While we eagerly wait for the official reveal of the new Mercedes-Benz GLB crossover, our German spy photographers have captured images of a likely GLB AMG 35 test mule undergoing testing.
Picture credit: S. Baldauf/SB-Medien
We have already seen spy images of the forthcoming Mercedes-Benz GLB which is due to be revealed in coming weeks/months, but now images of a sportier AMG version have surfaced.
The GLB will share its underpinnings with the new A-Class and will slot in between the GLA and GLC in Merc’s premium crossover lineup. The GLB’s boxy shape will ensure ample interior space and is expected to seat up to 7 passengers.
The AMG 35 GLB version you see here rides lower than the standard GLB and appears to have larger, low-profile tyres which hint at its sportiness. More so, it will feature a more aggressive front grille treatment which is to be expected for an AMG derivative and the dual exhaust pipes seen at the rear further identifies this as a hotter version of the GLB.
A hotter Mercedes-AMG GLB variant will cater for those looking for more grunt and aggressive styling.
In terms of firepower, this GLB AMG 35 will likely feature the same powerplant that drives the recently-revealed Mercedes-AMG A35 4Matic hatchback which makes use of a turbocharged 2.0-litre engine producing 225 kW and 400 Nm of torque. The GLB AMG 35 is also likely to feature 4Matic all-wheel drive to maximise traction and enhance handling ability.
The new GLB-Class is expected to be revealed early in 2019 before going on sale in the same year. The hotter GLB AMG 35 version will follow later, most likely as a 2020 model.
We will keep you updated as more details are revealed.
Countless South Africans have fond memories of the Volkswagen Kombi, an icon that’s synonymous with long-haul holiday travel and lazy days at the beach. Five decades on, here’s why we still love The People's Bus.
The beach and the venerable Volkswagen Kombi go hand-in-hand, a notion we’ve seen adopted across the globe from as early as the 1950s. And what’s not to like? The early models were appreciably affable-looking things that featured side windows and removable seats – a boon which endeared it to many families and outdoorsy types.
While many enthusiasts have a soft spot for the original models, including those of the split windscreen variety, it was the famous David Kramer Volksiebus advert that popularised the contemporary Kombi or Microbus here in South Africa. The Microbus and Caravelle went on to sell in big numbers and continue to overshadow many newer iterations on our roads.
Of all the models, the T4 Transporter (2003) took the Kombi recipe to another level in terms of styling and engine layouts. Its modern design represented a big departure for the Volksiebus as did its front-engine layout, the latter of which would form the crux of the contemporary Kombi.
We love Kombis so much, we found an owner in KZN who has the coolest collection of busses including this split-window Panel Van:
1. A friendly face
One attribute that Volkswagen has managed to retain throughout its documented history is the Kombi’s affable demeanour. From the rounded, smiley-faced designs of the original series to the "big window" Microbuses of the Nineties, the Kombi has always represented adventure and holidaying up the coast – elements that many purists feel were lost when the modernised T4 Transporter arrived on the scene here in 2003.
Despite its foibles, the T4 introduced the current Kombi’s shape and raised the bar by taking it into a contemporary space – and we’re talking elevated levels in everything from safety standards and aesthetics to fuel efficiency and comfort.
2. Made for travelling. And the beach…
Think back to your fondest childhood memories of Kombi life and I’m sure you’ll recall fighting with your brothers, sisters and friends for the best spot in the "house", which usually took the form of the rear compartment. It always felt massive inside. The T6 Series still feels rather commodious, which can be attributed to the seating arrangement that can swivel and slide to suit your desires. The luggage bay can also be enlarged by moving the benches forward. Of all the derivatives in the current range, it’s the California Beach that rekindles all those nostalgic feelings and memories of holiday adventures. There’s no need for checking in to B&Bs here… Oh no, the California Beach comes equipped with all the creature comforts of a premium camper van, with such amenities as a pop-up roof tent and fold-down seat mattress (both sleeping 2) included in the package.
3. Retro-inspired aesthetics
While some of the original Kombi's essence has been lost in translation over the years, the core ethos and zeitgeist of the original Volksiebus are still present. Despite the modern appearance of the new T6 Kombi several tasteful touches and optional garnishes pay homage to the original concept, such as the 2-tone paint (a must-have in our opinion), glasshouse arrangement and sliding door. There’s only one perplexing omission on the local options sheet: the retro-style-hubcap-look alloy wheels, which would have added another nostalgic and tasteful addition to the visuals.
