Ford Motor Company has invested $500 million into electric pick-up startup Rivian. What does this mean for the market?
In news this week, there was a $500 million investment into Rivian by Ford Motor Company, with the primary deal being both companies working together to design and engineer an all-new, next-generation battery electric vehicle. The keyword there is vehicle. At this point, Ford has not confirmed that it will be assembling an electric bakkie.
“This strategic partnership marks another key milestone in our drive to accelerate the transition to sustainable mobility,” said RJ Scaringe, Rivian founder and CEO. “Ford has a long-standing commitment to sustainability, with Bill Ford being one of the industry's earliest advocates, and we are excited to use our technology to get more electric vehicles on the road.” "As we continue in our transformation of Ford with new forms of intelligent vehicles and propulsion, this partnership with Rivian brings a fresh approach to both,” said Jim Hackett, Ford president and CEO. “At the same time, we believe Rivian can benefit from Ford’s industrial expertise and resources.”
Rivian's electric pickup platform has intrigued the motoring industry as a whole, and its launch products 5-seater R1T bakkie and 7-seater R1S SUV are looking very promising. With over 500 km of electric range, plus offroad capability, Rivian's offerings should hit the market towards the end of 2020.
It's a smart decision from Ford to partner up with Rivian. As part of its $11 billion EV investment and confirmation of 2 fully-electric vehicles, Ford can pay Rivian for access to the near-complete electric bakkie platform instead of having to develop its own, which could take between 2-5 years of research and development. Investing in a small startup has massive benefits. Not only will Rivian be agile, but they've already done the majority of the groundwork without being hamstrung by corporate management. Rivian simply does not have hurdles and hoops to jump through, and critical business decisions can be completed quickly.
Rivian will remain an independent company but will see Joe Hinrichs, Ford’s president of Automotive, will join Rivian’s seven-member board.
Can you drift the ultimate luxury Jaguar? We answer this question as #CarsAwards judge Ernest Page (who's also our resident stunt driver) gets to grips with the new Jaguar XJR575.
The Jaguar XJ is a car that's been around for nearly a decade now, and while the British Prime Minister still loves hers, the world has definitely moved on.
But kudos to Jaguar for producing one last hurrah for the current generation in the form of the completely bonkers XJR575. With nearly 600hp and rear wheel drive, supplied by a supercharged V8, this car is decidedly old-school in terms of luxury and the driving experience it offers.
As Ernest Page found out, there are definitely two sides to this car. Watch as he treats the tyres like disposable razors and gets familiar with the back seat comfort of this luxury British limo.
Aston Martin has dropped the top off its DBS Superleggera and created the Volante. Here's all you need to know about this striking performer.
Executive Vice President & Chief Creative Officer Marek Reichman said: "DBS Superleggera produces a spectacular and relentless level of performance and so for the Volante, we focussed on bringing that extra level of sensory overload that only an open-top Super GT can deliver inside the cabin. With the unique dynamics, beautiful yet brutish design and the unmistakable harmonics of Aston Martin's 5.2-litre V12 engine, we believe we have delivered a unique and unforgettable driving experience that is synonymous with the traditions of the Volante name."
The new Aston Martin DBS Superleggera Volante is powered by a 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12, which produces 533 kW and 900 Nm. These numbers give it tremendous performance, with 0-100 kph dispatched in just 3.6 seconds and it'll run onto a top speed of 338 kph. Power goes to the rear wheels via an 8-speed ZF automatic gearbox.
Chopping the roof off a car results in some packaging and handling issues, which Aston Martin claims to have solved. The roof takes 14 seconds to open and 16 seconds to close. The roof has also been thoroughly tested in the harsh winter of the Arctic circle and subjected to 100 000 open/close tests.
The Aston Martin DBS Superleggera Volante deliveries are expected to start in Europe in the 3rd quarter of 2019 and it'll cost £247 500 (R4.6 million). Given South Africa's appetite for Aston Martin products, it wouldn't surprise us to see a few examples making their way to our shores.
The electric Jaguar I-Pace has won the 2019 World Car of the Year title, making it one of the most awarded vehicles of recent times.
The win is Jaguar Land Rover's second overall victory as the F-Pace won back in 2017. Aside from taking the overall title, the Jaguar I-Pace also bagged the World Green Car award which is the first time JLR has won in this category. Completing the trifecta was the World Car Design Award. The string of victories comes on the back of the Jaguar I-Pace winning the European Car of the Year title.
