The Chairman of Volkswagen AG, Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn, today announced a R20 million investment by Volkswagen AG into a new Love Life Youth Centre in Uitenhage.
Prof. Dr. Winterkorn was speaking at the launch of three new Volkswagen Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives in KwaLanga, just outside Uitenhage – home to Volkswagen Group South Africa.
Mitsubishi of Mzansi has upgraded the Pajero range by introducing a couple of changes. Having dominated early SUV sales in the 1990s, the Pajero became synonymous with luxury 4x4s of back in the day. In fact, at some point the word “Pajero” substituted “SUV” in some townships.
For whatever, reason the company dropped the ball and didn’t follow up on this success. Competitors caught up and overtook the Pajero which became much more utilitarian and not so user-friendly. Can’t say I blame Mitsu though; the vehicle was almost born but bred in the grueling Dakar.
Yesterday a teaser image of the new Volkswagen Jetta appeared alongside a promise by VW to unveil the car today. They haven’t done it yet, but AutoExpress has leaked these official photos of the Jetta 6. Yes, someone at VW will be pissed off but at least it’s only for a few hours.
As you can see, the Jetta looks much sharper than before. I must say, “beautiful” would be a word to use. Everything seems to be in proportion and there is no over-the-top styling. It is obviously bigger and longer as well, pointing to a more spacious interior. Speaking of interior, VW has gone minimalistic in designing the dashboard area. Some might even call it basic, but I’m sure it’s gonna work just fine. Current VW owners will have no problem navigating it since it looks almost identical to the Golf’s.
They will obviously be more info on the Jetta 6 as the day progresses, and I’ll be able to update you accordingly.
BMW has a sense of humour. Instead of sending us pictures of the real deal, they send these camouflaged shots of the all-new 2011 X3 SUV (SAV). We’ve seen these plenty times in spy photos over the past couple of years.
Anyway, I suppose something is better than nothing. In any case, these do allow us to see pretty much what the X3 will look like when it launches later this year. The basic shape remains the same, but of course the lines are different.
Engines expected to be available include the 2.0-litre turbo diesel with 130kW and 350Nm, the same engine with a higher output of 150kW and 400Nm, as well as the 3.0d version pushing out 180kW and 520Nm. No one has said anything about an X3 M but I reckon the chassis would be able to take it. Plus the car’s handling is top drawer anyway and there are engines ready to fit into the role.
Niceties on the list would be things like DVD players, the iDrive system, panoramic electric sunroof, reverse and side cameras, and LED daytime running lights.
When it launches in Mzansi later this year the X3 should cost about R430 000 for the baseline, cheapest model.
It looks like by this time tomorrow night we will know what the all-new Volkswagen Jetta will look like. This little teaser image has appeared all over the interweb and promises a BIG reveal on the 15th of June for the US market.
From the little we see of the silhouette it appears the front grille is the same style as current VWs, meaning very simple, with a couple of sharp edges around the headlights. The car has certainly grown in size and should be of similar girth and length to the Audi A4.
Engines expected to debut include the 1.4 TSI, 1.8 TSI, 2.0 TDI and a V6. Gearboxes will include a 6-speed manual and a DSG. We don’t know if a performance Jetta R is on the cards yet, but we certainly hope so. Jetta fans have been too long starved of a heart-throbbing model in their range.
We should be able to spot the Jetta 6 at South African dealerships in late 2010 or early 2011.
Buoyed up by their four consecutive ‘doubles’ and the work undertaken over the last year, Team Peugeot Total arrived serene, fit and determined to take up the challenge of the 2010 24 Hour Le Mans. During qualifying the performance of the Peugeot 908 HDi FAP carried them to their fourth pole position in a row. In total Peugeot took the first four places on the starting grid (three works cars and an Oreca Peugeot).
