MAZDA SAYS: Mazda is ready to take on the roughest terrain and most demanding topography with the latest edition to the BT-50 range – the limited edition Mazda BT-50 EDGE. Always ready for adventure, the BT-50 EDGE possesses a powerful 3.0-litre engine and features high-quality extras allowing you to tackle even the roughest playground in style and comfort.
The distinctive EDGE insignia adds additional flavour to the dynamic and sporty nature of the BT-50 range. The limited run of 300 will be exclusive to the 3.0-litre CRDi Double Car 4x2 SLE manual transmission derivatives.
Toyota has had a very rough couple of weeks. The company faced the largest vehicle recall in its history when about 2.4 million vehicles, including the Corolla, were recalled into American dealerships due to an accelerator fault.
Basically the fault causes the accelerator pedal to stick on the carpet such that the car doesn’t stop accelerating when the driver removes his/ her foot off it. This of course could (and has in at least two cases) cause serious accidents.
Yesterday Toyota issued a statement saying:
“Toyota South Africa Motors have been able to isolate the Auris, new generation Verso and Corolla as part of the technical study of all the vehicles that are sold in South Africa. This would imply that these three model ranges will in all possibility be included in the South African recall programme. Toyota has not excluded any other vehicle yet and will be in a position to clearly communicate which model ranges and specific date ranges for those recalled models by next week (the week of 8-12 February).”
So we’ll see what happens next week, which cars are recalled and which stay behind.
In related news, a growing number of Prius Hybrid owners in Japan and the US have reported failing brakes on their cars. That has sparked a brand new recall programme affecting about 270 000 Prius Hybrids to further give the world’s biggest automaker (in terms of sales) headaches. It might help to say we had the Prius on test a couple of weeks ago and didn’t experience any brake problems.
The chief executive of McCarthy Limited, one of the largest automotive retailers in SA, Brand Pretorius says he is encouraged by the improved level of vehicle sales recorded in January.
The total market for January of 38 075 vehicles, which included sales by Associated Motor Holdings (AMH) and Amalgamated Automobile Distributors (AAD), was 15.4% up on the figure for January 2009 and 25% above the sales volume in December last year. This is according to the latest sales results released by the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of SA (Naamsa) and AMH.
“We expected a fast start to 2010 because our dealerships had experienced an unexpectedly high level of interest from customers in December, which has resulted in sales being carried over for registration in January,” he explained.
“We are also pleased to see some fleet owners re-entering the market, while private buyers are benefitting from a slightly better rate of loan approval by the finance houses, which is allowing creditworthy customers to buy new vehicles again. The improved stock of new vehicles also impacted positively in the strong start to 2010,” added Brand Pretorius.
The passenger car segment was the star performer last month, with sales up 20.1% compared to January a year ago. The car market fared even better when compared to December 2009, with a jump of 41% in sales.
In comparison light commercial vehicle sales grew year-on-year by 9.7%, while medium trucks were down 22.9% and heavy commercial vehicles showed a 14.4% decrease.
Two weeks ago MINI unveiled a fourth model range for its lineup. The MINI Countryman range represents the brand’s first foray into the sub-compact SUV market. Typical of the current BMW Group, styling will definitely polarise. It stands higher off the ground than a normal hatch, Clubman or convertible.
MINI has installed the MINI ALL4 all-wheel-drive (AWD) system which should at least help the car through mild gravel, if not some slippery mud. Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) and ABS are part of this solution, and so is Servotronic steering. Runflat tyres are the norm at MINI and the Countryman benefits from their stability and safety qualities. They range from 16-inch to 19-inch in size.
Depending on the market the sitting arrangement can either be the standard four-seat layout or a three-seat rear bench can be added optionally at no cost.
Interior features include air conditioning and a CD player, while optional extras that can be ticked off on the menu include iPod integration, a large panoramic sunroof, adaptive headlights, satellite navigation and a heated windscreen.
The South African market should get two models; a baseline Cooper Countryman and a Cooper S Countryman. The former has the trusty 1.6-litre naturally aspirated engine that produces a slightly higher 90kW at 6000rpm and 160Nm of torque at 4250rpm. It is said that its 0 – 100km/h sprint time is 10.5 seconds while top speed is 190km/h. MINI claims an average 6.1 litres/100km and a C02 emissions rating of 142 g/km.
