Criteria

Considering our market’s penchant for weekend-away travel, as well as the deteriorating condition of the roads around many of our country’s metropolitan areas, the allure of the rugged, adventure-focussed SUV has never been greater.

Looking for your next new or used Ford? Find it here with CARmag. 

Winner: Ford Everest

Image: Ford

Based on the admirably refined and suitably rugged modern Ranger double-cab, the third-generation Everest introduces a welcome sense of presence and purpose on the road as well as a modern and broadly versatile interior. Introduced with the flagship Platinum edition, the Everest range has since expanded to include an entry-level XLT derivative and a choice between a 4×2 and 4×4 drivetrains. Also significant for this segment is the availability of a 3,0-litre V6 turbodiesel engine boasting 600 N.m of torque within this range. Ford’s 2,0 BiTurbo diesel/10-speed automatic transmission combination persists as a solid performer.

Runner-up: Toyota Fortuner

Image: Toyota

Consistently the best-selling vehicle in this segment, the Toyota Fortuner has earned its reputation for rugged reliability and continent-crossing confidence. A recent update has introduced enhanced exterior styling and new tech.

Runner-up: Mitsubishi Outlander

Image: Mitsubishi

Mitsubishi’s Outlander incorporates a bold new design language, now sporting 210 mm ground clearance, permanent all-wheel drive, a more powerful 2,5-litre petrol powertrain and a full bouquet of modern safety features.

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Looking for your next new or used Lexus? Find it here with CARmag.

Image: Lexus

“Pushing the Boundaries of the Electrified Experience”

Lexus intends to transform into an all-electric brand by 2035 and wishes to carry over its signature sense of luxury into its electrified automotive offerings founded on a new vehicle architecture. At the forefront of its combustion-less people carriers is the LF-ZC (short for Lexus Future Zero-emission Catalyst) and the LF-ZL (also short for Lexus Future Zero-emission Luxury).

Related: Review: Lexus RX 500h

The LF-ZC is already slated for production in 2026 and will “embody both functionality and beauty without any compromise”. The firm describes its electrified four-door as a car bearing a sleek and refined design. The LF-ZC (and all future Lexus BEVs) will be founded on a modular vehicle platform.

In terms of size, the LF-ZC is 4 750 mm long, 1 880 mm wide, 1 390 mm tall and sits on a 2 890 mm wheelbase. For comparison, the Lexus ES (a four-door sedan in the firm’s local road-going fleet) measures slightly larger than the LF-ZC, but the Lexus concept has a lower ride height and slightly longer wheelbase. The LF-Zl is the larger offering with a form factor measuring 5 300 mm long, 2 020 mm wide and 1 700 mm tall with a 3 350 mm long wheelbase.

Image: Lexus

Although wearing an eye-catching design, it’s the inner workings and proposed abilities that prop this concept to the forefront of the firm’s electric mobility aspirations. Lexus says it will feature a DIRECT4 al-wheel-drive system, a steer-by-wire system, a high-performance battery system affording the car a driving range double that of the conventional BEV, and a digital system that controls and functions dubbed, the “Butler”. Interestingly, the LF-ZC will rely on the Arene OS software, which is the digital backbone of Toyota’s FT-Se electric sports car concept.

Are you excited about Lexus’ future offerings?

Image: Lexus

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Criteria

Vehicles in this category sit above the midsize SUVs in terms of price and premium feel, though not necessarily size. These are premium offerings from aspirational brands and as such offer sophistication, comfort, broad connectivity options, and elevated status. 

Looking for your next new or used premium midsize SUV? Find it here with CARmag. 

Winner: BMW X1 

Image: BMW

Now in its third generation, the role of the X1 within BMW’s product portfolio is more significant than ever before. What began in 2009 as a niche offering – catering to the shift towards hatchback-based crossovers with a modicum of adventure-focused ability – is now the entry point into this German brand’s SUV family of vehicles. The X1 is also significant in the context of the global trend towards buying down. This speaks to traditional X3 owners who are unwilling to compromise on comfort or brand cachet, while now shopping for maximum value. 

The X1 is available with a choice of petrol, diesel, plug-in hybrid, or all-electric drivetrain.

Our favourite BMW X1 variant:

X1 sDrive 18d – from R810 000

Runner-up: Volvo XC60

Image: Volvo

Available with either turbo-petrol or all-electric propulsion, like the X1, the XC40 pips its bigger brother – the XC60 – for its value proposition, high levels of sophistication, and broadly good levels of versatility.

Runner-up: Audi Q5

Image: Audi

Offered with the choice of conventional SUV or Sportback styling – as well as in the flagship SQ5 form – the Q5 is one of the most complete premium midsize SUVs on the market. Its upmarket and roomy interior remains a highlight.