4. Back to front
Remember the early offerings and their rear (air-cooled) engine rear-wheel-drive layouts? These were quickly culled with the introduction of the T4 Series when the development of more efficient and environmentally friendly engines prompted VW to move everything from the engine and drive layout to the front. Save for the Kombi (which utilises a single 2.0-litre turbodiesel motor in two states of tune: 75 kW/250 Nm and 103 kW/340 Nm), Volkswagen’s broadly employed 2.0-litre bi-turbodiesel units do duty across the Caravelle, PanAmericana and California ranges.
Available in different states of tune, power and torque outputs range from 132 kW and 400 Nm (Caravelle and PanAmericana) to 110 kW and 350 Nm or 150 kW and 450 Nm (California). While there are subtle performance differences between each derivative, you need to remember the Kombi has always been more about the journey and less about the destination.
5. Safer than ever
The modern Kombi sets itself apart from its predecessors when it comes to integral safety features. The current line-up boasts a throng of safety acronyms such as ESP, ABS, MCB, ASR, EDL and TSC as well as automatic post-collision braking, the latter of which aims to prevent a secondary collision after an accident. There’s also adaptive cruise control, lane-change assist and hill hold assist. Both driver and passenger have airbags and the options list includes high-beam assist and front fog lights with integrated cornering lights. Those looking for superlative traction levels, or who regularly have to deal with poor road surfaces or gravel, can spec it with 4Motion four-wheel drive system, including a mechanical differential lock.
Kia has launched its facelifted Sportage family car with updated exterior and interior styling and new engine choices.
The Kia Sportage has been updated to take the fight to the Volkswagen Tiguan, Hyundai Tucson (also recently updated), Peugeot 3008, Toyota RAV4, Ford Kuga and Mazda CX-5. The range's line-up has been reduced from 12 to 9 derivatives, with only 1 all-wheel-drive version available.
From an aesthetic point of view, the Sportage's exterior styling has been emboldened with a newly designed front-end including new-look headlights, fog lights and more chrome for a more sophisticated look.
The interior, meanwhile, has been updated and incorporates an attractive mix of soft-touch materials and convenience features such as an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system (with integrated navigation), a wireless charging pad, split-folding rear seats, electrically adjustable front seats, power windows and -mirrors, park distance control, reverse-view camera and rake- and reach adjustable steering.
Engine choices
A range of petrol and diesel engines are on offer with a choice of manual and automatic transmissions. Trim levels include the entry-level Ignite/Ignite Plus and higher spec EX and EX Plus.
The engine range starts with the naturally-aspirated 1.6-litre petrol engine in the Sportage 1.6 Ignite. It offers peak outputs of 97 kW and 161 Nm of torque and is mated with a 6-speed automatic transmission.
A naturally-aspirated 2.0-litre petrol engine powers the Sportage Ignite Plus, EX and EX Plus. It produces 115 kW and 196 Nm of torque and is available with a choice of either a 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic transmission.
The solitary turbodiesel engine (the previous 1.6- and 1.7-litre units have been discontinued on the local market) is a 2.0-litre motor (131 kW and 400 Nm of torque), which is mated with a new 8-speed automatic transmission in the Ignite Plus, EX and EX Plus derivatives.
All Sportage derivatives are front-wheel driven except for the Sportage EX AWD automatic, which employs all-wheel drive. The new 8-speed auto is said to offer improved shift times and responsiveness. Fuel consumption has also been improved with the introduction of the new transmission.
We are driving the facelifted Kia Sportage at launch this week so look out for our launch report coming your way soon.
Kia Sportage – Prices in SA
Sportage 1.6L GDI IGNITE 2WD Auto – R379 995
Sportage 2.0L IGNITE PLUS 2WD – R389 995
Sportage 2.0L IGNITE PLUS 2WD Auto – R403 995
Sportage 2.0L Diesel IGNITE PLUS 2WD Auto – R453 995
Sportage 2.0L EX 2WD Auto – R459 995
Sportage 2.0L EX PLUS 2WD Auto – R499 995
Sportage 2.0L Diesel EX 2WD Auto – R509 995
Sportage 2.0L Diesel EX AWD Auto – R536 995
Sportage 2.0L Diesel EX PLUS 2WD Auto – R549 995
The Kia Sportage is sold with a 5-year/unlimited km warranty, 5-year/90 000 km service plan and 5-year/unlimited km Roadside Assistance.
