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Issue 75 | 30 July 2015 www.autolive.co.za For GMSA the customer is king

General Motors South Africa (GMSA) has re- GMSA provides approximately 40 000 hours affirmed its dedication to looking after its lo- per annum of regular and extensive training for cal vehicle buyers with the introduction of all service personnel – from technicians to non- the Complete Care programme for new and technical employees. And prior to the launch of existing customers. each new product, dealers have to go through a Developed on the premise of offering custom- launch readiness programme which includes new ers more than they expect, every Chevrolet, Opel model introduction and aftersales readiness. and Isuzu owner will henceforth benefit from a Needless to say, considerable pressure is comprehensive aftersales programme which pro- placed on all dealers to perform consistently well. vides a wide range of services. This includes a war- However, the rewards are high and each year the ranty of up to five years or 120 000 km for new top dealers are recognised for performance excel- Brian Olson, Vice-President Vehicle buyers, free round-the-clock roadside assistance, lence. And to even be considered for the coveted Sales Service and Marketing at GMSA. maintenance servicing by GM-certified techni- title of Dealer of the Year, dealers have to achieve cians, full support through the customer care cen- at least 100% in all areas relating to the business. experience and light commercial vehicle servicing tre and Complete Service Mobile Apps. According to Olson, being nominated for a experience. “Chevrolet, Opel and Isuzu have a line-up of Dealer of the Year is a triumph in itself and dealers In addition, Isuzu scooped a gold award for great-value, high-quality vehicles, including the are rated on elements relating to customer experi- both sales and servicing experience in the light Chevrolet Cruze, Opel Corsa and the Isuzu KB, ence, service excellence, standards of facilities and commercial vehicle segment. Hot on its heels were to name a few” said Brian Olson, Vice-President sales performance. Chevrolet and Opel who took silver for the pas- Vehicle Sales Service and Marketing at GMSA. “Complete Care demonstrates our commit- senger car sales experience, while Chevrolet took “With Complete Care, we are delivering an out- ment to being a leader in customer care, service the silver category for passenger car servicing. standing ownership experience to match.” and satisfaction through one of the most thorough Add to this the fact that GMSA sold a total of Complete Care is a very impressive offering service packages available anywhere,” explained 5 024 units in June, with a market share of 10%, indeed. The Roadside Assist programme, for in- Olson. “By listening to what our customers want, the company must be doing something right. stance, offers local owners the benefit of a wide we will strengthen confidence in our brands.” Opel sales were 122% up on June 2014 with no- range of features including free accommodation “Our ultimate objective is to drive GM au- table performances from the trio of new comers or rental car to ensure that customers can com- thorised service centres to deliver manufacturing the ADAM, Corsa, and Mokka with 169, 277, 191 plete their journey, safety at roadside and repatria- standard service and to ensure transparency in units respectively. tion of vehicle to either home or work once repairs our service procedures, our dedication is evident “Our mission at GM is to earn customers for have been completed. Other services include as- through the recent customer study conducted by life. We are focused on putting the customer at sistance in changing a flat tyre or if keys are locked IPSOS where for overall customer satisfaction the centre of everything we do wherever we do in and even fuel assistance. Isuzu received gold and Chevrolet and Opel re- business. Our customers here in South Africa, However, GMSA realises that introducing ceived a silver award.” just like those elsewhere around the world, have such customer-oriented services means nothing The coveted Ipsos awards measure the ve- high expectations. With Complete Care, we seek without an efficient dealer network. To this end, hicle owners’ satisfaction when purchasing and to deliver a consistently satisfying and truly valu- all dealerships are continuously being improved servicing a vehicle and recognition is given to able ownership experience. Our goal is to demon- and service centres equipped with a complete top achievers in the categories for passenger car strate to our customers that we truly care about range of equipment and analytical systems to car- purchasing experience, passenger car servicing them throughout their ownership experience,” ry out maintenance and repairs. experience, light commercial vehicle purchasing Olson concluded. ■

Twitter can be a GM predicts jobs All systems go for Preview of Cars in valuable marketing tool of the future new Fortuner the Park 2015 Page 3 Page 12 Page 20 Page 24 Subscribe for free @ www.autolive.co.za Page 2

that ten brands were awarded Gold Editor and General Manager Dealers vote Toyota tops Status. In addition, the overall in- Liana Reiners Toyota, Lexus and Hino South Sales and Marketing at Toyota South dustry average increased by 3.6% [email protected] Africa all achieved gold awards at Africa Motors to 72.4%. 083 407 4600 the National Automobile Dealers’ Toyota has seen a considerable The survey to the dealers is Association (NADA) Dealer improvement in its scores to reach the segmented into thirteen focus ar- Contributors Satisfaction Index Awards recently. 80% mark, with a 4.4% increase over eas including Communication and Stuart Johnston Toyota placed first overall, with Lexus its second place in the 2014 survey. Relationships; Vehicle Range; Parts in third position for the passenger/ Lexus’ score increasing by 9.3% and Media Support amongst others. [email protected] light commercial vehicle category from ninth position in 2014 to third Toyota dominated in three categories: 083 450 9255 and Hino maintaining their second in 2015. Similarly, Hino improved Dealer Satisfaction, Customer Focus Roger Houghton position overall in the commercial their score by 8.9% to achieve 81.8% and Used Cars. Likewise, Lexus also [email protected] category. This makes Toyota the top in 2015. This improvement saw scored tops in three categories – 082 371 9097 automotive franchise in the country Hino receiving the Most Improved Goodwill, Policy Claims & Warranty, as voted by the dealers. award in the commercial vehicle Franchise Compliance Audits and Kieran Rennie “We are proud that all three category. Dealer Support. 083 225 9609 our brands placed in the top three Through this survey, NADA has “Toyota South Africa Motors of their categories and are over- been measuring dealers’ satisfaction will continue to build great relation- Advertising Sales whelmed with Toyota’s first place. with automotive brands since 2003. ships with the dealers and support Liana Reiners This is a first for us and we will In 2015, 42 independently researched them in their businesses. We will [email protected] continue to improve on our rela- brands formed part of the survey not be complacent and we will strive tionships, systems and support which received the highest responses to achieve better results next year 083 407 4600 to our dealerships,” said Calvyn to date. It was also a significant year and maintain our first position,” Hamman, Senior Vice President for the survey as it was the first time concludes Hamman. ■ Address 237 Rigel Avenue Waterkloof For Datsun affordability is key Pretoria PO Box 914-005 Vincent Cobee is the man tasked with put, the premise is that if you own a establishing Datsun as an afford- car, you are able to get a better job, Wingate Park able, aspirational brand in emerging earn a bigger salary and as a result 0153 world markets, including Indonesia, improve your quality of life. And by Russia, India, South Africa and Latin putting a new set of wheels within the Website America. Not an easy job, especially reach of as many first-time buyers as Vincent Cobee, corporate vice considering the flak Datsun has been www.autolive.co.za possible, Datsun believes it can have a president of Datsun Global. getting about safety issues surround- significantly positive influence on the ing the Go. lives of many. On the issue of safety, Cobee in- Facebook Most people would buckle under He sees the typical Datsun buyer sists that no amount of passive safety www.facebook.com/pages/AutoLive such pressure but Cobee sees it as a as young, optimistic and committed features on a car will make any dif- Facebook challenge rather than a problem. In to this country. He is quick to point ference if the driver isn’t properly © 2015 WCM Media CC fact, he sees himself as somewhat of a trained. As he so eloquently puts it: out though that attracting these buy- champion for the cause of the emerg- “It’s like putting a Band Aid on a ers requires a very different market- ing middle class. wooden leg.” He is quick to offer a so- Production ing strategy as many of their pur- “In South Africa, over 90 per cent lution to this problem though. Marketing Support Services chasing decisions are based on word of cars on the market cost more than Plans are in the pipeline to offer +27 (0)12 346 2168 of mouth. R120 000. In China, by comparison, [email protected] prospective buyers K53 training at around half of the vehicles are priced And Datsun’s approach to the Datsun dealerships with the use of below R70 000. It is my mission to en- entire buying experience is sure to get Go simulators. In addition, a driver Disclaimer sure than nobody spends more than tongues wagging. It’s the small things airbag is now offered as an option. While reasonable precautions have one or two years’ salary on a Datsun,” that count – making a big deal of the All things considered, there’s no been taken to ensure the accuracy he enthused during a recent one-on- vehicle handover for instance. Every denying that Datsun is making an im- of the advice and information given one with AutoLive. “For my customer buyer is treated like a proverbial king. pression on the local buying public. to readers, neither the editor, the that is still a much larger expense Cobee insists that this is the case at all Last month, close to 600 Go’s found proprietors, nor the publishers than for someone who buys a car with 61 of Datsun’s dealers in South Africa. homes in SA, proving that for many can accept any responsibility for a price tag of half-a-million rand.” “Everyone remembers their first car people affordability still trumps most any damages or injury which may Cobee insists that a car is nothing and we want to make that memory a other things when it comes to buying arise therefrom. more than a means to an end. Simply pleasant one,” he explained. a car. ■

To advertise in contact Liana Reiners on 083 407 4600 or email on [email protected] Subscribe for free @ www.autolive.co.za Page 3

