BONAFEDE HITS SWEET SPOT IN EAST LONDON

A convincing class win from pole position by Gennaro Bonafede in the opening Bridgestone production car race was the highlight for Team Ferodo of the penultimate round of the WesBank Super Series at the East London grand prix circuit on Saturday.

The 20-year-old Pretoria University student and his Ferodo Volkswagen Golf GTi were in fine form right from the first practice session on

Friday and carried the momentum through to Saturday, where Bonafede earned pole position on the starting grid for the first of the day’s two back-to-back sprint races and also for the all-important feature race with its double points.

Bonafede overcame a spirited challenge from Heinz Bose (Mazda3) to take his third race win of his first season in production cars by 0,190 sec.  With the top six finishers from race one starting race two in reverse order, the Bridgestone production car rookie was sixth on the grid for the second six-lapper.  Contact with the similar car of championship leader Graeme Nathan saw Bonafede go off in the complex and drop to seventh place early in the race.  He recovered well to finish third at the chequered flag.

There was every reason to be confident of a good result in the feature race and a chance to leapfrog second-placed Gary Formato in the championship with one race meeting remaining.  But the misfire that had plagued his more recent races returned just as the team was getting ready for the final race of the day.  There was no time to change the engine and Bonafede was forced to take up his pole position on the grid with an engine running on three cylinders.

He was predictably swamped by the field on the first lap and struggled on in a vain attempt to score championship points, finally finishing 10thand four laps down.

Ferodo team-mate Devin Robertson had no luck at all.  After arriving late for practice on Friday because of matric exam commitments, the 18-year-old from Alberton qualified a respectable third despite experiencing a problem changing gears.  His bad luck with the traditional draw for grid positions saw him start both races from sixth place.

He continued to struggle with the Polo’s gearbox in race one and finished fifth.  The team replaced the gearbox for race two and he ended an unrewarding weekend with a second successive fifth place finish.

The final round of the championship is at Kyalami on November 27 and 28, when the WesBank Super Series will share top billing with the international Superstars Series for V8 production cars.

STORY COURTESY OF PETER BURROUGHES COMMUNICATIONS

IT'S HERE, ALL NEW 2010 VOLVO S60

If there’s one model range of car that defines what Volvo stands for it’s the S60. Two generations ago the car went by the 850 moniker and spawned such legends as the 850 R with its signature yellow hue and black rims. Since then the S60 name has largely been associated with ageing nameless people whose life revolves around dropping children off at school, wearing grey suits, eating vegetables and picking up the kids from school.

Not that any of these pursuits are ignoble: it’s just that none of them scream fun. Or exciting. Or exhilarating. Words like these have been used to describe one or two models against which the all-new Volvo S60 is pitting itself. All three are German, all three are the bread and butter models in their companies. You know the ones I’m referring to.

This time though, Volvo has brought out its biggest guns as a means of recapturing some of its old magic. Despite being offloaded by previous owner Ford to Geely, one of China’s most successful car companies, Volvo seems to be gliding along just fine in terms of new and updated product. In fact, I’d say the Swedish brand has not seen such an awesome product renaissance since, well, since the 850 actually.

A claim was made that the new S60 is as good, if not better, than its three main rivals. That’s as far as the driving experience is concerned. A brisk drive along the southern coast line revealed the truth: Volvo’s claim is true. I accelerated, braked, turned, slowed down, curved and sliced through every type of road and came out highly impressed. Yes, one of the Germans has not been matched but the other two have. And this by a front-wheel-drive (FWD) Volvo nogal.

Spec wise the car is 4.6 metres long, 1.87m wide, has a wheel base of 2.8m and is 1.5m high, in total. It fits into the genre. Which brought up my question at the Volvo S60 launch: if the S60 competes with the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class, then where does the S40 fit in? It was said that the S40 is one of the entry points into Volvo, sort of like a grown-up C30. It is positioned below the S60 and its prices reflect as much.

Steering feedback is more precise, more engaging than in any other Volvo I have driven, even in the two front-wheel-drive models which typically showed some understeering when pushed. Two chassis choices are available in the international market, but Mzansi only gets the stiffer choice. I suppose we are a country that prefers a sportier ride than the Chinese middle class for example, who place comfort and prestige above all else. Not to say the S60 rides hard, since we could not make a direct comparison during the drive. Seats are lush with soft leather housing and were very comfortable.

The interior is quite familiar. New Volvos feature the single metal frame in the centre. It runs from the top of the dashboard down to the centre console where it encases the gear lever and cup holders. Materials used are soft and feel like high quality stuff at the touch of the hand. Dials are clearly visible and each function can be accessed with ease. All three models I drove feature a new colour screen with information about all sorts of stuff, like satellite navigation, the music system, petrol/ diesel consumption and other useful info.

Three models, as earlier explained, are on the price list for our market. The rest will be sent through in 2011. At entry is the 2.0T with a four-cylinder petrol turbo engine. Its power is 149kW made at 6000rpm, while peak torque is 300Nm between 1750rpm and 4000rpm. For now we only have it in 6-speed manual guise and that will help it attain a 0 – 100km/h time of 7.7 seconds, according to Volvo. Top speed is rated at 235km/h. Average fuel consumption of 7.9 litres per 100km and C02 emissions are 184g/km.