Understanding the Nissan NP300 Zero-Star Crash Test
The bakkie segment is the most popular vehicle class in South Africa. Should we judge body-on-chassis pick-ups and double cabs, especially those produced with affordability most in mind, by conventional passenger safety standards?
There is never a boring month that passes in the South African news cycle, but when our automotive industry makes international headlines, seemingly for all the wrong reasons – motoring enthusiasts are bound to take notice of it.
November hasn’t been a good month for Nissan South Africa. Not in terms of local product demand or production efficiencies, but reputation management. A joint venture testing initiative by Global NCAP and the AA yielded results that were trumpeted with great alarm to the public.
The vehicle that suddenly started trending on social media for all the wrong reasons was Nissan’s NP300 double-cab bakkie. It had underachieved in the worst way possible, by scoring (or rather, not scoring), a safety rating of zero.
Borrowed rage is a by-product of our age and issues are seamlessly claimed as personal victimhood; principles are championed, but meanwhile, behaviour continues unaltered. Global NCAP espoused itself as an organisation working towards greater transparency in vehicle safety awareness, empowering the public to make buying decisions informed by the most independent and robust safety testing protocols available.
The Nissan Hardbody actually dates back as far as the late 1990s.
I’m deeply suspicious of any activism and although the principles held dear by Global NCAP are lofty and even admirable, every organisation either has an agenda or delivers its service in a very specific "context". For Global NCAP to exist, the premise is that manufacturers don’t want everything to be known about their total safety engineering portfolio. The organisation’s Uruguayan head of technical matters, Alejandro Furas, believes that, for some manufacturers, a lesser standard of safety engineering is deemed as acceptable for African markets – and their testing results prove this.
The complication of continuation vehicles
Cynics have questioned why Global NCAP tested the NP300 and didn’t contextualise it with other affordable double-cabs from GWM or Mahindra. The NP300 does a fair trade in the local market and its sales numbers justify the importance of selecting it for testing, so I can’t fault Global NCAP for its sampling logic. But, having said that, it would have been illuminating to see a Mahindra Pik-Up or GWM Steed6 tested to the same standard.
There’s no doubt about the technical standards that Global NCAP employed to calculate the crash safety rating of the NP300. It was conducted in one of the world’s epicentres of automotive technical excellence, Munich, by impartial (and painstakingly precise) German technicians.
Where I do think there’s a lot of context and analysis missing from the entire safer-cars-for-Africa campaign, is the fact that it fails to recognise the huge discrepancy between what Global NCAP perceives as customer behaviour – and the reality of African car ownership. Added to this issue, is the traditional South African practice of continuation production, as Volkswagen does with the Polo Vivo and Toyota with the Corolla Quest.
One of SA's top-selling passenger cars, the Datsun go scored zero stars. Since then Airbags have been added.
Global NCAP would like us to believe that 80% of new car buyers are influenced by their prospective purchases' safety ratings. This is a statistic that absolutely doesn’t correlate with the local market's monthly new vehicle sales data. In many other global markets, with narrower income disparity, customers might regard vehicle safety features as pivotal to their buying decisions. But in South Africa, that’s simply not the case. The enormous demand for the twin Renault-Nissan Alliance budget products (Datsun Go and Renault Kwid), strongly suggest that, for numerous South African new car buyers, a slick infotainment system that plays nice with your Smartphone, is a lot more important than a ticked list of safety features.
Nissan’s transparency about its NP300’s 2018 safety standards have been called into question, but what exactly should the responsibility of a manufacturer be to someone who is purchasing a continuation vehicle? Since VW and Nissan kept the Golf1 (CitiGolf) and 1400 bakkie (Champ) in production decades after their global discontinuation, South Africans have shown a willingness to buy vehicles with outdated safety technology.
Anyone who is considering the purchase of an NP300 cannot seriously be under the impression that it is a "new" or "up-to-date" vehicle. Surely the bakkie-buying public in South Africa is well aware that this is a continuation model, a design known globally as the 1st-generation D22-series Navara, which dates to the late 1990s.
And that strikes at the most telling issue for me… and one which nobody has yet addressed. If selling a new car with 20-year-old engineering integrity is problematic, due to its failure to meet contemporary crash safety standards, why not legislate it to be illegal to trade any vehicle older than, say, 10 years?
