Audi RS Q8 Review – Cheaper than its rivals…but better?
Ciro De Siena gets to grips with one of the world’s fastest and most powerful SUVs; the Audi RS Q8.
Audi has built a name on fast wagons and now, with the RSQ8, they’re hoping those expertise and that reputation translates into success in the world of unnecessarily powerful SUVs.
The Q8 was never what we would have described as slow, even with a diesel-burner under the bonnet. But moderate performance doesn’t cut it in a world where the BMW X5M, Mercedes-AMG GLE 63, Range Rover Sport SVR, Porsche Cayenne Turbos and Jaguar F-Pace SVR are all vying for motorists’ moolah.
And so the RSQ8 borrows heavily from the Audi RS6, with the same twin-turbo, 4.0-litre V8 up front, driving all four wheels. Air suspension is standard and some huge wheels are on offer; our test unit was riding on 23-inch alloys!
Our video guy Ciro De Siena had the Killarney racetrack in Cape Town all to himself which allowed him to make use of all those kilowatts and Newton’s meters, to bring you this review.
It seems only yesterday the BMW 3 Series was launched in South Africa, but after its local debut back in March 2019, work on the facelifted model has begun.
Picture credit: S. Baldauf/SB-Medien. We have paid for these photos and at the photographer’s request, have watermarked them.
Our spy photographers spotted the 2023 BMW 3 Series LCI doing many laps at the Nurburgring recently. Despite the heavy camouflage, we can see the new front bumper, new headlights and at the rear, there are new taillights. Those exhausts look big, so we suspect this is the M340i derivative.
Visually, we’re not expecting anything too radical as far as design is concerned, but the real changes will be under the skin. If we were betting folk, we’d wager that BMW HQ has a brand-new Mercedes-Benz C-Class in its R&D centre and is thoroughly inspecting it. Given how advanced this C-Class is, we think the Munich-based brand will be interested in how to improve on the already competent 3 Series.
We’ve seen big advances from BMW with its new iDrive 7.0 with its large curved display and it would not surprise us if this made its way into the BMW 3 Series LCI straight from the iX electric family car.
Don’t expect too many radical changes as far as engines and gearboxes, as we suspect the current lineup of petrol and diesel engines will be carried over. European emission laws are getting stricter all the time, so we think the current powertrain range may receive mild hybrid technology to help reduce the CO2 levels and improve the fuel economy.
With Euro 7 standards looming, the future of models like the M340i and the diesel-powered 3 Series could be in doubt. As a reminder, the BMW 3 Series is no longer assembled in SA, with the BMW facility in Rosslyn building the X3 SUV for the global market as well as local consumption.
Mazda has given its popular CX-5 SUV a mild update for 2022. Here’s what changed.
The CX-5 is a stylish and competent family SUV. With formidable rivals like the Volkswagen Tiguan, Hyundai Tucson, and the Toyota RAV4, the CX-5’s latest updates have to be good.
Visually, the updated CX-5 gets a revised headlight cluster that now features rectangular LED lights and a new-look front grille.
Inside, there are some trim material updates with woodgrain and Nappa leather, while the cabin has been enhanced ergonomically with redesigned seats and a new drive select switch.
Under the skin, the 6-speed automatic transmission has been updated to be more responsive and deliver smoother acceleration. The suspension has been enhanced to reduce vibrations and road noise. All-wheel drive is now standard across the range, which will please those who enjoy driving off-tar and provide additional stability in slippery conditions.
The international lineup has changed with the 2.5-litre turbocharged model replacing the base derivatives. We’re waiting for comments from Mazda South Africa whether this update applies to SA-spec CX-5 models.
Future Mazda CX-5 Strategy
This will be the final update from Mazda for this generation of CX-5 as the all-new model will be built on a brand-new rear-wheel-drive platform that’s estimated to be production-ready in 2023. Along with this upmarket platform will be straight-6 engines, fuelling rumours that Mazda will be going upmarket with its next-gen offerings.
The new-gen motors will be featuring Sky-Activ-G petrol and SkyActiv-D diesel technology, as well as the new SkyActiv-X compression ignition hybrid petrol engine. One of the new motors will have a displacement of 3.0 litres and given the size increase, it is clear Mazda is pushing hard into the premium space. It’s not confirmed yet, but rumours are strong the CX-5 name will be dropped in favour of a CX-50 badge, which brings it in line with the current naming convention.
Much like the Ranger Thunder which came to market last year, the Ranger Stormtrak builds on the Ranger Wildtrak and gains its own set of eye-catching styling features.
