If the standard Mustang isn’t entertaining enough, Ford SA has confirmed that just 4 Shelby GT500KR units are headed our way. Here are some details plus pricing.
Globally, there’ll be just 225 units of the Ford Mustang Shelby King of the Road with Shelby SA hard at work at its Shelby-approved workshop in the Western Cape. The Shelby GT500KR will be assembled in SA, which is impressive. Customers can expect to receive their vehicles in 2023.
“Customers looking for the latest in personal expression and power are going to be rewarded by what the latest GT500KR has to offer,” says Doreen Mashinini, General Manager for Marketing at Ford South Africa. “This is the first time that this exclusive model is available for Mustang enthusiasts in South Africa, and epitomises everything that Carroll Shelby stood for,” says Mashinini.
This is the most extreme Mustang and features an enhanced 5.2-litre V8 supercharged engine producing a monstrous 670 kW. There’s also a lightweight carbon fibre hood, a saving of close to 14kg, and new alloy wheel design. Cornering agility is also improved thanks to a more aggressive suspension tune and sportier sway bars. Inside, customers will get special Shelby badging and membership to Team Shelby, the worldwide club Carroll Shelby established in 2008.
Peter Lindenberg, CEO of Shelby South Africa, says that the KR is probably the most unique of all Shelbys available in SA because of the extremely limited numbers and power under the hood. “The GT500KR’s performance figures are unsurpassed for a rear-wheel drive muscle car. This is a long-awaited Shelby for the South African market as the enquiries for the high-performance, track-bred GT350 and GT500 have been extraordinary. This is the first time we are able to offer this icon in the Shelby range in South Africa,” says Lindenberg.
How much does the Shelby GT500KR cost in SA?
Ford South Africa has given an estimated price of R4.4 million including VAT.
Next Audi A3 (and RS3) to Ditch Combustion Engines – Report
A fresh report out of Europe suggests the next-generation Audi A3 range will be entirely electric and topped by a battery-powered RS3 performance variant…
The next-generation Audi A3 is due in around 2027 but it will completely ditch combustion engines in favour of electric motors, according to a new report out of Europe.
Autocar claims though the A3 nameplate will live on, it will be attached to fully electric models only. The report suggests the upcoming fifth-generation A3 will ride on the Volkswagen Group’s latest Scalable Systems Platform (SSP) all-electric architecture rather than the MEB platform currently underpinning models such as the Volkswagen ID.3 and ID.4, benefiting from a single-charge range of around 650 km.
Interestingly, the switch from the current MQB platform to the SSP underpinnings would see the A3 move from a front-wheel-drive set-up (with the option of all-wheel drive) to a rear-wheel-drive arrangement (with AWD again optional).
The SSP platform is furthermore able to support a new 800V electric architecture, which the report says will facilitate “significantly faster charging times” than the 400V version of current MEB-based vehicles. The 5-door hatchback and 4-door saloon models – which are set to retain their Sportback and Sedan titles – are also expected to grow slightly while adopting “altered proportions”.
According to the British publication, the current Audi Sport performance badges will also live on (though perhaps with an “e-tron” suffix), with electric versions of the S3 and RS3 set to adopt twin-motor systems and thus all-wheel drive. Autocar claims the proposed electric RS3 will outrun the current 5-cylinder model from standstill to 100 kph, completing the obligatory sprint in under 3.8 seconds.
The latest 5-cylinder RS3 (which is set to arrive in SA soon) will likely be the final version offered with petrol power…
Will Toyota revive the Stallion as a RAV4 double cab?
Toyota may decide against building a small single-cab bakkie, but, given recent developments in the US, it should consider a RAV4 double cab instead.
Imagine a weekend braai in the company of “car people” – you know, petrolheads. The conservation is textured with bold opinions. Healthy arguments ensue about which vehicle is better – or best. Implied bias is expected and tolerated.
But if you want to silence a group of South African car enthusiasts mid-braai-side debate with a trick question, ask this: “Which bakkie segment isn’t dominated by Toyota?” Puzzled looks and a murmur will follow.
There is a corner of the market in which South Africa’s most dominant vehicle brand is tellingly absent: compact bakkies. And this was not always the case.
