NEW 2009 MAZDA3 LAUNCHED IN SOUTH AFRICA

Did you know that over 70% of Mazda3 buyers in South Africa are black? I certainly didn’t realise this. Is it an important statistic? I guess it is, since Mazda itself sprang it out upon us at the launch of the new-generation Mazda3. How they manage to achieve this without much advertising in so-called “black media” is the stuff of a future business thesis I’m sure.

Politics aside the new Mazda3 is the best it’s been. Possibly it is the best car in its class. Yes, this might be quite a statement, especially seeing as though I barely spent a day with the car. But that was close enough to conclude that indeed, this is a top 3 segment car. A longer stint might confirm or decline this; my money is on confirm. Said segment includes cars like the Honda Civic, Peugeot 308, Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Corolla and Mazda3 cousin Ford Focus.

Several reasons prompted me to think about where in the pecking order the new car falls, or even whether it’s better than its predecessor in the first place. A short answer to that is yes, it is better. The layman’s eye might not see much of a difference between the two cars but the differences are quite vast.

The new 3 is quite expressive, especially from the wider “smiling” front grille which is also quite deeper now. The lines are deeper, albeit still wavy in that Mazda bird sort of way. This is true for both the sedan and the sportback, both of which are more aggressive in appearance. The flying bird theme is carried through on the dashboard which is also shaped like the Mazda emblem.

Placed on the dash is the Multi Information Display unit that shows information like average fuel consumption and fuel range. Material quality has improved too; one sits comfortably in the car, feels better at the touch of the finger.

Several engines are available with the new Mazda3. The baseline is a 1.6-litre 4-cylinder engine that produces 77kW (105hp) at 6000rpm and 145Nm of torque at 4000rpm. It is mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox.

Models fitted with the 1.6-litre are the Original, Active, and Dynamic in both 4 and 5-door versions. Highest in the 4-door range is the 2.0-litre Individual with its 110kW at 6500rpm and 187Nm at 4000rpm. A smooth yet sporty 6-speed cog is used to access this power. Changes are nimble and precise, reminiscent of a more powerful sports car. The 5-door has as its range-topper, the 2.5-litre which replaces the 2.3-litre of old. Power is 122kW at 6000rpm and peak torque is 227Nm at 4000rpm. The used transmission is the same impressive 6-speed manual from the 2.0-litre.

Performance fans of the flying bird need not despair as the 191kW (260hp) MPS will be in the country in a few months time, before September at any rate. Although keeping the same power, the MPS now stands out more visually as opposed to its anonymous forerunner.

Improved handling and throttle response ensure that time spent behind the wheel is not wasted time at all. The basic suspension setup has been carried over from the previous car, a move not entirely unwelcome. It features a McPherson strut layout at the front and a multi-link setup at the rear. The body is quite rigid as well but not to the extent of causing discomfort while in the cabin. A funny statistic is that Mazda says it has shed some 7.3kg off the previous 3, something equivalent to letting a 1 year-old child off the car; it makes very little difference overall.

All the cars come standard with ABS, while factory-fitted wheels range from 15-inch to 17-inch. Interestingly the 2.5-litre has a fuel tank that’s 5 litres bigger than in the rest of the cars. Other standard equipment includes air conditioning (dual-zone in the 2.5-litre), a CD player with MP3 compatibility, an auxiliary input and remote central locking.

Mazda’s 5 year/ 90 000km service plan as well as the 4 year/ 120 000km warranty are included in the prices. Thrown into the mix is a 3 year unlimited kms roadside assistance and a 5 year corrosion warranty.

Mazda3 Pricing

4-door
Mazda3 1.6 Original - R193 250
Mazda3 1.6 Active - R208 600
Mazda3 1.6 Dynamic - R220 900
Mazda3 2.0 Individual - R259 900

5-door
Mazda3 Sport 1.6 Original - R193 250
Mazda3 Sport 1.6 Active - R208 600
Mazda3 Sport 1.6 Dynamic - R220 900
Mazda3 2.5 Individual - R266 900

RENAULT SA CLAIMS HIGHER BBBEE SCORE

Information coming from Renault South Africa is that the company is now a Level 5 Contributor in terms of Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) legislation by the National Empowerment Rating Agency.

“This is good news for us and also our business partners,” Marc Gantzer, Renault South Africa’s Vice President of Finance, “who will derive benefit from our Procurement Recognition Level which has climbed from 60% to 80%. Renault’s BBBEE scorecard will impact positively on theirs via their procurement score which accounts for 20% of the total number of points awarded in the scorecard.”

“Renault is proud to have achieved full marks in the Enterprise Development and Socio-Economic Development categories which are the two key indicators of the role Renault plays in previously disadvantaged communities,” adds Bongie Dlamini, Financial Manager of Projects. “The first is scored on the extent to which Renault has made both financial and non-financial and recoverable and non-recoverable contributions to entities that meet the Enterprise Development criteria. The second is based on the degree to which our company has supported majority (75% black beneficiary) Black communities and our top score in this segment has been achieved through Renault’s support of the Valued Citizens Initiative.”

It is quite a mouthful indeed, but one also has to look at how Renault South Africa has impacted or plans to impact small black businesses. Specifically how much advertising is garnered by black-owned media from Renault? That obviously speaks directly to the people who speak directly – apart from dealers - to Renault’s customers.

While this may be good news for Renault because it will now be able to tender for a bigger slice of government business, in reality the situation could be quite different.

TEAM FORD LAYS STAKE TO PODIUM AT SUN CITY 400

Sun City – July 24, 2009. Team Ford Racing claimed third position in the SP Class of this weekend’s Absa Off Road Championship. Neil Woolridge and Kenny Skjoldhammer powered the TDCi powered Ford Ranger to a well deserved podium place on the Sun City 400 in front of an appreciative crowd of dedicated supporters.

