July 12, 2018
Witness
WHEELS
Toyota added the Rush to seven-seater mix, but it faces stiff competition from three models at lower prices. MORE ON PAGE 2
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Kicking sand Renault takes the fight to competing hatches ALWYN VILJOEN A DECADE ago, when I was paying for two Renault cars in my garage, the brand’s dealers and I were not as friendly as we are now. Ten years later we still have one Renault, but we now tell all those who remember the bad times that parts are distributed at 95% plus rate. Pinetown’s parts price guru Malcolm Kinsey also has the Sandero among most competitively priced in SA. People need reminding of this, as most only remember how the brand slipped up on logistics and then priced itself out of the market. But as we keep saying, all that is past and people who drive often really owe themselves a ride in a Renault at least once. Not for the sweet engines or
direct handling, mind, but for the ergonomics. Only the fugly Fiat Multipla can boast a more people-focused cabin, but the Italian does not offer as many nooks and crannies for all the stuff families travel with as a Renault does. The Sandero is no exception, and especially the new Sandero Stepway Plus offers buyers an entry level model with all the buttons in exactly the right places, plus features like hill start assist. Safety As a made-in-Rosslyn, affordable hatch, the Sandero was one of the five cars subjected to safety tests by the AA to determine their crashworthiness. The other cars were the Toyota Etios, Volkswagen Polo Vivo, and Datsun Go+. Seatbelt pretensioners en-
sured a four-star win for the Etios, followed in a joint second place by the Sandero and the Polo Vivo, both with three stars for adult occupant protection in the frontal crash test at 64 km/h. The Sandero’s body structure was rated as stable with acceptable general adult occupant protection. As for the babies, the Sandero scored four stars for child protection, if ISO-fix child seats are used, compared to the three stars for the Etios and Polo Vivo. A 292-litre luggage bay has space for the baby bags, while a split-folding rear seatback makes it easy to load big items. Under the hood A frugal 0.9-litre, three-cylinder turbo petrol engine makes 66 kW and 135 Nm, with a fivespeed manual transmission
Sandero stepped up the value offering among R200 000 hatches way more in the Stepway Plus. PHOTO: QUICKPIC sending power to the front. This small engine makes 90% of the torque available from 1 650 rpm, which is very clever engineering indeed. The Expression rides on 15inch wheels while the Stepway gets 16” dark metal flex rims. The Sandero comes with Ren-
ault’s five-year or 150 000 km warranty together with a standard two-year or 30 000 km service plan. Services are at 15 000 km intervals. A five-year or 150 000 km warranty and two-year or 30 000 km service plan are standard. Apart from the Volkswagen
Polo, competition in the R200 000 price range comes from the Ford Figo, Honda Brio, Suzuki Ignis. Prices Expression R171 900 Stepway Expression R186 900 Stepway Plus R206 900
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WitnessWheels
After a spin on this 49cc moped, millennial biker Shay Kalik says she could do such pedal-assisted commuting, if absolutely no motorbike was available. PHOTO: ALWYN VILJOEN
Get more miles out of mopeds Radical fuel transformation idea #2 ALWYN VILJOEN WHEN it comes fuel, we are told the price is linked to the international crude oil index and we have to like it or lump it. With us burning 5,8 billion litres of petrol and diesel in the first quarter this year, the price we pay runs into hundreds of billions and many Wheels readers ask for ideas to save on this expense. This is the second article in a series of radically different ideas that answers the fuel queston with advice that go beyond inflating tyres or lifting the right foot. Last week, Wheels reported on the view that South Africans can grow biofuel from hemp. Even if such homegrown bio diesel may not be cheaper, at least all the money stays in the country, boosting regional economies. Now the two-wheelers in town say the best — and healthiest — way to save fuel is to cycle everywhere, maybe using a small engine to assist up KZN’s steeper hills. One such cyclist is John Kassner, coowner of the Jays B n B in Clarendon. He bolted a Golden Eagle 38 cc fourstroke engine kit — imported from the U.S. — to his mountain bike and still cycles over 60 km a day on it, despite being in his mid seventies. “We all need to do a hell of a lot more exercise. “You have a death wish sitting in that car. Apart from everything else, [assisted cycling] is huge fun, more fun than a motorbike,” Kassner told Wheels in 2016. There are many ways to assist the pedals on a bicycle, from an old fashioned moped wheel running on top of the rear wheel to a 250 Watt electric hub motor — which seems to power every second bike in China. Both moped wheels and hub motors require expensive lithium battery packs. Now, as a proponent of electric cars, I hate to admit the weight to power ratio of batteries is not yet ready for our steep hills and longer distances. For our topography, fuel engines still offer the most energy per kilogram and a small four-stroke engine makes the most of each litre. Tuner of 4x4s and installer of V8 engines, Gary Peacock in Pietermaritzburg, has fitted several such engines and warned the bike frame and tyres must
