Chery Tiggo (2015) First Drive

It’s a wonderful occurrence on a new-car launch when a device that you are just about to consign to the “yeah, cheap, but pretty indifferent” heap turns up trumps in an unexpected arena.

Chery Tiggo Bargain Beater

This happened on this week’s revised Chery Tiggo launch. Okay, you have to be impressed with the amount of equipment, space and practicality offered by a car of this size at a price of just under R230 000, but as for dynamics, well the Chery still has a way to go. I was acceptant, rather than impressed, by its roadability on the freeway and reasonable-quality secondary roads out in the Delmas area. The steering was still a touch on the vague side, the directional stability could be classified under the “twitchy” heading, and the power, rated on paper at 93 kW, seemed more like a solid 82 kW.

Then the launch route directed us onto a particularly baaad section of dirt road and the initial feeling was, it’s a damn shame, because this is where the inherent sloppiness of the body shell and the indifference of the damping and springing would make the next 10km of pot-holes, ruts and downright dongas (it had rained heavily two days prior to our jaunt) a grit-your-teeth and bear-it experience.

Nothing could have been further from the truth. Me and my driving partner, fellow freelancer Gavin Foster from KZN, were late for our rendezvous with the group, having dozed off as far as the route instructions went and travelled an extra 40 km. So I needed to pour it on.

So pour it on I did. And the more I did, the worse the road became. And as the ruts turned to sloots, and wash-aways turned to mini-earth banks, this little Chinese-designed-and-built Tiggo absorbed everything. I kid you not, obstacles  that would have had many a European-orientated compact SUV threatening to poke suspension struts through the fenders were dealt with contemptuous ease by the Chery. It’s almost as if it had been specced as a Dakar support vehicle. I found it much more pleasant on dirt than on tar!

So, prospective Chery Tiggo owners, rejoice in the fact that while this is in no way a real off-roader (it’s front-wheel-drive), it is superbly competent on those rippled, ungraded dirt roads where you sometimes need to venture over a weekend, either to get away from it all or to see relatives who never joined the rat race in the first place.

Improved Styling

The styling has undergone some improvements too, gone are yesteryear’s black-painted under-sections, in their place are body-coloured panels, contrasted by a black grille surround in the lower regions that actually looks quite funky. The increase in wheel size from 16 to 17-inch has also done a lot for the aesthetics, the visual balance of the car.

Talking of balance, an odd feature is the tailgate, which extends right through to the lower edge of the bumper, so when you load luggage, you have no intrusive lip to heft stuff over. Boot space at 827-Litres is good (how they measured it we’re not sure since this figure makes it larger than a BMW X5), and even better with the rear seat backs folded flat when it expands to 1 935-litres.

Further on a practical level, there is plenty of leg and headroom and the seats are leather covered as standard – there is only one model in the range and that is an upper-spec model, as far as standard equipment goes.

Comprehensive Features

Convenience features naturally include air-con, audio, electric windows all round and MP3-USB compatibility. The safety levels are good. While there are only two airbags, on an active safety platform there is ABS braking, electronic bake distribution (EBD) and unusually in an SUV in this price range, electronic stability programming, to control skidding via the ABS braking system. There is also hill-start assist.

But the Tiggo still has a way to go in certain areas, namely the dynamic ones where design and engineering in a hard-core mechanical sense are concerned. The gearshift is rather ratchety in operation, nothing fluid about the action across the five speeds on offer. And I suspect with a full load of five people and their luggage it is going to feel distinctly wheezy, particularly at the Reef.

Pricing and Competition

But then, remember the price! This car costs just R229 900, and yet at a quick glance, as well as creature-feature-wise,  it’s going to compare favourably to a German or Japanese or Korean-sourced vehicle costing between R50 000 and R100 000 more. Imperial’s Chery division isn’t expecting to challenge the likes of Ford’s Ecosport or Renault’s Duster  in terms of sales, but they will be happy to move between 80 and 100 units a month. And for those people who don’t take too much  notice of the slightly rough interior edges, but have a lot of dirt road travelleing to do, this car is well worth a look.

