Posts

Used Toyota Land Cruiser Prado (2009-2023): Reliability, common problems & buying guide

Image
The fourth iteration of the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado was on sale for 14 years. Here’s what you should know about it as a used buy. Image: CAR magazine When Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) introduced the fourth-generation Land Cruiser Prado (J150) to our market in late 2009, it was tasked with bridging an incredibly difficult divide. It had to offer the school-run civility expected of a premium SUV while retaining the indestructible spirit of its Land Cruiser heritage. Over a staggering 14-year lifecycle, the J150 became the default currency of affluent South Africans, agricultural tycoons, and serious overlanders. Land Cruiser Prado engines For the first decade of its local tenure, the J150 Land Cruiser Prado’s mechanical narrative was defined by the legendary, albeit increasingly agricultural, 3.0-litre D-4D turbodiesel engine. Internally designated 1KD-FTV, this four-cylinder unit produced 120 kW and 400 N.m of torque, delivered to all four corners via a five-speed automa...
Post a Comment
Read more

2026 Chery Tiggo 8 Apex I price & specs in South Africa

Image
The Chery Tiggo 8 Apex I has landed in South Africa, with the Chinese automaker announcing local pricing and specs. See pricing below… Image: Chery South Africa Adding to its existing Tiggo 8 SUV lineup, Chery South Africa has launched the Tiggo 8 Apex I. The local arm of the Chinese marque says the Apex I offers an “enhanced design”, along with comfort and safety upgrades. As standard, the Tiggo 8 Apex I features such items as digital instrumentation, touchscreen infotainment, a 50 W wireless smartphone charging tray, dual-zone climate control, 64-colour ambient lighting, and a panoramic sunroof. The front seats are heated and ventilated, with the driver’s and passenger’s offering six- and four-way electric adjustability. A 540-degree surround-view camera system and tyre pressure monitoring are also present. Safety items include seven airbags and several advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). The ADAS suite includes adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, and auto...
Post a Comment
Read more

BYD Ti 7: Land Rover Defender rival confirmed for South Africa in 2027

Image
We can confirm the BYD Ti 7, replete with 360 kW plug-in hybrid powertrain, is en route to South Africa. Here’s when it’s coming… Image: BYD Fangchengbao In May 2026, we pondered the question on whether the BYD Fangchengbao Tai 7 could make its way to South Africa. Earlier this month, a BYD dealership posted on its Instagram page that pre-orders for the Ti 7, as it will be known in our market, are open. We reached out to the dealership to find out more. We can confirm when the Ti 7 will launch in South Africa, along with which powertrain it will employ. Locally, the Ti 7 will be offered with BYD’s DM-p (Dual Mode-performance) powertrain, a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) setup comprising a 1.5-litre, four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine and two electric motors. From what we were told, the DM-p arrangement produces combined power and torque outputs of 360 kW and 620 N.m of torque – good for a claimed 0-100 km/h sprint time of 5.3 seconds. Power is delivered t...
Post a Comment
Read more

Volkswagen ID.3 GTI revealed as most powerful GTI to date

Image
Billed as the most powerful GTI to date, and sporting rear-wheel drive, Volkswagen has whipped the wraps off the ID.3 GTI… Image: Volkswagen Based on the ID.3 Neo, Volkswagen has revealed the ID.3 GTI. Billed as the most powerful GTI to date, the ID.3 GTI joins the ID. Polo GTI in the German marque’s all-electric hot-hatch portfolio. Unlike its smaller sibling – which is equipped with a single, front-mounted electric motor – the ID.3 GTI features a rear electric motor. Driving the aft wheels, the latter item produces 240 kW and 545 N.m of torque. As a reminder, the “standard” internal combustion engine (ICE) Golf GTI’s 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbopetrol develops 195 kW and 370 N.m, with the Clubsport derivative endowed with 221 kW and 400 N.m. According to the Wolfsburg brand, the ID.3 GTI dispatches the 0-100 km/h dash in 5.6 seconds, before topping out at an electronically governed 200 km/h. The apex ID.3’s electric motor is cou...
Post a Comment
Read more

2026 GWM Tank 500 3.0-litre turbodiesel price & specs in South Africa

Image
Available with the choice of 4×2 and 4WD drivetrains, the GWM Tank 500 employing a 3.0-litre turbodiesel engine has officially launched in South Africa. Image: GWM In July 2026, GWM’s South African arm announced via social media that a new 3.0-litre turbodiesel engine is “coming soon” to the local Tank 500 lineup. Well, the Tank 500 3.0TD has now officially launched in SA. Sharing an engine with the P500 3.0-litre turbodiesel , the new Tank 500 model is endowed with 170 kW and 620 N.m of torque, delivered to the road via either a 4×2 or four-wheel drivetrain. The 3.0-litre, four-cylinder turbocharged oil-burner is exclusively coupled with a nine-speed automatic transmission, replete with low-range transfer case in the 4WD. GWM claims an average fuel consumption of 6.8 and 7.1 L/100 km for the 4×2 and 4WD, respectively. Matching  GWM’s figures translates to a driving range of 1 147 km for the 4×2 and nearly 1 100 km in the 4WD from a full, 78-litre tank of fuel. ...
Post a Comment
Read more

New Subaru Outback: South African range confirmed ahead of 2026 launch

Image
The local new Subaru Outback lineup will comprise two derivatives, the latter including a rugged Wilderness grade, and two engine options. Image: Subaru Subaru South Africa has confirmed the local new Outback lineup ahead of its launch in the fourth quarter of 2026. The range will comprise two derivatives, Premium and Wilderness, with the former and latter employing 2.5- and 2.4-litre flat-four petrol engines, respectively. The opening gambit to the two-strong lineup, the Premium’s 2.5-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder boxer powertrain produces 137 kW and 254 N.m of torque. The Wilderness variant adopts the Japanese automaker’s 2.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder boxer unit, which produces a healthier 194 kW and 382 N.m. Both engines are coupled with Subaru’s Lineartronic continuously variable transmission (CVT) and Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive as standard. Wilderness grade further gains an X-Mode all-wheel-drive management system. Compared to the Premium mod...
Post a Comment
Read more

2027 Ferrari 296 GT Modificata revealed as track-only supercar

Image
Designed as a continuation of the ‘Modificata’ designation, Ferrari has unveiled the 296 GT Modificata, a track-only limited edition based on the 296 GT3 Evo. Image: Ferrari Ferrari has whipped the wraps off the 296 GT Modificata, a track-only model based on the 296 GT3 Evo. Produced in limited numbers, the 296 GT Modificata is for exclusive use in non-competitive events of the Club Competizioni GT programme.   The 296 GT Modificata employs the same 3.0-litre V6 as the 296 GT3 Evo. However, in this application, the twin-turbocharged unit produces 537 kW (130 kW more than the GT3 Evo), with 800 N.m of torque delivered to the rear wheels via a six-speed sequential transmission. The peak power output is available from 7 500 r/min, with the full complement of torque on tap from 5 000 r/min. Bringing this Ferrari to a halt are 400 mm front and 332 mm rear disc brakes, sited behind 18-inch wheels. The latter items are wrapped in slick tyres measuring 325/680 and 325/705 in siz...
Post a Comment
Read more