2015 Kinsey parts prices PAGE 8
October 15, 2015
Witness
WHEELS
ASH CAR SALES Dealers in Superfine Exotic and Sports Cars Tel: 033 345 1971, 033 342 4717 Fax: 033 342 2900 - www.ashcarsales.co.za
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EDITOR: ALWYN VILJOEN 082 4589 332 ADVERTISING: AVIR THULSIRAM ON 084 278 3447
Sante Fe enters SUV fray Big Korean adds raft of luxury features that will have buyers of German brands think twice ALWYN VILJOEN THE 2015 Sante Fe waded into the SUV fray this week and Stan ley Anderson, marketing director of Hyundai South Africa, says his dealers can’t wait to show people who are looking at the sport utes of BMW and Audi the standard luxuries in the sleek Korean. For the bottom line is that just the Santa Fe’s standard heated leather seats with a twosetting memory will add R23k in an X3; over R10k in a Q5; and just under R15k in the new Disco. Speaking at the launch in Salt Rock, Anderson said the latest design from Namyang has added several other new luxury features “that add to a more luxurious and safer motoring experience”. These include a tailgate that opens at the push of a button, builtin sat nav, cruise control that brakes for you, and side mir
rors that will first flash to tell you someone is just sitting in your blind spot and then buzz you if you activate the indicator. The same radars that check the blind spot also sweeps a 180 degree area behind the vehicle for approaching crosstraffic when you reverse out of parking bays, to buzz if there is a car coming. The evolved looks of the latest Santa Fe will also not hurt trade in prices of the 2014 model, as Hyundai’s kept the same fluidic profile, tweaking only the nose and adding bigger lights, includ ing LED lights up front. Only two models are on sale in South Africa — a fiveseat frontwheel drive; or sevenseat er allwheel drive with diff lock. Both use a 2,2 diesel that makes 145 kW and 436 Nm, with a sixspeed automatic gearbox with tiptronic sending the power to the relevant axle. The wheels
are 17inch, 18inch or 19inch al loys. We drove the ute in all three available settings — Sport, Nor mal and Eco — around tar and gravel hairpins and had no com plaints on the handling, which errs on the side of comfortable. The 2,2 diesel is engineered for a slow and steady pull, rather than a sub10 dash, and will deliv er as 7,3 l/100 km if driven thus. The only system that requires getting used to in the ute is the touchscreen. Even a 21yearold struggled to pair an iPhone (and still doesn’t know how he did it). The Santa Fe goes on sale next week, selling at almost R700k for the AWD — which puts it on the dear side against the Ford Everest 4x4 auto at R646 900. The prices of the enhanced Santa Fe range include a fiveyear or 90 000 km service plan, and a fiveyear or 150 000 km war ranty and roadside assistance.
A raft of luxury features makes the Hyundai Santa Fe a serious competitor in the SUV stakes, with the 4x2 Elite selling for R659 900 and the 4WD sevenseat Elite for R699 900. PHOTO: ALWYN VILJOEN
Terms & Conditions Apply • Whilst stock last
2
WitnessWheels MOTORING
October 15, 2015
‘Just add water’ in new M4
Got a few bar spare?
BMW has announced the pro duction version of the M4 GTS concept with water injection shown at Pebble Beach earlier this year. BMW said it will build only 700 models of the M4 GTS to commemorate 30 years since the original M3 was launched. The water injection system in creases power to 368 kW and torque up to 600 Nm, which is 59 kW and 50 Nm more than the standard M4. BMW has long proven water injection in its M4 MotoGP Pace Car, but the M4 GTS is the first production car with the technology; and the first car to be fitted with OLED lights, which are very narrow and light up across their whole surface. No pricing has yet been an nounced for the M4 GTS, but buyers can expect to pay a premi um over the starting price of R1 108 000 for the M4 Coupé in South Africa. — WR.
McLaren’s sportscar range aims at buyers who are not just rich, but very rich DESPITE his move to make affordable city cars, exDurbanite Gordon Murray will be impressed with the latest design efforts by McLaren to sell more cars by making them less “super car” and more “sportscar”. Following the global debut of the 570S Coupé at the New York International Au to Show in April 2015, McLaren is now ready to enter the luxury sports car market with racederived technologies and super car performance in a package which is very much a pure McLaren. With pricing starting at £143 250 (R2,9 million) the 570S Coupé is available to or der now with deliveries depending on market starting before the end of 2015 — the 540C Coupé, which retails from £126 000 (R2,5 million), follows next year. The latest addition to the range com pletes the threetier model strategy for McLaren alongside the Super Series and Ultimate Series. The Sports Series is the most usable and attainable model to wear a McLaren
The 570S McLaren is a sportscar with supercar genes, while the 570S (below) is a tribute car with sportscar genes, both bred for enthusiastic, and very rich drivers. PHOTOS: MCLAREN
badge to date. Weighing as little as 1 313 kg, the Sports Series is almost 150 kg lighter than its closest rival. Power is provided by an evolution of the 3,8litre twin turbo V8 engine that ensures electrifying perform ance. At the same time, the interior is more tailored around daytoday usability, with optimised access, greater levels of stowage space and more refinement. The Sports Series is a showcase of modern craftsmanship, with each model handfinished at the stateof theart McLaren Production Centre (MPC) in Woking, England. A suite of new optional content and a “By McLaren” designer range of interiors highlight the levels of customisation available. “The Sports Series is aimed at a new audience for McLaren,’ explains Mike Flewitt, CEO of McLaren Auto motive. “It is the first time we’ve competed in the sports car as op posed to the supercar market. As with all McLaren models, we have prioritised performance, driving en
gagement and exhilaration. “It is a totally driverfocused car, with excellent ergonomics and visi bility, and a classleading driving po sition. “This is also the most daytoday usable, practical and attainable McLaren we’ve ever made. It is a dra matic and beautiful sports car.” CanAm tribute The 570S should not be confused with the limited celebratory run of the 650S CanAm. Commenting on the 650S CanAm, Paul Mackenzie, executive director of McLaren Special Operations ex plains: “CanAm racing is a major part of McLaren heritage, and this latest model from MSO pays homage to the cars and the racers who played a key role in making the champion ship such a spectacle during the 1960s and 70s. The championship was a true test of the engineering ability, driving talent and bravery of Bruce and his teammates, which led them to secure five consecutive championships.” — NewspressWR.