Don’t underestimate the power of Twitter

Many people see Twitter as nothing more than Furthermore, the study shows the im- Editor’s Note a place to consume news and sports updates portance for brands to determine what type or to connect with friends. However, many of content their consumers like. A good way South African brands have already discov- to do this would be by monitoring the num- A change is as good as a ered that Twitter is also a great platform for ber of Retweets as well as which Tweets are holiday, they say. But as I businesses to engage with consumers. A re- Retweeted. For example, 67% of consumers officially take over from cent study conducted by Nielsen on behalf of in South Africa Retweeted a brand’s content Roger Houghton as editor of Twitter which looked at how South Africans if they liked it, while 65% said they would Retweet content if it was interesting. Tweets AutoLive, there’s no rest for engage with brands on Twitter confirms this, with photos and videos were shown to be the wicked! Indeed, I have showing that 76% of South African users fol- low at least one brand and/or company. Of Retweeted most often. very big shoes to fill. these, 59% are potential new customers. Another plus for South African brands I have known Roger for According to the study, almost 80% is that 2 out of every 3 South Africans fol- most of my 25-year career as of South African users that follow a brand lowing a brand have never unfollowed that a motoring journalist and his immense knowledge and un- on Twitter engage with that brand because brand once activate – a signal to brands that derstanding of the motor and related industries never ceases the Tweets add value to their daily lives. In once you are followed, consumers stay en- gaged for the long haul. to amaze me. Working closely with him for the past three some instances, the potential consumers are Through the study it has also come to not initially following the brand per se, but months has been a tremendous learning experience for me light that South African consumers follow a instead following somebody who is talking and I can only hope that I will be able to bring you a product range of different industries on Twitter – not about a particular brand. Others read Tweets of the same high quality as Roger has managed to do. just those that are perceived as a natural fit about purchases people have made, which in That said, it’s been a busy month in the industry and for social media channels. Interestingly, 34% turn has led followers to physically visit the there has certainly not been a shortage of news with which of users follow brands in the automotive sec- brands’ local outlets. to fill these 24 pages. As we continue to strive to keep you tor, 30% follow finance brands, 40% have an The study also highlighted some key interest in technology, 43% follow a sports informed in our regular features on Working Wheels, points for brands when they consider the team and retail industries are followed by AutoAfrica News, People and Snippets, we’ve also added a type of content they want to Tweet about. 39% of users. new section covering the ever-important issue of Corporate The top three reasons why consumers would What is clear from the study is that Social Responsibility. Our new Motorsport page should also follow a specific brand all relate to the type South African consumers are comfortable make for entertaining reading. Just a reminder that, as al- of information and content that is Tweeted and receptive to engaging with brands on ways, a detailed monthly vehicle sales analysis is available at about. For example, 61% of respondents Twitter and it would appear that this trend stated they follow a brand because they want www.autolive.co.za. will continue to grow. to know about new products and services, Twitter enables brands to connect with Also new in this issue is the Industry Insider interview, while 60% stated that they are interested consumers through real-time content ei- which will henceforth be a regular feature of AutoLive, ex- in news about a particular brand. Other ther directly or indirectly through organic pertly written by Mr Houghton himself. As promised, he will reasons include the chance to enter compe- growth, making it an ideal channel for continue to contribute on a regular basis. Stuart Johnston titions, access to customer support and be- businesses wanting to engage with their also continues to enlighten us with his entertaining writing cause they simply liked the brand. audience. ■ style and this month he tickles our taste buds with a preview of the much anticipated Cars in the Park, which is happening at the Zwartkops Raceway this weekend. MoneywebDRIVE is a fast-starter Speaking of Stuart, it is with great pleasure that we announce the launch of AutoLive’s sister publication – MoneywebDRIVE is a new fast-tracking motoring publication that has been launched this MoneywebDRIVE, of which Stuart is the editor. Published past month as a joint venture between Moneyweb and WCM Media, the latter also being the twice a month as an e-zine, it is sure to find favour with lovers publishers of AutoLive. of all things motoring and since subscription is free, there is The new electronic on-line magazine arrives on-screen to Moneyweb subscribers via a no excuse not to read it. mailer. A quick click-through takes you to an easy-to read flip-flop format, and each edition I sincerely hope that you will find this issue of AutoLive runs to between 36 and 40 pages. Editing the magazine is experienced motoring journalist and regular AutoLive contributor interesting, informative and entertaining. As always, your Stuart Johnston, with the superb layout by Marketing Support Services. comments and suggestions will be much appreciated. You “We want to excite readers with a passion for cars, hence the lavish spreads of glorious are, after all, the reason we do this so your opinion matters. colour photography,” explains Johnston, who has worked on all the major motor magazines Happy reading! in this country in a career spanning over three decades. “For this reason the articles are emotive, but they also contain the kind of insider-facts you won’t often get in your average Liana Reiners, news article.” Editor MoneywebDRIVE is available free of charge to Moneyweb subscribers. Please see the [email protected] strip on page 10 of this issue of AutoLive and click on the button to subscribe.

MONTHLY SALES STATISTICS The growing amount of advertising in AutoLive has made it necessary to relocate the four pages of detailed monthly vehicle sales analysis to the website www.autolive.co.za. CLICK HERE to access Subscribe for free @ www.autolive.co.za Page 4

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Industry Insider

Steve Keys has seen many changes in the SA motor industry

By Roger Houghton There are currently 5 500 employees and the company is responsible for about 9% of dealer sales in SA. Steve Keys, the Group CEO of Bidvest Automotive, When Keys took over his current position he has seen many changes in the local motor industry decentralised the company and put in a flat man- since he was appointed finance director of the mo- agement structure with the various franchise direc- tor division of the Malbak Group back in 1990. He tors also continuing as dealer principals so they are says the biggest improvements have come in the “constantly in touch with the market.” quality and technology of the vehicles themselves, “I found Bidvest to be very similar to the while he says there has been a “rightful step up in Malbak/Unitrans business model as it was focussed the expectation levels of retail customers.” on entrepreneurship through a decentralised struc- “Consumerism and empowerment have been ture. It was like coming home,” he added. speeded up rapidly through technology such as so- “One of the biggest challenges was installing a cial media and I am afraid the industry – both at new, company-wide business management system. retail and manufacturer/distributor level – has not We chose ADP Dealer Services and I was very satis- always kept pace in not only meeting, but exceed- fied that we were able to roll it out nationally in only ing customer demands by being slow to adapt to the 18 months.” Steve Keys. changing trading environment,” explained Keys. Bidvest Automotive is organised in six brand “Those of us who work in the motor industry silos, being: Toyota/Lexus, Volkswagen/Audi, Then followed the unbundling of Malbak, first are very fortunate as it is a vibrant, exciting and Mercedes-Benz, Nissan/UD Trucks, Jaguar Land being sold to Sankorp and then becoming part of ever-changing environment but it can tax the full Rover/Ford and “multi-franchise” which includes Unitrans, which was in turn a subsidiary of Murray range of personal emotions, having the power to the Burchmores auction house and McCarthy & Roberts at the time. Keys became managing di- both reward and punish those people involved.” Pre-Owned. rector of Unitrans’ Motor Division in 1998. The Keys, who is now 54, moved from heading up Rental has returned in the form of Bidvest Car next development was a takeover of Unitrans and Unitrans Motors to take over as chief executive of Rental and Van Hire following the recent move of delisting by Steinhoff, with Unitrans then becom- Bidvest Automotive less than four years ago. He Budget to Avis. Vehicle finance is offered through ing part of the JD Group. says he sees his business philosophy as managing McCarthy Finance, a joint venture with WesBank, An offer for Keys to take over as head of Bidvest a company sitting on four pillars and it is his job and Bidvest Automotive also has an interest in in- Automotive came in 2012 and this saw the experi- to maintain the balance between the pillars, which surance to complete the F&I offering to customers. enced motor man take up a totally new challenge, are: shareholders, customers, people (employees) The flat and lean structure of Bidvest which he says he is relishing. and the OEMs. Automotive is exemplified by a head office with only Steve Keys lives in Bryanston with his wife, “If the pillars aren’t balanced then the roof will 22 people, located in Sandown, Johannesburg. Fiona. They have three sons, none of whom seem not stay up,” he explained. “At present the demands Steve Keys is not a petrol head, although he interested in following their father into the motor of the OEMs on many fronts are the biggest chal- grew up in KZN working on restoring classic cars industry. Eldest son Andrew has returned to SA af- lenges in trying to keep the roof level. These de- with his stepfather and did not look to a career in ter studying to be an attorney in Ireland, Ryan is an mands are centred largely on facility requirements the motor industry initially. up-and-coming fashion designer and Naill is study- and sales incentive programmes.” After qualifying as a chartered accountant at ing finance at Pretoria University. Keys said there are no plans to do away with the Natal University in Maritzburg in 1983 he joined a Looking to the future, Keys says he sees the ar- McCarthy trading name but rather to entrench it as speciality chemical company. Then followed a move rival of Uber as a potentially big threat to the mo- it has a legacy and heritage dating back to a small to Johannesburg in 1988 and a position in the corpo- tor industry as it is not only impacting on metered motor business that opened in Durban in 1910 and rate finance division of Malbak Holdings. Working taxis, but also on the car rental business, which in it has strong brand equity, particularly in KwaZulu- first in mergers and acquisitions he seemed destined turn will have a negative effect on the supply of good Natal and Pretoria. There are 140 dealer “rooftops” for a move to a Malbak company that later became stock to the used car business. representing 35 motor and related brands in the SA Druggists when Malbak founder and Steve Keys’ “However, I am very positive that the industry Bidvest Automotive group, with all brands except mentor, Tom Chalmers, decided he should rather – as it has done in the past – will adapt to the chang- BMW trading under the McCarthy banner. The move to the motor division where he was appointed ing circumstances,” concluded the upbeat Bidvest BMW division trades as Forsdicks BMW. finance director. Automotive Group CEO. ■

This is the first article in a regular series on Industry People to be contributed by former AutoLive editor Roger Houghton Subscribe for free @ www.autolive.co.za Page 6

People

Suzuki boss appoints son as president Golf, has resigned from Italdesign, the styling and Harley-Davidson and was involved with classic mo- Osamu Suzuki, the patriarch of Suzuki Motor engineering company he founded in 1968. The torcycles too, belonging to the Vintage and Classic Corporation in Japan, has appointed his son move comes about five years after he sold 90.1% of Motorcycle Clubs. Toshihiro as president and chief operating officer the company to Audi with Giorgetto and his son, Above all, though, Peter will be remembered as of their namesake car Fabrizio retaining 9.9%. This remaining stake was a humble and real “good guy”. This was highlighted company. It seems as sold to Audi last month so now Italdesign is a full at his funeral service when one of the people pay- though Osamu (85), VW Group subsidiary which has hired 250 addi- ing homage to him asked those in the church who who has led the com- tional employees since the Audi takeover. ■ had been helped with their car or motorcycle by pany since 1978 and Peter. A forest of hands went up. The speaker then will still be the compa- asked: “How many of you paid him?” Not one hand ny chairman and CEO, went up! ■ has positioned his son, who is 56, to take over Continental Tyre from him. SA announces According to an new MD Toshihiro Suzuki. article in Automotive Continental Tyre South News, Suzuki’s eventu- Africa (CTSA) recently al successor will have to defend the niche car mak- announced the selec- er’s dominant position in India, where the Maruti tion of Shaun Uys Suzuki is the top seller and try and grow sales in Giorgetto Giugiaro. (45) as its new manag- other emerging markets while sorting out the bro- ing director. Currently ken alliance with the Volkswagen Group which Famous SA racing driver passes away head of Marketing Osamu Suzuki is trying to dissolve. Peter de Klerk, a famous SA racing driver from & Sales Replacement Born Osamu Matsuda, Osamu married into the the 1960’s and ‘70’s passed away recently after a long Tyres South Africa and Suzuki family and, as is not uncommon in Japan – illness. Born in Pilgrim’s Rest, Peter celebrated his Sub Sahara, Uys will Shaun Uys. after he was identified as the most qualified family 80th birthday earlier this year. A trained and highly succeed Dieter Horni member to lead the family company – he was adopt- skilled motor mechanic, he was so determined to as MD effective August 1, 2015. After 6 years in ed into the family and took the Suzuki surname. become an international racing driver that he took South Africa, Horni will be returning to Hanover in He was the fourth president of the company for 22 two months working his way and hitchhiking from Germany to head the Business Development port- years until he became chairman in 2000. ■ SA to England, where he worked for a short time at folio for the Middle East and African region Colin Chapman’s Lotus racing car factory before re- Uys joined Continental in 2000 as a Production Honda’s new CEO wants to turning to SA to race single-seaters and later sports Manager at the Port Elizabeth plant. He has held “reboot” company cars, mainly in SA. various positions within the organisation both lo- Takahiro Hachigo, the new CEO of Honda, says He made an early impression racing an Alfa cally and globally. ■ he wants to rekindle the development of more excit- Romeo Special which he had been involved in ing cars, according to a building and finished 10th in the 1965 SA Grand Deesch Papke returns as CEO of report in Automotive Prix in East London. Porsche Middle East and Africa FZE News. He also added Another highlight was taking a factory Porsche Porsche AG, has appointed Deesch Papke as in a media conference 906 to sixth overall in the 1966 Le Mans 24-Hour CEO of the wholly owned subsidiary importer or- that Honda will be race, which resulted in Porsche offering him a ganisation, Porsche Middle East and Africa FZE, more open to alliances contract to drive sports cars for them. However, effective as of June. and joint ventures with he turned down the offer as he was determined to Prior to his other car makers to cut succeed in Formula most recent role costs and share next- 1 and returned to SA as head of Porsche generation technolo- where he continued China held from gies. Hachigo (56) is a racing in the local F1 July 2013, Papke product development championship and was responsible Takahiro Hachigo. engineer with vast in- also raced sports cars for the Region ternational experience. successfully in events Overseas and The previous Honda CEO, Takanobu Ito, stepped such as the Kyalami Emerging Markets down after a raft of quality problems hit the com- 9-Hour race. with Porsche AG pany in recent years. ■ Peter contin- in Germany.From ued to show interest 2005 to 2011 he Giugiaro Leaves His Company in local motor rac- was the Managing Deesch Papke. Giorgetto Giugiaro, the famous Italian car de- ing until his death. signer whose work includes the original Volkswagen Peter de Klerk. He also rode a continued on next page Subscribe for free @ www.autolive.co.za Page 7

