Wheels 21 jan 2016

January 21, 2016

s on Wheel

AL T I P A C , 104FM m

Witness

WHEELS

ay 9 a d r u t a S m to 10 a

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

2011 Ferarri CaliFornia 4 seater Convertible[2+2]

Only done 19 500 km, auto, P/str, A/con, Red/blk leather seats with red stitching, F1 style paddleshift, Ferarri Fender Badges, 20 inch wheels, Bluetooth, Start/Stop system, PDC, Navigation,Xenons, MFS, Speedocruise

R2 190 000

nCe

a Bank fin

Contact Ash on 083 786 3377 (PMBurg)

550 Church Street, Pietermaritzburg 3201 PO Box 8390, Cumberwood 3235

EDITOR: ALWYN VILJOEN ON 082 4589 332 ADVERTISING: AVIR THULSIRAM ON 084 278 3447

PAGE 2

PAGE 4

Whoa! A skateboard that can brake

PAGE 4 This Peacemaker from Mad Max: Fury Road and the latest Nissan Warrior have similar underpinnings

The wonderful and the weird cars at the Detroit Auto Show

PAGE 7

VW aims fully loaded Amarok at other double cabs

2

WitnessWheels MOTORING

Interest in smart vehicles

January 21, 2016

Swedish evee firm joins hands with China’s Volinco NATIONAL Electric Vehicle Sweden (Nevs), the company that bought Swedish carmaker Saab, has signed a 8,5 billion crowns (about R16,5 billion) deal with China Volant Industry Cor­ poration (Volinco) for 20 000 electric cars based on Saab’s 9­3 sedan model.

Volinco intends to use the cars as company vehicles for its em­ ployees, and Nevs expects to de­ liver the cars over the course of three years, starting in 2017. This latest agreement comes after

Nevs signed a $12 billion deal late last year to deliver 150 000 elec­ tric cars to Panda New Energy, a Chinese EV leasing company.

The new deal would also allow Nevs to access Volinco’s parts suppliers. Nevs still hasn’t sourced the parts for future mod­ els it has planned, making this deal a step towards Nevs’ long­ term goal of being fully opera­ tional by 2020. The company will build and paint components of the cars in Sweden and assemble them in China. — Reuters.

Saab’s 9­3 sedan will form the hull for thousands of electric cars in China.

PHOTO: ELECTRIC CARS REPORT

New options in car ownership

A board with brakes Ten prototypes and four years later, Australia’s skater company Streetboardz has a funding campaign on Kickstarter for a board with brakes. Called the Boarder Kontrol Skateboard, it features brakes on the rear axle that are clamped by a leash, which the rider hangs onto to prevent going face first into the dirt when the board suddenly slows down. “It has amazed every skater who has ridden it — even the hard­core and sceptics.

The leash simultaneously engages the brakes and braces the rider from the forward inertia experienced as the board slows. Because the braking discs are small, they don’t ‘grab’ or ‘bite’, rather the brake engagement was gradual and smooth and the rear arm action came very naturally to all riders.

We have chosen to launch via Kickstarter because we are fans of the platform and we want to reward early adopters and our supporters,” the company states on Kickstarter.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Ford’s pilot programme for a fractional­ownership lease scheme uses an app to allow those involved to interact, as well as pay their portion of the vehicle’s costs.

PHOTO: FORD AARON TURPEN IN an automotive consumer study presented at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, IBM found that consumers expect to use cars differently and don’t nec­ essarily want to own one in the traditional sense — especially when the car has “self­ena­ bling” technologies. Mean­ while, Ford has taken the lead in creating an alternative own­ ership model.

The IBM Institute for Busi­ ness Value (IBV) developed its “A New Relationship — People and Cars” report based on the study. According to the report, consumers have a high level of interest in “self­enabling cars”, defined as cars that can learn, heal, drive and even socialise.

These are characteristics of autonomous cars (self­driving vehicles), self­repairing vehi­ cles, and vehicles utilising vari­ ous forms of artificial intelli­ gence to learn over time. The study is the second part of a se­ ries IBM has been conducting titled Automotive 2025.

Nearly 16 500 consumers in 16 countries were interviewed

by IBM to determine how they expect to use vehicles in the next decade. This is in conjunc­ tion with the first report, which interviewed automotive indus­ try and supplier executives.

The consumer interviews found that the clear majority liked the idea of diagnostic and preventive repair capabilities, with 59% of respondents liking the idea and 10 out of 16 coun­ tries placing it as a high priority.

The idea behind this is that as sensors and computing im­ proves in the automotive in­ dustry, so will the ability of the vehicle to self­repair and com­ pensate for problems, eventual­

ly leading to more and more self­repair options in future ve­ hicles. This would include vehi­ cles that can access the cloud and report information as well as gather updates for repair, an­ other popular self­enabling op­ tion among many interviewees.

Some may find it surprising that most consumers inter­ viewed (67%) still think that the dealership, in­person buy­ ing model is an important part of the car­buying process. At the same time, 46% would consider buying online, direct from a manufacturer and 38% would do so from a third­party seller (i.e. dealer or broker).

The other side are alterna­ tive ownership options. Per­ sonal cars still reign supreme among most of those inter­ viewed, but more than a third (42%) would consider alterna­ tive ownership models like sub­ scription pricing, and about a quarter (24%) liked the idea of fractional (shared) ownership.

Another third would consider car­sharing or on­demand ride sharing as options. Most liked the latter two for various rea­ sons, including retaining own­ ership but making a return on investment when the vehicle is not otherwise being used.

On that final front, Ford has taken a leading role by creating a new pilot programme for a shared car purchase option.

This fractional ownership op­ tion allows Ford Credit buyers in Austin, Texas to self­orga­ nise into a group ownership model involving three to six people. This could be anything from a family with multiple drivers to a neighbourhood or community organisation buy­ ing as a group. Occasional­use vehicles such as pickup trucks are prime for this type of own­ ership, Ford says. — Gizmag.

