PHOTO: QUICKPIC
Veteran champion bike and car racer Neil Woolridge looks forward to deploying the NWM Ranger V8s at the Bronkhorstpruit 400 cross country race this weekend. PHOTO: QUICKPIC
Isuzu adds a 3-litre auto to X-Rider list
FOLLOW THE ‘BRONKIES’ 400 ON RALLYSAFE
PORT ELIZABETH — Isuzu has added a special edition D-MAX 3.0 TD Double Cab X-Rider Automatic. “The X-Rider nameplate, which was first introduced in South Africa as a limited edition model in 2016, has been a great success for us. “Until now we have only offered the X-Rider as a midrange vehicle available with the 100 kW 2.5-litre engine,” says Dominic Rimmer, executive, technical services at Isuzu Motors South Africa (IMSA). “Based on the popularity of the X-Rider, we felt it would make sense to match this nameplate with our most powerful engine, while retaining the attributes which make the X-Rider so popular. “The three-litre X-Rider has an imposing presence on the road with a rugged and sporty look which sets it apart from regular D-MAX models.” The 3-litre X-Rider Automatic is powered by the familiar four-cylinder 130 kW turbo diesel engine from Isuzu. Matched with a sixspeed automatic gearbox, max power output is reached at a low 3 600 rpm, with max torque of 380 Nm between 1 800 and 2 800 rpm. X-Rider comes standard with a black roof rails; black sports bar with Red X-Rider logo; black running boards; eight inch AX2 Radio with multifunction colour touchscreen; black tailgate handle with rearview camera, and a 3,5-ton towbar. The seats are covered in black partial leather with red stitching. The 3-litre TD X-Rider is available in just three colours; Summit White, Switchblade Silver, Pull Me Over Red. The bakkie rides on standard 18-inch diamond cut alloy wheels on all terrain tyres; 18-inch all black alloy wheels are available as a no-cost option. Pricing for the special edition D-MAX 3-litre TD Double Cab X-Rider Auto starts at R479 217,39 (excluding VAT). — WR.
Thunder sold out before launch Ford officially launched the much-anticipated, limited edition Ranger Thunder in South Afrca today. The Rosslin plant plans to make only 4 500 Thunder units, of which 1 400 will be in right-hand drive. The Thunder comes with a raft of unique design and functional enhancements and slots in between the Ranger Wildtrak and Ranger Raptor. Under the hood, a bi-turbo 2-litre diesel engine making a formidable 157kW and 500Nm, which power goes to the wheels via Ford’s slick, 10-speed automatic gearbox. Zenzele Mbatha at Barloworld Ford in Pietermaritzburg said the dealership has already sold the one model it was allocated. He advised Ranger fans keen to own this bespoke double cab to rush to put down a deposit, as the limited number of Thunders are selling fast, despite the R789 000 list price.
Top three big-booted sedans for drivers who sell ride hailing services ALWYN VILJOEN BEFORE lockdown, drivers enlisted on ride hailing apps told Witness Wheels they earned a reasonable living. During the hard lockdown, no one made any money, but as urban travel returns to normal, drivers enlisted on ride hailing apps like Taxify and Uber hope things will change for the better fast. This hope is backed by a key finding in a survey of 5 000 residents of major cities in the U.S., China, and Western Europe. Boston Consulting Group (BSG)
conducted the survey to ask city commuters what drives their transportation choices. The answers show that, while many now prefer their own cars, in the short term between 67% and 76% of people who used to share rides will return to using, or even increase their use of such services. Key to this return is that the driver arrives in a clean car with a minimal perceived risk of infection. Drivers who spend their day in a car prefer the comfort of an automatic transmission, despite the higher fuel bill and initial costs
Honda Amaze 1,2 Comfort auto Price: R230 500 Drivetrain: 4-cylinder 1,2-litre petrol with CVT Power: 66 kW /110 Nm at 4 800 rpm Kerb weight: 949 kg Consumption: 5,7/100km Boot size: 420 litres Ride height: 170 mm Wheels: 175/65 R15 Warranty: 5 years or 200 000 km. Service plan: 2 years or 30 000 km
of autos. Witness Wheels asked Cole Catlett, (pictured) senior sales executive at Nissan Pietermaritzburg, which automatic car is best for ride hailing. She recommended the Nissan Almera. “And I’m not just saying so because I work at a Nissan dealership,” said the All Stars CMH sales executive. “There are basically three sedans that have proven themselves for ride-hailing in terms of price and running costs — the Nissan Almera, the Toyota Quest and the Honda Amaze.