Cars.co.za BMW 2-Series Winner Announced

Hugo Dedekind is the lucky winner of the BMW 220i and he receives his prize from Cars.co.za’s Operations Manager Chris Barter*

In 2014, Cars.co.za ran a monster competition in conjunction with partners like Superbalist, Daddy’s Deals and MSC Cruises.

We had many great prizes such as cruises and iPads to give away, but the flagship prize was the exceptionally pretty BMW 2-Series. The BMW 220i (in red, of course) was probably the biggest drawcard and there could only be one winner.

This is what Hugo had to say about his big win, ““My daughter forwarded me the Scratch ‘n Win email, I scratched a few and forwarded a few. A couple of months later I got the call that I won the BMW! I’m grateful, its awesome and I’m going to give the car to my wife, she will obviously be very happy. A big thank you to Cars.co.za for the awesome prize”

Cars.co.za will be hosting more prize giveaway competitions in the future so keep your eyes peeled for more information in the coming months.

Renault KADJAR Confirmed as New SUV

Renault has just confirmed it will be unveiling a completely new model on February 2 2015 as its next C-segment crossover called “KADJAR.”

Renault KADJAR – C-segment SUV

The name KADJAR is said to come from KAD which is inspired by ‘quad’, further representing a go-anywhere four-wheeled vehicle, while JAR recalls the French words ‘agile’ and ‘jaillir’ representing agility and suddenly emerging from somewhere.

It’s rumoured the crossover will be heavily based on the Nissan Qashqai and will ride on the CMF platform which Renault co-developed with Nissan.

Official details and images will be revealed on February 2 2015, with a special social media campaign running from 26th January where new photos and videos will be posted daily before the wraps come off the Renault KADJAR completely.

A public debut of the Renault KADJAR is scheduled for March at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show. Look out for more details in the coming days.

Honda Accord Axed in Europe

According to a report on Automotive News Europe, Honda will end sales for the euro-spec Accord with no replacement planned.

Euro-spec Honda Accord axed, won’t return to segment

This report was confirmed by Leon Brannan, Honda’s UK car division’s boss, who told Automotive News Europe at a press event that the company will be “running out the Accord” and “will not return to the segment”.

Brannan further mentioned that the costs of competing in the segment are “eye-watering” and consumers are shifting to premium models such as the BMW 3-Series and Mercedes C-Class.

Honda brand in SA

The brand seems to be doing okay in the South African market, just 73 units short of hitting the 1000 sales mark, which is not necessarily bad as the 933 units put it in the top ten best-selling manufacturers in SA for December 2014.

However, with only 25 sales of the Accord made in December last year and only eight the month before, the C/D segment sedan is under pressure. The introduction of the Ford Fusion will either help grow the diminishing segment or eat further into Honda’s Accord sales.

The Honda Accord was first introduced locally in 2003, and has since received a number of facelifts. The latest being a 2014 update which included the model getting new engines, advanced safety features, enhanced interior space, as well as a new lighter front suspension which is said to enhance ride and handling.

You can read more about the model here, which our editor Dave had for a test period.

Ford F-150 SVT Raptor TRAX Ken Block Style

Monster Energy has released a video to showcase one of Ken Block’s latest creations, which adds to his list of awesome machines including the 65 Mustang Hoonigan, rally inspired Subaru Impreza and Ford Fiesta rally car.

Ford F-150 SVT Raptor TRAX detailed

In the video, the Gymakhana master mentions that he built the modified Ford F-150 to be more affordable than a helicopter but faster than a snow cat. The truck is based on the previous generation Ford F-150 SVT Raptor, equipped with a modified offroad suspension, large skid plates, a roll cage that extends to the back and four tracks that weigh about 159 kg each.

The car also features some extra underbody protection that allows the car to actually float while facing large layers of snow. There’s also bright lights fitted on the hood, as well as a storage rack system and rear facing Recaro seats.

What powers this snowboarding truck monster is a supercharged 6.2-litre Raptor engine delivering around 484 kW of power.

