April 8, 2021
THE WITNESS
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13
WHEELS
www.witness.co.za
End of bundled packages
Encouraging growth in vehicle sales last month Stronger retail sales in the South African vehicle market in March were most encouraging, and this year “may be better than expected for the local motor industry”, said Mark Dommisse, chairperson of the National Automobile Dealers’ Association (NADA). “It is evident that the delayed replacement cycle is starting to catch up, helped by interest rates remaining low. The used-vehicle market is also strong, which is good for the overall health of all sectors of the industry. “Two months after a semi-hard lockdown, consumer confidence is improving. Potential buyers were wary in January, cautious in February and, now that the second wave has passed and the country’s economy is stabilising, people are looking to buy new vehicles again. “The rate at which the commercial vehicle market is growing is also good news, as this signifies improvements in the general economy with the promise of an increasing number of infrastructure projects. This project pipeline will certainly boost the all-important commercial sector of the market,” added Dommisse. “We cannot accurately compare sales in March 2021 with those in the same month last year. In March 2020 sales were heavily impacted by trepidation about impending restrictions and the level five hard lockdown which was announced on March 26.” Sales reported by Naamsa last month totalled 44 217 units, which reflected a substantial 31,8% increase over March 2020. An estimated 85% of the total represented retail sales through dealer channels. The rental industry, which is belatedly re-fleeting after cutting back drastically on fleets in 2020, took up 8,7%. Rental sales accounted for 12,3% of the passenger segment in March. Government took 3,7% of total sales and corporate fleets accounted for the remaining 2,6%. At 27 330 units, the passenger car market was up 23,4% on sales in March last year. Domestic sales of commercial vehicles are also increasing, with light commercial vehicles improving by a substantial 52,4%, medium truck sales by 11,6% and heavy trucks and buses up 35,2% compared to the corresponding month last year. “Looking ahead we believe there will continue to be a shortage of certain new models, with an ongoing global shortage of semi-conductors, or computer chips. “The hefty increase in fuel prices will be another factor on vehicle sales going forward as this puts more strain on household budgets,” added Dommisse. Much will depend on the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic which is still negatively impacting many of the countries that supply built-up vehicles and components to South Africa,” concluded the NADA chairperson. — Witness Reporter.
Honda makes the CRF even better
Auto trade advised to allow choice
The all-round abilities of Honda’s CRF250L motorbike is gaining legendary status, thanks to the likes of global solo-adventure rider Noraly Schoenmaker of Itchy Boots fame, who last month rode up a very washed-out Sani Pass on a CRF250 she dubbed ‘Savannah’. Honda has now made the CRF250 even better by giving the bike a larger, 286cc engine, which makes 20,1 kW at 8500 rpm and 26,6 Nm at 6 500 rpm, adding an extra 1,9 kW and 4 Nm on the 250L. Other improvements include revised gearbox ratios that slightly improve acceleration and cruising; and a slipper clutch action that is 20% lighter — allowing for single finger control while standing on the pegs. Ground clearance has also been increased from 255 to 285 mm and the frame and engine sit 20 mm higher. That’s the good news. The bad news is that there are already waiting lists at all Honda dealers. At the Fury dealership in Pietermaritzburg, Zane Crawford advised riders to make haste to place their orders. PHOTO: QUICKPIC
ALWYN VILJOEN From July 1, new vehicles sellers should no longer bundle maintenance or service plans into the retail price of the car without the consent of the buyer. Most new vehicles are sold with these contracts and buyers are often not aware how much the maintenance or service plan adds to their payments. In the Guidelines for Competition in the Automotive Aftermarket, as gazetted by the Competition Commission on January 29, this practice is now advised against. The commission said in its latest newsletter the guidelines aim to give vehicle owners freedom of choice by removing restrictions imposed by Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) on car owners, who are only allowed to use OEM service providers for service and maintenance as well as OEM replacement parts for their vehicles. The commission said OEMs and their approved dealers typically sell these plans through a variety of packages, from a 3-year or 60 000 km up to 5 years or 150 000 km. The package allows a customer to take their motor vehicle in for service or maintenance at regular intervals until they reach a mileage or time limit. The commission said in accordance with international best practices, consumers should be able to purchase such plans from any other third-party service supplier of their choice. “The aim is not to do away with main-
tenance and service plans, but rather to give consumers the choice to take up a maintenance or service plan that is most affordable to them,” wrote the commission, Les McMaster, vice-chairman of the Motor Industry Workshop Association (Miwa) and a director of Right to Repair South Africa, (R2RSA), welcomed the freedom of choice for consumers. He agrees with the commission that the guidelines could “unleash entry and participation in the lucrative after-sales value chain by small and medium enterprises and firms owned by historically disadvantaged individuals”. However, McMaster told Wheels consumers will soon find out that franchised dealerships are not much more expensive than a reputable independent workshop. McMaster said a lot of this has to do with the fact that all consumers are price conscious and have all become word-ofmouth influencers with access to social media platforms. “In today’s digitally connected world, no franchise can afford to overcharge their customers, which makes the playing field fairly even when it comes to pricing,” McMaster said. He warned independent mechanics who open independent workshops to benefit from the guidelines not to make the most common mistake new business owners often make, which is to undervalue the real cost of their time when quoting on a job. • alwyn.viljoen@witness.co.za