continued from previous page New Chairman for SA Guild constitution and will continue to be involved with of Motoring Journalists the Committee in an advisory role. ■ Director of Porsche’s Middle East and Africa office At the AGM of the SA Guild of Motoring Journalists, and oversaw a period of exponential growth for the which was held at the end of June, Bernard organisation. Papke succeeds Christer Ekberg who Hellberg Jr was appointed as the new chairman of moves back to Porsche Asia Pacific in Singapore the organisation, following the resignation of Roger with a new function. McCleery, who held the position since the previous As CEO, operating from Porsche’s regional AGM in 2014. office in Dubai, South African-born Papke will be Hellberg Jr began his career in journalism as responsible for driving the brand’s growth across a junior motoring writer for Taalgenoot magazine 23 countries in the GCC, Levant, Africa and India. in 2001 and subsequently also joined the Guild. Key to this will be ensuring that Porsche’s excep- Although a brief foray into lecturing took Bernard tional standards of professionalism are maintained out of the industry until 2004, he returned to across the regional network, focusing on market motoring as Deputy Editor of Wheels Motoring penetration and enhancing existing facilities. Annual. In April 2007, Bernard joined TCB Media Starting his career in management roles for as Editor and regular motoring contributor to the Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Land Rover as well as for company’s various custom magazine titles, pro- Volvo in South Africa and Russia, Papke has ac- gressing through the organisation’s ranks to be- quired many years of multi-market and brand expe- come Managing Director and Publisher. rience within the global automotive sector. His first Since he was coopted as a committee member role with Porsche came as the Managing Director in November 2011 Bernard continued to serve on of the Middle East and Africa subsidiary in 2005, the Guild Committee and was elected as the Guild’s where he oversaw the extensive development of the Vice-Chairman in 2014 and Chairman of the 2015 regional operation. WesBank /SAGMJ Car of the Year competition. During the course of his six year tenure, sales Other office bearers to be appointed were results grew by 95 per cent, while the number of Bobby Cheetham, Malcolm Kinsey, Michele regional sales facilities increased from 18 to 31. In Lupini, Reuben van Niekerk, Rubin van Niekerk, 2005, Papke led the regional introduction of the Aurelia Mbokazi, Eugene Herbert, Gerrie Smit and Porsche Boxster, while in 2009, he laid the ground- Leo Kok. TECH COLLEGEwork for AD the FEB Panamera 2014 6/2/14 which 15:06would Pagego on 1to be one Roger McCleery will replace Danie van of the most popular Porsche models in the region ■ Jaarsveld as President, as stipulatedC M byY theCM Guild’sMY CY CMYBernardK Hellberg Jr.

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Gumtree makes online interaction safe and easy

South Africa’s largest classifieds site, Gumtree Interested buyers can submit an application online, South Africa has entered into an official affilia- via e-mail or fax, whereafter a Motofinn consult- tion with Motofinn Solutions as a safer, hassle- ant will make contact and assist with all aspects of free way for car buyers and sellers to transact via the sale, including assistance in arranging financ- the platform. ing, collecting the necessary documents, perform- “Gumtree’s automotive section has grown by ing a HPI check to confirm the vehicle ownership leaps and bounds over the last few years. Even if and finance interest. DEKRA will verify the vehi- every other category on the site is excluded, the au- cle condition and roadworthy test including full tomotive section alone generates enough traffic to colour photographs. place it firmly among the top ten most frequented Osborne says the service remains entirely op- sites in the country,” says Jeff Osborne, Head of tional to buyers and sellers, although the benefits Gumtree Automotive. “However, selling or buying are legion. “By using a reputable third party, there is Jeff Osborne, head of Gumtree Automotive. one’s car, particularly when done privately, can be no need to handle large amounts of cash or to trust daunting. There is a fair amount of paperwork that your own expertise in assessing a vehicle. There is a The portal offers handy checklists for car buy- has to be completed, vehicle inspections to ensure professional service that assists you every step of the ers to ensure that the vehicle is in top condition for that the car is in good order and of course, there are way, giving you the confidence to sell online.” purchase, advice on trade-ins and financing, as well large sums of money involved. It is extremely time- However, Osborne warns customers to be as interesting articles that covers everything from consuming for both parties.” careful and only make use of officially endorsed selling a car for R1, to information on car auctions. According to Osborne, Motofinn can assist third-party services when transacting on the “We will be adding new content to the site as with the facilitation of a sale between buyers and site. “Do not trust every service that offers to fa- often as possible, and of course, will welcome sug- sellers. “Essentially, the Motofinn team, together cilitate a sale, especially if they require you to hand gestions from our readers,” says Osborne. with DEKRA Automotive and TransUnion, will money over.” While Gumtree has over 2000 professional sell- ensure that all parties enjoy a hassle free transac- Incidentally, Gumtree South Africa also recent- ers making use of the site, the top 100 dealerships tion while greatly minimising the risks and effort ly launched a new portal with tips for car buyers and are featured in the new dealer directory. “This will for both.” sellers, DIY maintenance guides, as well as a dealer allow you to find your dealership of choice very All Motofinn’s payments are secured by Deloitte. directory featuring the top sellers on the site. quickly, and view and their stock.” ■

Automechanika comes to from the fields of parts and components, elec- Birmingham tronics and systems, repair and maintenance, accessories and customising, management Messe Frankfurt has announced the launch of and digital solutions and car wash, care and Automechanika Birmingham, to take place at the reconditioning. National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham from 7 Commented Michael Johannes, Vice to 9 June 2016. The event will play host to around President of Messe Frankfurt and brand 250 exhibitors and an expected 5 000 trade visitors. manager of Automechanika: “The market in “This is the first to be held by Messe Frankfurt the UK is very strong, and is predicted to con- in the United Kingdom and stems from extensive tinue to grow over the next five years. Given research, which proved that there was a huge appe- that there is no national domestic event cur- tite for an event which focuses on the buoyant UK rently, we feel we can bring the brand, the ex- automotive sector,” said Detlef Braun, executive perience and the market knowledge to deliver board member of Messe Frankfurt. value to exhibitors and visitors alike.” worldwide by around 16 000 exhibitors, 600 000 The focus of this regional event is on the supply This brings to 15 the number of events run trade visitors and a network of around 120 trade chain industry and it will bring together exhibitors by the Automechanika brand, which is backed associations. ■

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VW resumes car output in Nigeria The Moi University EASE UP project focuses past four to five years. The new initiative will -un Volkswagen Group has resumed building vehicles on alternative energy, environmental sustainability lock the potential for much more aggressive growth, in Nigeria for the first time in 25 years in a bid to and sustainable agriculture. Maseno University’s with a 10-fold increase in business possible in the foster sales growth in Africa. WAKONYRE poultry project focuses on sustain- next five to seven years, Sharma believes. Assembly began earlier this month in Lagos of able agriculture and modernizing poultry farming Details about a replacement for Thakur as CEO models that will include the Passat, Jetta and CC among subsistence farmers. ■ of Mahindra SA will be made at a later date. ■ sedans, as well as the Amarok pick-up truck. This according to a statement released by Stallion Group, Mahindra focuses on continent’s FAW sets its sights on African market VW’s manufacturing partner. VW confirmed the potential for growth Following the introduction of the lowest-cost-per- start of production without specifying planned India’s largest manufacturer of utility vehicle ton truck on the SA market – the 8.140 FL range – volumes. and tractors, Mahindra & Mahindra, is gear- earlier this year, FAW has set its sights firmly on the The move comes as more and more global au- ing up to maximise the potential it sees in the rest of the African continent. tomakers expand manufacturing outside tradition- African continent. Yusheng Zhang, CEO of Vehicle Manufacturers al car markets to benefit from tax breaks and avoid The companySA (Pty) Ltd, explains: “The introduction into the import duties. Additional sales in those countries has established a new medium weight category may have appeared out would also cushion the effects of slowing growth business unit spe- of sync, what with the depressed SA sales in that in China and contractions in Brazil and Russia. cifically focussed on category. However, it forms part of our goal-driv- Nigeria is Africa’s most populous nation with about emerging opportuni- en strategy further north into Africa, beyond the 170 million people and has the continent’s largest ties in Africa, with SADC region even.” economy and is emerging as a key growth driver for South Africa acting FAW SA plans to support sales in almost all the entire continent. as a core business hub the right-hand drive African countries. The left- VW started producing the Beetle in Lagos in for the new initiative. hand drive African countries may still import from 1975 through a partnership and later added other The business unit will China directly but the goal is to assemble left-hand cars and light commercial vehicles before ceasing Ashok Thakur be headed by Ashok drive vehicles locally and then supply to the African the operations in 1990 amid weak demand and will be at the Thakur, currentlyUnion countries. quality woes. Dubai-based Stallion, which is the helm of Mahindra CEO of Mahindra SA. Vehicle Manufacturers SA (Pty) Ltd already official distributor of the German carmaker’s VW, & Mahindra’s Additional hubs will be acts as an import conduit on models not built lo- Audi, Skoda and Porsche brands in Nigeria, ac- new African established in Kenya, cally. For example, in 2014 the Kenyan dealer sold quired the Lagos plant at the time. business unit. Nigeria and Egypt. about 650 FAW units, all of which were produced Stallion also assembles vehicles in Nigeria for “I’m looking for- in China and brought in through South Africa. Nissan Motor Co., Hyundai Motor Co., Ashok ward to taking up my new position and tackling To date the Kenyan dealer has purchased 45 units Leyland Ltd. and CNH Industrial NV’s Iveco the challenges it represents,” Thakur said. “There is through FAW SA. truck division. ■ no doubt that the African continent holds tremen- On the other hand, the dealer in Tanzania sold dous potential, and the new African business unit about 1 000 units in 2014, most imported directly Ford selects College Community will place Mahindra in a very strong position to from China. However, since the beginning of this Challenge Projects in Kenya strengthen its African presence, and to contribute year, this dealer has imported a small number of The Ford Motor Company Fund selected two com- substantially to the continent’s growth.” units from FAW SA’s plant in Coega, near Port munity projects in Kenya that will receive fund- The business unit will act as a centralised distri- Elizabeth, where the trucks are either assembled ing and support for the next three years as part of bution channel for all products currently manufac- from CKD packs or come in as FBUs. the Enactus Ford College Community Challenge tured within the group, including utility vehicles, This expansion into Africa also requires some (Ford C3). tractors, generator sets, trucks and two-wheelers. support in customer workshops and customer The Ford C3 initiative has been introduced to It will also include the trading and services of technical training. FAW SA continues to give four African countries in partnership with global Mahindra’s Agri portfolio. Africa dealers full technical support where needed. non-profit organisation Enactus, offering selected According to Ashok Sharma, Mahindra & “Besides it is much more efficient than sending their universities/colleges an opportunity to present an Mahindra group executive board member and the technicians to China to get trained or to wait for innovative program which empowers students to man in charge of the new initiative at head office FAW China to come to Africa to sort the technical improve their communities through various self- level, the four African hubs will allow Mahindra to problems,” concluded Zhang. ■ sustaining projects. integrate more closely with the markets it is supply- Within the program, student-led community ing by effectively becoming a local company, staffed projects are being chosen in Ghana, Kenya, Morocco by local employees. The new business unit will and South Africa (read story on page 14) that will also create new synergies as far as distribution, the address the critical needs of the community and cre- supply chain, spare parts, service, advertising and ate a more sustainable place to live and work. branding are concerned. In Kenya, the Ford C3 has partnered with Moi Mahindra already enjoys an active presence in University, located in Eldoret in the Rift Valley, and 20 of the 50 African countries and growth in these FAW CA3320 15m3 tipper trucks destined Maseno University in Maseno, in Western Kenya. markets has maintained double-digit levels over the for Tanzania, assembled in South Africa. Subscribe for free @ www.autolive.co.za Page 11