suit the speed. “Our last little engine could push the bike to 80 km/h, which is plenty fast on those wheels,” he said. Wheels bike opiniator Constable Shay Kalik rode a help-me-pedal bike assembled in Peacock’s workshop. “My office is a motorbike, so I know a bit about biking, but this will be a first,” she said as she dubiously circled the mountain bike with its two extra levers up front and a second chain at the back. After a few turns in the yard and a spin around the block her verdict was if the cost was low enough, she would actually commute on a bike like this. “It’s got power for the hills, you don’t worry about parking, and pedalling stretches the fuel even further.” Costing the moped option Most pawn shops have sturdy bikes for around R2 000. Ecotrax Bike Builders in Cape Town currently has a 66 cc engine kit for R2 300, but warns “a degree of mechanical knowledge is useful for installing the bicycle engine”. To which we add a 50 cc bike licence is also needed, as a power source equivalent to 49cc is where a bicycle becomes motorbike that needs a rider’s and vehicle licence in most municipalities. If you choose a 49cc engine to avoid the licence queue and costs, you could start saving fuel on a moped for less than R5 000 by next week, postage included. • alwyn.viljoen@witness.co.za
Septuagenarian John Kassner says a pedal assist bike is the best way to keep fit and have fun, never mind the fuel savings. PHOTO: FILE
MOTORING
July 12, 2018
INSTANT CLASSICS
Top: Suzuki has launced a new Jimny in the UK and while the looks are chunkier and a computer now controls wheel spin and descend speeds via the brakes, it still boasts a ladder frame, 3-link rigid axle suspension with coil springs and low range, making it the lightest (1 090kg) proper 4x4 on sale. A proven 1,5 engine makes 75 kW and 130 Nm at high revs via a five speed manual or four speed auto (which adds 20kg) to the 15-inch wheels. PHOTO: SUZUKI
To mark both the birthday of the Fiat 500 and the 60th anniversary of the famous 500 Jolly Spiaggina, Fiat announced the Spiaggina ’58 beachburggy, of which only 1 958 will be built, each customised with all the features available to Garage Italia, including a tiny deflector winscreen like the one fitted on the Spiaggina ’58 shown here. PHOTO: FIAT
So you want a cheap seven-seater? ALWYN VILJOEN THERE are four affordable sevenseaters for the family who know there will be spills in the back. With small engines and precious little to choose from in the cabin, these four are in a photo finish when it comes to value offerings. Toyota Rush — from R299 900 Toyota last week launched what some have taken to calling a mini Fortuner but in Japan the Rush competes with the Daihatsu Terios, with the models sharing underpinnings. The 1.5-litre four-cylinder DOHC engine, makes 77 kW at 6 000 rpm and 136 Nm of torque at 4 200 rpm. Power goes to the rear wheels (17inch) where a multilink rear suspension promises a smooth ride. The Rush comes with a six-speaker touchscreen infotainment system, 12volt sockets front and rear, and a boot that swallows a decent 609 litres. A reverse camera and parking sensor aid the driver while keyless entry and push-start ignition add to the upmarket feel. A six-services/90 000 kilometre service plan comes standard, backed by a three-year/100 000 km warranty. The service intervals are 15 000 kilometres. Toyota has a introductory price of R299 900 for a fivespeed manual Rush 1,5 and R13 400 more for the four-speed automatic. This premium price may be recouped when its time to trade the Rush in. Suzuki Ertiga — from R202 900 The 2016 Suzuki Ertiga recently had a facelift. The third row can now be folded in a 50/50 configuration, as opposed to the single backrest of the outgoing model. The radio has Bluetooth as standard but only the top-spec GL model has a parking sensor. The Ertiga’s 1.4-petrol engine makes 70 kW at 6 000 rpm and 130 Nm at 4 000 rpm. Power goes to the front through either a five-speed
Two models of the Toyota Rush are for sale, with the manual listed for R299 900.
