Hyundai N Line Elantra Inbound

Hyundai is expanding its N brand and has teased the forthcoming Elantra N Line sedan.

Korean brand Hyundai is keen to push its N and N Line performance arms. The i30 N has been well received as has the Veloster N. We know Hyundai is about to reveal the Kona N, as well as a mid-engined hardcore Veloster N. There's also a facelifted i30 N Line that was teased not so long ago and the compact i10 is getting a sporty kit too. The freshly-revealed i20 is getting a full-blown N model to take on the Ford Fiesta ST and Volkswagen Polo GTI, and we have spyshots. The appeal has been broadened by the introduction of a dual-clutch transmission for those wanting ease of use.

Hyundai launched new versions of the Elantra and Sonata recently, but its the Elantra which is getting the sporty kit. It will be the first time N Line trim will be available on the Elantra and while it isn't a fully-fledged hardcore N model, Hyundai is promising chassis upgrades and a turbocharged engine paired with a sporty design. In the teaser video, you can see the test driver making use of the sporty steering-wheel shift paddles and there's a bit of a sporty noise to it too.

Watch this space as Hyundai pushes the N brand hard over the next few years.

Automobile saved the video star?

Calvin Fisher reckons the return of drive-in theatres would be just the, um, ticket to reinvigorate a Covid-19-afflicted movie industry.

But first, you may ask, what the hell is a drive-in? And secondly, what the hell is wrong with the movie industry? Let's start with the latter and just admit to ourselves that because (mandatory) social distancing has become the new norm, our days of visiting the cinema are over for the foreseeable future. In fact, I can see movie theatres standing still until Christmas. This means that A, blockbusters (and movies in general) that were set to premiere during this period have been pushed right out to 2021 (and beyond) and that B, your favourite actors and the droves of film-making professionals that are required to make them look good can't be in the same room. Two femme fatales in particular: Black Widow and Wonder Woman have had to postpone their respective feature films.

Since all of our old drive-ins have been dismantled, we will have to 'make a plan'

Many completed movies have left the cutting room and are ready to go on circuit, but think about it: what's the point of pumping one hundred million dollars into a movie's production if nobody has the spare cash in hand to buy tickets to watch movies in theatres they're not even allowed to enter? Risk-averse consumers don't even have money to splurge on merchandise either. And, while the likes of streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime have been saviours for those stuck at home, the fact is that lockdown has affected the production of new content for those sites as well.

Which brings us neatly to the drive-in, which I will sum up as briefly as possible. Picture a parking lot with hundreds of parking bays all pointed at a gigantic white wall. Now imagine each bay sprouting a pole, holding a pair of speakers. The premise was that you and your family or, better still, a romantic partner would pay the price of admission and park in one of these bays. A powerful projector would, well, project the latest flick onto the massive screen for the congregated array of cars. Social distancing wouldn’t be a problem since you’d otherwise be at home with your fellow passengers, leaving you all to snuggle under blankets while gorging on popcorn, sodas, or whatever tasty (and probably calorie-rich) treats you prefer to indulge in. Tinny audio would be piped into your cabin via the aforementioned speakers, that is until technology caught up and operators realised they could transmit sound to your car’s stereo system. Bliss.

Under level 4 restrictions, takeaway restaurants could deliver to your car.

I'm 41 years old, so I lived through both eras of the "drive-in theatre" so after 2 weeks of lockdown, I set about turning a Suzuki Vitara into one, right at home in my garage. The job required little more than a USB C to HDMI cable, a cheap projector and some whiteboard. For an even more hi-tech version, you could substitute the projector and screen for a flatscreen TV, but then that would be defeating the more analogue nature of the drive-in experience, wouldn't you agree? The result was my little squad of 4 were able to watch Free Willy via Netflix in our single garage; the Suzuki’s booming audio system and cushy seats availed us with a premium setting. So what if the next day was spent vacuuming up kernels and Aromat off the Vitara's floor and from between the seats?

I’m certainly not the first to think this might be a great idea… Some places in America (Omaha and Arizona, to name but 2 examples) have already started turning their restaurant parking lots into drive-ins and hosting weekly viewings, and they serve food through a takeaway system. The Galileo open-air theatre (which operates in the Western Cape) has inflatable screens that are no longer in use due to the Covid-19 pandemic, so it might make brilliant sense to put those self-same screens to good use in parking lots around the county.