Check out the video below to see the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor TRAX in action on very snowy terrain.

Ken Block’s Raptor TRAX in action

Infiniti Q50S Hybrid (2014) Review

Infiniti is still trying to make its mark in SA and latest sales data from the end of December shows that its two models – the Q50 and QX70 sell a combined 27 units a month. Infiniti remains a premium extension of Nissan and the Q50S hybrid sits at the top of the Q50 range and is a competitor to the likes of the BMW ActiveHybrid 3 and the Lexus ES 300 Hybrid. I spent a week getting to grips with Infiniti’s hybrid offering to see how it stacks up.

Hybrid Power

Infiniti hasn’t gone entirely eco-friendly with the Q50S Hybrid, the electric motor assists a thumping 3.5-Litre V6 that likes to get a move on. The electric part of the car helps with pulling away from lights, stop streets and when crawling in traffic, the problem is you have to drive particularly slowly in order to keep it on electric power. This is something ‘editor Dave’ is particularly good at doing, however I like to keep up with traffic and as you begin to coax more acceleration from the throttle pedal all 261 kW seem to arrive at once as the petrol engine fires up to ‘assist’. It makes the Q50S Hybrid quite jerky in town driving as the petrol engine introduces itself quite aggressively.

Out on the open road though the V6 petrol feels at its best, it has loads of torque to overtake and idles along nicely at 120kph. Thanks to the hybrid system, the Q50S Hybrid claims around 6.8L/100km and during its tenure with us we returned 8.9L/100km and that included a fair whack of enthusiastic driving as the V6 ramps out quite a sexy sound in the upper echelons of the rev range.

Impressive Interior

The Infiniti Q50S Hybrid’s interior is well designed and looks very stylish even if just about everything is covered in black leather. It does a relatively good job of not looking too much like a Nissan inside, but there are still lingering hints of the shared DNA in the driver’s binnacle and the trip computer setup. The technology fest is centralised around two touch screens that sit one on top of the other. The lower unit looks and functions exactly like a tablet with swipe functionality and loads of buttons to press for every function you could possibly think of. It’s also a magnet for fingerprints.

It makes the top screen almost useless as all it seems to do is show a clock, trip computer details and screen a particularly low-res reverse camera. Space for passengers is quite good in the back and the seats offer up good support and comfort. The boot however is a bit small – probably to make space for all the batteries and the rear seats can’t be folded down, making it a bit less practical than your average sedan.

On the safety side of things the Q50S Hybrid is all about trying to avoid accidents, there’s loads of passive aids like lane departure warning and lane departure prevention, blind spot warning and blind spot intervention, forward emergency braking, predictive forward collision warning and automatics also get distance control assist and back up collision intervention. Intervention seems to be the choice word in a lot of those systems meaning that the Q50 will take action on its own if the driver doesn’t.

Ride and Drive

I enjoyed driving the Q50S Hybrid, mostly because the V6 is a sweet sounding and linear accelerating machine. I’m not so much of a fan of the drive-by-wire steering as it turns the Q50 into something very synthetic and lacking any feel whatsoever. It also makes the steering feel inconsistent so at times it feels light and then the next bend you’re suddenly wrestling with a whole load of artificial weight in the wheel.

The ride though is set for comfort, it’s particularly impressive over long runs where the suspension soaks up ripples and imperfections in the road. It’s not bad on the twisty stuff either, there’s not terrible lean and the Infiniti feels grippy when pushed. If only the steering matched the confidence the chassis gives.

Infiniti Q50S Hybrid – Verdict

The Infiniti Q50S Hybrid is a bit of an enigma to me, it’s meant to be a way of showcasing efficiency and greenery in a sporty package, a concept I find contradictory in itself. Nevertheless, it’s nice to listen to a howling V6 and then have the feel good factor of running zero emissions in town driving. The execution isn’t quite as seamless as the theory as the Q50S Hybrid is a bit jerky in town driving, the steering lacks feel and the boot is compromised for space.