New models for fans of nippy handling, heavy loads, or a luxury sport car
The 2021 Toyota GR 86 made its world debut on Tuesday in an online event hosted by Toyota Gazoo Racing and Subaru Corporation — and all the fans who called for a turbo still have to add one themselves. But Toyota said the GR 86 did get the “essential fun-to-drive characteristics of the original GT86”, which has sold over 200 000 units worldwide since its launch in 2012. The new 86 also boasts of being the lightest four-seater coupe in its class, thanks to weight-saving initiatives such as using aluminium for the roof and body panels — although the rear seats are for midgets only, as is the case with all the coupes in this class. Under the hood a larger 2,4-litre engine makes 173 kW and 250 Nm in Japan. While the engine is larger, the car’s dimensions are almost identical to its predecessor. Torsional rigidity has been increased by around 50% to deliver even sharper handling and steering. The GR 86 is set for South Africa only in the first quarter of 2022. Specs and pricing will be announced at that time. PHOTO: QUICKPIC
FUSO Trucks, a brand of Daimler Trucks & Buses Southern Africa, has added the FJ26-280C HYP to its well-established FJ range. Aimed at the construction segment, this FJ truck is fitted with single reduction axles at the rear to helps lower diesel consumption and the tare weight of the vehicle. This also ensures that the truck can carry a sixcubic metre concrete mixer and still comply with the permissible axle loads, said Ziyad Gaba, head of FUSO Trucks Southern Africa. A 6,4-litre direct-injection engine makes 205 kW at 2 200 rpm and 1 100 Nm from 1 200 rpm to 1 500 rpm. The 6S20 Daimler engine is paired with the G131 nine-speed manual transmission with crawler gear. The FUSO FJ26-280C HYP will also be available with both the engine PTO (Power Take Off) and a transmission PTO, allowing the customer the flexibility to fit either a mixer or tipper body when taking delivery of the vehicle, and change this configuration should business requirements change during the lifetime of the truck. PHOTO: MOTORPRESS
For drivers with a need for grip and speed — and a million rand to spare — Audi offers the RS Q3 and RS Q3 Sportback models, on sale at dealerships since April 1. The Audi RS Q3 TFSI quattro sells for R1 094 000 and the RS Q3 Sportback TFSI quattro lists at R1 128 000. Both models are driven by the 2,5 TFSI five-cylinder engine — a modern marvel of engineering that has now won the International Engine of the Year Award for nine years running. It makes 294 kW and 480 Nm, with all the Newtons avaliable from 1 950 to 5 850 rpm. The power is vectored to all four wheels via a seven-speed multi-plate transmission. Standard equipment includes Matrix LED headlights; a comfort key; 21-inch wheels; RS sports seats with Nappa leather and honeycomb stitching upholstery; Audi’s virtual cockpit, MMI navigation plus; a Bang and Olufsen sound system with 3D sound; a rear view camera smartphone interface and a five-year Audi Freeway Plan. PHOTO: MOTOPRESS
DRIFTS, RIDES AND DRIVES IN KZN • Saturday sees the Sun Coast Casino hold the elimination round of the Red Bull Car Park Drift to find SA’s best drifters. Winners will go on the represent SA at the world finals later this year. Note, this event is not open to the public, but can be followed on social media and Wheels correspondent Kurt Volmink will be covering the action. • An event that is very much open to all riders is the Ashburton Trial Time Challenge (pictured), starting at the Vine Church in Ashburton. Cost is R100 per rider. Contact Jay Stay on 079 889 5141 for more.
• Sunday, April 11, sees Pietermaritzburg’s Vintage Sports Car Club host a drive-out from the club house on Oribi Road to Midmar Dam. Drivers and riders must meet at the club house at 8 am. • Saturday, April 17, sees the Natal Recreational Club host their monthly rally near Dalton. Dubbed “picnic rallies” because winners get only bragging rights, organiser Dean Redelinghuys invites all enthusiastic drivers to experience “real racing”. Entry is R350 a car. To get the entry forms, contact Redelinghuys on 083 657 1526.
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GM TO START BUILDING ALL-ELECTRIC SILVERADO General Motors on Tuesday announced it will build an all-electric Chevrolet Silverado truck, with an estimated driving range of more than 640 km on a single charge. The truck will be built at GM’s Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant, but GM has not yet released any details on when the electric Silverado will hit showrooms, opting to under promise and over deliver, but expectations are for mid 2022, by which time the big electric bakkie will face competiton from Ford’ allelectric F-Series pickup — made in partnership with Rivian — and Tesla’s contentious Cybertruck. The Silverado will also face in-house competition from the all-electric Hummer, scheduled for 2022. GM said in a statement the electric Silverado will not be a modified version of the gasoline- or dieselpowered truck, but engineered from the chassis up as an electric-only truck, using the same Ultium electric vehicle engineering on which GM’s other electric vehicles are based, including the GMC Hummer EV models and the Cadllac Lyriq SUV. GM President Mark Reuss said in a presentation it will focus on marketing the electric Silverado on business and fleet buyers. The company recently announced plans to sell only emission-free vehicles by 2035, though it has not yet released any details on when the electric Silverado will hit showrooms. GM plans to build 30 electric vehicles during 2025, including the Cruise Origin self-driving electric vehicle as the GMC Hummer EV pickup and SUV. — WR.
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