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Every other month, a car manufacturer announces that they’re launching the most important model ever. Considering the manpower and investment it takes to put a new car on its wheels, I certainly won’t argue with that but find the phrase slightly overused – with very few exceptions. Like the new Opel Astra.
Being a motoring journalist isn’t the easiest job on the planet, especially if you have to review a car like the new BMW 740i. Boo-hoo-hoo, I hear you think, poor wittle motowing journalist complaining about how tough it is to give an opinion on a one-point-five million Rand luxury sedan.
I finally met Eleanor – my automotive unicorn. No, she isn’t a grey Mustang but, much like in the modern Gone in Sixty Seconds movie, this car has given me a proper runaround. With three cancelled bookings and a premature departure from my house, I now know that my Eleanor is a Mercedes-Benz CLS400.
Good facts to know: The Hyundai Veloster is not exactly new, having been launched internationally in 2011. We got the car about three years later because it took that long to re-engineer its distinctive feature for right-hand-drive – the Veloster has two doors on one side and only one on the other.
Nissan se Qashqai was sedert sy bekendstelling in 2009 baie gou ‘n sukses en het al oor die 2 miljoen verkope wereldwyd gehad. Dit was Nissan se eerste sogenaamde “Crossover” of kompakte SNV (Sportsnutvoertuig). ‘n Nuwe Qashqai het verlede jaar op die Suid-Afrikaanse mark verskyn en met die eerste oogopslag is dit duidelik dat Nissan weer ‘n wenner beet het.
The times they are a-changing. The times I’m referring to are current trends and exciting developments in the motor industry and although one part of me will miss big, lazy motors, the other half gets a proper petrol-head kick out of small, efficient engines. Like the one in this new Nissan Qashqai.
Toe die eerste Sandero ‘n paar jaar gelede op die mark gekom het dit gou heelwat aanhangers tot gevolg gehad – die prys was reg, voldoende krag (tog effe flou) en spasie, maar nie so lig op brandstof soos sommige van sy mededingers nie. Nou het Renault die Sandero heeltemal verfris met ‘n nuwe voorkoms en ‘n nuwe enjin – ‘n klein 900cc turbo.
You find me here with a bowed head and the proverbial hat in my hands. The reason I’m clutching on to the rim of that great remorseful symbol is because I owe you, dear reader, an apology. The same goes for everyone in the employ of Jaguar or ZF; I’m sorry for what I wrote about the XF 2-litre turbo-petrol.
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.
I’ve bought quite a few cars over the years and my shortlists usually included some or other derivative of a car which I believe to be a sensible and beautifully engineered hatchback. It’s never been the most affordable and I’m yet to own one so my admiration of the Audi A3 lives on.