Mercedes-Benz G-Code Concept

Mercedes-Benz has got the jump on the LA motor show and revealed its G-Code Concept that sees a distant look into the German brand’s future. The G-Code Concept is a small compact SUV that will sit below the GLA as far a pricing goes.

G-Code Design Details

The curtain was lifted on the G-Code at the opening of its new R&D centre in Beijing on the 3 November 2014. The styling of the G-Code has been co-developed by designers in both China and Germany in order to make it is accessible as possible to the young, modern buyer.

The letter ‘G’ is easily spotted in the G-Code’s LED lights and points to its name. Other interesting style points include the reverse opening rear door – coach doors and 21-inch wheels fitted for a bit of extra street cred. The A-pillars have been designed so the G-Code looks as though it has a floating roof and the glass wraps right the way around from the rear window.

The grille has three different choices of backlights to choose from so you can spray blue, purple or red light from behind the grille. You may have also noticed the lack of rear mirrors, this is because they have been replaced with cameras that display inside the cabin.

Hydrogen Powered

No engine specifics have been detailed, however it did say that it would likely use ‘state-of-the-art turbocharged combustion engine that runs on hydrogen’ along with an ‘electric motor that drives the rear axle.’ That would make the G-Code an all-wheel drive compact SUV with specific modes to choose from as to whether you want to drive in two-wheel or four-wheel drive. Or it could possibly have a third mode where it is powered entirely by the electric motor.

The roof of the G-Code uses specially designed ‘Multi-voltaic’ paint which, acts as a solar panel and regenerates electrostatic energy as wind is drawn over the surface. The new concept also employs ‘power-on-the-move suspension’ in which, the rebound movement of the springs and dampers is used to drive a generator via hydraulic means to create electricity.

Whilst purely a concept and a design study, the G-Code takes a look into Merc’s expanding range of SUVs and what its next step in the segment may be.

Citroen Launches New C1 in SA

The tiny hatchback from French manufacturer Citroen was quietly launched over the first weekend in November 2014. The new Citroen C1 hopes to build on the good worldwide sales of 780 000 units that the first version achieved.

New C1 Design

The face of the new C1 has been updated to mirror that of the rest of the Citroen range. That means a two-part headlight system with the top section being reserved for the daytime running lights. The rear lights have some new treatment and feature square tail lamps that update its visual appeal. The C1 is initially available in Feel spec and Airscape (folding roof). An entry-level model will be added the range in early 2015.

Engine

The C1 upgrades from its previous 1-litre, three-pot motor to a 1.2-litre, three-cylinder petrol. Outputs are claimed to be 61 kW with 116 Nm of torque. The engine improves the performance of the C1 as it now takes 11 seconds to get to 100kph and has a top speed of 170kph. Citroen claim it will return 4.3L/100km on the combined cycle. Size wise, the new C1 is slightly longer than the previous version by 29mm, the rest of the vehicle is fractionally smaller with the kerb weight being nearly identical.

Inside

The C1 is a great city car, fitting through small gaps and making parking and tight turns a synch. The interior has had a spruce-up as the seats are more comfortable and supportive. There are steering mounted controls as well as USB, Bluetooth and MP3 compatibility. If you buy the Airscape version you also get a seven-inch touch screen with the Mirror Screen application that lets you use certain apps on your phone. The boot has been enlarged substantially as it is up to 196-Litres now from the puny 139-Litres before.

Citroen C1 Pricing:

Citroen C1 1.2 Feel – R168 990

Citroen C1 1.2 Airscape – R194 900

Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe SA Pricing Announced

The South African prices for the ultra luxurious and striking Mercedes-Benz S-Class coupe have been announced.

There will be three models launched. Starting off the range is the S500 Coupe with its 4.7-litre twin turbocharged V8 engine. This engine pushes out 335 kW and 700 Nm, with the 0-100kph sprint dispatched in just 4.6 seconds. The first of the AMG coupes is next and the S63 AMG Coupe promises some fireworks to go with that breathtaking body. How does a 5.5-litre twin turbocharged V8 with 430 kW and 900 Nm grab you? The 0-100kph dash is claimed to be completed in just 4.2 seconds.