Those old enough to remember the Stallion will recall how usable the Toyota’s pick-up was compared to the Nissan 1400 (Champ) and Ford Bantam/Mazda Rustler in the ’80s. But the Stallion was never replaced; its market momentum and volumes were eventually conquered by Opel, with the Corsa Utility. The German brand’s “half-tonner” was hugely successful and triggered Nissan’s response in the shape of the Dacia-based NP200 (after the 1400 had been discontinued).
Seeing the future of small single-cab bakkies
There’s a good reason Toyota never replaced the Stallion…
There was a moment in time, approximately a decade and a half ago, when the compact bakkie segment was significant – in fact, it notched up thousands of sales per month. And yet Toyota appeared disinterested. Why?
No automotive brand matches Toyota for South African product planning and business intelligence. It’s no coincidence that Hilux is the country’s best-selling vehicle. Toyota knows what South African buyers want. And need.
Despite being the dominant bakkie brand, Toyota was never lured into competing with the half-tonne offerings from its rivals in the late 1990s and 2000s. Why has Toyota not re-engaged with the compact bakkie market? Part of the reason concerns a simple question: Is there notable demand for compact single-cab bakkies in 2022?
Buyers’ preferences change over time – that’s a given in virtually every market, especially the automotive one. Just as affordable sedans (such as the Toyota Camry) and small coupes (the Hyundai Tiburon, for example) began to disappear, market demand for small single-cab bakkies simply waned over time. Why? At the point that the Opel Corsa, Ford Bantam, Nissan 1400 and Fiat Strada were vying for buyers in the early 2000s, there were virtually no small crossovers.
Small bakkies were never that handy
The marketing images for small bakkies have always been wildly ambitious; few owners used the load box to its full potential.
An uncomfortable truth – and one that is often ignored by those who long for the return of the Corsa Utility and Nissan 1400 – is that few of those vehicles did duty as load carriers. Many were purchased because they were affordable “lifestyle” vehicles. And in the South African context, they were rather poorly configured as lifestyle activity vehicles compared to any of the modern “pseudo-SUVs”.
Even when fitted with a canopy, a compact bakkie offers no safe storage space for your lifestyle gear or larger valuables (such as laptops). Contrast that with a small crossover… It has a standard 5-door bodyshell, with privacy glass and a retractable load bay cover that hides valuable cargo away from prying eyes. Oh, and suffice to say a full-sized tailgate offers much more security than a bakkie canopy’s flimsy glass hatch.
The hassle with small single-cab bakkies
Corrugated Karoo roads were the undoing of many Corsa bakkies.
Memories fade over time and many people have forgotten that compact bakkies evolved from humble compact hatchback platforms… and that meant their fragile underpinnings offered little in the way of dirt-road durability.
In retrospect, the compact bakkie was a very compromised vehicle. It only became popular because small crossovers weren’t around at the time and it offered buyers who couldn’t afford full-sized bakkies a false sense of fulfilment…
Yes, let’s be completely honest with ourselves and recognise what compact bakkies really were: makeshift lifestyle vehicles with low-security storage capacity and limited gravel-travel capability. A modern crossover has equally poor dirt road driving dynamics, but at least it offers the benefits of four doors, five seats, secure storage, a respectable array of safety features and a higher load bay for stacking your luggage and gear.
Today, most buyers would choose the equivalent crossover, even if a single-cab bakkie was built on any of the contemporary compact hatchback platforms (Volkswagen Polo, Hyundai i20). The reason is simple: if you don’t use the load box to its full capacity, a bakkie is entirely superfluous. An open load box creates enormous aerodynamic drag, which increases fuel consumption. And any two-seat cabin offers no more accommodation than a roadster or a supercar (for that matter).
But perhaps Toyota’s small bakkie opportunity lies in a market that is taking shape right at this very moment. What if it produced something more akin to Ford’s Maverick or Hyundai’s Santa Cruz (two very successful double-cabs)? Both are nearly Hilux-rivalling in size and built on monocoque passenger-vehicle platforms instead of steel ladder-frame structures.
Are these the bakkies of the future?
Maverick brings a nearly full-size double-cab experience, with SUV comfort… and reasonable all-terrain ability.