The Suzuki Ertiga was made tough for India and starts at R202 900. PHOTOS: SUPPLIED
Mahindra’s TUV300 brings diesel power to the fight, at R232 995 for 240 Nm from 1 600 rpm.
Honda’s BR-V is for dads who like a spirited drive between the people lugging, at R248 000.
manual gearbox or a four-speed auto. A four-year or 60 000 km service and a five-year or 200 000 km promotional warranty are included in the prices, starting at R202 900 for the manual and topping out at R245 900 for the GL auto.
face each other in the boot. The three-year service plan is 10 000 km shorter than the threeyear or 100 000 km warranty.
Mahindra TUV300 — R232 995 The two-stage turbo in the mHawk100 Turbodiesel 1 493 cc engine is the choice for steep hills. It makes 73,5 kW at 3 750 rpm and a sumptuous 240 Nm between 1 600 rpm and 2 800 rpm. The biggest fuel tank here at 60 litres and a realistic consumption of 20 km/litre also gives the TUV 300 the longest range, while a towing capacity of 750 kg makes it the most practical. The last row’s seats fold down to
Honda BR-V — from R248 700 The 1.5 i-VTEC engine makes the smoothest power here — 88 kW at 6 600 rpm and 145 Nm at 4 600 rpm. Gears changes are Honda-slick and this 16-valve loves a spirited drive. The radio has four big speakers and Bluetooth is standard, as are roof rails and 16-inch wheels. A five-year or 200 000 km warranty is standard, but only the Comfort and Elegance models have a two-year/30 000 km service plan, with services at 15 000 km. Prices are R248 700 for the Trend and R284 000 for the Elegance. An auto transmission adds R15 900 to the price.
MOTORING WitnessWheels
July 12, 2018
More delays on N3 fix Sanral seeks R128 bln for projects ALWYN VILJOEN SOUTH African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) CEO Skhumbuzo Macozoma had bad news and more bad news for road users on especially the busy routes through KZN. Macozoma was delivering the keynote address at the Southern African Transport Conference, held in Pretoria on Monday. He titled his speech ‘The Road Construction Sector’s Contribution to the Transport Future That We Desire’. He said Sanral has projects on the books that will cost R128 billion, but the roads agency cannot start on any of these projects because tolls and fuel levies are not accessible. “People are anti-fuel levy now. So now, you can’t use the fuel levy. And then public funds are not sufficient.” He did not explain why the fuel levy, which started out as a fund to develop South Africa’s road infrastructure, cannot be used, or why Sanral cannot be funded from the R118 billion government will get from taxing fuel sales in 2018. “The situation with tolls in this country now is that, number one, people are anti-toll, and now we can’t toll anything,” he said. Macozoma said funding and planning constraints are delaying improvements to two sections of the N3 — Van Reenen’s pass, which is controlled by the N3TC and tolled; the Sanral-controlled N3 section from Cedara to Durban; as well as a rapid rail link from Gauteng to Durban. Macozoma, who holds a BSc and MSc (Civil Engineering), has launched a turnaround plan at Sanral, dubbed Horizon 2030. In this, he hopes to get more loans to finance Sanral plans. He told Leadership magazine in an interview last year: “Roads have to compete for funds from the fiscus with other socio-economic priorities and it is of critical importance to find a workable funding strategy. “Public funds will no doubt continue to form a significant share of our funding model. National Trea-
THREE SUPERCARS WILL TURN HEADS AT GOODWOOD THREE super cars will attract a lot of attention at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in England this weekend, but only one will be burning petrol. VW’s is sending its Pike Peak winner to the annual festival of all things fast on wheels; Nissan have teamed up with Italdesign to gild a GT-R50; while an arcane Bulgarian company is making startling claims for its super electric car. The GT-R50 comes with gold cladding and Nismo tuning. Nissan and Italdesign are currently testing the market for 50 of these customs, each available for some $1,6 million (well over R13 million). Volkswagen built the I.D R Pikes Peak all-electric racer specifically to conquer the famous American hill climb. The 507-kW racer broke the eight-minute barrier for the first time, posting a new Pikes Hill record of 7:57.148. Bulgarian company Arcanum is sending its all-electric, 24-motored Alieno supercar to Goodwood. So far, the Al-
A million dollar gilded Godzilla, or for nongearheads, the Nissan GT-R with gold trim, will go on show to 50 buyers at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this weekend. PHOTO: NISSAN ieno only exists as a screen saver, but the Bulgarians claim those 24 motors make their car seven times more powerful than the Tesla Model S. If proven true, this will equate to a neck-snapping quick takeoff, as the Tesla does the 0-100 km/h run in less than three seconds. Carrying heavy batteries up the 1,86km Goodwood