Updated GWM M4 to include all bells and whistles FOLLOWING global sales suc­ cess with the model in more than 11 countries, GWM recently launched an updated GWM M4 1,5­litre compact SUV in the South African market.

The M4 has been available in South Africa since 2014, and has proven to be very popular amongst young­at­heart cus­ tomers who reside in the city, but also enjoy weekends away.

Says Hans Greyling, GWM Sales: “Our customer base knows what they want from a car. The tighter economy has also forced customers to do their homework, shop around and get the most possible value for their hard­ earned cash.

“The GWM M4 provides ex­ actly that — a good­looking drive that ticks the affordability, style and safety boxes, and opens up a more adventurous lifestyle.”

Whilst building on the exten­ sive features already offered by the previous edition, the new M4 now also features Daytime Run­

ning Lamps (DRL), reverse radar ble steering column provides op­ and a car locating function. timal driver comfort.

Appearance Safety The updated GWM M4 has a dis­ Apart from ABS with EBD, the tinctive and dynamic look. A GWM M4’s safety features in­ sporty black trim shows that ev­ clude dual airbags, a seatbelt un­ ery care has been taken to pay at­ fastening warning system, child tention to detail, whilst the re­ seat anchorages and child door fined new front grille with Day­ locks. A rear window defogger, time Running Lamps (DRL) height adjustable headlamps, demands attention. Robust and front and rear fog lamps en­ ground clearance of 185 mm, 16­ sure improved visibility. inch alloy wheels, a tail wing and The M4 also features an im­ luggage carrier complete the mobiliser, remote central locking M4’s adventurous stance. and a car locating function.

Engine and performance Comfort and interior Powered by a 1,5­litre VVTi pet­ features rol engine that’s been designed with fuel efficiency in mind, the PHOTO: two­wheel drive GWM M4 has QUICKPIC a slick five­speed manual transmission. It deliv­ ers 71,3 kW at 6 000 rpm and 138 Nm of torque to the front wheels.

Power steering en­ sures smooth han­ dling, and the adjusta­

A trip computer and steering wheel with audio controls, Blue­ tooth and cruise control put all the M4’s vital statistics at the driver’s fingertips. Cup holders, a cargo curtain and separated foldable rear seats with a 60:40 split make for easy organisation and extra luggage space inside the vehicle. There are also elec­ tric windows with push­down function at the driver’s seat, au­ tomatic air­con and a CD player.

The M4 is available from se­ lected GWM dealers across SA from R189 900 and comes with a five­year/100 000 km war­ ranty as well as two­ year AA Roadside Assistance. A five­ year/60 000 km service plan is optional.

Visit www.gwm.co. za for more in­ formation or contact us on 011 805 6621.

MAZDA RECALLS CARS OVER POTENTIALLY DEFECTIVE AIRBAGS MAZDA last week started a recall of 374 000 cars in the U.S. that had been fitted with potentially defective airbags made by Takata Corp (7312.T).

The Japanese automaker

said the latest recall was prompted after Takata said testing showed additional air­ bag inflators could be prone to ruptures. The expanded re­ call includes the 2003­2008

Mazda6, the 2006­2007 Maz­ daSpeed6 and the 2004 RX8.

Takata airbag recalls have been linked to nine deaths and more than 100 injuries stem­ ming from airbag inflators

that ruptured and sent metal fragments flying.

The airbag safety recalls are among the largest in U.S. au­ tomotive history, encompass­ ing 23 million air bag inflators

in 19 million vehicles manufac­ tured by 12 car companies.

Last month, the National Highway Traffic Safety Admin­ istration said Honda Motor, Fuji Heavy Industries Subaru

unit, and Mazda would add thousands of vehicles to the massive recall campaigns based on additional inflator testing.

— Reuters.

MOTORING WitnessWheels

January 21, 2016

Funky and stylish

3

The Honda Brio Hatch i­vtec Comfort.

PHOTO: QUICKPIC

BRIAN BASSETT goes shopping in the Honda Brio Hatch i­vtec Comfort WHILE doing research for this review, I remembered an instruction on a Mo­ zart sonata I used to play as a child.

It asked for the piece to be played alle­ gro con brio, which means faster with energy. It reminded me of the act that a number of Honda’s vehicles have musi­ cal associations, like the Ballade, the Jazz and now the Brio.

The Brio was introduced to South Af­ rica in 2012, after being launched at the Thailand International Expo in 2010. At the launch, the CEO of Honda identified the car as being aimed at younger mar­ kets in developing countries and so the Brio was produced as an attractive mod­ el at an affordable price. Our thanks to Gary Stokes dealer principal of Honda Fury in Pietermaritzburg for allowing us a few days with the vehicle in order to find out whether Honda’s hopes for the car have become a reality.

Styling There is a temptation to see the Brio as a junior Jazz; solid as a rock, able to sur­ vive a North Korean nuclear test and with more internal space than a woman’s handbag. Certainly, its smiling front face with composite headlight pods flanking a centrally placed Honda badge under­ lined by a black grille flanked by fog lamps, does have a family link with the Jazz, but mov­ ing backwards along the rising crease lines on the bonnet and the dynamic, wedged waistline at the sides, the Brio has a design energy of its own. Hav­ ing said that, as one’s eye reaches the roof summit, the design cuts off and becomes the tail­gate, which is something of a visual let down. Also, the tail­ gate doubles as the rear window and I was somewhat uncomfort­ able slamming it closed for fear of breakage, although you get used to it. The colour­coded side mir­ rors are electric and the car has four doors, but for someone my size the rear doorways are a little narrow.

Interior The Brio is 3,6 m long, 1,5 m high and 1,6 m wide, but remarkably spacious inside.

