New Kia Carens brought into SA for ‘study’ but won’t be sold here
Kia South Africa has confirmed it imported a couple of 4th-gen Carens units for “study” but adds this latest crossover-styled 3-row MPV will “not be introduced” to the local market…
While sifting through South Africa’s detailed new-vehicle sales figures for August 2023, we noticed Kia South Africa had registered 2 units of the 4th-generation Carens, a crossover-styled 3-row MPV not currently marketed locally. So, we asked the South Korean firm’s local division whether plans were afoot to introduce this sub-Carnival vehicle to SA.
Though the Indian-built Carens – which is offered in the South Asian country in both 6- and 7-seater guise – was indeed under consideration for a local re-introduction (remember, this nameplate exited SA’s new-vehicle market back in 2009), Kia SA has confirmed it will not be sold here.
“These 2 units were brought into the country a while ago for homologation, study and consideration. This model will not be introduced to the South African market,” Kia SA told Cars.co.za.
So, what are we missing out on? Well, the 4th-generation Carens was revealed at the end of 2021, built on a stretched version of the Seltos platform. Measuring 4 540 mm from snout to rump (so, slightly longer than the current Sportage), the 3-row family vehicle boasts a generous 2 780 mm wheelbase. Unlike its decidedly MPV-shaped predecessors, the KY-series Carens features a distinctly crossover-inspired exterior design.
In India, the Carens is available with a choice of 1.5-litre engines, each driving the front axle: a naturally aspirated petrol unit (with a 6-speed manual gearbox), a turbopetrol motor (with either a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission) and a turbodiesel mill (using either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed torque-converter automatic cog-swapper).
Standard safety equipment offered across the Indian-market range includes 6 airbags, electronic stability control, vehicle stability management, hill-assist control, downhill brake control, brake assist, tyre-pressure monitoring, front parking sensors and rain-sensing wipers.
Incidentally, Kia SA also registered 2 units of the Niro last month, in addition to the 2 examples imported in May 2023 alongside a single unit of the EV6.
This Toyota Corolla Quest bakkie was once ‘under study’ for SA
Toyota SA Motors has confirmed that a Corolla Quest-based bakkie – recently spotted in KZN in prototype guise – was once “under study” but that it ultimately didn’t crack the nod…
Toyota South Africa Motors has confirmed to Cars.co.za that it once developed a prototype Corolla Quest bakkie, though for whatever reason the locally conceived model didn’t ever receive the green light for production.
We recently came across a dashcam video showing what appeared to be a Quest-based single-cab bakkie being transported on the back of a flatbed truck (the latter featuring “Toyota SA Motors” branding). Ostensibly captured just outside the Japanese firm’s Prospecton factory in KwaZulu-Natal as recently as 4 September 2023, the clip was uploaded to YouTube by Ryan Hawker Motor.
So, we asked Toyota SA Motors to comment on whether such a vehicle was indeed in development or, if that wasn’t the case, to provide some background on the reason for this intriguing unit’s existence.
“The vehicle you see in that (video) is a prototype – and the model was under study at the time,” the company’s local division told Cars.co.za, before adding that the unibody bakkie “was modelled on the previous-generation Corolla Quest” and is “therefore not in development”.
We’ve imagined a Toyota Corolla Quest bakkie before…
As a reminder, the original Quest was based on the 10th-generation Corolla Sedan and built in South Africa from 2014 to 2020, though there’s a chance the prototype predates the Quest (and is instead based on the aforementioned E140-gen Corolla). From what we can tell from the video, the bakkie prototype is unchanged from its nose to its B-pillar, after which it gains bespoke bodywork, obviously in the form of a load bay and a tailgate. It would surely also have gained a revised rear suspension set-up.
It’s unlikely that the video dates back to the days of the original Quest (or earlier) since we see a Corolla Cross – which launched locally only at the end of 2021 – in the footage. While it’s not clear why the prototype was out and about years after being shelved, its sighting certainly made us sit up and take notice, particularly since production of the Nissan NP200 is scheduled to wrap up in March 2024.
Production of the Nissan NP200 (SA’s last half-tonne bakkie standing) is set to end in March 2024.
Unless something changes soon, the NP200’s departure will see the local half-tonne bakkie segment – which has lost the likes of the Ford Bantam, Fiat Strada and Chevrolet Utility over the past 12 years or so – without a single entrant. Volkswagen, however, says is it “looking into” the prospect of building a unibody bakkie at its Kariega plant, while the Duster-based Renault Oroch has long been in the planning for a South African introduction.