The Ranger Stormtrak will be offered with 18-inch gloss black alloy wheels, a black mesh grille with red inserts, black lower bumper section, black 3D Stormtrack decals seen on the bonnet and doors and black roof rails. The limited-edition Ranger Stormtrak also features obligatory ‘Stormtrak’ badges found on the lower door sections and on the tailgate.
A practical addition is the Power Roller Shutter which covers the load bay to protect your cargo as well as a bed divider. A drop-in bed liner and 12V socket is fitted and the tailgate is also lockable via central locking.
The Ranger Stormtrak will be offered in a new Lucid Red exterior paint finish or buyers can opt for Sea Grey, Frozen White or Blue Lightning.
As for the interior, leather seats with contrasting red stitching are standard and they feature Stormtrak logos on the seat backrests to remind you that this is not a Ranger Thunder. Red stitching is further seen on the leather dashboard, transmission gaiter and steering wheel. Ford’s SYNC3 infotainment system is also standard fair with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay functionality and app control functionality via FordPass.
Driving assistance and safety features include Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with Forward Collision Alert, Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), Lane Keeping Alert and Lane Keeping Aid, Driver Alert System, and Semi-Automatic Parallel Park Assist.
Ford’s familiar 2.0-litre bi-turbocharged diesel engine will be found in the engine bay with outputs of 157 kW and 500 Nm of torque and comes paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission.
What is the price of the Ford Ranger Stormtrak in South Africa?
Ford Ranger Stormtrak 2.0Bi-Turbo Hi-Rider – R790 300
Ford Ranger Stormtrak 2.0Bi-Turbo 4×4 – R846 500
The Ford Ranger Stormtrak is sold with a 4-year/120 000km warranty and a 6-year/90 000km service plan.
While the Fortuner is perhaps most appreciated for its formidable offroad capability, it’s not necessarily considered to be ‘sporty’, or is it?
Sporty looks for Fortuner GR Sport
The Fortuner GR Sport features some added visual appeal over the standard Fortuner.
Toyota’s Gazoo Racing arm has given the Fortuner its GR Sport treatment which elevates the vehicle’s styling but the treatment does not include any mechanical upgrades for the sought-after 7-seater.
The stylistic upgrades include a new front bumper, dark chrome grille and sleek looking rear bumpers. Obligatory GR Sport badging is seen on the tailgate and lower door sections which serve as a subtle reminder that this is not a standard Fortuner.
Moving inside, the Fortuner GR Sport gains nice-to-have features such as leather upholstery with red stitching and GR emblems, sports pedals, a 9-inch infotainment system, a rear infotainment screen, a surround-view monitor and a wireless charging pad.
While the differences are mostly cosmetic, the Fortuner GR Sport has new Monotube Shock Absorbers and the special 20-inch GR Sport wheels gain ventilated disc brakes with red GR brake callipers.
The tried and tested 2.8-litre turbodiesel engine with 150 kW and 500 Nm remains.
Will the Toyota Fortuner GR Sport Come to South Africa?
There are no immediate plans to introduce the Fortuner GR Sport locally as the South African market “has more of a leisure/luxury focus with Fortuner. It could potentially appear as a lifecycle action but there are no definite plans at present”, according to a local Toyota spokesperson.
Ford recently introduced the Everest Sport and if you consider just how popular the Fortuner is in South Africa, we think the Fortuner GR Sport will be well-received locally.
Also, we wouldn’t be surprised to see a mechanically-enhanced Fortuner GR or even a hardcore Fortuner GRMN come to market at some stage. How awesome would that be?
With Ford ending its vehicle production in India, what does that mean for local customers of the Blue Oval’s budget cars and compact family cars?
For Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa (FMCSA), the Figo and the EcoSport are linchpins of its passenger-car lineup. Although the 2nd generation of the (admittedly slightly larger) Figo has not quite fared as well as its plucky predecessor, the EcoSport helped to create the small crossover segment when it arrived locally in 2013 and has held a significant presence in the new-vehicle market ever since.
When FMCSA’s family car/compact SUV sales collapsed in the wake of the company’s well-reported Kuga issues (the Silverton-based firm opted not to introduce the successor to the Kuga in the local market), robust demand for the EcoSport offset some of the sales that Ford lost. However, things might have become a touch complicated for the popular Ford “budget gravel traveller”…
Two generations of the Ford Figo has served South African budget-car buyers.
