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THE WITNESS
FEBRUARY 7, 2019
WHEELS
www.witness.co.za
NEW MODELS
A rose by any name Alwyn Viljoen finds excellent consumption and lots of space in the Duster/Oroch/Terrano
Mahindra South Africa is celebrating the surge in vehicle sales following its recent brand repositioning and marketing campaign with the launch of the Mahindra S10 Karoo Edition. The S10 Pik Up specification level includes satellite navigation, cruise control and a multi-function steering wheel, before the addition of the Karoo trim. In the Karoo S10 Limited Edition, Mahindra has added a special black cosmetic package, which includes blacked out off-road alloy wheels, a dark nudge bar and a dark branded roll bar, which all costs R5 000 more than the standard S10 model. The 4x2 Double Cab Pik Up Karoo Edition lists for R337 999 while the 4x4 version lists for R368 999. Both models are sold with a four-year or 120 000 km warranty and a fiveyear or 90 000 km service plan.
Volkswagen has released the Golf R 2.0 TSI with an engine workrate of 228 kW and 400 Nm of torque. VW stated the Golf R ‘rockets to 100 km/h in a swift 4,6 seconds’ and attributes the gain in dynamics to the seven-speed direct shift gearbox (DSG) and the standard launch control feature. The recommended retail price is R676 000.
AWARDS
The Alfa Romeo Stelvio (2019 year model pictured) and Alfa Romeo Giulia continue to add to their impressive collection of international awards. In the 43rd annual Best Cars readers’ choice awards held by the German trade magazine Auto, Motor and Sport, the SUV and the sports saloon clinched an impressive double victory, while the Giulietta came second in the Mid-Class import category. Readers voted for their favourites from a selection of 385 models across 11 categories, including import vehicles. The Alfa Romeo Stelvio competed in the Large SUV/Off-Roader class against 56 competitors from German production and abroad. The survey held simultaneously across 17 countries. It was the Giulia’s third consecutive win of the Mid-Class/Import rating category.
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A QUICK car count on the roads anywhere in South Africa will show at least one Duster among 10 passing sport utility vehicles, and for good reason — the Duster is very good value for money. This is why Renault sold 15 000 units of the previous generation Duster in South Africa to date and why the second generation, which can be recognised from behind by its square brake lights, has also sold to over 200 new proud Duster drivers every month since its launch. The Duster goes by several names — the Dacia Duster for Europe, the Duster Oroch in South America, and even rebadged as the Nissan Terrano in Russia. But as the bard wrote, whatever name a rose gets, it would smell as sweet. During my test drive of this SUV, I I paused to take in the views on Botha’s Hill before driving down the rutted farm roads around Assagay to test the 210 mm ride height and dirt handling. The Duster rides on big wheels — 16 or 17 inches depending on the model — with enough sidewall height to handle our potholes. And it feels very planted thanks to superbly sorted suspension that soaks up corrugations on dirt and hugs corners on the highway. Apple and Android phones pair in three clicks, and the climate control copes with KZN’s humidity. The best feature, however, is the automatic door lock that activates when
Craigh: Dianne: Ntuthuko:
Under the hood Renault sells the Duster locally with either a 1.6-litre 16V and two versions of the 1.5 dCi turbo engine, which also does service in the Merc Vito. For the 4x2s, this butter-smooth diesel is mapped to make 66 kW and 210 Nm, while the 4x2 EDC (for efficient dual clutch) and the 4x4 Manual versions makes quite a bit more — 80 kW and 250 Nm. I had the EDC and made good use
the clever cogs in the six gear ratios to match Renault’s claimed consumption of only 4,8L/100km. This is the same mileage I get out of my old Fiat Multipla 1,9 turbo diesel, but it does require a very light right foot and an eye on the rev needle. The dual clutch keeps the revs admirably low and while upshifting is smooth, I took to manual downshifting when I needed the engine’s compression to stay within speed limits. Driven
ALWYN VILJOEN
Unit 1 No 13 Betastraal Street Alton, Richards Bay Fax 086 459 6725 sales@eastcoastengines.co.za
New Duster prices 1.6 Expression 4X2 .................R249 1.5 dCi Dynamique 4x2 ........R282 1.5 dCi Dynamique EDC 4x2 R316 1.5 dCi Dynamique 4x4 .........R321 1.5 dCi Prestige EDC 4x2 .....R334 • alwyn.viljoen@witness.co.za
900 900 900 900 900
If the truck passes the lane without a turn signal, the system alerts the driver, along with a visual warning. If no action is taken, Lane Departure Protection will counter-steer the truck back into its lane. The driver can easily adjust the distance the truck holds to the outside line to ensure more space on narrow roads.