In 2015, the current version of the Ford Ranger scored 5 Stars in the Australian crash test (ANCAP).
In Europe, governments tax older vehicles out of consideration and, in Japan, a physical vehicle test has to be paid for every 2 years (it can cost up to the equivalent of R10 000, which explains why car owners choose to avoid it by replacing their cars regularly). Perhaps the true solution for Global NCAP would be to have any vehicle removed from the roads, which doesn’t adhere to the latest crash safety standards. Land Rover sold its Defender deep into 2015, and it was never even casually crash-tested, leaving one to guess how (un)safe the ancient design would have been.
Before its 2018 revision, much the same could be said for Mercedes-Benz’s G-Class (formerly known as the Geländenwagen), which was never independently safety tested by an organisation such as NCAP. The new one recently went on sale in South Africa, and we still don’t know how it scores in most crash safety metrics. It has airbags and a raft of (even autonomous) safety features, but structurally there is no independently verifiable data on how it collides with solid objects or other vehicles. Has that stalled demand for the Geländenwagen? Not in the least.
When crash testing protocols started becoming an issue in the late 1990s, with the establishment of Euro NCAP, the main concern was how structurally safe a car would be in a conventional collision: front, side, rear and some offset object impacts. By 2018, you cannot achieve a 5-star rating without mandatory dynamic safety intervention systems (electronic stability control), pedestrian safety features and the best LEDs on the market.
Engineering a safety cell around the cabin, with enormous energy absorption and dissipation attributes, should be a goal regarded in isolation from whether bonnets sufficiently limit the harm to pedestrians – or vehicles are equipped with lights that can illuminate rural roads like it’s the second innings of a 20/20 cricket game. Fuel type is rarely mentioned in any safety testing and surely post-crash flammability is an issue? Should turbodiesel vehicles score higher than petrol-powered ones, for example?
Concerns in Australia over the Land Cruiser forced Toyota to make it structurally safer.
It can be argued that bakkies exist in a safety realm of their own because they are constructed in a way that's crucially different to most cars and (these days) SUVs. The bakkie retains a steel ladder-frame, with its cab mounted on top, and this structure is not one given to crumple zone integration in the same way that a unibody or monocoque vehicle is.
The increased ride height of a bakkie means that many impacts that would be devastating for low-riding family hatchbacks and crossovers aren’t of the same risk to occupants of a double-cab. The structural strength of a steel ladder frame and elevated cab design gift double-cab bakkies a tremendous advantage over most other vehicles in most vehicle-to-vehicle collisions. But, without the latest autonomous driver intervention systems and clever lighting designs, bakkies are never going to achieve scores rewarding only their structural safety.
That said, it is possible to dramatically improve the harmonised crash safety rating of a ladder-frame platform bakkie or SUV. Toyota’s Land Cruiser 70-Series was first marketed in the mid-1980s and as crash safety regulations became a popular unit of vehicle analysis in the 2000s, the boxy ‘Cruiser became a problem.
The 5 star scoring Chinese LDV T60 bakkie holds up pretty well.
Pressure from one of its most valued bakkie markets, Australia, forced Toyota to redesign the ‘Cruiser 70 three years ago, adding curtain and knee airbags to the cabin, whilst engineers redesigned the cab, platform and bonnet safety structure. The result was a 2-star increase in crash safety results, as recorded by ANCAP, the independent version of Euro NCAP for vehicles marketed Down Under.
Interrogating the Australian bakkie crash safety ratings are useful, as their market most mirrors our own, and there are some startling results. To name but 2 examples: the Tata Xenon achieved a 4-out-of-5-star rating in 2013 and a Chinese bakkie, the LDV T60, achieving a perfect score last year. GWM’s Steed6 rates 2 stars.
Marginal safety incentives
The sales numbers tell us that crash safety is not an issue for South Africans. If it were, Volvo would be a dominant premium brand here and the continuation models would not have a justifiable business case in the local market. However, South Africans have a gung-ho attitude to road safety, across the entire diversity of the country’s motoring spectrum. Price, image and entertainment features are considered priorities outranking safety technology. Verifiable crash safety data hardly ever influences any new vehicle purchasing decision.
Nissan’s NP300 could certainly benefit from some crash safety reengineering, similar to what Toyota did with its Land Cruiser bakkie Down Under, but who'd absorb that cost? If Nissan passes it onto retail pricing, NP300 becomes uncompetitive not only compared to Mahindra and GWM’s bakkies, but also some "newer" rivals from its traditional competitors.