Ford has announced that it no longer plans to have a manufacturing presence in India, which is where South Africa’s Figo and some EcoSport derivatives are imported from. In a shock announcement, the Blue Oval has confirmed that its Indian production assets in Chennai (EcoSport) and Sanand (Figo) would be closed after suffering the equivalent of R28 billion in losses during the past decade.
India was hailed as a robust future demand- and production market by many automotive companies… Ford is certainly not the only company to have invested huge amounts of capital there and the EcoSport was one of its biggest automotive exports. But somehow, the numbers that triggered that original business case never materialised.
The question is, what will happen to FMCSA’s EcoSport and Figo supply and parts stability in light of the Indian plant closure? Both vehicles have been sourced from India for many years, which was by far the world’s biggest growth market for right-hand drive vehicles in the last few years.
Cars.co.za’s David Taylor recently reviewed the recently introduced Ford EcoSport Black.
Sourcing right-hand drive product globally is not easy. It is something that South African product planners are often hampered by and India provided the scale in its domestic market, with the added benefit of production capacity to also supply right-hand-drive markets like South Africa.
So, what will happen now? Ford has not said much beyond confirming the disengagement from its Indian auto assembly business. The direct impact won’t be immediately felt in South Africa, as production at Ford’s Indian assembly facilities will be tapered off; it won’t cease overnight.
Where will FMSCA source its future EcoSport and Figo units from beyond the second quarter of 2022? That is an interesting question…
There are several global production options for the EcoSport, which was conceived to be a “truly global crossover”; Ford invested in many production locations, including one in Romania, which supplies the 1.0-litre 3-cylinder EcoBoost derivatives to our market. This factory, which also supplies right-hand drive EcoSports for the UK market, could become the exclusive source for FMCSA.
What might be challenging, is the landed cost of EcoSport units procured from the EU. European labour rates, even those in Romania, are higher than in India. And the Euro-specification EcoSport is a comprehensively equipped version, unlike the lower content (read: budget market-oriented) units that are built in India, which may cause the entry price point of the model to become more expensive.
The Figo is a bigger problem. It has only one global production hub, which is the Ford facility in Sanand, India – yes, the one that is being decommissioned.
As FMCSA’s most affordable car, the Figo is an important contact point for the brand with local customers; its target market includes buyers who are either thinking of purchasing their first new car – or buying down. Where the Figo will be built after the Sanand factory is closed (unless, of course, Ford decides to discontinue the model) remains to be seen, however.
With Toyota South Africa preparing for the launch of the SA-built Corolla Cross, internationally a Corolla Cross GR Sport was announced.
The Toyota Corolla Cross will be arriving in local showrooms towards the end of the year, fresh off the production line at Toyota SA’s plant in Durban. With petrol and hybrid options available, it looks like customers will be spoilt for choice when it comes to SUVs around the R350k mark.
The Corolla Cross will be slotted between the Toyota C-HR, Urban Cruiser and the Toyota RAV4, giving customers more choice than ever when it comes to a family SUV.
As comprehensive as the SA range is, it’s lacking a sporty touch. Enter the GR Sport, which has just been announced by Toyota Asia. Like all GR Sport models in Toyota’s portfolio, this isn’t a performance version, but rather a mostly cosmetic upgrade.
With subtle GR Sport badging inside and out, as well as a new-look front bumper with unique intakes and foglight recesses, the Corolla Cross GR Sport looks bold and interesting. There are also unique headlights and taillights as well as interior upgrades.
Inside, the Corolla Cross GR Sport theme extends to the interior panels and seats, with a black theme throughout. There’s a GR Sport logo on the start button as well as the seats. It is not just about the looks and Toyota says its Corolla Cross GR Sport also gets an adjusted suspension with thicker shock absorbers and stabilizers. The steering setup is also said to be reconfigured, presumably to give it a bit more feel and engagement.
The engine is left untouched and for the record, the Corolla Cross is powered by a 1.8-litre naturally-aspirated petrol engine delivering 103 kW and 173 Nm. The hybrid model has a 1.8-litre petrol engine paired to an electric motor giving it a total output of 90 kW.
Toyota South Africa confirmed the GR Sport will be available in SA, but at a later stage. Expect it in 2022.
The facelifted Mini Cooper will be launching in SA in September 2021. Here’s what’s on offer, plus how much it will cost.
With an all-new model due in 2023 and the constant advances in connectivity and tech, Mini has given its hatch and convertible range a facelift, both inside and out.
