South Africa’s leading source of news and information on all aspects of the motor industry Issue 33 | 25 October 2012 www.autolive.co.za GAME CHANGER! Foton launches Tunland, the most impressive Chinese vehicle to date Full Story Starting On Page Two Volvo’s SA Chief, VW’s endless The top fi ve sellers Fifty Years of Bram van der Reep mission in all categories Cortina Page 5 Page 10 Page 20 Page 24 Subscribe for free @ www.autolive.co.za Page 2 Editor The Best Chinese Vehicle We’ve Driven to Date Stuart Johnston [email protected] General Manager STUART JOHNSTON Roger Houghton [email protected] Th e new Foton Tunland 4X4 Double Cab is a game- Sales changer. Its ride and performance is comparable to the Bruno Lupini best from Japan and elsewhere right now, at a price that [email protected] seriously undercuts the opposition. Th is initial impression aft er the launch early last week includes the overall shape Estelle van Staden –very Hilux-like – the ride, which is exceptional on rut- [email protected] ted dirt roads, and the high speed precision on tar roads. It uses a Cummins ISF diesel engine which has plenty of Angelina Michael torque (360 Nm), giving it loads of low-down grunt, and a [email protected] top speed of indicated 170 km/h is easily achievable (max Address power output is 120 kW). Robin Wu. Suite 106B, MISA Centre But it’s the overall impression of solidity that is going 12 Fir Street, Northcliff to make this vehicle a huge hit. It’s our prediction that mid- RW: We took a look at all the vehicles, saw what was Johannesburg, 2195 October 2012 will be remembered as the time when our good in each of them, and then came up with our perceptions of Chinese vehicles underwent a seismic shift . own concept. Tel For this issue, we interviewed Foton’s SA Managing AL: Is this not diffi cult, because you have to project +27 (0)83 450 9255 Director Brett Soso, as well as Beiqi Foton Motor ahead? You can’t then come out with a 2008 vehicle. Fax Company’s Vice President for Engineering and Tunland RW: Yes and no. Yes, because in 2008 we didn’t know Project leader, Robin Wu. what, say, Toyota would be doing in 2012, so for +27 (0)86 505 8957 that aspect the answer is yes. But no, however, if you Website Robin Wu do some projections, such as emissions, safety, fuel www.autolive.co.za AL: What is your position at Bequi Foton Motor economy, customer requirements based on global Company? economics. Th at’s why we took almost two years to © 2012 WCM Media CC RW: I’m the Vice President responsible for all engineering arrive only with the concept with this vehicle. Production and product engineering. RW: We did a lot of product benchmarking and then Marketing Support Services AL: What does the automotive business of Foton entail? we took three years for the engineering develop- +27 (0)12 346 2168 RW: Our main business is generated by automotive busi- ment. So now, the product is ready. [email protected] ness, heavy duty trucks, medium duty, light duty, AL: What about the engineering aspect, of looking fur- pick-up, SUV, MPV. We don’t have passenger cars. ther ahead. Your background is in engineering, Layout and Typesetting AL: Would you say that this is your most important mod- I believe. Bonita Tuson el that you’ve launched so far? RW: Yes, my background is in engineering and I person- Disclaimer RW: It is, yeah. We started this project fi ve years ago. ally oversaw this project from day one. Although While reasonable precautions have Early in 2008 I sent a group of people here to do mar- I’m responsible for all the Foton product from an been taken to ensure the accuracy ket research. We found out that here in South Africa engineering perspective. Th ere was a lot of decision- of the advice and information given is a very good market for pick-up, because all the making, such as should we go for the most advanced to readers, neither the Editor, the biggest names for pick-ups are here. We also identi- product, or the cheapest? Th ere was a lot of debate Proprietors, nor the publishers fi ed Th ailand, Middle East, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, about quality, cost, the timing of the launch. We can accept any responsibility for and Russia, those are the markets we researched in. came up with a balance of all those aspects. On any damages or injury which may From the beginning the positioning of this product top of that, we have to think about our customer arise therefrom. was global, so we did global research, and also global product development. continued on page 4 Subscribe for