February 2019 was yet another disappointing month for new car sales in South Africa according to the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (NAAMSA). See sales summary below…
The downward new car sales trend continued during the month of February 2019 but was somewhat buoyed by strong sales performance in the commercial vehicle sector while exports registered substantial gains.
Ghana Msibi, WesBank Executive Head of Motor commented, “While we expect first-half sales to be slow, the market was no doubt rattled by the week-long impact of load-shedding at the beginning of the month, which impacted consumer and business confidence. Reassuringly, however, February sales were up on January despite fewer selling days.”
New Car Sales Summary: February 2019
Aggregate new car sales of 43 251 units down by 6.5% (-3 016 units) compared with February 2018.
New passenger car sales of 27 000 units down by 13.3% (-4 139 units) compared with February 2018.
Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) sales of 14 123 units up by 7.1% (+932 units) compared with February 2018.
Export sales of 27 529 units up by 22.5% (+6 202 units) compared with February 2018.
New car sales in South Africa are expected to remain under considerable pressure as the market continues to be affected by a subdued macro-economic environment and increasing pressure on household disposable income. Improvements in economic growth after the general elections are expected to be realised and domestic sales should see an uptick in the second half of 2019. Solid growth in exports is expected to continue during 2019.
Nonetheless, Ghana Msibi says that affordability and increased pressure on disposable income will continue to impact on new car purchasing decisions, “Extended contract periods, increasing numbers of balloon payment options within finance contracts, and a continued shift from new to used all indicate the overall picture of household budgets under pressure. When consumers hold on to their cars for longer, there are fewer and fewer late model, low mileage used cars in the market. This will naturally force customers back into new vehicles over time, which is positive news for dealers and new vehicle sales.”
Extreme Limited Edition Mercedes-AMG S65 Final Edition Revealed
Mercedes-AMG has revealed the S65 Final Edition which will comprise just 130 vehicles. Check it out.
This exclusive limited-edition model from Mercedes-AMG is aimed at collectors and will comprise just 130 units. Featuring some standout visual features and comprehensive levels of spec, the S65 Final Edition looks magnificent.
The 6.0 V12 biturbo engine from AMG is a masterpiece. Assembled by hand in Affalterbach, the S65's engine produces 463 kW and 1000 Nm. Not only is it smooth, but it's also mind-bendingly fast. The AMG Driver's package is fitted as standard and this means a top speed of 300 kph is possible.
The vehicle is available in one colour only: high-gloss obsidian black paint and rides on upmarket 20-inch multi-spoke wheels. There are classy matte bronze touches across the bodywork and an AMG emblem located on the C-pillar. The exhaust tips have been coated in high-gloss black paint too. Inside, the cabin is covered in Exclusive black Nappa leather with the same bronze colour stitching. There's extensive use of carbon fibre too.
Mercedes-Benz A-Class Sedan (2019) Prices Announced
Pricing for the forthcoming Mercedes-Benz A-Class sedan has turned up on the local arm's website. Here's how much this compact sedan costs.
Not to be confused with the forthcoming Mercedes-Benz CLA, the A-Class sedan will be arriving locally soon. Ahead of its launch, we've managed to secure pricing and which engines will be available.
Kicking off the range is the Mercedes-Benz A200, featuring a 1.3-litre turbocharged motor with 120 kW and 250 Nm. Fuel consumption is claimed to sit between 5.2 L/100 km and 5.4 L/100 km.
The next model in the line-up is the Mercedes-Benz A250 Sport, which features a substantially more powerful engine. With 165 kW and 350 Nm from its 2.0-litre turbo motor, it's going to be quite a fast drive. Mercedes-Benz claims a sub-7 second sprint time to 100 kph. It's a tad thirstier than its A200 sibling and is claimed to consume between 6.1 L/100 km and 6.3 L/100 km.