Other noteworthy wins went to the McLaren 720S for World Performance Car, Audi A7 took the World Luxury Car category and the Suzuki Jimny took top honours in the Urban Compact Car.
Prof. Dr. Ralf Speth, Chief Executive Officer, Jaguar Land Rover, said: “It is an honour that the Jaguar I-PACE has received such an accolade from the prestigious World Car jurors.“We started with an ideal, to move towards our Destination Zero vision; zero emissions, zero accidents and zero congestion. I-Pace is our first step to achieving this, and it was conceived when EVs were little more than a niche choice.“So we started from a clean sheet of paper to create a new benchmark –the world's best premium electric vehicle, and a true Jaguar driver's car. “For I-PACE to be awarded 2019 World Car of the Year gives our first all-electric vehicle the ultimate recognition it deserves. I would like to thank the team who have created I-Pace for their passion in making it so outstanding.”
The 2019 Top Three in the World finalists are the Audi e-tron, the Jaguar I-Pace and the Volvo S60/V60. The vehicles were selected and voted on by an international jury panel comprised of 86 prominent automotive journalists from 24 countries around the world, including Cars.co.za's Hannes Oosthuizen. "I drove the I-Pace late last year for the first time," says Oosthuizen, "and I must say it was immediately a frontrunner in my books. It is a very 'resolved' offering and seems to offer a marriage of genuine range and performance capability," he added.
Renault has finally added some safety features to its entry-level Kwid hatchback. Here are the specifications and pricing details for the 2019 Renault Kwid.
Since its launch back in November 2016, the Renault Kwid has received criticism for offering derivates fitted with only 1 airbag and no ABS. Budget-minded new-car buyers do prioritise affordability over safety, but given the French car's erstwhile standard specification, it would not be considered for nomination in the Budget Car category of the Cars.co.za Consumer Awards – powered by WesBank, for example. However, the Datsun Go was recently updated with the introduction of an anti-lock braking system and now it's the Renault Kwid's turn to receive improved stopping power.
The Kwid has enjoyed a fair degree of sales success (more than 20 000 vehicles have been sold in South Africa) and the Renault continues to sell strongly (around 1 000 units a month). For 2019, the model has received some updates, with the critical one being the introduction of ABS across the entire range. Smartphone mirroring in the form of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is now available from the Dynamique derivative and up.
The engine and transmission are carried over and for the record, the 1.0-litre 3-cylinder naturally-aspirated petrol engine produces 50 kW and 91 Nm. There's an option of a 5-speed manual gearbox and an automated manual transmission (AMT). Fuel efficiency is pegged at 4.7 litres/100 km and 4.4 litres/100km for the AMT
Renault Kwid Price in South Africa (April 2019)
The vehicle comes standard with a 5-year/150 000 km mechanical warranty and a 6-year anti-corrosion warranty, plus a 2-year service plan, with services scheduled at15 000 km intervals. 1-year’s Comprehensive Insurance Cover is also included. Metallic paint is available for R2 522.
SentiMETAL OutRun: Fantastic Beasts & Why We Drive Them
More than 50 classic cars of various brands, eras and levels of originality took part in the inaugural Cape Town SentiMETAL OutRun, an event that reminded everyone why we love cars.
Gordon's Bay is on my right, the water an electric blue while the cliff walls to my left are being rendered in blurry beige, an echo chamber for exhaust and engine noises. I’m in the middle, right foot barely on the noisemaker behind less enthused traffic on Clarence Drive, circa Rooi Els. This is truly one of the most pristine drives in the land, albeit often frustratingly chock-a-block with tourist traffic and slow-moving trucks.
And just like that, a gap springs into view. The traffic ahead has parted just long enough to bare sufficient naked asphalt for me to dip the clutch, engage third gear and tear past Ciro's pristine original Mazda MX5, the sound of my six pistons overrunning his four. The affair is wholly, deliciously analogue with a resounding metallic thunk as my left palm navigates the gear lever home, a raspy straight-six screaming beneath me as I neatly slot my 36-year old Toyota Celica Supra behind the rear bumper of Hannes's Citroën DS, my favourite view of the Goddess in motion. My hands are being thrummed by the gentle vibration of the old girl's helm (itself teeming with flavour and feedback) and then there's that very important of senses, the olfactories being tickled with the smell of spent 95 octane as it fills my lungs. This is classic motoring, dialled up to eleven, among like-minded individuals in idyllic conditions. I can't believe my luck.
