April 11, 2019
Witness
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Ford Ranger Raptors prepare to board a Roll-On-Roll-Off (RoRo) ship at Port Elizabeth harbour after being delivered by rail from Silverton in Gauteng.
New Rangers sail from PE ALWYN VILJOEN FORD launched the new Ranger in George on Tuesday. The range covers eight single cab models, nine SuperCabs and 16 double cabs. Selling from R287 100 for the entry level single cab 2,2 TDCi 4x2 and topping out at R678 200 for the 2.0 BiT Wildtrak 10AT 4x4, the new Ranger introduces several features to help it take market share from South Africa’s best-selling bakkie, the Toyota Hilux, and keep market share from SA’s best priced and fastest double cab, the Mitsubishi Triton. These include a new 2-litre with either one or two turbos and a 10-speed automatic transmission alongside the proven 2,2 and 3,2 TDCi engines. The high-tech 2.0 Bi-Turbo engine makes 157kW and 500Nm of torque from 1 750 to 2 000 r/min. This engine is available on the Wildtrak, and will also power the soon to be launched Ranger Raptor. Ford also made significant changes to the Ranger’s suspension to improve ride comfort on especially rough roads, and the top end models can now have semiautomatic parallel park assist, keyless start, and an EZ lift tailgate, which uses a torsion rod to reduce the force needed to lift the tailgate by 70%. Hitting the sweet spots Among the 33 new Ranger models on offer, the 2,2 TDCi XLS 6AT 4x4 SuperCab is a good option for contractors, selling for R472 400, while double-cab dads will be happy with the new 2.0 SiT XLT 10AT 4x4 retailing for R570 200. The double cab has an 800mm wading depth and 230mm ground clearance, and can tow 3,5 tons braked trailer weight, although towing such a load will reduce the permitted weight in the bakkie to two people and a small suitcase, thanks to a low gross combined vehicle weight allowed for the Ranger.
But taking local sales from the Hilux is not really what the Ranger is about. In fact, it would be fair to describe this bakkie as a Euro printing machine for Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa (FMCSA), which in March exported 4 186 Rangers to foreign climes, compared to 2 376 units sold locally. To meet this export demand, Ford last month sent its first shipment of Rangers from Port Elizabeth to markets in Europe, eschewing the congested Durban harbour. Using empty rail wagons Ockert Berry of VP Operations, Ford Middle East and Africa said there is unprecedented demand for the Ford Ranger around the world, and the company had invested over R3 billion in expanding its plant at Silverton to fulfil orders. “Together with Transnet, we evaluated how a multi-port strategy could benefit both parties by improving the use of current assets, reducing costs, avoiding the ongoing congestion in the Durban Terminal and utilising other ports for imports and exports,” Berry stated. Hence Ford will now be sending RoRo ships loaded with Ranger bakkies twice per month to various receiving ports in Europe. The good news is the bakkies will not add to the blind-hill-passing traffic on the N2, as Ford has contracted Transnet’s Freight Rail to deliver the bakkies by rail. VW sends cars from its factory in PE to Gauteng by rail, which wagons then return empty. Ford will now be filling the wagons from Silverton to Port Elizabeth and hence to selected markets around the world. “This will assist us in making the shipping and delivery from South Africa more cost effective, efficient and faster,” Berry said. Rajesh Dana, port manager at Port of Port Elizabeth, said the Transnet National Ports Authority is “extremely excited” to grow business at PE’s port with Ford. • alwyn.viljoen@witness.co.za
Isuzu will next month launch the Isuzu D-Max Arctic AT 35, a 300 4x4 Double Cab LX Auto tuned by Arctic Trucks and listed at R785 000. Most models will be exported, so don’t expect the dealers to give the usual big discounts on the few that will go on sale in Mzansi.
