Toyota i-Road concept debuts in Geneva

The new Toyota i-Road Personal Mobility Vehicle (PMV) concept has made its debut at the Geneva Motor Show as a new form of transport designed to reduce suburban traffic, CO2 and NOX particulate emissions, all without compromising individual freedom of mobility.

Toyota i-Road concept is a vehicle for two

Seating two occupants in tandem position, the Toyota i-Road concept is a three wheel electric vehicle with a range of up to 50km. The model is fitted with a lithium-ion battery which powers a pair of 2kW electric motors mounted within the front wheels. The battery can be recharged from a conventional power supply in just three hours.

Furthermore, the vehicle forms part of Toyota’s future eco cars using Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD) technology for use in plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), electric vehicles (EVs) and fuel cell vehicles (FCVs).

The Toyota i-Road features an ‘Active Lean’ technology system that uses a lean actuator and gearing mounted above the front suspension which is linked through a yoke to the front wheels. The system provides a safe and enjoyable way to drive as the driver and passenger don’t have to wear helmets, which makes it easier for the i-Road to travel through city traffic, more so as the vehicle is no wider than a conventional motorbike.

Since the ‘Active Lean’ system suppresses any need for the driver’s feet to be on the road surface at any time, the i-Road may be equipped with a safer, waterproof and closed body construction. This means that the Toyota i-Road can be driven without a helmet and allows for more car-like benefits such as lighting, heating, an audio system and Bluetooth mobile phone connectivity.

The Toyota i-Road concept therefore has the potential to play a significant role in reducing urban traffic congestion and air pollution.

Volvo Cyclist Detection System to be introduced

Volvo has announced the introduction of the world’s first Pedestrian and Cyclist Detection system with automatic brake at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show. The new Volvo Cyclist Detection system technology is an enhancement of the current pedestrian detection and automatic braking system. All Volvo cars equipped with pedestrian detection will also incorporate cyclist detection.

How does the Volvo Cyclist Detection System work?

New advanced software, including more rapid vision processing, has made it possible to extend the present detection and auto brake technology to cover certain cyclist situations. An advanced sensor system scans the area ahead of the vehicle. If a cyclist heading in the same direction as the car suddenly swerves out in front of the car as it approaches from behind and a collision is imminent, then there is an instant warning and full braking power is applied.

The Volvo Cyclist Detection System with full auto brake consists of a radar unit integrated into the car’s grille, a camera fitted in front of the interior rear-view mirror and a central control unit. The radar detects objects whether they are pedestrians or cyclists. The high-resolution camera then makes it possible to spot the moving pattern of pedestrians and cyclists while the central control unit continuously monitors and evaluates the traffic situation. The automatic brake system requires both the radar and camera to confirm the object before braking power is applied. The technology also covers vehicles driving in the same lane.

The new Volvo Cyclist Detection System will become available in the Volvo V40, S60, V60, XC60, V70, XC70 and S80 models later in 2013.

Aston Martin Rapide S shown in Geneva

The Aston Martin Rapide S is an enhanced version of the 2010 Rapide model and is currently being showcased at the Geneva Motor Show. The Aston Martin Rapide S features a revised exterior design as well as additions to its interior. The Rapide S is the most powerful Aston Martin to date and offers 17% more power than the outgoing model.

Commenting on the Rapide S, Aston Martin Chief Executive Officer, Dr Ulrich Bez said: “The Rapide S is to me, without doubt, the most beautiful four-door sports car on the market today. This is, very clearly, the power of luxury in action. The car’s stunning visual appeal is now matched by a much more powerful and yet more efficient engine – our exceptional new AM11 V12 – which increases massively both the excitement and performance potential of the Rapide S.

Aston Martin Rapide S is a special piece of machinery

Engine Capability

Powering the four-seat Rapide S is a 6.0-litre V12 engine that develops 410kW with a maximum torque figure of 620Nm. Acceleration from zero to 100km/h is achieved in 4.9 seconds before reaching a top speed of 305km/h. Fuel consumption is rated at 14.1-litres/100km with CO2 emissions of 332g/km.

This powerful engine is mated to a ‘Touchtronic 2’ 6-speed transmission with electric shift.

Exterior Styling Features

The Aston Martin Rapide S features a new ‘face’ with a striking new full grille that is matched with a new rear deck profile which includes a more pronounced boot lid ‘flip’. Both the front and rear of the car are fitted with independent double wishbones with anti-squat and anti-lift geometry, coil springs, anti-roll bar and monotube adaptive dampers for enhanced handling. The vehicle is also fitted with 20-inch silver-painted alloy wheels, aluminium door side-impact beams, single bi-xenon headlamps with integrated LED side lights, direction indicators and clear LED rear lamps.

Like other Aston Martin models, the Rapide S offers a Carbon Exterior pack that includes a carbon fibre front splitter, rear diffuser, mirror caps and rear lamp infills.