The spectacular Clarence Drive is a perfect setting for a classic car drive. Citroën DS chases a Mercedes 350 SEL and Golf Mk1 Cabriolet.
The net result of all of this sensory overloading could be felt in the pit of my stomach where the viscera was being stirred with quite some violence. The single lane widens into a dual carriageway and I'm on it again, tearing through to the higher rev range and snatching 4th gear to begin the orchestra once more, this time as I chase a classic Porsche 911 in the distance, the staccato wail from its flat-six reverberating off the walls, growing louder as I reeled its whale tail into view.
What's this? A noise so alien, I simply cannot place it. Until I see it in my rear view mirror, the unmistakable metallic blue sliver of a Dodge Viper GTS with its tell-tale white stripes running from bonnet to tail. My simple car-loving heart explodes at the sight of this ten-cylindered unicorn, one of the first model cars I'd ever owned, now hard charging down the fast lane leaving a gushing loon (me) in its wake. This was the motoring enthusiast's equivalent of swimming with dolphins and I was by now quite soaked. Still, the hits kept on coming as a trio of locally-built Harper sports cars stream by with a Shelby Cobra hot on their tails. No point but for me but to clutch, shift, throttle and repeat.
Once more, with feeling
Cars of all eras and brands are welcome at SentiMETAL OutRuns, the only requirement is passion!
Now, I don't want to come across as a delusional boy racer trying to dice alongside some truly epic machinery, my old Toyota is hardly rarified metal after all. Yet here, on these roads, rolling 50 classics deep on a scenic meander to Kleinmond it was holding it's own and not just in terms of performance but also regard. Respect, even… The morning had started some two hours prior in a parking lot where all of the cars and drivers had assembled and the shared passion was tangible as older gentlemen in an array of Lotus 7s, a young lady in her Subaru WRX STi and another in a 1970s era BMW 5 Series parked their prides and joys.
The Dodge Viper GTS was a real show stopper and drew huge crowds wherever it found parking.
We were joined by even more classic BMW saloons and convertibles, a rare Audi 200 5E, an immaculate and highly desirable Volvo 850R, plus many more so as not to even attempt listing them all. Yet it was one of the Lotus 7 gents who strode across the parking lot to confront me about my Supra, and how he "owned its twin sister, a Lotus Excel", a British sportscar beloved by its very British owner. Oh how we laughed.
I'd see him later as we entered Kleinmond, in his little Lotus, looking like nothing more than a helmet and a grin, with his wife beaming beside him. This theme continued over the next 8 hours, car lovers of every age and demographic mixing and merging to form loose groups, disband and pair up yet again. Where else could you find a New York Checker Cab alongside a Jaguar XK150, or an original VW Golf Cabriolet partnered with a Peugeot Rally replica, and all the owners having a laugh together in a parking lot? Is it too late to coin the term car-maraderie?
About the last leg
The joy of driving… that's what unites petrolheads on SentiMETAL OutRuns.
It was a cool day thankfully, as my Supra is sans air-conditioning, yet as the distance to our final destination reached single digits the clouds above us had swollen to bursting. The rain quickly turned the asphalt into a mirror, with diminishing grip levels to boot. Then there's the fact that 99% of us were pushing power to the rear wheels alone and apart from that Viper owner, to fairly skinny rubber. Right, fifty very old cars in the rain, what could possibly go wrong? In truth? Nothing at all. We arrived with no hassle to Kleinmond. Then we made it back to Gordon's Bay for lunch. And then all drivers and cars completed their journeys home with absolutely no drama to report. That's sort of a miracle, especially when you consider that nobody, nobody exhibited what the youngsters like to call "chill."
Unique Springbok Range Rover Sport SVR shows what SVO team can do.
British racing green might be a colour more famously associated with sister brand Jaguar, but Land Rover has built a one-off Range Rover Sport SVR for our boys in green (and gold).
Due for its public debut at the Simola hill climb this coming weekend, this unique Range Rover Sport SVR was commissioned as a tribute to the Springbok rugby team, as they start preparations for the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan.
Beyond the patriotic novelty value of this Range Rover Sport SVR, it does serve a very clear marketing purpose for Land Rover South Africa. The aim of this project was to illustrate to potential customers of the brand, who seek greater customisation, exactly what is on offer via Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations team (SVO) in the U.K.