Browse over 26 000 new and used cars here with CARmag.

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South Africa’s safety and security ranking, as per the 2022 Global Peace Index, is 118th out of 163 countries, highlighting the safety concerns associated with driving. On average, there are over 800,000 road accidents reported annually, equating to approximately 2,200 accidents daily, according to a July 2022 report by Sanral. Car theft and hijacking rates are among the highest globally, with more than 47,600 cars stolen in 2022, according to the South African Police Service’s crime statistics. Additionally, deteriorating road conditions and the economic impact of accidents underscore the need for comprehensive car insurance coverage.

While comprehensive car insurance typically comes with a higher price tag compared to limited or third-party coverage, it provides extensive protection against theft, hijacking, accidents, and other unforeseen events. The benefits of comprehensive coverage include streamlined repair coverage for your vehicle and other damaged property, protection against theft and hijacking, increased peace of mind, and compliance with vehicle financing obligations.

When comparing car insurance quotes, several factors should be taken into account:

• Coverage Limits: Ensure that the policy provides sufficient coverage for your needs, taking into account the specific risks in South Africa. 

• Excess Amounts: Balance the excess amount with premium costs to find a comfortable middle ground. 

• Premiums: Compare premium costs from various providers, considering your budget and coverage requirements. 

• Discounts: Inquire about available discounts that can help reduce the overall cost of your insurance. 

• Company Reputation: Research the insurance company’s reputation for claim payout reliability and customer service. It’s essential to have confidence in your insurer’s ability to assist when needed. 

One reputable car insurance provider in South Africa is Santam. They offer comprehensive coverage with competitive pricing, flexible excess options, and potential premium savings for policyholders who work from home or combine multiple insurance policies. Some additional benefits provided by Santam include telematics discounts, umbrella car hire, 24-hour roadside assistance, a choice of repairer, home drive assist, no-claim bonus protection, third-party liability cover, and comprehensive coverage for accidental damage, theft, fire, and natural disasters.

Santam Insurance’s commitment to personalised service, along with their range of benefits, including 24-hour assistance and a choice of repairers, sets them apart as a car insurance provider. Their aim is to cater to the unique needs of each customer and offer peace of mind in the face of unexpected events on the road. When choosing car insurance, considering the right coverage, cost, and reliability is key to ensuring you’re protected in South Africa’s challenging driving environment.

The post Challenges of Driving in SA and Comprehensive Coverage with Santam appeared first on CAR Magazine.

Looking for your next race-ready performance car? Find it here with CARmag. 

Image: Ferrari

The 499P Modificata is derived from the 499P Le Mans Hypercar. Additionally, it doesn’t have to adhere to the same FIA WEC technical regulations that restricted the 499P LMH. Essentially, among the many sharp track-only tools in Ferrari’s Rossa Corsa-coloured shed, the 499P Modificata is a hand-crafted chef’s knife. Ferrari hails it as the highest-performance closed-wheel Ferrari the firm has ever offered for non-competitive track use. As such, the 499P Modificata is distinguished by several revisions made to the 499P LMH’s formula that can be summed up as a decrease in inhibitions and an increase in performance.

Beneath its sculpted monocoque carbon fibre chassis lies a rear-mounted twin-turbo 3,0-litre V6 working in tandem with a front-axle mounted 200 kW electric motor. Interestingly, the front axle can be activated to achieve all-wheel-drive. Although this technology is already implemented in the 499P LMH, it’s restricted to use only above 190 km/h, whereas the 499P Modificata can utilise this system at much lower speeds.

Image: Ferrari

Related: Ferrari’s New One Off SP-8 is F40 Throwback

The maximum effort from both components results in a total of 640 kW, as opposed to the 499P LMH’s 505 kW output. Coupled with the power unit is a sequential seven-speed transmission. One of the most noteworthy additions to the 499P’s powertrain is the “Push to Pass” system, which essentially utilises the front-axle mounted motor’s 120 kW output atop the nominal 520 kW output to realise 640 kW in up to seven-second bursts. Underpinning the car’s physique is a complex push-rod suspension system and a brake-by-wire system. The 499P Modificato relies on a pair of bespoke Pirelli 310/710-18 and 340/710-18 tyres. The revised exterior livery, designed by the Ferrari Styling Centre, further distinguishes itself from its Le Mans-winning sibling.

“The 499P Modificata was developed specifically to celebrate this glorious history in endurance racing with a client car that could follow in the footsteps of those legends. With effect from 2024, the Corse Clienti department will organise the “Sport Prototipi Clienti” programme which will run alongside the other specialist client activities, including F1 Clienti and XX Programme. In common with those, 499P Modificata owners will be able to rely on Ferrari assistance with maintenance and support – both technical and logistical – for all the dedicated track events.”