Coffee to power buses too BRITISH company biobean, which already turns waste coffee grounds into tiny charcoalbrickets to heat up buildings, next plans to also press biodiesel from the old coffee grinds. The 21strong company’s young CEO Arthur Kay vision is to collect 50 000 tons from next year, dry the beans and separate the oil to power London’s buses. He designed the closedloop process using a biochemical proc ess called hexane extraction while at university and says the solvent used in the extraction process is 99,9% recyclable. Unlike cooking oil, coffee grounds also don’t require a lot of expen sive filters before it can be used in a car and the husks of the beans will still become an very effecient fuel for boilers in buildings. — WR.
A British startup plans to use coffee grinds to make biofuel. PHOTO: BIOBEAN
MOTORING WitnessWheels
October 15, 2015
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Tokyo dreaming: teasers from Japan’s premier motor show ALWYN VILJOEN FANS of the word’s most popular twoseater, the Mazda MX5, are agog for news of Mazda’s next sports car, but will have to wait for its unveiling at the 44th Tokyo Motor Show, which opens to the media on October 29. Mazda will show 14 models at the show and has, meanwhile, lift ed the lid on the crossover con cept, the Koeru, which embodies Mazda’s proactive safety philoso phy in very sleek lines.
Suzuki’s Air Triser, a new concept compact minivan that turns into a ‘private lounge’ with seats that fold into benches. PHOTOS: SUPPLIED
Nissan’s Teatro for Dayz is not a car, but a blank screen which transforms as the driver and passenger likes.
Small and rearwheel driven One sports car that already has drivers smiling is Toyota’s SFR. The letters stand for small, frontengine, reardrive, with the key word being “small”. The entrylevel sportscar rides on a 2,78 metre wheelbase, but the designers still managed to squeeze four seats into the cabin. Toyota said production starts next year and it will sell the SFR in select markets from 2017. Having catered for real drivers, Toyota will also show a lot of weird and wonderful wheels for Fomo sufferers at Tokyo.
Mazda’s Koeru is a sleek crossover concept that incorporates Mazda’s Proactive Safety philosophy. Nissan executive design direct or Satoshi Tai said that in drive mode, meters, controls and maps appear on the purewhite instru ment panel, but when parked, the interior becomes a live display for a generation wired for connectivi
ty, starting with the dashboard. The plain exterior can be fitted with LED screens for further self expression and sharing. Any experience in or around the car can be shared instantly via an onboard camera.
Toyota’s SFR — which means small, frontengine, reardrive slots in below the 86 and could provide competition for Mazda’s next sports car.
Another screen on wheels Suzuki will be showing four small models that look to be production ready, but the crowds will flock to the Air Triser, a concept threerow minivan. Despite its Keicar dimensions,
the tiny van has a roomy cabin with seat backs that fold flat to be come benches — either in faceto face or curved “sofa” formations to create what Suzuki calls a “pri vate lounge”. And as in the Teatro, users in
the Triser never have to miss a mo ment of audiovisual entertain ment, as they are provided with a largeformat display that extends from one of the Bpillars to the ceiling, allowing them to project movies. 22115
For Fomo sufferers The most colourful car at the To kyo show promises to be Nissan’s Teatro for Dayz. Billed as a car for “share na tives” who want cars not for the joy of driving or their own private space, but a better way to connect with friends and share experien ces, the Teatro for Dayz is basically a big blank canvas on which to dis play visuals.
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4
WitnessWheels MOTORING
October 15, 2015
For pasture or tar driving BRIAN BASSETT drives the wilds of Howick in the new Suzuki SX4 GLX manual RECENTLY I spent two weeks in Hermanus, a delightful coastal holiday village in the Western Cape. Before leaving I drove the new Suzuki SX4 GLX Manual courtesy of Gary Stokes, dealer principal of Suzuki Fury in the city. The SX4 has never appeared to me to be a particularly popular car in the Midlands, as you do not see many of them. But as I found in the past two weeks, this is because SX4 owners largely hang out in Hermanus. The SX4 is to Hermanus what the Honda Jazz is to Howick. I dutifully took several photo graphs of SX4 convoys in the vil lage with my new digital camera and then came home, pressed the wrong button and erased all of my holiday photographs, which speaks volumes about my techni cal skills. Styling The latest SX4 model introduced in 2014 is much bigger and better than its predecessor and has grown up. It added 16,5 cm to the cabin and 1 cm in width, which does not sound much, but all adds up. The sweptback lines of the ex terior, rising to a high roofline be fore cutting down to a wellde signed rear end looks elegant while the redesigned front end with its LEDoption headlight clusters and fog lights project an image of rugged practicality in an enjoyable aesthetic. The side mirrors fold back and the design is neatly finished off by the 17inch diamond polished al loy wheels.
tem with alarm. Performance and handling The SX4 is an inviting car to drive with a confident and comfortable ride. The twolitre engine in the pre vious model has been replaced by a more responsive 1,6 litre that makes 86 kW and 156 Nm. The 0100 km/h dash will take you around 11 seconds but the SX4 is made for cruising, not racing and it will take you and your family al most anywhere you want to go and drink for about 7 l/100 km en route. Thanks to ground clearance of 185 mm (175 mm on the base mod el), the SX4 easily straddles rutted Jeeptracks and is as happy on gravel as it is on tar. In town the SX4 is easy to ma noeuvre in traffic and shopping centre parking lots will never scare you again.
