WIN WITH WHEELS nlop and Falken On Saturday, March 2, Du with six races at the l tiva Fes e rem Ext Tyres present the the South Coast. on rg rbu Dezzi Raceway near Ma track layout in the h their limits on the new Fans can see racers pus the GTC 2; the SA bal Touring Car series and Investchem 1600 Falken Polo Cup; the Glo the as ll ersport 600; as we Sup the and ikes erb Sup ing). (premier single-seater rac ets, by answering how tick r fou win to nce cha A reader stands a the Extreme Festival? many races will held at E-mail your answer to .com alwyn.viljoen@witness
February 21, 2019
Witness
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A big Quantum leap Toyota’s first new Quantum in 15 years tows 2 tons, has 16 cup holders and 5-star safety The original warning on Honda’s first electric car battery cover hinted at the future evees hold for fossil fuel burning car factories.
HONDA’S ELECTRIC PLANS CLOSE TWO PLANTS HONDA has denied its planned closure of a plant at Swindon in England is because of Brexit uncertainties, saying it’s part of the company’s restructuring of its global manufacturing network to focus on electric cars. “The significant challenges of electrification will see Honda revise its global manufacturing operations, and focus activity in regions where it expects to have high production volumes,” a company statement read. The Swindon plant, which currently produces 150 000 cars per year and employs some 3 500 people, will close in 2021. Honda will also restructure its plant in Turkey, which currently produces 38 000 yearly. Katsushi Inoue, chief officer for European Regional Operations, Honda Motor Co., Ltd., and president, Honda Motor Europe said; “In light of the unprecedented changes that are affecting our industry, it is vital that we accelerate our electrification strategy and restructure our global operations accordingly. As a result, we have had to take this difficult decision to consult our workforce on how we might prepare our manufacturing network for the future. This has not been taken lightly and we deeply regret how unsettling today’s announcement will be for our people.” It is not Honda’s first foray into electircs. In the late 1990s, Honda was the first major automaker to test a car with non-lead acid batteries in the EV Plus. Only 340 of the EV Plus were built and these models were only leased out for three years as part of Honda’s tests. All the EV Plus cars were destroyed in 1999. — WR.
Nissan Micra Acenta Plus Tech is aimed at “independent fashionista who keep their apps updated, don’t skip leg day and sometimes wear sunglasses at night”. The Micra Tech sells for R299 900, which includes a six-year or 150 000 km warranty; a three-year or 90,000km service plan; and 24/7 roadside assistance. PHOTO: MOTORPRESS
DATSUN TWITTER TUG-OF-WAR FOR UNIVERSITIES DATSUN announced a sequel of their Twitter Tug of War competition, this time for universities. At the end of 2018, Datsun challenged South Africans to pull the newly launched Datsun GO all the way to their house and into their garage using social media. Now students can win a new Datsun GO for their campus by sending the most #GO tweets to “pull” the car to your campus, for example #GOUKZN. The top three universities with the most tweets will qualify to go through to the next round of the competition, which is a treasure hunt. Datsun will hide five keys on the winning university’s campus, giving participating students clues to find them. One of those keys will unlock the Datsun GO and make you a winner. The Datsun GO, sells from R144 500, with three-year or 100 000 km warranty and an optional service plan. More on Twitter using the handle @Datsun_SA, as well as Facebook and Instagram. — WR.
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The tiny 1907 Contal trike, with a basket for the co-driver, was as fragile as a pram, but light enough to be lifted over obstacles on the Peking to Paris route.
ALWYN VILJOEN TOYOTA has launched the first new Hi-Ace in 15 years in the Philippines, engineered for overseas markets. The van, which sells as the Quantum in South Africa, now has a short bonnet which Toyota said “enabled the development team to implement significant changes with a stiffer frame, stronger straight-line performance, greater stability and manoeuvrability, and more pliant suspensions”. Chief engineer Takuo Ishikawa, who was responsible for development, said the HiAce was developed using the key words of “HiAce Pride”, and from the concept of being a faithful partner that makes people feel safe, satisfied, and proud. “Owners, drivers, and passengers know they are in good hands when they own, drive, and ride in a HiAce,” said Ishikawa. It is not just in South Africa that Toyota’s van has proven very popular with transporters. Since the launch of the first-generation HiAce in 1967, it has become one of Toyota’s representative global vehicles. Over 6,24 million units sold in over 150 countries, with most models sold in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Oceania, Mexico, and Latin America. Following the launch in the Philippines, the new model will be gradually introduced in other regions, with a focus on emerging markets, like South Africa, where Toyota dealers move over a thousand models every month. Ironically, Japan customers will continue getting the current model, due to what Toyota describes as “the different local market environment”.