The Q50 does look stylish from the outside and that might help it get a few visits to the dealership. The other trick up its sleeve is the price, at R585 000 it undercuts the BMW ActiveHybrid 3 by nearly R150k and matches the Lexus ES 300h but offers loads more power in a more modern environment.

Second Opinion

As far as hybrids go, I do like the Infiniti Q50S Hybrid. The engine and electric combination work reasonably well together, and I enjoyed seeing the rev counter die as the car transitioned from petrol to battery when you come off the throttle. Despite the large capacity V6, the car isn’t as thirsty as you’d think and the safety technology is simply staggering. Sadly there’s a lot of stiff competition in this segment and despite its impressive skillset, I feel the Infiniti Q50S has its back up against the wall. – David Taylor

We Like: Styling, petrol engine, safety and tech

We Don’t Like: Jerky transition from electric to petrol, numb steering, low-res camera

Also Consider: BMW ActiveHybrid 3, Lexus ES 300h

See a comparison between the Infiniti, BMW and Lexus here

Infiniti Q50S Hybrid Quick Specs

Engine 3.5-Litre v6 petrol with hybrid electric
Power 261 kWe
Torque 536 Nm
Transmission Seven-speed automatic
Wheels 18-inch alloy wheels
0-100km/h 5.1 seconds (claimed)
Top Speed 250 kph
Fuel Economy 6.8L/100km (claimed)
Fuel Tank Capacity 70 Litres

Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe (2015) First Drive

The Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe was launched in Cape Town last week and Stuart Johnston was there to take it for a drive.

If ever there was a difficult balancing act to pull off in the automotive world it’s the one Mercedes-Benz is currently tackling with its new model offensive, with an emphasis on wooing younger customers with raw, at times raucous power, yet being careful not to offend the traditional Merc owner, who values ride quality and quietness above all else.

Perhaps no other car epitomises this strategic conundrum more than the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe, the car at the top of the Benz heap in terms of desirability, image-statement, and indeed, price.

Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe Pricing

For the pleasure of owning the new two-door version of what Mercedes-Benz is fond of stating is ‘the world’s best car’, you need to have close to R2-million of readily available disposable income, and that’s only for the base model S-Class Coupe.

The S500, using the new 4.6-litre bi-turbo V8, weighs in at R1 193 000 before emissions tax or options are added. Moving on to the mid-line model, you have the  S 63 AMG Coupe, starting at R2 499 000. If you want assurance that no-one outguns you in terms of spec, once the braai-grid discussion turns competitive, opt for the S 65 AMG Coupe, the V12 version with 463 kW and a sticker price of R3 070 700.

Design of the S-Class Coupe

The very shape of the S-Class Coupe is a blend of gracious serenity and hard-edged power-broking. Viewed from the side, it renders the classic rear-wheel-drive two-door coupe silhouette by placing the dome-shaped cabin quite far back on the five metre-long body-form. This enables a suitably elegant truncated boot and a long nose. The flanks are shaped using the now-signature Merc DNA lines that have their origin at the tip of the nose, with the lower line easing upwards and the upper line dropping towards the tail light cluster.

The agro bit comes when you view the nose, or perhaps a better term for this aspect would be a snout. While there is a nod to the classicism of traditional Mercedes design in the shape of the grille, the huge air ducts underneath are almost primal in their gaping, swallow-anything-and-suck-it-up shape, edged by sharp-surfaced vanes that speak of aero efficiency while channeling huge volumes of air. That’s necessary for the turbo intercooling, oil-cooling and brake cooling systems on a machine of this calibre which moves a huge mass of metal at amazing speeds.

Driving the S63 and S65 AMG

At the S-Class Coupe launch, the S500 was announced, but not available for driving, as, on a world-wide basis, the straight non-AMG model is not yet readily available. So us journos had to choose between the V8 bi-turbo and the V12 bi-turbo. A pretty tough choice…

As things happened we drove the V12 first and the V8 after lunch, which took place half-way up the wonderful Helshoogte pass above the town of Stellenbosch. With the V12, I acknowledged that this package is biased more towards the sophisticated end of the Merc owner profile. The V12, even when pushed hard, has a muted song rather than a brash bellow, and things happen in this car in a seamless fashion, with just one exception noted.