Let's face it: In an environment where the South African government's department of transport has no policy that bars or penalises outdated safety specification in vehicles offered in the new car market, it’s always going to be a race for the bottom, to shore up sales volume…
Kia Stinger Review: Sideways in Kia’s rear-wheel-drive Saloon
A performance Kia sounds like a contradiction, but with the Stinger it appears that the Korean brand has nailed the brief completely. Watch Ciro de Siena experience the new Kia Stinger.
By definition, a halo car exists to bring positivity, excitement and awareness to a brand. Usually, a brand's halo car is a fire-breathing sportscar and occasionally its a fancy-pants SUV. It is very rarely a sedan. Either way, the car should, at least in part, make the driver feel like a hero.
But if the Kia Stinger isn't a halo car, we're not sure what is. For a brand that is, at least in a South African context, widely associated with budget-beating hatchbacks, on our roads, the Stinger might as well be from another planet. And thanks to a potent V6, rear wheel drive and dramatic good looks, it's garnered critical praise from petrolheads, too.
And so, without further ado, we present to you our Kia Stinger video review. In this film, Ciro De Siena first takes the Kia to the iconic Franschhoek Pass but decides he needs a safer space to really test the car. And so we end off at a secret test track in the Cape, to work out if this halo car can make Ciro feel like a hero. Which is actually quite a solid rhyme.
Ford Kuga ST Line in SA (2018) Specs & Price
Ford has added a sporty ST Line kit to the Kuga as well as a new, efficient turbodiesel model in an effort to jump-start the Kuga's sales on local soil. See details below…
The new Kuga is not having the best of times on the sales charts, but that's to be somewhat expected after the disaster that befell the previous generation. Despite enticing pricing, a strong engine lineup and a practical offering, the new Kuga lags behind the competitors like the VW Tiguan, Mazda CX-5, Hyundai Tucson and Toyota Rav4 – to name but a few. Ford is looking to improves sales with some new additions to the Kuga range. Here's what the new models have to offer.
Sporty Kuga ST Line
The Kuga ST Line replaces the old Titanium model and offers a sportier offering thanks to high-gloss Ebony Black finish for the front grille, honeycomb design for the lower portion of the grille and matching sports mesh finish on the fog lamp bezels. The skid plate, side skirts, mirrors, door handles, rear roof spoiler and wheel arches are all colour coded and make up the new body kit for the ST Line. Ford has even included an Ebony Black rear diffuser, black roof rails, tinted front and rear lights and privacy glass for the rear windows.
The interior of the ST line features partial leather seats with coloured stitching that extends to the gear lever, centre console and gear lever. The ST Line logo appears on the scuff plates as you open the door.
The trend towards sporty family SUVs continues with a revisited suspension setup that incorporates thicker anti-roll bars, a 10 mm lower ride height and stiffer suspension bushes. Spring and damper rates have also been fine-tuned to improve handling performance.
The Kuga ST Line is offered in either all-wheel drive diesel or petrol guise. The diesel variant is powered by a 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine with 132 kW and 400 Nm and is mated to a 6-speed Powershift automatic transmission. As for the petrol version, a 2.0-litre Ecoboost engine does service under the bonnet and provides 177 kW and 340 Nm of torque and comes mated with a 6-speed torque-converter automatic transmission.
Frugal 1.5 turbodiesel
A new economy-oriented turbodiesel engine has been added to the Kuga lineup too. Power for this unit is rated at 88 kW combined with 270 Nm of torque. This engine is only available in entry-level Ambiente and mid-spec Trend variants. It is also only available with a manual 6-speed gearbox and front-wheel-drive. In terms of fuel economy, Ford claims an average figure 4.2 L/100km.
The all-new BMW 3 Series is headed for South Africa in March 2019. Here's what you can expect in terms features and pricing…
Codenamed G20, the 3 Series is an important product for BMW and the new model needs to up its game if it’s to effectively compete against cars such as Audi’s A4 and the Mercedes-Benz C-Class.
In terms of dimensions, the new 3 Series has grown in length by 85 mm while standing 16 mm wider and just 1 mm taller than the outgoing model. Up front, the new 3 wears a large kidney grille with a single surround which is flanked by newly-shaped LED headlights. Other new details include T-shaped air intakes, twin exhaust pipes at the rear and slim L-shaped 3D taillights. Trim lines include Advantage, Sport Line, Luxury Line and M Sport.