Interior Styling Features

The inside of the Aston Martin Rapide S features a full grain leather interior and Walnut fascia trim finished in a graphite centre console and iridium silver surround, electrically adjustable front seats with side airbags and power-folding exterior heated mirrors.

Additional features include a heated rear screen, Organic Electroluminescent (OEL) displays, trip computer, cruise control, Bluetooth telephone preparation1, an auto-dimming interior rear-view mirror, LED map reading lights and a boot-mounted umbrella. Also included is a 1000W Bang and Olufsen audio system with ICE power technology.

Optional Features

Optional features comprise of 20-inch ten-spoke alloy black-painted wheels with diamond-turned finish, alternative brake calliper finish in black, red, or silver, magnum Silver rear lamp infills, facia trims in Piano Black, bamboo, tamo ash or mahogany finish and an embroidered Rapide S seat logo.

Other optional features include personalised sill plaques, colour-keyed steering wheel and a twin-screen rear-seat entertainment system with six-disc DVD player.

The arrival of the Aston Martin Rapide S in South Africa is yet to be confirmed.

Audi A3 Sportback e-tron unveiled at Geneva Motor Show (Update)

The Audi A3 Sportback e-tron is being showcased at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show and uses plug-in hybrid technology to achieve improved performance and fuel economy.

Audi A3 Sportback e-tron delivers economical performance

Engine Capability The Audi A3 Sportback e-tron is fitted with a modified 1.4-litre TFSI combustion engine that delivers 110kW and 250Nm of torque. This engine works in tandem with an electric motor that generates 75kW and 330Nm of torque. The result is a 0-100km/h sprint time of 7.6 seconds before reaching a top speed of 222km/h. Fuel consumption is rated at only 1.5-litres/100km with a CO2 emissions figure of 35g/km. In pure electric mode, the Sportback e-tron reaches a top speed of 130km/h with a range of 50km. A newly designed 6-speed e-S tronic transmission puts the power to the front wheels. Energy is stored in a lithium-ion battery that has a capacity of 8.8kWh and consists of eight modules with a total of 96 cells. A liquid cooling system with its own low-temperature circuit keeps the battery at its optimum temperature. The battery can be charged in about two and a half hours using a 3.6kW charger. Exterior Styling Features The design of the Audi A3 Sportback e-tron declares a sporty yet elegant character. The body is finished Misano Red paint and the 15-spoke wheels resemble turbine blades. The chrome horizontal struts in the single-frame grille and air intake grilles have three-dimensional undulating profiles while the rear apron has a new diffuser that is unique to the Sportback e-tron. Interior Styling Features The sporty and elegant theme is continued inside with the ergonomic interior finished in Cloudy Grey with contrasting stitching that highlights the S sport seats. The aluminium door sill trims display e-tron logos while the gear knob and steering wheel are masked in e-tron badges. The boot capacity is 280-litres and increases to 1000-litres when the rear seats are folded. Future plans for Audi include a whole portfolio of new online services for its electrified vehicles under its Audi connect umbrella policy, which will enable the driver to activate and monitor a raft of functions such as charging processes and pre-conditioning of the interior climate conveniently from their smart phone.

The model is under consideration for South Africa. We will keep you updated with any further developments regarding the model’s local launch.

Mitsubishi Concept GR-HEV shows diesel hybrid tech

The Mitsubishi Concept GR-HEV is on show at the Geneva Motor Show. The Concept GR-HEV is also referred to as a ‘Sport Utility Hybrid Truck’ and it’s the first time Mitsubishi has applied hybrid electric technology to a one-tonne pickup truck.

Mitsubishi Concept GR-HEV – Features

The Mitsubishi Concept HR-HEV features both a Clean Diesel engine and electric motors which are best suited to the heavy-duty requirements of everyday pick-up truck users. The Concept GR-HEV also features Mitsubishi’s permanent four-wheel drive with Super All Wheel Control (S-AWC) integrated vehicle dynamics system that delivers high levels of traction and driving performance under all road conditions.

The Mitsubishi Concept GR-HEV was developed to achieve CO2 emissions of only 149g/km, which is unheard of in the Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) segment.

New VW Golf 7 voted 2013 European Car of the Year

The new VW Golf 7 has been voted as the European Car of the Year for 2013. The renowned international ‘Car of the Year’ Award is an important achievement in the automotive industry and the winners were announced on 4 March 2013 in the run-up to the Geneva Motor Show.

Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn, Chairman of the Board of Management of the Volkswagen AG, stated, “This is a superb result and we are very proud of it. This most significant European award is the perfect final touch to the list of prizes we have already won. Over 29 million customers have made the Golf into the icon that it is. The new Golf will continue this success story.”