TINY TRIKE TRIES AGAIN TO FINISH PEKING TO PARIS
Above: Top-end models of the new Quantum (left) have a multifunction steering wheel and touch screen, and an automatic triptronic gearbox. South Africa will get only a diesel engine and manual transmission that promise to continue Toyota’s reputation for durability. Coming to Mzansi in April Toyota South Africa said the new Quantum will arrive at dealers in April, available with three-seat vans in long (LWB) and super-long wheelbase (SLWB) configurations and six-seat LWB crew cabs. The bus range will comprise 11 (LWB) and 14-seater (SLWB) versions. Riaan Esterhuysen, product communication manager, said the new Quantum will not affect building of the two Sesfikile models built for the local taxi industry at Toyota’s plant in Prospecton. Under the hood Toyota engineered two engines to fit
under that short hood, the 1GD, a 2,8-litre four-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine or the 7GR 3,5-litre petrol engine. A tiptronic automatic transmission or a six-speed manual gearbox are available, but South Africa will only get the IGD engine paired to the manual transmission. The new models have longer wheelbases; internal width increased by 215mm, and height by 5mm without altering overall exterior width. The suspension comprises new MacPherson struts up front and longer leaf springs at the back, which Toyota said gives a more comfortable ride while enhancing handling and stability.
Up to 17 passengers Passengers can look forward to LED lighting, console boxes, flip-up seats and netted seat-back pockets and up to 16 cup holders. Taxi operators will be happy that the “Commuter” versions can seat 17 people — the most in its class for private bus use. A wider step makes for easier access. Long distance taxi operators will be pleased that the towing capacity has been increased by 600 kg to a maximum two tons on key models. Safety While a bus is only as safe as the driver, passengers can take some reassurance that the new Quantum comes with To-
yota Safety Sense and the company said the van’s impact performance achieved the equivalent of five stars in the Euro New Car Assessment Programme (NCap). Cargo carrier For companies who want to transport loads, numerous flat-mount surfaces and anchor points make it easy to alter the vehicle for specialised use. The cargo capacity is 6,2 cubic metres in the (LWB) and 9,3 cubic metres in the SLWB, with the internal width increased by 215mm, and the height by 5mm without altering overall exterior width. • alwyn.viljoen@witness.co.za
Koleos offers Midlands farmers more traction and luxuries for less RENAULT’S new Koleos has all the makings to compete with Toyota’s Fortuner and Subaru’s Outback for the wallets of Midlands farmers, selling for well over a R100k less but offering as much and more in traction control and luxuries. An all wheel drive system paired to a continiously variable transmission provide three driving modes — 2WD, 4WD Auto, but it is the 4WS Lock that sets the Koleos apart. When travelling off-road or in conditions where grip is at a premium, such as mud, dirt or sand, the 4WD Lock mode allows the driver to engage permanent four-wheel drive at speeds of less than 40 km/h to distribute available torque equally between the front and rear axles (50/50). This mode is automatically disengaged at speeds of more than 40km/h, or when the engine is re-started. In addition to enhancing New Koleos’s off-road ability, All Mode 4x4-i transmission delivers more dynamic performance plus greater stability and enhanced safety, Renault said. Infinite number of gears The Koleos is powered by 2,5 petrol engine making 126 kW and 233 Nm. This power is sent to the front or all four wheels through Renault’s continiously variable transmission, dubbed X-Tronic, which performs like a multi-ratio automatic whenever the driver needs to accelerate quickly. At the same time, this variable transmission ensures seamless gear shifts when accelerating slightly in heavy traffic, for example. The variable ratios mean the X-Tronic offers an infinite number of gears to ensure that engine revs and load are con-
Above: The interior of the new Koleos (left) in Dynamique trim. PHOTO: QUICKPIC stantly optimised for low noise levels and efficient fuel consumption. Renault claims 8,8 litres/100km on the combined cycle of city and open road driving. The driver also has the option to select a seven-speed sequential mode to benefit from engine braking. Tested over 1 million km Renault said the new Koleos underwent extreme testing of thousands of hours of static and dynamic tests designed to ensure the model complied with Renault’s high standards and to confirm its reliability. In total, New Koleos was put through its paces with more than 1 100 000 km of intensive testing. Two trim levels New Renault Koleos is available in two trim levels – Expression and Dynamique
— and rides on 17” or 18” wheels, depending on the model. On-board experience The front seats come with six-way power adjustment and lumbar adjustability and the centre console can slide 80mm forwards, enabling the ideal driving position to be set. Rear passengers benefit from classtopping knee room (289mm), thanks to the curved form of the front seat-back’s shell, which frees up extra room for rear passengers. The doors open 70 degrees in front and 77 degrees at the rear, wide enough to make getting in easy for all ages. A detail Wheels expecially likes is that the design of the doors protects the sills from gathering dust, which protects passengers’ clothes from dirt, unlike the rock sliders fitted to SUVs that smear mud on one’s legs.