FISHING DIVE Lifestyle Show SHOW SHOW

Johannesburg Boat and Outdoor Lifestyle Show

The Johannesburg Boat and Outdoor Lifestyle Show, South Africa’s track straight through the water for easy learning. Once comfortable largest indoor leisure and outdoor boating show, co-located with the in the wake, removing the centre fi n gives the Absolute more ma- Fishing and Diving shows and Motorcycle activities, heralds the arrival of noeuvrability for open water and quick direction changes, while still spring with its staging from 14 to 16 August 2015 at the Johannesburg remaining user-friendly and forgiving thanks to the moulded-in rails. Expo Centre, Nasrec. The subtle three-stage rocker provides ample pop off the wake and the middle spine softens impacts by displacing water on landing. Boaters and dreamers alike can board and browse hundreds of sleek new boats, from luxury motor to high-performance boats to fi shing and ski boats, Visitors stand a chance of winning a 10’6 Ride infl atable stand-up pad- while enjoying all that the South African outdoor lifestyle has to offer. dleboard (SUP) by entering a competition on the Red Paddle Co’s stand.

Highlights of the 2015 Johannesburg Boat and Outdoor Lifestyle Show About the Johannesburg Boat Show will include: - Hundreds of boats for fi shing, skiing, wakeboarding and cruising When Friday 14 – Sunday 16 August 2015 - Paddle boats, kayaks and paddleboards - New product launches by engine and boat manufacturers Show Hours 09h00 - 18h00 Friday 14 & Saturday 15 August - Aftermarket accessories, tow toys, ski and wakeboarding equipment 09h00 - 17h00 Sunday 16 August - Outdoor lifestyle exhibits - Fishing and diving exhibits (Ticket sales and gates close one hour prior to closing time) - Outdoor Food and braai exhibits - Free SAMSA Seminars Where Johannesburg Expo Centre - SA PRO Super Enduro Series Corner Rand Show and Nasrec Roads - Harley Davidson display with riding demonstrations Nasrec Tickets Available at the gate In addition, show visitors can take advantage of a show special on the Adults R90 per person 2015 CWB Absolute Wakeboard with Edge Bindings on the Boating In- Children from 12 - 16 years R50 per person ternational Accessories stand. The CWB Absolute Wakeboard is perfect Children under 12 years No charge for the beginner rider looking to progress rapidly into popping off the wake. It comes with a removable centre fi n, which allows the board to Website www.johannesburgboatshow.co.za Subscribe for free @ www.autolive.co.za Page 12 GM predicts jobs of the future

In the 80s sci-fi movie Back to the Future, Marty Analytics experts – Data is everywhere and the masses. With social media, direct interaction McFly travels to the year 2015 and encounters all can help diagnose potential glitches in vehicles with companies big and small is direct and almost kinds of strange innovations, including thumbprint before they become serious problems. With smart instantaneous. Social care experts provide the lis- technology, video conferencing, multichannel tele- data, the car and the driver will work together for tening ear and resolution to problems that can help vision viewing and flat screens. Back then everyone a more efficient future. Analysts will be needed to make customers for life. scoffed at these way-out creations but today they are create algorithms to decipher how this data can best Sustainability integration experts – At part of our lives. And as smartphones get smarter, help drivers. GM specifically, a variety of environmentally watches connect us to the world and our homes Interaction designers – Operating all the friendly programs–from using alternative energy grow more automated, cars too will advance in ways technology in the vehicle needs to be designed with sources like solar and wind–to just finding ways to we can’t fathom. Already, people are developing and an artistry that makes it easy to use. A driver can use less of everything opens employment opportu- bringing products to the mainstream that we don’t be going 120km/h on the freeway and the informa- nities for people who understand the best ways to even know we want … yet. tion and technology within the car needs to be ac- apply these goals to the business. Of course this will also change the way that ve- cessed intuitively so that he or she can keep his or Industrial engineers – Vehicles are mass- hicles are manufactured and assembled, not to men- her hands on the steering wheel. produced products. The best companies discover tion how they function. This will mean the creation Web programmers – The car is not a smart- and apply the most efficient production techniques. of a host of new jobs that don’t even exist at the mo- phone or a tablet or whatever is going to come next, The future for this position will challenge engineers ment and the drastic expansion and development but it will be a platform that allows the next big to build complex vehicles in ways that are sustain- of jobs that aren’t considered run-of-the-mill today. thing to easily connect to the vehicle and its occu- able and efficient. General Motors asked its employees of various pants. Software is playing an increasingly impor- 3D printing engineers – The uses and ca- experience levels and backgrounds to predict what tant role in vehicles, and coders and developers are pabilities of 3D printing in the development, de- the top 10 jobs of 2025 would be. The results make only going to be in more demand. sign and engineering world are just beginning to for interesting reading. Autonomous driving engineers – GM be fully realised. A part mock-up that once took Electrical engineers – Battery, hybrid and envisions a world without crashes and a key step weeks to create can now be printed in a matter of plug-in vehicles are becoming mainstream. The toward that direction is the introduction of vehicle- hours. Faster prototyping doesn’t just save time internal combustion engine isn’t going anywhere to-vehicle technology on the 2017 Cadillac CTS. but also means that more options can be tested, soon, but the industry is developing alternative This allows the vehicle to “talk” to other cars that ultimately leading to better products. ways to make a car move. Electrified vehicles are are equipped with V2V technology. Within these Alternative propulsion engineers – more powerful and achieve greater range and as fields there will be sensor experts, radar develop- Diesel engines, battery electrics and fuel cells more customers switch to these alternatives, de- ers and all types of engineers needed to make these are just the beginning. There is no single answer mand is expected to grow. Over the next 10 years, vehicles a reality. to the future of propulsion. Refining and devel- more engineers will be needed to explore and de- Customer care experts – It’s not just about oping new ways for cars to move will also drive velop electrified vehicles. cars being made by car people who deliver them to job creation. ■

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Volkswagen leads Pininfarina is now trying to restructure the debt which has managed the BMW advertising account half-yearInnovations sales race and remain independent. ■ since 2005. In line with its compliance policy, BMW South The Volkswagen Group has passed global leader Africa’s brand advertising accounts go out to pitch Toyota in terms of vehicle sales in the first half of Volkswagen looks at every three years. Seven agencies, including Ireland- 2015. This could put it in line to take the top spot in budget car range Davenport, were selected to present credentials be- world sales threeDealer years ahead of its target of 2018. fore a short-list of four agencies presented creative Volkswagen (including its MAN and Scania Volkswagen is planning to launch a range of low- and strategic concepts. In one of the closest pitches truck brands) sold 5.04-million units in the first cost budget cars for China and possibly other ever – with only six points out of 100 separating six months of the year, compared to 5.02-million countries according to recent media reports. The the top three agencies – the account was awarded for Toyota. General Motors, which is currently the planned arrival of these budget cars is 2018. The to OpenCo. world’s third bestWorking seller, sold 4.86-million Wheelsunits in vehicles will be built in China and priced from less OpenCo is part of the TBWA worldwide group the six-month period. Toyota was also overtaken by than R100 000. ■ with access to its international resources and Nissan as the top-selling Asian brand in Europe af- knowledge repository. ■ ter the first six months of 2015. ■ Former VWSA MD visits New Modelsplant in Uitenhage SAGMJ up-skills Porsche may take its members legal action against Chinese “copycat”

According to an article Motorsportin Automotive News, Porsche may take legal action against Zotye Automobile of China which is due to launch a cross- over next year, the T700, which closely resembles the Porsche Macan. The price of the T700 is expect- ed to be just overQuick a third of the price Drives of the Macan.