Finally, there’s the mighty S65 AMG Coupe with the biggest engine in the Mercedes-Benz arsenal. A monstrous 463 kW and 1000 Nm is created by the twin turbocharged  6.0-litre V12. While its 0-100kph time of 4.1 seconds doesnt seem that much better than the S63’s, all that torque will come into play and I think the S65 AMG Coupe will be simply ballastic when it comes to in-gear acceleration.

Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe Price in South Africa

S500 Coupe R1 921 619
S63 Coupe  R2 511 105
S65 Coupe R3 087 014

Ford Ecosport Storm Concept

Ford has revealed three interesting concepts of the Ecosport compact SUV at the Sao Paulo motor show. The concepts have been built to show the customisation possibilities for the Ecosport’s future. The Storm concept is based off the F-150 Raptor bakkie whilst the ‘Beauty and the Beast’ concepts highlight the contrast between luxury and sporty models.

Ecosport Storm

The special paint colour is called ‘Blue Storm’, is supplemented by special graphics on the sides. The tyres are 15-inch 215/75 high profile off roaders, while the tactile plastic wheel arches reinforce the rugged nature of the Ecosport Storm.

Beauty and the Beast

The Beauty turns the Ecosport into a sophisticated and urban special edition. The main highlight is the special paint in matte metallic‘Copper Stardust’ colour, with graphics and contrasting details, black roof, fog lights in LED and 18-inch wheels with low profile tyres. The interior features four individual seats arranged in an armchair style, upholstered in leather and DVD screens in the headrests. The interior is finished off with a multimedia system with GPS.

The Beast version emphasizes the sportiness of the EcoSport, with pearlescent white bodywork called ‘Speed White’, contrasting details in blue and orange, three bar grille, fog lamps with four LEDs and 18-inch rims. There’s additional lighting LEDs in the roof for effect. The interior has a clear multimedia system with GPS. The rear seats have been replaced with bike racks.

ESP Made Mandatory in Europe

The European Union will make it mandatory for all cars sold within Europe to be fitted with ESP (Electronic Stability Programme). The law is enforced to all vehicles with a gross weight of under 3.5tons. After a year the law will pass to all vehicles on the roads.

ESP Life Saving Stats

“ESP saves lives,” says Gerhard Steiger, president of the Bosch Chassis Systems Control division. An accident research study by Bosch confirms its effectiveness. In 2011, ESP prevented more than 33 000 accidents involving injury and saved more than 1 000 lives in the EU member states. Since being launched in 1995, ESP has prevented 190 000 accidents and saved more than 6 000 lives across Europe.

In fact they make mention that the only more important safety system in a car is a seat-belt. ESP is even more important than an Airbag. “ESP is an unparalleled success story that we hope to replicate outside Europe as well,” says Gerhard Steiger. According to independent studies, up to 80 percent of skidding accidents on the road could be prevented if all vehicles were equipped with the anti-skid system.

How ESP Works

Swerving on dry, wet, muddy, or slippery roads often results in severe traffic accidents. Using smart sensors, ESP measures 25 times per second as to whether the car is actually moving in the direction that the driver is steering it in. If the measured values do not match, the anti-skid system intervenes and first reduces engine torque. If that is not sufficient, it additionally brakes individual wheels, generating the counterforce needed to keep a vehicle on course.

For more details about clever car safety systems, click here and for South Africa’s safest cars for 2014, click here.

SA Petrol Price Dropping in November 2014

The Department of Energy on Friday announced that the SA petrol price will be slashed on Wednesday 5 November 2014. This news is welcomed by South African motorists who have faced steep fuel price increases for the duration of 2014. Motorists dependent on diesel are better off with prices being slashed by as much as 61c / litre come Wednesday.

SA Petrol Price Drops in time for holidays

The AA commented on Wednesday that the rand/US dollar exchange rate strengthened gradually during October 2014 and that international petroleum prices had shown a substantial decline during the same period. The 5th of November decrease will see the petrol price decrease by 45 cents per litre. Diesel will go down by 61 cents per litres for 500ppm and 60 cents per litre for the cleaner 50 ppm.