The car follows Honda’s maximum machine, minimum design philosophy and provides comfortable seating for four adults.

It is possible to have three people seated at the back, but not for long distances. The in­ ternal plastics are hard, but the panels are well fitted and there were no rattles in the car even on poor surfaces.

The dashboard is minimalist in design and the instrument panel is clear, analogue and simple to read.

Technology, where the high­tensile steel in the body protects against crash­ es. Also, the car’s nose is designed to offer any pedestrian it strikes the best chance of survival. The car also has re­ mote central locking and immobiliser.

The Amaze sedan Trend, which has a larger boot, will cost you around R151 000.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED Other surfaces at the front are reduced to a minimum, providing generous leg­ room for the front passengers.

The tactile and enjoyable three­spoke adjustable steering wheel has audio con­ trols mounted on it The central stack is dominated by a four­speaker, radio, Aux/ USB, with controls for the effective air conditioner below it. The gear lever has a short, soft throw, making gear chang­ ing a pleasure. The seats are well­uphol­ stered in what appears to be a heavy, hard­wearing covering and the upright

options of the front seats are slim, leav­ ing more space for the rear passengers.

With so much space devoted to the driv­ er and passengers, the boot is only 161 li­ tres with the rear seats up, but with the seat folded down this goes to 519 litres.

Safety and security The Brio has ABS with EBD, a driver and passenger air bag, seat belts for all five passengers and a high rear­mounted brake light. Protection is also provided by what Honda calls its G­Force Control

Performance and handling The Brio weighs only 900 kg, while its four­cylinder 65 kW/109 Nm petrol en­ gine and five­speed manual or auto gear­ box results in peppy performance in town, with speed platforms no problem.

0­100 km/h comes up in about 12 sec­ onds and you should get between 6,5 to 7,0 litres per 100 km in fuel consump­ tion. I needed to shop in Durban and took the Brio to Durban’s Gateway, with parking spaces so small that on two oc­ casions I have had my car scratched by larger vehicles moving in or out of adja­ cent spaces. Small size, however, works in the Honda’s favour and parking was a pleasure. I left the car for two hours and returned to find no scuff marks on the doors, as is usual with adjacent park­ ers miscalculating when exiting their

cars and, of course, nobody leaves a note.

On the N3, the Brio lacks the torque for lightning performance, but work the gears and you will have no trouble over­ taking anything. The car cruises effort­ lessly at 120 kph and often drifts up­ wards to 130 kph. Ride comfort is a fea­ ture of this car, while cornering is flat and the steering light and responsive.

The Brio is no off roader, but it will take you where you need to go on gravel at a reasonable speed. Overall, the Brio is zippy, funky fun and good value.

Costs, guarantees and the opposition The Brio Hatch 1,2 Trend comes in at R138 000, with the Auto Comfort cost­ ing around R164 000. The Amaze sedan Trend, which has a larger boot, costs around R151 000 and the Amaze Com­ fort Auto about R 174 000. The car comes with a three­year, 100 000 km warranty and a two­year 60 000 km ser­ vice plan, with 15 000 km service inter­ vals. Also look at Toyota Aygo, Ford Figo, Hyundai i10, VW Polo, among others.

4

WitnessWheels MOTORING

January 21, 2016

The weird and wonderful at Detroit Auto Show

Unlike BMW, Tesla and Porsche’s offerings, the Chevrolet Bolt is aimed at price sensitive buyers in the electric vehicle market, with a slimline battery that leaves a lot of space inside and costs $145 (R2 400) per cell to make, according to Chevrolet.

Showing that America can do sleek as well as any European car is Chevrolet Avista. Built on the Camaro platform, the Avista gets its power from a twin­turbo V6 engine producing 298 kW (400 hp in Yank speak).

PHOTOS: GIZMAG

The Nissan Titan XD is aimed at taking market share away from America’s best selling vehicle, the Ford F150.

Made for Star Wars fanatics, the fun Fiat 500 concept makes even the double­chinned Fiat Mutipla look handsome.

New H1, old value ALWYN VILJOEN discovers why SUV drivers opt for SA’s top van HYUNDAI has enhanced its top­selling people mover, the H1 nine seater, as well as refined the market offering of the pop­ ular six­seater Multicab and H1 panel van.

The main differences outside are a new grille and front bump­ er, while the Multicab also ben­ efits from new design alloy wheels, but inside both the Multicab and the Panel Van now has cruise control and Bluetooth connectivity for the sound system with multifunc­ tion controls on the steering wheel.

Not that I could make friends with the new system, which I could not pair to my Android phone in the usual three key presses of “pair”, “find” and “accept”, forcing me to switch off the phone instead.

Marketing director of Hyun­ dai Automotive South Africa Stanley Anderson said the van segment bucked the downward trend in vehicle sales last year.

Hyundai’s H1 nine­seater in­ stead showed growth and is the market leader among the peo­ ple moving vans, offering as it does one of the biggest boots and the most Newton metres for the money. Anderson said the only reason why the multi­ cab and panel van did not also dominate their segments against the offerings from VW, Nissan and Mercedes Benz was because Hyundai South Africa could not get enough stock to supply demand last year, and what models were available had to go to the biggest clients, the rental fleets. He said the compa­ ny has this year ordered enough

The Lexus LC 500 luxury performance coupe was awarded best­ designed production car and the best interior at the 10th annual EyesOn Design awards at the Detroit Motor Show. The awards are decided by a high­powered group of notable automotive designers and academics, and are handed out by the Detroit Institute of Ophthalmology.

PHOTO: QUICKPIC

NEW WORLD RECORD 360 TURN SUBARU has again demonstrated the agility and precision handling prowess of its rear­wheel drive BRZ sportscar by securing the Guinness World Record for the ‘Tightest 360° spin’.

