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Ford South Africa recently announced the exit of both the Ford Fiesta and the Ford Figo. It has been incredible to watch the demise of the humble hatchback. The fact is the Volkswagen Polo is the only successful player left in this segment. However, this does not mean the supermini is without its merits. We recently had the pleasure of putting together a group test featuring the fashionable Peugeot 208, spacious Honda Fit, charismatic Renault Clio and facelifted Volkswagen Polo. With the recent hike in new vehicle prices, the idea of an affordable car has evolved. Something like a Toyota Corolla can now cost as much as R473 400. With that, the brand has been selling the Corolla Quest as a means to offer a lower-priced vehicle to cash-strapped buyers. Sure,…

Matthysdebeer Lotus has reinvented the iconic brand by entering the premium SUV segment with its first “hyper-SUV”. Dubbed Eletre, which means “coming to life” in Hungarian, Lotus claims the bold newcomer incorporates elements of its latest performance car, the Emira, and the aerodynamics of the all-electric Evija hypercar. Lotus’ foray into the lucrative SUV landscape makes strategic sense if the success of SUVs offered by Porsche, Bentley and the like is anything to go by. So, if you can’t beat them, join them, leveraging the brand’s 74 years of sportscar expertise by launching a 560 kW AWD hyper-SUV capable of cracking 0–100 km/h in less than three seconds. It runs out of steam only after a claimed 600 km and offers the driver engagement expected from a Lotus. Core to Lotus founder Colin…

Microbus, Kombi, Bulli, Camper and Hippie-van are just some of the names the famous Volkswagen bus was lovingly called. The Kombi, like the Beetle, became an icon, a cultural symbol of independence and freedom for families, intrepid explorers and flower children alike. Now the Kombi is back in the guise of the ID. Buzz MPV and its commercial-vehicle Cargo stablemate as poster children for Volkswagen’s sustainable and electrified future under the ID. range. BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL The retro-inspired contemporary design pays homage to the original Kombi’s V-shaped front panel and overall rounded shape, though the ID. Buzz still has a unique visual identity that should make it both timeless and functional. It is infused with a sense of fun, especially considering the lounge-like interior and exterior colours like Candy White, Lime Yellow,…

Maserati has lifted off the wraps of a new mid-sized SUV, the Grecale, which joins its larger sibling, the Maserati Levante. As is tradition with naming its vehicles after famous winds, the Gregale moniker comes from a north-easterly Mediterranean wind that blows from Greece. Adopting a coupé-like silhouette with a low-slung bonnet, inverted grille flanked by large air intakes and rear boomerang taillamps inspired by the Giugiaro 3200 GT, the Grecale measures 4 846 mm long, 2 163 mm wide, 1 670 mm tall and has a wheelbase of 2 901 mm. Once behind the leather-clad steering wheel, you can choose from one of five driving modes: Comfort, GT, Sport, Race and Off-Road. Three screens – a 12,3-inch instrument cluster, a central 12,3-inch touchscreen and an 8,8 inch ‘comfort’ screen – welcome…

The A6 Avant e-tron concept is a thinly veiled preview of an upcoming station wagon that’s soon set to join Audi’s EV range. Following on from last year’s unveiling of the Sportback equivalent, the Avant is underpinned by an electric drivetrain based on the upcoming Premium Platform Electric (PPE) platform, a modular architecture being developed in cooperation with Porsche. Space is a key benefit of Audi’s Avant models and the A6 Avant e-tron will be no exception. Even though it’s 4,9 m long, 1,96 m wide and 1,44 m high, it will sacrifice neither performance nor range, reaching 100 km/h from standstill in less than four seconds, and a claimed range of up to 700 km. The A6 e-tron Avant features an all-wheel drivetrain with two electric motors developing 350 kW…

You might have caught a glimpse of the breathtaking Lexus BEV (battery electric vehicle) Sport in December 2021 when Toyota president and Lexus brand holder Akio Toyoda announced the brands’ collective 2030 Lexus Electrified vision and we were left yearning for more. Lexus has now obliged with a gallery of images and animations that includes photos of the sub-two-second zero to 100 km/h electric beast concept let loose in its natural habitat, the race track. The Lexus BEV Sport will be the halo offering of the BEV sedan and SUV lines that marks the firm’s foray into solid-state batteries that will offer 700 km on a full charge. This ushers in an exciting new era for the brand that envisions an electric offering in each segment by 2030 and becoming an…