In addition, a recent report out of the United States suggests Toyota is mulling a modern Corolla-based bakkie, though such a model is not expected to hit the market until at least 2027. Toyota SA Motors executives have furthermore hinted at an upcoming model that could slot in below the popular Hilux and likely be built at Prospecton. As we’ve touched on before, however, this may well end up being a prolonged-lifecycle version of the current Hilux (a “Hilux Quest”, if you will) rather than an all-new model (or indeed a unibody half-tonner).
Regardless of what’s possibly in the pipeline, we can’t help but wonder if any other fascinating prototypes are lurking in dark corners within the walls of the Prospecton plant…
BMW XM review – What’s it like to drive a R3.4-million, 2.8-tonne hybrid M car?
In our latest video, Jacob Moshokoa gives us a tour of this new flagship performance SUV and what it’s like to live with. Watch now!
BMW certainly raised some eyebrows with the design of the new XM, especially since it is also the first bespoke M car in decades. But beneath that interesting exterior is an absolute tech fest, and a drivetrain unique to BMW.
However, many fans of the brand were left asking, how can a 2.8-tonne SUV be a true M car? Well maybe the answer is, does it need to be?
The XM offers a thoroughly modern and diverse driving experience, as it can run in full electric, hybrid or bonkers M, max power mode, producing 480 kW from the 4.4-litre twin turbo V8, combined with an electric assist.
In this video, our Joburg correspondent Jacob Moshokoa takes us on a tour of this new behemoth, and tells us what it’s like to live with this large, rapid and luxurious SUV.
Hydrogen-Powered Toyota Hilux Boasts 600+ km Range
Meet the hydrogen-powered Toyota Hilux, an alternative-fuel prototype of the strong-selling bakkie offering a range of more than 600 km…
At the end of 2022, Toyota announced it had commenced the development of a hydrogen-powered Hilux. Now the Japanese automaker has revealed a prototype version of this hydrogen fuel-cell bakkie, which boasts a range of more than 600 km.
As Toyota gears up to introduce a mild-hybrid version of the Hilux in various markets (including South Africa, likely in 2024), the firm showed off its hydrogen-powered prototype at the Derby manufacturing plant in England, where it was developed in a joint project with a number of consortium partners and “supported” by UK government funding.
The automaker described the prototype as a “further demonstration of the broad scope of Toyota’s multi-path strategy for achieving carbon-free mobility”, in which it plans to apply different powertrain solutions – hybrid, plug-in hybrid, fully electric and indeed hydrogen fuel-cell electric – to “suit different user needs and operating environments worldwide”.
Employing “core elements” from the Mirai hydrogen fuel-cell electric sedan, Toyota says the prototype bakkie produces “no tailpipe emissions other than pure water”. Hydrogen is stored in a trio of high-pressure fuel tanks, giving the Hilux an “expected driving range of more than 600 km”, which Toyota says is “significantly further than might be achieved with a battery electric system”.
A hybrid battery stores electricity produced on-board by the hydrogen fuel cell and is positioned in the rear load deck. Though the company has seemingly not detailed peak power and torque figures, a report from Australia suggests maximum numbers of 134 kW and 300 Nm.
Prototype construction began on in June 2023, with the 1st vehicle completed 3 weeks later and 10 expected to be built by the end of the year. These prototypes will undergo what Toyota calls “rigorous testing” to ensure safety, dynamic performance, functionality and durability “meet the high standards required of a production model”.
On Sunday, I got to meet the new electrified GTI. On Monday, I got to drive its very progenitor, the original Golf GTI.Calvin Fisher writes from Munich, Germany.
The Volkswagen Golf 1 GTI (or Mk1 GTI, if you prefer to call it that) is 47 years old, an icon and indeed ground zero for not just the badge itself, but also for the hot hatchback as a genre. The nomenclature has been affixed to the rumps of some of the quickest and most desirable cars in the last half-century and even now, in 2023, after a short stint around Munich, it’s hard to ignore its secret sauce. But, it helps – being of a certain vintage myself – having an appreciation for a more analogue period of motoring.
Back to the Future
The new ID.GTI is based on the smaller ID.2 platform and is likely to make a break for it in 2027.
The ID.GTI concept is more than a flight of fancy; it’s coming in hot and will probably be available globally in 2027. Naturally, it is all-electric (all ID models are) and based on the Volkswagen Group’s proven MEB+ platform. It is based upon the ID.2 which in practical terms is about the size of a Polo.
You now know about as much as I do, and as much as I can confirm with confidence, but there are some things worth speculating about. Such as ‘engine’ placement, where a petrol car would typically have that weight upfront, EVs are less constrained in their location which means mid- or rear-mounting is at least possible, likely or not.
