Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2016 i CAR

The work environment is an ever-evolving place and, although it rarely happens at CAR, we lose and gain team members. This man, though, deserves to be singled out. As the deputy to two different editors, Mike Fourie has epitomised what this magazine is about. He has led by example with his in-depth automotive knowledge, his professionalism both in the way he conducts himself and his dedication to the craft, and the respect he has earned from peers. For 14 years, this big-hearted guy has been Mr CAR. Alongside Mike’s integrity and work ethic exists an unquenched love for all things automotive … especially if it has an Alfa Romeo or BMW badge on the front. You can read his take on his time at CAR magazine in a column on…

The backbone of the Z car’s engine line-up will likely be a BMW-developed 2,0-litre inline-four turbopetrol engine featuring direct injection The 2013 signing of a long-term agreement between BMW and Toyota for the development of more efficient future drivetrain technology included a feasibility study to design a joint-platform sports vehicle that would become the Z4’s successor. According to both parties, the project surrounding what’s been tentatively dubbed the Z5 has passed from feasibility to concept phase and is progressing according to plan. So, what can we expect? IDENTITY & STYLING UNITED VISION, SPLIT PERSONALITY The sportscar’s midsized placing and shared-development strategy is likely to spawn two distinctive models: a touring sportscar that will carry on the legacy of BMW’s Z models, and a more powerful, performance-oriented version for Toyota that…

BMW i8 SPYDER First mooted in concept form at the 2012 Shanghai Auto Show, the i8 Spyder has now been confirmed for production by BMW’s CEO, Harald Krueger. Significant challenges presented themselves in translating the composite-bodied hybrid supercar design into an open-top model, especially in terms of packaging and structural rigidity, but the 266 kW Spyder is being tentatively slated for a reveal at next year’s Geneva Motor Show. LAND ROVER DEFENDER After much managerial to and fro at Jaguar Land Rover, an all-new Defender has been confirmed for release in late-2018 and will be offered in five variants, including a bakkie, crew cab and short- and long-wheelbase versions. Don’t be fooled by the space-age styling of the recent D100 concepts, as company director, Gerry McGovern, has stated that it…

Coming later will be hybrid and diesel engines but, sensibly enough, from the start Bentley will offer only the top-spec motor: a 6,0-litre W12 WELL, there’s no denying it looks like a Bentley. Whether it feels like one or not, we’ll come to in a moment, but for now, no question, it has the aesthetic cues. The strong rear haunches, the diamond grilling on the front. If the task was to make it look instantly recognisable, the first job is done. This is the new Bentayga, and as an example of how gracefully Bentley’s model line-up has evolved since VW took ownership of the company in 1998, you can think of it as only the third “new” model to have since arrived – if, like I do, you count the…

THIS generation of the venerable Land Cruiser 200 has been on the market since 2007, but that doesn’t seem to matter much; buyers of serious 4x4s favour proven credentials over cutting-edge technology. That said, Toyota has improved its off-roading ability even further while updating the design and cabin. The aforementioned buyers will be pleased to know the familiar 4,5-litre turbodiesel has remained unchanged and is now the sole engine option. It’s mated with a well-configured six-speed automatic transmission. The V8’s relatively frugal nature should see it realise a generous fuel range on the massive 138-litre combined fuel tanks. What’s more, the VX version (there’s a less luxurious GX at R850 000) now has a multi-terrain select system that offers programmes for rock, rock and dirt, mogul (mounds of packed snow),…

Ford Mustang 2,3 EcoBoost Convertible AT Price: R779 900 0-100 km/h: 7,02 sec Power/Torque: 233 kW/430 N.m Top speed: 225 km/h CAR fuel index: 11,76 L/100 km CO2 : 225 g/km Ford Mustang 5,0 GT Fastback AT Price: R839 900 0-100 km/h: 5,31 sec Power/Torque: 306 kW/530 N.m Top speed: 263 km/h CAR fuel index: 16,32 L/100 km CO2 : 289 g/km ONE of the less quantifiable but more intriguing exercises we conduct behind the wheel of a new test car is to gauge fellow road users’ reactions to the freshly unpacked model in question. A rough measure of how much excitement the new car generates goes some way to determining how popular that model will be. While many new models or derivatives seamlessly blend into traffic, acknowledged only by…