The Suzuki SX4 is as happy on gravel and grass as it is on tar. PHOTO: ALWYN VILJOEN Interior The interior is typically Suzuki. Simple, robust, easy to use and spacious, easily accommodating five adults easily. The seats fold down rather like those in the Honda Jazz and stor age space increases from a gener ous 463 litres with all seats in place to a massive 1 269 litres with the seats down. Interior finishes are excellent
and the seat coverings will easily shake off the daily wear and tear of the school run and weekends of mountain biking. The central stack houses an good sixspeaker, MP3 compati ble, CD, Aux sound system with Bluetooth and an effective air con ditioner, which features a pollen filter. The windows are all electric with child locks at the rear. The
threespoke leather covered typi cally Suzuki steering wheel is mul tifunction and handles amongst others radio, cruise control and handsfree phone switches. Driver controls are a mixture of digital and analogue, are easy to read and provide all the driver information required Safety and security The Suzuki SX4 has a fivestar Eu
Paris, London, Rotterdam against diesel PARIS — France is consider ing raising taxes on diesel over the next five years to end an advantage over petrol and en courage drivers to choose cleaner cars, Environment Minister Segolene Royal said. Diesel’s image has been tar nished by health warnings and in the past month by revela tions that Volkswagen cheat ed on emissions tests in the United States, putting coun tries like France that have pro moted diesel cars in recent decades in an awkward posi tion. Royal, who is also responsi ble for transport, has in recent weeks rejected calls to ban die sel or end its tax breaks, but last weekend backed the idea of phasing out the fuel’s tax advantage. “We need to start preparing our move out of die sel right now,” she told France 5 television. “We should phase out diesel’s [tax] advantage
over five years.” She said that the fuel tax levied on diesel was currently 0,15 euros per litre lower than on petrol. Progressive increas es in diesel taxes would be dis cussed during the debate on France’s 2016 budget bill, and should be offset by tax breaks for buying cleanerfuel vehi cles, she said. This represents an about turn for the France govern ment, which had in the 1960s opted to subsidise diesel cars because they were seen as less polluting than petrol in the days before catalytic convert ers became standard. This led to diesel models to day accounting for over 50% of all cars on French roads. Diesel has faced growing criticism since the World Health Organisation in 2012 classified diesel engine ex haust as very carcinogenic. City authorities have an
nounced moves to restrict the fuel’s use in vehicles in London and Paris. The Volkswagen scandal has also undermined the traditional argument in fa vour of diesel that it has lower carbon emissions than petrol. Minister Royal is not alone in her downwithdiesel view, which France already an nounced in 2012. In July last year the Mayor of London Boris Johnson also announced his council’s inten tion to introduce plans to phase out diesel vehicles, which account for 40% of the capital’s air pollution. The city of Rotterdam in the Netherlands is also looking to eliminate the worstpolluting cars on its streets, and plans to offer incentives for alterna tives. The city plans to upgrade its own fleet to cut pollution by 25%, and is considering ban ning older cars from its centre,
according to DutchNews. Rotterdam may stop issu ing parking permits for diesel cars built before 2005, and petrol cars built before 1992, as well as offer the owners cash for scrapping the dirtiest cars. Commercial trucks could also be banned from the Grav enijkwal — a major highway and currently Rotterdam’s mostpolluted road. As an alternative, the city al so wants to install more elec triccar charging stations and improve bike facilities. The Netherlands has intro duced national tax breaks to promote 200 000 electric cars on Dutch roads by 2020. In South Africa, where 80% of all goods are delivered by truck, diesel will be the fuel for a long time yet, predicts the director of the Automotive Aftermarket Division at Bosch South Africa. — Witness Reporter.
ro Ncap rating, thanks to seven air bags, including a knee bag for the driver for all round protection. Hill Hold Assist, ABS with EBD, an electronic stability program, with front and rear parking sen sors list among the active driving aids. No wonder the Hermanus ol dies love the car, they can do al most anything stupid and have a good chance of survival! There is also the usual internal security sys
Pricing and opposition The entry model comes in at around R269 000, while the CLX I drove costs around R299 000 and is the model I would recom mend. The Allgrip (AWD) will cost you R323 000, with an auto gear box it comes in at R345 000. There is a 100 000km/three year manufacturer’s warranty and sixyear anticorrosion cover as well as a threeyear 90 000km ser vice plan and a roadside assistance plan. This is smallute/crossover market is heavily contested and you will do well to also look at the Nissan Qashqai, Renault Captur and Peugeot 2008.