Inflatable screens could be used instead of expensive projectors.

So I say, it is time for a good ol' comeback; shopping centres, stadiums, megachurches and hotels should convert their parking lots into drive-ins so that we may pull up, park and purvey fine cinema once again. It’s not like you can't budget for a few weeks to afford tickets and besides, you’ll reinvigorate the film-, hospitality- and catering industries as a consequence. More than that, you’ll give families something new to do together. Since we’re doing everything together, regardless. Long live the drive-in cinema, long live!

Posaidon Pushes AMG A45 to 324 kph

The current Mercedes-AMG A45 is a hugely powerful 2-litre, however, some German tuners have taken the A45 beyond 300 kph.

AMG’s de-restricted A45 S is an incredibly rapid super hatch.

It would be rather arrogant to believe that one could improve upon AMG’s engineering, but the German aftermarket tuning industry is full of ambitious and talented specialists. One of those is Posaidon, which despite the very un-German name, is located in Mülheim-Kärlich.

The company’s latest offering is a RS 525 upgrade of the A45. Posaidon’s technicians swap out the factory turbocharger for a new unit and appropriately reprogrammed the 2-litre engine’s control electronics to extract more power.

With a new turbocharger and revised control algorithms, the RS 525 boosts 386 kW and 600 Nm. Those are very impressive outputs for a compact four-cylinder engine, and notable gains on the factory AMG A45 S settings of 310 kW and 500 Nm.

Posaidon is aware that increasing the A45’s power by such a large amount could overwhelm AMG’s 4Matic drivetrain, especially its eight-speed dual-clutch transmission. To that end, the software which governs this RS 525 upgrade’s shift patterns, has been adjusted to account for additional engine output.

On a high-friction surface, the Posaidon A45 will run 0-100 kph in only 3.4 seconds, placing it firmly in supercar acceleration territory. Top speed is perhaps even more impressive, with the Posaidon super hatch capable of 324 kph. That's 201 mph in old money, a 200 mile an hour hot hatch!

Beyond its engine upgrade, Posaidon is also offering Evolution One rims for the A45. These wheels are sized at 20-inches and made from carbon-fibre, which means they only weigh 4.9 kg, radically reducing the vehicle’s rolling inertia.

Isuzu D-Max GO2 Ready to Conquer the Wild

With time and money, your Isuzu D-Max can become a unstoppable offroader.

The Isuzu D-Max, in standard form, is already well-respected for its outstanding reliability record as well as its formidable workhorse ability in tough terrain. However, with time and money, any vehicle, the D-Max included, can be elevated to the next level. Take this UK-built Isuzu D-Max GO2 as an example.

Perhaps the most prominent feature is the heavy-duty front bumper which has an ARB Sahara bar and is further equipped with a Britpart power winch, which according to Isuzu, is capable of pulling 4 tons, which is noteworthy.

A full under-guard kit is fitted to prevent damage when traversing difficult terrain and 16-inch wheels with rugged 33-inch Grabber X3 Mud Terrain tyres will ensure maximum grip. The D-Max GO2 is also fitted with a Safari snorkel and beefed-up Pedders TrakRyder suspension system and a lockable rear differential. A heavy-duty rear bumper is also fitted along with a spring-loaded, Pro-Lift tailgate.

In terms of enhanced practicality, the load bay itself features a retractable Moutain Top cover and an aluminium bed draw system with lockable storage compartments.

Isuzu UK executive, Darren James commented “This is a fantastic working example of just how easily the Isuzu D-Max can be adapted and transformed into a ‘do anything, go anywhere’ pick-up and should definitely give our customers some inspiration for what they can achieve in their own D-Max,” stated

The Isuzu D-Max is powered by a 3.0-litre turbodiesel engine with 130 kW and 380 Nm of torque and is offered with either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic transmission.