New VW Golf 7 outshines the competition

The panel of judges, consisting of 58 automotive journalists from 22 countries, nominated eight cars for the final judgement. The finalists were compared and evaluated according to a wide range of criteria including fuel efficiency, comfort, safety, driving properties, functionality, design and technological progress.

After the final vote, the VW Golf 7 came out as the winner with a total point score of 414. The Toyota GT-86 came in a distant second place with a score of 202 points, while the Volvo V40 came third with 189 points. The Golf 7 scored well for most of the criteria, including safety. The Golf 7 features a new Multi-Collision Braking System which slows the vehicle down automatically after an accident to reduce the remaining kinetic energy and thereby avoiding further collisions.

The Golf 7 was launched in South Africa in February 2013 and has since sold in excess of 760 units.

New VW Golf 7 – Price

Model Price
Volkswagen Golf 1.2 TSI Trendline R233 800
Volkswagen Golf 1.4 TSI Trendline R246 700
Volkswagen Golf 1.4 TSI Comfortline R264 900
Volkswagen Golf 1.4 TSI Comfortline with DSG R279 400
Volkswagen Golf 2.0 TDI Comfortline R282 300
Volkswagen Golf 1.4 TSI Highline R293 600
Volkswagen Golf 2.0 TDI Highline R334 800

The new VW Golf 7 model range comes standard with a 5-year/90 000km Service Plan, a 3-year/120 000km warranty and a 12-year anti-corrosion warranty. Service intervals are set at 15 000km.

Volkswagen Golf 7 GTI blitzes into Geneva

The Volkswagen Golf 7 GTI has made its debut at the Geneva Motor Show and will be launched in Europe with a choice of two power levels. The new Golf 7 GTI offers up to 18% improvement in fuel economy when compared to the outgoing GTI.

Volkswagen Golf 7 GTI top of hot-hatch pile

The new Golf 7 GTI is fitted with a 2.0-litre turbocharged direct-injection TSI engine that develops 162kW and 350Nm of torque. The performance pack allows for a power increase to 169kW. Transmission comes in the form of either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed DSG dual-clutch transmission. Both models are fitted with a Stop-Start system.

Styling Features

The new Volkswagen Golf 7 GTI features red-painted brake callipers, twin chrome tailpipes, a lowered sport suspension, special side skirts, a rear diffuser, smoked LED tailights and LED license plate illumination. The GTI rides on 17-inch ‘Brooklyn’ GTI wheels. On the inside, the sports seats are finished in ‘Clark’ tartan pattern while the headliner is in black and red ambient lighting sets the mood. Special GTI features include a sports steering wheel, GTI gear lever, instrument cluster, special trim inserts, stainless steel pedals and a foot support.

Standard features include a progressive steering system, ‘Climatronic’ automatic climate control, park assist and VW’s latest touchscreen infotainment system. A winter pack includes heatable front seats and customers can choose between three body colours including ‘Tornado Red’ , ‘Black’ and ‘Pure White’.

South African launch and specification details will be made available at a later date when the information becomes available.

Rolls Royce Wraith unveiled at Geneva Motor Show

Rolls-Royce has presented the elegant and powerful Wraith at the 83rd Geneva Motor Show. The Rolls-Royce Wraith is the most powerful Rolls-Royce ever made and features a dynamic Satellite Aided Transmission which uses GPS mapping data to ensure that the correct gear is pre-selected to suit the road conditions ahead.

“Today we launch the ultimate gentlemen’s gran turismo, a car that embodies the spirit of Charles Stewart Rolls,” commented Torsten Muller-Otvos, CEO Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. “The most powerful Rolls-Royce in history, Wraith promises the sense of adventure and speed that drove our founding forefather. But of course, Wraith’s starting point is luxury, refinement and quality, traits that remain as important to Rolls-Royce customers today as they were more than a century ago,” he added.

2014 Rolls Royce Wraith – Specifications and Features

Engine Capability

The Rolls-Royce Wraith is powered by a V12 engine producing 465kW and 800Nm of torque. The engine is mated to an eight-speed automatic ZF transmission and is able to sprint from zero to 100km/h in 4.4 seconds. In comparison, the Rolls-Royce Ghost produces 420kW and sprints from zero -100km/h in 4.7 seconds.

Exterior Styling Features

The Rolls-Royce Wraith is outlined by a sweeping fastback design with bold lines emphasizing the car’s unique character. The suspension has been tuned to minimise body roll and enhance feedback when cornering.

Other features include a deeply recessed grille, a wide rear track, a two-tone paint job and advanced mechanical and electrical technology with systems like head-up display, adaptive headlights and a Wraith keyless opening boot.

Interior Styling Features

The interior is fitted with four seats covered in Phantom grade leather while extensive use of wood Canadel Panelling completes the interior feel. There’s also a ‘starlight headliner’ which has 1 340 fibre-optic lights hand-woven into the roof lining to set a glittering cabin ambiance.