I only mention this in reference to the fact that electric vehicles are arguably lacking in character compared to their ICE siblings, and if it’s dynamics you require, then this isn’t a bad place to start. Then there’s the matter of where the power gets sent, or perhaps ‘made’ is more accurate. Up until now, the ID range has been rear-wheel or all-wheel drive, but it’s easy to imagine a classic front-wheel drive setup in a rapid compact EV hatch such as the GTI, with an AWD drivetrain reserved for the obligatory R iteration. Or have I got this completely wrong? Feel free to share your thoughts below.
VW is working particularly hard to give this all-electric GTI the right DNA in order to make it fun.
Volkswagen is adamant that this GTI will be an emotional car, chock full of references to its forebears such as the massive front splitter and wheels inspired by the Mk1’s steel hoops. Also present, is a raft of fun easter eggs such as the fast-forward graphic on the throttle, alongside a pause icon on the brake pedal. Who says the Germans don’t have a sense of humour?
Return to past form
I clambered aboard that 1976 rolling museum, styled by the hand of Giorgetto Giugiaro, himself an icon. Like lowering yourself into a time capsule, the experience was humbling yet familiar, as you became part of the patina. Flat tartan seats do their best to grip you, while the little car’s immaculate plastic dash and trim surfaces seem to have defied the onset of time. VW deploy over 200 classics for events such as this, but only three are original GTIs. (Gulp). Even so, I greedily snatched the key, carefully slotted it into the ignition and with my right foot exploring the first inch or two of throttle travel, twisted it into life.
Eighty-one angry kilowatts and 140 Nm were determined to make their presence felt and before you giggle, yes, I realise that in 2023, those numbers are not impressive – but if you possess the cognitive talent to imagine what this must have felt like almost 50 years ago, then you’ll understand that the Mk1 GTI was revolutionary – it kickstarted a motoring craze that would seal the fate of small British sportscars. Indeed, hot hatches (spearheaded by this Golf) caused a generation of 2-doors to die out.
Anecdotes aside, I was ready to proceed on my sojourn from the centre of Munich, through the suburbs and onto the Autobahn. Despite sitting on the wrong (left) side of the car, and driving on the wrong (right) side of the road, shifting its 4-speed manual ‘box with my wrong (right) hand, it immediately felt familiar. By today’s standards, the Mk1 GTI is incredibly lightweight, so everything happens quickly… and feels delightfully unencumbered.
We exited the superfast highway and began meandering along rural farmland roads as they scythed through fields, punctuated by picturesque villages. All the while, the GTI felt perfectly at home, charming and taut, ready and willing. Gear shifts felt succinct, the ride was soft, the chassis playful and a resonant deep 4-pot soundtrack entertained me. There’s a lot to love here still, an essence and stirring of viscera so rare in a modern car and completely absent in EVs. But Volkswagen is aware of this and has promised to make amends with the new car. Will they succeed? Only time will tell. But it’s lovely to watch them try.
Watch our SentiMETAL video feature on the ‘original pocket rocket’
The new Lexus RX has arrived in South Africa, complete with new engine options. Here’s a look at the local range, including pricing…
On the hunt for a left-field luxury SUV alternative to the likes of the BMW X5, Audi Q7 and Mercedes-Benz GLE? Well, the new Lexus RX has made landfall in South Africa, with the local line-up comprising 4 derivatives at launch.
Revealed in mid-2022 in Japan, the 5th-generation RX rides on the Toyota-backed luxury brand’s latest GA-K platform, bringing both weight savings and added rigidity. While it’s the same length (4 890 mm) as its predecessor, the new version is 25 mm wider than before at 1 920 mm. It furthermore gains an extra 60 mm between its axles, taking the wheelbase to 2 850 mm.
So, to the local range. The fresh-faced line-up kicks off with the RX 350, which starts at R1 424 000. The old naturally aspirated 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine has been ditched in favour of a new turbocharged 2.4-litre, 4-cylinder unit, which delivers 205 kW and 430 Nm to all 4 wheels via an 8-speed automatic transmission.
Next up is the Lexus RX 350h, starting from R1 458 300. This powertrain combines an atmospheric 2.5-litre 4-pot with hybrid components to generate a peak system power figure of 184 kW (Lexus doesn’t quote a torque figure for the hybrid element, though the petrol mill makes 239 Nm). Drive is sent to all 4 corners through a continuously variable transmission (CVT), while the claimed consumption comes in at 5.4 litres per 100 km.