Image: Ferrari

Price? Reports suggest an asking price in the region of $5 million (roughly R94 million based on current exchange rates).

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The post Ferrari’s 499P Modificata is a R94 Million Track Day Weapon appeared first on CAR Magazine.

Criteria

One of the broader categories, this one encompasses the German trio (and their offshoots) plus interlopers from other European and Asian manufacturers. Anything sub-A6, 5 Series and E-Class in terms of size and price is therefore eligible.

Looking for your next new or used compact crossover? Find it here with CARmag. 

Winner: BMW 3 Series

Image: BMW

This BMW is clearly the product of a company intent on making the 3 Series the default executive option for keen drivers and, perhaps, now even for others too. It is better in the expected ways that will please long-time 3 Series owners, with more outright performance and sporting flair, as well as handling precision and driver appeal, but also in other ways that make it a more complete package. Practicality and cabin quality have taken big strides, and it’s also made advances in real-world fuel economy. It’s become a car easily capable of achieving 6,5 L/100 km at one moment and sprinting towards the horizon the next, the consummate all-rounder that isn’t an SUV.

Runner-up: Mercedes-Benz C-Class

Image: Mercedes

Improving on its winning formula and as impressive as ever (arguably better than it’s ever been), the Mercedes-Benz C-Class is an, ahem, class act that is favoured as a high-brow buy rather than a ruffian tar-burner.

Runner-up: Audi A4

Image: Audi

The Audi A4 continues to impress with its urbane road manners and exquisitely finished cockpit. Meanwhile, the scorching 331 kW RS4 Avant with its twin-turbo V6 would be a fixture in many a fantasy garage.

Browse over 26 000 new and used cars here with CARmag.

The post Top 12 Best Buys 2024: Premium Midsize car – BMW 3 Series appeared first on CAR Magazine.

Looking for your next new or used Toyota? Find it here with CARmag. 

Image: Toyota

The staggering stubbornness of well-heeled South African off-roaders in their denial of sky-high fuel prices continues to be met with compliant glee from Ford and Volkswagen. But not from Toyota, who “sensibly” dropped the Hilux and Fortuner’s four-litre V6 petrol engine in 2020. Around the same time, Mercedes was burying the too-well-cloned Nissan Navara dud V6-powered X350d – incidentally, SA’s first seven-digit-priced bakkie. This left VW as the sole seller of six-cylinder power in the hot-hatch humbling (now previous-gen) Amarok V6.

Then, in 2022, came the new current-gen Ford Ranger, now also kitted out with six-cylinder power in either diesel; or petrol in the 292 kW Raptor – the latter of which again kicked the performance bakkie goal posts into a different galaxy.

Image: Ford

Through countless and mainly cosmetically-driven special editions of Hilux and Fortuner, over the same period, Toyota soldiered on with the four-cylinder 2,8-litre GD6, which was boosted to 150 kW/500 N.m in 2020.

In 2022 the 165 kW/550 N.m Hilux GR-S came closest to six-cylinder-power territory, but crucially – and psychologically – it still lacked two cylinders.

As news of the then-upcoming V6 Ranger and badge-engineered Amarok broke, the writing was on the wall: R1 million bakkies are here to stay, and their halo models are best justified with V6 goodness.

Image: Volkswagen

Which Toyota doesn’t have. Yet.

Related: Toyota Reveals Handsome New “EPU” Midsize Bakkie Concept 

However, while the exact arrival of the next-gen Hilux/Fortuner is still under wraps – we suspect late 2024/2025 – the intended move from Toyota’s IMV to the next-gen TNGA-F platform currently used by the Land Cruiser 300 and Lexus LX, could change all of that.

TNGA-F allows the use of a multitude of engine configurations and body styles. So, there’s no reason for Toyota not being able to stuff the ’Cruiser 300’s available pair of sextuplets into the Hilux or Fortuner, drubbing Ford back into submission with 225 kW/700 N.m (against 184 kW/600 N.m in the V6 Wildtrak/Everest) produced by its 3,3-litre turbodiesel; or the 3,5-litre V6, which out-guns the Raptor by 13 kW and 67 N.m of twist: challenge accepted.

Image: Toyota

As for the current line-up, 48V mild-hybrid power with stop/start will be added to the 2,8-litre turbodiesel engine early in 2024, which should release an additional ten per cent in efficiency.

A GR-S version of the Fortuner was also confirmed as early as March this year, which could just be the ticket for athletic adventurers that deem the Everest Platinum as too pricey – or posh; and entry-level versions too plain.

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The post Why the Next-Gen Toyota Hilux and Fortuner Could Get Their V6 Mojo Back appeared first on CAR Magazine.