Additional features include a voice-activation command with a one-touch call button located on the steering wheel. The infotainment area sports the latest iteration of the Spirit of Ecstasy Rotary Controller which allows navigation of on-screen functions using a touch pad with pinch and pull functionality.

Chevrolet Corvette Stingray convertible officially unveiled

The 2013 Geneva Motor Show has set the scene for the official unveiling of the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray convertible. The Corvette Stingray coupe was first shown at the Chicago Auto Show earlier this year and all the performance technology and capabilities have been transferred to the convertible version.

Top-down fun with Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Convertible

Engine Capability

The Corvette Stingray convertible is powered by a new LT1 6.2-litre V8 engine that produces 335kW and 610Nm of torque. The engine integrates direct injection, Active Fuel Management and continuously variable valve timing to deliver maximum power and efficiency. Fuel consumption is expected to improve on the current model’s 13.6-litres/100km. The engine is mated to a 7-speed manual transmission with Active Rev Matching that is designed to anticipate gear selections and matches the engine speed for a perfect shift.

Exterior and Interior Styling Features

The Chevrolet Corvette Stingray convertible is built on a rigid aluminium frame structure which is 57% stiffer and some 45 kilograms lighter than before. Carbon fibre is used for the hood while composite fenders, doors, rear quarter panels and carbon-nano underbody panels help reduce weight for an optimum power-to-weight ratio. High-intensity discharge and light-emitting diode lighting is a standard feature. The retractable roof is made of a thick, three-ply fabric with sound-absorbing padding with a rear glass window. The fabric roof can be operated at speeds of up to 50km/h.

The interior features a combination of carbon fibre and aluminum trim, as well as hand-wrapped leather materials. Two 8-inch screens provide vital vehicle information and access to the infotainment system. Two new seat choices are also available and are made from lightweight magnesium frames.

The Chevrolet Corvette Stingray convertible is also available with a track-capable Z51 Performance Package that includes an electronic limited-slip differential, a dry-sump oiling system, integral brakes, differential and transmission cooling, as well as an aerodynamic package that further improves high-speed stability.

Most popular new car brands in South Africa for February 2013

New car sales in February 2013 slowed by 7.2% compared to January 2013 with the month’s sales totalling 51 005 units. A total of 35 092 units were sold in the passenger vehicle segment which is 11.6% less when compared to January 2013. The Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) segment however experienced a sales increase of 6.2% compared to January 2013 with sales totalling 14 153 units. Here is a breakdown of South Africa’s Top 3 new car brands along with each brand’s best selling vehicles.

Car Brand Volume Market Share
1. Toyota 11 027 21.60%
2. Volkswagen 9 100 17.80%
3. Nissan 4 703 9.20%

South Africa’s Top 3 selling new car brands – February 2013

1. Toyota – 11 027 units

Toyota is South Africa’s best-selling car brand for February 2013. Toyota sold equally well in both the passenger vehicle segment (5 676 units) and in the Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) segment (5 012). The best-selling vehicles in the Toyota stable include the ever-popular Hilux bakkie which managed to sell 3500 units, while the Toyota Etios proved to be a popular choice in the passenger car segment with 2 204 units sold.

Toyota Top 5 best-selling new cars – February 2013

Model February Sales (compared to January 2013)
1. Toyota Hilux 3 500 (2634)
2. Toyota Etios 2 204 (2 515)
3. Toyota Corolla 1 298 (1 345)
4. Toyota Quantum 1 209 (997)
5. Toyota Fortuner 927 (734)

2. Volkswagen – 9 100 units

Volkswagen has performed well in February 2013 and claims second place after being the best-selling car brand for January 2013. Volkswagen dominated sales in the passenger vehicle segment with sales totalling 8 516 units, making it the most popular brand in this segment. The best-selling Volkswagen vehicles for February were the Polo Vivo and the Polo, which remain popular choices amongst new car buyers.

Volkswagen Top 5 best-selling new cars – February 2013

Model February Sales (compared to January 2013)
1. VW Polo Vivo 2 742 (4 047)
2. VW Polo 2 192 (2 790)
3. VW Golf 7 767 (0)
4. Audi A4 459 (509)
5. VW Jetta 6 366 (340)

3. Nissan – 4 703 units

Nissan is South Africa’s third most popular car brand for February and like Toyota, Nissan sold well in the passenger vehicle segment (2 438) and the Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) segment (2 265). The Nissan NP200 bakkie and the Nissan Micra were top-sellers for the brand.

Nissan Top 5 best-selling new cars – February 2013

Model February Sales (compared to January 2013)
1. Nissan NP200 1 245 (1 553)
2. Nissan Micra 845 (598)
3. Nissan NP300 699 (949)
4. Nissan Juke 506 (449)
5. Nissan Qashqai 450 (310)