Buy an Isuzu D-Max on Cars.co.za

Leaked images: BMW 2 Series Coupe

A pair of images of (what appears to be) the upcoming BMW 2 Series Coupe have been posted on a fan forum; considering the polarising styling of the Concept 4 (the precursor to the next 4 Series) and mixed reaction to the looks of the 2 Series Gran Coupe, the G42 should appease the Bimmer faithful.

Earlier this month, we published a clutch of speculative renderings of the new, rear-wheel-drive M2 Coupe – powered by a longitudinally-mounted 300-kW-plus 3.0-litre straight-6. The images were shared with BMW BLOG by one of its readers, @zer.o.wt. Click here to read that article, which includes information of specifically the M2 model.

Now, a pair of revealing images have popped up on BMW enthusiast site 2addicts. Given the partially revealed car features an M badge on its front bumper as well as a nomenclature on its boot lid, we believe that this is a pre-production version of the G42; it is believed the images were taken (covertly) at BMW Group’s Research and Innovation Centre in Munich.

The 2nd-generation Series Coupé (codenamed the G42) is scheduled to go on sale next year and, unlike the current 1 Series and 2 Series Gran Coupe (GC), which have transverse engine layouts and are based on BMW’s Front Architecture platform, the newcomer will adopt an evolution of the brand’s Cluster Architecture (CLAR) platform and be closely based on the Z4 Roadster.

The M2 and its standard 2 Series Coupe siblings will be produced alongside the 3rd-generation Z4 at BMW’s factory in Leipzig, Germany. We think this M-liveried car might well be the M240i, which will offer 285 kW and 550 Nm if equipped with the M340i xDrive’s turbocharged 3.0-litre inline-6 engine and 8-speed automatic transmission.

Judging from the dramatic design cues of the Concept 4 and Concept i4 (backed up with the clues we've got from spy pictures of the former), we know that the upcoming 4 Series is most likely to sport some version of the concept cars' gargantuan upright double-kidney grille. Given that BMW has made it quite public that it wants to further differentiate between its rational and emotional models from an aesthetic point of view (like the 3 Series and the next 4 Series, for example) some expected the next 2 Series Coupe would also sport that controversial large-nostrilled front styling treatment…

However, as we can see from these images, the G42-series’ front isn’t beaver-toothed (or bolt-upright), but simultaneously, it does not feature the 2 Series GC's divisive broad kidney grille with 3-dimensional mesh either. In fact, although its headlight and grille treatment is admittedly not as stylised, the “next 2 Series Coupe” appears to have more of a Z4-like front visage.

The rear treatment makes it clear that the photographed car is a coupe, as a result of the steeper rake of the C-pillars – and an M-flavoured one, by virtue of the elaborate diffuser.

Interestingly, the LED tail-light clusters aren’t slim and elongated as on the 2 Series GC – or indeed the Z4 (on which the car is based), but decidedly chunky, with a distinctive horizontal-question mark lighting signature. A pronounced lip spoiler on the boot lid and pair of trapezoidal exhaust tips at the edge of the rear apron complete the look.

Does this sneak peek (who knows – perhaps BMW “leaked” it on purpose) mean that we may get a look at the production version of the car before the end of 2020 (ahead of a release in early 2021)? We'll have to wait and see, but as soon as we have more details, we’ll be sure to let you know…

Jaguar XE (2020) Specs & Price

Jaguar South Africa has quietly loaded up the configurator and spec details of its updated XE sedan. Here's how much it costs.

The Jaguar XE was given a facelift in early 2019, which we covered in detail here. The looks have been changed, giving it a sleeker appearance, while the cabin has been overhauled.

Jaguar SA is offering one engine in 2 states of tune for our market. The 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol Ingenium motors offers up 184 kW and 365 Nm badged as a P250, while a more potent P300 delivers 221 kW and 400 Nm. All models feature rear-wheel drive as well as an 8-speed automatic transmission. In terms of performance, the P250 is claimed to accelerate to 100 kph in just 6.5 seconds, while consuming 5.2 L/100 km. The P300 model will be the brisker of the two, with 0-100 kph dispatched in a claimed 5.9 seconds and it's said to consume 6.7 L/100 km.

There are an array of packages and the usual Jaguar trim levels of S, SE, HSE will be offered. For those wanting a Jaguar XE that looks sporty, there's the R-Dynamic trim.