The Maverick is essentially a double-cab Ford Focus, while the Santa Cruz is a bakkie version of the Sante Fe. So far, demand for the Maverick and Santa Cruz has significantly overwhelmed Ford and Hyundai’s abilities to supply them. Granted, they sacrifice the ruggedness and load-carrying ability of chassis-based products but offer superior ride qualities and better dynamic driving characteristics. And those are benefits that the majority of double-cab buyers prefer.
Given this trend, a Toyota unibody bakkie could prove revolutionary in the bakkie segment. Ford and Hyundai have proven that there is global demand for these vehicles and it’s unlikely Toyota’s product development team has failed to notice that… The truth is that most double-cab bakkies are rarely loaded to capacity, despite being built to carry 1000kg. And when unladen, the ride comfort compromise is substantial. That’s where the saying “rides like a bakkie” comes from.
The principle might irk hardcore bakkie owners, who are known to brim their vehicles’ load boxes weekly, but for most users, a unibody double-cab structure makes excellent sense. It might reduce a bakkie’s cargo-carrying capacity by half, but the gains are superior ride quality, agility and high-speed stability. And remember, much as was the case with all those Corsa bakkies of yore, few double-cab owners will ever use the full load rating of their bakkies anyway.
Owning any double-cab with a 1 000-kg load rating and only ever using half of that is wasteful. It’s as daft as purchasing a 4×4 double-cab but never engaging its low-range transfer case. Double cabs have become urban lifestyle vehicles, opening the development horizon for bakkies that are closer to crossovers in their design objectives and executions.
RAV4 double cab coming?
The A-BAT concept double-cab, from 2008, shows that Toyota has considered lifestyle bakkies before.
Toyota has an excellent platform to create a unibody double-cab bakkie: TNGA-K. The world’s best-selling vehicle – the RAV4 – uses this variant of the TNGA platform, and if Toyota could engineer something close to a RAV4 double-cab, it could be immensely successful. A RAV4-sized double-cab would be a perfect “junior Hilux” for urban buyers who need a load box, but don’t want to be burdened by the debits of a traditional bakkie’s commercial-vehicle underpinnings.
The South African bakkie market is a juggernaut – it’s more resistant to recessions than practically any other vehicle segment, is constantly expanding, and Toyota has more legacy and bakkie branding momentum than any of its rivals…
Toyota could be the manufacturer to divert demand from the small crossover market to a resurgent unicorn offering in unibody bakkies. A TNGA platform double-cab, with RAV4 styling and the Stallion name? They’d sell many of those.
Toyota GR86 10th Anniversary Edition Revealed as SA Launch Nears
Toyota has revealed a special 10th Anniversary Edition of its new GR86 as the South African launch of the rear-wheel-drive sportscar draws ever closer…
It’s been a decade since the Toyota 86 (later locally rechristened the GT86) hit the market. Now, with the local arrival of the new-generation model just around the corner, the Japanese firm has unwrapped the GR86 10th Anniversary Edition.
Conceived to – you guessed it – celebrate 10 years of the rear-driven coupé, the special-edition model boasts a fresh orange exterior paint option, which is matched inside by a two-tone (black and orange) colour scheme. A special “10th Anniversary” logo appears in places such as the interior door trim.
Although the new Subaru BRZ (alongside which the GR86 was jointly developed) is not likely to be launched in South Africa, the Toyota-branded version of the coupé is scheduled to arrive in local dealerships later in the third quarter of 2022.
The GR86 10th Anniversary Edition has yet to be confirmed for a local introduction, though we wouldn’t be surprised to see a few units (say, 86?) make their way to South Africa. After all, a limited-edition version of the original 86 launched here in 2014, complete with a towering rear wing.
While further details have yet to be released, the GR86 10th Anniversary Edition is expected to be mechanically identical to the standard version of the sportscar, which employs a new horizontally opposed, 2.4-litre, 4-cylinder petrol engine.
Courtesy of some extra displacement and a spot of clever tinkering, peak outputs of the naturally aspirated powerplant climb to 173 kW and 250 Nm (up from the old 2.0-litre model’s maximum figures of 147 kW and 205 Nm), while the obligatory 0-100 kph sprint falls from 7.4 to 6.3 seconds when fitted with the standard 6-speed manual gearbox. An automatic transmission with the same number of gears will also be available.