While the standard specification is likely to be revealed closer to the launch, we've managed to secure pricing for some of the optional packages. The A200 can be optioned with additional safety such as the Lane Tracking package (R12 500) and Driving Assistance Package (R30 000). For those wanting a sportier bodykit, the AMG Line is your port of call for R25 000. Leather is available for R20 500 and you can get Keyless-Go for R9 500. The A250, on the other hand, gets the AMG Line package as standard, but you should look at the Engineering package (R44 000) which gives you adjustable dampers, keyless go, and more potent LED headlights.
New Ford Kuga ST Line Review – What does that ST badge mean?
This ST Line is now the range-topper in South Africa, replacing the Titanium variant. It's priced at just under R550 000 and for your money, you get the coveted ST badge on your car. But what does that actually mean?
In this video, we take a look at the upgrades that are included in the package, as well as the performance of the model and what you can expect from the 2.0-litre turbopetrol 4-cylinder motor.
We also take a look at the boot space and a detailed look at the interior, including the SYNC3 infotainment system. Presenter Ciro De Siena also takes us through the car's rivals – or lack thereof.
Stunning Lamborghini Miura SV restored – with SA heritage
The latest car to be restored by Lamborghini's Polo Storico division is quite a special one. It's red Miura SV, owned by none other than Jean Todt, the current President of the FIA. But that's not the topic of interest for us… This car has a South African history!
This Miura, chassis number #3673, was born on 11 November 1972, using the chassis number of a 1968 Miura S that had been destroyed in an accident. This was apparently not particularly rare in those days as there were several financial motives to do so, the most important one likely being to protect the buyer from high import taxes on new vehicles in certain countries.
It was then delivered in late 1972 to its first owner, a certain Mr. Mecin, in South Africa, painted Rosso Corsa (red), with a lower gold band and interiors in black leather, and this is exactly to the condition that it has been restored now, 47 years later, following the work of the Polo Storico technicians.
The Miura SV's 4.0L V12 engine pumped out around 285kW.
The nuts-and-bolts restoration by Lamborghini's in-house Polo Storico heritage division took 13 months and also involved verification of its conformity with the notes in the assembly books stored in the Lamborghini archives.
Today it is believed that there are only 2 Miuras left in South Africa. It's a car often regarded as the first true supercar and is regularly listed as the most beautiful car of all time. It was penned by the legendary designer Marcello Gandini. SV versions, such as this one, lacked the distinctive "eyelashes" of other Miuras. Around 150 SVs were built.
Ahead of the 2019 Geneva Motor Show next week, Toyota has released some teaser images of its Corolla GR Sport.
Now before everyone expresses disappointment that this sporty-looking hybrid is not a hot hatch at all, we have to remember the pillars of Toyota's performance brand. GR Parts is purely cosmetic, GR Sport focuses on suspension, GR boasts more power and finally, GR MN is your fully-fledged Toyota performer.
Essentially, then, you're looking at a sportier Corolla which features GR 18-inch alloy wheels, a more aggressive front grille, some nice skirts, and a sportier rear diffuser. There are also some subtle Gazoo Racing badges. Under the skin, there are some mechanical changes to the suspension in the form of firmer dampers, which should make for a more direct feel when cornering. The engine is unchanged and as you can see from the photos, is a hybrid. The package is then rounded off with contrasting 2-tone paint.
While fans of hardcore performance Toyota products are left underwhelmed by the Corolla GR Sport, you can consider this the warm-up act to the maximum-attack Corolla GRMN hot hatch, which should be revealed in 2020. If the Toyota Yaris GRMN was anything to go by, we should be in for a treat.
The Corolla GR Sport is the warm-up act to the Corolla GRMN
Big hoops and Italian fashion house sourced leather seats for Maserati's first V8 powered SUV.
Imitating the profit motive of German brands with their launch edition performance cars, Maserati will do the same with its new Levante V8.
Limited to a mere 100 units, the Levante Trofeo Launch Edition is exactly what it purports to be: styling trinkets and strange colours, at a premium price, for customers who wish to be amongst the first to own a Ferrari powered SUV.