The record was secured at the Autosport International Show over the weekend, with the BRZ in capable hands of former world record holder Alastair Moffat.

The stunt­driver ace broke the previous 2.5­metre Guinness World Record, which was achieved in 2014, by flicking the BRZ into a 360° spin between two obsta­ cles in Autosport International’s

Live Action Arena.

Moffat has previous experience setting daring Guinness World Records, including ‘Tightest Re­ verse Parallel Park’ and ‘Tightest Parallel Park’, the latter estab­ lished at the 2015 Autosport show.

The 4,24­metre­long Subaru BRZ is renowned for its low centre of gravity and Moffat only had to turn off the traction control ABS to set the new record.

He said after the shows: “The Subaru BRZ was the perfect car in which to do it; light, highly ma­ noeuvrable and easy to control.”

— Newspress.

SA’s best­selling people mover, the Hyundai H1 Bus, has been enhanced with a slew of features. PHOTOS: QUICKPIC buses and vans to meet the or­ ders and he expects more SUV owners may get their families into the roomy van.

“Last year saw three percent growth in the H1 Bus, most of it may have been SUV buyers buying down,” he said.

Part of the reason behind the growth is the reliability of the H1 vans and Hyundai’s five­ year/150 000 km warranty and roadside assistance plan, as well as a five­year/90 000 km ser­ vice plan.

Anderson said the best praise for the H1 comes from Fleet Af­ rica, the company that shuttles fresh train drivers to relieve drivers at the end of their shift at railway stations all over South Africa. “Fleet Africa only uses the H1 vans, and clock on average 20 000 km a month over all types of roads. They told us it is the only bus that

lasts,” Anderson said.

The new H1 focuses on giving buyers what they want, with on­ ly the family bus still available in both the top­spec diesel or the more affordable petrol en­ gine, which makes a 126 kW and a rather low 224 Nm maximum torque through a five­speed manual gearbox to the rear wheels. This won’t be a bother in city traffic or a coastal levels, but to get anywhere in fast, the petrol engine wants revving, which will send up the fuel bill.

The proven diesel makes 125 kW and 441 Nm from 2 000 rpm. The panel van is now only available with this 2,5 turbo diesel, linked to an auto­ matic gearbox, as required by fleet owners and the full main­ tenance lease market. We drove the H­1 with the 2,5 series around the B­roads between Umhlanga and Ballito and can

report the five­link rear suspen­ sion with oil­filled shock ab­ sorbers still as comfortable a ride as does its predecessor.

The van handles comfortably through the corners and the long gears will ensure frugal diesel use, although our short drive was over to quick to back this prediction with numbers.

The rear axles of the Multi­ cab and Panel Van have the more traditional dual leaf springs to give them a 1 100 kg payload and a towing capacity of 1 500 kg with a braked trailer.

H1 pricing: 2.5 Turbodiesel 9­seater Bus (auto) R579 900 2.4 Petrol 9­seater Bus (manual) R482 900 2.5 Turbodiesel 6­seater Multi­ cab R492 900 2.5 Turbodiesel 3­seater Panel Van R441 900

NISSAN put treads on its Warrior and unveiled the model at the recent Montreal International Auto Show. The treads allows the vehicle to spread its weight so that its downforce per centimetres is less than a average person. What is good for powdery snow is good for desert sands, and we wonder how long it will take a rich sheik to adapt the treads for dune racing, a la the Peacemaker in Mad Max: Fury Road (insert) The Peacemaker was made by the twin brothers Mike and George of Howe and Howe Technologies to be the most bad­ ass vehicle yet. They built in on a jacked­up Ripsaw lightweight tank, with a 1 000 horses in the engine that gives it 120 km/hour over the dunes.

PHOTO: NISSAN

More fun, less worry!

By Pieter from Maritzburg Today’s consumers are more switched on and informed than ever before. It makes us better, smarter buyers.

But don’t you wish that sometimes, just sometimes, you didn’t have to do all that work?

Wouldn’t it be nice just to be able to relax, and to think about the fun parts of buying a new car? Buying a car shouldn’t just be about price comparisons and research, it should be fun, exciting, exhilarating.

The folks at Barons VW Pietermaritzburg haven’t lost sight of what buying a car should

be. That’s why they make a point of offering the best deals and prices on all their cars.

So don’t worry about looking here, there, and everywhere for the best price: come down to Barons VW Pietermaritzburg, and see how much fun buying a car can be.

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.

Free insurance on us.

Purchase selected Volkswagen models before 31 January 2016 and receive free insurance for a year.

Offer exclusive to Barons Pietermaritzburg Note: *Linked to FNB prime rate, currently 9.75%. Note: Offers calculated on selected Volkswagen models in standard specification. Offers may not be used in conjunction with any other special service or offering. Free insurance offer only on selected Volkswagen models. Subject to bank approval. Information subject to change without prior notification. Terms and Conditions apply. All the above is subject to price increase and valid until 31 January 2016.

80-point mechanical check 2-year / unlimited km warranty* Vehicle History Integrity Check Balance of VW Automation Plan Professional Vehicle Reconditioning

Silver Red White White White Beige

R102 900 R134 900 R134 900 R159 900 R142 900 R139 900

44 000 56 000 16 500 14 000 18 000 30 000

km km km km km km

White Grey White White Blue Red White Blue

R149 900 R159 900 R239 900 R209 900 R219 900 R209 000 R209 900 R205 900

99 000 91 000 39 000 9 500 16 000 9 000 7 700 12 500

km km km km km km km km

Grey Red White White White

R429 000 R325 900 R449 900 R314 900 R249 900

6 000 6 500 3 500 6 000 100

km km km km km

Silver Red

R165 900 R279 900

88 000 km 6 000 km

White White

R109 900 R109 900

8 000 km 28 000 km

Beige White White Green Grey

R275 000 R159 900 R299 900 R309 900 R399 000

90 000 69 000 11 000 19 000 3 000

km km km km km

White White Gold White Grey

R259 000 R239 900 R79 900 R195 900 R165 900

42 000 67 000 99 000 93 000 23 000

km km km km km

*The advised price exclude the 2 year Mastercars Warranty. The Mastercars Warranty is available as an option and is a contract between the customer, an insurer and administrator. This extended Warranty is not available for all Amarok and Light Commercial Vehicle models. Terms & conditions apply. While stocks last.

