At CAR, the season of spring gets ushered in with the most anticipated drive of this year; the eighth-generation Volkswagen Golf GTI. While still making use of the MQB platform and EA888 turbocharged 2,0-litre four-pot engine, the new model promises an array of dynamic and technological enhancements.
Within the GTI, there are more digital displays, comfort features and safety equipment but we get behind the wheel to see if it’s the same old hot hatch that we fell in love with all those decades ago. Will it maintain the status of SA’s ultimate all-round hot hatch?
Speaking of icons, we also get in the driver’s seat of the 1971 Ford Mustang Mach 1 which employs a carburetted 7,0-litre V8 good for 280 kW, transferred to the rear wheels via a four-speed manual gearbox. This experience is complemented by a drive in this car’s spiritual successor; the 2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1 which uses a smaller but more powerful naturally aspirated 5,0-litre V8 with a ten-speed automatic torque converter.
Bringing things back into the 21st century is our Road Test on the entry-level but thrilling Porsche Taycan which employs a permanent magnet synchronous electric motor on the rear axle to deliver 350 kW and 357 N.m of torque, instantly. The big question we look out to answer is whether this is enough to add some soul to the world of electrified motoring.
While electric motors are impressive, we can’t deny that a twin-turbo German V8 is where the bulk of automotive excitement remains. We get familiar with the Audi RS6 Avant in an in-depth Road Test to further confirm this notion. Despite tipping the scales at 2,2 tonnes, the test figures we were able to achieve were massively impressive.
One car that impressed as well was the all-new Haval Jolion 1,5T Super Luxury AT. Although we are familiar with that powertrain from previous products, the new crossover’s step forward into digitalisation has not gone unnoticed. We put it to the test to answer whether this will be the product that changes the perception of Chinese vehicles in our local market.
Keeping things local, we also dive into the stellar career currently being showcased by brothers Kelvin and Sheldon Van der Linde who have been proving their worth in the current DTM season.
All this and more in the upcoming issue of CAR!