The original Toyota 86 marked the brand’s return to building sportscars, effectively setting the scene for the introduction of the Toyota Gazoo Racing division (which has since launched models such as the GR Supra and GR Yaris, not to mention the GR Corolla).
Interestingly, the press image of the GR86 Anniversary Edition shows the vehicle sans an infotainment screen…
New BMW i4 M50 Review – It’s fast, it’s powerful, but is it a driver’s car?
The BMW i4 M50 is the German brand’s attempt at trying to blend its performance qualities with the new electric era. Has it achieved success? We find out.
The arrival of the electric era arguably challenged BMW more than any other mass-market brand.
BMW is a company famous for its drivetrains; it’s a brand that differentiates itself from the competition by offering a unique combination of chassis dynamics, handling and characterful engines.
But electric drivetrains all feel remarkably similar to drive, and on top of that, there’s no unique engine note or exhaust note to separate a BMW from its competitors further.
BMW needed to embrace electricity and find a way to imbue the brand’s DNA into electric sports cars.
For our video journalist, Ciro De Siena, the i4 M50 is its best effort yet.
We hope you enjoy this video and do let us know what you think in the comments.
Buying a vehicle is a long-term decision and we want to help you make an informed one with our Street Smart series, brought to you by Absa Vehicle and Asset Finance. In this episode, we chat with Absa’s Sarvas Naidoo and CMH’s Joel Chetty about balloon payments.
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With changing interest cycles, there’s continued pressure on consumer spending, which makes a balloon payment a very attractive option when buying a new car. The number of customers that have taken up balloon payments, along with extended vehicle-finance terms, has been on an upward trend in the past few years…
Available data indicates that customers who have refinanced two or three times with a large balloon amount are at an increased risk of defaulting on their payments, which defeats the purpose of taking up the balloon in the first place.
Cars.co.za social media specialist Kgahliso Nyamanewe asks Absa Vehicle and Asset Finance’s dealer group and alliance manager, Sarvas Naidoo and CMH’s finance and insurance manager for the KZN region, Joel Chetty, what needs to be considered before taking up a balloon payment on your next car.
What is a balloon payment?
CHETTY: A balloon payment is a lump sum payment that is due to the financier at the end of the loan term. it reduces the repayment and makes the loan more affordable.
What pitfalls should one be mindful of?
NAIDOO: You’ll continue to pay interest on the total loan amount outstanding and will still be liable for payment of the balloon amount at the end of the finance term. You may end up paying more interest in fees with the balloon – than without it.
The declining value of the vehicle may leave you with a huge gap between the outstanding value of the loan and the market value of the vehicle. This means a greater risk (should you have an accident or lose the vehicle).
What’s more, the breakeven point may take longer to reach, depending on the value of the vehicle and its ability to retain value.
Consider where the funds to pay for the final amount will come from, it may be from savings, a bonus, or maybe refinancing the balloon amount, which will extend the repayment term even further.
Extending the repayment term means you have the same risk of having an outstanding balance that is higher than the actual value of your car.
Do you have any final suggestions?
CHETTY: Taking a balloon amount may seem like the easy option when you’re at the dealer and eager to secure the new wheels you had on your vision board, but explore your options first and make this part of your research.
Reconfigure your budget to assess the true cost of the car including insurance, fuel, services and repairs.
Sometimes delaying the purchase of the new car may also be an option… if you anticipate an increase in your income or the reduction of another loan to free up money that could go towards the vehicle cost.
Wisdom cautions against spending beyond one’s means. Likewise, your option to finance your new set of wheels should not lead to short-term gain at the expense of long-term financial stability.
For extra information on how you can become a better consumer, keep a lookout for more episodes from our Street Smart series and be sure to visit the Absa blog.
Absa’s Fulufhelo Mandane discusses what you need to consider before you start shopping for a vehicle, the costs of ownership and your various finance options. Absa First-time Buyer Guide to Vehicle Finance
Absa’s Gordon Wood details how the new Aftermarket Guidelines, which were introduced in the motor industry last year, affect you as a vehicle owner. Absa’s Guide to Responsible Vehicle Ownership
The Mustang GT California Special has arrived in South Africa. In terms of kerb appeal, it offers a bit more than run-of-the-mill V8-powered Mustangs and Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa will make only 100 units available to local buyers. We spent some time to find out just how, um, special the California Special (CS) is.