The RX 500h F Sport tops the new 4-strong range.
There’s also the RX 350 F Sport (R1 543 200), employing the same turbocharged 2.4-litre unit as the standard RX 350 but adding F Sport goodies inside and out. These include a striking body kit (and grille), black 21-inch alloy wheels and model-specific bolstered sports seats.
Finally, we have the new RX 500h F Sport. Retailing from R1 684 300, the flagship derivative combines the new 2.4-litre engine with the automaker’s hybrid system, resulting in a total peak power output of 273 kW (again, no maximum twisting force figure for the hybrid arrangement is listed, while the petrol engine delivers 460 Nm). Interestingly, this likewise all-paw variant uses a 6-speed automatic transmission.
The RX comes very well equipped, with items such as a powered tailgate, LED headlamps (with adaptive high beams), heated/ventilated seats (fore and aft), a heated steering wheel, 10 airbags, a panoramic sunroof, a digital rear-view mirror, adaptive cruise control, a 21-speaker Mark Levinson audio system, wireless smartphone charging and adaptive variable suspension all shipping standard.
How much does the Lexus RX cost in South Africa?
Lexus RX 350 – R1 424 000
Lexus RX 350h – R1 458 300
Lexus RX 350 F Sport – R1 543 200
Lexus RX 500h F Sport – R1 684 300
A 7-year/105 000 km warranty and maintenance plan (with intervals of 12 months or 15 000 km) of the same length are included in the purchase price of all Lexus RX derivatives.
Here’s a first look at the updated Audi Q8 and Audi SQ8 as the Ingolstadt-based brand has announced revisions to the luxury sports SUV.
This is the updated Audi Q8, which brings a number of cosmetic, lighting technology and trim upgrades to market. The Q8 is a coupe SUV and is a rival to the BMW X6 and Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe. Riding on the MLB Evo platform and built in Bratislava, Slovakia, the 5-seater Audi Q8 has impressed us.
The update you see now comprises some visual enhancements along with trim upgrades and the introduction of a petrol-powered SQ8, which replaces the diesel derivative. Visually, make no mistake, this is an Audi Q8 through-and-through, but you’ll quickly spot the all-new HD Matrix LED headlight setup.
These new headlights feature a laser as an additional high beam, digital daytime running lights and light signatures. At the rear, there are digital OLED lights with four selectable rear light designs. There are also revisions to the air intakes and bumpers. Customers can opt for the S Line, Black and Black Plus optic package to personalise their updated Audi Q8. There are sportier-looking exhaust tips too.
Customers have three new paint colours to choose from, such as the Sakhir Gold you see here, Ascari Blue and Chili Red. There are five new wheel designs with sizes ranging from 21- to 23-inches.
The Audi Q8 has received a digital enhancement too, with access to third-party apps like Spotify now being available through a market-specific app store. Over-the-air updates are also available for the updated Audi Q8. The driver assistance system display has received an upgrade too, with the virtual cockpit now offering road info in full HD.
Audi Q8 and SQ8 Powertrain
The Audi Q8 engine lineup is mostly unchanged, with the headline story being the performance-biased Audi SQ8 ditching diesel power for a rumbling petrol V8. The updated Audi Q8 features adaptive air suspension, with the SQ8 featuring a sportily-tuned air suspension setup. All-wheel steering is standard on the SQ8 and optional for the Q8.
Kicking off the range is the 45 TDI, a 3.0-litre turbocharged V6 with 170 kW and 500 Nm. Audi claims a 0-100 kph time of just 7.1 seconds while consuming around 8.9 L/100 km.
The Audi Q8 50 TDI offers the same V6 diesel engine, but with higher outputs of 210 kW and 600 Nm, giving it a claimed sprint to 100 kph time of just 6.1 seconds. A consumption figure of 8.9 L /100 km is claimed. For the petrol fans, there’s a 3.0-litre V6 with 250 kW and 500 Nm, and that’s good for a 0-100 kph time of just 5.6 seconds while consuming around 12.8 L/100 km on the combined cycle.
Every updated Audi Q8 features an 8-speed automatic transmission which drives all four wheels and a 48V mild-hybrid system which is said to reduce consumption by 0.5 L/100 km.
The big news is the updated Audi SQ8 has switched from diesel power to a 4.0-litre turbocharged V8 petrol with 372 kW and 770 Nm. Thanks to a quick-shifting 8-speed Tiptronic transmission and quattro permanent all-wheel drive, the updated Audi SQ8 is capable of 0-100 kph in just 4.1 seconds.