With the South African holiday season around the corner, this fuel price reduction will help consumers cope during this notoriously expensive period. Even though this is good news, we encourage you to try save even more by considering these 5 Ways to Improve Fuel Efficiency.

How does the SA petrol price rank in comparison to the rest of the world? Read more about where we rank here.

Driven: (2014) Mercedes-Benz CLS

The 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLS has made its South African debut and we were there at its launch.

The CLS is one of the best-looking products in the Mercedes-Benz arsenal. The car’s concept was an interesting one – what if you could combine the practicality of a four-door sedan with the graceful looks of a coupé? The car has sold well with around 120 000 units sold. In South Africa the vehicle was reasonably popular and the range included the Shooting Brake estate. The Shooting Brake however has now been discontinued in South Africa due to a lack of sales.

Engines

The 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLS comes with a number of engines. There’s an entry-level 150 kW / 500 Nm diesel in the CLS 250, a 190 kW / 620 Nm diesel in the CLS 350, a biturbo V6 petrol with 245 kW and 480 Nm in the CLS400. Finally, there’s some V8 power in the CLS 500 (300 kW / 600 Nm) and the fearsome 430 kW / 800 Nm in the range-topping CLS 63 AMG S. On launch, I sampled the CLS 500, CLS 250 diesel and the mighty AMG model.

There’s a nice new nine-speed gearbox, the 9G-Tronic and it helps keep the fuel economy down. I found the shifts to be smooth, but there is a pleasant mechanical feel as the gears change when you pull the steering wheel mounted paddles in manual mode.

Technology

Being a Mercedes-Benz, the CLS comes brimming with technology, but one of the new things are the front headlights. These MultiBeam LED headlights are incredible and happily move around so everything is brightly lit up except the car in front of you. These lights work in conjunction with the GPS so as you get to a traffic circle, they spread their light wider so the entire circle is lit up. The only way to explain this is by watching this quick video:

Launch

The launch route from Arabella Golf Estate took us back to Cape Town along the picturesque Rooi Els road, which is a lovely stretch of tarmac for performance cars. I avoided the AMG S for this stretch, correctly assuming it would be over the top on this narrow stretch. The CLS 500 with its turbocharged V8 engine was plenty fun and there’s so much power on tap. With 300 kW and 600 Nm, in-gear acceleration is impressive and there’s a lovely soundtrack to boot.

After a quick stint in the CLS 250 with its frugal 2.1-litre diesel engine (used in the E250 CDI coupe) , it was time to jump into the mighty CLS 63 AMG S.

CLS 63 AMG S

With 430 kW and 800 Nm, the Mercedes-Benz CLS 63 AMG S is the ultimate performer in the range. The 5.5-litre twin turbocharged V8 engine is a masterpiece and you know you’re in for some breathtaking performance when you push that start button. The car snarls to life and the sound from those exhausts is phenomenal.

On the open and winding roads around Hermanus, the matte white CLS 63 AMG S turned into a low-flying fighter jet. Performance is astonishing. How does 0-100kph in 4.1 seconds grab you? Remember this is a big executive car, and yet its offering a race car experience. In full AMG attack mode, the CLS 63 is astonishingly quick, but be warned, with the stability and traction assistance turned off, you’re going to be kept busy trying to catch that sliding rear. Still, for the mortal driver that I am, the CLS 63 AMG S offers plenty of thrills and the safety systems will keep you in check.

Summary

In closing, I’d like to think the pick of the range is probably the CLS 350 diesel and the CLS 500 for the petrol fans. Performance fanatics will be delighted with the AMG S, which is simply stupendous and brutally fast. If you have the money, go for broke and get the AMG. If you’re more conservative, go for the CLS 500 which offers 85% of the AMG’s performance.

The CLS is one mighty fine machine, with very little to fault. I look forward to an extended session with this car to see if there are any faults, as my initial impressions indicate this is a flawless product.