The specific Springbok tribute Range Rover is not a vinyl wrap job. Great care was taken to match the exact Pantone hue of the current team jersey’s green and replicate that to the Range Rover Sport SVR’s aluminium shell, at the initiation of the build process. Springbok logos were then added and yellow brake callipers (signifying the ‘gold’ element of the team’s colours) complete the tribute SVR’s exterior detailing.
Inside there are plaques on the B-pillars and door entry tread plates, featuring Springbok insignia and scripting. The SVR’s steering wheel mounted column shifters are also finished gold, whilst yellow stitching holds the leather seats and door panel trim together. Land Rover’s SVO technicians have also adjusted cabin mood lighting to glow an appropriate Springbok green.
Mechanically there have been no changes to the very rapid Range Rover Sport SVR hardware, which means this Springbok tribute commission vehicle is powered by a 5-litre supercharged V8, good for 423 kW and 700 Nm. The kind of power which should ensure storming 0-100 kph acceleration, even if you have the current Springbok tight-five aboard, occupying this Range Rover’s five seats.
The new Ford Ranger has just gone on sale and many of you have been asking what's actually new? Well, here are 5 key changes.
The new Ford Ranger bakkie is available in single-, crew- and double-cab configurations. It's been on the market for some time in South Africa and has been a finalist in the #CarsAwards – powered by WesBank numerous times. The Ford Ranger is sold in 149 countries and a substantial number of those vehicles are assembled right here in Pretoria, South Africa.
The latest generation of bakkies have really begun to move into the leisure and premium markets, so Ford has had to raise its game in the segment. The 2019 Ford Ranger has been subjected to an in-depth overhaul and while changes on the outside appear minimal, we can assure you there is a lot of new goodness under its sheet metal.
Engine
Ford's new 2.0-litre bi-turbo unit is fitted to a 10-speed gearbox.
There are 2 new engines offered in the Ford Ranger, although the outgoing engines are still for sale. The new-gen 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbodiesel engines are available in 2 flavours; single turbo and bi-turbo, and both are assembled in South Africa at Ford's plant in Port Elizabeth. The single turbo option offers up 132 kW and 430 Nm, with the bigger bi-turbo setup delivering 157 kW and 500 Nm. The latter engine is available only in the Wildtrak and the soon-to-be-launched Ranger Raptor. We have experienced both powerplants at the vehicle's local launch and have come away impressed with the power delivery and refinement. Both engines are also surprisingly quiet and fuel efficient.
Gearbox
The new Ford Ranger 10-speed automatic gearbox, with 10 low-range gears as well in 4×4 offerings.
Joining the new engines is an all-new 10-speed automatic gearbox. This 10-speed transmission will also be available in the soon-to-be-launched updated Ford Mustang and it currently does duty overseas in the popular Ford F-150 pickup. You'd think a 10-speed automatic gearbox would battle to correctly find the right ratio, but amazingly the software and what Ford calls 'real-time adaptive shift-scheduling' ensures the Ranger is always in the most appropriate gear for performance and efficiency. Another benefit of having the additional ratios is the engine doesn't have to work as hard, resulting in a slight improvement in fuel economy.
Suspension
With a tweak to the suspension, the Ford Ranger is claimed to ride better
One of the annoying features of bakkie ownership is the ride quality. Typically, body-on-frame assembly doesn't make for the smoothest ride and unless you're willing to put some weight on the rear axle, the ride quality will always be a bit jiggly. Ford claims to have solved some of the ride issues by tweaking the suspension. The front anti-roll bar has been repositioned aft of the axle which improves roll control and in turn decreases the front spring rates. Does it work? Yes, to an extent, as the ride feels a bit more poised and less wallowing. Ford has also changed the damper rates and the standard tyre pressure has changed from 2.4 bar to 2.1 bar.
Safety Features
The Ford Ranger is one of the better-equipped bakkies on the market when it comes to safety features.
Ford has never been one to skimp on safety features and we'd go as far to say that the Ranger is one of the better-equipped bakkies out there when it comes to safety tech. Making its debut in the Ford Ranger is the semi-automatic parallel park assist, which joins adaptive cruise control with forward collision alert, lane-keeping alert, lane-keeping assist, electronic stability control (ESC) system with traction control (TC), trailer sway control (TSC), hill start assist (HSA), hill descent control (HDC), adaptive load control (ALC) and roll over mitigation (ROM) and auto high beam on Wildtrak specification.