A revised interior with new display screens and the latest iDrive 7.0 operating system boosts the technology offering inside the new 3 Series.
The major highlight inside the new 3 Series is the inclusion of the BMW Live Cockpit Professional which comprises a large 12.3-inch display for the instrument cluster and a 10.25-inch infotainment system, the latter of which is now equipped the latest iDrive 7.0 operating system. A head-up display with a 70% larger surface area is also offered. A wide range of driver assistance features are also on offer, including a Reversing Assistant which was also recently introduced on the new BMW X5.
The rear seat is split 40:20:40 as standard and the load bay offers up to 480-litres of space.
Engine Choice
The new BMW 3 Series will arrive in SA in March 2019. Local specification and pricing details have yet to be confirmed.
The BMW 3 Series will offer 6 engine variants from launch including the 320i, 330i, 318d, 320d, 320d xDrive and the 330d. The 4-cylinder 2.0-litre turbopetrol engine powering the 320i offers 135 kW and 300 Nm with a claimed fuel consumption figure of between 5.7 – 6.0 L/100km. The 330i has more grunt with 190 kW and 400 Nm of torque and fuel consumption is claimed at between 5.8 – 6.1 L/100km. Both are mated to an 8-speed Steptronic transmission.
The diesel range kicks off with the 318d with 4-cylinder, 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine offering 110 kW and 320 Nm of torque which is mated with a 6-speed manual transmission as standard while an 8-speed automatic transmission is optional. Fuel consumption for this engine is claimed at between 4.2 – 4.5 L/100km. The 320d is more powerful with figures of 140 kW and 400 Nm of torque and BMW claims an average fuel consumption figure of 4.4 – 4.7 L/100km. The 140 kW/400 Nm 320d xDrive employs BMW's all-wheel-drive system and is fitted with an 8-speed automatic transmission as standard with claimed fuel consumption figures coming in at between 4.5 – 4.8 L/100km.
A 6-cylinder, 3.0-litre turbodiesel engine is found under the bonnet of the 330d and it has outputs of 195 kW and 580 Nm of torque. this derivative is equipped with an 8-speed automatic transmission and fuel consumption is rated at between 4.8 – 5.2 L/100km.
The new 3 Series rides on a stiffer chassis with a lower centre of gravity and 50:50 weight distribution. A range of options can be chosen to further sharpen dynamics including M Sport suspension with lowered ride height, Adaptive M suspension, variable sport steering, M sport brakes and M Sport differential.
According to BMW's online car configurator, 2 engine choices will be offered to customers from launch, including the 330i and 320d (See pricing below).
The new BMW 3 Series will go on sale in South Africa in March 2019. We will keep you informed as soon as more details become available.
The Datsun Go has been updated and the revised version of the controversial budget car comes to market replete with substantial improvements, including a safety upgrade. We headed to Gauteng to drive the newcomer.
Back in 2013, the car world was surprised by news of the resurgence of the Datsun brand. Hopes were high that finally there would be a quality NEW vehicle that would suit budget-car buyers to a tee. Named Go, it offered pleasing levels of comfort, performance and specification on paper. However, there was a catch. The first iteration of Datsun Go was under-equipped in terms of safety, it featured no airbags or ABS. Later, a single airbag (for the driver) was added to the top-spec 1.2 Lux derivative, which was the sole offering on the market before the arrival of the facelift.
Worse still was that the vehicle's body didn't appear to offer enough structural integrity to provide notable occupant protection in the event of an accident – which meant that even tripling the airbag count would have had little effect. The condemnation in the media (mainstream and social) was brutal after NCAP scored the Go zero. Our review of the Go was ambivalent; we thought it was okay to drive, but the safety issue was critical.
Despite this, the Go has sold well in South Africa, which suggests that many customers are willing to sacrifice safety for the pleasure of owning a new vehicle (a phenomenon that ensured "continuation vehicles", such as the VW CitiGolf and Toyota Tazz, remained in local production long after they'd been replaced in their countries of origin; they sold well right up to the point they were discontinued).
Besides, it's easy to understand why… the alternatives to new-car ownership are running inefficient or unreliable old cars or using public transport which is not without its risks and limitations.
Enter this facelifted Datsun Go, with which the Japanese company hopes to surpass the average sales count of the preceding model (around 500 units a month). To date, almost 25 000 Datsun Go variants have found homes in South Africa.