Peter Searle with the FactoryTour vehicle. The South African Guild of Motoring Journalists Letters Peter Searle, MD of Volkswagen South Africa from (SAGMJ) recently coordinated an introductory 1988 until 1994 returned to the factory 21 years af- course for some of its newer members. Titled An ter retiring. He toured the world-class production Induction to Motoring Journalism Workshop, the facilities from the comfort of the FactoryTour ve- day sought to lay a solid foundation upon which the International Newshicle, which was launched in June 2013 and allows newcomers to the industry could build. visitors to experience a tour of Volkswagen Group This course forms part of an aggressive strategy South Africa’s manufacturing factory in Uitenhage by the SAGMJ to up-skill its members and provide in comfort and style. the industry as a whole with a better service. The Volkswagen’s factory tours take place on one-day workshop dealt with various topics in- However, enforcingTyre copyright News laws in China is very Mondays to Thursdays at 09h00 and 12h00. On cluding ethics, objectivity, conduct and terminol- difficult as Jaguar Land Rover found out recently Friday, there is only one tour at 09h00. Bookings can ogy chief amongst them. In attendance on the day when the Chinese motor manufacturer Landwind be made through the Volkswagen AutoPavilion on were print and broadcast operators as well as OEM launched its X7 which is very similar to the Range (041) 994 5941/3. The FactoryTour includes the tour PR people, associate members and business part- Rover Evoque. Zoyte has previously been criticised of the AutoPavilion, where some of the Volkswagen ners. This seminar, which was graciously hosted by for other copies of foreign cars, notably the smart South Africa classic cars are on display. ■ Toyota South Africa, is the first in a series of cours- fortwo and the Volkswagen Tiguan. ■ es. Upcoming topics will include photo journalism and social media usage amongst others. ■ BMW SA appoints Pininfarina rejects new above-the-line th Mahindra’s offer advertising agency 50 anniversary of the Pirelli Calendar Pininfarina, the famous Italian car designer, has BMW South Africa has appointed The Open rejected an offer from Mahindra of India to take Collaboration (OpenCo) to manage the BMW The notoriously exclusive Pirelli Calendar, featur- over the company. Three of four banks rejected brand above-the-line advertising account for ing glamorous shots of beautiful women, was first Mahindra’s offer which involved writing off half the next three years, starting 1 September 2015. Pininfarina’s debt of almost US$100-million. OpenCo will take over from Ireland-Davenport, continued on next page Profile

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continued from previous page of which reflect our brand values of enjoyment, ca- Innovations pability and quality,” explained Subaru SA’s Brand published in 1964. Reserved for important clients and Marketing Manager, Ashley Lazarus. “Subaru and VIPs, the calendar has since grown into a leg- is a brand which has always done things differ- end of its own. In celebration of the 50th anniversa- ently, and appreciates that same quality, so often ry of the now-legendary institution that is the Pirelli found in top sportsmen and women.” Calendar, a retrospectiveDealer volume reproducing the The specific objective of the Hall of Fame is to complete calendars has been created. Bonus fea- acknowledge and preserve South Africa’s rich and tures include rarely and never-before-seen behind- staff will apply their skills in the store’s four fitment diverse sporting heritage. It supports and endorses the-scenes images of the shoots, the unpublished and two alignment bays. the 32 sporting disciplines recognised by the SA 1963 calendar, and a selection of censored images The new store stocks a wide range of the world’s Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee. ■ deemed too risquéWorking by the editors of the time.Wheels An biggest wheel and tyre brands, like Continental, introduction by Philippe Daverio and an interview Yokohama, Hankook, Michelin, Goodyear, Pirelli, with art directors Derek Forsyth and Martyn Walsh BFGoodrich and Tiger Wheel & Tyre’s own exclu- Fleet customers benefit together reveal the stories, personalities, and crea- sive Velocity tyre brand. You can even have your from WesBank/FNB tie-up tive processes behind these stunning pictures. vehicle’s battery tested for free and have it replaced Unfortunately, Newthese images areModels still much too if need be. ■ As of July 1st, WesBank’s Fleet Division reports risqué for AutoLive! ■ into sister bank FNB’s Credit Card Division. This will afford WesBank’s Fleet customers improved Bonus features include rarely and Subaru teams up with exposure to the FirstRand Group strategy of align- never-before-seen behind-the- local sporting greats ing expertise in the respective channels of mer- scenes imagesMotorsport of the shoots the chant services, transactional banking and vehicle unpublished 1963 calendar, and Subaru SA is the new official vehicle partner of asset finance. the South African Sport Hall of Fame (SASHoF) “With this approach, we’re able to innovate and a selection of censored images. and will be supplying this Proudly South African, offer our customers the best possible services and Section 21 (non-profit) company with a number of experiences,” says Chris de Kock, CEO of WesBank. New TigerQuick Wheel &Drives vehicles to assist them in doing their valuable work. “The services offered by our fleet division fall- un Tyre in Mahikeng An involvement with the Hall of Fame is a der transactional banking and moving these to the natural fit for Subaru. “We’re proud of our long market leader in this area was a logical choice.” A new Tiger Wheel & Tyre store has opened legacy of supporting events and disciplines, many WesBank’s Fleet Card provides businesses with in Mahikeng. Letters a secure, cash-free solution for managing their ve- “There has been huge demand for our products hicle fleets. The cards can be used to pay for fuel, and services in this part of North West Province oil and tolls. Additional fleet services and data allow and we are excited to now be in a position to fulfil businesses to manage costs; vehicle licenses; e-toll the growingInternational wheel, tyre and battery needs of mo -News registration and payment; payment of traffic fines; torists in this region,” commented store manager and track refuelling across vehicles to reduce in- Sidwell Ndaba. stances of fraud. FNB’s established infrastructure, The Mahikeng store offers a full complement of expertise, and technical knowledge in transactional services and leading brands. While customers wait banking, will be used to optimise offerings for Fleet in the comfortableTyre hospitality News area or browse the Card customers and grow the business in the com- modern showroom, professionally trained fitment ing months and years. ■ Subscribe for free @ www.autolive.co.za Page 15

Roger’s Drives Chery’s pass master Tiggo impresses

Chery don’t beat about the bush. If they say their Since its arrival here seven years ago Chery Other standard features of the Tiggo include vehicles are up for any challenge, they mean it. South Africa has made a meaningful local test pro- Bluetooth, steering wheel-mounted audio controls And to prove this point, they recently sent eight gramme obligatory before the launch of any new and rear park distance control. Hill start assist Tiggo SUVs on a quest to drive through 12 passes or revised model. This was also the case with the is another useful feature which is standard. Air- in Mpumalanga in eight hours. Most of the cars Tiggo when it was introduced to the local market conditioning, power windows, power steering, elec- had motoring journalists behind the steering wheel in 2011. The company really put its money where trically-operated exterior mirrors, 60/40 split rear and all the cars got through unscathed, with not so its mouth is by sending the Tiggo up the notorious seat backrest, an audio system with CD player and much as a punctured tyre. Sani Pass. MP3/USB jack are also part of the standard pack- Seven of the passes were tarmac-surfaced and age, as is central locking with remote keyless entry. five were gravel and the distance was pretty even- The company really put its money In terms of safety equipment, the Tiggo boasts ly split 67.3 kilometres of surfaced roads and 65.7 where its mouth is by sending the ESP, dual airbags and ABS with electronic brake kilometres of gravel, making a combined distance Tiggo up the notorious Sani Pass. distribution (EBD) as well as ISOFIX fittings for of 133km. child seats. Some of the roads traversed were in a shocking This is usually an environment for four-wheel drive Besides a big improvement in the level of stand- state but the two-wheel drive Tiggos handled the vehicles so one can imagine how surprised the lo- ard equipment there is now added peace of mind for continually changing road surfaces with aplomb. cals were to see a convoy of three Tiggo SUVs arrive Tiggo owners with a 3-year/75 000 km service plan, The cars proved sure-footed while the supple sus- at the summit in winter! The Tiggos used in the 12 factory-backed 5-year/120 000 km warranty and pension soaked up the uneven surfaces and the passes challenge were the latest models; significant- roadside assistance. Chery has a substantial footprint driven front wheels maintained traction even on ly refreshed in appearance recently and fitted with in the major centres of South Africa with 31 dealers loose surfaces. The steering had plenty of feel with- a new, more powerful 1.6-litre double variable valve ensuring efficient and convenient after-sales back-up. out giving kick back through the steering wheel timing (DVVT) petrol engine and given a much- The passes traversed by the Chery Tiggos when the road surface got really rough. improved standard specification level all at a very in Mpumalanga were: Gravel – Mount Carmel Meanwhile, the easy-revving 1.6-litre engine competitive price of R229 900. (13.5km), Wonderkloof (7.7km), Makobulaan matched to a five-speed manual transmission han- The exterior is much more rounded and benefits (19km), Bakenkop (5.5km) and Klipkraal (20km); dled the climbs without fuss. from the fitment of 17-inch alloy wheels. Distinctive Tarmac – Sudwala (9km), Montrose (3.8km), The cabin even remained dust-free despite sev- daytime running lights are another new feature, Masjien Nek (11km), Long Tom (22.5km), eral kilometres of driving in thick clouds of dust while there are LED stop- and tail-lights, with front Koffiehoogte (6km), Kiepersol (5.5km) and caused by logging trucks. and rear fog lamps as standard. Bergvlei (9.5km). ■

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Kieran’s Drives

A classy cruiser but not a bruiser

The journey has been a little over 600kms. It’s taken us around six-and-a-half hours. As I pull up to the top of KwaZulu-Natal’s Salt Rock off ramp, I turn to my fiancé and say: “That’s amazing, I don’t feel tired at all.” Honda has, for some time now, topped many of the independent customer service index sur- veys with regard to reliability. They have also, for as many years as I can remember, imbued their cars with a fit, finish and feel better than that of almost any of their direct competitors. To call Hondas ‘pre- mium’ would be a step too far, but these are vehicles that deliver confidence in their overall build quality from the moment you do the all-important open- entry level 2.0L Comfort offering. One up from the and-close-the-driver’s-door test. The CR-V has Elegance is the 2.4L Executive. More power, AWD, helped carry that torch here in South Africa just as 18 inch wheels, Adaptive Cruise Control, Collision well as any of the Japanese manufacturer’s models. Mitigation Braking and HID headlights are just Described as an update, the 2015 CR-V enjoys some of the features you’ll pay the extra money a sprinkling of thoughtful upgrades as opposed to for here. wholesale, groundbreaking changes. The cliché ‘if My report on my experience with regards to it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ rears its predictable little driving the 2.0L CR-V will depend entirely on head. The compact SUV’s styling, equipment and which hat I wear – an Andy Cap soft peak or Frank safety features have all been fettled while the driv- Sinatra’s Fedora. Am I after a gentle, sensible cruise etrain and gearbox options remain unchanged. from A to B or am I looking for a (family) sled with Even at first glance, the exterior’s visual profile a little swag? still fitted with previous generation technology (yes, is improved. Changes to the front and rear of the The 114 kW and 192 Nm are certainly enough we’re now in a world where Honda’s V-Tech is old car give it a bolder impact. The styling of the CR-V for an effortless, law abiding around-town commute. school) is starting to feel a little felt behind – compe- has, in the past, been described by some as lacking The overall fuel consumption figure of 8.5 litres/100 tent but not competitive. Compare, if you will, the presence or erring on the side of caution. The new, km is a little more than the spec sheet suggests but 2.0L CR-V Elegance to the Ford Kuga 1.5L Ecoboost more purposeful front grille detail and larger lower impressive nonetheless. The limitations of the pow- Trend. More torque and better fuel economy from apertures do a noticeable job in giving the car a lit- erplant, however, become evident when tackling the Ford and on the road, the Kuga feels far more tle more grit. long hills at highway speeds. Dropping a cog down drivable. It’s also nearly R30k cheaper. The R394 400 2.0L Elegance model we were from 6th in order to maintain speed seemed a lit- With all that being said however, cars (espe- lucky enough to have on loan for our trip from tle last decade when considering what more mod- cially family SUVs) are not all about performance. Jo’burg down to the KZN’s Dolphin Coast is very ern (more economical) turbo motors provide. The They’re about space, comfort, safety, reliability and well equipped. Leather, heated, electrically adjust- global shift toward smaller, more powerful force-fed economy. Honda CR-V, unsurprisingly, delivers able seats, six airbags and a seven-inch touch screen engines is in full swing with Honda’s own legendary these virtues with impressive ease. Add to the equa- for the infotainment system are standard. Front and (previously naturally aspirated) Civic Type-R now tion the solid resale value that Hondas deliver and rear park distance sensors also set it apart from the sporting a turbo. There is no doubt that any vehicle the overall package is hard to beat. ■ Subscribe for free @ www.autolive.co.za Page 17

