Isuzu Has Big Plans for SA Market

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Premium ladies on premium cars Driven - hardtop Mazda MX5 auto Toyota launch new yaris

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Isuzu has big plans for SA market

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Page views Autodealer Nearly 3 MILLION in one month! www. .co.za Zululand @ADZululand THE ZULULAND OBSERVER, MARCH 2018 3 Peugeot 3008 prices have been reduced month ago Peugeot SA announced the addition of A two new diesel-powered variants to its 3008 range, as well as pricing for these derivatives. The brand says it has slashed pricing on those two models, the 3008 Active 2.0 HDi Manual and 3008 Allure 2.0 HDi Auto While at launch the initial press release quoted pricing of R474 900 and R520 900 respectively, the latest fi gures come in at R449 900 and R499 900 (respective drops of R25 000 and R21 000). To refresh your memory, the 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine used in both variants makes 110kW and 370Nm, with a claimed com- bined fuel economy of 5.0 litres to 100km in the case of both the six-speed manual and six-speed automatic. As with other models in the now seven-strong range, the new diesel derivatives come standard with a three-year/100 000km warranty and a four-year/60 000km service plan. Autodealer reviewed the 3008 recently and reported that the French SUV sets the bar quite high when it comes to build qual- ity and standard specs. To view the 3008, visit Peugeot Richards Bay in Dollar Drive. They have a number of demo models available to test drive. The fancy Peugeot 3008 SUV diesel is now more affordable because Peugeot SA has cut its pricing

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Page views Autodealer Nearly 3 MILLION in one month! www. .co.za Zululand @ADZululand 4 THE ZULULAND OBSERVER, MARCH 2018 Driven - hardtop Mazda MX5 auto VAL VAN DER WALT paddle shifters, and with the Sport button engaged, the ast year, out of all the cars car’s software thought I was I drove, the soft top MX-5 out to make the engine ex- Ljust stood out head and plode, so shifted for me well shoulders above the rest in before reaching the red. terms of sheer driving fun. That, for me, is the differ- So, needless to say, I was ence between an ear-to- quite happy when Mazda deliv- ear smile and tearing your ered the hardtop version of the cheeks. world’s best-selling roadster I still say Mazda’s mechani- to the ZO offi ce for me to play cal health-and-safety depart- with for a week. ment should have let the MX-5 run free to 6 500, be- DIFFERENCES cause you can actually hear Besides the difference in roofs, that engine begging for just a the soft- and hardtop MX-5s little bit more. also have different transmis- sions; the canvas–topped VERDICT model with a fi ve-speed man- There’s very little difference ual box, and its sibling being between the manual and auto driven through an auto box. MX-5, but it is there. In the soft top, that short You have to be a purist to throw stick, smooth 2.0-litre say the manual is better, and engine and perfectly set sus- unfortunately I’m a purist, but pension go together like bees, sweeter than a manual MX-5. left hand is a tad faster, so the excess weight made to we seem to be a dying breed fl owers and honey. Yet, Mazda recently stopped swapping cogs happened performance or handling, but because, why else did Mazda It feels like the clutch plate is importing the manual version slightly slower in the hardtop. with someone in the pas- decide to drop the manual wired directly to the underside because of low demand and On busy roads in town where senger seat it felt less nippy and only offer the auto in SA? of your left shoe and that your has only retained the hardtop, I had to match other cars’ compared to the canvas top. It surely explains why VW’s right foot actually is the accel- which is also slightly heavier speeds, the auto MX-5 proved In the manual MX-5 I was DSG-boxed GTI’s are so erator pedal. because of the tin roof and its to be less effort to drive than able to play touchers with popular… The suspension feels like retraction system. the manual, but still respon- 6 000rpm (the rev limit), Still, I had a blast from start it’s bolted onto your bum by sive enough to hit a gap fast. before shifting up, but in the to stop, and I still say the means of surgery, and there- HOW DO THEY COMPARE? Driving the auto alone, I auto, even when I drove it Mazda MX-5 is the most fun fore driving doesn’t get any The auto is fairly fast, but my couldn’t detect any difference in manual mode through the you can ever have in a car.