At this price point, standard specification looks good with things like premium LED headlights with signature DRL and Auto High Beam Assist (AHBA), rain-sensing windscreen wipers, auto lights, climate control, leather-wrapped steering wheel, electrically-adjustable front seats, smartphone connectivity, USB ports, and a connected Navigation Pro system. Of course you can climb into the options for sportier big wheels, digital dashboard, paint options (Caesium Blue for us please) and much more.?

We'll update this article if there are any updates to Jaguar's answer to the BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Audi A4.

The cabin of the Jaguar XE has been updated.

Jaguar XE Price in South Africa (April 2020)

The vehicle comes as standard with a 5-year care (maintenance) plan, which comprises a 100 000-km warranty and paid-up servicing within a 5-year period, whichever ends first.

Jaguar XE P250 R745 000

Jaguar XE S P250 R745 000

Jaguar XE SE P250 R769 100

Jaguar XE P300 R780 900

Jaguar XE P300 S R780 900

Jaguar XE P300 SE R805 100

Jaguar XE P300 HSE R849 800

Jaguar XE P250 R-Dynamic S R773 200

Jaguar XE P250 R-Dynamic SE R797 400

Jaguar XE P250 R-Dynamic HSE R845 400

Jaguar XE P300 R-Dynamic SE R875 300

Jaguar XE P300 R-Dynamic HSE R884 300

Leaked: Facelifted Toyota Hilux Images

It looks a lot like the facelifted Toyota Hilux has leaked early, ahead of its official reveal. Here's what you need to know.

These photos come from MilelmotorsBlog and if accurate, show the facelifted Toyota Hilux from a few angles. We already know there's a facelifted Toyota Hilux on its way, but details have been scarce. However, these images shed new light onto looks and first impressions show off a muscular redesign.

We've already touched on potential changes in other articles and we suspect there will be a bump in power to the GD range of diesel engines, while the infotainment system is likely to gain Apple CarPlay/Android Auto.

We've already spoken to Toyota South Africa regarding the arrival of the facelifted Hilux. "We will be getting those models but not now. Our timing is quite different to Australia as they don’t source their vehicles from SA. In addition, SA-unique models like the Legend 50 and Dakar models bridge the gap and extend the life of our current Hilux product offerings." Toyota Australia will be getting its updated Hilux as early as July 2020, but the COVID-19 epidemic has likely thrown everyone's plans into disarray.

There will also be an update to the Toyota Fortuner, which you can read about here.

Browse new and used Toyota Hilux stock now.

RAW by Koenigsegg Previews New Entry Hypercar

The Raw By Koenigsegg takes a look at what the future holds for the Swedish hypercar brand.

What you see here is the result of a Finnish designer's graduation thesis. Raw Design House is owned by Koenigsegg and the Raw By Koenigsegg is a digital concept car that previews what a potential entry-level hypercar will look like.

It features a 3-seater setup in a carbon fibre occupant cell and is powered by the 3-cylinder Freevalve motor which made its debut in the Koenigsegg Gemera. The aim is to have an output of 700 hp and tip the scales at 700 kg, which is yet another car that has the 1:1 power to weight ratio. The Freevalve tech means there are no camshafts and with this tech, expect 0-100 kph to be in the 3-second ballpark.

Raw By Koenigsegg Video

Cars.co.za launches long-format South African car show and digital magazine during lockdown

As the nationwide lockdown enters its fourth week, South Africa’s leading online motoring portal, Cars.co.za, has come to the rescue of the nation’s content-starved petrolheads.

The brand, which recently celebrated reaching the 200 000-subscriber milestone on its YouTube channel, has introduced a long-format online car show (anchored by its own Ciro De Siena) and launched a new digital magazine under its SentiMETAL car culture sub-brand.

“We have been working towards this project for many years now – a proudly South African long-format, multi-segment car show that celebrates our country and its rich car history,” says Ross McIlroy, co-founder of Cars.co.za.

“We toyed with broadcasting on terrestrial television, or launching on a streaming network, but with us so close to the finish line, we got blindsided by the global COVID-19 crisis. Our talks, production and the country halted,” he explains.

