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Buying Used: Toyota RAV4 (2019-2025)

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The Toyota RAV4 is about to enter an all-new generation. Here’s what you should know if you want a used fifth-generation model… Image: CAR The impending 2026 debut of the new Toyota RAV4 in South Africa casts a retrospective spotlight on the outgoing, fifth-generation model. When the latter iteration landed in South Africa in mid-2019, it was not merely a small update, it was a fundamental architectural reset for the world’s best-selling SUV. Toyota recognised that the RAV4 had grown soft, risking its dominant market share to increasingly sophisticated Korean and German rivals. And how did Toyota respond? With a hard pivot towards mechanical rigidity, aggressive geometric styling, and ultimately, a powertrain revolution that redefined the segment’s efficiency metrics. A rundown on the Toyota RAV4 At the core of the fifth generation’s transformation is Toyota’s New Global Architecture (TNGA-K) platform. Transitioning to this modular underpinnings afforded the RAV4 a 57% increase ...
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Breaking! Kia Tasman bakkie – SA price revealed

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The Kia Tasman has officially launched in South Africa, with the South Korean automaker’s local arm announcing pricing and specs for the brand’s first-ever bakkie. See pricing below… Image: Peet Mocke As we highlighted in Every Bakkie Confirmed for SA in 2026 , the Kia Tasman will finally make local landfall this year. Well, now, the South Korean automaker’s first-ever bakkie has officially arrived in South Africa. Locally, the Tasman is exclusively available with a specifically tuned version of Hyundai-Kia’s 2.2-litre, four-cylinder turbodiesel engine. The Smartstream unit produces 154 kW and 440 N.m of torque, and is coupled with an eight-speed automatic transmission. Two drivetrains are on offer: 4×2 and 4×4. Also read: Why the Kia Tasman looks the way it does Underpinned by a ladder-frame chassis, the Tasman measures 5 410 mm in length; making it 60 and 85 mm longer than the Ford Ranger and outgoing, eighth-generation Toyota Hilux, respectively. However, the Kia’s 1 930 ...
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Mercedes-Benz A200 Night Edition: price and specs

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Mercedes-Benz South Africa has introduced the Night Edition package to its local A-Class model lineup. See full pricing below… Image: Mercedes-Benz South Africa Mercedes-Benz South Africa has introduced a new derivative to its A-Class model portfolio. The Night Edition model features several cosmetic enhancements, which includes the fitment of the German automaker’s Night Package – the latter featuring gloss black wing mirror housings and window surrounds, and a front grille featuring three-pointed star elements. The A-Class Night Edition follows the CLA Night Edition and GLA Night Edition , both of which were released in January 2026. Similar to the aforementioned models, the A-Class Night Edition’s bodywork is finished in MANUFAKTUR Alpine Grey. However, Polar White exterior paintwork is also available. The A-Class Night Edition is based on the A200 AMG Line. Further included with the Night Edition kit are AMG Line styling and the same 19-inch AMG alloy wheels found on the Merc...
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Omoda C5 SHS hybrid launches in SA: price and specs

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Omoda has introduced a hybrid variant to its best-selling C5 model lineup, with the Chinese automaker announcing local pricing and specs for the C5 SHS. See pricing below… Image: Omoda & Jaecoo The C5 SHS’s (Super Hybrid System) hybrid powertrain pairs a 1.5-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine with an electric motor – the latter fed by a 1.83 kWh lithium-iron phosphate battery pack. The new-energy C5 produces a combined system output of 165 kW and 295 N.m of torque, delivered to the front wheels via a dedicated hybrid transmission (DHT). According to the brand, the C5 SHS completes the 0-100 km/h sprint in 7.9 seconds, before topping out at 175 km/h. Omoda says the C5 SHS’s hybrid powertrain returns an average fuel consumption figure of 4.9 L/100 km (WLTP). Matching the carmaker’s claim translates to a driving range of 1 041 km from a single, 51-litre tank of fuel. Omoda C5 SHS hybrid price in SA Available from 8 April 2026, the Omoda C5 SHS hybrid is priced from R479 900 ; m...
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Top 5 Best-selling bakkies in SA – March 2026

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We’ve rounded up the top five best-selling bakkies in South Africa in March 2026. See the list below… Image: CAR Magazine In March 2026, 58 060 new vehicles were sold in South Africa, as reported by naamsa, the Automotive Business Council of SA. Of the total figure, the light commercial vehicle (LCV) accounted for 26.8%, or 15 557 units – the latter figure signifying an increase of 2 112 units, or 15.7%, compared to the number of units sold in the same month in 2025. Retaining the top spot as SA’s best-selling bakkie, in March 2026, 4 118 new (eighth-generation) Toyota Hilux bakkies were sold – an increase of 756 units compared to February 2026. As such, the Hilux continued to register the highest market share – 27.9% (up 0.6%) – in the LCV segment. With a 1 057-unit increase in sales over February 2026, the Isuzu D-Max claimed second place, with the 3 008 units sold in the third month of the year contributing to Isuzu’s fourth-place finish among the 10 best-selling car brands i...
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Top 10 Best-selling passenger cars in SA – March 2026

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We’ve rounded up the top 10 best-selling passenger cars in South Africa in March 2026. See the full list below… Image: Volkswagen In March 2026, a total number of 58 060 new vehicles were sold in South Africa, as reported by naamsa, the Automotive Business Council of SA. Noteworthy, this figure signified not only an increase of 8 560 units compared to the number of new vehicles sold during the same month in 2025, but also an increase of 4 605 units compared to February 2026. Of the reported new-vehicle sales figure, an estimated 88.7% represented dealer sales. The car rental industry accounted for 5.5% of overall sales, while government sales and industry corporate fleets accounted for 3.2% and 2.6%, respectively. Also read: Top 10 best-selling car brands in SA in March 2026 Taking a closer look at new passenger-car sales in the third month of 2026, of the total new-vehicle sales figure, passenger cars accounted for 67.8%, or 39 370 units – an increase of 6 054 units (or 18.2...
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Foton sets new sales milestone in SA

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Foton has set a new sales milestone in South Africa, with the Chinese firm announcing it has sold over 5 000 vehicles since its re-entry into the SA market in 2024. Image: Foton According to naamsa, Foton SA recorded a total of 604 new-vehicle sales in March 2026; surpassing the 5 000-unit mark for new vehicles sold in the Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) and Medium Commercial Vehicle (MCV) segments since the Chinese firm, in partnership with Combined Motor Holdings (CMH) Group, re-entered the South African market in June 2024. “This milestone reflects the pace at which Foton is establishing itself in South Africa,” said Marius Smal, CEO of Foton South Africa. “Reaching over 5 000 vehicles on the road in a relatively short period (only 18 months) is a strong indicator of the market’s response to our product offering, as well as the strength of our dealer network and support structures.” Foton’s local bakkie portfolio comprises the Tunland G7 single- and double-cab bakkies, and the...
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