Distinguishing the Launch Edition Levante are carbon-fibre bumper bits, side skirts, bonnet inserts and its 22-inch Orione design alloy wheels. Exterior colour is a big differentiator too, with Blu Emozione Matte blue, Giallo Modenese yellow and Rosso Magma red the customer options.
Inside you’ll be seated on plush Pieno Fiore leather, with the Trofeo logo stitched into the headrests and a 1280-watt sound system by Bowers & Wilkins providing orchestral sound quality through its 17-speakers. A special note to the Trofeo Launch Edition’s leather seats is that they are upholstered in a leather produced and refined by renowned Italian fashion brand, Ermenegildo Zegna.
As mentioned, the Levante V8 is Ferrari-powered, although Maranello would prefer most to use the classification of its 3.8-litre twin-turbocharged engine as a design joint-venture, instead of referring to it as an authentic Ferrari powerplant. Outputs are impressive, boosting 440 kW and 730 Nm.
An eight-speed automatic transmission from German supplier, ZF, splits that power between the front and rear axles. The Levante V8 is a very rapid luxury SUV, capable of running a 4.1-sec benchmark 0-100 kph sprint, before closing in on a top speed of 300 kph.
To keep the big SUV rolling safely at those speeds, Maserati partnered with Continental, who provide a version of its SportContact 6 tyre specifically tailored for the Levante application. Levante Trofeo Launch Edition also becomes the first volume production Maserati to be factory fitted with 22-inch wheels.
Most buyers looking for a 7-seater SUV will, in all likelihood, head straight to a Toyota or Ford dealership to sample the keenly priced Fortuner or Everest offerings, but are they perhaps missing out on another worthy contender in this segment? The Hyundai Santa Fe 2.2D Premium appears to be a strong product, but just how good is it?
We like: Refinement, performance, excellent ride quality, spacious
The new Santa Fe looks bolder than ever and comes well-equipped, even in base specification.
This is the new, 4th-generation Santa Fe, which came to market late last year. Not only does it now look more striking than its predecessor, thanks to its bolder cascading grille, but it’s a more refined product – both in terms of build quality and driving character.
It’s a 7-seater (for those who will regularly need seating space for 6 passengers), but unlike its ladder frame bakkie-based rivals (Fortuner, Everest, Isuzu MU-X and Mitsubishi Pajero Sport), the Santa Fe is a unibody SUV. Where its rivals place more emphasis on ground clearance and rugged off-road ability, the entry-level, front-wheel-drive Santa Fe on test here is a family mover through-and-through. How does it perform? Let’s see…
The Good
Performance
Nestled under the bonnet of the Santa Fe is a 2.2-litre turbodiesel engine that offers 142 kW and 450 Nm of torque – outputs that eclipse those of the equivalent Fortuner (2.4L) and Everest (2.2L) by a fair margin. It’s a more refined engine too (a lower level of NVH is prevalent in the cabin) and, by virtue of its new 8-speed automatic transmission, the 2.2D Premium delivers surprisingly brisk acceleration (once the initial turbo lag subsides).
The transmission is responsive to throttle inputs and it executes gear changes in a smooth, unobtrusive manner, all of which aids driving refinement. The Santa Fe gets up to highway speed fairly quickly and, if required, there’s sufficient in-gear shove to facilitate quick overtaking manoeuvres.
Hyundai claims the new transmission helps to reduce fuel consumption by between 3 and 4% (compared with the previous model) and, while the firm claims an average figure of 7.8 L/100km, we saw quite acceptable figures of around 8.6 L/100 km during our test.
Overall, we were mightily impressed with the performance and level of refinement offered by this new Santa Fe.
Handling and ride quality
Ride quality is a major highlight of the Santa Fe and its performance is impressive.
Another strength of the Santa Fe is undoubtedly its impeccable road manners. Riding on 18-inch alloy wheels and fitted with McPherson struts up front and a multi-link suspension at the rear, it maintains a composed ride over various road surfaces; even harsh imperfections are "ironed out".