Hill Climb this weekend, neither the Alieno nor the Pike Peak Volksie will be able to beat the 41,6-seconds record time set by F1 driver Nick Heidfeld in a McLaren-Mercedes MP4/13 in 1999. VW just aims to break the record for electric cars of 47,34 seconds, which was set by Jonny Cocker in a Lola-Drayson B12
69/EV in 2013. The GT-R50 Nismo is not likely to race up the hill, but it could if it wanted to. The GT3-derived engine makes 529 kW and 780 Nm, which together with the Nissan’s legendary handling, should get it to within a whisker of Heidfield’s 19-year-old record. — WR.
Sanral CEO Skhumbuzo Macozoma has plans to fix SA’s roads, but needs funds. PHOTO: FIN24 sury is the custodian of public funds and should determine how these are sought. “We will focus on the planning and where we submit requests, we expect we will be given the money to carry out the work. “When we first introduced private financing, we increased our funding envelope and were able to move quicker in delivering on projects. We still see the need for private financing, with the bulk coming from the fiscus, but we need a consensus as South Africans on a funding policy and on when to use private financing and how. “The one good thing that had emerged from the e-toll saga is it has brought into sharp focus the need to debate and agree on how road infrastructure will be funded,” he says. Leadership reported Macozoma also believes there is an opportunity for Sanral to generate its own revenue and add it to what will be an integrated funding model including public tax-based funding, private capital and own revenue. A business development strategy to explore potential areas of ownrevenue generation, again bottomup, is currently being crafted but Macozoma confirmed his position that public funds will be the biggest slice of the pie for the roads agency.
UK laws to ban fossil fuels THE British transport department has unveiled “Road to Zero” laws that will ban sales of petrol and diesel cars by 2040. The laws require charging stations at all new homes and offices, and power outlets on every street light next to a parking slot. The department has made available £400 million to incentivise the building of new charging infrastructure across the country. “The strategy sets out a package of measures to ensure that electric vehicle drivers will be able to easily locate and access charging infrastructure that is affordable, efficient and reliable,” transport secretary Chris Grayling said in a
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statement. The Road to Zero laws require cars to have an electric range of at least 50 miles on battery power by 2040, which would rule out conventional hybrids as well as non-hybrid petrol and diesel vehicles. Grayling said the aim was to have half of traffic plug-in vehicles by 2030 and all traffic to be zero emission by 2040. “The transition to zero emission road transport is happening now across the world,” said Grayling. Several cities in Britain, including London, Birmingham, and Leeds, have already set fines for older petrol and diesel cars travelling into their city centres. — WR.
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MOTORING RACING
July 12, 2018
Flag-to-flag win in N. Cape After a rare did-not-finish in their backyard, KZN pair led the pack in Algoa Rally by a minute PORT ELIZABETH — It was a resounding, flag-to-flag victory for Toyota Gazoo Racing SA’s Guy Botterill and co-driver Simon Vacy-Lyle, when they bagged maximum points on the Algoa National Rally in Port Elizabeth on Saturday, July 7. The Class R2N Toyota Etios crew led the rally from the very first stage, and never relinquished their lead. “There’s no such thing as an easy victory when it comes to the SA National Rally Championship, and even less so when racing in Port Elizabeth,” said Botterill after reaching the parc ferme at the end of the rally in the Friendly City. “But we were fortunate to have a clean run this time round.” The Toyota Gazoo Racing SA Etios never missed a beat, and Botterill/Vacy-Lyle managed to set the pace right from the start. The pair won all but the final three stages of the 11-stage event, winning by a margin of 01:27 over the Volkswagen Polo crew of AC Potgieter and Nico Swartz. Third place went to Richard Leeke and Henry Kohne in their Ford Fiesta. “Once our lead got to over one minute, we decided to focus on protecting our championship points,” continued Botterill. “We managed to bring the Etios home with no issues, and
terill. “In all the years of rallying here, we’ve never seen the roads quite as good as this. It was a worldclass event, and we are grateful to the club for putting it together.” Botterill/Vacy-Lyle started their 2018 campaign with a DNF at their home rally in KwaZuluNatal, but have since come back with three convincing victories on the trot. The pair started the Algoa National Rally just a single point behind championship leaders Potgieter/Swartz (Volkswagen). Their result in Port Elizabeth, however, will see them leading the SA National Rally Championship with three rounds left in the season. The next round in the SA NRC will take place on August 17 and 18, in the area around the Gauteng town of Bronkhorstspruit, to the east of Pretoria. — Supplied.