These changes are applied to the One hatch, Cooper hatch, Cooper S hatch, Cooper Convertible, JCW and the electrified Cooper SE. Customers will have the choice of 3-door or 5-door vehicles, excluding the Convertible.
Mini Cooper Exterior Changes
This is not just a visual exterior change with some new bumpers and wheels as there’s been extensive work done to the Mini Cooper interior too. There’s a new digital dashboard, identical to that found in the bigger Countryman, an all-new infotainment system, redesigned steering wheel and some trim and ergonomic updates.
Engine lineup
It appears the engine and gearbox options for the updated Mini Cooper range have been carried over. Kicking off the range is the Mini One, with a 1.5-litre turbocharged 3-cylinder producing 75 kW and 190 Nm. Power goes to the front wheels via a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission and Mini says it’ll hit 100 kph in a claimed 10.3 seconds. Fuel economy is claimed at 5.6 L/100 km.
For the Cooper model, the same 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine is used, but has been tuned to deliver 100 kW and 220 Nm, giving it a brisk 0-100 kph of 8.1 seconds and economy figures of 5.6 L/100 km.
The Mini Cooper S really ups the ante with a 2.0-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder petrol engine delivering 141 kW and 280 Nm and it’ll be fun, with a claimed 0-100 kph in just 6.7 seconds. The JCW performance version is also on offer, and that punches out a ballistic 170 kW and 320 Nm, making it the quickest production Mini Cooper on offer.
There’s also the fully electric Mini Cooper SE, which has 135 kW and 270 Nm, with a range of 217 km and a claimed 0-100 kph of just 7.3 seconds.
We will confirm SA specifications when the vehicle goes on sale.
Mini Cooper (2021) Price in South Africa
The updated Cooper is sold with a 2 year/unlimited-kilometre warranty and a 3-year/75 000 km service plan.
We recently staged our biggest bakkie drag race on a dried-up lakebed in the Northern Cape. Yes, some of the results were fairly predictable but there were some surprises too. If you are interested in knowing what the fastest double-cab bakkies in the land are, then this video will give you some answers!
Double-cab bakkies, or utes as the Aussies say, aren’t your typical vehicles to line up for a drag race.
We happened to find ourselves out in the middle of nowhere in the heart of South Africa’s Northern Cape province on a dry lakebed with 6 of the latest double-cab bakkies on sale in South Africa.
Note that products such as the Mahindra Pik Up, soon-to-be-replaced Isuzu D-Max and Mitsubishi Triton were missing from the party due to logistical challenges but you can use your imagination as to where they might have been placed in this company.
With the local launch of the all-new Mercedes-Benz C-Class just a few months away, attention now turns to the flagship performance derivative. Here are the latest spy shots of the 2022 Mercedes-AMG C63.
Picture credit: S. Baldauf/SB-Medien. We have paid for these photos and at the photographer’s request, have watermarked them.
The Mercedes-Benz C-Class is one of the Stuttgart-based brand’s stalwart products. There’s a derivative for all needs, be it petrol, diesel and even plug-in hybrid. Most petrolheads will be interested in the AMG-tuned models and while the standard models have been revealed, we’re some way away from seeing the production 2022 Mercedes-AMG C63.
The bad news, if you weren’t already aware, is that the mighty 4.0-litre biturbo V8 petrol engine has been replaced by a 4-cylinder hybrid unit. Essentially the 2.0-litre 4-cylinder motor from the A45 S will be bolstered by a big Mercedes-EQ electric power unit and while that unique and special sound will be gone, the rumoured performance numbers are staggering.
2022 Mercedes-AMG C63 Power
How does 410 kW and 800 Nm sound to you? The C63 will feature Merc’s latest 4Matic variable all-wheel-drive system and using a 9-speed automatic transmission, acceleration from zero to 100 kph is expected to take just 3.5 seconds which is 0.5 seconds faster than the outgoing model. The top speed is pegged at 291 kph.
While those numbers are certainly impressive, the downside is that the hybrid system has added some 250 kg, taking the vehicles kerb weight to around 2-tonnes, even though the 4-cylinder engine is some 60 kg lighter than the outgoing V8 block.
A 63 km electric-only range is also expected and fuel consumption is reportedly claimed at 3.0 L/100km which is a notable improvement from the previous 9.9 L/100km. The C63 will also feature wider rear tyres as well as a drift mode which will direct power to the rear wheels on command, much like the system offered on the larger Mercedes-AMG E63 S.
The all-new 2022 Mercedes-AMG C63 is expected to be revealed before the end of 2021.