The Audi SQ8 TFSI ships standard with 21-inch wheels and large 285/45 tyres, with options in 22- and 23-inches.
Static photo,
Colour: Sakhir gold metallic
When will the updated Audi Q8 arrive in South Africa?
Audi global said the updated Audi Q8 launch will take place in September 2023, while Audi South Africa said units will be arriving in SA in the second quarter of 2024. We’ll be test driving the new model at its international driving event in Cape Town in early November.
Did Mercedes-Benz just confirm the demise of the A-Class?
The head of Mercedes-Benz has seemingly confirmed the impending end of the line for the A-Class, saying the brand’s next-gen entry-level range will comprise just 4 models…
Rumours that the Mercedes-Benz A-Class will be axed after its current generation have seemingly been confirmed by none other than the head of the German automaker.
Ola Källenius, Chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, made some interesting comments at the IAA Mobility 2023 in Munich, talking specifically about the “upcoming family of vehicles that stands at the gateway to the brand”.
The Stuttgart-based firm revealed its new fully electric Concept CLA Class – featuring an 800-volt electrical architecture and boasting a claimed single-charge range of 750 km – at the show, billing it as a “close-to-production” representation of the future of the brand’s entry-level vehicle line-up. In the press material, Källenius makes the following remark:
“The Concept CLA Class is the forerunner for an entirely new all-electric segment of entry-level vehicles at Mercedes-Benz. The range will comprise a total of 4 new models – a 4-door coupé, a shooting brake and 2 stunning SUVs – each with significantly elevated product substance.”
Based on that comment, the next-generation range of compact vehicles – each based on the new Mercedes‑Benz Modular Architecture (MMA), which is interestingly described as an “electric-first” rather than electric-only platform – will not include a traditional hatchback or sedan body style, which seemingly sounds the death knell for the A-Class (and indeed the B-Class MPV). Instead, there will be a new CLA, a new CLA Shooting Brake and a pair of SUVs (inheriting the GLA and GLB nameplates, perhaps?).
Last year, Mercedes-Benz confirmed it would “reduce the number of model variants” in its next-generation compact range from 7 to 4 as part of its bid to reposition the brand for higher profitability and increased electrification.
So, it seems the current A-Class – which is offered in both W177 hatchback and V117 sedan guises – will be put out to pasture in the next couple of years, with earlier reports suggesting the lifecycle would end by around 2025. Of course, a facelifted version was unwrapped late in 2022, before arriving in South Africa in mid-2023.
As a reminder, the original A-Class was introduced in 1997 as an MPV-shaped hatchback, before a 2nd-generation model hit the market in 2004. The 3rd iteration – which debuted in 2012 – was entirely re-invented as a more dynamically designed hatchback conceived to battle the likes of the BMW 1 Series and Audi A3. The current 4th take on the A-Class arrived on the global stage in 2018.
NP200 going, Almera gone: where to from here for Nissan SA?
With the NP200 set to be axed in early 2024 and the Almera already gone, Nissan SA’s sales volumes look likely to take a significant hit. So, where to from here for the brand?
Nameplates come and go for all automotive giants, but Nissan South Africa has lost a raft of particularly well-established badges in recent times.
The axe fell frequently in 2022, and with little regard for heritage. The Rosslyn-built NP300 Hardbody was put out to pasture, after more than 2 decades on the market – though it certainly seemed like time. The 370Z, which launched locally back in mid-2009, was likewise scrapped last year (and its replacement, the Nissan Z, swiftly ruled out for our market).
Even the Micra – a moniker with an 18-year history in Mzansi – was removed from the local range in 2022, as was the mighty R35-generation GT-R, which enjoyed 14 years on the South African market. Furthermore, Nissan pulled the plug on the entire Datsun brand globally (again), which saw the Go hatchback and Go+ MPV depart SA.
What about 2023? Well, Nissan SA quietly culled the 3rd-generation Almera budget sedan after a 10-year run, while also confirming production of the NP200 half-tonne bakkie is scheduled to wrap up at Rosslyn by March 2024, ending a 16-year lifecycle. So, how much will Nissan miss the Almera? And just how much does it depend on the soon-to-depart NP200? Moreover, what could be in the brand’s future? Let’s take a closer look…
Nissan Almera sold better than you might think
While demand for sedans has plummeted in recent years, the N17-generation Almera frequently made sizeable contributions to Nissan SA’s sales tally, proving particularly popular with rental and fleet buyers. In fact, despite stock already starting to run dry as early as March 2023, the Indian-built Almera ranked as the Japanese firm’s 2nd most-popular passenger vehicle over the opening 8 months of the year.