Flying the Hillcrest flag high with their NU registration plate are Toyota Gazoo Racing SA’s Guy Botterill and co-driver Simon Vacy-Lyle. PHOTO: MOTORPRESS scored maximum points — so we have every reason to be pleased.” The 2018 Algoa National Rally — formerly known as the Volks-
wagen Rally — again took place near Port Elizabeth, with a number of stages set further afield, in the Longmore Forest, inland
from Jeffreys Bay. While these stages certainly provided the meat of the event, the stages closer to PE proved a stern test in their
Club racing fast and furious at Dezzi’s
own right. “We have to give the Algoa Motorsport Club a lot of credit for preparing such an amazing event,” concluded Bot-
‘In all the years of rallying ... we’ve never seen the roads quite as good as this.’
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COLIN WINDELL ACTION at Dezzi Raceway, Oslo Beach, on July 14 is going to fast and furious with competitors all hoping to bag valuable KZN Road Racing Club championship points with just three race meetings left in the season. Each race gives competitors two heats with 25 points up for grabs in each, so things are far from decided and each point worth more than Bitcoin. The closest contest currently is in the Modified category in Class C where Tim Kinsey (VW Golf) holds a slender fivepoint lead over Gary Brown (Ford Escort) with Barry Liggins (Dart BMW) not entirely out of the picture 42 points off the leader — and 50 points are up for grabs over the two heats on each race day. Brown missed the opening round of the series in February, but has come on strong since his return and has won five of the six races, with Kinsey consistent in second place, still benefiting from the bonus maximum points haul early in the season when Brown was absent. A spanner in the works could be Bruce Avern-Taplin in his Toyota Corolla. He won a heat at the last outing and could just shake things up again on Saturday.
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Sanjiv Singh is in an intense tussle with Matthew Steytler in the Superbike Master Class. PHOTO: COLIN WINDELL Class B of the Modifieds is also hanging on a knife-edge with Pierre-Richard Potgieter (VW Golf) just nine points ahead of John Montanari (VW Golf) — but both were beaten to the line at the last meeting by Leo Branders (VW Golf). Despite missing two race meetings, Branders lies third in the series with enough points still on offer to pose a major threat to the top two. The next one to watch is the
Superbike Master Class where an intense tussle is happening between series leader Matthew Steytler (BMW 1000) and Sanjiv Singh (Kawasaki 1000). Steytler is currently on 162 points to the 150 of Singh, who missed the season opener to gift Steytler a bag full of points. In the Super Motards, Hein Etzel (Yamaha 450) has to hold off an increasingly strong challenge from Jesse Boshoff
(Husqvarna 450) to stay ahead, but Craig Bishop (KTM 450) and Karl Etzel (Yamaha 450) are well within striking range. With 16 races on the card for the day and so much at stake for riders and drivers, the action is going to be frenetic. • Racing starts at 10 am and entry for spectators is R80 and R50 for kids under 12.
Mogotsi aims for first Volkswagen Driver Search winner Jonathan Mogotsi (VW Motorsport Polo) is in a tight race against Jeffrey Kruger (Universal Health Polo) and Tasmin Pepper (Electric Life Polo) in the Engen Polo Cup championship, which visits the Aldo Scribante Raceway near Port Elizabeth this weekend for round five of their 2018 national title chase. PHOTO: MOTORPRESS
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