On the upper end is a turbocharged 1.6-litre worth 135kW at 5500rpm and peak torque of 240Nm at 1600rpm. An overboost function (activated during actions like overtaking) will take this number up to 260Nm. The 0 – 100km/h acceleration time is claimed at 7.6 seconds and top speed peaks at 215km/h. The average fuel consumption is 6.3l/100km, equating to a C02 rating of 146g/km. Who knows, there could be a John Cooper Works model making about 160kW in the pipeline.
Markus Gleitz can sure keep a secret. He kept one for over four years from his family, his friends and even his girlfriend. No, Gleitz is not some German secret agent. He’s an automotive designer based in Ingolstadt. And his secret was the Audi A5Sportback. See, the new cars you see driving around on the road aren’t exactly new in the sense of something like an iPod or a TV. Designers and engineers work on a car for about five years before it’s ready to go public. Gleitz started work on the A5 Sportback sometime in 2004, beginning with a proposition sketch which was presented to Audi bosses.
As in any other office environment, the competition amongst colleagues is quite high; everyone wants to impress the bosses. In this instance it was Gleitz’s interpretation of the A5 model that captured the boss’s attention and he was given the go-ahead to help further develop the model.
People, including myself, have often wondered where exactly the car fits into the whole Audi range. I mean you already have the A4 with four doors and the A5 with its two doors. Plus there are Avant models to suit the more practical family that wants extra space. Why go Sportback? In fact, what exactly is a Sportback.
Sportback apparently slides between what we South Africans call a station wagon and a coupe. The roofline is slanted and extends sideways to elongate the shoulder line for that extra space. Wheel arches are wide but the upper body isn’t as wide as a wagon’s.
Gleitz took some time off from his busy schedule (I asked him time and time again what he was working on at the moment but to no avail…or did he tell?) to join us during the car’s launch down in KwaZulu Natal. It’s not often that one gets to meet the guy who actually designed the car you drive, albeit some years before. He’s totally unassuming; a young buck so far from his 40s that you’d think his life hadn’t begun. Yet the maturity of his design left me breathless.
Nothing like a nice three-hour drive to explain why the Sportback exists. While the freeloader goes for the Avant and the carefree moneyed eye the Coupe, the responsible neighbourhood racer picks the Sportback. Not only does it offer excellent interior space but it also looks very good as well. Simplicity is a trait now quite synonymous with the Audi brand. In fact VW Group (of which Audi is a major part) has adopted the word simplicity as a cornerstone of its styling philosophy. Chief Designer Walter de Silva, an eccentric Italian, is the driving force behind keeping things simple. “If a line has no use don’t include it” he’s said to often say.
I must admit I wasn’t particularly bowled over by the car’s styling at first. After all the A5 Coupe – interestingly designed by a Japanese man – is still the iconic coupe not just at Audi but in its segment as well. The Sportback was just a mere addition of two extra doors, in my head at least.
But after driving it through the valleys of northern KZN I began to mingle with it. I began to appreciate the kind of buyer who might be interested in it. Station wagons are not so cool in the SA market; we just don’t buy them. Coupes are very cool indeed, but most can’t swallow the kind of padkos, pram, cotbed, grocery bags etc that we are accustomed to. Plus getting into the back is a mission. Enter the Sportback. The wheelbase is 2.8 metres long which is almost as long as a whole sub-compact Japanese car. Space with pace.
Pace is good, but is there a compromise in handling? Not a chance. Technically the car shares almost everything with the Coupe, which means handling is on the upper end of the fun-on-meter. This is especially applies to the quattro models which give you not just the safety net of AWD when needed, but the feeling that you are driving a rear-wheel-drive car. Almost.
My first leg of two found me taking the keys of a 3.0 TDI. I love that engine, it’s one of my favourites on the market. It’s the same 3.0 V6 diesel turbo, common rail DOHC with direct injection found in other Audis. Maximum power is 176kW between 4000rpm and 4400rpm while maximum torque of 500Nm appears from 1500rpm to 3000rpm. Good flexibility indeed and it shows on the open road where the link between the accelerator, 7-speed S Tronic gearbox (Sportback is only available in automatic in Mzansi) and wheels seems as short as Mike Tyson’s temper. Speaking of the pint-sized bulldog, the TDI will munch kilometers with the ease of a chainsaw through a dry log. It just keeps pushing. Audi claims a 0 - 100km/h acceleration time of 6.1 seconds and a top speed of 250km/h. We couldn’t achieve neither, but I’m sure we would get pretty close if we tried harder.
