Road Tests

We’re big fans of the XC40. Does the lustre remain when there’s one fewer cylinder and only two driven wheels? In 2018, we group-tested Volvo’s new XC40 in D4 AWD and T5 AWD forms, and both wowed the CAR team with their panache, practicality and comfort. In fact, when 2018 drew to ...

Less power but more appeal: the four-cylinder BMW Z4 is an altogether better-balanced package than its big brother... Now that we’re well acquainted with the long-awaited rear-wheel-drive sportscar collaboration between BMW and Toyota – see our recent test of the Z4 M40i – it’s ...

Co-developed with SsangYong, the new Mahindra XUV300 represents a watershed moment for this robust Indian brand... If Mahindra’s steadily growing market footprint in the South African landscape has to date relied on adjectives such as “rugged” and “reliable”, with the arrival ...

Until recently, the Amarok V6 was SA’s brawniest lifestyle bakkie … then the 190 kW X350d landed and kicked up a froth at braais across the country. If you’re a devoted reader, you’d know this comparative test has been a long time coming. We first promised to include it in the ...

The GSi badge returns to South Africa in the form of a tweaked Opel Corsa as a range-topping warm hatch... Opel’s GSi badge is one which resonates with many South Africans. At the tail-end of the previous century, it represented everyday cars that had a little extra poke under the bonnet, examples ...

We let Ford’s eagerly anticipated off-road rocket spread its wings on dunes, dirt and blacktop to see just how capable this formidable-looking newcomer is... For all of its hardebaarde connotations and braai-side bragging rights, off-roading requires a surprisingly delicate touch. Obstacles often ...

Is BMW Z4 number three the one to convince purists it’s a purebred sportscar?  You might not instinctively associate the white and blue roundel with roadsters – not like you would Mercedes-Benz or Porsche, at least – but, since the launch of the Z1 in 1989, the Bavarian brand ...

Suzuki has given its value-oriented sedan a considerable update and the news is decidedly positive... When we assess sedans around the R250 000 price point, often the first consideration is whether the vehicle in question will satisfy the needs and wants of ride-sharing fleets. Such is the difference ...

The fifth-generation Toyota RAV4 has received an enthusiastic welcome from the local market. Is this more rugged variant the one to get?  Third: that’s where the new Toyota RAV4 placed on the list of best-selling passenger cars in South Africa one month after its release, with Naamsa sales ...