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Daar was ‘n tyd wat omtrent elke dorp in die land ‘n Datsun-handelaar gehad het en waar seuns tydens skoolpouses gespog het dat hulle pa’s se Datsun SSS-sedans die vinnigste in die hele distrik was! Maar dit is lank gelede en die seuns het selfs pa’s geword, miskien al oupa’s? Ook het Datsun sy naam verander na Nissan.
Do you still remember your first time? I do. It was a sunny afternoon in Strand, probably mid-2007 and I was a little bit nervous when I met the Lexus IS for the first time. Over the years I’ve driven various iterations of the compact Japanese luxury sedan, including the bonkers IS-F and brilliant IS350.
Hierdie jaar is ‘n jaar van verrassings onder die klein- en intreemotors waar die kompetisie al hoe groter word. En hier gaan dit in die eerste plek oor bekostigbaarheid. Die koms van die Honda Brio Luikrug vroeër vanjaar het voornemende kopers – vanaf jeugdige studente, jong werkendes, en laaste maar nie die minste, ook pensionarisse, in toue na die Honda verkoopslokale gelok.
People. That’s who Volvo alleges their cars are made for. Until dogs or potted plants learn to drive, it may be a painfully obvious statement but, together with their hashphrase #MadeForYou, it does evoke warm fuzziness that this isn’t just another cold-hearted maker of mass transport.
A few years ago I tested a big Korean SUV and while I couldn’t fault it in any meaningful way, I was overcome by a sense of pity. The preferred flashy 4×4 is German and great value for money even counts against its snob appeal. Does the same apply to Kia’s Optima luxury sedan?
I think I may be getting old. A recent birthday has firmly plunged me into middle age and I’ve decided that I dislike camping, queues, hip hop, clubbing and down-down competitions. With a growing affection for classical music, scenic walks and reading, help couldn’t arrive soon enough.
Time for a quick course in German. Volk means Nation and Wagen means Vehicle; more or less. Combine the two with the obligatory “s” in between and you get Nation’s Vehicle or, if you like, People’s Car. Despite a faint whiff of socialism, that’s what Volkswagen stands for – the nation’s vehicle.
Wanneer daar oor ‘n Chevrolet of Ford voertuig gepraat, geskryf of bespiegel word sal dit altyd by die huidige laaste linie generasie Suid-Afrikaers nostalgiese herinneringe van toentertydse kinderjare oproep.
Do you still remember the pop-up headlight Honda Ballade? What about the square one before that? These dependable and practical cars were uniquely named for South Africa and were actually called Honda Civic everywhere else – of which the ninth generation was just launched.
After a tad of insomnia and some Google-assisted self diagnosis, it turns out that I have a severe case of withdrawal symptoms. Dilated pupils, dry mouth, extended forearms with clenched fists, restlessness and thundering big block noises in my ears lead me to believe that I yearn for more sixty-three ah emm gee.