Liana’s Drives Clever has a new name

I’ve been looking forward to the local intro- around the car. When activated in a parallel park- duction of the Volvo XC90 for almost a year – ever ing situation, the sensors start to scan the side of the since it was unveiled at an event in Stockholm in car for empty parking slots. When a suitable park- August 2014. ing slot is detected, the driver is notified by an audi- From images released at the time I knew it was ble signal and a message in the instrument cluster. a beautiful piece of automotive machinery. What I The display then guides the driver step by step via didn’t realise at the time, though, is just how clever texts and animations in the instrument cluster until this car is. the car is parked. So I’m not going to harp on about styling As I said before, much cleverness! and design cues – that’s what the accompany- Making the whole parking exercise even easier ing image is for. Instead, I want to tell you a lit- Driver Alert Control detects and warns tired or in- is Surround View, which gives the driver a 360° tle bit about the technical innovations and sheer attentive drivers bird’s-eye view of the surrounding area with the brilliance that make the XC90 such a landmark Rest Stop Guidance will direct the driver to car as the centre point. The system relies on four product, not just for Volvo but for the motoring the nearest rest area. The car also enables auto- concealed fish-eye cameras – one integrated into world as a whole. matic braking if the driver turns in front of an the front, one integrated in each of the door mirrors Taking the best of Volvo’s innovative safety sys- oncoming car. and one fitted above the rear number plate. tems and adding to that list, the XC90 comes fully Another extremely clever feature is Queue But that’s not all! Cross Traffic Alert covers the equipped with the IntelliSafe package as stand- Assist, which enables safe and comfortable driv- driver’s back when reversing out of a parking space. ard, delivering two world firsts – Run-off Road ing by automatically following the vehicle in front It warns of approaching traffic up to 30 metres on Protection, and Auto Brake at Intersections. in slow-moving queues. Acceleration, braking and each side, alerting the driver with an audible signal What this means is that in a run-off road sce- steering are controlled automatically. and a warning on the centre screen. nario, the XC90 detects what is happening and The Blind Spot Information System, on the To truly experience just how wonderful (and the front safety belts are tightened to keep the oc- other hand, informs the driver if there is a vehicle clever) the new XC90 is, I suggest you pop into cupants in position. The belts are firmly tightened in one of the blind spots. It also alerts the driver to your nearest dealer and take it for a test drive. One as long as the car is in motion. In addition, Lane vehicles that are approaching fast from behind. word of advice though, if you’re even slightly tech- Keeping Aid applies extra steering torque if the And let’s not forget the Park Assist Pilot, which nologically challenged, I suggest you take along car is about to leave the lane unintentionally while uses information from twelve ultrasonic sensors a teenager. ■

72679 ram Continental auto ad H V2.indd 1 2015/03/16 4:46 PM Subscribe for free @ www.autolive.co.za Page 18

Corporate Social Responsibility

Bridgestone initiative raises money Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) and for breast cancer awareness Engeli Enterprise Development (EDD), a private Bridgestone recently donated R1-million to sector business support company. PinkDrive to assist them in their fight against breast Propella’s main areas of focus will be renewable cancer. The money was raised with the Pink Valve energy generation, energy efficiency and related Cap project that was launched during 2014 and run technologies and advanced manufacturing. through participating Supa Quick dealers. According to Wayne Oosthuizen, Managing Noelene Kotschan, CEO and founder of Director of EDD, the development focus is on the PinkDrive, was overwhelmed with the donation. “I entrepreneurs more than the technology or the am at a loss for words. How does one thank a com- business. “Technologies and opportunities come mitted organisation and the public for their contri- and go according to product life cycles, but if a true bution to financially assist PinkDrive? With this entrepreneur can be developed, there is business From left: Jaci Barnett, Wayne Oosthuizen, donation we will help thousands of people.” longevity,” he said. Ian Nicholls, Ricardo Dames and The monies raised from this initiative will go Businesses will go through a rigorous selec- John Astbury. towards building new mammography units as well tion process to qualify for access to Propella and its as keeping the existing units on the road. ■ support services, which includes the provision of local businesses will get the boost they need to be offices, mini assembly/manufacturing areas, com- set up to succeed in the future.” ■ prehensive ICT infrastructure, accounting services, secretarial services and technical business support. Soshanguve learners race Funded by the Industrial Development into the future with MINI Corporation (IDC) for the first three years of op- eration, Propella will also receive financial support from the NMMU, EED and local corporates, in- cluding General Motors South Africa (GMSA). GMSA believes that the objectives of Propella are closely aligned to that of the company, and has therefore pledged their support towards the From left: Shaun Wustmann (Divisional programme. According to Ian Nicholls, President Head: Sales & marketing Bridgestone), and Managing Director of General Motors Sub- Noelene Kotschan (CEO PinkDrive) and Saharan Africa Operations, the company wants Mr Gert Oosthuizen (Deputy Minister of to have more empowered local suppliers in Sport & Recreation). place who are technically competent and com- petitive, and who are able to deliver in line with GMSA helps to develop global requirements. Learners from the Soshanguve Technical High local businesses “This is particularly important for GMSA, as School recently made virtual racing history at the Propella, a new initiative aimed at supporting and we have set our sights on progressively increasing inaugural MINI iSchoolAfrica Street Race. The developing businesses in Nelson Mandela Bay, was our levels of localisation over the next five years,” event, which was hosted by MINI South Africa, launched at the end of June. Born from a need to Nicholls explains. “We are committed to developing iGlobe and iSchoolAfrica, involved 200 Grade 10 establish an incubator to support and stimulate local suppliers capable of manufacturing compo- learners racing iPad controlled MINI model cars technology-based innovation companies, it came nents of world class quality at globally competitive across a specially designed racetrack. about as a joint venture between Innovolve, a wholly manufacturing prices. Through Propella’s roll-out owned commercialisation company of the Nelson of strategic incubation and accelerative initiatives, continued on next page Subscribe for free @ www.autolive.co.za Page 19

continued from previous page The National School of the Arts, Dominican from the Ford Fund to start and run their project Convent, Buhlebuzile Secondary and Sijabulile for the next 12 months. This was the culmination of a challenge put to Secondary Schools. The projects selected are: the learners to design and build a fully functional Soshanguve Technical High School is the latest ■■ University of KwaZulu-Natal – Women MINI model using recyclable materials over a four- member to the programme. ■ empowerment, upcycling and urban renewal day programme and then race those cars through a ■■ University of Limpopo – Food security race track they built themselves. Ford College Community project “As an exciting and unconventional brand it Challenge empowers Enactus ■■ University of the Free State – Public education makes sense for us to partner with a like-minded students in South Africa and ICT infrastructure development project like iSchoolAfrica to empower young peo- Ford Motor Company Fund has expanded the ■■ University of Venda – Women empowerment ple,” said Kabelo Rabotho, General Manager of Enactus Ford College Community Challenge (C3) and use of natural, environmentally-friendly MINI South Africa. “This programme challenges to South Africa with four local universities being se- resources to make a living the learners’ thinking and exposes them to a world lected to receive funding for community upliftment outside of their realities to ensure that they’re ulti- projects. The C3 programme runs in partnership “The Enactus Ford College Community Challenge mately empowered with invaluable life skills like with the Ford Motor Company Fund and global gives universities and colleges an opportunity leadership, communication skills, team work, prob- non-profit organisation Enactus with the aim of to take part in an innovative global programme lem solving and self-awareness during the process.” improving the quality of life and creating a more which empowers students to improve their com- MINI and iSchoolAfrica have been in part- sustainable place to live and work. munities,” says Mike Schmidt, Global Community nership since 2011, with the aim of establishing a Universities across South Africa were invited Developer and Director, Ford Motor Company programme that empowers teachers and learners to submit applications and proposals for the pro- Fund. “The objective is to create self-sustaining by giving them access to the world’s most advanced gramme and all 16 applicants attended the National projects that address specific challenges or needs educational technology and classroom practices. Competition in Sandton on 22 and 23 July, where in their area, whether it’s food, health, educa- The partnership supports five schools in the four universities selected for this year’s chal- tion, employment, enterprise development or Gauteng namely: Jeppe High School for Girls, lenge were announced. Each will receive $5 000 environmental issues.” ■