Yes, with 1 575 units registered year to date, the budget saloon accounted for 7.8% of the brand’s total of 20 171 units over the same period. Of course, this percentage would have been far more significant had Almera sales not tapered markedly from the end of the 1st quarter (as you can see in the graph below), when imports of this model seemingly halted. As an illustration, the Almera made up nearly 27% of Nissan sales in January 2023, thanks in part to strong demand from the rental industry.
Incidentally, the Almera’s discontinuation lined up neatly with Nissan SA’s quiet slip out of the top 5, with the Japanese firm having to settle for 6th position on the brand rankings every month since April 2023 (and dropping to 6th place, year to date, as well).
NP200 has long been Nissan SA’s volume driver
Soon after arriving as a replacement for the Nissan 1400 back in 2008, the NP200 settled in as part of the automotive furniture in South Africa. But that will soon change, as local production is set to cease in the 1st quarter of next year, ending what Nissan terms an “extended lifecycle”.
Of course, the NP200 has had the local half-tonne bakkie segment all to itself since the close of 2017, when General Motors quit Mzansi, thus marking the end of the road for the Chevrolet Utility. As such, the Dacia Logan-based single cab quickly became Nissan SA’s chief volume driver. Year to date, as many as 8 862 examples have been registered locally, enough to earn it 4th place on the list of SA’s best-selling bakkies and a top-10 place overall, despite its advanced age.
That tally represents a whopping 43.9% of all Nissan sales from the start of January to the end of August 2023. With the automaker confirming there is “no immediate replacement model” for the NP200 on the horizon (though adding it is “currently evaluating other alternatives” in line with the ambitions of its “Africa Mid Term plan”), the prospect of losing almost half of its volume virtually overnight must be an incredibly disturbing one for Nissan SA executives. Hopefully, they have something up their sleeves…
For now, much rests on Magnite’s shoulders
So, are the rest of Nissan’s models doing any heavy lifting? Well, the only other nameplate that has been selling in significant numbers of late is the budget-beating Magnite, which has racked up an impressive 5 461 units, year to date. That translates to a substantial 27.1% of the automaker’s total in this reporting period.
Unless something changes soon, Nissan SA will find itself heavily reliant on the Indian-built Magnite – which, incidentally, was originally meant to be a Datsun – once the NP200 departs, as the firm’s other passenger-vehicle products have underwhelmed on the sales charts. Year to date, the X-Trail contributed just 553 units (comprising both 3rd- and 4th-gen sales), though that’s fascinatingly more than the new Qashqai (417 units). These 2 models’ respective moves upmarket have seemingly come at the cost of volume.
The flagship Y62-generation Patrol (82 units) is obviously positioned as anything but a volume driver, while the Terra (5 units) 7-seater adventure SUV curiously wasn’t ever given a fighting chance to tackle the likes of the Toyota Fortuner and Ford Everest, with just a handful of units imported into South Africa.
What about Navara and the Rosslyn factory?
That, of course, leaves the Navara. Production of the refreshed D23-generation bakkie commenced at Nissan’s Rosslyn factory in mid-2021 – yes, bang in the centre of a global pandemic – after a R3-billion investment a couple of years prior. Workhorse single-cab derivatives were added to the range by October of that year, with these models stepping into the gap ultimately left by the NP300 Hardbody.
While the Navara hasn’t managed to trouble segment sales leaders such as the Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger and Isuzu D-Max, it has made a mid-table position on the list of SA’s best-selling bakkies very much its own, often trading sales blows with the likes of the GWM P-Series and Toyota Land Cruiser 79 (but being outsold by the Mahindra Pik-Up every month in 2023 so far). Year to date, 3 216 units have been registered, or 15.9% of Nissan’s total.
But with the NP200 soon to be removed from the equation, are Navara volumes sufficient to sustain a factory said to have an annual production capacity of well over 70 000 units? Despite ambitions to ship significant volumes into Africa, Nissan has exported only 3 064 units (including the NP200) year to date, which translates to an average of just 383 units a month. We should point out, however, Nissan SA also ships a small number of disassembled knocked-down (DKD) Navara kits to its operations in Nigeria and Ghana.
Nissan says it remains ‘fully committed’ to South Africa
While the local industry would no doubt welcome the addition of a new vehicle to Nissan’s Rosslyn assembly line (a facility that traces its roots back to the 1960s), we’ve unfortunately heard of no such concrete plans – though we hold out hope. Renault in Latin America, for instance, is said to be working on a new half-tonne pick-up, which is set to be shared with Nissan; perhaps a right-hand-drive version is in the offing?