“Their owners will tell you these are three very durable sedans, but among them the Almera has the biggest boot, the most leg room and the longest service plan and warranty, which is why I recommend it for ride hailing.” Catlett said the Almera’s 90 000 km service plan and six-year warranty are especially popular with professional drivers, as it allows them to trade in the car while there are still a few months or kilometres left. Catlett adds she also sells a fair number of pre-owned automatic Almeras to
Nissan Almera 1,5 Acenta auto Price: R262 700 Drivetrain: 4-cylinder 1,5-litre petrol with 4-speed auto Power: 73 kW / 134 Nm at 4 000 rpm Kerb weight: 1 042 kg Consumption: 7,2/100km Boot size: 490 litres Ride height: 160 mm Wheels: 185/65 R15 Warranty: 6 years or 150 000 km. Service plan: 3 years or 90 000 km
pensioners, who often compare the costs of a vehicle down to the last cent. She said for them the Almera’s value offering is unbeatable. They also like that it is not the newest sedan, but proven technology with a very affordable parts basket and service costs, as stated in the 2019 Kinsey report of the cheapest cars to service and repair. “A used Almera sells for under R200k and if you add an extended warranty you will get many kilometres of low cost motoring,” says Catlett. • alwyn.viljoen@witness.co.za
Toyota Corolla Quest 1,8 CVT Price: R278 600 Drivetrain: 4-cylinder 1,8-litre petrol with CVT Power: 103 kW / 173 Nm at 4 000 rpm Kerb weight: 1 305 kg Consumption: 6,3/100km Boot size: 452 litres Ride height: 125 mm Wheels: 195/65 R15 Warranty: 3 years or 100 000 km. Service plan: 1 year or 45 000 km
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RENAI Moothilal said South Africa can benefit from the global shift to making electric drivetrains, despite electric drive trains having far fewer parts than fossil fuel engines. The executive director of the National Association of Automotive Component and Allied Manufacturers (Naacam) made this point during a public webinar in which he discussed the findings of KPMG’s 2020 Automotive Survey with other heavyweights in the auto trade. One of the findings in KPMG’s survey is that the availability of raw materials will play a decisive role in powertrain developments and technology agendas in the future. Moothilal said the value chain to make and export electric vehicle components already exists in South Africa. He pointed out a lot of components for fossil fuel cars are also used in electric cars. “We don’t need to lose production, we have the breadth and depth — from Original Equipment to Tier One — the components makers will follow the market. We got to treasure this production environment, irrespective of the power trains,” he said.
South Africa’s auto industry like Isuzu’s factory in PE are well-placed to supply components for electric cars, says Renai Moothilal, executive director of Naacam. PHOTO: DEALERFLOOR He said considering that sales in South Africa’s automotive sector were down 30% before lockdown
and 60% year-on-year, local manufacturers now have to think of wider vehicle production and widen their
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MANUFACTURING COURSES THE Toyota Wessels Institute for Manufacturing Studies (TWIMS) will for the first time hold its courses online and on campus at the same time. The next course asks what does the the future of manufacturing look like? How will A.I., digital twinning and additive manufacturing affect my business? How do we know which technology is right for us? “We are asking ourselves these questions daily but often get no clear answer. The Future of Manufacturing executive short course has been designed to give you the strategic tools necessary to interrogate and engage with potentially disruptive market, social and technological forces,” said programme co-ordinator Ntokozo Nxumalo. Applications close tomorrow (Friday, August 14) at 4 pm. Established by the Toyota Wessels Trust, TWIMS is a not for profit initiative dedicated to the development of manufacturing executives in Africa. TWIMS welcomes students from all industries and backgrounds. More on https:/ /twimsafrica.com. — WR.
WHEELS’ LATEST MASK WINNERS CONGRATULATIONS to Nola Pieterse and Pinky Sithole, who each won a Subaru-branded face mask, and to Merle Paigie, who won the pair of Ford-branded face shields.
Are you an aggressive driver?
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export product mix to get traction in old and new markets. Moothilal said SA’s access to raw materials placed it in a good position to become a global exporting hub of component production, from sound-deadening parts to coil springs. He said that new market development was key, especially in Africa. “We have for a long time had an insulated market, outside our traditional export markets, we have not done the hard yards in developing regional markets to absorb the SA products.” Moothilal said for new market developers, opportunities awaited not only in new vehicle sales, but also in after-market sales. But he stressed that local industry players and policy makers must prevent this nascent market from becoming a dumping ground. In this battle, he said the biggest competitor “is our sister factories overseas”. “Where are all the ICE vehicles in Europe right now going to end up if we don’t drive industrial policies?” he asked rhetorically. — DealerFloor.
THE Ford Castrol Cross Country team is desperate to get back to action in their “Made-in-Maritzburra” Rangers, with Lance Woolridge and Elvéne Vonk keen to fight for another podium finish following their third place at the Mpumalanga 400 in February. They will be joined by Gareth Woolridge and Boyd Dreyer in the second V8-powered Ford Castrol Ranger which is built and prepared by Neil Woolridge Motorsport (NWM) in Pietermaritzburg. “The past five and a half months have been very frustrating and challenging for the entire team, but we’re really looking forward to getting back to what we do best, and that’s racing,” says NWM team principal, Neil Woolridge. The veteran bike and car champions said the NWM Ranger V8 has proven exceptionally reliable over the past three seasons, which the team aims to use to their advantage over the always dusty and extremely rough tracks in the “Bronkies” 400. The racing starts at 1 pm tomorrow with a 45 km qualifying loop. On Saturday the crews will complete two loops of 170 km each, with the first loop starting at 8.30 am followed by a mandatory 30-minute service, with the second loop departing at 12 noon. Fans can follow the action using the RallySafe app, available free for iOS and Android devices. — WR.
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MD of MasterDrive, Eugene Herbert, cautions drivers not to take their lockdown stress on the road. He said aggressive driving can change to road rage very quickly, especially when you are dealing with other stress in your life, like lockdown. Herbert defines aggressive driving as “the act of committing numerous traffic offences while driving but does not include the violence of road rage”. “So, while you may believe your driving is harmless because you do not threaten someone with violence, it is still very dangerous and
can result in a crash. It also raises the stress level of both other drivers and yourself. Next time you get behind the wheel, ask yourself if you are guilty of any of the below behaviours,” says Herbert. If you answer yes to any of the questions below, you are an aggressive driver, and you need to lift the right foot and both corners of the mouth to improve both your fuel bill and sanity. • Do you drive faster than all the other drivers around you? • Do you drive close to the car in front of you and flash your lights
at them to get out of your way? • Do you weave in and out of traffic? • Do you purposefully block or cut off other drivers because they annoyed you in traffic? • Do you slow down suddenly to discourage or ‘punish’ someone for tailgating you? • Do you focus exclusively on the car ahead of you and not look 12 seconds ahead? “If you have been guilty of any of these behaviours, calm down before you have any regrets,” said Herbert. — WR.