New Diesel Opel Crossland X for SA

Opel will welcome a new diesel-powered derivative to its Crossland X range in mid-June 2019. Take a look at what you can expect in terms of specification and pricing below…

Up until now, the Opel Crossland X range offered 4 front-wheel drive derivatives with two 3-cylinder petrol engines on offer and the choice of manual and automatic transmissions.

The range starts with the entry-level Crossland X 1.2 Essentia and mid-spec Enjoy derivatives which are, powered by a naturally-aspirated, 1.2-litre engine with 60 kW and 118 Nm of torque and mated with a 5-speed manual transmission. Fuel consumption is claimed at 5.2 L/100km.

The remaining Crossland X 1.2 Turbo Enjoy automatic and Crossland X 1.2 Cosmo automatic derivatives are powered by a turbocharged 1.2-litre engine with 81 kW and 205 Nm of torque, both mated with a 6-speed automatic transmission. Opel claims a fuel consumption figure of 5.4 L/100km for the turbocharged derivatives.

Opel Crossland X 1.2T Enjoy (2018) Review

Explore the Crossland X range here

Diesel joins the range

A new diesel-powered Crossland X will soon join the range. The Crossland X 1.6TD Enjoy is based on the mid-spec Enjoy manual derivative but is powered by a turbocharged 1.6-litre diesel engine offering 68 kW and 230 Nm and carries a fuel consumption figure of 5.4 L/100km.

Key standard features for this new derivative include an Intellilink infotainment system with 6 speakers, front and rear park assist, electric windows, cruise control, electric folding side mirrors and a front 12V socket. The load bay offers 410 litres of space.

In terms of safety, 6 airbags are standard as is Electronic Stability Programme (ESP), Hill Start Assist (HSA), Lane Departure Warning and ISOFIX child seat mounts. Optional features include a reverse camera, twisted roof and mirror caps.

Opel Crossland X – Price in South Africa

Crossland X 1.2 Essentia – R274 900

Crossland X 1.2 Enjoy – R295 900

Crossland X 1.2 Turbo Enjoy Auto – R348 450

Crossland X 1.6TD Enjoy – R348 450

Crossland X 1.2 Turbo Cosmo Auto – R400 537

Ford Figo Blu Limited Edition in SA

Ford is offering a limited edition Figo Blu in South Africa, take a look at what’s on offer…

The Figo is a popular model in Ford’s local lineup and now customers can buy a limited edition Figo Blu, but you’ll have to hurry, there are only 360 units on offer in South Africa.

"We developed Figo Blu for our customers who are bold, seek uniqueness and push beyond the boundaries," says Doreen Mashinini, General Manager Marketing at Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa. "The standard Figo hatchback is already a very competitive offering in the compact segment, but this special edition model allows customers to really stand out from the crowd."

Ford Figo 1.5 Trend auto (2018) Quick Review

What’s unique about it?

Numerous blue interior details differentiate the Figo Blu from the rest of the range.

The Figo Blu is based on the Figo 1.5 Trend derivative and is distinguished by a black mesh grille, blue fog lamp bezels, black mirror housings, a black roof and rides on black 15-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels. Decals seen on the lower section of the doors round off the look and the Figo Blu can be had in 3 colours including Moondust Silver, Oxford White and Smoke Grey.

As for the interior, all 4 door panels are fitted with blue gloss trim inserts. A leather steering wheel is fitted and the blue theme continues with blue stitching on the gear gaiter and ‘Figo Blu’ embroidery on the front floor mats.

Key interior features include a basic radio with 4 speakers offering Bluetooth, A USB port and Ford’s device dock to connect and hold your smartphone while driving. Electric windows, central locking, alarm and immobiliser are included and dual front airbags and ABS are standard.

Under the bonnet, Ford’s familiar 1.5-litre, 3-cylinder petrol engine which offers 88 kW and 150 Nm of torque. A 5-speed manual transmission channels power to the front wheels.

Ford Figo – Price in South Africa

Figo 1.5 TiVCT Ambiente Hatch 5MT – R185 600

Figo 1.5 TiVCT Trend Hatch 5MT – R195 800

Figo Blu 1.5 TiVCT Hatch 5MT – R203 800

Figo 1.5 TiVCT Trend Hatch 6AT – R213 800

Figo 1.5 TiVCT Titanium Hatch 5MT – R219 900

Figo 1.5 TiVCT Ambiente Sedan 5MT – R191 700

Figo 1.5 TiVCT Trend Sedan 5MT – R200 900

A 4-year/120 000 km warranty, 4-year/60 000 km service plan, 3-year/unlimited km roadside assistance and a 5-year/unlimited km corrosion warranty is standard.