“We always seem to go well on this event,” said Woolridge after the event. “We had a good time trial on Friday and were very happy with the car. When the race got underway we had a puncture to repair early on but that was our only real challenge to contend with and overall we are extremely pleased with the result.”

Ford is the first South African manufacturer in the premier SP Class to have made the switch to diesel power. Pioneering the concept means the team have a steep learning curve as they continue to learn the ropes.

“We have made a lot of progress with the car over the course of the season and this weekend bears testament to that, having said that, there is still so much potential we have yet to tap. This is of course very encouraging as we know the car is already quick and once it reaches its full potential it will surely be hard to beat,” adds Woolridge.

The sister SP car of Thomas Rundle and Stavros Yiannakis ran into trouble on the final lap when a turbo charger malfunction spelled an end to the pair’s efforts. Of the seven Ford’s that started, five finished the event, with many of the privateers scoring strong finishes.

The Sun City 400 event is one of the closest to the Ford Plant, which is situated East of Pretoria in Silverton. Many Ford fans braved the chilly winter weather to go and cheer on the Ford crews in what was one of the best attended events in recent memory.

Ford also welcomed a new sponsor, the Innovation Group, to the team at the Sun City event.

“It was a good day for Ford all-round and it was especially good for us to see so many supporters in attendance throughout the weekend. Many of the Ford and Innovation Group employees came out to support us and that was certainly encouraging for the Ford crews,” concluded Woolridge.

Team Ford Racing recognises their sponsors for their commitment and belief in the team: Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa, Innovation Group SA, Barden Tyre Services, Garmin, Hugo's Panel Shop – Pietermaritzburg, Eibach Springs, Sign Solutions, Donerre Dampers, Motorvia and VPS Paint protection.

SEE THE VW CC IN SOUTH AFRICA

If the oddly-shaped Mercedes-Benz CLS doesn’t quite fulfill your dreams - or possibly the R737 000 minimum asking price puts you off – then the new Volkswagen CC could just be your thing. Launched in South Africa last week on a cold and rainy southern Cape day, the CC is quite unique for its price.

Based on the Volkswagen Passat platform VW SA has chosen to drop ‘Passat’ from its name and simply call it CC which stands for Comfort Coupe. There were no reasons given for the drop but I suspect it’s because the Passat is not selling too well here and therefore an association with that car would jeopardise local sales. Of course the Passat is an excellent car, but it just doesn’t have an image at all in South Africa. Interestingly the two cars don’t share one single exterior panel, meaning that they look different from the outside, notwithstanding the coupé-like rear of the CC.

In any case the CC is four-door strong but only has sitting space for four people. The rear centre area where normally a fifth person may sit is taken up by some storage space. Folding the rear seats creates more storage space from the boot to load long objects like bicycles. This is no small car by any means; it is 4.80m long, 1.9m wide (a tall rugby player can sleep across in it), but it only stands 1.4m high. Typical coupé dimensions. Another coupé characteristic is that the car has no window frames.

The CC has some very strong styling elements which include a big front grille that is obviously old VW design, sharp lines along the sides and large rear lights accentuated by the rear spoiler. A powerful dome sits atop the bonnet and gives the car an even bolder front look. Standard featured wheels are 17-inch alloys for the TDI and 18-inches fro the TSI and V6. A full-sized self-sealing spare tyre is included. It has technology to automatically seal a hole up to 0.5mm deep and allows the car to drive long distances with a “punctured” tyre.

Speaking of engines, I wasn’t able to get my hands on the V6 as it is still on its way to Mzansi. Nevertheless the TSI and TDI provided some joy on the open roads of Port Elizabeth and surrounds.

I drove both models in automatic form. Powering the TSI is essentially the same engine as was found in the Golf 5 GTI which is the 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol unit. It makes 147kW at 5100rpm and maximum torque of 280Nm from 1700rpm. The gearbox choices are a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed Tiptronic. It was only the autos that fell into my hands and they were quite smooth, both on take-off and cruising.

More impressive is the new 125kW turbo diesel motor which has a torque rating of 350Nm from 1750rpm. The previous generation 2.0-litre TDI was schitzo: in the Golf and Jetta it worked wonders but in the Passat its turbo lag bordered on dangerous. That the CC has a stated 224km/h top speed is something I cannot say is totally untrue because of how easily it tackled uphills and steep roads.

Accompanying this motor is the proven 6-speed DSG gearbox. VW claims the CC TDI will run from 0 -100km/h in 8.6 seconds and average 6.1 litres of fuel per 100km.

Later on in the year, probably in September, a 3.6-litre V6 will appear at dealerships. It produces 220kW and features VW’s 4MOTION all-wheel-drive system.

Only one trim level is being offered with the CC. It lists such things as a CD/MP3 player, rear park assist, a multi-function steering wheel and dual zone air conditioning as standard. There are also static cornering lights that come on when turning into a corner. These don’t swivel, but there is an optional swiveling package when buying the bi-xenon ones.

Safety features in the range are quite extensive and include ESP, ABS with brake assist, a tyre pressure monitor, ISOFIX child seat preparation and a host of air bags.

The VW CC will be the range-topper in the VW sedan lineup and is set to be a highly exclusive one. Only 100 examples are to be made available during the rest of 2009, so if you see one on the road know that it is only one of 100. Nothing has been said of this but I reckon the CC is quite ripe for a two-door Cabriolet too.

Volkswagen CC pricing

2.0 TDI DSG - R348 745
2.0 TSI Manual - R353 900
2.0 TSI Tiptronic - R365 400
3.6 V6 FSI 4Motion DSG - R451 260