Truth be told the 3.2-litre V6 is not my cuppa I’m afraid. In Gauteng where the altitude hovers around 1500m such engines really suffer. So much so that a 155kW 2.0T would give it a throat-choking scare and possibly kick its arse in the right hands. But at the coast it breathes well enough and growls appropriately. Power is rated at 195kW at 6500rpm and peak torque is 330Nm between 3000rpm and 5000rpm.
The more time I spent with the A5 Sportback the more I got to appreciate its properties. More importantly I began to understand its purpose and realised that Audi has a winner in its hands. Having shrunk at a slower rate than its two mainrivals in 2009, the brand will make use of its latest addition to the fullest as it chases BMW for supremacy in the premium sector.
New class leader. Three words, over and over in my head as I slice yet another curve on Franschoek Pass, the one feared and revered by every driving enthusiast who’s been on it. My driving partner doesn’t seem to be holding on to anything, so my lines must be clean. Well as clean as any line created by a two-tonne German.
Sure I’ve driven the BMW 7 Series before. Being wet behind the years and not having outside (or inside?) access means only two generations, including what’s perhaps the most controversial motor car of all time. Let bygones be bygones I say. A last word on that though. Some years ago I came across a spy picture of the 2002 7 Series before it was launched. That rear was smooth, flowy, looking almost like the 2010 Jaguar XJ’s. I guess some engineer realised it would be too unaerodynamic and promptly ordered changes, resulting in what’s perhaps the most controversial rear end of all time.
I doubt such concerns are being raised with the new car which was launched last year already in the form of a 730d, 740i and 750i. These cars exude massive presence. They don’t polarise like the previous- generation model. This week the flagship (sorry, there is no M7 coming) model arrived on our shores. You’ll recognise it by its 760Li nomenclature, V12 signature on the gills and four chrome-plated trapezoidal tailpipes. A choice of six wheel types can be had but my favourite of the lot is a radial-spoke styling coded 252, SA 2HL. Get the brochure for a clearer reference. An M Sport pack that turns the car into an M7 lookalike, whatever that mythical creature would have looked like, is available at R14 000.
If you know Franschoek Pass in Cape Town you know how close to a mishap you can get. In any car. One mistake and some emergency helicopter will be scraping you off the mountain cliff. That the 760Li cut it side to side with the precision of a sushi chef speaks volumes not only about the car but the driver’s balls as well. For without the latter one simply dismisses it as just another expensive limousine for some rich bastard with no driving skills. Which of course it isn’t. True, those tonnes are evident as they should; nature can be hoodwinked but never totally foiled.
The steering wheel with Servotronic assistance does come into its own without over-assisting. Rear tyres (275/40 R19 101Y RSC) and the rack (wire in this instance) are in constant communication with my hands, so I know with a high degree of accuracy exactly where the front wheels are. Actually at times I would have to look back and was only reminded that this is a 5.2 metre ship when I saw how much rear space there was. It grows by about 14cm from the normal short wheelbase model.
About four hours earlier I had been a rear passenger having been chauffeured from the airport into town, Cabinet Minister-style. Unfortunately I didn’t have much departmental running and only had the George Michael DVD player and my partner to keep me entertained. Those rear seats are electronically adjustable too so that one almost lies at a 45-degree angle when fully applied. They also slide forward individually. We activated the mandatory curtains (also electronically) so as to add further mystique to our already attention-grabbing drive. I quite enjoyed the seat-cooling function which as the name implies, cools down the seat when the car has been baking in the sun for too long. Your whole body can be massaged on request as well.
“This is the flagship of the 7 Series range,” proclaims the visibly proud BMW Public Relations chief. “In fact it is the flagship car for BMW. It represents everything that we stand for; power, driving pleasure, fuel efficiency and luxury.”
Tick, tick, tick and tick. Care for some details?
