Everybody makes SUV’s nowadays – Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Volkswagen, Bentley, Maserati and even Alfa Romeo. We took their new Stelvio for a spin to find out what it’s like…
Sprint Reviews
Short ‘n sweet, to the point. These are our no-frills Sprint Reviews:
Sprint Review: Nissan X-Trail 1.6 dCi 4×4 Tekna
A bronzey SUV, lots of information in short paragraphs
What you need to know: I hope you don’t know me personally because you’re bound to have heard the following rant on repeat… I miss boxy, practical SUV’s. There weren’t many to start with, mostly the Nissan X-Trail and Land-Rover Freelander or Discovery, but all of them were instantly recognisable and incredibly practical.
Sprint Review: Toyota Yaris S
A newly updated compact hatchback, lots of information in short paragraphs.
What you need to know: Much like the Volkswagen Polo, Toyota’s Yaris used to be a simple city car which was smaller than a Golf or Corolla / Conquest / RunX / Auris / whatever it’s called nowadays. And just like the Polo, this Yaris is now much bigger, fancier and expensive than its original and first incarnation.
Sprint Review: Lexus NX300 F-Sport
A new car, lots of information in short paragraphs.
What you need to know: Lexus is the luxury division of Toyota and this NX, which apparently stands for “Nimble Crossover” is a mild relation of the accomplished Toyota RAV-4 compact SUV. Starting out as the NX200t around 2014 (or 2015 in southern Africa), Lexus has now changed its name to NX300. No idea why.
Sprint Review: Mazda MX-5 RF
A new car, lots of information in short paragraphs
What you need to know: The Mazda MX-5 is dead, long live the Mazda MX-5! Where before you could buy the manual soft-top, manual gearbox roadster, Mazda S.A. decided to ditch that in favour of this new electric “targa” hard-top, automatic RF model. The main reason for this, I suspect, is to widen the target audience.
Sprint Review: Land Rover Discovery HSE TD6
A gigantic new car, lots of information in short paragraphs.
What you need to know: I’m not supposed to write a review on this brand-new, fifth-generation Land Rover Discovery but as a former Landy owner I felt obliged to at least get a sneaky Sprint Review in. That urge intensified after I spent a few hours with this imposing maroon metallic press car.
Sprint Review: Mercedes-AMG E43 4Matic
One hot new car, lots of details in short paragraphs.
What you need to know: Mercedes-Benz appears to be bored or smoking something. What was once a respected maker of dreary sofas on wheels has become a bunch of swivel-eyed scientists producing fashionable street racers. They also made merry with their badges, none of which describe what’s left in the tin.
Sprint Review: BMW 540i
A new German sports sedan, lots of information in short paragraphs.
What you need to know: The BMW 5-Series is a mid-size luxury sedan which was recently updated to give its arch rivals and fellow Germans, the A6 and E-Class, something to think about. The latest safety and luxury tech is on board while power comes from four or six cylinder turbo-diesels and turbo-petrols.
Sprint Review: BMW 420i Convertible
A sexy topless car, lots of details in short paragraphs
What you need to know: The hugely successful BMW 3-Series sedan used to have coupé and convertible versions but a few years ago the Bavarian manufacturer changed the designation of all two-door variants to 4-Series. They also did away with naturally aspirated engines, so every 4 (or 3)-Series is currently turbo-charged.
Sprint Review: Volkswagen Amarok V6 TDi
A revered new bakkie, lots of info in short paragraphs
What you need to know: The Volkswagen Amarok was launched in 2010, mostly for a few bakkie-mad countries in the southern hemisphere. After its makers and owners had to endure cringe-worthy jokes about two litre milk and juice bottles, Amarok finally got a flagship 3-litre V6 model with its recent refresh.