2013 RANGE ROVER FINALLY ROCKS UP!

The brand new Land Rover Range Rover big body has been revealed in its full glory.  A while ago we published a leaked picture of the massive 4X4 SUV which showed a very clear design direction for the brand. Now the full monty is out and you can judge for yourself if a job has been well done. And the great news is it will be in South Africa from January 2013.

Most interesting to us is the fact that up to 420kg has been shed off the car’s total weight, compared to the outgoing model. That’s mostly thanks to the extensive use of aluminium for body construction.

Range Rover is really like the Jaguar XJ of SUVs. It’s the crème de la crème of the genre, the one everyone else benchmarks against when it comes to luxury. At the same time, it also offers excellent off-road capabilities. In order to enhance these off-road instincts, Land Rover’s Terrain Response 2 Auto system is employed. It apparently analyses prevailing road conditions and adjusts tractionand response accordingly, so whether you are driving in mud, ice, snow or gravel.

Inside the Range features some serious opulence, including the use of elegant leather veneer surfaces, some wood grain, brushed aluminium, and some chrome for that extra luxury touch the Americans like so much. An optional new two-seat Executive Class seating package for the ultimate in rear-seat luxury is available.

Land Rover won’t say exactly which engines are to be fitted, except that “customers have the choice of refined V8 petrol engines and TDV6 and TDV8 diesel engines combining responsive performance with outstanding CO2 emissions ”. We’d like to venture to say the engines will be the same ones as found in Jaguar products. So the TDV6 for instance, will produce 202kW, and the 5.0 supercharged V8 should be worth about 380kW. Land Rover South Africa says for Mzansi we'll get 4.4 TDV8 (230kW, 700Nm) and the 5.0 V8 Supercharged.

Expect to part with over R1.3 million for the standard baseline model when it launches in January. 

MZANSI BIKE TEAM TO RACE DAKAR 2013

The all-South African Broadlink KTM Rally Team of Darryl Curtis and Riaan van Niekerk will contest the 2013 Dakar Rally in South America in January.  They have been included in an official KTM support team of four riders to the factory team of former Dakar Rally winners Cyril Despres of France and Marc Coma of Spain and their ‘water carriers’, Spanish riders Reuben Faria and Juan Pedrero.


The South Africans will ride KTM 450 Rally motorcycles supplied by KTM in Austria.  The other members of their team are Johnny Aubert, the French multiple world enduro champion, and a rider still to be announced.

Curtis finished a remarkable 22^nd in the 2012 Dakar Rally on a privately-entered KTM after starting 144^th in his first attempt at the world’s longest and toughest motorcycle race.  Van Niekerk will be competing in his first Dakar.

“Competing in my first Dakar was an awesome experience,” said the 41-year-old Curtis from Johannesburg.  “Thanks to the generous support of Broadlink and KTM I was able to arrange a package deal through Alfie Cox for a rented bike and service backup.

“This time we have a bigger and better organised team thanks to the continued support of Broadlink and KTM, with additional support from Emperors Palace, Grindrod Logistics, MTN and Leader Tread.

“To be able to compete in the Dakar Rally has been a life-long dream of mine,” said Van Niekerk.  “Having competed professionally for the last 20 years in South Africa and internationally, it is now time to live out my dream.”

Both South African riders have impeccable credentials to take on the 15-day 9 000-kilometre marathon race through Peru, Argentina and Chile.  The start is in Lima, Peru on January 5 and the finis is in Santiago, Chile on January 20. 

They are multiple South African off road and enduro champions and are leading competitors in world championship extreme races like Red Bull Romaniacs, Erzberg Rodeo, Hell’s Gate, The Tough One and the Roof of Africa.

Curtis and the 36-year-old Van Niekerk recently competed in the Marrakech Rally in Morocco on rented KTM 450 machines as their first training run for the 2013 Dakar Rally.  Curtis won the event, while Van Niekerk had trouble with his bike from the start, but still managed to finish in sixth place.  Their preparation will also include the SA championship Winterberg Enduro in the Eastern Cape on Friday and Saturday, sand dune training in Namibia in September, international Dakar Lite rally events in October and November and the Roof of Africa extreme rally in November.
 
