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The motoring industry often develops its own names for certain genres of automobiles. Softroaders, MPV’s, Sports Sedans all denominate a category of car but none is more revered than the fabled Hot Hatch. After spending a week with Honda’s new Civic Type-R, I’d like to propose a rethink of that classification.
We all know them, those long ribbons of tarmac which lead us to the next Namibian town. Usually dead-straight, kissing the hazy horizon and made from 50 shades of grey. Out here you need a proper car, something comfortable with good road-holding, great tunes and a fuel-efficient engine.
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.
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.
General Motors het op ‘n vroeë stadium al Chevrolet/Opel luikrugmodelle op ons mark aangebied. Vriend Frans, die veelsydige arts en motorkenner wat moeilik ‘n winskoop kan laat verbygaan, het onlangs ‘n Opel luikrug uit die tagtigerjare gekoop – om later natuurlik weer te verkoop.
Dit lyk partykeer of name vir nuwe motors en modelle begin opraak. Neem nou maar die naam wat Hyundai gekies het vir sy sportkoepee met sy nuwe, 150 kW turbo-enjin, die Veloster. Maar wat is daar nou eintlik in ‘n naam?
Die Citroëns van die ou dae het ‘n reputasie gehad van ‘n bietjie anders wees maar die laaste paar jaar was hulle maar nog net deel van die hoofstroom Europese motors. Nou het Citroën met die nuwe C4 Cactus weer ‘n model wat jy op ‘n afstand kan uitken tussen die ander. Party mense sal dink hy is pragtig, terwyl ander weer glad nie van sy voorkoms sal hou nie. In Suid-Afrika vervang die Cactus die C4 reeks.
The serious contender
As one of the largest vehicle manufacturers in the world, Chevrolet took a bit of strain after the recent recession yet the American giant was blessed with perfect timing as that coincided with the launch of their new world beater – a passenger car for markets around the globe – the Chevrolet Cruze.