We like: Glorious engine note, sledgehammer straight-line performance, looks the part, comprehensive equipment list.
We don’t like: The current price of unleaded, poor front visibility.
Only 100 units of the GT California Special (CS) units are destined for SA.
The sportscar market has shrunk tremendously throughout the past few years and there are numerous reasons for that: a struggling global economy, car makers focusing their efforts on electrifying volume-selling models and oh, the fact that buyers are favouring performance-oriented SUVs over coupes. The Ford Mustang, however, soldiers on and, for the record, it was the world’s best-selling sportscar last year with 69k units delivered around the globe.
That’s impressive for a product that was launched in 2015, but it’s plain to see why the Blue Oval’s iconic model remains so desirable – those muscular looks, combined with the snarling 5.0-litre naturally-aspirated petrol V8, are hard to resist. You don’t need to tell anyone you’re in a Mustang, its unmistakable design and evocative soundtrack do all the talking for you.
We love this red-accented black badge on the boot lid.
What’s more, the model has a rich history to draw from. This Mustang GT California Special, for example, is a nod to the original CS from the 1960s (replete with personalised design mods, such as a blacked-out grille, racing stripes and a rear wing) that Californian dealers convinced Ford to produce for them. Only 100 units of the new CS will be sold in Mzansi.
What are your other options if you’ve got R1.2 million burning a hole in your pocket? Sadly, there’s nothing else with a burbling V8, but you could look at similarly priced Audi TT RS and BMW M240i xDrive, which boast similar levels of performance. The Toyota GR Supra is also worth a look and, if you’re seeking a sound used buy, consider a Porsche Cayman.
GT CS branding indicates this is no ordinary Mustang.
Job one for the 2022 Ford Mustang GT CS is to look the part – and it certainly does, courtesy of a revised grille, a black racing stripe along each of its flanks, a pair of side intakes, unique 19-inch alloy wheels, a distinctive rear wing and subtle red GT CS badging fore and aft. We got a few thumbs up from other Mustang drivers, so we’d say “mission accomplished” then.
While the Mustang’s marketed as a 4-seater sportscar, there’s precious little legroom for rear occupants – we resorted to using the space as an extended parcel shelf. The boot capacity, however, is generous; there’s enough space to store two people’s luggage for a weekend trip.
The button-festooned multifunction steering wheel with the pony logo on full display.
Being a flagship derivative, the GT CS’ equipment levels are top-drawer… The cossetting front seats are heated and ventilated and the Bang & Olufsen audio system is potent, while dual-zone climate control, 3x USB ports, an attractive digital instrument cluster, touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, reverse-view camera with parking sensors, adaptive cruise control (with pre-collision assist) and lane-keeping alert are standard.
The comfortable seats are heated, ventilated and branded with GT CS lettering.
We have to point out that the GT CS does not come equipped with a front camera or -sensors, which made parking a bit stressful, because the Mustang’s expansive and flat bonnet makes it difficult to judge where the car’s nose ends – we were fearful of scraping the front apron.
Performance and Efficiency
Those who buy a Mustang with a 2.3-litre 4-cylinder turbopetrol motor may well have their reasons, but if you want the complete muscle-car experience, surely the thundering 5.0-litre naturally aspirated, petrol-fed V8 is the one to have! With peak outputs of 330 kW and 529 Nm and a 10-speed automatic shuffling torque to the rear wheels, the GT CS is perfectly equipped to add a sense of occasion to every trundle, jaunt and journey you undertake with it.
Ready for a full-bore acceleration run.
When we found a deserted open road ahead of us during the test, we engaged the Mustang’s sportiest drive mode (unbolted the stable doors, if you will) and let the pony car gallop freely.
The first thing you’ll notice is the glorious engine sound – it’s an overwhelming explosion of petrol being converted into horsepower! It’s anything but subtle and, when the active exhaust is fully open, revving beyond 3500 rpm sounds downright rude. Thankfully, you can quieten things down and Ford offers a Good Neighbour mode, because cold starts are also boisterous.
Quiet mode is available (so that the Karens of your neighbourhood won’t complain).