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Merc’s hatchback is the SA Guild of Motoring Journalists’ Car of the Year THE Mercedes-Benz A-Class is the 2019 AutoTrader South African Car of the Year. The sought-after award was presented at a spectacular function at Shepstone Gardens in Johannesburg on April 4. Over 200 guests were treated to an enchanted motoring experience hosted by AutoTrader, when Shepstone Gardens was brought to life with stunning audio visual acrobatics. The grounds were lit in multi-coloured uplighters, digital light projections were cast on water curtains and elaborate Oscar-style tributes to finalists were played on screens around the venue. The Car of the Year award, which has in the past come under criticism for not providing relevant consumer information, this year added categories, which were hosted by current and past motoring greats such as Ian Scheckter and Tasmin Pepper (now a competitor in the W Series). The awards paid a moving tribute to the late Gugu Zulu, who was honoured on the night. Zulu’s wife, Letshego Zulu, attended the event to hand over the last helmet Zulu used to race in the South African National Rally Championship in 2015. The memorabilia will go on display at the SA Hall of Fame exhibition in Sun City. AutoTrader CEO George Mienie believes that the A-Class is a truly deserving winner. “The AutoTrader South African Car of the Year has to represent innovation and ingenuity, while setting new benchmarks in its market segment. There is absolutely no doubt that the A-Class does this,” he said. The win was an extremely momentous occasion for Mercedes-Benz, which last won the South African Car of the Year in 1987 with the MercedesBenz 260E. Jury members were full of
did not win again this year, instead the Cayenne came second. The Porsche Panamera was the 2018 Coty winner. The Cayenne, which is a large sports utility vehicle (SUV), impressed the jury with its handling, which is comparable to most sports cars. They commented on the fact that the vehicle is well engineered while the driveline is simply faultless, Van Niekerk said.
South African racing driver Tasmin Pepper and Mayur Bhana, Marketing Manager: Passenger Cars warm the hood of South Africa’s 2019 Car of the Year, the Mercedes-Benz A-Class. PHOTO: ALLFORWOMEN praise for the A-Class during the test days. “The judges were particularly impressed with its interior comfort, stunning design, innovative technology, terrific road manners and exemplary safety features. Furthermore, the advanced engine offers the optimal blend of efficiency, performance and driving fun,” confirms Rubin van Niekerk, chairperson of the South African Guild of Motoring Journalists (SAGMJ). The public agreed. For the first time in the competition’s 34-year-long his-
tory, members of the public could cast a vote via the AutoTrader website — and pick a car that they believed was most deserving of the AutoTrader South African Car of the Year title. “After 55 000 consumer votes, I am delighted to reveal that the public vote yielded exactly the same result: they also chose the Mercedes-Benz A-Class,” Mienie said. In second place Much to the surprise of critics, Porsche
In third place The vehicle that came third — the Volvo XC40 — also attracted widespread praise from the judges. Like the Volvo’s XC90, which wore the Coty crown in 2016, the XC40 has notched up award after award — most notably Women’s World Car of the Year and European Car of the Year. The jury members were unanimous in their praise for Volvo’s smallest SUV. Judges particularly liked its minimalistic dashboard design and they commented favourably on the build quality, which is the best in the business. “Naturally, being a Volvo, the safety features are exemplary too,” Mienie said. Category winners In a historic first for the AutoTrader South African Car of the Year, categories were introduced. • Urban Compact Category Winner: Suzuki Swift • Medium Sedan/Hatch Category Winner: Mercedes-Benz A-Class Premium Sedan Category Winner: Lexus ES 250 • Lifestyle Utility Category Winner: Suzuki Jimny • Leisure SUV/Crossover Category Winner: Porsche Cayenne.
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ALWYN VILJOEN SELLING for just under and over R2 million, the two Lexus LS sedans can boast of being at the same time the most expensive Japanese cars in SA, as well as the cheapest luxury sports cars. The LS F Sport — aimed at go-faster drivers — sells for R1 975 900 while the luxury-focused LS 500 retails for R2 151 100. The extra money buys massaging seats with hot or cold air ventilation, among others, as befits the luxury brand of Toyota Motor Corporation. Toyota sells one in four new vehicles in South Africa and one in 10 new cars in the world, while dominating used markets, all of which helps to endow Lexus with built-in street cred that Nissan’s rival luxury brand, Infinity, can only dream of. The facelifted LS models both use a new 3.5-litre V6 engine coupled to a torque converter, 10-speed automatic. The long-stroke V6 is mapped to make 310 kW, with peak torque of 600 Nm at 6 000 rpm. In keeping with Toyota president Akio Toyoda’s stated intent to stop making boring cars, the Lexus is anything but boring to drive.
