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A few weeks ago I was on my way to Swakop when I was struck by an epiphany – we should all swap and share our cars. What quickly escalated into a mega-Uber and car thief’s delight in my head had started as a reaction to seeing the same boring vehicles all day long. Fortuner, Fortuner, Polo, Hilux, Fortuner…
What you need to know: The Toyota Prius was the first petrol-electric hybrid vehicle to go into mass production around 1997 and its maker sold about nine million hybrids since (including Lexus). 2,900 of those were in bakkie-mad, long-distance southern Africa. Exact Namibian sales numbers unknown…
Have you noticed how some cars are starting to look the same? Not to name and shame, I can think of a few luxury marques whose range can only be deciphered by a veteran salesperson or the designer himself. Happily, Honda didn’t get that idea (yet), especially with their new Civic sedan.
Honda het vanaf die intrapslag in Suid-Afrika in die 1980’s ‘n reputasie opgebou as een van die mees betroubare en soliede vervaardigers van motors op die mark. Die feit dat Mercedes-Benz die nuwe Japannese motors onder hulle vleuels geneem het kon moontlik daartoe bygedra het. Feit is dat Honda en Mercedes se paaie geskei het maar die Japannees het sy goeie reputasie behou en bou steeds daarop voort. Die nuwe BR-V nutsvoertuig bou voort op hierdie tradisie.
Here it is, ladies and gentlemen… the new Honda HR-V. Well, actually it’s not completely new. My neighbour got one half a year ago. Walter. Nice guy. You should also take note that this is not the CR-V, Honda’s slightly bigger and more famous SUV.
What did we like? Subaru seem to be on a winning ticket with their Outback. It’s a spacious SUV type that offers impressive handling with superb road holding. The 3.6l CVT Lineartronic offers sublime acceleration through a super-smooth gearbox without the accompanying whine so prevalent in most CVT ‘boxes.
In die huishoudings van baie gesinne en individue is hulle voertuig(e) baie soos hulle huisdiere. Daar is ‘n emosionele komponent wat, alhoewel straks ongesiens en onbeplan, die hart binnekruip en dan genoemde aanhangsels as’t ware in die geslote kring inlaat as deel van die daaglikse lewe.