Snapshots on the go Subaru will premiere the Viziv Future at the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show. Subaru says its latest Viziv Future will tell a new story at the Tokyo Motor Show at month end. The Viziv Future is an AWD hybrid, but unlike its prede cessors at previous shows, the 2015 model has a twomotor hybrid configuration. A single electric motor mounted concentrically on the rear axle partners with a small, nextgeneration turbo engine. The compact size of the electric motor at the rear allows for a flat floor that opens up a spacious cabin under a roof that is high enough to store bikes on the sliding rails in the rear rather than add drag by putting the bike on the roof. PHOTO: SUPPLIED
For more information on Witness Wheels advertising Contact Avir on 084 278 3447 or Avir@witness.co.za 25 exotic dream machines tore up the tarmac at the Dezzi Raceway during IBV’s Supercar Club track day on Saturday. After advanced driving instructors presented personal oneonone training to club members, highpowered engine roars from Ferraris, Mclarens, and Aston Martins — amongst others — echoed across the track. PHOTO: SUPPLIED
Why do people buy cars? By Pieter from Maritzburg
makes a statement. Maybe it looks good, maybe it goes fast, maybe it has a state-of-the-art music system, but whichever way you look at it, it says: “Here I am!” In short, they want a Volkswagen.
I’ve been thinking about why people buy cars. In my line of work, I’m often asked to give advice to people on what car they should buy, and my answer is always the same: Why do you need a car?
Some people want luxury, a smooth ride, a beautiful interior, a purring engine. They want their car to be their own private oasis. In short, they want a Volkswagen.
Don’t get me wrong; I’m not trying to dissuade them. But what car you buy depends on why you need a car. Allow me to demonstrate:
So no matter why you need a car, head on down to Barons Pietermaritzburg and find the perfect deal for you.
Some people need a car to get around day-to-day. They’re not interested in bells and whistles; they want a car that gets the job done, and that keeps on going. In short, they want a Volkswagen.
Barons VW Pietermaritzburg can be found at 9 Armitage Road. They are committed to bringing you quality cars and excellent service at the best possible prices ALL year round! To start hunting for your dream vehicle, visit www.baronsvwpmb.co.za. And to book a test drive or service call (033) 845 3100. Open Monday – Friday 8am – 5pm, and Saturdays 8am – 1pm.
Some people have large families, and need a car that can carry them all. They want space, and they want safety. Oh, and nothing the kids are likely to break! In short, they want a Volkswagen. Some people want a car that
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The Polo Vivo 1.6 77kW Comfortline standard features include: 77kW @ 5,250rpm 5 speed manual Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with EBD Driver and passenger air bags Air conditioning
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The Polo Sedan 1.6 Comfortline Tiptronic standard features include: -
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An optional cost of R900 incl VAT will be charged for metallic paint. Note: *Linked to FNB prime rate, currently 9.5%. Note: Offers calculated on the Polo Vivo Trendline and Polo Vivo 1.6 77kW Comfortline models in standard specification. Price excludes optional extras, service delivery, licensing and registration. Offers may not be used in conjunction with any other special service or offering. Subject to bank approval. Information subject to change without prior notification. All finance offers are subject to credit approval from Volkswagen Financial Services. Offers only available through Volkswagen Financial Services South Africa Proprietary Limited trading as Volkswagen Financial Services an Authorised Financial Services and Credit Provider. NCRCP6635. Terms and Conditions apply. All the above is subject to price increase and valid until 24 October 2015.
An optional cost of R900 incl VAT will be charged for metallic paint. Note: *Linked to FNB prime rate, currently 9.5%. Note: Offers calculated on the New Polo Sedan 1.6 Comfortline and Polo Sedan 1.6 Comfortline Tiptronic models in standard specification. Price excludes optional extras, service delivery, licensing and registration. Offers may not be used in conjunction with any other special service or offering. Subject to bank approval. Information subject to change without prior notification. All finance offers are subject to credit approval from Volkswagen Financial Services. Offers only available through Volkswagen Financial Services South Africa Proprietary Limited trading as Volkswagen Financial Services an Authorised Financial Services and Credit Provider. NCRCP6635. Terms and Conditions apply. All the above is subject to price increase and valid until 24 October 2015.
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2013 Toyota Corolla 1.6 Advanced, 30 000km
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2014 Golf 7 1.4 TSI Comfortline, 19 500km
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2014 Polo 1.4 Trendline, 32 000km
2015 Isuzu KB300 D Teq Serengeti, 15 000km
Purchase a Polo TSI Highline manual and receive a Polo TSI Highline DSG upgrade. The Polo 81kW TSI Highline DSG standard features include: -
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2015 Touareg 3.0 TDI V^ Escape, 15 000km
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Pietermaritzburg
9 Armitage Road, Pietermaritzburg, 3201 • Tel: 033 845 3100
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Mastercars Sales Consultants: Laurie• Rajen • Sanjay • Barry • Phumlani Sales Enquiries: 033 940 1445
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An optional cost of R900 incl VAT will be charged for metallic paint. Note: *Linked to FNB prime rate, currently 9.5%. Note: Offers calculated on the Polo TSI Highline manual and Polo 81kW TSI Highline DSG models in standard specification. Price excludes optional extras, service delivery, licensing and registration. Offers may not be used in conjunction with any other special service or offering. Subject to bank approval. Information subject to change without prior notification. All finance offers are subject to credit approval from Volkswagen Financial Services. Offers only available through Volkswagen Financial Services South Africa Proprietary Limited trading as Volkswagen Financial Services an Authorised Financial Services and Credit Provider. NCRCP6635. Terms and Conditions apply. All the above is subject to price increase and valid until 24 October 2015.