Connectivity The dashboard is dominated by a touchscreen, (the biggest is 8,7 inches) using Renault’s R-Link2 functionality that delivers voice recognition for on-board GPS navigation, hands-free telephony and radio control. The system links to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, allowing compatibility for smartphone mirroring. A rear parking camera dispays on the screen for ease of manoeuvrability. Space for everything The 464-litre boot features a convenient removable floor positioned at the same height as the sill to form a flat floor that houses a full size spare wheel. Pull-handles in the boot fold the rear seats in a 60/40-split and when all three seats are flat, the boot swallows 1 795 litres. The cabin has an additional 35 litres
storage spaces, including an 11-litre glove box and seven-litre cubby in the centre console. Safety The Koleos comes with the maximum five-star Euro NCAP Safety rating and both passive and active safety for driver and passengers. This includes: electronic brakes, cornering fog lights, electrochromic rearview mirror, blind spot warning and park assist. The Koleos comes standard with a five-year or 150 000 km warranty; a fiveyear or 90 000 km service plan and a six-year anti-corrosion warranty, with service intervals at 15 000km. Pricing Expression 2.5 CVT 4x2 ..........R399 900 Dynamique 2.5 CVT 4x2 .........R439 900 Dynamique 2.5 CVT 4x4 .........R479 900
Lego VW van features sliding door and pop-up roof USING 400 000 Lego bricks, two experienced Lego model makers have built a full-size T2 to display at the f.re.e leisure and travel fair in Munich this week. Rene Hoffmeister, one of only 12 officially certified Lego model makers in the world, and colleague Pascal Lenhard assembled the van in six weeks to have it ready for the fair, setting a new world record in the process. The vehicle that served as the blueprint for the 700 kg model was the T2a camper van — better known as the Bulli — that was built from 1967 to 1971. Hoffmeister and Lenhard said in a statement they used 3D images to calculate the precise number of bricks required to ensure the rigidity of the side walls and windows. When, having begun without a hitch, they suddenly found they were missing 20 000 transparent bricks for the T2’s windows and their supplies dried up without warning, the deadline
did cause the model-making experts some stress despite their painstaking planning. “Essentially, we would have needed a nine-day week,” recalls Hoffmeister. “However, as they don’t exist, the only option was night shifts.” Hoffmeister and Lenhard therefore carried on ‘playing’ with their Lego bricks from morning to night and over the weekends in order to complete it in time for the trade fair. And they did so with a working Westfalia pop-up roof, a sliding door that slides, which they say was technically very challenging to create, and all the interior fittings, including a step. The final Lego camper van measures over five metres in length, 1,9 metres in width and close to 2 metres in height; or 3 metres with the roof popped up. The VW Bulli, built with 400 000 Lego bricks and boasting a working pop-up roof and sliding door.
A TINY Mototri Contal three-wheeler will join the 2019 Peking to Paris, aiming to finish the 13 840-km journey started by a 112-year-old Contal on the first Peking to Paris in 1907. Back then, five competitors accepting a seemingly impossible challenge, among them the French threewheeled Mototri Contal, piloted by Auguste Pons and Oscar Foucauld. Their story of struggles and triumphs eventually saw the pair, and their three-wheeler, stranded in the Gobi Desert. They attempted to walk back to Peking, almost losing their lives in the process. For the 2019 run, Belgian architect Anton Gonnissen (58) will attempt to rewrite history and finish the run in a rebuilt Mototri Contal and bring her back to Paris. Gonnissen is a veteran racer, having finished three Dakars, four Rallies of Egypt, and one UAE desert rally variously in car, truck and on a quadbike. He managed to track down one of the very few Mototri Contals left in the world, with its original manual and went about making the necessary study of the antique machine following a structural test by Ghent University. “As it is one of the few original Mototri Contals, we have tried to keep as many original parts as possible which is why some components of the original trike will be in place. In some cases we have simply had to beef up the chassis with the endurance rally and the finish in mind,” he said in a statement. The only concession to comfort for the endurance rally specialist from Belgium is a Harley Davidson saddle in place of the original bottom crusher. The navigator, Belgian Herman Gelan, an interior architect from Ghent, will sit over the front axle perched out front in what has long been christened the ‘suicide seat’. Gelan is an accomplished triathlon and marathon runner, but this will be his first motor sport event. They will test the tiny trike for their 36-day, 13 840 km journey in March. “We know this will be a life changing event, but it could turn us, ordinary men, into heroes if we can get the Mototri Contal all the way to Paris and finish the job for Auguste Pons 112 years on.” Their adventure can be followed on the blog p2p19contal.com. — WR.
Citroën’s Ami One Concept aims to be replace public transport and bikes with ride sharing.
CITROËN’S AMI ONE AIMED AT CAR SHARERS CITROËN revealed its Ami One Concept as an alternative to public transport and two-wheeled options. The small two-seater concept is only 2,50m long and promise city dwellers “impressive agility in urban environments”, according to Citroën. “Accessible to all from the age of 16 (dependent on legislation), Ami One Concept is for urban customers, with or without a driving licence. Citroën aims with the Ami to provide mobility for five minutes, five hours or five days of use. The company also predicts five months or long-term leasing of five years. The long-term leasing options include battery, maintenance and parking in the monthly payment. Reservation of the car is done via Citroën’s Rent&Smile website and customers can choose the delivery location, be it at their home or the closest Citroën point of sale. — WR.