The new Lexus LS sedans sell for around R2 million, with very sporty handling or massaging seats (left) on offer in the plush interior. PHOTOS: MOTORPRESS
Twin turbos help the LS post a claimed 0-100 km/h acceleration in about five seconds, while those long pistons and an optimised stroke-tobore ratio will deliver a constant buildup of torque to the big 20-inch wheels. Top speed for the LS is electronically govenered to 250 km/h. Fuel consumption is listed as 9,5 l/100 km. As in other luxury cars, the LS driver can tailor powertrain response and feel by selecting Normal, Eco, Sport and
Sport S+ drive modes, while the exhausts will burble or howl just loudly enough to add a suitable soundtrack to the drive. Adaptive Variable Suspension (activated when in Sport S+ mode) that provides continuous adjustment of damping control for all four wheels. For those more sedate commutes in dense traffic, the Lexus LS F Sport (same safety spec as the LS 500) has semi-automated driving technologies
which the company’s test drivers have honed on one of the most complex highway systems in the world, the Tokyo Metropolitan Expressway. This tech ranges from pre-crash system with pedestrian detection to passenger seats that automatically return to an upright position if an imminent collision is detected. As the cherry on top, the LS has the best-in-class seven-year/105 000 km warranty and full maintenance plan. The vehicle’s service intervals are at every 15 000 km, alternatively once a year. • alwyn.viljoen@witness.co.za
Monster Jam winner! CONGRATULATIONS to Sanele Vilakazi, who gets to take three people to the Monster Jam at Moses Mabhida Stadium on April 20. Computicket advises there are only a few tickets left to the Durban leg of the event, which will also tour Cape Town and Johannesburg.
ADDING FEES TO THE PRICE OF CAR ILLEGAL CAR dealers and their associate in-house financers will have to change their habits after the National Consumer Tribunal earlier this week ruled Volkswagen Financial Services South Africa may not charge consumers the “on the road” fee, admin fee and handling fee on credit agreements. Many dealers do so with buyers’ full agreement, as this practice saves the buyer the initial outlay. But it also increases the amount on which interest is levied, which is not always explained to the customer. National Credit Regulator CEO Nomsa Motshegare welcomed the judgment, saying it affirmed the protection given to consumers by the National Credit Act “against illegal charges and fees on credit agreements”. Motshegare said the regulator would conduct industry-wide investigations on fees and charges on credit agreements to root out illegal charges and fees on credit agreements in the auto trade. The tribunal has ordered Volkswagen Financial Services to: • Cease the practice and/or conduct of charging consumers the “on the road”, admin and handling fees on credit agreements from April 10, 2019 and to submit written confirmation to the NCR to this effect; • Calculate the total amount of charges, fees or interest levied on the “on the road”, admin and handling fees; and • Refund all those consumers charges, fees or interest levied and submit a report by independent auditors to the NCR. — WR.
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GREAT Wall Motors’ premium brand, Haval, has been doing very well in South Africa, outselling several more established brands with its value offering and very well-built cars. Now GWM has put the cat among South Africa’s bakkie-loving pigeons with officially released photos of its new bakkie, to be launched at next week’s Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition. While only two photos of the offroad model have been released, Great Wall Motors is planning the usual range of workhorse bakkies and high riders to replace the Steeds. The bakkies will be built at Great Wall Motors’ new production base in Chongqing and are based on a new platform. In China, the new GWM bakkie will be sold standard with off-road specific configurations such as a front winch, three differential locks (front, middle,
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German cars no longer have spare tyres, instead, they have ‘Mobility Systems’, like this one from BMW, which is no good when a pothole bends the rim. PHOTO: ALWYN VILJOEN
PACK A SPARE FOR EASTER
Great Wall Motors will cause more than a stir when it replaces the Steed with its new bakkie, which will be launched at next week’s Shanghai auto show. and back) as well as a snorkel — parts and features that are normally aftermarket accessories with most brands. As the official picture shows, this Chinese bakkie looks the part, although the decorative panel on top of the hood, designed to look like the airintake ducts on American muscle cars, may give Hilux and Ranger drivers something to point and grin at.
The panel does, however, hint at a certain performance level, of which more will be revealed next week. A black grille divided by a thick grey plaque and blackened LED headlights further highlight the performance aesthetics of the bakkie. At the rear, the tail lights also adopt full LED lights, finishing off the rear to match the front end of the truck. A large
blackened panel is added to the tail door panel and as seen from the picture, the cargo body is equipped with a ramp ladder slot, so that the ladder can be easily attached to the tailgate to load and offload cross-country motorcycles and other leisure vehicles. We will continue to share information of other models once we get them. — WR.
THE single most important safety and time-saving trip for people going on a long journey during the Easter long weekend is to pack a spare tyre, especially people who ride on low profile tyres. Most new cars these days offer a “Marie biscuit” spare wheel, which is safe only when driven at speeds of 80 km/h or less, while most new German cars replace a spare wheel with a “mobility system” and a road assistance plan. This practice has left several Wheels readers waiting hours on a dark road for a man with a lorry to bring a spare tyre. Rather invest in a suitable rim fitted with even a worn tyre for when — not if — that unseen pothole dents the rim and lets out all the air. • alwyn.viljoen@witness.co.za