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6
WitnessWheels MOTORING BIKING
October 15, 2015
Super Cub is back Honda pays tribute to the world’s bestselling motorbike
Suzuki’s Hustler Scoot concept pays tribute to two great transporters from the company’s past. PHOTO: SUZUKI
SCOOT PACKS A SUITCASE APART from its oldstyle mini camper, (see page 2), Suzuki will also take its new Hustler Scoot to the Tokyo Motor Show. Suzuki clearly likes the Hus tler name, as it has named a 790 kg mini sport ute thus and also the T20 247 cc, twostroke motorcycle from the sixties. The latest Hustler Scoot pays tribute to the original bike and the ute, coming as it does with luggage compartments that can even store a tennis
racket, while the underseat luggage area is turned into a slideout suitcase that can also sit between the rider’s feet. A rear carrier and panniers have hooks and space for more luggage. Power for the moped comes from a 49 cc aircooled thumper, which will be good for lowdown torque in slow city traffic, but not so much on highways. A paint scheme inspired by comic strips com pletes the offering. — Wheels Reporter. The TVS 180 Apache is a small bike, but proved tough over two pan African trips. PHOTO: SUPPLIED
IDEAL FOR PANAFRICA ASK South Africa’s crustiest bikers at ZA Biker what they rate as the most value for money on two wheels and the likely answer will be the little TVS 180 Apache. With over a million units sold globally, the 177,4 cc represents the most advanced bike made by TVS to date and is re nowned for its reliability, econo my and affordability. It comes as no surprise that Mike Puzey, CEO of the Puzey Motor Corpo ration, said the TVS 180 has proved itself in South Africa as the perfect commuter, sport bike and even tourer. “It is an allround very af fordable mediumsized motorcy cle that outperforms most of its competitors in its class and even the largercapacity ma
chines. When its comes to per formance and economy it’s a winner and ... certainly is the best looking in its class,” said Puzey. The staff at ZA Bikers proved this by making two very chal lenging trips on three TVSes, the first being from Johannes burg to Victoria Falls on Zimb abwe’s side, and the second a more recent trip to Malawi. The bikes covered huge mileage on both trips, carrying heavy loads without a single mechanical problem over 20 000 km. (Both trips can be viewed on zabikers.co.za) Puzey said his company sells the TCS 180 Apache for R25 990, with an optional two year or 10 000 km extended warrantee for R2 500. — WR.
Details of the engine in the prototype Honda Super Cub concept are still to be announced. PHOTOS: HONDA SPIROS TSANTILAS ALMOST a month ahead of the 44th Tokyo Motor Show, Hon da has announced a second wave of prototypes that will go on display. The headliner of which is without a doubt the Super Cub Concept, a modern take on the iconic 1958 moped that made Honda the giant it is today. Honda said it plans to reveal 10 prototypes at the show, which opens to the media on October 29, and has already teased with the Neowing titling tricycle, the Light Weight Su per Sport Concept and the re
emergence of the EVCub. The prototype Honda Super Cub Concept is powered by a petrol engine of as yet undefined type and borrows heavily on the original 1958 Super Cub. The original became a world wide commercial success, rose to cult status in southeastern Asian countries, was copied by practically every Asian motor cycle manufacturer and even powers an Underbone Grand Prix series. Over 87 million bike sales worldwide up until 2014 were Super Cubs, making it possibly the most popular two wheeler yet. The modern design repli
cates faithfully the original model down to the colour scheme ... even to the choice of small drum brakes. Thankfully, the leading link front setup has been replaced by a nice inverted fork to bring ing functionality up to date somewhat, as does the modern digital instrument panel. There is no further info to convey so far, apart from our guess that this must be a 50 cc engine, judging from the 60 km/h that marks the speedometer’s upper limit. We’d expect Honda to have shown this a few years back, namely in 2008 when the Super
Cub was celebrating its 50year anniversary. Instead, it intro duced the EVCub, apparently with an identical design to this new prototype. Honda was then implying that we may see the electric Cub in production by 2010, which didn’t happen. Still, it will be in teresting to hear if there are any production plans for this con cept. There’s no doubt it would prove to be very popular all over the world, especially if it were powered by a bigger engine. Honda currently has 110 cc and 125 cc Cub variants in produc tion — the Wave and the Su praX. — Gizmag.
France, Oz and South Africa off to Thailand ALWYN VILJOEN GENERAL manager of BMW’s biking side, Motorrad South Af rica, Alexander Baraka, was the proud host of the first Interna tional GS Trophy Female Team Qualifying at Amersfoort Coun try Trax earlier this month. Ten women from 10 different countries competed for one of three finalist places in the female team at the BMW International GS Trophy 2016 in Thailand. Dr Ralf Rodepeter, head of brand and product manage ment at Motorrad, said it was very impressive not just to see
Stephanie Bouisson from France (centre) won first place, followed by Amy Harburg from Australia (right) and Morag Campbell from South Africa. PHOTO: SUPPLIED how the women competed in the blindfold riding, holding a
rope while riding around a tree, slowly slaloming over ploughed
fields and fast night racing through hay bales, but also the bikers’ team spirit. “The team spirit is really re flective of the GS trophy,” said Rodepeter. Svenia Ohlsen, head of brand experience at BMW Motorrad, said that while the women helped each other, they fought hard for the three places. Steph anie Bouisson from France won first place, followed by Amy Har burg from Australia in second place and Morag Campbell from South Africa in third place. They now have four months to train for Thailand.
