UPCOMING FORD RANGER GETS 6-SPEED AUTO IN AUSTRALIA

Ford’s all-new Ranger bakkie (pickup) is being offered with a 6-speed automatic gearbox for the Australian market, which is pretty unique in the segment. Available with selected models fitted with 2.2-litre and 3.2-litre Duratorq TDCi turbo diesel engines, the gearbox is complemented by a 6-speed manual choice for those who prefer clutches.

DODGE CHARGES IN WITH BEASTLY SRT8

Dodge unveiled its veins in the new 2012 Charger SRT8 in the bowels of Chicago city. The stomping Charger is a bold statement in power-mongering and personifies muscle cars of old like few other modern cars. In short, the car just looks like Sly Stallone with a Vin Diesel attitude.

LAUNCHED: BMW'S SIZZLING 6 SERIES CONVERTIBLE

While admiring the lines carved all over the all-new BMW 6 Series Convertible down in the Western Cape, my eyes were caught unawares by another 6 Series Convertible parked right next to it. Said car was the old-generation but to the naked eye it looked brand spanking new. For this I’d like to credit the genius of Chris Bangle, for without him who knows what kind of sausage printing machine BMW would be today.

NISSAN ALL-ELECTRIC ESFLOW CONCEPT MADE FOR GENEVA 2011

The world’s electrification of the motor car drives on as companies like Nissan race against time to be first and ahead of the pack in getting rid of the internal combustion engine. For Nissan it began with the LEAF, already on sale in the US and Japan, soon to arrive in Europe. By next year they should have added others, including something based on this concept car, the ESFLOW.

BODACIOUS AUDI A8 V8 TDI ARRIVES

Hot on the smoking tyres of the all-new Audi A8 4.2 V8 comes the new V8 TDI model. Audi launched the petrol 4.2 V8 as the only model in the new range last year and has now augmented it with a large turbo diesel. During the launch Audi executives explained the brand’s change in direction from diesel-intensive to a petrol-based one, given the types of engines that sell best at this level in SA.

TOYOTA CLEARED OF ACCELERATOR ACCIDENT ACCUSATIONS

A joint report between the US National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) today cleared Toyota of any concerns that its Electronic Throttle Control system was at fault in reported cases of unintended acceleration.

PEUGEOT, CITROEN, TO ENTER INDIA MARKET

PSA Peugeot Citroën has decided to enter the Indian market through an industrial and commercial settlement.

The Group will produce vehicles under the Peugeot brand and more specifically, in a first step, a mid-sized sedan car. The future production site's location is currently under evaluation.
 

MANGCU APPOINTED TO MERCEDES-BENZ SA BOARD

Mercedes-Benz South Africa (Pty) Ltd (MBSA) announced that Ms Nobuzwe Mangcu has been appointed to the company’s Executive Board of Directors, and as its Divisional Manager: Group Corporate Affairs.

GHOSTLY LONDON PARADE FOR ROLLS ROYCE

One hundred Rolls-Royce motor cars took to the streets of London on 6 February 2011 to celebrate a very special anniversary. The date marked the centenary of the world’s most famous hood mascot, the Spirit of Ecstasy, which was first fitted to Rolls-Royce models in 1911.

TOP-SELLING CARS OF JANUARY 2011

New car sales picked up in January 2011, compared against sales in the same month last year as well as in the overall market. Here are the top 10 selling vehicles in South Africa for both passenger cars and for light commercial vehicles:

HYUNDAI SALES TRAIN APPARENTLY UNSTOPPABLE

Hyundai Motor Company, South Korea’s largest automaker, posted global sales of 3 612 487 units (domestic plants: 1 730 682, overseas plants: 1 881 805) in 2010, a 16.3% gain from a year earlier.  

ALL-NEW 2011 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE LAUNCHED IN SA

Jeep South Africa has launched the all-new Jeep Grand Cherokee to the domestic market. The car is not a facelift but a completely new vehicle from the ground-up. It competes against cars like the Audi Q7, BMW X5, Land Rover Discovery 4, Porsche Cayenne, Volvo XC 90 and Volkswagen Touareg.

RALLY TO READ NOW BIGGER THAN EVER

The organisers of the annual Rally to Read initiative which distributes books and learning equipment to rural primary schools in South Africa are gearing up for another bumper year on the back of the most successful programme in 2010.

RECORD SALES FOR AUDI SA

The Audi brand in South Africa is well on its way to achieving its sales and premium market share objectives for 2011 following an all-time record sales performance in January.

In the first month of the New Year, the total vehicle market increased by 22% compared to January 2010, and the Audi brand managed to post extremely positive results within the premium market.
 

MAZDA MX-5 CLOSE TO MILLION JACKPOT

Total production of Mazda Motor Corporation’s MX-5 sports car (known as the Mazda Roadster in Japan) reached 900,000 units on February 4, 2011. This significant milestone was achieved 21 years and 10 months after mass production of the first-generation MX-5 commenced in April 1989.