What's new?
The Datsun Go's revised fascia features a far more modern infotainment system. The front bench also been replaced by 2 individual seats.
There has been a huge focus on the part of Datsun to improve the Go's cabin quality and ergonomics. The 1-piece bench seating arrangement at the front has made way for 2 individual seats and the resulting central space means a conventional handbrake has been fitted, doing away with the agricultural and ungainly "umbrella handle" handbrake, which used to protrude from the dashboard.
There's an all-new touchscreen infotainment system, which is more akin in layout and user experience to that of a smartphone than a "fancy car radio". We believe the Go's tech-savvy intended target market will lap that up. Also in the mix is Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, the latter we used extensively for its music streaming functionality on our test drive. Another nice feature added to the Go's spec is rear parking sensors.
The powertrain has been carried over and it's a 1.2-litre 3-cylinder motor that produces a tidy 50 kW and 104 Nm. Those outputs may not sound like much (at all), but the Datsun Go is a lightweight vehicle and it doesn't need much in the way of engine pulling power to motivate it. Power goes to the front wheels via a 5-speed manual gearbox. Datsun claims an average fuel economy figure of 5.2 L/100 km.
The massive change, however, is the addition of significant safety features. The driver's airbag has been joined by a 2nd airbag for the front passenger and crucially, an anti-lock braking system (ABS) has been fitted. The addition of ABS will result in fewer collisions (and help inexperienced drivers, in particular). As for improvements to the Go's structural rigidity (especially around the passenger cell), we expect that Datsun will have to have made (or will still make) running upgrades in anticipation of further crash testing being conducted on the upgraded Go by organisations such as NCAP. The firm said that it will be looking at introducing stability control in 2019, but that will undoubtedly impact the list price.
Top-spec models get alloy wheels and daytime running lights
How does it drive?
Our launch route was a combination of highway and urban driving, and we put the newcomer through its paces. However, when we recalled our impressions of the pre-facelift version, we realised that there's now a big jump between the two. The previous version of the Datsun Go suffered from severe body-roll during cornering and a combination of harsh road and engine noise was tough to bear. At 120 kph, we felt a bit vulnerable in the Go and the car didn't inspire confidence on congested highways. This newer version feels a bit more stable and offers a relaxed drive.
The great news is that the new Go feels more solidly assembled and -finished, in general. The gear action is light and smooth, and the 'box's shift quality slick (a good thing, as you'll be working the gears often!). At the altitude of Gauteng, you will need to work that little engine quite hard and almost every highway overtaking manoeuvre required a gear-change down into 4th. We feel that noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) suppression has been improved too. There are still a handful of rough edges, but at this price point, we can't criticise them that harshly.
The Datsun Go is also available in a 7-seater and panel van configuration.
Verdict
Now that safety, the proverbial elephant in the room has addressed (at least to an extent), one can justifiably regard the Datsun Go as a strong all-round contender in the (exceedingly) price-sensitive budget car segment. The addition of ABS has huge (but, thankfully, positive) implications and this should further bolster sales. In terms of interior quality, the difference between the outgoing model and the newcomer is night and day; so much so that one could easily be fooled into thinking they were 2 almost unrelated vehicles. More convenience features such as the smart and modern infotainment system will also help draw customers in. So the new Datsun Go is starting to look like quite the budget bargain and, as those dreadful infomercials go, "but wait, there's more". Datsun Go customers will receive 1 year's insurance with their new car, sweetening the deal even further.
Datsun Go – Price in SA
Datsun GO Mid R144 500
Datsun GO Lux R165 500
Datsun GO+ 7-seater Mid R154 200
Datsun GO+ 7-seater Lux R175 900
Datsun GO+ Panel Van R155 200
The Datsun Go is sold with a 3-year/100 000 km warranty and an optional service plan.
The new 12th-generation Toyota Corolla has been revealed at the Guangzhou International Auto Show in China. See details below…
The new Toyota Corolla hatchback is eagerly anticipated in the SA market and we can't wait to get behind the wheel of this new stylish newcomer. However, for those who want a sedan version, you can now gaze upon the new Corolla sedan which has been officially revealed.
