The Car Guide

The State of the Motor Industry (SOMI) has given Toyota the opportunity to provide a taste of what is to come throughout the year. Along with pertinent news to the South African market, Toyota South Africa Motors unveiled several new vehicles, some already familiar to us, others pushing the envelope of what green technology is available at the moment. Serving as the 6th event of its kind, the 2023 edition of the SOMI served as a platform for CEO Andrew Kirby to address the media, and provide projections for the 2023 calendar year. Along with all of the bar graphs and slideshows were the reveal of some new models to wear the Toyota and Lexus badges. Related: SOMI 2022 – the state of the motor industry, and Toyota Here are all of the models Toyota South Africa Motors displayed at the event: Lexus UX BEV Limited as just a sample unit, Toyota has unveiled the Lexus UX BEV (battery-electric-vehicle) which will serve as a sample unit for market research in the local context. This means ...

Boring electric bus? Nope, Prior Design has made Volkswagen’s electric ID. Buzz pop with some tasteful Vdub mods making us believe the German automaker’s new design direction is as conducive for minimal modifications as it has ever been before. Image: Prior Design The good news for Vdubbers is that the future of mods for their beloved car brand remains in good hands if Prior Design has anything to do with it. The bad news is, this ID. Buzz won’t be making its way to South Africa, at least for now. Currently in production for the Euro market and earmarked for sale in the USA by 2024, Volkswagen’s retro take on their iconic bus has morphed into an electrified model wearing the face of their new design direction to accompany a future of green mobility. Many readers will more than likely be familiar with what the van is, if not – see the link below, but today we are covering Prior Design and what they have done to the boxy family hauler. Related: The ID. Buzz is finally here, but wi...

Every time you get in a car, it’s more than just your driving that could determine how safe you are if an accident were to occur – how you and your passengers are seated and ergonomically engage with the seat plays a major part in safety during the unfortunate instance of a collision. While all road users should understand the importance of buckling up in the name of safety, few motorists optimise their seating position to further safeguard them from harm during a collision. “Many cars nowadays are made with such advanced safety features, but how we sit in a car is often our biggest safety precaution,” says Barend Smit, Marketing Director of MotorHappy , a supplier of motor management solutions and car insurance options. Below are some of the riskiest ways to sit in a car: Feet on dashboard Sitting in the front passenger seat with feet on the dashboard can lead to severe injury if an accident were to occur. Airbags, which are standard in most modern cars, deploy at lightning speed ...

June 2015. That is when the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio first made waves in the segment dominated by high-performance but comparatively mundane German rivals. Fast forward to the beginning of 2023, and an almost unchanged model has been named Best Performance Car for Thrills. Image: Alfa Romeo More impressively, this is the second year in a row that the Italian super-sedan has won this coveted title, beating the likes of BMW and Porsche. The Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio has been named ‘Best Performance Car for Thrills’ at the 2023 What Car? Car of the Year Awards for the second consecutive year. Since its launch almost 8 years ago, the Italian model to sport the four-leaf clover on its side has proven its mettle in terms of technology and performance in the highly competitive segment. Paired with a sonorous Ferrari-derived V6 and looks to die for, it became an instant hit for buyers seeking the exclusivity of driving an Alfa Romeo coupled with the rich heritage of performanc...

Presenting the latest member of the M family, the BMW M3 CS special edition. Offering more power, less weight and compelling performance. When it came to the design philosophy, BMW did not hold back, it was either go big or go home and it seems like they didn’t go home. Image: BMW This is believed to be the most extreme M3 to be ever built, the age old mantra of more power and less weight instills the new BMW M3 CS with compelling performance qualities and an exclusive aura. It draws its power from a specially upgraded version of the high-revving six-cylinder in-line engine with M TwinPower Turbo technology developed for the BMW M3 and M4 models. Producing a booming 405 kW of power and a peak torque of 650 N.m, BMW claims the new M3 CS rockets from a dead-stop to 100 km/h in just 3,4 seconds. Its top speed is said to be electronically limited to 302 km/h (when equipped with the M Driver’s package). This 3,0-litre unit also forms the basis for the engine that powered the BMW M4 GT3...

With Ford’s latest Ranger starting to litter the road in its double cab guise, the manufacturer has just released pricing for the more utilitarian Single Cab and SuperCab models. Here is all there is to know ahead of March; when the models will officially go on sale.  Image: Ford It may have only been locally launched in December, but the Next-Generation Ranger Double Cab models have started making their presence on public roads known. Now, Ford hopes for the same of the Single Cab and SuperCab derivatives of the lineup which are scheduled to go on sale in March. Four Single Cab models have been introduced to cater for workhorse applications, complemented by six SuperCab variants that provide the versatility of an extended cab while still satisfying the need for a large cargo volume. All of this is headlined by the first-ever SuperCab model in the more polished Wildtrak 4×4 specification. Related: 2023 Ford Ranger double cab pricing and specs “The Next-Generation Ford Ranger ...

The Corvette. Its long-anticipated next-generation rendition has been teased relentlessly but has finally been revealed to the world bearing a hybrid powertrain. The question is, has the Corvette name been tainted by the adoption of a battery in its drivetrain or is the 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray a worthy torch bearer for a nameplate spanning decades? Image: Chevrolet Aside from the first Corvette badge-bearing model propelled by a hybrid drivetrain, it is also the first model to utilise an AWD system. Let’s break down the E-Ray’s powertrain configuration. The E-Ray’s main supplier of oomph is LT2, a 6,2-Litre naturally aspirated small block V8 producing somewhere around 369 kW and 346 N.m. Assisting the LT2 is a 120 kW electric drive unit feeding its power and 165 N.m to the front wheels. Related: Dodge Daytona concept is an evolution of electric vehicle sound With a combined power output of 481 kW, it’s all managed and packaged by an eight-speed DCT which delegates power to...