Ford claims a sub-5-second 0-to-100 kph acceleration time for the GT CS, which is fast, but not blistering. Somehow though, the Mustang feels faster than it is. Perhaps it’s the noise, or the drama of the Michelins struggling for grip as they’re contorted by 529 Newtons… In-gear overtaking is impressive; the Mustang will charge from 80-120 kph in the blink of an eye.
These retro switches look the part, but they don’t feel very sturdy/substantial.
Downsides? The transmission is dim-witted. It’s not our first experience with the 10-speed unit and, as we pointed out in our Mustang Mach 1 piece, it shifts lethargically, which blunts the driving experience. Things improve when you make extensive use of the steering wheel-mounted ‘shift paddles, but it seems that there are just too many gears for the ‘box’s control software to choose from. In default automatic mode, kickdowns aren’t subtle – or smooth.
What’s more, the derivative’s claimed fuel economy is just above 12 L/100 km, but that’s very ambitious. If you’re driving in traffic and/or using the sporty drive modes more often than not (which you probably will), don’t be surprised to see returns north of 15 L/100 km.
Ride and Handling
Mustangs may be portrayed as wild, lairy muscle cars in popular culture, such as in movies and TV shows, but in our experience, they’re far more placid machines. Unless you wantonly abuse the accelerator pedal, in which case you’d be playing stupid games and win stupid prizes, this Mustang is more mild-mannered than any of its predecessors. Its rear end will get loose if you’re a bit too eager on corner exits, but the step-out is predictable and manageable.
Grippy Michelin Pilot Sport rubber and potent Brembo brakes are fitted.
The GT CS features trick Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres, a limited-slip diff and electronic damping, the large Brembo units offer prodigious stopping power (with good feedback through the pedal) and, as for comfort? The ride quality is great for a performance vehicle.
There are steering feel and -weighting settings, with Comfort offering the lightest, quickest action and Sport imparting more heft to the ‘wheel’s twirl. The steering setup is good, but not the most accurate or direct – you’re constantly aware that you’re piloting a substantial car. In fact, compared with a Toyota GR Supra (1831 kg), the Mustang GT CS is 300 kg heavier!
The GT CS badge and wing are the key differences between it and lesser ‘stangs.
Price and After-sales support
The Ford Mustang GT California Special retails for R1 154 900. Ford Protect, comprising a 4-year/120 000 km warranty, 3-year/unlimited distance roadside assistance and 5-year/unlimited km corrosion warranty, is included. A service plan is optional.
Unsurprisingly, the California Special is more of a cruiser than a sportscar.
We can fully understand why the Mustang is the world’s best-selling sportscar – and not only because its rivals are dwindling. The Ford is neither as fast, nor as precise to drive as its European rivals, but it trumps them when it comes to character, usability, and everyday practicality. You’ll also never have to explain that you’re driving something special – the Mustang’s timeless kerb presence brings smiles to enthusiasts’ faces and bystanders are likely to enjoy the rich exhaust timbre as much as you do.
So, should you buy one? The Ford Mustang GT CS is about as complicated as a juicy double cheeseburger… and just as pleasurable to savour. Besides, you wouldn’t buy a Mustang for the sprint or lap times that it’s said to be capable of. In the real world, where opportunities to drive at 10/10ths are extremely rare, a V8-powered Mustang is more than quick enough to thrill performance-seekers and offers a relaxed, comfortable open-road cruising experience, along with appreciable practicality.
Ford EcoSport production ends in India: what this means for SA
Production of the Ford EcoSport has officially ceased in India. What does this mean for the South African market? Let’s take a closer look…
The final example of the Indian-build Ford EcoSport has rolled off the assembly line in Chennai, signalling the end of the Blue Oval brand’s production operations in that country.
In September 2021, Ford announced plans to exit the Indian market, though continued to build vehicles for export to markets such as South Africa. Now, according to various publications, including Autocar India, the curtains have finally come down at both of the automaker’s Indian factories.
So, what does this mean for the EcoSport in South Africa? Well, first we should point out only the Ambiente variants fitted with the atmospheric 1.5-litre, 3-cylinder petrol engine were sourced from the Chennai facility, while the mid- and top-spec Trend and Titanium derivatives powered by the brand’s 1.0-litre turbo-triple engine are still being shipped over from Romania (for now).
