South Africa

First in segment head-up display standard on GLX Unique 360-degree Round View Monitor unique in segment Auto available in GL and GLX specification levels Spec boost for both specification levels The all-new Suzuki Baleno is now available for sale, shortly after its global launch and with everything that luxury hatchback customers could ask for, and more. Suzuki Auto South Africa will introduce four models of the all-new Baleno, with a high level of safety and luxury in all models and the option of manual or automatic transmission in both specification levels. Crafted Futurism Suzuki introduced the all-new Baleno to the world in February 2022 and shared its new design language called Crafted Futurism. Many of this design language’s foundational elements, such as the mix of organic and dynamic lines, large and striking lights and a purposeful stance, are a refinement of the Liquid Flow philosophy that was seen on the previous Baleno. The Suzuki designers then added new design elements, including a wider front air intake, a three-dimensional grille design and flowing body lines that connect with the chrome brightwork in one continuous swoop, that not only create a fresh new look for the Baleno, but also signals what is to come for other Suzuki models. The design also applies to the new interior, where a multi-layered dashboard creates the impression of space. There are also more comfortable and contoured seats, which are both functional and visually appealing, and with higher-grade cloth upholstery. Best-in-class specifications Suzuki Baleno GL – Auto and Manual The Suzuki Baleno has always been one of the best-specified vehicles in its class, both in terms of luxury features and its service plan and mechanical warranty terms. For the all-new model, Suzuki has added even more specifications to both the GL and GLX range, making it the uncontested luxury leader in its market. Most importantly, the boost in specifications was not only kept for the GLX model. In the …

The prestigious South African Car of the Year (COTY) competition, the country's most highly respected and sought-after motoring competition, was introduced in 1986. This year, no different from the past 36 years, saw top-quality entrants participating for this coveted award in the South African market. "Although we saw the competition develop and grow over the past 36 years with introducing category winners, additional categories, automated scoring, the public's favourite and Juror's Excellence Award, one thing did not change – the exceptional contenders and their proud makers," says Carl Wepener, Chairman of the South African Guild of Mobility Journalists (SAGMJ). This year's COTY competition was particularly exciting, with the 2022 COTY jurors selecting 25 semi-finalists from more than 49 entrants with some hotly contended Category rivalries. After a four-week scoring process, the superb Toyota Corolla Cross was voted the South African Car of the Year. Mercedes Benz C-Class won this year's prestigious Juror's Excellence Award. Introduced in 2021, the Award is particularly impressive as it only considers the raw scoring of the expert jurors without automated scoring factors. The overall winner includes additional scoring criteria like sales, segment share and spec-adjusted pricing. The Category winners for this year's competition are: Compact Category: Toyota Urban Cruiser Compact Family Category: Toyota Corolla Cross Midsize Category: Mercedes Benz C-Class Performance Category: Volkswagen Golf GTI New-energy Category: Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid Adventure SUV Category: Toyota Landcruiser 300 Double Cab 4x4 Category: Nissan Navara The Budget and Premium categories did not have any 2022 contenders. The public has become more involved in the COTY scoring/voting process over the last four years via social media. Two years ago, the Motor Enthusiasts Choice Category was introduced. A social media blitz lasting six weeks saw the vehicle the public responded to the most …

The new Volkswagen Taigo will go on sale from Volkswagen dealers on 6 June 2022 The starting price of the Volkswagen Taigo range is R429 900 Johannesburg, 3 June 2022 – Volkswagen’s new SUV coupé will retail from Volkswagen dealers on 6 June 2022. The new Taigo is positioned between the T-Cross and the T-Roc in Volkswagen’s T SUV model range. With this launch, Volkswagen will offer six vehicles in the T SUV range namely, the T-Cross, Taigo, T-Roc, Tiguan, Tiguan Allspace and the Touareg. Standard features of the Taigo Life 1.0 TSI 85kW DSG® include LED headlights and LED tail lights, a Digital Cockpit, 6.5-inch Composition Colour infotainment system, App-Connect, We Connect Go, front centre armrest with a USB-C interface, multi-function leather steering wheel, electric foldable exterior mirrors with heating function and 16-inch Belmopan alloy wheels. Exterior highlights include an individualised front section with a chrome-look crossbar, projection light from the exterior mirrors and black roof rails. In addition to the standard features in the Life derivative, the Taigo Style 1.0 TSI 85kW DSG® also comes standard with IQ.LIGHT LED matrix headlights, ambient lighting, 17-inch Aberdeen alloy wheels, Park Distance Control in the front and rear, Dynamic Light Assist, 10.25-inch Digital Cockpit Pro, Active Info Display and an 8-inch Composition Media infotainment system. The Style is differentiated from the rest of the range by the rear bumper which has a chrome strip, a silver diffuser and silver anodised roof rails. In addition to the standard features in the Style, the Taigo R-Line comes standard with a black headliner, stainless steel pedals, privacy glass for rear side windows and rear windows as well as 17-inch Valencia alloy wheels. The top-of-the-range Taigo’s bumpers are distinguished by their striking R-Line design. In the front bumper, the high-gloss black cross and longitudinal bars of the air intakes convey a unique and charismatic sense of …

