NEW KIA CONCEPT FOR 2013 FRANKFURT

Playful but gutsy, sturdy yet impish – Kia’s dramatic new European concept to be unveiled at the IAA in Frankfurt on 10 September hints at a possible future B-segment contender ready to take on the urban environment with style and tenacity.

NISSAN JUKE GETS FRUGAL DIESEL MOTOR, CVT AUTOMATIC AND AWD

Nissan has been having a fun time selling the Juke small crossover vehicle. So much fun in fact that the little oddball has been selling an average of about 380 units per month since October 2011. One might even say it’s been a class leader, where there isn’t a class.

NEXT MINI TEASED. HEADING TO MZANSI IN 2014

MINI has revealed this teaser picture of the upcoming all-new 2014 model. The car will be officially unveiled to the public at the 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show and Tokyo Motor Show at the very same time. Both shows kick off on 22 November. The new MINI hatch will launch in Mzansi in the second half of 2014.

OPEL ASTRA OPC RELEASES PERFORMANCE APP FOR APPLE

The 206 kW Opel Astra OPC has established itself as a powerful, dynamic, sure-footed and practical hot hatch – Opel’s FlexRide performance chassis and HiPerStrut adjustable dampers combined with the OPC’s 2.0-litre turbocharged engine, seating for five, a big boot and limited-slip front differential make any driver feel at home behind the wheel.  Now Opel is taking the OPC experience one step further with the introduction of an in-vehicle telemetry app for Apple devices.

VW CC AND PASSAT GET R-LINE PACKAGES

Volkswagen CC and Passat are now available with the optional R-Line package. The exclusive R-line package is developed by Volkswagen R GmbH to complement and enhance the dynamic sporty body design of Volkswagen’s top models. Locally, Touareg was the first model to be offered with the optional R-Line Package in 2012.

SUZUKI IV-4 CONCEPT SLATED FOR FRANKFURT 2013

The world premiere of the iV-4 – a concept model heralding a compact SUV from Suzuki – will take place at the 65th IAA Frankfurt Motor Show, which will be held from 10 to 22 September.

OPEL SUDDENLY QUITS AUSTRALIA

Bad news coming from Down Under (not related to the fact that their cricket team is being hammered at the Ashes) is that General Motors is pulling the Opel brand out of the country. And it’s only been 11 months since it arrived. Up until September 2012, GM had Holden holding things down, under. Then it decided to introduce the premium Opel into that market, with an annual sales target of 15 000.

405KW NEW RANGE ROVER SPORT RS RUMOURED

We recently reported on an upcoming Range Rover Evoque RS, the high-performance baby model from Land Rover. But now it seems the new Range RoverSport is not to be left behind either. Previous (or actually current) generation has the Supercharged model with 375kW as its flagship. No more. A Range Rover Sport RS is coming.

MANDELA ARREST REENACTED ON FILM

On 5 August 1962, Nelson Mandela was arrested by apartheid security forces on the R103, outside the town of Howick – just outside of Pietermaritzburg in the KwaZulu Natal province of South Africa. Today, 51 years later, we remember this defining moment South Africa's history which changed the course of the country's liberation struggle.