Kawasaki’s new superbike all new below, but almost identical on top KAWASAKI has unveiled its new liter superbike. Developed with the input of Kawasaki Racing Team’s two World Superbike champions, the 2016 Ninja ZX 10Rpacks an impressive arsenal of racederived equipment. Kawasaki has been upfront about the path it planned to take with its new superbike. With the World Superbike Champion ship’s (WSBK) governing body continuously tightening the noose around the modifications racing teams are allowed to make
on their motorcycles, construc tors were expected to load their production models with the equipment they needed in order to win. That’s exactly what Kawasaki has done, making this fact the centerpiece of its promotional campaign with the #getcloser hashtag, underlining how much the new model is similar to the actual superbike racer. The new ZX10R starts by vio lating the first rule of marketing — it looks almost identical to its
predecessor. Yet under those fa miliar fairings lies a brand new motorcycle that shares little more than the name and cylinder dimensions with the previous model. Even more impressive is the electronics package tasked with handling all this power. A brand new Bosch Inertia Measurement Unit (IMU) takes into account six degrees of freedom — what is usually called sixaxis IMU – five of which are measured by a multitude of sensors with the
sixth calculated by the system’s proprietary software. This is the same kind of system that Yamaha uses on its latest R1. Kawasaki has also introduced an intelligent braking system (KIBS) that links the ABS con trol unit with the engine’s elec tronic control. This monitors wheel speeds, front brake caliper hydraulic pressure, throttle posi tion, engine speed, clutch actua tion and gear position to deter mine the ideal front brake hy draulic pressure. — Gizmag.
The allnew bare bones of the 2016 Kawasaki Ninja ZX10R. PHOTO: KAWASAKI
MOTORING WitnessWheels TRANSPORT
October 15, 2015
7
Joining the bull run
BEST TRUCKS
FOR SA ROUTES
Nissan readies its new Navara to join the lineup for bakkiebuyers’ hearts RAISING the bar for quality and performance, the allnew Nissan Navara is ready for launch at the company’s Barcelona plant. Harnessing the 4X4 expertise of Nissan’s Spanish operations, the new NP300 Navara has been finetuned for European custom ers and will be built on a renewed production line in Barcelona. On a recent visit to the plant, Paul Willcox, chairperson of Nis san Europe, led the traditional Japanese Daruma ceremony to mark the realisation of €80 mil lion (R1,2 billion) investment for the NP300 Navara, the quality of which has heralded the launch of a new fiveyear Nissan Light Commercial Vehicle warranty. Willcox said: “With 80 years of pickup heritage, this new NP300 Navara arrives with the offroad ability, durability and loading capacity you would ex pect from the name. “What makes the fullyupdat ed Navara truly unique is the driving experience, style and comfort that it inherits from of the Nissan crossover range, like Qashqai, Juke and XTrail. “With the expertise of our team in Spain, a totally renewed production line in Barcelona, and our new fiveyear Nissan Light Commercial Vehicle warranty, Navara is further evidence that Nissan quality has never been
V FRANK TORRE
vicepresident of Nissan in Spain
This set a new bench mark for the pickup market The fourthgeneration Navara will use a new 2,3 litre dCi engine to compete with the latest Toyota Hilux and Ford Ranger. PHOTO: NEWSPRESS better.” The new NP300 Navara was engineered for Europe in Nis san’s Technical Centre (NTCE) in Barcelona, where the team de veloped the new 2,3 litre dCi en gine and adapted noise and vi bration, steering, suspension and brakes for European custom ers. The contribution of Nissan’s
Spanish team to the new pickup also includes the manufacture of parts including steering knuck les, brake discs and drums at the company’s Cantabria plant. Production of the new NP300 Navara for Nissan in Barcelona will be followed by new one tonne pickup trucks for both Renault and MercedezBenz, all of which will also share some
Ruggedly refined new Ranger
common architecture. Barcelona plant has capacity to produce about 120 000 vehi cles annually for the three brands, which would see 1 000 new jobs created once full pro duction is reached. Frank Torres, managing di rector and vicepresident of Nis san Spanish Industrial Opera tions, added: “The new product
range in Barcelona point to a sus tainable future for the plant and takes us towards our goal of pro ducing 200 000 vehicles per year. “In 17 months we have launched three vehicles success fully in Spain. As the quality out put from this plant continues to improve, we are about to start the production of the fourth, the new NP300 Navara. “Not only will this set a new benchmark for the pickup mar ket, it signals the beginning of our journey to becoming a pre mium plant.” — Newspress.
IMPERIAL Logistics has invest ed R1,6 million and devoted 12 months to test which truck works best on South Africa’s main delivery routes. Francois Ehlers, technical ex ecutive at Imperial, explains that the yearlong project focused on 10 premium brand 6x4 tractor trailers, which were tested twice on five different routes across South Africa using the same group of test drivers. Each driver left the starting point at the same time, to remove variables like the effect of air temperature on fuel consumption and each truck carried the same, full, testing load, and not a payload. Imperial’s ultimate goal was to develop a cost of ownership model for each different vehicle over five years, which factored in its fuel consumption on the dif ferent routes. Drivers also scored the trucks’ comforts in the each cab as well ease of access to check filters in and outside the cabin, but the trucks emerged more or less even in ergonomics. Ehlers said the final score showed some trucks were more fuel efficient than others at alti tude, and likewise, some outper formed others at sea level. There are clearly different trucks for different operations and differ ent routes. The vehicle selection model now enables the group to shortlist trucks from the premi um brands that are best suited for each route, and focus on add ing these to its substantial fleet of more than 5 300 vehicles. — Wheels Reporter.