Buy a new or used Ford Figo on Cars.co.za

Volkswagen Kombi Range Bolstered

Volkswagen has bolstered its local Kombi range with a more powerful 132 kW Trendline Plus derivative. See specification and pricing below…

The Volkswagen Kombi does steady business in South Africa with almost 5 000 units sold since the sixth-generation Kombi came to market in 2015.

The range-topping 132 kW / 400 Nm 2.0-litre bi-turbocharged diesel engine was previously only offered in Comfortline guise but it can now be had in Trendline Plus guise, at a more affordable price. This engine is mated to a 7-speed DSG transmission.

5 Reason Why We Love The Volkswagen Kombi

Standard features

This powerful Trendline Plus derivative rides on 17-inch ‘Devonport’ alloy wheels, LED headlights/taillights, front and rear park distance control with a rear reverse camera and a tow bar.

The interior is equipped with a multifunction steering wheel and multifunction display, Composition Media radio with AppConnect and cruise control. Other noteworthy features include an adjustable driver armrest, leatherette upholstery and carpeted floor covering.

Optional features include folding side mirrors, side airbags, a comfort package or a light and sight package.

Additional safety features include post-collision braking, driver alert and fog lights (optional cornering lights).

Volkswagen Kombi – Price in South Africa

Kombi 2.0 TDI 75kW Trendline (standard wheelbase) – R570 000

Kombi 2.0 TDI 103kW DSG Trendline – R603 900

Kombi 2.0 BiTDi 132kW DSG Trendline Plus – R659 700

Kombi 2.0 BiTDI 132kW DSG Comfortline – R735 700

The Volkswagen Kombi is sold with a 3-year/120 000 km warranty and a 5-year/60 000 km maintenance plan. A 12-month anti-corrosion warranty is also standard.

Buy a new or used Volkswagen Kombi on Cars.co.za

Mazda Announces BT-50 Boss Edition

Mazda applies direct bakkie marketing logic, Down Under.

A special edition version of the Ford Ranger’s twin has been revealed for right-hand drive bakkie customers.

Mazda has announced a new range-topping version of its BT-50 double-cab, called rather unambiguously: the Boss.

Only available in four-wheel drive, and powered by Ford’s large 3.2-litre five-cylinder turbodiesel engine, the BT-50 Boss is exclusively finished in white pearl mica paint.

Contrasting its snowflake surface colour are a range of black styling details, including darkened 17-inch wheels, grille, door handles, running boards, roll-hoop and wing mirrors.

Inside the BT-50 Boss, Mazda’s most significant upgrade to its double-cab bakkie is an Alpine sound system comprising eight carbon fibre reinforced speakers, which include tweeters mounted inside the cabin’s A-pillars. With an infotainment system that includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, your Smartphone playlist will now come to its all its glory, inside a BT-50 Boss.

Why has Mazda started marketing the BT-50 in Australia? Well, the bakkie is getting on in age and Mazda is wary of allowing sales momentum to stall. The current Mazda BT-50 has been on sale since 2011, and although it debuted as a Ford Ranger T6-series twin, it has not similarly benefitted from recent upgrades to the American brand’s mid-sized bakkie.

The last facelift it had was back in 2017 – read about that here

Mazda’s double-cab future is no longer in partnership with Ford, but instead with fellow Japanese brand, Isuzu. The two manufacturers will cooperate on a next-generation BT-50, with Mazda’s bakkie effectively becoming a twin (again) of the D-Max, by 2021.

Jaguar XE SV Project 8 Gains Touring Spec

Jaguar has announced a collector's edition of the hardcore XE SV Project 8. Check out the Touring spec.

When Jaguar revealed its hardcore XE SV Project 8, petrolheads were amazed. With 441 kW from a supercharged 5.0-litre V8 motor, trick aerodynamics with a monster wing and some high-performance suspension, the XE SV proved ballistic. Records tumbled at the Nürburgring Nordschleife, Dubai Autodrome and Laguna Seca.

Now Jaguar has shown off a slightly more restrained version, called the Touring, which does away with the ostentatious rear wing. Jamal Hameedi, Engineering Director, Jaguar Special Vehicle Operations, said: “Project 8 has received outstanding critical acclaim since its launch, demonstrating the Special Vehicle Operations team’s ability to create a compact Jaguar sedan with supercar-rivalling performance. Touring specification extends the appeal of Project 8 to performance car enthusiasts and collectors who prefer a more discreet appearance, without compromising its driver-focused on-road dynamics.”

It's going to be an extremely limited edition with just 15 units being built. Sadly, it's not coming to South Africa as it's left-hand drive only, but we can dream right?

Watch the Jaguar XE SV Project 8 in action

Hot Golfs Dominate Worthersee 2019

The annual Worthersee festival is a showcase of all things Volkswagen. Held at the end of May 2019, this year's event was no different. Check out these 2 Golf GTIs which were built by apprentice teams from Volkswagen.