From what we understand, Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa has secured a large allocation of the Indian-built Ambiente from that final production run, suggesting this stockpile will be enough to see it through the remainder of 2022. As things stand, the turbocharged variants are still being built at the Craiova plant.
The Romanian-built EcoSport Active was added to the SA range in June 2022.
However, in March 2022, Ford in Europe confirmed production of the EcoSport at the Romanian factory would “end later in 2022 as Craiova focuses increasingly on a future built on commercial and electric vehicle growth”. Indeed, the factory, which also produces the Puma, will start building the new Tourneo Courier and Transit Courier in 2023, before adding an all-electric version of the former (as well as a battery-powered Puma) in 2024.
We’d thus speculate the EcoSport will exit the South African market either towards the very end of 2022 or – perhaps more likely if Ford Motor Company of SA again manages to stockpile a decent collection of units – in the first half of 2023, depending on exactly when production ends in Romania.
As a reminder, the EcoSport is a decade old, having been revealed in 2012 and launched locally the following year. It received minor updates and adjustments over the years, with Ford also recently adding the Romanian-built Active derivative to the local line-up.
Despite its age and competition from far fresher rivals, the EcoSport has continued selling strongly in South Africa, with as many as 4 224 units registered locally in the first half of 2022 (that’s a commendable average of more than 700 units a month). Indeed, with the Figo and Fiesta discontinued in SA, the EcoSport has been doing all the heavy lifting for Ford in the passenger-vehicle segment…
All-new Volkswagen Taigo Review – Should you buy this, a Polo or a T-Cross?
Volkswagen is really squeezing all the juice out of its Polo platform; it already underpins the popular Polo and the T-Cross. Now the German brand has just launched this, the Taigo, onto South African showroom floors. Should you consider it?
So what’s this new Volkswagen Taigo all about? Is it just a fat Polo for more money? We sent our video journalist Ciro De Siena to find out.
In this video we take a detailed look at the various Taigo trim levels, engine and gearbox options, the boot space of the Taigo vs the T-Cross, the interior and the extensive list of optional extras.
The Swedish carmaker has confirmed a more affordable electric version of its XC40 will be coming to SA soon. Here’s pricing and spec info.
Volvo SA is expanding on its electrified vehicle portfolio. The product line-up will now included the Volvo XC40 P6 recharge, which is positioned under the P8 Recharge.
The difference is the P8 offers a twin-electric motor setup, with one on each axle, whereas the Volvo XC40 P6 features just the single electric motor driving the front wheels. The P6 has power outputs of 170 kW and 330 Nm, giving it a claimed sprint of 7.4 seconds. The bigger Volvo XC40 P8 Recharge starts from R1 260 000, with this single motor XC40 has a starting price of R1 075 000.
Of more importance is the battery capacity and range, and Volvo says its 69 kWh lithium-ion battery gives the P6 Recharge a range of 423 km on a single charge. An 11 kW onboard charger ensures the vehicle recharges quickly, and customers can choose from either charging at home or at the ever-increasing number of public chargers.
As far as standard spec goes, the only options are 20-inch alloy wheels, panoramic sunroof and heated seats / steering wheel. Everything else is standard, and you get goodies like wireless smartphone charging, front/rear parking sensors, reverse camera and the new Google Android-based operating system that features Google Maps and other services.
As is always the case with Volvo, the newcomer is generously specified, with only a panoramic sunroof and heated seats/steering wheel as optional as everything else is standard. The list of standard features includes items such as wireless smartphone charging, parking sensors (front and rear), a reversing camera and the company’s latest Android-powered touchscreen infotainment system, complete with built-in Google apps and services. Customers may also choose to upgrade to 20-inch wheels, from the original 19-inch wheels.
How much does the XC40 P6 Recharge cost in South Africa?
P6 Recharge R1 075 000
The price includes a five-year maintenance plan and warranty, three years of comprehensive insurance, use of a petrol car for two weeks per year for three years, a public charge cable and a wallbox home charger.
Volvo SA is also offering plug-in hybrid versions of its products and recently launched the XC60 T8 Recharge range. For those of you who love the XC60, but don’t want to dip your toe into electrification, there’s also the pocket-friendly front-wheel-drive XC60 B5.