HERO DEALS ONLY AT McCARTHY RENAULT
With 800 mm wading depth, 230 mm ground clearance and storage compartments under the rear bench, the Ford Ranger promises to get the tools to the site. PHOTOS: QUICKPIC FORD launched the new Ranger bakkie yesterday, with the factory in Silverton in Pretoria East now making 33 derivatives. Single cabs make up a dozen bakkies in the new range, with power from either the Base 2.5 petrol through to the 3.2 XLS 4x4 with manual transmission. The Super Cab lineup has been expanded from five to of six variants, starting off with the 88kW 2.2 Duratorq TDCi 4x2 and topping out with the allnew 3.2 4x4 Automatic which is of fered in highlevel XLT guise for the first time. A revised Double Cab range sees the addition of two new vari ants for a total of 15 models, fea turing the new 118kW 2.2 Dura torq TDCi XL 4x4, as well as a
luxury XLTspec 2.2 TDCi 4x2 mated to the manual transmis sion. The 3.2 TDCi XLT is once again available in 4x2 and 4x4 versions, with the choice of man ual and automatic transmissions. The popular Wildtrak can be specified in 3.2 TDCi 4x2 manual or automatic, or the rangetop ping 4x4 Automatic. Up to 18% less thirsty Upgrades include a new exhaust gas recirculation system that helps improve fuel efficiency by up to 18%, while still producing 147kW and 470Nm. The wading dept is now a classleading 800 mm and groundclearance is 230 mm. Similarly the revised 2.2litre fourcylinder Duratorq TDCi
benefits from a raft of upgrades in the interests of performance, refinement and efficiency. The peak outputs of the high power derivative is now 118 kW and 385Nm. An economical mid power 2.2 Duratorq TDCi engine is also available in certain models, producing 88 kW and 285 Nm. The new Ranger is also availa ble with Ford’s dependable 2.5li tre Duratec petrol engine, provid ing 122kW of power and 226Nm of torque. Depending on model deriva tive, the new Ranger is equipped with a sixspeed manual or auto matic transmission, or a five speed manual on the midoutput diesel and petrol versions. Training is included with every 4x4 model sold. — WR.
* Excludes delivery costs and metallic paint. Terms and Conditions apply. Pictures for illustrative purposes only. Subject to finance approval through our Finance Partners.
Andries (Sbu) Hadebe 082 672 6618
Darryl Smith 078 120 6861
Hector Mkhwanazi 078 739 6392
Gerard Chetty 071 192 1609
Yagan Padayachee 084 555 7456
*Terms and conditions apply. Repayments calculated on balloon of 35%, over 72 months, at 10,25% linked interest rate with 0% deposit. Subject to bank approval. Excludes mandatory on-road charges and metallic paint. Vehicles depicted may differ to actual models. While stocks last. Above offers available for the month of October 2015. E&OE.
McCARTHY RENAULT PIETERMARITZBURG 9 Armitage Road • Tel: 033 940 1433 • www.renaultpmb.co.za
8
WitnessWheels MOTORING
October 15, 2015
Sharp parts price increases Latest Kinsey list shows costs to repair bumperbashed parts have outpaced the weak rand THE latest 2015 Kinsey Report, which covers 74 vehicles in nine categories, showed some alarm ingly high parts prices. Pinetownbased motoring journalist Malcolm Kinsey said: “I don’t think the prices can be blamed entirely on the deterio rating rand. There are instances where items like mag rims and windscreens cost R10 000 and more.” Kinsey said his annual price list is now presented in two parts, with the cars selected using monthly sales figures, alhtough some “iconic” vehicles are also included, even though their sales are not in the Polo/Corolla league. All prices on the list are collect ed within the same calendar month, including VAT. Prices are sourced almost ex clusively from franchise dealers around Durban, to replicate as closely as possible what the cus tomer would experience. “Where possible we provided a VIN number for the exact vehi cle required. For the customer it is very important to take note of the VIN number found on all ve hicles when getting a quote for any parts required,” Kinsey ad vised. “This will ensure that ev erything from trim to engine, gearbox, tyres etc will be specific to your model vehicle and with all the variations on the market this makes part identification both easier and more precise.” (This 17digit number is on the left bottom corner of the wind screen.) CITY AND ENTRY LEVEL (11 cars) The new Datsun GO is a clear winner here with a parts basket of R37 631 (and a low selling price of R102 500). It’s a great first time purchase, making owning a new car affordable. It may lack a few refinements like ABS brakes and airbags, but it’s a solid little vehicle for basic transport. Second overall in parts is the Nissan Micra at R44 479 (both are sourced from India) and third is the Polo Vivo at R49 805. Best for servicing parts is the fourth placed Ford Figo followed by the Micra and Spark. The GO shines in repair parts and crash parts with Micra second and Figo third in repair parts and GO, Nis san Micra and Polo Vivo taking the top three spots in crash parts. SUPER MINI (10 cars) The Renault Sandero (R65 517) narrowly pips the Fiat 500 (R65 738) with the Peugeot a nottoo distant third with a parts basket of R67 463. The least expensive car to ser vice is the seventh placed Polo, some R250 less than the Sandero in second place, followed by the Fiat. In the repair portion you are better off with a Fiat 500, while accident parts costs are lowest for the Sandero, followed by the Peugeot 208 and Fiat. FAMILY FAVOURITES (9 cars) A pair of real family favourites, two Toyota Corollas take first and second — the Prestige just edging out the Quest at R67 078 and R69 466. Third is the Alfa Giulietta, which always seems to surprise with its competitiveness. Most economical to service is the VW Golf 7 ( sixth overall) fol lowed by the Hyundai Elantra,