Rear legroom bests that of the C-Class by 33 mm and there’s 51 mm extra scalp clearance Price: R660 748 0-100 km/h: 8,01 sec Power/Torque: 180 kW/370 N.m Top speed: 230 km/h CAR fuel index: 8,52 L/100 km CO 2  : 177 g/km AUDI and BMW’s South African operations should be shaking in their boots. For years, they’ve had the market for premium compact SUVs cornered with the Q5 and X3. Notable by its absence was Mercedes-Benz; its GLK was offered only in left-hand drive (re-engineering it for right-hand-drive markets, which constitute but a fraction of global sales volume, would have been too costly). The other Germans’ dominance looks likely to be upset by the vehicle on these pages. Built on Mercedes-Benz’s new Modular Rear Architecture (MRA) platform, which…

IT’S odd when you consider that performance cars such as this long-term BMW are fitted with auto stop/start systems and eco pro modes that dull throttle response to improve fuel consumption, but I guess that’s the price you pay to continue enjoying the luxury of powerful machines that have not been legislated out of existence. I mention these systems because I am convinced that the stop/start setup on this M235i Coupé has the power of telepathy. I promise, it knows just as the lights are about to turn back to green almost as it happens. This convenient foresight ensures that I am never caught flat-footed at a junction. As for the eco pro mode, I think I’ve used that less than a dozen times as it dulls the throttle response,…

1984 YAMAHA RZ350 YPVS LC Price: R75 000 Engine: parallel-twin, 2-stroke, liquid-cooled Displacement: 347 cm3 Power: 44 kW/9 000 r/min Torque: 37 N.m/8 000 r/min Trans: 6-spd Fuel tank: 15,9 L Mass: 143 kg (dry) 1989 HONDA NSR MC18 SP Price: R85 000 Engine: 90 degree V-twin, 2-stroke, liquid-cooled Displacement: 249 cm3 Power: 33 kW/9 500 r/min (restricted) Torque: 35 N.m/8 500 r/min Trans: 6-spd Fuel tank: 16,0 L Mass: 126 kg (dry) 1996 SUZUKI RGV250 VJ23 Price: R100 000 Engine: V-twin, 2-stroke, liquid-cooled Displacement: 249 cm3 Power: 46 kW/11 000 r/min Torque: 39 N.m/11 000 r/min Trans: 6-spd Fuel tank: 16,0 L Mass: 134 kg (dry) IT’S 05h30. Three bikes are offloaded from the trailer. Their owner, Paul Pollheim of Pocket Rockets, starts each one in turn. A spine-tingling…

“PLATFORM” is one of the key terms we use when discussing a new vehicle. But, to which components does the umbrella term refer and how important is the platform when considering a new car’s merits? Indeed, should it influence your purchasing decision? To explain why a platform is such a key component of any vehicle, I’ll focus on Volkswagen’s acclaimed Modularer Querbaukasten (MQB), or Modular Transverse Matrix, platform. Basic platform sharing is nothing new and started at the very dawn of the automobile; in the early 1900s, all vehicles were built on a ladder-frame chassis. The same chassis was then used with a different body style to create another vehicle. A later example is the platform underpinning the Volkswagen Beetle and Karmann Ghia – they both employed the same floorpan…

IT’S not often a car brand tries something very different or even outrageous when it comes to design … unless, of course, that brand happens to be French. It wasn’t too much of a surprise then when the 307’s replacement turned out to be rather different from its peers. In our original road test in March 2008, we compared the then-new 308’s massive grille to actor Jack Nicholson’s grin. The engines on offer ranged from a naturally aspirated 88 kW 1,6-litre petrol to the widely used 1,6-litre turbopetrol with 110 kW and the smooth, torquey 80 kW HDi turbodiesel. In 2010, the latter was replaced with a 2,0-litre HDi that developed 110 kW and 340 N.m. Peugeot also offered a 308 CC convertible and facelifted the entire range in 2011.…

A lucky reader will win a two-night stay in a superior suite for two people at Kapama Karula, including all meals, two game drives a day and a spa treatment per person, valued at R37 000 Kapama Private Game Reserve is untamed Africa at its best. Sweeping across 13 000 hectares, Kapama lies within the greater Kruger National Park area and teems with wildlife. It’s home to the Big Five as well as vast herds of antelope and plentiful predators. Birding on Kapama is spectacular year round, with over 350 species to be seen. The reserve offers accommodation options across four unique lodges, so all tastes are catered for in terms of accommodation and dining. Kapama Karula is the flagship lodge built on the banks of Klaserie River. Suites are…