Mastercars Sales Consultants: Laurie - 082 783 8040 • Rajen - 072 228 9834 Sanjay - 083 639 0989 Barry - 072 235 4244 • Phumlani - 073 744 8350 Visit us on www.baronsvwpmb.co.za and find us on facebook.com/BaronsPietermaritzburg

Barons

Pietermaritzburg

9 Armitage Road, Pietermaritzburg, 3201 • Tel: 033 845 3100

Free upgrade at Barons Pietermaritzburg.

Purchase a Tiguan TSI 90kW Trend & Fun from R309,900* incl. VAT or Tiguan 2.0 TDI 81kW Trend & Fun from R335,900* incl. VAT and we will upgrade you to the exclusive Avenue package.

The Tiguan Avenue package standard features include: -

17” New Orleans alloys Tyre pressure monitor Alcantara comfort seats Avenue front and rear spoiler

-

Avenue steering wheel Chrome door sills Silver roof rails New chrome grill slats

Offer exclusive to Barons Pietermaritzburg: Only 5 available.

Visit us on www.baronsvw.co.za An optional cost of R2200 incl VAT will be charged for metallic paint. Note: *Linked to FNB prime rate, currently 9.75%. Note: Offers calculated on the Tiguan TSI 90kW Trend & Fun and Tiguan 2.0 TDI 81kW Trend & Fun models in standard specification. Price excludes optional extras. 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 31 January 2016.

New Sales Consultants

Alison Wiltshire – Sales Manager • John Brown • Merglin Rama Menzi Ngubane • Bahle Bhengu • Erica Neff • Keshnee Pillay • Shika Chunderdave

Sales Enquiries: 033 940 1445

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Mileage certified • Full Service history • 7-day exchange plan • Vehicle Customization • 24 Hr roadside assistance •

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Visit us on www.baronsvw.co.za

6

WitnessWheels MOTORING BIKING

January 21, 2016

Bosch balances growth on two wheels Manufacturer spearheads into new generation SPIROS TSANTILAS ALREADY an established manu­ facturer of powertrain and safety technology, Bosch has set up an independent supplier business for motorcycles in an effort to ce­ ment its position as a global mar­ ket leader.

Spearheading this is the next­ generation ABS10, a new electric hub motor for eScooters and sev­ eral electronic safety systems.

Smaller is more Studies suggest that the global motorcycle market is expected to grow to over 160 million units per year by 2021, with 90% of these produced in Asia.

Bosch has signalled its inten­ tion to remain a serious player in this market with the formation of a new independent business unit, the Two­Wheeler and Pow­ ersports Division. This unit is based in Yokohama, Japan, and includes branches in the U.S, Eu­ rope, India and China. It will also serve special­purpose vehicles such as quads, personal water craft and snowmobiles.

“For more efficiency and safe­ ty, Bosch technology should be part of any car in the future. The same will go for motorcycles,” said Dr Dirk Hoheisel, member of the Bosch management board.

“We are aiming to become a leading supplier in the motorcy­ cle market, too. The portion of the market relevant for Bosch, which covers driving safety sys­ tems, powertrain technology and infotainment systems, will dou­ ble over the next five years.”

To this end, Bosch’s power­ train catalogue includes its latest inertial measurement unit MM5.10, the iconic line of Mo­ tronic engine management sys­ tems as well as a wide variety of parts like fuel injectors and sen­ sors. As far as the electronic safe­ ty systems are concerned, the next­generation ABS10 is planned for production later this year, complemented by systems like the Side View Assist and Ve­ hicle Hold Control.

Bosch has also announced the development of infotainment systems that will provide motor­ cycles with smartphone integra­ tion and cloud connectivity.

ABS systems Bosch’s ABS9 is probably the most broadly adopted system on the market, being used as original factory equipment in a wide vari­ ety of two­wheelers. Its simpler versions can be found in the lat­ est generation of Kymco, Piaggio and SYM scooters, while more elaborate applications offer their services to high­end adventure models such as the KTM 1290 Adventure and the BMW R 1200

Bosch wants to dominate the bike market as it does the car market, and has released a raft of safety devices aimed at the growing number of new riders.

PHOTOS: SUPPLIED

The Bosch hub wheel makes 1,8 kW and can easily be fitted into most electric scooters’ tyres.

GS. The most prominent mem­ ber of this ABS9 family is, of course, the ABS Pro that debuted on BMW’s HP4 and is now spreading to more superbikes, as well as to other market segments.

The new ABS10 is not meant to substitute the 9­series, but rather to complement it. Bosch developed it specifically for bikes with displacement up to 250 cc as an efficient and affordable sys­ tem for the emerging markets.

Its core technology will not de­ viate from the already very suc­ cessful ABS9, but the new system is 30% lighter and 45% smaller, offered in one (front wheel only) and two­channel (both wheels) versions.

Bosch’s engineers worked hard to bring costs down and make the ABS10 a financially via­ ble selection for markets where production usually cannot ab­ sorb the cost of high­end equip­ ment. It is expected to hit the market this year.

Remaining upright The Motorcycle Stability Con­ trol system that was announced in 2014 couples with ABS to pro­ vide integrated safety in the shape of braking and traction control. It can be further en­ hanced with the eCBS, an elec­ tronic combined braking func­ tion that adds another parameter to the equation as it commands the braking­force distribution between the bike’s wheels.

