Driving Impressions

MALLORCA – Isn't it curious Volkswagen’s taken this long to enter the small SUV/crossover segment? Ford’s been playing this game for years with the EcoSport; Renault does a roaring global trade in Capturs; and every second suburban street corner sports a Mazda CX-3. The European market ...

CAPE TOWN – Its safe to say the G20-generation BMW 3 Series is one of the most highly anticipated new cars to arrive in South Africa so far in 2019. Still, the venerable 3 Series is these days facing a threat from within its own Bavarian stable, as the buying public continues its migration away ...

CAPE TOWN – Contrary to popular belief, volumes in the C-segment hatchback market are skewed towards mid- and high-spec models instead of entry-level, cheaper derivatives. So says Toyota, at least, which explains its decision to rationalise its local hatch line-up by introducing just three models ...

JOHANNESBURG – If there’s one word the folks at Jaguar Land Rover South Africa certainly didn’t want to see splashed across the front of newspapers nationwide in the build-up to the local appearance of the new, all-electric I-Pace, it was this: “load-shedding”. You see, ...

CAPE TOWN – What was once an exciting midsize sportscar which even featured in the 2001 hit movie The Fast and the Furious has now bloated into crossover aimed at a more conservative consumer. Of course, their likeness is in name only, but it’s interesting that Mitsubishi has applied ...

MAGALIESBURG – Wondering where the Renault Kadjar, the French brands version of the excellent Nissan Qashqai, disappeared to? Well, due to spiraling import costs (the Kadjar was imported from France), Renault SA has replaced it with this, the larger Koleos, which it sources from South Korea at ...

CAPE TOWN – The longstanding compact model hole at the bottom of Lexus crossover line-up has finally been filled by the striking new UX, but is there enough substance behind its bold styling to woo younger buyers away from the raft of boutique crossovers already prolific in our market? We sample ...

JOHANNESBURG – Facts and figures aside, one of the reasons the automotive world remains such an intriguing space is the unquantifiable levels of emotional attachment placed on everything; from a poster mounted on a bedroom or workshop wall to a proposed purchase. While the match-up boxes ...

GOA, India – Generally speaking, the South African car-buyer is one picky creature. And that means smaller, lesser-known brands often have to work twice as hard to convince said consumers to sign on the dotted line. One such automaker is Mahindra, which has slowly but surely been building its reputation ...