Mercedes-Benz CLS Price in South Africa

All the new Mercedes-Benz CLS models come with a Mercedes-Benz six-years or 100 000km PremiumDrive maintenance plan.

CLS 250 CDI  – R760 000 
CLS 350 BlueTec – R893 000
CLS 400 – R888 000
CLS 500 – R 1 120 000
CLS 63 AMG S – R1600 000

The Flying Car is here (Video)

The idea of a flying car has caught or imagination in several of Hollywood’s futuristic films. The Fifth Element and Judge Dredd come to mind first, but we’re sure there are loads more you can think of. The reality however is that it’s not a simple thing to do. Well until some chaps in Slovakia decided to give it a bash.

Flying Car to be Fully Licensed

The AeroMobil 3.0 is the Slovakian company’s third prototype and most successful attempt at a flying car. As you can see from the video below, the wings are able to fold away to form part of the bodywork whilst in car mode and then in a matter of seconds, fold out to form an 8.3M wingspan.

There are a few extra bits about the flying car that aren’t shown in the video. There is a deployable parachute, an autopilot system as well as a bunch of avionics equipment. The idea is to have the AeroMobil licensed for both road use and as a light aircraft for sport use in the Euro Zone.

The flying car is powered by a four-cylinder Rotax 912 naturally aspirated, water-cooled engine and as a car can reach a top speed of 160kph – probably needed to reach take-off speeds. Whilst airborne the AeroMobil will clock up over 200kph.

The flying car claims a fuel economy of around 8L/100km whilst being driven and nearer 15L/hour whilst being flown. The flying car is still in concept form so don’t expect it to be in commercial production any time soon.

In order to help the flying car land easier the engineers have strengthened and stiffened the suspension up tremendously, which probably won’t make it a pleasant ride on the tarmac but does mean that the flying car can take-off and land on quite rough terrain.

The Flying Car in Action Video

Honda Makes Best Advert of 2014 (Video)

Honda has released an incredible video to tease its forthcoming Civic Type R hot hatch.

While we’ve seen some great car commercials this year, I think this is quite easily the best due to its interactivity. You get to see two sides of the story, just as there are two sides to the Honda Civic range.

This is the teaser video, you’ll have to head over to Honda’s Youtube channel here as it can’t be embedded. During the video, just push the letter R on your keyboard for some extra magic…

Honda advert teaser

Porsche Panamera Exclusive Series Announced

Porsche has just unveiled its limited run Panamera Exclusive Series edition ahead of its scheduled 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show debut.

Luxuriously equipped limited edition Panamera Exclusive Series

Based on the Panamera Turbo S,the limited-edition model features for the first time a unique two-colour paintwork combining deep black metallic with chestnut brown metallic manually painted by hand. The deep black metallic colour adorns the 20-inch Sport Class wheels in the Sport Classic design and the front air inlet grilles.

The interior features wall-to-wall Poltroon Frau Brown leather upholstery with chestnut contrast stitching, burl walnut wood trim up front and piano black trim out back. In order to enable seat ventilation, the seats’ centre panels are perforated – exclusively for this limited edition in the form of the Porsche crest.

The car additionally comes with a new rear seat entertainment system that includes two high-resolution 10.1-inch touchscreen displays with built-in camera, an integrated DVD player, and a high-end Burmese surround system.

No modifications feature under the hood, since the Panamera Exclusive Series is powered by the same Turbo S-sourced V8 4.8-litre engine delivering 419 kW at 6000rpm and 750 Nm (800 Nm with overboost) between 2250 and 5000rpm. Working with a PDK transmission, the vehicle can travel from 0 to 100kph in 3.9 seconds reaching a top speed of 310kph.

As an optional extra, Porsche is offering a matching, five-piece luggage set, which is likewise made of high-quality Poltroon Frau Leather and features both perforations in the shape of the Porsche crest and Exclusive Series embossing.

Only 100 units of the Porsche Panamera Exclusive Series will be available worldwide. South African availability is yet to be confirmed.