The new systems that Bosch has announced for 2016 are the Side View Assist (SVA) and the

Vehicle Hold Control (VCH).

The SVA debuted in 2015 as optional equipment for BMW’s scooters, C 650 GT and Sport.

This warning system monitors the rider’s blind corners to make the task of lane changing a lot saf­ er. Four ultrasonic sensors in­ stalled at the front and rear of the motorcycle scan the neighbour­ ing lanes, as the central control unit determines when there’s a vehicle coming from behind and issues a warning.

The system is active at speeds ranging from 25 to 80 km/h, so it is designed for the city.

Parking brake The VCH is an added­value func­ tion that can be programmed in­ to Bosch’s ABS system and is es­ sentially an electro­hydraulic parking brake.

When the motorcycle comes to a stop on an incline, the rider pulls the brake lever (or presses the rear brake foot pedal) and the ABS control unit memorises the amount of pressure needed to keep the vehicle stationary. There is then no longer a need for a brake to be applied as the system holds the bike in place, no matter how steep the incline or how heavy the motorcycle.

The VCH is activated for about 10 seconds before a visual warning informs the rider that the brake pressure will be relieved gradually. It can, of course, be overridden automatically by just opening the throttle, or simply be completely deactivated.

The Bosch VCH has already been introduced as standard equipment on the 2016 Ducati Multistrada Enduro.

Engine packed into the rim Designed as a wheel­hub motor, this electric powertrain is offered exclusively to the Chinese mar­ ket, where about 120 million elec­ tric scooters are on the streets.

The basic idea behind it is ver­ satility: it can be used in most twist­and­go scooters and mopeds by simply substituting the conventional rear wheel.

It produces just 1,8 kW of power, but an electronically con­ trolled boost function should at least make for torque perform­ ance. The eScooter motor is equipped with a controller mod­ ule that can be fitted with specific functions.

Apart from the standard en­ gine boost function, Bosch offers an example with a system that de­ tects whether the seat is occu­ pied, conforming the electric motor’s power output to the situ­ ation at hand.

For the time being, there is no word on whether this electric motor will become available in other markets. — Gizmag.

Having a rare fall in value, this 1912 Henderson Four sold for $181 500 (R3 046 976), which was $50 000 less than its previous record price.

PHOTO: GIZMAG/SOMER HOOKER

Investing in two­wheel nostalgia MIKE HANLON

Not all Pope mobiles have four wheels. This 1913 Pope Model L Twin sold for $94 300 (R1 585 838) at the Bonhams auction. Its 1000 cc V­twin engine was good for 70 mph, making it the fastest production motorcycle in the world in 1918. The world record for the marque and model is $126 500, set at the E.J. Cole Collection sale last year.

PHOTO: GIZMAG

At the top end of the marketplace, there seems to have been an expectation from sellers that was not met by buyers, and as reserves were set above what the market was prepared to pay, the “zone of potential agreement” between buyers and sellers at the top end has evaporated almost entirely.

Compared to others, the 1955 Vincent Series­D Black Prince is nondescript, and fetched $132 000 (R2 215 983).

PHOTO: GIZMAG

VINCENT motorcycles domi­ nated January’s Las Vegas Mo­ torcycle auctions this year, with seven of the top 10 most expen­ sive bikes of the two auctions, and a new world record for any Vincent motorcycle of $434 000 (R7 292 046) going to a Chinese Red Vincent White Shadow 1000 cc V­twin At the top end of the market­ place, there seems to have been an expectation from sellers that was not met by buyers, and as re­ serves were set above what the market was prepared to pay, the “zone of potential agreement” between buyers and sellers at the top end has evaporated almost entirely.

The mid­range in the market, though, grew in Las Vegas, with seventies motorcycles in particu­ lar selling for record numbers.

The most valuable Vincent Shadow was the White Shadow, as only 15 were built, and at the same Bonhams auction at Bally’s Hotel & Casino held one year ago, a 1950 Vincent Series C “White” Shadow sold for $224 250, setting a world record for the model.

Having just sold for $434 000, the bike is now the new record holder for the model and the marque, surpassing the previous most expensive Vincent to have sold at auction, a 1939 Vincent Series A Rapide which fetched $418,940 in April, 2015.

The 1912 Henderson Four sold for $181 500. This bike already held the title of the most expen­ sive Henderson ever before sold, having fetched $225 500 at the E.J. Cole Collection auction in March, 2015. This time around, it fetched $50 000 less.

A 1917 model also sold for $209 000 in March, 2015.

— Gizmag.

BIKE TRIP AROUND LESOTHO PERRY Bikes has planned a five­day adventure trip around Lesotho through the most beautiful mountains in Africa.

The trip departs on Februa­

ry 17. A deposit of R1 000 per rider, payable upfront, covers a back­up vehicle, a trailer, me­ chanic and tour guides.

The tour leader is Mark

Perry.

Contact him at 031 566 7411 or e­mail info@perrybikes.co.za for more information about the trip. — Supplied.

MOTORING WitnessWheels TRANSPORT

January 21, 2016

7

VW Amarok gets kitted out Bi­xenon headlights, LED daytime running lights come standard

Volkswagen has specced up the Amarok to give customers a lot more exclusivity.

PHOTO: QUICKPIC

VOLKSWAGEN Commercial Vehicles is introducing a special edition Amarok Ultimate which is the first bakkie in the local mar­ ket with Bi­xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights as a standard feature.

The Amarok Ultimate is based on the top­of­the­range deriva­ tive, 2.0 BiTDI 132kW 4Motion Highline with 8­speed automatic transmission.