“But this extraordinary moment in time also creates opportunity. With South Africa ordered to stay home, online content consumption is on the rise and content creation dwindling. As a company that takes great pride in being nimble, we simply couldn’t resist the urge to fill this content void and give South Africa, and the world, something beautiful to watch.

“And so we decided to adapt our long-format car show concept, using some techniques that may have been unthinkable before lockdown, and get it ready in record time to release it for free.

“With this show, we aim to entertain, inform, inspire and hopefully make our audience smile. We have also committed to donating all revenue generated off our Cars.co.za YouTube channel for the rest of 2020 to charitable causes in support of the fight against COVID-19,” McIlroy says.

“This donation will be in addition to our other current relief efforts,” he adds. Cars.co.za will also be making donations to the Solidarity fund and Food Forward SA, with a view to assisting in the combat against the pandemic, as well as helping the vulnerable South Africans impacted most by the lockdown. A further donation has been made to Shout4Masks, a non-profit organisation supplying medical masks to those who are battling this disease on the frontlines.

As for the show, all content was either filmed pre-lockdown or safely under lockdown conditions by Cars.co.za’s presenter himself – Ciro De Siena, “Luckily my apartment block has a huge basement,” De Siena says. “I think we might have filmed the first ever car review entirely shot underground. And in terms of a studio, I didn’t think my lounge would work so well. I missed my crew, however, and a live studio audience would have been nice; my toaster and coffee machine weren’t very enthusiastic!”

New episodes will debut on the Cars.co.za YouTube channel every Thursday at 8pm and remain available for viewing indefinitely.*

* The episode to be aired on Thursday 23 April 2020 will be postponed to Friday 24 April 2020 in support of the scheduled public address by President Cyril Ramaphosa.

SentiMETAL: a magazine aimed at petrolheads

A day after the launch of The Cars.co.za Show, the brand also introduced a new digital magazine, simply titled SentiMETAL, Live To Drive #1. The striking publication features the uniquely South African Alfa Romeo GTV6 3.0 on the cover and consists of nearly 90 pages filled with pure petrolhead-loving content.

"We've noticed a tremendous increase in interest in motoring content, particularly entertaining content, in the past few weeks as people are spending a lot more time on their digital devices," says Hannes Oosthuizen, SentiMETAL project head. "So, about three weeks ago, we decided to launch a SentiMETAL digital magazine aimed at those petrolheads, and I'm really proud of the team for putting it together so swiftly and beautifully," he says.

The magazine is for sale on www.sentimetal.shop. Following payment, the buyer is sent a link to download the magazine and open it in PDF magazine format. It will also shortly be available on global virtual newsstands such as Magzter and Zinio.

In the first issue

Cars.co.za’s Alfa Romeo GTV6 3.0 restoration project in detail
Driving Toyota's late bloomer, the beautiful 2000 GT
Cruising the fabulous Western Cape roads in an ex-Sarel van der Merwe
Porsche 356 Speedster
An in-depth Buyer's Guide on the BMW (E46) M3
Behind the wheel of one of only two Dodge Viper GTS examples in SA
A closer look at the fascinating history of the Harley-Davidson XR750
Future classic: we take Lamborghini's new Huracan EVO for a spin
An odd-ball rear-engined Mercedes-Benz from the '30s: the 130

Furthermore, the launch issue features an overview of local and international classic-car related news and events (including the two SentiMETAL Gatherings earlier this year), updates on contributors' experiences with their own classics, columns by Mike Fourie and Graeme Hurst, as well as an interview with Antony Ashley from Freight Factory about global car shipping and more.

Although Cars.co.za is now a leading brand in the motor industry and has been in existence for a decade, it still embraces its start-up culture.

“The long-format show and digital magazine may be examples of swift, decisive action, but also of embracing experimentation,” says Oosthuizen. “In this Lockdown period, where everyone is spending more time online searching for entertainment and engagement, Cars.co.za has fast-tracked a number of initiatives. It has partnered with Mercedes-Benz, Klipa Denim and acclaimed filmmaker Robert dos Santos to launch a fashion film (produced prior to the national lockdown, but released this week) and even hosted what could be a world first – a virtual “cars and coffee” meet using the Zoom conferencing platform.”