Criteria

In one of the most contested segments, we consider distinguished, practical vehicles based on midsize platforms. Same-sized premium iterations compete in the next category, so here only the mainstream marques duke it out.

Looking for your next new or used compact crossover? Find it here with CARmag. 

Winner: Kia Sportage 

Image: Kia

The new class leader of a range that kicks off with the 132 kW 1,6-litre turbo LX model. The list of features on this R585 995 entry-level version includes most of the good stuff, missing only leather upholstery, electric seats and a panoramic glass roof. Notable levels of drivetrain refinement are paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. The fifth-generation Sportage offers compelling styling, a high-quality interior and segment-leading levels of infotainment and convenience technologies. True to its mandate, this family-focussed SUV is also impressively spacious and broadly comfortable in all driving conditions. The appeal of the local Sportage range grew with the introduction of a turbodiesel drivetrain option.

Runner-up: Hyundai Tucson

Image: Hyundai

A consistent best-seller, Hyundai’s Tucson appeals with quality, ease of driving and extensive after-sales support. It’s available with petrol, turbopetrol and turbodiesel engines across a wide price and specification range.

Runner-up: Volkswagen Tiguan 

Image: Volkswagen

The VW Tiguan stands out in a talented field because there’s very little it can’t do. Finishes are first-rate, the cabin is airy and well-appointed and it’s a delight to drive. It is, however, due to be replaced soon.

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Looking for your next new or used Toyota? Find it here with CARmag.

Image: Toyota

“Through this project, we are expanding the region in which a car is controllable, with the goal of giving regular drivers the instinctual reflexes of a professional race car driver to be able to handle the most challenging emergencies and keep people safer on the road.” – Avinash Balachandran, senior manager of TRI’s Human Centric Driving Research

In 2022, Toyota’s Research Institute published a video that showcased a heavily revised Toyota Supra drifting around a race track without any input from the occupant in the driver’s seat. This auto-drift Supra test mule features a computer-controlled steering wheel, throttle, clutch, sequential transmission and an individual wheel braking system. Additionally, this Supra testy mule relies on an upgraded suspension, a modified powerplant, an upgraded chassis and a transmission akin to the level of technology used in the upper echelons of Formula Drift.

Related: Toyota’s Race-Ready GRMN Supra Test Mule Spotted

Image: Toyota

Knowledge of vehicle dynamics and drifting-specific design insights corralled and implemented via a Nonlinear Model Predictive Control system, allows the Supra to effortlessly transition from drifting around a race track to pure grip driving. The software used in the auto-drift Supra is capable of calculating a new trajectory every 20th of a second to ensure optimal balance as the car careens sideways around a track.

“When faced with wet or slippery roads, professional drivers may choose to ‘drift’ the car through a turn, but most of us are not professional drivers. That’s why TRI is programming vehicles that can identify obstacles and autonomously drift around obstacles on a closed track.” – Jonathan Goh, TRI research scientist

Browse over 26 000 new and used cars here with CARmag. 

The post Remember When Toyota Pioneered Autonomous Drifting? appeared first on CAR Magazine.

Criteria

A persuasive pairing of practical packaging with stylish looks and a frugal yet punchy engine, are all must-haves in this category. This segment’s winner needs to be an accomplished all-rounder that’s competitively priced. And it should suit empty nesters and young family buyers alike.

Looking for your next new or used compact crossover? Find it here with CARmag. 

Winner: Renault Captur 

Image: Renault

Having arrived fashionably late to the party, the second-generation Captur is based on the equally impressive modern Clio hatch and in our market directly aims at the VW T-Cross and recently announced Ford Puma. Carrying the reinvigorated Renault brand’s aspirations to complement its popular portfolio of India-sourced products with a range of more traditional premium offerings, the Captur features an impressively high-quality, suitably versatile interior and boutique, standalone styling. Significantly for this segment, the Captur offers a raised ride height and corresponding lifted driving position, as well as a suitably plucky stance.

A brand that has long-since addressed concerns around after-sales service, this is the best product that Renault currently offers in our market.

Our favourite variant:

Captur 1,3 Turbo Intens – from R499 999

Runner-up: Corolla Cross

Image: Toyota

The Corolla Cross is one of the most conservative yet appealing offerings in the segment. It sells in droves thanks to its roomy cabin, good quality and safe road manners. A hybrid option adds to its charm.

Runner-up: Volkswagen T-Cross

Image: Volkswagen

With an update scheduled for the coming months, the T-Cross remains a popular choice, notably for its Polo-based build quality and resale values. Expect new tech and infotainment systems in the updated version.

Browse over 26 000 new and used cars here with CARmag.

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