Not only does it have a more pliant ride quality than its bakkie-based rivals (including the Everest), the Santa Fe has a positive and well-weighted steering feel. It feels positively planted when cornering (a tribute to well-balanced body control), which is an admirable trait in a fairly hefty, let alone softly-sprung, people-mover. Overall, it offers an admirably comfortable and reassuring driving experience, which will please family car buyers.
Solid, spacious cabin
The interior design is pleasing to the eye and standard specification is generous. Those leather seats are very comfortable…
Step inside the Santa Fe and you're welcomed by a capacious cabin that’s not only attractively designed, but solidly built and well-specced. We found the leather seats comfortable and, in the case of this Premium derivative, the driver’s seat is manually adjustable, including for height.
The steering column is adjustable for rake and reach and the leather-bound 'wheel equipped with remote buttons for audio, Bluetooth and cruise control functions. The neat 7-inch infotainment touchscreen is easy to navigate and offers full Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.
Other nice-to-have features include rear park distance control with a reverse-view camera, automatic headlights, dual-zone climate control (automatic aircon), front and rear electric windows, a quartet of USB ports (including 2 at the rear), as well as an auxiliary audio input.
In terms of safety equipment, the Santa Fe has a total of 6 airbags, ABS with EBD and electronic stability control with traction control.
Super-practical
The third row is very spacious, even for adults and the seats fold completely flat into the floor which is a bonus.
There’s no shortage of space in the Santa Fe and passengers should find the rear quarters to offer ample headroom, shoulder room and legroom, no matter how tall you are. More so, the middle row can be shifted forward at the press of a button to gain access to the 3rd row of seats.
With the 3rd row of seats folded flat into the load bay floor, space is generous (at 547 litres) and, when you fold all the rear seats down, you have access to a capacious 1 625 litres. However, with the 3rd row of seats in place, luggage space is, predictably, quite limited.
The 3rd row is best suited to accommodate children and rearmost passengers are afforded a cupholder each. Having said that, even average-sized adults may find the 3rd-row seating tolerable over short distances. The Santa Fe has one of the most spacious 3rd-row seating setups that we have experienced in a long time (Hyundai is said to have increased legroom by 127 mm and headroom by 190 mm). Impressive indeed…
The Not-so-good
A tad pricey
Honestly, there’s really isn't much in the way of serious criticism that we can level at the Santa Fe, other than its price at R599 900, which is roughly R80 000 more than the equivalent cab-on-chassis offerings from Ford, Toyota, Isuzu and Mitsubishi.
Hyundai, like many importers, is at the mercy of the exchange rate and its pricing, especially at the top end of the market, does not necessarily align with what consumers are prepared to pay for its products. That partly explains the Santa Fe’s relatively low sales numbers in our market.
Nonetheless, prospective buyers will be pleased to know that the Santa Fe is backed by a comprehensive 5-year/150 000 km vehicle warranty, 7-year/200 000 km drivetrain warranty and a 5-year/90 000 km service plan.
The Santa Fe's practicality and high levels of refinement and comfort make it worthy of consideration in the 7-seat SUV segment.
The Santa Fe 2.2D Premium impressed us overall. It looks good, offers sufficient performance/fuel efficiency and delivers an exceptionally comfortable ride. Its interior is spacious, well-made (perceived build quality is high), plus it comes well-specced with standard features.
Should you consider the Santa Fe over its more popular rivals? Well, provided you can afford it, definitely! While the price difference between the Hyundai and its Japanese and American rivals may seem large, consider that the Santa Fe is more refined in terms of engine noise and ride quality; it should be easier to live with on a day-to-day basis. It’s arguably more practical too, especially if you are looking for a spacious family car.