Convenience Features
The new Ford Ranger tailgate has a torsion rod, meaning its effortless and easy to lift it up.
There have been many complaints about how easy it is to steal a Ranger and Ford has introduced Category 1 Thatcham-specification alarm, which is now standard on all Ranger XL, XLS, XLT and Wildtrak models. According to the Thatcham Alarm Scale, the Category 1 alarm features ignition detection, perimeter detection and the alarm will go off if a window is broken or the vehicle is tilted. The alarm also has its own battery supply, so if criminals manage to disconnect the car's battery, the alarm will continue to sound. Ford has also added a push button start, so the key can remain in your pocket. Finally, Ford has added a torsion rod to the tailgate, meaning its no longer a mission to lift the heavy tailgate and you can effortlessly open and close it.
Mercedes-Benz’s bakkie business is in trouble as the X-Class has been less of a success than the original hype suggested.
More consequences have been added to the unfolding corporate scandal involving former Renault-Nissan alliance business architect and chairman, Carlos Ghosn.
Mercedes-Benz’s youthful new boss, Swede Ola Källenius, is understood to be reviewing the German brand’s balance sheet and its business ventures involving Nissan are under pressure of dissolution.
Nissan and Mercedes signed a cooperation agreement way back in 2009. Vehicles delivered from this joint research and development project include the Mercedes GLA/Infiniti XQ30 and Mercedes-Benz’s X-Class bakkie, evolved from the Navara platform.
Strict German corporate governance principles are pressuring Mercedes-Benz to divorce itself from any business dealings done with Nissan under Ghosn’s tenure. The implications of this are potentially massive for Mercedes-Benz’s bakkie operations. By 2022, when the current X-Class and Navara are due to be replaced, Mercedes will not be able to continue with the next-generation Navara as its bakkie platform.
Nissan and Mitsubishi have come to an agreement that their next-generation Navara and Triton bakkies will be platform twins. With VW having signed a deal with Ford to produce the next Amarok, Mercedes will struggle to find a bakkie platform partner.
Developing its own dedicated double-cab platform will also prove very costly, at a time when electrification and autonomous driving technologies are pressuring Mercedes-Benz’s research and development budget.
Battery power and autonomous driving technologies have little appeal or application for bakkie customers and Mercedes project managers could find it challenging convincing the company’s board that a platform investment in new product not using either, is justifiable.
The German business media have reported that Mercedes leadership are unimpressed by the commercial performance of X-Class to date. This could mean that Mercedes might be forced to concede defeat regarding its bakkie project, after only one generation of X-Class – unless it considers the huge and potentially profitable American bakkie market, an adequate incentive to spend the development budget on an independently engineered X-Class 2.0.
Our spy photographers in Europe have spotted a hardcore Mini Cooper prototype running around the Nurburgring. If rumours are to be believed, this will be the John Cooper Works GP – the most hardcore Mini to go on sale. Here's what we know so far.
You know Mini is planning a hardcore track derivative when the camouflage wrap on its prototype is iconic racing circuits. Look closely and you'll see what we mean. According to our spy photographers, what you see here is the 2020 Mini John Cooper Works GP whizzing around the Nurburgring. Note the massive rear wing!
When it comes to performance Mini products, there's quite a hierarchy. Cooper S and Cooper JCW are quick and agile, but when you're after true go-kart handling, you need to look at the Works GP editions. Previous iterations have been ballistic. Not only do they feature trick suspension and more power, but the car goes on an extreme diet, shedding its back seats and gaining a strut bar to help rigidity.
BMW Group confirmed there will be a new Mini John Cooper Works GP earlier in 2019. It's not going to be a run-of-the-mill offering either, as Mini will be building just 3 000 units. The big news is the engine. With a 4-cylinder turbocharged petrol setup, the output is claimed to sit at 220 kW – putting it right in the hotly-contested hatch segment. Mini is claiming this new John Cooper Works GP will be the fastest and most powerful Mini to reach the roads. We think Mini is tired of seeing the likes of the Honda Civic Type R, Renault Megane RS and so on running rampant, and the new GP will be taking them on. Don't be surprised to see a Nurburgring lap record attempt either. Expect to see the vehicle revealed before the end of 2019.
Mini teased us with this image in February 2019. The Mini John Cooper Works GP is coming!