DAIMLER Group’s new Freightliner Cascadia for 2020 features numerous improvements, some which are industry firsts and others lifted from the Mercedes-Benz Actros that will make trucking in the U.S. safer, more efficient, and better connected. As happened with horizontally adjustable driver seats and electric side mirrors, the systems will soon filter down to all passenger cars. Intelligent Powertrain Management The new Cascadia boasts 35% fuel efficiency, thanks to Intelligent Powertrain Management 6, Daimler’s proprietary predictive cruise control, linked to a DT12 automated manual transmission. The achieve this fuel saving, the system uses: • Engine Load Balancing, which holds the engine at a constant torque over small, steady inclines which the driver might perceive as flat — to reduce unnecessary engine load. • Increased Map Coverage of North America’s major highways and inter-
Kary Sitzend, one of the team that designed the driver asist systems in Freightliner trucks which will filter down to passenger cars. states to help drivers — and their teams — find the most efficient routes to their next destination. • Predictive Adaptive Cruise Control, to better use kinetic energy and minimise brake usage. Level 2 automation Level 5 is a fully-automated vehicle and despite all the hype, the industry is far
from making vehicles that can negotiate suburbs on auto pilot. But several car makers are already delivering Level 2 — partial auto pilot. This driver assistance system requires the driver’s hands to remain on the wheel, but can steer on highways using micro-steering movements to keep the new Cascadia centered in its detected lane.
Active Brake Assist Active Brake Assist system warns the driver and can apply partial and then full emergency braking on both stationary and moving objects. By combining a camera with the radar, the system is now able to detect pedestrians, even those far back in the blind spot, warn the driver and perform full emergency braking much faster the the driver can react. Daimler has already proven this technology in the new Actros. Auto stop and go Adaptive Cruise Control means the vehicle can come to a standstill when the vehicle in front stops and when the vehicle in front moves, the truck will follow at a two-second delay distance.
Hino may looking to another shift to meet demand HINO South Africa is looking at increased shifts at the assembly plant in Prospecton, as projected sales of 4 950 units for 2019 will be close to the plant’s single-shift capacity of 5 000 units a year. The company is eyeing increased export volumes as it now supplies SAspecification trucks to Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique, and Malawi in addition to those in the SA Customs Union, where Namibia is showing growth. In the long term this increase in demand could result in expansions to the production plant. Ernie Trautmann, vice president of Hino SA, says he expects the SA truck market to continue to virtually stagnate in 2019, as it has done for the past two years, at least until the national election is over. He said that the first month of 2019 was already proving slow in terms of sales. Hino, together with the Toyota Dyna light truck range, had a good year in 2018 in terms of sales, ending up with a total of 4 318 units sold.
Sales of the the new Hino 500 Wide Cab models were up 19,3% with a strong swing to automatic transmission as Hino continues to grow in SA. PHOTO: MOTORPRESS
Dyna sales, which are now recorded in the light commercial vehicle segment, jumped 63,9% from 681 units in 2017 to 1 116. Pure Hino sales totalled 3 202 units which equated to 11,6% of the total SA truck market. Hino’s medium commercial vehicle sales were down 3,5% on 2017, largely
due to a stock shortage as forecasts were cut after a five percent dip in overall truck sales in the first half of 2018. However, Hino’s heavy commercial sales, which included the new Hino 500 Wide Cab models, were up 19,3% and its extra-heavy sales increased by 8,9% for 17,3% growth in combined Dyna and Hino sales.
Trautmann said that sales trends in the Hino 300 and 500 ranges show the strong swing to automatic transmissions versus automated manual transmissions (AMT) and manual gearboxes. “This is a permanent swing in preference, driven to a large extent by Hino, which will continue to accelerate,” he explained. Hino enjoyed a strong performance in parts sales and technical service too. Parts sales were up 2,3% to R354 million despite no general increase in parts pricing and, in fact, a four percent decrease in the prices of certain parts that had been considered out of line with the competition. The number of trucks serviced by Hino dealers was up 3,7% compared to the previous year. “We are, generally, very happy with our performance in a market that showed only marginal growth in 2018 and believe we are now on course for a better performance in 2019, with many innovations to boost brand image and sales, while further improving our levels of customer satisfaction,” said Trautmann. — WR.
BREXIT UNCERTAINTY SEES NISSAN X-TRAIL PRODUCTION MOVE TO JAPAN
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you stand next to the door, and locks it when the key moves away. With the start button, this means no digging for keys. a luxury feature parents who have arrived at the car with full hands and crying toddlers really appreciate. A giant boot swallows 478 litres with the rear seats up, which basically means you can shove the baby stroller in there as well as the groceries and the school bags, and there will still be space.