The Volkswagen Golf GTI Aurora from Wolfsburg and the Volkswagen Golf Estate FighteR from Zwickau are 2 crazy-looking cars. Built by Volkswagen apprentice engineers and mechanics, the 2 Golfs showcase build quality, performance and design.

“The Wörthersee 2019 apprentice team equipped the Golf GTI Aurora with state-of-the-art technology,” says Christoph Görtz, Director of Vocational Training at the Wolfsburg location. “By taking part in the Worthersee project, our apprentices gain wide-ranging and indeed interdisciplinary technical experience for their later careers,” says Christoph Görtz. “The integration of complex digital applications in the vehicle is of utmost importance, as are keeping to a schedule and maintaining quality standards, coordinating with the specialists involved, presenting their results and finding creative solutions to technical challenges.”

Ranked: 5 Best Golf GTIs… So Far

The Volkswagen Golf GTI Aurora is powered by a 2.0-liter gasoline engine with an output of 279 kW and is painted in the colors Nardo Gray (LY7C) and Deep Black Pearl Effect (in the rear) (LC9X), as well as the one-off accent color Mint Green. The bodykit with rear diffuser and all the decorative elements were painted by hand.

The second car is the Volkswagen Golf Estate R FighteR, which was built by a second team of apprentices from Zwickau. This monster is all-wheel driven and powered by a 295-kW and fitted with a wide-body kit. The one-off vehicle has a glossy paint job in the base colors Crystal Silver and Nardo Gray; design colors are Misano Red and Piano Black. The vehicle features a 360-degree camera which was used to record hot laps around a track, which can be viewed with integrated VR goggles.

While both vehicles are far from the standard production Golfs that enter showroom floors, it's impressive to know what the vehicles are capable of and secondly, the next-generation talent that'll be working for Volkswagen.

The apprentices and their Volkswagen Golf creations

BMW M8 Gets M Performance Parts Treatment

The BMW M8 has only just been revealed and already M Performance is keen to show off cosmetic and aerodynamic upgrades for the model.

We've grown accustomed to BMW announcing an M Performance parts catalogue almost immediately after a new model release and the recent unveiling of the M8 is no different. What you see here is the M Performance parts applied to the new BMW M8 coupe. BMW claims the parts are inspired by the BMW M8 GTE racecar and gives customers a chance to customise their cars. The parts are not only cosmetic and some are said to improve aerodynamics and save weight. All parts are available for both the coupe and the convertible.

There's liberal use of carbon fibre detailing which goes beyond what BMW already offers with the optional Carbon Package. There's carbon fibre detailing for the radiator grille. side skirts, engine cover as well as uprated brakes.

Inside, you can opt for the BMW M Performance steering wheel which features carbon fibre shift paddles as well as Alcantara/carbon fibre trim. There are also BMW M Performance floor mats and for those wanting to protect their cars from dirt, there's a BMW M Performance car cover.

For the record, the BMW M8 coupe and convertible is powered by a 4.4-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine which produces 441 kW and 750 Nm. There's also a Competition version which pushes out 460 kW. Equipped with a rear-biased x-Drive all-wheel-drive system and an Active M Differential, acceleration is scintillating and the M8 Coupe and Convertible achieving zero to 100 kph in 3.3 and 3.4 seconds respectively. The M8 Competition Coupe and Convertible are slightly faster with claimed figures of 3.2 and 3.3 seconds respectively. The BMW M8 will be arriving in South Africa before the end of 2019.

Toyota Corolla Hatch Heritage Part 1

Ernest Page drives South Africa's favourite Toyota hatchbacks to find out how much they have in common with each other and the recently-launched 2019 Toyota Corolla hatch.

Toyota South Africa has just released their newest hatch, and once again it's called Corolla. With its radical, widely praised looks and all new drive train, this new Corolla could and should be very popular. Corolla has a rich history in South African culture and South African motorsport, which we're going to share with you.

Lamborghini’s Gravel Travel Huracan

Supercars and poorly maintained roads don’t go well together. Lamborghini has a solution.

Iconic Italian supercar brand, Lamborghini, has seen its customer profile change radically in the last decade and a half. Markets such as Russia, the former Eastern Block and parts of central Asia now home Lamborghinis. And the roads where these new Lamborghini owners drive aren’t always ideally surfaced for supercar use.

The solution? Lamborghini’s Huracan Sterrato. What Lamborghini has done is take a Huracan Evo and give it some additional ground clearance. Just the kind of modification that will enable you to crawl through the occasional pothole, or journey some gravel, without bother – or ruining that carbon-fibre front splitter.

We've driven the Lambo Urus: read about it here.