For example, in the Fortuner, the 3rd-row seat folds up and to the side, resulting in an awkward luggage space. This is not the case in the Santa Fe, which has a more practical, flat load floor. What's more, a lengthy warranty and service plan make it a good long-term ownership proposition. It may not have set the sales charts alight, but that should not detract from the fact that the Santa Fe is a top-notch (albeit 2-wheel-drive) Adventure SUV.
Alternatives (click on the names for specification details)
The Toyota Fortuner is a popular choice in this segment and, in 2.4 GD-6 guise, it offers 110 kW and 400 Nm of torque and makes use of a 6-speed automatic transmission. Priced from R515 600, it's significantly cheaper than the Santa Fe, but it's not as refined in terms of overall ride quality.
The 2.2 XLT Automatic is priced from R522 700 and powered by a 2.2-litre turbodiesel engine (118 kW/385 Nm), mated with a 6-speed automatic transmission. Like the Fortuner, the Everest is not as refined, nor as solidly-made as the Santa Fe, but it still represents good value in this segment.
The Kia equivalent of the Santa Fe is the Kia Sorento and it's powered by the same 2.2-litre turbodiesel engine offering 147 kW and 440 Nm of torque together with an 8-speed automatic transmission. The Sorento was updated in 2018 to offer more value and it's now only available as a 7-seater. The entry-level Sorento 2.2 CRDi LX is priced from R579 995.
Latin inspired limited edition R8
Decennium edition marks a decade of Audi V10s.
Audi is celebrating the tenth anniversary of its mid-engined V10 supercar with a special edition offering. It’s called the Decennium and if you attended a posh school, you’ll know that means ‘decade’ in Latin.
Expect most of the 222 Decennium R8s to be finished in an exclusive Daytona grey surface colour, although customers will have option on five other, more vivid, hues. Differentiating the Decennium from other R8s is black gloss detailing on the front splitter, side sills and rear diffuser, which should contrast quite tidily with the Daytona grey’s matt finish.
Perhaps the most notable exterior styling detail to aid recognition of a Decennium R8 are its wheels and which are matt bronze in colour. The R8’s mid-mounted V10 powerplant, visible through its clear cover, also features bronzed intake manifolds, which are sure to appeal to engine bay aestheticists.
Inside there isn’t much difference from a standard R8 V10, but for the Decennium centre console logo and door sill badging. Open the door in a low-light or shaded environment and you’ll notice puddle lamps projecting an R8 Decennium logo onto the floor.
Mechanically the Decennium is no different from a regular R8 V10. That means you get a choice of 5.2-litre naturally-aspirated V10 in either 419- or 456kW, driving all four wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.
Find a high friction surface and if you disable your mechanical sympathy, the 456kW R8 Decennium will run a true 3.1 second 0-100kph time, before buffering at the edge of aerodynamics at 331kph. Not a traditional acceleration or speed statistic, but the R8 V10’s 8700rpm engine speed ceiling is a very novel part of its offering – especially in a world where turbocharged performance cars force you to shift gear a lot earlier than that.
Ferrari has revealed the first official photographs of the F8 Tributo, its all-new offering.
This new mid-engined Ferrari boasts the most powerful V8 engine in the history of the brand. The F8 Tributo replaces the 488 GTB and the Maranello-based brand claims its new car is "one of the fastest, most thrilling and communicative supercars ever."
Power comes from a revised version of the 3.9-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine. It has won numerous accolades, including Best Engine” in the International Engine of the Year awards three years running in 2016, 2017 and 2018. It produces 537 kW and 770 Nm, and the performance claims are staggering. How does 0-100 kph in 2.9 seconds grab you? Or how about a 0-200 kph time of 7.8 seconds? The top speed is rated at 340 kph.
Inside, there's a smaller steering wheel and the entire car is 40 kg lighter than the outgoing 488 GTB. The cabin also features a driver-orientated cockpit which has been completely redesigned. There are also new air vents, new steering wheel controls as well as a new 7-inch passenger touchscreen display.
We'll have more details after the new Ferrari F8 Tributo is publically revealed at next week's Geneva Motor Show.