Competitors When it launched, the Duster ruled the affordability roost and the standard features in the 2019 Duster build on this reputation alongside all the latest in active and passive safety features. One could quibble that the five-year or 150 000 km mechanical warranty is shorter than what Hyundai or Toyota offer, and that Renault’s 15 000 km service intervals does not allow a lot of space for resale value in the three-year or 45 000km service plan, but these numbers are on par with industry averages. The Duster however faces serious competition from India and China. Mahindra’s TUV300 1,5 CRDe makes a little less power (74kW and 240 Nm) but then it currently also retails for some R40 k less at R239 000. Haval, China’s new premium brand, also equals or betters the Duster’s offer, but the H2 only comes with a 1,5 petrol, and heavy SUVs need a diesel’s torque.
Truck driver assist systems will come to cars soon
DUE to uncertainties caused by the UK’s exit from Europe, Nissan announced the next-generation X-Trail for the European market will be produced in its Kyushu plant in Japan, and no longer at the Sunderland plant in the UK, as was announced in 2016. Nissan Europe chair Gianluca de
Tel:
The Duster’s second best feature is its diesel engine. Its best is an automatic door lock, which allows busy parents to get in without digging for keys PHOTO: ALWYN VILJOEN
thus, one can easily stretch the 50 litres in the Duster’s tank to give 1 000 km.
Ficchy said while the news was disappointing, staff would not be affected by the Brexit uncertainty. He said other future models planned for Nissan Sunderland Plant — the next-generation Juke and Qashqai — are unaffected. “While we have taken this decision for business reasons, the con-
tinued uncertainty around the UK’s future relationship with the EU is not helping companies like ours to plan for the future.” Nissan executive vice president for manufacturing and supply chain management, Hideyuki Sakamoto, reminded politicians looking for local investment that models like the
X-Trail were manufactured in multiple locations globally, and production could be re-evaluated “based on changes to the business environment” at any time. “As always, Nissan has to make optimal use of its global investments for the benefits of its customers,” Sakamoto said. — WR.
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Sibaya Casino hosts the first soundoff as part of the International Auto Sound Challenge Association (IASCA) season on February 24. Organisers expect competitors from Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Johannesburg at this season launch event. The challenges include Sound-Off
Boxing and iDBL competitions, as well as a Show ’n Shine competition. The Show ’n Shine aspect showcases the best looking and best sounding cars in the country. The format judges the aesthetic appeal of the vehicle, the tonality of the vehicle as well as how the equipment is installed.
This event starts at 10 am and cost to enter ranges from R150 to R200 per car. Spectators enter free. Please contact Mohnish Ramgovind at 073 044 6264 or Vinesh Bissoon at 082 859 9494 or e-mail ramgovind@mweb.co.za for more information on entering the competitions. — WR.
VW MOTORSPORT ACADEMY HUNTS FOR NEW TALENT HEAD of Volkswagen Motorsport Mike Rowe has announced a dedicated Volkswagen Motorsport Academy. He said the academy will run a number of courses throughout 2019 that will be commercially available to the broader and upcoming motorsport communities. Participants in all the courses will also stand a chance to be selected for a final shootout in November where the winner could end up with a chance to join to the official Volkswagen factory team. Multiple South African champion Michael Stephen (pictured) will the lead coach at the academy. “Motorsport has given me so much over the years,” said Stephen. “I am very excited to now be able to give something back. South Africa has produced some great drivers over the years and I can’t wait to play a part in finding and developing the next batch.” — WR.
BRIDGESTONE EXTENDS FARM TYRE WARRANTY BRIDGESTONE has announced the extension of its five-year manufacturer’s warranty to nine years on selected Firestone agricultural radial tyres. Qualifying tyres must be purchased in South Africa, Swaziland, Lesotho, Namibia, Botswana or be original manufacturer fitted. Tyres purchased from May 14, 2018 fall within the new warranty. Any agricultural tyre purchased before this date will fall under the existing five-year warranty. “With agriculture set to play an increasingly important role in economic growth, Firestone is doing its bit to offer real value to the farming community,” says Lungisa Xhelithole, Firestone brand manager at Bridgestone South Africa. She emphasised that the warranty only covers manufacturing faults, and that the tyres must be registered on the Firestone website at http:// www.bridgestonesa.mobi/, your personal particulars, tyre information and store details will be required for the registration. Once registration is completed, the customer will receive confirmation via SMS or e-mail. Claims will be made at a Bridgestone authorised dealer, and the remaining tread depth measurement will be used to calculate the amount of compensation. The Firestone site also provides detailed information plus a list of qualifying tyres at https://firestone.co.za/9-year-agricutural-tyrewarranty. — WR.