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Page views Autodealer Nearly 3 MILLION in one month! www. .co.za Zululand @ADZululand THE ZULULAND OBSERVER, MARCH 2018 5 The Nissan Nismo story ismo is the in-house tuning, motor- Ltd’, but very quickly it came to be known motorsport remains as strong as ever. sports and performance division of simply as NISMO. There can be no better illustration of the N Nissan. Although established as a separate pioneering NISMO spirit than the DeltaW- The Nismo story had its beginning in company, it was a wholly-owned subsidi- ing project, which features half the weight, 1964 when the Prince Motor Company – ary of Nissan. half the horsepower and half the aerody- a Japanese car manufacturer that would Nismo’s goal then and now is to make namic drag of a traditional Le Mans car. be swallowed up by Nissan – realised the Nissan brand exciting through innova- As a result, it uses half the fuel and tyres it was possible to boost sales through tion and technology. of a conventional racer. competitive motor sports. Over the years, this has been demon- At the cutting edge of research into Engineers took the 2.0-litre 6-cylinder strated through successful racing cars how racing can be more environmentally K53 is block from the Datsun Gloria, a large such as the Skyline. aware, the DeltaWing is as ambitious a luxury sedan, and installed it in the much One example was the R32 version. project as the Prince Skyline was almost smaller Skyline by extending the wheel- Showcasing four-wheel-drive and four- 50 years ago. base. wheel-steering, the Skyline R32 made Recently Nissan announced that it will absolute The result was the Prince Skyline a stunning circuit debut and the R32s be expanding its Nismo road car range by 2000GT with an impressive power-to- wearing the GT-R badge won 29 straight making more models available to cus- weight ratio that made it very competitive. victories in 29 starts in domestic racing, tomers in more markets. rubbish Of course at that time Nismo did not winning the Japanese GT Championship As it stands, sales of Nismo products VAL VAN DER WALT exist yet, but the Skyline that became part Group A four years in a row. stand at about 15 000 units a year, a of the Nissan (then branded as Datsun) fi gure the auto maker hopes will markedly TWENTY-FIVE years ago I model line would be signifi cant in the MOVING FASTER increase. passed the K53 driver’s test. years leading to the establishment of Fast forward to I was young, dumb and naïve, NISMO. today and Nis- so I did what I was told to do san’s commit- without giving it much thought, RACING SUCCESS ment to but today I know better. In 1984 Nissan’s motorsport activities had global Today I know that whoever been split into two divisions, one for was responsible for the K53 factory teams and the test was, or still is, if he’s alive, other for private the biggest idiot who ever teams. walked this earth. Nissan de- Compared to this guy, half a cided to merge piece of three-day-old regurgi- the divisions tated pilchard lying in the sun, to combine can be considered as intel- resources for ligent life. more active Why do you have to de- participation press the button on the hand- in motorsports brake before pulling it up so and formed it doesn’t make that ratchety a new entity sound? called ‘Nissan Mechanically it just doesn’t Motorsports In- make sense. ternational Co Why, every single time you stop, do you have to pull the handbrake up - silently – and 2016 VW POLO 1.4 2017 VW POLO 2012 MERCEDES-BENZ 2013 FORD RANGER 3.2 2015 MITSUBISHI PAJERO dislocate your neck 20 times TRENDLINE FULL HOUSE 11.2.2 TSI TRENDLTRENDLINEINNE C200 BE F/L AUTO AVANT XLT D/C 4X2 3.2 DID GLS AUTO over before being allowed to move forward again? If every single motorist on the road has to do it, each and every time they stop, traffi c will move slower than continental