Unveiled at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show, the S90 is the latest instalment in a revitalised Volvo range that’s steadily eroding the company’s traditionally staid image. Aimed directly at the likes of the Audi A6, BMW 5 Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class, and bristling with innovative features, the S90 brings, according to Thomas Ingenlath, senior vice president of design at Volvo Car Group: “Something entirely new to this rather conservative segment.” THOR’S HAMMER STRIKING 1 The S90 is a stylish and attractive sedan with a low roofline and sleek profile that appears to be slightly longer and larger than its predecessor, the S80. 2 It features striking “Thor’s Hammer” LED daytime-running lights that make the XC90’s much talked about examples look like a mere taster compared with the S90’s mighty set…

The Macan’s dynamics are some of the best among performance SUVs, and in the GTS, that particular ante has been upped “GRAN Turismo Sport” is the unfolded acronym and when affixed to a Porsche, it means thus: take a standard S model and tweak the engine and chassis before finishing it off with black detailing. Now, you could be a tad cynical about this incarnation of Porsche’s compact SUV. Sure, the GTS tweaks to the 911 have made for a brilliantly balanced sportscar that bridges the gap perfectly between the Carrera S and the Turbo. But, do you really need such a small sliver of a derivative in an SUV? In terms of athletic ability, the standard Macan S with its biturbo-petrol V6 is already mightily impressive for an SUV…

SOME vehicles are bought purely for their looks. Case in point: Opel’s cute Adam. But not everyone likes a “cute” car. For those buyers, Opel’s taken the Adam template, added the Rocks suffix, hiked the suspension by 15 mm and fitted purposeful-looking black plastic trim over the wheelarches and under the sills and bumpers. Other changes include a sliding canvas roof, 18-inch alloys, and front and rear skid plates. If the design is not quite unique enough, the German brand offers a number of interior and exterior personalisation options. The cabin is wide enough up front to ensure that two adults won’t rub shoulders and the cockpit feels spacious owing to the windscreen being some distance forward because you sit close to the rear axle. Combine these traits with a…

Mercedes-Benz V220 Bluetec Avantgarde Price: R949 175 0-100 km/h: 13,84 sec Power/Torque: 120 kW/380 N.m Top speed: 195 km/h CAR fuel index: 6,84 L/100 km CO2 : 149 g/km Volkswagen Caravelle 2,0 BiTDI Highline 4Motion DSG Price: R848 800 0-100 km/h: 13,76 sec Power/Torque: 132 kW/400 N.m Top speed: 188 km/h CAR fuel index: 10,56 L/100 km CO2 : 232 g/km Kia Sedona 2,2 CRDi SXL 7-seat Price: R679 995 0-100 km/h: 10,17 sec Power/Torque: 147 kW/440 N.m Top speed: 190 km/h CAR fuel index: 9,48 L/100 km CO2 : 208 g/km IN the late 20th century, the minibus (also colloquially known as a kombi) was the preferred mode of transport with which to take a family on holiday. The ease of loading, ingress and egress, plus the abundance of…

Price: R444 200 0-100 km/h: 8,85 sec Power/Torque: 132 kW/250 N.m Top speed: 232 km/h CAR fuel index: 6,96 L/100 km CO 2  : 130 g/km WHAT is a family sedan? It seems such a general description. For the purposes of CAR’s classification, it’s a spacious four-door car that is more commodious than a compact-executive sedan, but more affordable than an executive sedan. With the launch of the Ford Fusion and Lexus ES, plus the reintroduction of the Mazda6 and Honda Accord in the recent past, the tiny segment seemed to be experiencing a revival, only for the Kia Optima and Hyundai Sonata to disappear from the price lists. And so the new Volkswagen Passat, reigning European Car of the Year and World Car of the Year finalist, makes…

LAST month, when a cross-country trip beckoned, CAR’s test garage was given a quick glance – which car should we take? We quickly decided the Infiniti would fit this role best. Photographer Kian Eriksen drove the Q50S up to Johannesburg from Cape Town and, over the following three days, I steered us back to the Mother City. There’s no bigger test of a car’s cabin than spending a couple of days in it pressing every button and twirling each knob, but the Infiniti presented few issues. As we needed to visit a number of addresses in Johannesburg and even a rural town in the Free State, the Infiniti’s satellite-navigation system came in handy. However, I found the destination input function to be slow and cumbersome. Once the co-ordinates are set,…

THE F1 CAR OF TOMORROW WITH its MP4-X concept, McLaren has revealed how it expects F1 racecars to look in the future. The model features a canopy for added driver safety, enclosed wheels, active body materials that can change shape to enhance aerodynamics, and electronic bill boards on the skin for advertising. More emphasis will be placed on advanced electrical powertrains (although the internal-combustion engine is still mentioned) and energy-recovery systems. The car could also receive additional recharging by using an inductive coupling built into the track. Could this car be a successful riposte to Mercedes’ dominance? PLASMA SAVES FAILED ENGINES When an engine fails and the cylinder block is damaged, normally the motor is scrapped. To counter this action, Ford has developed a Plasma Transferred Wire Arc (PTWA) thermal…