STORY COURTESY OF PETER BURROUGHES COMMUNICATIONS

AUDI A6 AND Q7 NOW STANDARD WITH S-LINE

As part of model year running changes for Audi A6 and Q7 models, customers can now enjoy the additional value of an S line exterior package and a choice of different wheels at no additional cost.
 

On some models, this equates to almost over R40 000 worth of additional equipment with no costs passed onto the customer.

For the Audi A6 range, the S line package includes the full S line exterior styling package and a choice of either 18 or 19-inch wheels.

The S line exterior package includes S-design front and rear bumpers, side ventilation grilles and a rear diffuser insert in striking sporty design. The centre front spoiler lip and diffuser insert are in platinum grey. Additionally, there are door sill trims with S line logo and S line logo on front wings.

Customers can select either the PQ1 18-inch alloy wheel from quattro GmbH or the PRY 19-inch wheel design. Regardless of wheel choice, there is no additional charge.

A similar styling package has been developed for the Audi Q7 range. As part of the new model year changes, the Q7 range will offer the S line exterior package at no cost, again with a choice of 19 or 20-inch alloy wheels.

As with the A6, the S line package for the Q7 includes S-design bumpers, a rear diffuser insert in striking sporty design plus a high-gloss black radiator grille. Also included are door sill trims with S line logo and S line logo on front wings.

The wheel choice for Q7 includes either the 19-inch PRD wheel or the 20-inch PRM wheel design. As with the A6, there is no additional charge for selecting any of these two wheel options.

“We believe these attractive styling enhancements for both the Audi A6 and Audi Q7 not only offer customers great value, but sufficiently provides both the A6 and Q7 models with a decidedly sporty and attractive appearance,” said Ryan Searle, Head of Audi South Africa.

“These S line packages are factory fitted on the production line to ensure the highest level of quality and fit and finish.

“As we continue to grow our share of the premium C and D segments locally, we believe that these great new packages will provide further momentum for the Audi brand.” Searle concluded.

The Audi A6 and Audi Q7 S line models are available at all Audi Dealers country wide from mid-August.

Audi A6
A6 2.0T FSI multitronic  132kW  (R481 500)
A6 2.0 TDI multitronic  130kW  (R498 500)
A6 3.0 TDI multitronic  150kW  (R542 500)
A6 3.0 TDI quattro S tronic  180kW  (R672 500)
A6 3.0T FSI quattro S tronic  220kW (R683 000)

Audi Q7
Q7 3.0 TDI quattro tiptronic  180kW  (R692 000)
Q7 3.0T FSI quattro tiptronic  245kW  (R728 000)
Q7 4.2 TDI quattro tiptronic  250kW  (R854 500)

STORY BY AUDI

BRAND NEW MAZDA BT-50 NOW OUT IN MZANSI

The all-new Mazda BT-50 offers stylish looks, a dynamic driving experience, tremendous functionality and advanced safety features. Designed to appeal to the young at heart with an active and adventurous lifestyle, the all-new Mazda BT-50 delivers 100% all of the time.

“The all-new Mazda BT-50 is designed to appeal to customers who have an active and demanding lifestyle whether at work or at play,” says Doreen Mashinini, Mazda Marketing Manager. “The revolutionary new design combined with increased interior space, longer wheelbase and greater power ensures all the comfort of a passenger car, with the versatility of a pick-up truck.”

The all-new Mazda BT-50 combines strong style and design elements with the comfort and convenience of a premium passenger car.

As an active lifestyle vehicle, the all-new BT-50 provides both comfort and utility in a variety of settings. Three body types are available: the Double Cab, the Single Cab, and the Freestyle Cab to suit individual, family or business needs.

All body types are greater in length, width and height than the current BT-50, providing a roomier cabin to carry colleagues, friends and family, as well as a larger load capacity.

Front headroom as well as shoulder room is very spacious in the all-new BT-50. The Double Cab’s rear passengers enjoy similar conveniences with regard to headroom and legroom. Seats are newly-designed for fatigue-free driving and comfort, with the front seats offering greater adjustability.