Incidentally, the next-gen Navara is rumoured to be unveiled in 2024, sharing much with the recently revealed Mitsubishi Triton. Fingers crossed, Rosslyn will soon receive the green light – if it hasn’t already – to build this new model.
For the record, Nissan SA says it “remains fully committed to South Africa and the wider continent as the last frontier of the automotive industry”. It describes the Rosslyn manufacturing plant as the “light-commercial vehicle hub for Africa”, adding the locally produced Navara remains a “core model that will enable Nissan’s ambition across the continent”.
Could India (and Renault) help revive Nissan SA’s fortunes?
But how else could the Japanese firm’s local division claw back some of the sales volume that will inevitably be lost when the NP200 potters off into the sunset? The answer may well be found inside a production facility a bit further afield. Considering a whopping 51.2% of all light vehicles imported into South Africa in 2022 came from India – a country that has transformed itself into a global production hub for budget vehicles – there could be scope for Nissan SA to regrow its market share courtesy of models produced by the South Asian nation.
Though Nissan has a factory in Chennai, the brand is anything but a major player in the Indian market. In fact, it currently offers just a single vehicle in that country: the very same Magnite propping up Nissan SA’s passenger-vehicle line-up. However, there are indications the company will soon start to leverage its recently rejigged alliance with Renault, prompting the Indian-led development and launch of Nissan-badged versions of both the next-generation Duster (likely in both 5- and 7-seater form) and the Triber, and perhaps even a fully electric A-segment car shared with the French firm.
Should they be priced smartly, these proposed newcomers – particularly the Duster-based 5-seater SUV, which would see Nissan SA offer a rival to the likewise Indian-built Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos – might be just what the Japanese automaker’s SA division needs now that so many of its storied nameplates have been put out to pasture. The only problem is we’re unlikely to see these new vehicles on local roads until well after 2025…
Wheels and tyres. They significantly influence – and hopefully, improve – your vehicle’s appearance, but their effect on performance is often misunderstood. That’s one of the reasons that bakkies with oversized (35-inch) tyres have not thrived in our market.
In automotive product development, there is an established tension between what designers want and what engineers recommend. Designers desire the largest possible wheels because they complement vehicles’ profiles. It’s why luxury SUVs can be specced with 23-inch alloys shod with low-profile tyres.
Engineers don’t love oversized wheels that much. When you roll out of a showroom onto real-world roads, the issue with oversized wheels becomes apparent: they communicate surface imperfections such as erosion ridges, potholes, drainage covers, and many others that SA drivers are familiar with.
Real-world roads are imperfect, and engineers know that suspension systems can only absorb so much bump variance – tyres must absorb the rest. That’s why the ideal real-world wheel and tyre solution, for bakkies especially, is a smallish rim diameter and larger volume tyre (with a wider sidewall). This issue is particularly prevalent in South Africa because pothole strikes at speed pose puncture- and crash risks.
If smaller wheels and larger tyres are better for real-world driveability and ride comfort, why aren’t “balloon tyres” more popular on bakkies? Surely a bakkie rolling on 35-inch tyres would have the comfiest possible ride with the safest cruising stability on poorly maintained roads? Well, not quite.
There’s no faulting the AT35 D-Max’s stance or appearance. But bakkies shouldn’t pose without purpose…
‘Balloon’ bakkie tyres look great
The South African bakkie market is so robust that limited-edition double cabs and extreme bakkie editions always trade at a premium, with demand comfortably outstripping supply. But one bakkie configuration has failed in the local market: a double cab fitted with 35-inch tyres.
Isuzu will now sell you a balloon-tyred bakkie with official warranty and service support, assembled with Arctic Trucks parts on the D-Max line in Struandale. But why would Isuzu attempt something that the market leader, Toyota, doesn’t? And how is it that 35-inch tyred bakkies, which look great, aren’t more popular in South Africa – a market where cost isn’t an issue for committed double-cab buyers?
The reason 35-inch tyred bakkies haven’t been successful – at all – is not about how they look, but what they are like to drive…
Huge tyres can be useful for slow-speed off-roading. But everywhere else… Well, they’re a compromise.
The issue with 35-inch bakkie tyres and driveability
If bigger tyres with more air volume are so great at absorbing road texture and allowing drivers to retain control when striking a pothole at speed, what’s the problem with 35-inch tyres?
Any tyre of extreme size is very application-specific. And with 35-inch tyres that application is about low-speed off-road traction, at very low air pressures. At highway cruising speeds and higher inflation pressures, 35-inch tyres aren’t great. They generate a huge amount of noise and have very peculiar self-damping and rebound characteristics, because there’s so much rubber in the sidewall and casing.