Suzuki the best-selling passenger car brand overall Swift the most popular car with 1 764 units sold – a new record Suzuki Auto SA and its dealers set new records Suzuki Auto recorded a sales-jump of 630 vehicles from April to May and hit a new overall record of 4 331 new car sales. The new record means that Suzuki was also South Africa’s favourite passenger vehicle brand in May, outselling every other vehicle marque and firmly establishing itself as the third largest manufacturer on the industry sales roster. “As a company, our growth strategy over the years could be compared to that of bamboo. Bamboo spends its early years growing a strong root system that can support its stems. To the naked eye, it appears that it is not growing at all, but once it has established the right roots, the bamboo shoots into the sky at a rapid pace. “Since opening our doors in South Africa in 2008, we have spent a lot of time, energy and money on establishing a strong dealer network, a healthy head office team and a large parts warehouse that can deliver on our brand promise of value for money and great customer service. Now, with a network of 81 dealers, we are seeing the strong growth that a firmly established root system can deliver,” says Henno Havenga, manager for auto dealer sales at Suzuki Auto. Havenga congratulated Suzuki dealers after they broke through the 3 000-unit barrier in May with total retail sales of 3 100 units. Most of the remaining Suzuki vehicles were sold through its government, rental and fleet sales division, which recorded sales of 1 229 units. To top the number of new records by the company, naamsa, the industry business council, reported that the Suzuki Swift was South Africa’s best-selling vehicle in May with sales of 1 764 units (including the Swift Sport). The S-Presso (783 units), Vitara Brezza (530 units), Jimny (428 units) and Ertiga (305 units) completed the list of five best-selling Suzuki models. “The announcement of our …

The Category winners and official winner of the 2022 SA Car of the Year, scheduled for 6 June 2022, will be revealed via a Social Media Takeover. Seven members of the South African Guild of Mobility Journalists (SAGMJ) have been given carte blanche to announce the winners in whatever creative means they wish, including sharing announcements. The team comprises: Sisanda "Dozer" Mbete (joined SAGMJ April 2016): Sisanda is the most senior of our team. He is known for his epic road trips and off-roading exploits. Sisanda has been a member of the SAGMJ going on eight years and SA COTY juror for three years and is thus a dead cinch to take it a step further and be involved in the announcing of a winner. Justin Jacobs (joined SAGMJ August 2018): Justin has had a deep passion for all things car-related since his childhood. In pursuit of his passion, he achieved his dream and ended up becoming a motoring content creator and writer. He has been sharing his opinion on the latest cars in several newspapers, television, and social media for the past 12 years. He has also appeared on several radio shows and podcasts. His career has seen him experience some of the finest metal on four wheels throughout South Africa and abroad with many international test drives. This wordsmith believes that a car has a personality and that it needs to be discovered, learnt and understood. Samuel Da Fonseca (joined SAGMJ March 2019): Before he could even walk, cars fascinated little Sam. Years later, what started as a simple Instagram page to share a passion for cars and four years of hard work, Sam's social media presence skyrocketed. Sam is now living his wildest dreams in the motor industry. He lives for the smell of burnt rubber! Javon Francis (joined SAGMJ September 2020): With ten years of experience in the motoring industry and seven years in the social media industry, Javon has seen it all, from tearing up some of South Africa's fastest GTRs to building his own streetcar. Javon is set to …

Introducing Edition 1988: Jaguar’s racing success inspires limited edition F-PACE SVR, created by the personalisation experts at SV Bespoke Pinnacle of performance: 405kW V8 supercharged F-PACE SVR sits at the top of Jaguar’s SUV line-up, with enhanced high-performance driving dynamics Bespoke finish: Edition 1988 features unique Midnight Amethyst paint, Champagne Gold forged alloy wheels and exclusive Sunset Gold accents Strictly limited: Just 394 examples will be built, one for each lap completed by the winning Jaguar at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1988 Sporting debuts: Edition 1988 will be presented at the 24 Hours of Le Mans on June 8-12, and makes its dynamic debut at Goodwood Festival of Speed on June 23-26 Exclusivity ensured: Only five F-PACE SVR Edition 1988 units will make their way to South Africa with pricing and availability to be announced at a later stage   Pretoria, 1 June 2022 – The exclusive F-PACE SVR Edition 1988 is the first limited edition of Jaguar’s pinnacle high-performance SUV, created by the personalisation experts at SV Bespoke. Just 394 examples are available worldwide and only five will make their way to South Africa. An emotive specification, inspired by Jaguar’s rich racing heritage, includes specially-formulated Midnight Amethyst Gloss paintwork, Champagne Gold Satin 22-inch forged alloy wheels, Sunset Gold Satin exterior and interior detailing, plus a ‘One of 394’ SV Bespoke commissioning graphic. The Edition 1988 name, and the total number of cars to be built by Jaguar’s Special Vehicle Operations division, pays tribute to the number of laps completed by the winning XJR-9 LM at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1988. Mark Turner, Commercial Director of Special Vehicle Operations, Jaguar, said: “Since its introduction in 2019, the Jaguar F-PACE SVR has established itself as a highly characterful and rewarding high-performance car. Pairing these qualities with a level of SV Bespoke personalisation and exclusivity never offered before on …