New Toyota Yaris Cross Revealed [w/video]

Toyota has revealed a new crossover based on the Yaris hatchback and it’s called the Yaris Cross!

Finally, the new crossover from Toyota has been revealed and it looks promising! This new model was meant to be revealed at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year but the COVID-19 pandemic forced Toyota to postpone the reveal. Toyota, instead, opted to reveal the new model with a digital press conference.

Now, the wait is over and here it is, meet the Yaris Cross, Toyota’s new B-SUV! It’s based on the new Yaris hatchback which is underpinned by Toyota's New Global Architecture (TNGA) platform and while it shares its wheelbase at 2 560 mm, the Yaris Cross is longer by some 240 mm and stands 20 mm wider and 90 mm taller than its hatchback sibling. The Yaris Cross is smaller than the CH-R will slot in below it in Toyota’s crossover/SUV offerings.

The Yaris Cross employs a 4th-generation hybrid powertrain consisting of a new 3-cylinder 1.5-litre Atkinson cycle petrol engine which combines with an electric motor to produce a maximum power output of 85 kW. The Toyota Cross Hybrid will be offered in both front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive formats.

The Yaris Cross takes interior design inspiration from the new Yaris hatchback.

The Yaris Cross’ crossover styling is accentuated with 18-inch wheels and bold wrap-around cladding that gives it some rugged appeal. In terms of practicality, the Yaris Cross is equipped with 40:20:40 split rear seats as well as handy features such as an electric tailgate and an adjustable load space and a belt system to secure goods in the load bay.

The Yaris Cross Hybrid will be built in France alongside the new Yaris and Toyota expects to build more than 150 000 per annum with this new model expected to account for a third of Toyota’s European sales volume.

Europe is a key market for the Yaris Cross Hybrid and hybrids have historically sold poorly in South Africa and therefore it's unlikely that we will see the new Yaris Cross Hybrid in our market. What a pity!

Do you like the look of the Yaris Cross and do you want to see it in South Africa?

Buy a Toyota Yaris on Cars.co.za

Hyundai N Line Elantra Inbound

Hyundai is expanding its N brand and has teased the forthcoming Elantra N Line sedan.

Further Reading

Automobile saved the video star?

Calvin Fisher reckons the return of drive-in theatres would be just the, um, ticket to reinvigorate a Covid-19-afflicted movie industry.

Related content:

Posaidon Pushes AMG A45 to 324 kph

The current Mercedes-AMG A45 is a hugely powerful 2-litre, however, some German tuners have taken the A45 beyond 300 kph.

Related content

Isuzu D-Max GO2 Ready to Conquer the Wild

With time and money, your Isuzu D-Max can become a unstoppable offroader.

Related Content

Leaked images: BMW 2 Series Coupe

A pair of images of (what appears to be) the upcoming BMW 2 Series Coupe have been posted on a fan forum; considering the polarising styling of the Concept 4 (the precursor to the next 4 Series) and mixed reaction to the looks of the 2 Series Gran Coupe, the G42 should appease the Bimmer faithful.

Related content:

Jaguar XE (2020) Specs & Price

Jaguar South Africa has quietly loaded up the configurator and spec details of its updated XE sedan. Here's how much it costs.

Jaguar XE Price in South Africa (April 2020)

Further Reading

Leaked: Facelifted Toyota Hilux Images

It looks a lot like the facelifted Toyota Hilux has leaked early, ahead of its official reveal. Here's what you need to know.

Further Reading

RAW by Koenigsegg Previews New Entry Hypercar

The Raw By Koenigsegg takes a look at what the future holds for the Swedish hypercar brand.

Raw By Koenigsegg Video

Further Reading

Cars.co.za launches long-format South African car show and digital magazine during lockdown

As the nationwide lockdown enters its fourth week, South Africa’s leading online motoring portal, Cars.co.za, has come to the rescue of the nation’s content-starved petrolheads.

SentiMETAL: a magazine aimed at petrolheads

In the first issue

New Toyota Yaris Cross Revealed [w/video]

Toyota has revealed a new crossover based on the Yaris hatchback and it’s called the Yaris Cross!

Related Content