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Page views Autodealer Nearly 3 MILLION in one month! www. .co.za Zululand @ADZululand 6 THE ZULULAND OBSERVER, MARCH 2018 Toyota SA launches bold new Yaris JUSTIN JACOBS and sharp edges. tell that it is aimed at those shopping on 5.9-litres/100km for the manual and I personally feel that it has separated a budget, which is not a bad thing. 5.8-litres/100 km for the CVT. THE Toyota Yaris was fi rst introduced in itself from the rest of the Toyota model The interior is full of dark plastics, 2005 as the second generation version range. which exhibit a durable feel. DRIVING IMPRESSION of what in Japan is known as the Vitz, On the plus side though, it is no longer One aspect that has changed dramati- Out on the road, the car did what it was and was met with open arms from a va- as conservative as the old Yaris, with cally from the old Yaris is the level of supposed to do. riety of customers looking for a practi- styling elements taken from the Auris in-car tech. It didn’t thrill me and, despite the cal, reliable and economical vehicle. such as the sleek headlamps and the It now features a tablet like touch- cheap interior fi tting and over-the-top It was also easy on the pocket. daytime running LEDs placed below. screen infotainment system mounted looks, it didn’t really disappoint me Since then, the Yaris has been over- The side profi le is typical Toyota but into the upper dash. either. shadowed by many a competitor. sports a tapering window line and All your media functions can be con- It’s a lot of car for the money and there Here in SA, by the VW Polo and the blacked-out C-pillar for a sportier look. trolled via this system, which includes are quite a few derivatives regarding Ford Fiesta. At the rear, things tend to neaten up Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, spec and options. The question then is, has this new with an upward curving shoulder line, USB and HDMI ports. For the fi rst time, there is also a Cross generation model got the ability to slender light clusters and gloss black A further inclusion is satellite naviga- model with black cladding on the bounce back? fi nish on the centre of the bootlid. tion on some models, while safety items bumpers and wheel arches. Let’s have a look. In addition, the Yaris is now also wider are made up of ABS, EBD, Brake As- If you are looking for a car that will and longer than before with Toyota sist, Vehicle Stability Control, Hill Start get you from A-B and not put you into EXTERIOR claiming an improvement in boot space Assist and up to seven airbags. fi nancial ruin, then you are really spoilt It is worth noting that this new Yaris of eight percent to 310-litres. for choice within this segment. now comes from Thailand, where it Opt for the new Sport model, and THE POWER carries the internal designation XP150, you will get a few more items such as Carrying on from its predecessor, the PRICING: while the outgoing XP130 came from sportier looking alloy wheels, red detail- new Yaris again comes powered by 1.5 Xi - R230 800 Japan. ing on the bumpers, bigger side skirts a 1.5-litre petrol engine, but with a 1.5 Xs - R253 400 Toyota says that the new Yaris fea- and a dark metallic grille. reduced power output from 82kW to 1.5 Xs CVT - R268 500 tures a more aggressive look, and I can 79kW, although torque goes up from 1.5 Cross - R268 500 agree with them. INSIDE 136Nm to 140Nm. 1.5 Sport - R286 000 However, I feel it looks a tad too strik- The Yaris fi nds itself in a very competi- Also gone is the sixth ratio for manual ing, especially when viewed from the tive market and thus needs to offer the models with a CVT being retained as Justin Jacobs is a Caxton Group front. most for less. the only self-shifting option. motoring journalist with over a 1000 There are far too many grills, air-vents When getting into the car, it’s easy to Fuel consumption is rated at test drives under his belt