For exclusivity, the Amarok Ul­ timate boasts of numerous fea­ tures. The Bi­xenon headlights

give the Amarok not only im­ proved lighting, but together with the two twin chrome bars on the radiator grille they give the Amarok Ultimate a greatly im­ proved visual appearance as well.

Additional exterior standard features of the “ultimate” Ama­ rok include silver wing mirror covers, darkened rear lights with LED number plate illumination, polished 19­inch Cantera alloy wheels, special “Ultimate” let­ tering, a silver­coloured design underbody guard and a styling

bar as well as sill sidebars in chrome.

The Amarok Ultimate also comes as standard with Park Dis­ tance Control with Rear Assist reversing camera, electric folding and heated wing mirrors, heated front seats in either Vienna or Al­ cantara leather, RCD 510 Radio/ CD system with mobile phone preparation, rain sensor with in­ termittent wipers, auto dimming rear view mirror and special ve­ lour floor mats.

The optional features offered

with the Amarok Ultimate are the RNS 510 Radio/Navigation system with 6­speakers and elec­ trical interface for external use.

The Amarok Ultimate retails for R600 200, which is less than the suggested retail prices for the double cab Land Rover 110 at R614 100; or that of the top spec Nissan Navara (R672 500); but dearer than the asking price for the Toyota Hilux Legend 45 (R563 900) and Ford Ranger Wildtrack (R596 900).

— Wheels Reporter.

A Goodyear for De Rooy

TYRE maker Goodyear have earned bragging rights when the Powerstar Iveco truck #501 was the first racing trucks over the line in this year’s Dakar that end­ ed in Argentina on Sunday.

The De Rooy team raced on standard Goodyear ORD off­the­ road truck tyres, covering ap­ proximately 9 000 km in 13 days over the toughest terrain that Ar­ gentina and Bolivia can offer.

Goodyear’s achievement is put in perspective when one con­ siders that temperatures on the Dakar get so high that spare tyres spontaneously combust where they are strapped over the mid­ mounted engines of the race cars, or pop in the thin air when raced at 4,8 km above sea level.

Gerard de Rooy and his team co­driver Moises Torrallardona from Spain and mechanic Darek Rodewald from Poland beat more than 50 trucks from around the world. His high speed sup­ port truck, driven by Ton van Genugten finished the race 5th in the overall standings — also on Goodyear tyres. For Gerard de Rooy it’s the second win of the truck class at the Dakar following his success in 2012. — WR.

Winner of the 2016 Dakar truck race Gerhard de Rooy and his Powerstar Iveco truck in action.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Daimler Trucks setting the course for a return to the Iranian market STUTTGART/TEHRAN — Daimler Trucks, the world’s lead­ ing truck manufacturer, is setting the course for a return to the Ira­ nian market, having signed let­ ters of intent with its local co­op­ eration partners Iran Khodro Diesel (IKD) and the Mammut Group.

Daimler AG has already had successful business relations with IKD for the past 50 years.

IKD is a subsidiary of Iran Khod­ ro Industrial Group, the largest vehicle manufacturer in the Mid­ dle East and North Africa (Me­ na) region having more than 50% market share in Iran and has been co­operating with

Daimler for over half a century.

The areas of co­operation in­ clude a joint venture for local pro­ duction of Mercedes­Benz trucks and powertrain components plus the establishment of a sales com­ pany for Mercedes­Benz trucks and components. Furthermore, there are plans for Daimler to re­ turn as a shareholder in the former engine joint venture Ira­ nian Diesel Engine Manufactur­ ing Co. (IDEM).

In addition to this, both part­ ners are looking at establishing a joint venture for local sales of Mercedes­Benz commercial ve­ hicles. Daimler and IKD are about to benefit from each oth­

er’s competitive advantages to satisfy the large demand for trucks. In the short term, there­ fore both parties have a strategic alliance on a win­win basis through joint ventures in their scope.

Dr Wolfgang Bernhard, mem­ ber of the board of management of Daimler AG, responsible for Daimler Trucks and Buses said: “Daimler commercial vehicles have always had an excellent rep­ utation in Iran. And right now, there is a huge demand for com­ mercial vehicles, especially trucks. We plan to quickly re­ sume our business activities in the market there. The signing of

the letters of intent with our local partners IKD and Mammut Group are important pre­requi­ sites to resume business quickly.”

With its growth potential fol­ lowing many years of sanctions and the pent­up demand in the transport sector, Iran offers promising opportunities for Daimler Trucks.

Despite the sanctions, Iran was one of the largest national economies in the Middle East, with a nominal gross domestic product (GDP) of $415 billion in 2014. Industry accounts for al­ most half of the Iranian national economy.

— Wheels Reporter.

PHOTO: QUICKPIC

WitnessWheels MOTORING RACING

8

January 21, 2016

Podium finish for SA quad

Team Rhide SA Yamaha’s Brian Baragwanath.

PHOTO: MATT SMITH CHARMAIN FORTUNE

Hyundai aims high in WRC Seen testing in Finland for the World Rally Championship, which starts in Monte Carlo on Saturday, was Hyundai’s new, lighter i20. Under the hood a small, overbored 1,6 engine makes 400 Nm — the same torque as the 2,5 turbo diesel makes for the H1 on page 1 — and the four drivers for the Korean manufacturer are all set to win more stages and top more podiums in it.

PHOTO: HYUNDAI

SA raises the Dakar bar De Villiers scores 10th top five placing whileToyota Gazoo Racing SA prove hot CHARMAIN FORTUNE ROSARIO (Argentina) — Giniel de Villiers scored his 10th top five placing and Toyota Gazoo Rac­ ing SA finished with two cars in the top five when this year’s Da­ kar, widely accepted as the tough­ est event in world motorsport, finished here on Sunday.