Among eight double cab bakkies tested in the 2015 Kinsey report, the Tata Xenon has the lowestpriced parts basket at R58 527, while GWM offers the most competitive service costs. INSIDE: • 2016 NISSAN NAVARA • 2015 FORD RANGER PHOTO: QUICKPIC both substantially less than the Corollas. In the repair section the Elan tra and Kia Cerato are tops, with the Golf in third spot. The Corollas come into their own with substantially less ex pensive crash parts, over R15 000 better than the thirdplaced Alfa. It’s important that if the pur chase price of a vehicle is compar atively low that the crash parts are inexpensive to avoid reaching the writeoff point. With any in surance you are still better off re pairing than writing off the vehi cle as you are seldom paid out enough to replace your vehicle and end up having to pay in a con siderable amount. The Alfa, with a more expensive selling price, is one of only two cars in the survey with a parts basket to selling price percentage of under 20%. COMPACT CROSSOVER (4 vehicles) The Toyota Avanza heads up this class with a parts basket of R67 786, ahead of the Ford Eco Sport, one of the latest onelitre Turbo engine vehicles. Third is the Renault Duster. The Duster is the least expen sive vehicle to service followed by the Avanza and new Citroën Cac tus 1.2 (fourth). The Avanza is substantially less pricey for both repair and crash parts, with the Renault Duster second in repair parts and the Eco Sport second in crash parts. Citroën has come up with an innovative idea to deal with minor scratches — the Cactus has plastic panels on the sides of the vehicle which are capable of absorbing impacts of about 3 km/h, like supermarket trolley damage. These can be individual ly replaced when necessary. CROSSOVER (10 vehicles) Toyoya’s Fortuner heads the list here once more with a parts bas ket of R77 413 compared with the secondplaced Kia Sportage at R92 992 and the Toyota Rav4 at R97 708. Most economical Crossover to service is the Mitsubishi ASX, followed by the Hyundai iX 35 and the Nissan X Trail. Repair cost honours go to the Fortuner just ahead of the Chev Trailblazer (fourth overall), both well ahead of the third placed Kia Sportage. The Fortuner is also the most economical in the crash parts
section by close to R14 000, fol lowed by the Sportage and Rav4. As a percentage of basket price to selling price, the Fortuner has the lowest figure in the survey at 16%. EXECUTIVE CROSSOVER (7 vehicles) These are the real top dog SUVs and Kinsey felt they warranted a class of their own. Priced at over R750 000, and all automatic, the parts prices are probably more of academic than eco nomic interest to their owners, but might be an eye opener to many others of us. The winner here is the Volvo XC 90 with a total parts basket price of R164 508, followed by the Audi Q7 and close on its heels the Toyota Prado. All these vehicles have exten sive service plans and it is only if they are kept for a long time or run up very high mileages that the cost of servicing could become an issue. Volvo has the lowest service parts cost at R4 810, followed by the Range Rover Evoque (fourth) and the Prado. In the repair section the Evoque has the least expensive basket ahead of the Quattro and the Volvo. The Toyota Pra do is severely hampered by hav ing very expensive shock ab sorbers, which make the repair basket the most expensive of the group, but is able to pull back to a competitive position by having less costly crash parts than the Volvo and Audi. DOUBLE CABS (8 vehicles) Here three countries of origin compete for the top position. India wins with the Tata Xenon (basket price of R58 527) fol lowed by Japan with the Toyota Hilux Raider (R85 986) and China’s GWM Steed 6 (R89 437). The GWM has the most competitive service costs at R2 269 ahead of Tata and Isuzu KB300 (fourth overall). Repair parts winner is the
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VW Amarok — though it must be noted here that most Amarok double cab sales are with auto matic gearboxes, so there are no clutch and pressure plate and fly wheel prices in the list, as with the manual transmissions. GWM comes second. Crash parts sees Tata Xenon the clear winner by more than R20 000 on the secondplaced Toyota Raider
SINGLE CABS (8 bakkies) We are not exactly comparing apples with apples here, since we have included two halfton bak kies agaist the fulltonners. The Nissan NP 200, with a parts basket of R47 026, just pips its larger brother NP 300 Hard body for first spot. Third is the other “small fry” the Chev Utility 1.4 Club. Servicing honours go to Nis
san Hardbody, a scant R23 from the NP 200 with the Chev Ute in third. The Chev Ute retaliates by having the best repair parts bas ket ahead of the two Nissans. And in the crash parts it’s the two Nissans in first and second place again. However, it is interesting to look at the rest of the bakkies in this section — the one tonners — the Isuzu 250 leads the Toyota Hilux, Mazda BT 50, Ford Ranger 2.2 and VW Amarok. EXECUTIVE SALOONS (7 cars) The first three places are very closely contested — R2 500 sepa rated them in their parts basket prices. Leader is the BMW 320, followed by the Audi A4 and the Infiniti Q50, which is a first in the Kinsey Report. All these vehicles are automat ic, so there are no pricey clutch and flywheel costs. Audi comes out top in the ser vicing section ahead of the Infin iti and all the cars are within a thousand rand or so. The repair portion has the In finiti well ahead with a larger range of costs. The crash parts costs reflect the overall basket — first to the BMW, second to the Audi and third to the Infinity. — WR.
Join us at McCarthy Toyota from 15-17 October 2015 for the biggest car party in the world! Amazing specials on New, Pre-owned and Demo Vehicles this weekend only!
We look forward to seeing you there!
2014 Toyota Etios 1.5 Cross
R159 990
2005 Toyota Tazz
R54 990
• McCarthy Toyota PMBurg Automark 033 897 8100