free @ www.autolive.co.za Page 3 Editor’s Note BMW’s Drive for Connectivity Th e ITS World Congress in Vienna is the premier international exhibition for devices, SOME THOUGHTS ON technologies and services associated with intelligent traffi c systems. Th is year’s exhibition CARS AND DRIVING AND hosts a total of 300 exhibitors. Th e exhibition at the ITS World Congress in 2012 has the WHO BUILDS THEM motto “smarter on the way”, and it has attracted all the key companies and innovators in I’ve driven two vehicles in this area. Th e exhibitors cover all aspects of traffi c systems including complex information the past fortnight that really im- and communication systems, advanced navigation and payment systems through to the pressed me, the Volvo V40, which areas of safety, ecology and electromobility. excited me as a driver because of Th e BMW Group is presenting innovations from BMW ConnectedDrive at the its responses to driver inputs were ITS World Congress under the motto “BMW Urban Mobility”. BMW ConnectedDrive so well-confi gured, and the new is the BMW Group’s defi nition of Intelligent Traffi c Systems (ITS), because BMW Foton Tunland, pretty much for ConnectedDrive provides the occupants of the vehicle and the vehicle itself with an intel- the same reasons. ligent network to connect them with the outside world. Th is network off ers customers Th e Volvo is a latest-generation hatch, and Volvo’s engineers more safety, comfort and infotainment whether it is through driver assistance systems, (with Chinese Geely funding) are now enabling a dynamism to navigation options or personalized entertainment. Th e network permits innovations for accompany solidity in today’s highly-competitive hatchback mar- urban mobility that make interaction with city traffi c even safer, more effi cient and more ket (Th e French, sadly, seem to have forgotten what they once convenient. Th e BMW Group stand presents App and vehicle-based routing functions, knew about making a car supple yet still extremely controllable. safety systems and solutions for mobility on two wheels. Soft en up those spring rates, guys!). Th e Tunland, despite its Hilux-like looks, is a ground-up Intermodal routing using the mobility assistant, with DriveNow & Co. Chinese development, and having driven it briefl y, I can say Going about your business quickly and smoothly in a densely populated city is a big chal- that it feels like a 2012 bakkie, not a perfectly-preserved 2008 lenge. How can I get to my destination on time? Will there be any free parking spaces model. Delving into Tunland Project Chief Robin Wu’s back- when I arrive? Where is the nearest charging point for my electric car? Will I be quicker ground, it was intriguing that he received his engineering with Park+Ride? Th e Mobility Assistant from the BMW Group will provide all the an- degree in Michigan, and that he has worked for the likes of swers to these questions in future. It is currently being tested in Berlin as an iPhone ap- General Motors, TWR the component manufacturer (pistons, plication. Th is service is going to provide individual, intermodal navigation. When you etc) and Ford. enter a destination, the mobility assistant will display various routes to allow you to Wu revealed that for the Tunland project, a number of en- reach this destination cost-eff ectively and quickly – whether you are travelling by car, gineers from Europe were employed in the development phase, using suburban public transport or combining the two modes of travel. “Th e Mobility and the sophistication of this team shows in every aspect of Assistant is an initial step towards the reality of actual intermodal traffi c use. Th e objec- the Tunland. tive is to ensure mobility over a range of diff erent modes of transport. Th is is empowering Th is is a vehicle intended for global “consumption”, and it the BMW Group to support mobility sustainably and tailored to individual needs,” ac- behaves as such. It would be as happy on the Autobahn as it is cording to Martin Hauschild, Head of Traffi c Technology and Traffi c Management at the trundling up Bobbejaan’s Pass in the Lesotho mountains. An BMW Group. For example, all drivers with BMW cars equipped with ConnectedDrive aspect I noted on the car was that it was fi tted only with a fi ve- encompassing RTTI (Real Time Traffi c Information) are in a position to obtain the latest speed gearbox, and yet this did not feel like short-changing it in information about traffi c conditions on the road. Th is new service is updated every three any way.