Some styling elements of this Sterrato are different to other Huracans, such as the bolt-on carbon-fibre fender protectors and LED light bars on the roof and bonnet. Most of the work has gone into making the Sterrato a lot more forgiving to drive on the kind of roads that most Huracan owners would never imagine attempting to drive.

Lamborghini engineers have added tiny mud-flaps (to prevent bodywork stone chipping on gravel) and also widened the Sterrato’s tracking width by 30 mm. The most pronounced change is its ride height, which has been lifted by 47 mm, to ensure better approach and departure angles. This is one Lamborghini which will easily roll up any driveway, no matter how steep its angle.

The Sterrato also rolls 20-inch wheels wrapped with much higher volume tyres than would ordinarily be the case with a Huracán.

Maybe an off-road assault bakkie is more your thing: read about the locally built Ranger Raptor here.

Powering this gravel travel Huracán is Lamborghini’s 5.2-liter naturally-aspirated V10 engine, good for 470 kW. The Sterrato also features a recalibrated version of the Huracán Evo’s Lamborghini Dinamica Veicolo Integrata (LDVI) master algorithm, with driving modes better suited to loose surfaces and the car’s higher centre of gravity.

A standalone concept car for now, there are no immediate production plans for the Huracan Sterrato.

Jaguar Land Rover and BMW join forces on electric tech

German carmaker BMW and British carmaker Jaguar Land Rover have confirmed they'll be working together to develop new electric drive units for the next-generation of electric vehicles.

Why work together, firstly? When carmakers come together, it's usually to share technology, resources and expertise. It's not the first time carmakers have worked together and it certainly won't be the last.

“The automotive industry is undergoing a steep transformation. We see collaboration as a key for success, also in the field of electrification. With Jaguar Land Rover, we found a partner whose requirements for the future generation of electric drive units significantly match ours. Together, we have the opportunity to cater more effectively for customer needs by shortening development time and bringing vehicles and state-of-the-art technologies more rapidly to market,” said Klaus Fröhlich, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Development.

The deal between the 2 giants suits JLR and BMW as both brands are looking to save money when it comes to research and development of future electric cars. Both parties as BMW and JLR have big plans for electrification. BMW has 2 established players locally in the form of the i3 and i8, while Jaguar's I-Pace was recently launched in SA. Globally, both brands offer plug-in hybrid versions of their internal combustion vehicles.

In the spotlight is the 5th generation of BMW's eDrive tech, which will be showcased in the forthcoming BMW iX3 Sports Activity Vehicle. The engine features an electric motor, transmission and electronics in one compact unit, as well not requiring any rare earth metals. This powertrain will be powering future BMW and JLR products.

We should see the BMW iX3 going on sale in 2020 and it will rival the Audi e-tron and Mercedes-Benz EQC.

New Diesel Opel Crossland X for SA

Opel will welcome a new diesel-powered derivative to its Crossland X range in mid-June 2019. Take a look at what you can expect in terms of specification and pricing below…

Diesel joins the range

Opel Crossland X – Price in South Africa

Ford Figo Blu Limited Edition in SA

Ford is offering a limited edition Figo Blu in South Africa, take a look at what’s on offer…

What’s unique about it?

Ford Figo – Price in South Africa

Volkswagen Kombi Range Bolstered

Standard features

Volkswagen Kombi – Price in South Africa

Mazda Announces BT-50 Boss Edition

Mazda applies direct bakkie marketing logic, Down Under.

Jaguar XE SV Project 8 Gains Touring Spec

Jaguar has announced a collector's edition of the hardcore XE SV Project 8. Check out the Touring spec.

Watch the Jaguar XE SV Project 8 in action

Hot Golfs Dominate Worthersee 2019

The annual Worthersee festival is a showcase of all things Volkswagen. Held at the end of May 2019, this year's event was no different. Check out these 2 Golf GTIs which were built by apprentice teams from Volkswagen.

Ranked: 5 Best Golf GTIs… So Far

Further Reading

BMW M8 Gets M Performance Parts Treatment

The BMW M8 has only just been revealed and already M Performance is keen to show off cosmetic and aerodynamic upgrades for the model.

Further Reading

Toyota Corolla Hatch Heritage Part 1

Ernest Page drives South Africa's favourite Toyota hatchbacks to find out how much they have in common with each other and the recently-launched 2019 Toyota Corolla hatch.

Further Reading

Lamborghini’s Gravel Travel Huracan

Supercars and poorly maintained roads don’t go well together. Lamborghini has a solution.

Jaguar Land Rover and BMW join forces on electric tech

German carmaker BMW and British carmaker Jaguar Land Rover have confirmed they'll be working together to develop new electric drive units for the next-generation of electric vehicles.

Further Reading