A HALLMARK of the Mercedes-Benz models launched over the last 18 months has been classleading interior design and, with the upcoming E-Class, Stuttgart has upped the ante. What you see here is a radical makeover of the previous E-Class layout, with the previous binnacle-housed analogue dials, tablet-style infotainment screen, and plethora of buttons ditched in favour of a rectangular, flat glass plate containing two 12,3-inch screens. 1 THE LEFT SCREEN It uses digital dials that can be configured in three ways: Classic with a highly legible white-on-black format; Progressive that features a single central dial; and Sport, which boasts red and yellow lighting. Important driving info is otherwise displayed dead centre. 2 THE RIGHT-HAND SCREEN Covers navigation plus other functions. This screen can be split for two different views. 3…

IT’S the fastest sedan we have ever tested,” reads our August 1987 road-test blurb on the E28 M5. The speed was a genuine 250 km/h, albeit with the speedometer reading 270 km/h. The fact that it managed this feat with a less-than-ideal drag coefficient of 0,37 is testament to this Beemer’s muscle. Back then, M cars were still the stuff of myth and legend in South Africa, and we had to wait a few years before receiving our allocation of M5s in the form of imported German CKD kits. Nine examples were shipped here in 1987 and were all snapped up for a shade under R100 000. Some 79 arrived the following year, priced at R110 000, and the final examples found enthusiastic buyers when the production run ended in…

The Imperial Group Ltd was the first to establish its Honda outlets as the flagship dealers in SA through the “car and bike company” concept. The entire Honda car and motorcycle range could be found under one roof, along with all of the parts, accessories and service oriented products one could ever need – all of this started with Honda East Rand Mall. Since July 2001 Honda East Rand Mall has built a reputation as the one-stop Honda shop, through their uncompromising service levels and their ongoing commitment to both the Brand and their customers alike. Their new car showroom houses the entire range of new Hondas; from the budget beating Brio and Jazz, through to the legendary Honda Ballade and Civic range - which will soon include the awesome…

450 kW AND LOW MASS MAKE THESE AMONG THE QUICKEST- ACCELERATING RACECARS you’re an ardent motorsport fan, you’ve probably watched those crazy Havoc videos that were all the rage in the 1990s. They feature crashes and incidents from various forms of motorsport around the world, but there always seemed to be plenty of action from the European Rallycross Championship. Rallycross is a unique form of racing dating back to the 1960s when British television producer Robert Reed had the idea to couple the rough-and-tumble action of rallying with the wheel-to-wheel combat of circuit racing. The very first event took place at Lydden Hill in 1967. Unsurprisingly, it was a hit with fans and it took just two years before the sport was exported to Europe. In 1973, the various series…

Congratulations to Rupesh Daya, who wins a CAT watch for writing this month’s winning letter. In keeping with CAT’s other rugged products, the PE14911122 is constructed from hardy stainless steel. The quartz movement is well sealed, as this watch is water resistant up to 100 metres, making it ideal for the outgoing type. Caterpillar is synonymous with reliability, durability and cutting-edge technology since 1904. Like CAT heavy equipment, Caterpillar timekeeping equipment is designed and built to function in today’s environment. For further information, visit www.cat.com…

ETA: April 2016 The facelifted 911 Turbo and Turbo S feature a more aggressive front-end treatment, with revised air intakes and new LED daytime-running lights, updated taillamps and restyled 20-inch alloy wheels. Rounding out the styling changes are a new engine cover with prominent vents and revised rear valance. TECH Interior updates are subtler, comprising a new sport steering wheel with a rotary drivetrain-mode selector that has normal, sport, sport plus and individual settings, and a standard Sport Chrono Package with a new Sport Response button. This, says Porsche, “preconditions the engine and gearbox for the best possible responsiveness at the push of a button”. When pushed, the button provides “optimal acceleration” for up to 20 seconds and is further augmented by a new PSM Sport Mode button that alters…

BEFORE we kick off this feature, we should address the elephant in the corner… Under the skin and in the cabin (and on parts of the body), the Infiniti is basically a Mercedes-Benz GLA. With the latter it shares an extended MFA small-car platform, suspension, engines, transmissions, some electronic hardware, hard buttons inside and even Stuttgart’s exterior door handles. And some would argue that’s a rather unpromising base to use for Infiniti’s first global family hatchback. The GLA and it’s A-, Band CLA-Class brethren have not exactly been showered with praise since their respective launches. But there’s sound reasoning behind the decision: as a result of Renault Nissan’s technical partnership with Mercedes-Benz, the latter’s knowhow and established technology have allowed Infiniti to bring the Q30 to market in a speedy…