AIDC continues to empower the industry

The Automotive Industry Development Centre process is applied during manufacturing. (AIDC), in partnership with Dr Uttam Chatterjee Said Rickus Lubbe, Project Manager at the from Japan Management Association Consultants AIDC: “We have hosted many successful TPM (JMAC), conducted a three day workshop on the workshops in the past and these introductory work- fundamental pillars for successful TPM (Total shops once again gave participating companies an Productive Maintenance) Implementation at Bosal overview of the benefits of TPM.” Koedoespoort Industrial Site in Pretoria during the According to Anton Rademeyer, Production Attendees at the recent TPM workshop first quarter of 2015. Area Manager at Bosal and a participant in the presented by the AIDC. The TPM workshop formed part of the AIDC introductory training workshop, the TPM train- Supplier Efficiency Improvement Programme to ing will benefit their business because it enables Lubbe, facilitator for the India Best Practice improve and streamline their manufacturing pro- them to quickly recognise and resolve problems. Tour at the AIDC, says that participating compa- cesses. TPM is a globally proven programme which “We welcome the AIDC’s TPM training,” he said. nies will benefit from seeing best practices being emphasises continuous and preventative mainte- “It is a true test of leadership because we have the implemented at leading companies. “In our previ- nance of equipment. ability to recognise a problem before it becomes ous Best Practice Tour, we were able to interact with The TPM workshop was attended by represent- an emergency.” people from the host companies, to better under- atives from both automotive and non-automotive The AIDC will be hosting introductory work- stand the problems that they have experienced on companies and focused on getting the manage- shops to TPM in September 2015. their shop floors and how they overcame these chal- ment, maintenance personnel and shop floor staff to In other AIDC news it was announced that fol- lenges,” Lubbe explained. work together to prevent equipment problems and lowing the success of the AIDC Best Practice Tour “It was an eye-opener for the representatives reduce expenditures. By giving ownership and re- to India in November 2014, the organisation will from the nine companies who participated in the sponsibility of equipment and processes to the right again host an Indian Best Practice Tour for interest- previous tour when they understood how they employees, equipment breakdowns are reduced. ed companies who want to better understand and could make process improvements in their own fac- TPM incorporates eight pillars and the so- experience first-hand the application of World Class tories,” he added. called 5S Workplace Organisation methodology as Manufacturing principles at all levels of manufac- The 2015 tour is scheduled for November and a systematic approach to setting standards and vis- turing companies. will include visits to various plants, as well as partic- ual guides for preventing breakdowns and ensure In 2015, the Tour will focus on visits to both ipation in the National Quality Summit to be held the smooth and effective utilisation of equipment. automotive and non-automotive manufactur- in Bangalore, India. Once the TPM methodology has been adopted in ing companies, visiting processing and compo- Companies wishing to participate in either a company, it is evaluated and supported by the nent manufacturing plants and other specialised event can contact Rickus Lubbe on 082 872 4562 or AIDC to ensure that the continuous improvement tooling plants. via email at [email protected]. ■ Subscribe for free @ www.autolive.co.za Page 20

Midas Group renamed

Midas Group, a market leader in the replace- distributes quality automotive parts, DIY, DIFM ment automotive parts industry, has changed its (do-it-for-me) and leisure products and services name to Africa Automotive Aftermarket Solutions through selected channels. (AAAS), to be commonly referred to as Aftermarket The new 47 450m2 Linbro Park facility has been Solutions. The Imperial Holdings Limited-owned designed to support the growth of the Aftermarket entity unveiled its new name and brand identity at Solutions group business, with centralised fa- the inauguration of its combined head office and cilities and services allowing a seamless flow state-of-the-art distribution centre in Linbro Park, across customers and branches. It will be home to Johannesburg. Aftermarket Solutions’ administration, finance, -hu The name change comes as a result of the com- man resources, information technology, marketing, there shouldn’t be any confusion among consum- pany’s phenomenal growth over the last sixty years, procurement, sales and supply-chain management ers around what is Midas and what is AAAS,” says with greater clarity sought around the relationship divisions. Stefan le Roux, MD for Aftermarket Solutions. that exists between the Midas retail franchise store Also headquartered there will be seven trad- All staff within the company have been in- brand and various other subsidiaries within the ing entities: National Automobile Part Distributors formed of the name change and the reasons for group. (NAPA), national office and Gauteng distribution it, with customers and suppliers having received “With time, as we’ve expanded the AAAS of Parts Incorporated Africa (PIA), AfintaPart, similar information in the weeks leading up to group, a perception was created, that the former Autocycle Centre, Truck and Trailer Components the event. Midas Group is equal to the Midas retail brand. (TTC) and Technica Learning Resources. The Aftermarket Solutions trades in the replace- This warranted a name change that would encapsu- franchise head offices, for Midas, Motolek, ADCO, ment automotive parts industry, marketing and dis- late all that our various subsidiaries offer,” explains CBS, Silverton, Battery Hub and ACD will also be tributing quality automotive parts or components, Warren Espinoza, Chief Executive of Aftermarket at Linbro Park. as well as DIY, DIFM (do-it-for-me) and leisure Solutions. “AAAS is a corporate brand, with all com- travel products. It distributes all leading OE brands Founded in 1954, the company currently em- munication directed at industry and not affecting as genuine replacement parts and also offers the ploys over 1 200 staff and generated sales of R3,8- the consumer. All franchise and trade brands will customer (franchise owner) the option of guaran- billion in 2014. Aftermarket Solutions markets and retain their respective names and identities, so teed, quality brands. ■

All systems go for the new Toyota Fortuner

The local launch of the new Toyota Fortuner may still be almost a year away, but if initial information and photographs are any- thing to go by, it will be worth the wait! Word is, the completely redesigned Fortuner enhances driving confidence on every level and in the process, sets a new standard for SUVs. Dependent on the model, innovative touches include a tablet- inspired multi-media, touch-screen display that allows easy op- eration of functions, a Smart Entry & Start system, an electronic 4WD switch and second-row seats with one-touch operation for ease of folding. The third row seats are equipped with a fixed hook attachment for simple and convenient stowage. On the ride and handling front, an all-new frame bolstered by cross members, side rails and suspension towers that have all been strengthened, enhancing the torsional and bending rigidity of the frame. Newly developed 2.4- and 2.8-litre diesels are highlights of the new Fortuner engine range, supplementing the petrol vari- ant. Propping up these powerplants are the newly developed six- speed automatic transmissions with more steps and optimised gear ratios to maximise engine performance. As with new Hilux, stick-shift Fortuners are equipped with the Intelligent Manual Transmission system (i-MT) supporting smooth shifting with rev matching technology. Full local range and specs will be disclosed closer to launch timing. ■ Subscribe for free @ www.autolive.co.za Page 21

Working Wheels Improvements made to Tata Super Ace

The compact Tata Super Ace one ton cab-over pick- Among the technical changes in the Super Ace up has undergone a host of improvements and up- EX2 are: a four-layer insulation package to reduce dates with the introduction of the latest EX2 model. the transmission of heat to the occupants in the cab, This is now a unique model in the local light com- a change in the position of the engine oil dipstick mercial vehicle market following the withdrawal of which has resulted in an alteration to the seat de- the Daihatsu brand and its Gran Max forward con- sign, an updated cooling system with a larger radia- trol pick-up from South Africa last year. tor and chrome-plated pads on the gearbox forks to The Super Ace EX2 has no fewer than 60 speci- make gear shifting even smoother. fication changes compared to its predecessor. The engine and transmission are all designed “Many of these changes are under the skin, in-house by Tata Motors. The four-cylinder turbo but they all contribute to an ever better prod- intercooled diesel power unit of 1,4-litres develops uct with markedly higher quality levels,” said 52 kW of power at 4 500 r/min and peak torque is Kyri Michael, the new CEO of the Accordian At 2.63 metres, the Super Ace has the longest 135 Nm at 2 500 r/min. The engine drives the rear Investments, the company responsible for Tata cars load bed among one-ton pick-ups in SA and the axle through a five-speed manual transmission. and light commercials. drop side body has a deck height of only 60 cm, Claimed fuel economy is 7,2 litres/100 km on “Importantly we have managed to keep the which makes for ease of loading and unloading. the combined cycle. Maximum gradeability is 39% pricing very competitive despite the unfavourable The load body is 1.5 metres wide, giving a total load and the claimed top speed is 125 km/h. exchange rate. There are two trim and equipment area of 3.8m2. It is also unimpeded by wheel wells The Super Ace is covered by a 3-year/100 000km levels, with the base DLS model priced at R139 995 as is the case with conventional pick-ups and has a warranty, with a 3-year/60 000km service plan and and the higher specified premium DLE derivative turning circle of only 10.2-metres, which provides 3-year roadside assistance. ■ costing another R10 000.” easy manoeuvrability.

ITSA acquires body construction MAN Truck & Bus gets fit for the future

and chassis entities MAN Truck & Bus is implementing an extensive programme aimed at strength- ening the business in the competitive environment. One of the main focuses Isuzu Truck South Africa (ITSA) has with current and future customers.” of the programme is realigning the production locations and streamlining acquired Port Elizabeth-based KANU Along with the acquisition, cur- administrative areas. By the end of 2017, the future programme will have sig- Commercial Body Construction rent plant manager Sipho Sandla, will nificantly overcompensated for the one-off expenditure necessary in 2015; this (Pty) Ltd and Automotive Chassis move into a new role as general man- will be achieved through cost savings and profit optimisations, ensuring that Technologies (Pty) Ltd (ACT) in ager, leading the KANU/ACT opera- MAN Truck & Bus can move into the future in a more robust, flexible and a 100% buyout that takes effect on tion in Port Elizabeth. efficient manner. August 1st. The realignment of the production network will reassign key responsibili- This will see Isuzu Trucks change South Africa and the ties to individual truck production sites in Munich, Steyr, Krakow and Salzgitter. from being a commercial OEM man- continent at large need This will ensure that, in the future, each location has clear areas of responsibility ufacturer to an enterprise-driven stronger growth for our and core competencies. MAN is thus strengthening the individual production business that has the capacity to ini- sites in their respective roles and is also avoiding duplication of work. At the tiate and build products according to economies to develop. same time, MAN is streamlining its indirect areas. This will involve approxi- client specifications. mately 1 400 management positions and 400 in direct production areas. The “We believe the acquisition of “Isuzu Truck South Africa will con- streamlining will primarily be carried out through voluntary redundancies, KANU and ACT will enhance our tinue to be one of the major contribu- semi-retirement and not refilling positions should they become vacant. current business structure and will tors to the Eastern Cape’s GDP. We As Joachim Drees, Chief Executive Officer MAN Truck & Bus, comments: centralise the process of buying our believe that every truck we sell into “We will work more efficiently and make our plants more flexible. Our future trucks where everything will be pro- the market possesses an economic programme will not only pave the way for sustainable growth in the medium- cessed from one central point of con- opportunity with great return on in- term but also secure the jobs of our employees.” tact,” said ITSA COO Craig Uren. vestment. The more we sell, the more Jochen Schumm, Chief Human Resources Officer at MAN Truck & Bus, “Our scope of work and business is economies we create, and with that, emphasizes: “As in the past, we will present attractive alternatives to the em- no longer only focused on what leaves new job opportunities. South Africa ployee in the areas concerned. There will be no compulsory redundancies.” the factory gate. Together with our and the continent at large need greater Management and employee representatives have worked out the structural dealers and supplier base, ITSA will and stronger growth for our econo- changes in close consultation. This is an approach that proved successful last have a more integrated relationship mies to develop,” Craig concluded. ■ year, when MAN Truck & Bus restructured the bus production. ■ Subscribe for free @ www.autolive.co.za Page 22

