Driving Impressions

CAPE TOWN, Western Cape – It’s been a while since South Africa has seen such a stark example of so-called “badge engineering”. Put bluntly, Toyota’s new Starlet is nothing more than a rebranded Suzuki Baleno. We could end this driving impression right here (and link you ...

PORT ELIZABETH, Eastern Cape – The much-loved Kombi/Microbus/Caravelle has been something of a South African staple ever since Volkswagen’s Uitenhage plant was spared to continue producing vehicles after the Second World War. Volkswagen’s range of vans, minibuses and people carriers ...

CAPE TOWN – The Hilux badge has been worn by Toyota bakkies for more than five decades. Now in its eighth generation, the Hilux received its first facelift in 2018, with the Japanese automaker opting to debut the updates on the Dakar model. Other variants soon followed suit, receiving the latter ...

SILVERSTONE, England – Supercar fatigue is a real thing and probably even more so at the moment when people around the world are struggling just to pay the finance on their Ford Fiesta or Volkswagen Polo. Who on earth is lining up to buy a supercar right now? Well, the supercar world is a breed ...

Paternoster, Western Cape – COVID-19 slowdown or no, the compact crossover market is where some of the fiercest sales battles rage these days. For cash-conscious buyers, tall-riding mini-SUVs based on humble B-segment platforms are still relatively cheap to purchase and sufficiently practical to ...

CAPE TOWN, Western Cape – The all-new Land Rover Defender is officially in South Africa and it's surely one of the most anticipated SUVs to touch down for quite some time. In fact, not since the introduction of Mercedes-Benz X-Class has a newcomer caused such a stir. Where do we even begin? The ...

TOUWSRIVIER, Western Cape – Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa certainly knows how to keep its target market (and general enthusiasts) interested in Blue Oval bakkies. First, we saw the introduction of the Ranger Wildtrak. Then the Raptor was unveiled and introduced in South Africa. The latest ...

In an attempt to create an affordable, efficient city run-around, BMW fashioned an appealingly unique motoring experience... I clearly remember the first time I laid eyes on a BMW Isetta. I was no more than six years old, paging through a BMW coffee table book of my father’s when I reached the ...

ZWARTKOPS, Johannesburg – The local introduction of the new Mercedes-AMG A45 S 4Matic+ and CLA45 S 4Matic+ took place at the AMG Driving Academy at Zwartkops Raceway. Having driving the A35 extensively during Performance Shootout 2020, we were looking forward to experiencing the full-fat A45 on ...