That was when we hit some rather long-in-the-teeth secondary roads, with a degree of tar subsidence at irregular intervals. An S 500 would have wafted over these with no reaction, and I would have expected the same from the S 65 AMG, equipped as it is, standard with Magic Body Control, which adjusts the suspension settings before you reach a set of irregularities. In other words, there was just the slightest trace of the jitters as the wheels seemed to brush off their encounter with the bumps.

I believe that this is a crucial area where, particularly in the case of the AMG versions, Mercedes-Benz needs to pay close attention. The very essence of the brand is its hall-mark waftability. I realise that the sportier AMG versions lower the base model ride-height in the interests of sheer cornering power and stiffen up the ride, but AMG is definitely not the world leader in terms of rough-ish road composure in the performance field, and now with the sporting division brand known simply  as AMG-Mercedes, it needs to be.

Engines

That said, the power-plants are indeed wondrous. For instance, the rasping, bellowing 430 kW V8  S63 AMG we sampled after lunch will haul the big coupe, weighing all of  2 070 kg , to a speed of 100kph from rest in just 4.2 seconds. The V12 will whisper you to that speed in one tenth of a second less! That’s thanks to a stonking power output  of 463 kW, a torque level of a magical 1 000 Nm, but a mass of 2 185 kg before you’ve added fluids and occupants. Oh yes, and EU rated overall consumption figures are in the 10 to 11-litre/100 km bracket, quite remarkable!

An impressive new comfort feature, now integrated into the Magic Body Control package, is the curve-tilting function, which subtly induces the Coupe to lean into a corner when a bend is experienced. Merc insists it’s not a performance orientated function, but a comfort feature. Whatever, the S63 and S65 versions of the Coupe are so-equipped and on smooth roads with sweeping bends, the big car’s forte, the body stays flat despite generating considerable outward-thrusting G-forces.

The amazing body, built largely from aluminium but with high-strength steel cockpit and even some plastic composites used to provide rigidity and insulation, is one of the quietest in the world in terms of road and wind noise.

Technology and Interior

There is a dazzling array of technology in this car, as you would expect. It’s all understandable on a huge display screen mounted on the curved dash top, which houses 3D displays of just about every configuration of comfort, dynamic adjustability, navigation, entertainment and safety configurations that you might desire. It’s a nice techno tour-de-force, although it is somewhat in your face, compared to the rest of the cockpit’s elegant theme of swirls, swoops and soft edges.

The trim and equipment levels are everything you’d expect from a top-end Benz, and the car makes a huge fashion as well as financial statement. It is indeed art on wheels, and despite what I feel about the ride under certain circumstances, this is what AMG, and many Mercedes customers now want. Many of them want that brutal aspect of the grumbling V8 version, a beast-on-demand whenever the personal cobwebs need an oxygen boost!

I just wish I could have tried the basic S 500 version, as I believe this will truly embody everything that’s best about balance and a considered approach to motoring, that is indeed Mercedes’ stock-in-trade.

BMW 2-Series Active Tourer SA Prices Revealed

We have stumbled across the pricing for the forthcoming BMW 2-Series Active Tourer scheduled to launch in SA towards the end of January 2015.

Trim options

Although styling won’t please everybody, the Sport Line package adds high-gloss black accents, special air intakes and exclusive 16- or 17-inch alloy wheels. There’s also sport seats, high-gloss black trim and contrast stitching.

The Luxury Line features high-gloss chrome grille and special 16- or 17-inch alloy wheels, as well as a leather-wrapped sport steering wheel, special seat upholstery and chrome accents.

For a sportier look, the M Sport package adds an aerodynamic body kit, a high-gloss black grille, a sport-tuned suspension (which reduces the ride height by 10mm) and 17- or 18-inch light alloy wheels. It also includes an M leather steering wheel, specially upholstered sports seats, an anthracite roof liner and M-branded door sill plates.

The 2-Series Active Tourer will be available in four models (218i, 220i, 220d and 225i) and three engine options.