De Villiers and German co­ driver Dirk von Zitzewitz finished third behind Stephane Peterhan­ sel/Jean­Paul Cottret (Peugeot) and Nasser Al­Attiyah/Matthieu Baumel (MINI) after two weeks of racing through Bolivia and Ar­ gentina. The Toyota pair were under pressure from Mikko Hir­ vonen/Michel Perin (MINI) on the 13th and final stage, but held their nerve to secure their second podium finish in a row.

Donaldson Cross Country champions Leeroy Poulter and Rob Howie were classified fifth overall with a third Toyota Gazoo Racing SA team in Yazeed Al­Raj­ hi and Timo Gottschalk 11th in the final classification. At the halfway mark the Toyota crews were lying sixth, seventh and eighth with Al­Rajhi and Gott­ schalk falling back when they lost a wheel on the 10th special stage.

For Peterhansel it was his 12th Dakar win on two and four wheels and Peugeot’s first since 1990. However, De Villiers also has an impressive Dakar record and driving for Nissan, Volks­ wagen and Toyota he has a win in 2009, with Von Zitzewitz, and four second places among his 10 top five finishes.

Consistency is the key word

Navigator Dirk von Zitzewitz (left) and Giniel de Villiers.

PHOTO: TOYOTA

South Africa’s Dakar rookies Sean Reitz and Riaan Greyling finished 36th overall for Regent Racing.

PHOTO: REGENT RACING

where De Villiers and Von Zit­ zewitz are concerned. Since join­ ing the Toyota stable under team principal Glyn Hall in 2012, the former South African Touring Car champion and the German have never finished out of the top five and four of their five starts for Toyota have produced places on the podium.

For Poulter and Howie who dominated last year’s Donaldson Cross Country Championship in South Africa, fifth place was a quantum leap. The South African champions finished 33rd and 16th in 2014 and 2015, and this year came within a whisker of a maiden Dakar stage win on the penultimate day.

“It was fantastic to see all three of our cars make it to the finish,” said Hall, “and to have two of them in the top five is a great achievement. The results proved

ille and Jean­Michel Polato, in an older Duster, kept pace with Cor­ bett and Mohr to move up from 32nd to 19th.

While Corbett and Mohr were on the move, it was tougher go­ ing for team­mates Colin Matt­ hews and Rodney Burke, in the second Century Racing CR5.

Niggling problems made life dif­ ficult for the pair on the second leg, and they dropped a place to finally finish 37th overall and third in the two­wheel drive pet­ rol class.

A little further back there were mixed fortunes for the Regent Racing Nissan Navara team. Da­ kar rookies Sean Reitz and Riaan Greyling finished 36th overall, but the team lost the second car when the German father and son crew of Jurgen and Daniel Schroeder rolled on the penulti­ mate stage.

that the Toyota Hilux can com­ pete at the top end of interna­ tional motorsport.”

Three other cars with strong South African connections also finished in the top 20 on an event characterised by a mix of high and low temperatures, a sand­ storm and heavy rains. After lying 31st overall at the end of the first leg, Mark Corbett and Juan Mohr (Century Racing CR5) went on a charge that lifted them to 17th overall and gave them the overall win in the class for petrol two wheel drive cars.

Right behind the Century Racing crew in 18th and 19th were two Renault Dusters built by Thompson Racing at their facili­ ty in Kyalami. Argentinians Emi­ liano Spataro and Benjamin Loz­ ada lost a little time on the sec­ ond leg to fall out of the top 10, but Frenchmen Christian Lavie­

Until three years ago Reitz had never sat in a race car, but the crew stuck to their guns through some difficult times. For the Schroeders, however, rolling out of the event provided the sting in the tail that was a cruel blow for the Regent Racing squad.

“Once again South African crews, car builders and technical crew have come up trumps on an iconic event,” said Sanora chief executive officer Siegfried Rous­ seau. “It is more proof, if that were needed, of the high stan­ dards and professionalism that is abound in cross country motor racing in this country.

“We can be proud of the South African connection at Dakar this year, and their performances have set the tone for when the Donaldson Cross Country Championship gets under way later this year.”

ROSARIO — Multiple South African champion Brian Bar­ agwanath gave South Africa its second podium finish with third place in the quad cate­ gory on the Dakar Rally.

Baragwanath, on the Team Rhide SA Yamaha, won the 13th and final special stage to cement his podium place.

It was a race where extreme high and low temperatures, along with heavy rains, pro­ vided competitors in the quad and motorcycle categories with a stern test of staying power. The South African fin­ ished behind Argentinian brothers Marcos and Alejan­ dro Patronelli, with Russian Sergei Karyakin and Argen­ tinian Gonzalez Ferioli fourth and fifth.

The top five were all riding Yamahas, with Baragwanath making a fast start that in­ cluded second place on stage two, and a win on special stage three.

Baragwanath then ran into problems with punctures and mechanical issues dropping him down to 10th place at the end of the first leg.

The four­time South Afri­ can champion soon started to rapidly haul in the riders ahead of him. The Patronelli brothers were secure at the front of the field, but Barag­ wanath’s second leg charge sealed his podium place.

At the halfway stage two other Team Rhide SA com­ petitors, George Twigge (13) and Ted Barbier (30) were al­ so in the top 30. Twigge was an early casualty on leg two of the race and dropped out with mechanical problems on stage nine, with Barbier hang­ ing in to finally finish 21st out of 23 classified finishers.

The bike category was won at the second attempt by Aus­ tralian Toby Price, on a KTM, ahead of Slovakian Stefano Svitko (KTM) and Chilean Pablo Quintanilla on a Husq­ varna. Kobus Potgieter, on a KTM, was the lone South Af­ rican bike survivor. Potgieter, who will turn 50 in June, stuck gamely to the task and was classified 80th.

Lesotho rider Wessel Bos­ man was forced to retire be­ fore that halfway mark after a crash on stage six.

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