Being so much larger, huge tyres also tax a bakkie’s ABS, ESP and driver assistance systems. How “big” is “big” really? The metric width of a 35-inch tyre is about 315 mm.
Think about that for a moment: it’s the width of a hypercar tyre, something you’d find on a Lamborghini Urus, to name but one example. The wider your off-road bakkie tyre is, the more exposed that sidewall becomes to proximity rocks littering a 4×4 trail – just waiting to carve a puncture into your tyre.
No bakkie can rival the overall ride quality and off-road ability of a Ford Ranger Raptor.
Ranger Raptor proves a point
Ford set a benchmark for double-cab bakkies with extreme off-road ability and confident highway cruising comfort when it launched the Ranger Raptor in 2019. The 1st and 2nd-generation Ranger Raptors are excellent high-speed cruising vehicles, especially on the most dangerous road surfaces South Africans encounter – corrugated dirt roads.
The Ranger Raptor has proven that a 17-inch wheel with a 285/70 profile tyre is the best real-world spec for an “oversized” bakkie tyre; it looks great and works even better. And a “285/70” represents notably less tyre than you’d find on Isuzu’s D-Max AT35, which is fitted with 35×12.50 R17s (USC measurement).
What made the 1st-generation Ranger Raptor so impressive upon release was that its larger-volume tyres were complemented by a very trick suspension. And that’s where most balloon bakkies fail, because standard double-cab suspension systems aren’t designed for 35-inch tyres – specifically at the rear. You can upgrade the dampers, but the suspension configuration and load rating genuinely matter.
Isuzu’s AT35 D-Max rolls huge tyres with enhanced dampers, but its load rating and rear-axle kinematics are unchanged – something Ford altered with 1st- and 2nd-generation Ranger Raptor. The AT35 D-Max has the right wheel size at 17 inches, but the 35-inch tyres overwhelm it. It would be a much better all-terrain Isuzu bakkie if fitted with 285/70 tyres, as is (still) the case with the Ranger Raptor.
Ranger Raptor proves that going larger than 285/70 R17 is pointless.
Why isn’t there a locally built Hilux AT35?
South Africans love bakkies and buy special edition versions without hesitation. But nobody wants to pay R1-million-plus for a bakkie with added visual design drama if it’s worse to drive than its standard sibling.
Toyota is the bakkie benchmark and doesn’t market a factory-built Hilux AT35 in South Africa. The truth is that 35-inch tyre bakkies are too much of a compromise because they generate too much highway speed tyre resonance, tramline too easily and trigger ride quality issues when unladen.
Limited edition double cabs create brand awareness, which is valuable in a highly competitive bakkie market. But the brand-building is pointless when they’re worse to drive. And 35-inch bakkies just aren’t the answer, much like 20- and 21-inch wheels on high-powered double-cabs are also far from ideal.
Isuzu has an entrenched brand legacy in South Africa. The Isuzu D-Max 3.0TD double cab AT35 4×4 is visually dramatic, but it’s not a better bakkie to drive than a standard D-Max V-Cross in all conditions. That’s problematic if you think of what’s on offer in the market for R1-million-plus bakkies, where Ford’s Ranger Raptor is far superior to a D-Max AT35, but costs only R63 480 more (September 2023).
The MU-X’s rear multi-link coil suspension would be a great fit for an extreme edition D-Max.
A MU-X rear-axled D-Max?
The issue with Isuzu’s D-Max AT35 is that it retains a traditional bakkie rear-axle load capacity, supported by live-axle rear suspension and leaf springs. Many people forget that Ford’s Ranger Raptor bakkies have a reduced load capacity (only 640 kg) and a rear-axle set-up borrowed from the Everest.
A conventional bakkie rear suspension with a 970-kg load capacity and 35-inch tyres just doesn’t deliver a great all-terrain bakkie driving experience. Even with upgraded dampers at each wheel corner.
Ford has proven that customers in the market for extreme edition bakkies aren’t bothered by reduced load capacity. Who’s going to be stacking a D-Max AT35 with 970 kg worth of construction sand, scrap metal, or cattle feed? Nobody. And D-Max AT35’s 970-kg load rating comes at the cost of ride quality.
An alternative outcome for Isuzu and its South African halo bakkie aspirations? Imagine a special edition D-Max that rolls on 17-inch wheels, shod with 285/70 tyres, has a load capacity that is reduced from 970 kg to 600 kg and features an MU-X rear axle… Now that bakkie would shine on any and all road surfaces.