These will include the entry-level 218i with a 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine that delivers 100 kW and 220 Nm of torque – 230 Nm with overboost. The 225i is equipped with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that produces 170 kW and 350 Nm of torque. While the 220d is fitted with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel engine with 110 kW and 330 Nm of torque.

BMW 2-Series Active Tourer price in South Africa

Standard model 218i 220i 220d 225i
Six-speed Manual R378 000 R401 000 R428 500 –
Automatic Transmission Steptronic (6-speed for 218i, 8-speed for 220i, 220d and 225i) R396 00 R419 000 R446 500 R447 000
Sport Line
Six-speed Manual R395 300 R418 300 R445 800 –
Automatic Transmission Steptronic (6-speed for 218i, 8-speed for 220i, 220d and 225i) R413 900 R436 300 R463 800 R464 300
Luxury Line
Six-speed Line R403 900 R426 900 R454 400 –
Automatic Transmission Steptronic (6-speed for 218i, 8-speed for 220i, 220d and 225i) R421 900 R444 900 R472 400 R472 900
M Sport package
Six-speed Manual R414 950 R437 950 R465 450 –
Automatic Transmission Steptronic (6-speed for 218i, 8-speed for 220i, 220d and 225i) R432 950 R455 950 R483 450 R480 150

 

Ford Fusion (2015) First Drive

Most of us remember the Ford Mondeo of old, the sedan that wasn’t quite premium enough to fight with the German sedans and not quite desirable enough to make you upgrade from a big hatchback. It was a good car though, with loads of space, a comfortable drive and a sweet range-topping ST220 derivative. Unfortunately low sales dictated that the Mondeo be retracted from our market until now. The Mondeo has returned, but instead it has been branded a Fusion, we were at the launch to give it a quick spin and see what it has to offer.

Style-icious

It’s a good looking car and I’ll have no arguments about that. The front end shares a lot of similarities with the new Mustang with its LED piercing forwards through slanting headlight housing. The grille might be a bit big, but it fits well with the overall sleek and sexy look of the front end. The rear end continues the impressive appearance with wrap-around taillights in thin slithery shape. In higher spec models the rear tailpipes are chromed and add a bit of attraction to the lower end of the rear. I can happily say that the Fusion is an excellent looking C/D segment sedan.

Techy Cabin

Ford has really gone to town on the tech in the new Fusion. Sync2 is now available and it’ll take some form of Microsoft certification before I can get my head around all the capabilities of this system. Hopefully when we get it on test we’ll have some more time to figure it out. Let’s just say that if you spec your way to the full system you’ll have everything you could want from auto-parallel and perpendicular parking to having multiple USB devices plugged in at the same time and an audio/video device attached as well.

As for the interior, the Fusion has comfortable and endlessly adjustable seats in electric mode. The dash and surfaces, whilst being black throughout, are soft touch and well-designed to create a roomy environment. The driver’s binnacle is very clear whether you spec the fully digital layout or the entry analogue variant.

The Fusion sells itself well on space, there’s good legroom in the rear, even when the front seats are in six-foot plus positions. Then there’s the boot, it’s huge, I had to drop down to eye-level just to see the end. In total it’s 453-litres and the rear seats can be folded down. Standard spec for the Fusion is the seven-airbags that provide its five-star safety award as well as a new rear-seatbelt airbag that will be introduced soon.

Engines

The Fusion is available in three petrol derivatives and a single diesel. The entry-level petrol is the new 1.5-Litre EcoBoost turbo that pushes out 132 kW and 240 Nm of torque. The small turbo dealt with the Fusion well and felt more than capable on the open road overtaking. The first of the 2-Litre turbo motors puts out 149 kW and 300 Nm, while the more powerful 177 kW 340 Nm feels suspiciously familiar to the engines in the Range Rover Evoque and Jaguar XF. Ford says the engine is a Ford only product and is unaware of any link between the Jag/Landy engines.