The new Corolla looks sharper and sportier and is built on the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) platform which underpins the Corolla hatchback and touring versions as well as the Prius and stylish C-HR crossover. The new Corolla is 4 640 mm long, 1 780 mm wide and 1435 mm tall with the wheelbase remaining unchanged at 2 700 mm. The front and rear tracks are wider, while the front overhang has been shortened and the rear overhang extended, slightly. Ride comfort has been enhanced with a multi-link rear suspension that replaces the previous torsion beam setup.
The new Corolla sedan shares styling cues with the Corolla hatchback which is due in SA next year.
As for the interior, Toyota describes it as "sensuous minimalism" combining sportiness, elegance, comfort and durability. Top-spec derivatives will receive an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto functionality, while a 7-inch system will be offered on lesser derivatives. Overseas, an optional 800-watt JBL audio system will be offered.
In terms of engines, petrol and hybrid options are on the cards. A new 2.0-litre, naturally-aspirated 4-cylinder mill pushes out a reasonable 126 kW and 205 Nm, mated to either a 6-speed manual or a CVT. The familiar 1.8-litre petrol engine will be carried over but Toyota says it will offer more power at 106 kW and better efficiency.
On the safety front, the latest driving assistance systems will be made available ranging from Lane Tracing Assist, Road Sign Assist, Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection, Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, Lane Departure Alert and Blind Spot Monitoring, all of which fall under Toyota Safety Sense 2.0. A total of 8 airbags are standard.
The new Corolla will be rolled out to markets around the world in the second half of 2019 and can be expected to reach South Africa in 2020.
The 2nd iteration of the BMW M4, the standard-bearer of the next 4 Series (which will be based on the platform of the G30-generation 3 Series – unveiled at this year's Paris Show), is set to arrive in 2020. This is what we think it may look like and, in terms of the highly anticipated sportscar's specs, here's what we know so far…
Render credit: Wayne Batty
There is always a lot of hype around a new BMW 3 Series and in particular its accompanying M models, so we thought we'd have a go at designing our very own headlining M version of the famous nameplate's (yet to be unveiled) 4 Series sibling. Exact details are a little fuzzy, but the picture is starting to clear up as the deadline for the next M car draws ever closer.
xDrive likely to feature
Purists will no doubt scoff at the idea of an all-wheel-drive M3/M4, but in all likelihood, the duo will sport an all-wheel-drive system with a variable electric differential. It seems that either or both will be rear-wheel-driven as well, but the details here are trickier to understand. The most likely scenario is that, like the M5, the next M3/M4 will have a 2WD mode that allows it to be purely rear-wheel-driven at the push of a button. The other possibility is that only the 6-speed manual derivative (or special-edition versions thereof) will be rear-driven and the autos purely xDrive.
There's always the new M Performance models to think about if you don't want to go full M – this is the M340i.
More boost
BMW will crank up the boost on its M3/M4 engine and, most importantly, it remains a straight-6 with multiple turbos. Peak power is said to be between 335 kW-370 kW making its starting point more powerful than the previous-generation Competition Package. BMW has to play it clever though, as new emissions regulations require the engine to be fitted with a particulate filter. It will have multiple features to improve fuel economy, such as coasting, a more intrusive start/stop system and a 48V electrical system, which will reduce the draw from ancillaries on the engine and, critically, spool up the turbos. Water injection will be used (as BMW did with the M4 GTS) in order to keep temperatures down in the combustion chamber. The further developed engine can also handle higher boost, so expect Competition and CS derivatives to push close to the 400 kW mark.
No more M-DCT
No more M-DCT without a 'Park' mode for the new gen M cars.
With the advancement of the responsiveness and efficiency of torque converter transmission, BMW has decided to drop the dual-clutch unit in favour of the 8-speed ZF sourced auto. Multiple modes will be available to improve shift speeds and ferocity of shifts. As mentioned above, it seems a 6-speed manual has survived and will be available for the new model. Whether it makes its way to SA we will only know closer to the launch.
Less wild, however
The character of the new M3/M4 will be toned down somewhat from the wild and sometimes lairy versions of the F80 and F82. The engineers want the new cars to be more balanced and confident at the limit with a more pliant ride quality. Adaptive damping will be further improved to dial in the chassis control and improve overall ride quality. Variable electric steering mode adjustment will be made to lend better feel and weight to the tiller.
As always, the engineers claim that the new models will be lighter than ever, so expect them to be a few kgs thinner than their predecessors, which will not only improve the cars' dynamism, but stopping power too. It all sounds quite promising then, doesn't it? Bring on 2020.