Working Wheels

Nothing but the best for SBV’s cash-in-transit fleet

SBV, a leading cash solutions and services com- 300 000 km or five years, pany in South Africa , recently took delivery of whichever occurs first. the 207th Hino 815-based unit built by Ballistic “The logistical chal- Armour Technology in an initial order for these lat- lenges of operating a fleet est, third generation cash-in-transit vehicles. This is such as ours are very de- in line with its strategy of remaining focussed on manding and a great deal developing a fleet of specialised vehicles that are of time, effort and money reliable, convenient to operate and technologically is expended in improv- advanced. ing our service levels and The armoured cash-in-transit vehicles are rated to this end we must have among the best in the world by Armscor and the dependable vehicles,” ex- CSIR and a further order for these Hino 815-based plained Fanie Pretorius, vehicles has been placed with Hino West Rand as the Executive Head of part of the on-going replacements of older vehicles Logistics. “The majority and fleet expansion programme. of our vehicles are Toyota SBV strives for leadership in terms of the tech- or Hino vehicles and we From left: Malcolm Glennie, Ernie Trautmann, Mark Barrett, Julian nologies in its vehicles, aimed at protecting the crew find significant benefits Visagie and Fanie Pretorius. and its cargo and to this end it was the first company in standardisation, par- in SA to install the CSIR’s patented polyurethane ticularly as much of the armour can be recycled strong partnerships with our customers and the dispensing unit in its vehicles more than 11 years from one vehicle to another when time comes for body builders to provide vehicles that are fit-for- ago. This is an advanced method of protecting the replacement.” purpose as well as having the attributes of qual- cargo in the case of a heist. “Hino and Toyota have had long relationships ity, durability and reliability, which I believe our SBV employs more than 4 500 people and oper- with security companies regarding the supply of products have proved over the years,” concluded ates a fleet of 1 000 vehicles of which almost 800 are cash-in-transit and other types of armoured ve- Ernie Trautmann, the Vice President of Hino armoured. Replacement usually takes place after hicles and we and our specialist dealers have built South Africa. ■

HINO adds five derivatives to 300-Series range

Hino SA has added five more derivatives to its al- a multi-function display, while all the hand controls ready comprehensive range of 300-Series medium have been ergonomically designed for convenience commercial vehicles, bringing the number of mod- and ease of use. els in the range to 13. Safety and security also had a high priority Two of the new models – the 614 and 714 SWB in the design of the Hino 300 and safety features – are offered with Hino’s six-speed A860E fully au- include anti-skid ABS brakes, seat belt pre-ten- tomatic transmission which is already fitted to the sioners, side impact beams and driver and pas- Drive to the rear wheels goes through a full Hino 300 815 automatic models and has the fifth senger air bags. A large windscreen, large side floating single reduction hypoid rear axle with and sixth gears as overdrive ratios for improved windows and narrow “A” posts ensure excellent ratios to provide optimum performance and fuel fuel economy. visibility for the driver. A transponder key-oper- economy for each model. In addition, a crew cab is introduced on 714 ated ignition and central locking system is an im- The trucks are backed by a raft of value-add- and 915 manual transmission variants, while the portant standard security feature, as is microdot ed Hino-Care services, including an unlimited wheelbase of the 815 automatic model has had its vehicle identification. kilometre/24-month warranty, 20 000 km service wheelbase shortened. All the Hino 300 models are powered by the intervals (dependent on operating conditions), With an approximate body and payload allow- 4r-litre N04C Hino four-cylinder turbo intercooled towing assistance and 24-hour roadside assistance. ance of between 3 390 and 5 950 kg, the Hino 300 diesel engine in varying stages of tune which pro- Financial packages as well as maintenance and ser- was designed with the driver very much in mind. vides outputs of either 100 kW of power and 392 Nm vice plans can be tailor-made to suit customer or Large door opening with big footsteps make en- of torque or 110 kW of power and 420 Nm of torque. operational requirements. try and egress easy, while the cab is spacious, with The engine is mated to either a Hino M550 five- Hino has one of the largest footprints of any plenty of headroom, legroom and in-cab storage. In speed or MYY6S six-speed manual transmission or commercial vehicle brand in SA with 65 dealers addition, the dashboard has easily legible dials with the six-speed A860E automatic transmission. countrywide, 21 of them exclusive truck dealers. ■ Subscribe for free @ www.autolive.co.za Page 23

Motorsport

cars,” says Colin Lazarus, managing director of the Lazarus Motor Company. Castrol provides a range of products and sup- porting services to the Lazarus Motor Company business at the Centurion dealerships, as well as taking care of the lubricant requirements for their historic racers – 60s and 70s Fords – and the cars’ transporter. As with Lazarus Motor Company and its Historic Racing squad, motorsport is an intrinsic part of Castrol’s business that has, for more than 100 years, developed alongside its passion for rac- ing. Similarly, this relationship has been at the core Artist’s impression of Kyalami’s new pit lane complex. of South African motorsport ever since Castrol South Africa was established in 1929. Kyalami update South African National Rally Championship – “South Africa’s motorsport heritage is world Just over 2 months have passed since the com- now to be called the Imperial Toyota Tshwane famous and associating with a brand as entrenched mencement of the upgrades to the Kyalami Grand Motor Rally. in Historic Racing as Lazarus Motor Company Prix Circuit and the project is running on schedule. With assistance from the Tshwane Metro reinforces our commitment to all our customers,” The new circuit layout is now visible and the extent Council the rally is now set to start from a high- said Nandi Canning, PR and Sponsorship Manager, of the work undertaken is evident all around the profile venue – the Union Buildings in Pretoria. As Castrol South Africa. ■ 73 hectare site. The tar has been stripped from the things stand at the moment technical and safety circuit and construction of the new service roads is checks for the rally will start at the Union Buildings African 9-Hour confirmed well under way. Work continues on the new curbs as from 10:00 on Friday, 14 August. The Executive for Killarney surface preparation work on the base layers for the Mayor of Tshwane, Councillor Kgosientso The African Endurance Series has confirmed that track keeps pace. Ramokgopa, has been invited to flag off the first car the African 9-Hour race originally planned for During the initial construction phase it be- at 12:00. Kyalami in November will now happen at Killarney came evident that the remaining part of the circuit From the Union Buildings the event moves in Cape Town on 12 December 2015. required more attention with respect to driver and to the area around Cullinan, with the rally head- “Despite delays in the re-opening of Kyalami, spectator safety. Thus it was decided to replace all quarters and central service park situated at the we have decided to push on and hold an African debris fencing, safety barriers as well as tyre and Zonderwater Correctional Services facility. 9-Hour this year,” series boss Roger Pearce con- belting safety systems around the entire circuit. The The event will restart from Zonderwater at firmed. “We investigated various options before decision was also taken to replace all gravel in the 09:00 on Saturday morning, and the first car is coming to an arrangement with the Western arrestor beds and, after consultation with the FIA, expected at the finish at Zonderwater at around Province Motor Club (WPCM) to hold the event tarred run-off areas have been added at Sunset and 15:00. ■ at Killarney. Ingwe corners. Further details on the Killarney African Plans for the refurbishment and upgrade of Castrol and Lazarus Motor Company 9-Hour will be confirmed closer to the event, ■ the pit building have also been finalised. The up- cement their relationship grade, estimated at close to R50-million, is aimed Apart from supplying oil and lubricants to the well- at increasing the appeal of the conference facility as known Lazarus Motor Company and its motor the preferred activation and exhibition venue in the dealerships, Castrol South Africa has elected to also growing Kyalami area. ■ back the company’s historic racers. “It was Henry Ford who said you win on All systems go for Imperial Sunday, you sell on Toyota Tshwane Motor Rally Monday and that’s The Imperial Toyota group has confirmed its something that continued support of the sixth round of the we value here at Lazarus. Carrying on Ford’s racing SA lady racers Shannon Jackson, heritage, we have Ivana Cetinich and Fabienne Lanz made raced as a fam- international racing history receently ily for years and in when they made up what is believed to conjunction with the the first all-girl podium in motorsport Lindenberg Racing anywhere in the world in the Senior Class we currently have of the fifth round in the Northern Regions Kyalami main straight. Colin Lazarus. a team of eight karting championship. Subscribe for free @ www.autolive.co.za Page 24 Back Page It’s time for the biggest car show in South Africa

By Stuart Johnston But you will see obscure cars like Holdens from Australia that no-one ever mentions these days, and staid almost-classics like the Austin Cambridge, It’s amazing, but as I write these words I can feel a featured on our picture page. Last year a car that in- surge of excitement running through my veins. You trigued me in this department was a Mitsubishi Colt see, Cars in the Park 2015 is upon us and it seems 1110 from the early 1970s, a good but thoroughly 1907 Ford Model N. like just a few months ago that I was still reliving forgettable little car – fitted with a turbocharged some memories from last year’s event. twin-cam Toyota 4A-GE motor, good for probably This Sunday’s show, organised for the 36th 200 kW plus. How it stopped I shudder to think. time by the Pretoria Old Motor Club, will definitely There are over 100 cars clubs officially repre- be the country’s biggest car show this year. That’s sented, so if you have a favourite marque, get hold now a certainty, especially as The Johannesburg of a diagram from the gate keepers. Me, I just park International Motor Show has been postponed for my car – this year it’ll be my ’71 Kombi – and walk this year. around the track. I make a point of stopping at the What’s an undisputed fact is that there will be pit area, where the very best collectible vintage cars more cars on display than even the best-supported invited by the POMC are given pride of place. JIMS, for modern cars, ever managed. Some 3 000 Last year a car that captured my imagination classics hot-rods, muscle cars, retro off-roaders, once again was a DKW, and I almost ended up 1913 Cadillac. whacky street racers and a bunch of other passion- buying one, despite having huge parking issues at fuelled special interest cars turned up at Zwartkops home. There is something about the wheezy sound in 2014, and over 15 000 paying spectators were on of a DKW that does it for me. That, and the fact that hand to see them. it’s a two stroke, my first love as a petrol-head when Hence my advice to get there this Sunday by 8 I began messing with old junk motorcycles in pri- am when the gates open for spectators, or even ear- mary school. lier if you drive a classic car, because you’ll be al- There are huge contingents of weird cars that lowed in from 6 am onwards. make the show. And none huger than the Unimog What I love best about the show is to get there giant off-roader display that is planned for this year, early at about 6.30 and stand close to the entrance I hear. gates and watch the queue of old cars streaming in. I went along to spectate myself back when the All manner of cars you hadn’t thought about for ages Cars in the Park was still held in Silverton. It’s been seem to make an appearance at this show, as well at Zwartkops now for nine years and in 2006 I made as ones you’d drive a long way to see, such as early it for the first time in a classic, a Karmann Ghia that 1907 Ford Model S. Fords from the 1900s, Studebakers from the 1920s, had gunk in the fuel tank and broke down with fuel Plymouths from the 1930s, and all manner of classic starvation about 10 times there and 10 times on the fins and flash Americana from the 1950s and ‘60s. way back. I arrived to conduct the film crew I directed at the time, for the now defunct Car Torque television show, with twigs in my hair, thorns in my jersey and jeans, grease on my knuckles and reeking of stale petrol. But hey, I made it. And the show was all the richer for it, for me, anyway. Believe me, the show is 10 time more exciting if you arrive in a classic. Which is probably what you’ll do at the 2016 event. If not, it’s still the best R100 you’ll spend this year. If you’re under 12, you 1932 Ford V8 Phaeton. get in for free. ■ 1931 Ford Model A Roadster.