The diesel is a 2-Litre turbodiesel churning out 132 kW and 400 Nm. In a big sedan like this where most owners have families and maybe aren’t the most enthusiastic behind the wheel I recommend the diesel. It’s a fuel efficient engine that delivers on all fronts, it’s just a pity it’s also the most expensive model in the range.

Pricing

Ford understands that the Fusion isn’t as premium a name as the 3-Series or C-Class but it wants to compete with them on the tech front and desirability side of things. In reality the competition is more in the Honda Accord and VW Passat range, but this new Fusion may just be able to convince a few people into its driver’s seat. Option packs have been made available for those wanting to add something a little more to their Fusion and cost around R25k to bolt on.

Ford Fusion 1.5 EcoBoost Trend – R349 900

Ford Fusion 2.0 EcoBoost Trend – R369 900

Ford Fusion 2.0 EcoBoost Titanium – R424 900

Ford Fusion 2.0 TDCi Titanium Powershift – R449 900

Honda Jazz (2015) First Drive

The third generation Honda Jazz is now available in South Africa and Cars.co.za drove it in Cape Town.

The Honda Jazz is a popular city car around the world and is renowned for offering incredible space, practicality along with a generous helping of specification. It has a proven track record in SA, and was one of the first small city cars to offer a respectable safety rating as well as innovative interior versatility.

Fast forward to 2015, and the Honda Jazz which, we saw unveiled online has made its South African debut. The 2015 Honda Jazz gets a nice and modern front end, with the rear looking a lot fresher than the outgoing model. I think the design language is striking, particularly when paired with one of the more vibrant colours available. On the launch, I chose the delicious orange which was very eye catching.

Engines and performance

Essentially, the new car offers seven models, with two engines and two gearbox options. There’s a 1.2-litre engine and a 1.5-litre engine available. The smaller 1.2 offers 66 kW and 110 Nm, while the 1.5 has 88 kW and 145 Nm. The smaller engine Jazz can hit 100kph in 13.5 seconds, while consuming a claimed figure of 5.6l/100km. The 1.5 is a little quicker, being able to hit 100kph in a claimed 9 seconds, with fuel consumption sitting at 6.0l/100km. On launch, I drove the top specced 1.5 manual gearbox, and I feel the engine offers commendable performance.

Specifications and features

The Honda Jazz does not skimp on safety features. Passive safety features include dual front, side and curtain airbags, inertia reel seatbelts with pre-tensioners and load limiters for front occupants, and height adjustable seatbelt anchors. Child seat tethers are fitted to the rear. These features are joined by an array of active safety systems that includes ABS anti-lock brakes with electronic brake force distribution (EBD) and emergency braking assistance (EBA). The Trend also benefits from Honda’s Vehicle Stability Assistance (VSA).

The model I drove came with a multifunction steering wheel as well as  cruise control and Hill Start Assist. Alloy wheels and a full-size spare wheel both come standard in the 1.5 Dynamic. The interior gains a pretty seven-inch display in the dashboard, which incorporates the audio system, Bluetooth telephony, the trip computer, and more. There’s also leather trim on the steering wheel and gearshift knob, while a fully automatic climate control does a sterling job of keeping the summer heat under control. The best part has to be the two USB ports and HDMI port which will make use of your smartphone’s features for car use.

SA Launch

The launch route took us through the Swartland region of Cape Town and we skirted the towns of Paarl and Wellington. The car’s 1.5 engine performed well, and the gearshift was typically Honda, which is a great thing. The car’s features make it a competitive option in this segment and I feel like it will continue to be a best seller in our market.

2015 Honda Jazz Price in South Africa

The new Honda Jazz will go on sale in February 2015.  All models except the entry-level Trend come with a four-year/60 000 km service plan included in the price, while services on all models are at 15 000 km intervals.

Jazz 1.2 Trend Manual                  R179 900
Jazz 1.2 Comfort Manual              R204 900
Jazz 1.2 Comfort CVT                   R221 900
Jazz 1.5 Elegance Manual            R234 900
Jazz 1.5 Elegance CVT                 R249 900
Jazz 1.5 Dynamic Manual             R249 900
Jazz 1.5 Dynamic CVT                  R264 900