Ok. The 760Li is powered by a 6.0-litre V12 aluminium engine with high precision direct injection. Two turbos supply all the compressed air it needs to force out its maximum 400kW at 5250rpm. Peak torque is a highly handy 750Nm handed to your right foot from 1500rpm all the way up to 5000rpm. BMW claims a 0 – 100km/h time of 4.6 seconds. I tried testing this claim once or twice and I believe it to have real substance. The least it will achieve is a sub-5 second time under everyday conditions. Compared that to the M3’s claimed 4.9 seconds and the X6 M’s 4.7 seconds and you begin to see exactly what type of customer you’re dealing with here. Forget all about the slouchy old man in a grey suit; this is a stealth attacker of significant magnitude. Top speed is the usual 250km/h and getting there is no hard work.
An 8-speed automatic gearbox provides for creamy smooth changes which are complemented by a manual override function for the suit who’s feeling feisty.
A lot of the hard toil is absorbed by the rear suspension which reads like the who’s who of suspensions; integral Vmulti-arm axle, aluminium, separate streering with anti-squat and anti-dive…etc etc. driver assistant aids include Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) which works with ABS and ASC.
Though I haven’t driven the 760Li’s most direct rival the Mercedes-Benz S600 L, I know it will not take corners as confidently as the 7er. I know it will accelerate just as furiously and be as cosy on the bum, if not slightly more so than the sportier Beemer.
But for the super executive who loves not just a typing and cell phone session at the rear, who loves his curves as much as his kick, the 760Li provides what is probably the ultimate platform for personal expression.
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Jaguar name, and 75 years of looking forward, designing and building cars that represent the very best of technical innovation, design leadership and sporting success.
Mike O'Driscoll, Managing Director of Jaguar Cars, said: "In 2010 we celebrate our past, and 75 years of designing and building cars that celebrate the art of automobile making. We're also celebrating the promise of the future, and the introduction of the all-new XJ. In just three years we've completely revitalized the Jaguar line-up with the launch of three beautiful fast cars".
Honda SA yesterday announced a safety recall of the previous generation Jazz to inspect and modify driver door power-window switches that may, in some cases, short circuit as a result of water intrusion into the housing.
Following the tragic fire in September 2009, Honda Motor Co. has launched an extensive investigation to determine the cause of the incident. Whilst the cause of the fire remains indeterminable, the investigation has shown that water intrusion into the power window switch housing may, in some instances cause a short circuit, which in exceptional circumstances, may lead to potential damages.
As a precautionary measure, Honda has decided to implement a safety recall of all 2002-2008 year model Jazz units in South Africa.
Owners of 2002-2008 year model Jazz will be notified directly of this recall. Honda dealers will inspect the driver door power window switch and if water intrusion is observed, the switch will be replaced. In all cases a counter measure to prevent any water intrusion will be fitted.
Customers may contact Honda South Africa on 0800 HONDA1 or email care@honda.co.za.
HYUNDAI SAYS: Hyundai’s H1 nine-seater luxury wagon, a runaway success since its launch in March 2009 and with sales peaking at 90 units in December, is now available with the option of effortless turbodiesel power.
The 2,5-litre common-rail unit fitted to this capacious carrier is rated at 120 kW at 3 800 revs/min and 392 Nm at 2 000 revs/min and slots in above the existing 2,4-litre petrol model. This highly refined and smooth-running powerplant is available exclusively with a five-speed automatic transmission, ensuring a level of refinement not normally associated with the class. Of all-aluminium construction, the engine has a 91 mm bore and a 96 mm stroke resulting in smooth operation from idle to redline, while the DOHC 16-valve cylinder head contributes to its exceptional fuel efficiency.
After being ditched (or was he accosted out the door?) by a probable suitor in supercar maker Koenigsegg, SAAB may finally (again) have a new owner. Internet reports suggest that a deal has been made between General Motors (current owners of the SAAB auto brand), Spyker Motors (the Dutch supercar maker) and SAAB.
Apparently the deal says that Spyker will pay US$74 million (about R561 million) in two cash installments. The money must be paid by this July. GM will keep $326 million worth of redeemable preference shares in the company. The General will also retain a great deal of say in the new entity in the sense that a number of cars designed and developed under GM, such as the new 9-5 and upcoming 9-4X SUV, will continue being supplied by GM.
The sale supposedly does not affect existing warranties in countries such as South Africa and the US.