9G-tronic transmission is far better than previous versions IT’S difficult to review a new Mercedes-Benz without feeling obliged to do a recap. With the nomenclature makeover introduced over the last 12 months, you need to be sure the car you’re reviewing is either a new one with a new name … or an old one with a new name. And this GLS is a prime example. It’s actually a facelift of the GL, now with an “S” suffix to contextualise its placing in the Mercedes-Benz range (i.e. the SUV equivalent of the S-Class). Not counting the limited-run Mercedes-AMG G63 6x6, that means the GLS is the largest SUV made by the German carmaker. The styling is therefore appropriately big and bold – perhaps not pretty, but purposeful as befits its…

IT’S the smell. Even before you’ve walked through the nondescript door of a nondescript building in Opel’s sprawling Rüsselsheim production facility, you’re assailed by the smell of cared-for old cars. It’s unmistakable and intoxicating … a base note of oil, grease and old leather, cut by a top note of wax and polish. A paint-flecked roller door below equally patina’d “Opel” signage is the entrance to the Opel heritage museum. Only, it’s not really a museum – certainly not in the pristine sense that museums from its fellow Germans BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi and Porsche possess. Unlike those post-modern, Bauhaus edifices of aluminium and glass, this building was constructed in 1928 as a railroad shunting yard. Back then, it was the biggest private train station in Europe and later Opel used…

It’s surprising how something marketed as a crossover could prove so sporty in its demeanour Price: R288 400 0-100 km/h: 9,33 sec Power/Torque: 115 kW/204 N.m Top speed: 192 km/h CAR fuel index: 7,32 L/100 km CO 2  : 146 g/km GIVEN the favourable reception Mazda’s CX-5 compact crossover received, it was only a matter of time before the Hiroshima-based carmaker took a step into the cutthroat light-crossover fray. But, where its bigger brother dons more SUV-like garb, the new CX-3 takes an altogether more fine-spun approach to the usual crossover treatment, both aesthetically and dynamically. It’s a daring tack to take in a segment that favours a pseudo-tough air, so will it pay off? Stylistically, Mazda’s approach to the light crossover is probably one of the most subtle…

Price: R570 300 0-100 km/h: 7,58 sec Power/Torque: 180 kW/350 N.m Top speed: 230 km/h CAR fuel index: 9,00 L/100 km CO 2  : 175 g/km LEXUS’ new IS200t has superseded the more powerful IS350 EX, which we first tested in our September 2013 issue. At the time, CAR’s testers thought the IS350 EX was an extremely competitive product and, in the test’s Match-up section, it triumphed over the substantially more expensive BMW 335i and Audi A4 3,0T FSI (the current C-Class had not yet been released). However, in a August 2014 comparative test between the IS350 EX, BMW 320i and Mercedes-Benz C200, where the Lexus was the pricey option, it finished last due to its inferior cabin space, divisive styling and now-ageing oddball facia design. In EX specification,…

I BRIEFLY covered the idiosyncrasies of the Intellilink system in a previous short update and, owing to the Corsa’s otherwise sterling service to date, have decided to go into a bit more detail regarding the issues thus far encountered. By and large, Intellilink – with its sharp, sizeable screen and wealth of functionality such as a reversing camera, phone, media player and smartphone app integration – is a good system with a fluid and intuitive interface. But its app-driven sat-nav setup lets the side down. Featuring a 3D map view, point-by-point voice guidance and live traffic updates, the Intellilink-compatible BringGo app looks promising but has a couple of black marks against it. Firstly, it costs around R600 and, because it can be operated offline, a fair chunk of data is…

NOTES The PRICES shown are the latest available at the time of going to press. Our deadline occurred before 14 December 2015. Readers should check with a dealer before making a decision. The HP payment calculations are based on a 10% deposit, the current interest rate and a 54-month repayment period with no residual at the end. Under ENGINE we list the number of cylinders and the cubic capacity in cm3 . Here, V = V-shaped engine layout; H = horizontally-opposed engine layout; The absence of an initial symbol implies an in-line engine layout. FUEL SUPPLY abbreviations are P = petrol-engined; D = diesel-engined; T = turbocharged, a compressor driven by exhaust gases; S = supercharged, a compressor driven by the engine; P/H = petrol-hybrid and E = electric. POWER…