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Manufacturing and Engineering Executive, Masakiyo Arai, Plant Assistant Manager, Johan Vermeulen, Production Manager, Brian Nyoka, and General Assembly Area Manager, Bentley Hiscock as- Isuzu SA has yet to reveal the fi ner details but pointed out that their clients will soon be sess the new Isuzu KB X-Rider on the production line at the Struan- able to choose between a rugged KB bakkie and a sophisticated SUV in the form of the dale Plant which is no more under General Motors’ control, but now MU-X owned by Isuzu Motors of Japan Isuzu on a drive into the SA SUV market suzu Motors of Japan is set to well as prominent government who is the president and repre- springboard for accelerating has a commanding and leading make an assault on the SUV offi cials. sentative director of Isuzu Motors our longer term growth on this 34% share in the new vehicle Imarket in SA. Isuzu recently took control of of Japan, said this was the com- continent. market. Dominic Rimmer, Executive the PE-based Struandale plant mercial manufacturing operation ‘Our decision to invest in SA is Another country he singled out of Technical Services at Isuzu from General Motors. outside of Japan in which Isuzu indicative of the commitment we was Egypt, where Isuzu has a Motors SA said on Friday, 16 Michael Sacke, Chief Executive acquired 100% ownership. have in this market and also the 20% joint venture manufacturing February, that the company and Managing Director of Isuzu Katayama added that Isuzu confi dence we have in our em- operation and where the brand would be introducing the popular SA, added that the MU-X would was represented in 30 countries ployees, business partners and has been the market leader for 10 Isuzu MU-X SUV into the SA and be introduced into the market as outside Japan and success- our community stakeholders.’ consecutive years. sub-Saharan African market in a fully built-up, imported vehicle fully operated 47 manufacturing Katayama said a special word the second half of 2018. and they were expecting annual plants in these locations with joint of appreciation to the SA govern- MU-X WILL DELIVER He spoke at the offi cial launch, sales of 20 000 a year. venture partners. ment, who he said, played a key About the MU-X, Dominic Rim- in Port Elizabeth, of Isuzu Motors ‘Acquiring the Struandale plant role in enabling Isuzu Motors of mer added that they are very SA into the SA and sub-Saharan INVESTMENT here in SA is a strategic move for Japan to start up its new PE op- excited because it will be the African market, and all Isuzu Another prominent Isuzu repre- us,’ said Katayama. erations. He also pointed out the brand’s return to the SUV seg- stakeholders were present as sentative, Masanori Katayama ‘Isuzu Motors SA has the positive strides Isuzu has been ment since it discontinued popu- infrastructure and making in Africa, having recently lar vehicles such as the Isuzu capability to acquired a 57.7 % majority share- Trooper and Frontier in 1992 and serve holding in the Kenyan truck and 1998 respectively. as a bus assembly plant that supplied Rimmer reminded those attend- Isuzu vehicles to East African ing the launch that the MU-X is a markets. In Kenya, according body-on-chassis SUV and would to Takayama, Isuzu compete in a sub-segment which is so popular that it accounts for 4% of the growth in the SUV segment as a whole. ‘This great new product, which has been favourably received by customers around the world, will extend the brand’s product range and provide Isuzu buyers with the option to choose between the rugged and capable KB bakkie or a sophisticated SUV,’ said Rim- mer. The MU-X, when it arrives later this year, will compete with the Fortuner which is the current market leader, as well as the Ford This is what Isuzu enthusiasts can look forward Everest which has managed to to, the MU-X SUV, which the brand says will go gain a lot of ground on the Toyota on sale in the second half of 2018 in recent years. ZR190281-18©M

RICHARDS BAY TEL : 035 797 5101 PROVINCIAL MOTORS EMPANGENI TEL : 035 787 1423 The home of Isuzu in Zululand MTUBATUBA TEL : 035 550 2522

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De Rust Outdoor 4x4 instructor Janco Breytenbach explains the ‘reverse stall’ Tessa Gouge takes a driver through the axle twister and to a novice off-roader explains why and when to engage the diff lock First Ford 4x4 training of 2018 VAL VAN DER WALT chase of a Ranger bakkie or Everest SUV, and for fi rst time itchie Ford held its fi rst 4x4 owners especially, the 4x4 training course of training is of great value. R2018 this past Saturday But then there’s also the fun at the Bainage track. and camaraderie factor, and The 4x4 instructors from De that was again proved on Rust Outdoor again made the Saturday when some familiar journey down from Gauteng faces could be seen going to show another mixed group around the track. of Ranger and Everest own- After a few hours of theoreti- ers how to handle their vehi- cal training, and another few cles against the steep banks putting those techniques into of the Mhlathuze River. practice on the course, the The Bainage 4x4 track has group was treated to lunch in proven perfect for these train- the lapa where they were also ing days and has obstacles given competency certifi cates ranging from steep inclines, by the De Rust Outdoor guys. to rocky sections and stretch- Another three Bainage 4x4 es with thick sand. training days will be offered Ford SA is still the only during the course of this year, manufacturer which includes and then it’s time for the an- Gary Webber free 4x4 training with the pur- nual Black Rock trip. coaches a driver who thinks he’s stuck, but is not and only needs to apply the right 4x4 technique to get going in the thick river sand

Barnie Groenewald negotiates the Mhlathuze River in his Ranger Wildtrak. This is Barnie’s second Ranger, so he is no stranger to the Bainage 4x4 track and has also been to Ford’s family weekend at Black Rock. In his fi rst Ranger he toured Namibia and Botswana with one Mohammed Ismail going down the steep river bank in his fl at wheel being the angry-looking Ranger only hiccup ZR190243-18©K

21 NGWELEZANE ROAD EMPANGENI TEL: 035 787 1735/6 Page views Autodealer Nearly 3 MILLION in one month! www. .co.za Zululand @ADZululand