For entertainment, all Freestyle Cabs (except the 2.2 MZ-CD SLX High Ride 4x2 5 MT Diesel) and Double Cab derivatives have a radio, MP3-compatible CD player and AUX socket as standard.  A Multi Function Display – 3.5-inch monochrome super-twisted nematic (STN) display for SLE models, 2-line display for SLX models (except the 2.2 MZ-CD SLX High Ride 4x2 5 MT Diesel) – is located at the top of the centre stack to confirm audio operations. Control is via a jog pad surrounded by dedicated buttons. High-performance, 6-inch door-mounted speakers are tuned for accurate sound staging. For assured comfort, there’s a newly-adopted dual-zone automatic air conditioning system.

Zoom-Zoom performance is another Mazda hallmark that features strongly in the Mazda BT-50 line-up. The all-new engine line-up consists of 2.2- and 3.2-litre diesel derivatives, and a 2.5-litre petrol derivative, mated to 5- and 6-speed manual transmissions and a 6-speed automatic transmission. All 4WD models feature a shift-on-the-fly transfer case.

The in-line 4-cylinder 16-valve MZ-CD 2.2 common-rail direct-injection power plant is the mainstay of the engine line-up, and is offered in two power versions. The 88kW version delivers 3 700rpm and maximum torque of 285Nm, while the 110kW version delivers 3 700rpm and maximum torque of 375Nm.

The MZ-CD 3.2 achieves excellent power and torque of 147kW at 3 000rpm / 470Nm at 1 750 -2 500rpm together with outstanding fuel efficiency, while suppressing NVH for a quiet and comfortable ride.

These diesel engines (except the 88kW MZ-CD 2.2) are married to either 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic transmissions.

The MZI 2.5 inline 4-cylinder DOHC petrol engine features a power output of 122kW and has peak torque of 225Nm. This engine and the 88kW MZ-CD 2.2 diesel derivatives are paired with a new 5-speed manual transmission.

The all-new BT-50 is engineered to provide the comfort of a passenger car with SUV-like handling. Front suspension consists of a double-wishbone layout with coil springs and the rear is a rigid axle with leaf springs, giving superior ride comfort regardless of load and road conditions.

The Mazda BT-50 incorporates all the safety features you would expect in a fully-loaded passenger vehicle. Active safety begins with good all-round visibility and operability, superior braking performance, and a full range of vehicle control technologies.

Passive safety starts with the strength and rigidity of the cabin, with its multiple, high-tensile steel reinforcements. The frame is optimized to absorb and disperse collision energy. Together, cabin and frame safeguard occupants against impacts from any direction. Passive safety inside the cabin includes front and passenger airbags on all models. There is also a shock-absorbing steering column and crushable brake pedal to further protect the driver. 

STORY BY MAZDA

REFRESHED MAHINDRA XYLO NOW IN MZANSI

Mahindra released a new XYLO 7-seat MPV. The vehicle, which competes with the likes of Toyota Innova, is one of the latest additions to the Mahindra Mzansi troupe. Steadily the company is getting under our skins, as evidenced by the Scorpio’s entry into the top 10 best-selling LCVs last month. Of course with such a large farming community, Mahindra should naturally be doing well here.

The XYLO has been refreshed using new headlights, a different front grille, bonnet and rear roof spoiler. A list of 6 exterior colours is available, including something called Fiery Black and Toreador Red. Mahindra is proudly talking about genuine Italian leather for the interior trim, as well as a two-tone dashboard with glossy wood panels. We aren’t sure yet if these are real or fake though.

The 2.2-litre dieselengine, dubbed mHawk by the marketing gurus of Mahindra, makes a good 88kWof power at 4000 rpm and 280Nm of torque between 2400rpm and 2800rpm. A 5-speedmanual gearbox is fitted.

For interior comforts, Mahindra included stuff like Bluetooth connectivity, music controls on the steering wheel, cruise controland climate control. There’s also a trip computer that shows how much fuel is being used.

XYLO Pricing

R219 900