Step up and you find the D5, a delicate machine made of turbo diesel power, common rail direct injection technology and a 6-speed automatic gearbox. It’s a 2.4-litre 5-cylinder type with 20 valves, 151kW at 4000rpm and 420Nm between 1500rpm and 3250rpm. Customers will love it for its smooth operation and its frugality, certainly the two most apparent talents I uncovered during 100km slip. Very little argument can be made against its power numbers as well as its fuel consumption figure, said to be 6.3 litres per 100km. Greenies will also be pleased with its C02 status of 166g/km, while performance fundis won’t be disappointed with its claimed 0 – 100km/h time of 7.8 seconds and the 230km/h top speed.

Topping the new S60 range is the new T6 whose strength comes from a 3.0-litre petrol turbo with a rather forceful 224kW at 5600rpm and maximum thrust of 440Nm between 2100rpm and 4200rpm. Acceleration feels urgent but composed, thanks to Volvo’s all-wheel-drive (AWD) system and the 6-speed Geartronic gearbox. Volvo says 6.5 seconds is all that’s needed to reach 100km/h from standstill, and that the highest speed that can be attained by the T6 is 250km/h. Being a more feisty customer, the T6 does not rate fuel consumption that highly, as evidenced by the average figure of 9.9 litres per 100km and C02 emissions of 231g/km.

Volvo’s slogan for the new S60 includes the word “naughty” and the T6 is the naughtiest of them all. What really excited me about the car is that it really is up there with the best of the lot in its class as far as power, performance and panache are concerned.

This being a Volvo, safety is a given parameter from as early as the design stages. Therefore you’ll find airbags, whiplash protection, dynamic stability control, ISOFIX attachments for the rear seats, ABS and adaptive brake lights among the long list of standard safety equipment. Unfortunately safety bits such as the blind spot information system and the lane departure systems which were pioneered by Volvo, are sold as optional through the entire range. The flagship pedestrian detection system which can detect pedestrians and apply brakes in time to avoid slamming into them – depending on the car’s speed, is also optional at R18 600.

In order to take on the best you need the best car. This is undoubtedly Volvo’s best sedan so far as it ticks all the relevant boxes with such ease, one would think it’s been leading this class for years. No doubt buyers wanting to enter the segment will glance over Sweden side and discover something as good as what is offered in Germany.

2010 Volvo S60 Pricing

(Includes VAT and C02 Taxes)

2.0 T manual (R355 500)

2.0 T automatic (R371 900)

D5 (R408 000)

T6 (R464 000)

On the Scene....Confiteria Ideal, Buenos Aires

Pablo Ramirez Backstage, Buenos Aires

On the Street....Mercer St., New York

On the Street....Trenches, London & New York

On the Street...Second Avenue, New York City

One of the coolest leather jackets I've seen in a long time.

Great Packaging........Bates Gentlemen's Hatter at Hilditch & Key, Paris

JAGUAR SA IMPORTANT TO GLOBAL BRAND

The Jaguar brand is riding the crest of a wave. As it celebrates its 75th anniversary, Jaguar is meeting with considerable success all around the globe – not least of which in South Africa, where the brand has enjoyed a loyal following for no fewer than 50 years.

According to Mike O’Driscoll, Managing Director of Jaguar Cars, the South African market is extremely important to the company. “Jaguar has a great history in South Africa – and I cannot think of a better place to drive fast!” he notes. “Clearly the luxury market is relatively

small in South Africa. Furthermore, economic challenges have depressed this market over the last few years. But it is important to us that we rebuild the Jaguar brand in South Africa. I believe that we are achieving this; we have great dealers and the South African team is doing a superb job.”

When it comes to the dealers, there is little doubt that O’Driscoll’s statement is true. In line with the reveal of the XJ and the launch of future new engines and products, Jaguar dealers around South Africa are upgrading their facilities, and have collectively committed to invest R20 million on enhancing their dealerships. Furthermore, a new dealership will open in Windhoek, Namibia, this month (October 2010) to service that important market.

Allied to this, O’Driscoll notes that the brand new XJ exceeds expectations in the South African market (this is not surprising; it has been very well received in

every market in which it has been launched). “The average annual sales of XJ in South Africa over the past eight years were 48 units. We have already sold 45 units – in just two months since launch,” he reveals.  In addition, XK sales remain strong, and have been buoyed by the launch of the Black Pack Speed Pack Limited Edition. This vehicle features an even more exhilarating engine (it boasts an extra 10 kW), different aerodynamic pack and enhanced brake ability. Dealers report that this car, which customer's rate as “must have”, is flying off showroom floors. Furthermore, the XF continues to maintain its market share, with an increase in demand for diesel-engine derivatives.

O’Driscoll says that this situation is by design and not default; it has been a result of a concerted and conscious effort on behalf of the Jaguar team. “We started revitalising Jaguar in 2008, with the introduction of the XF – that was our first significantly new model. Then came the XK in 2009 – this epitomises our aspirations to build beautiful fast cars. The process was completed with the launch of XJ in 2010,” he relates.

Evidence of the all new Jaguar brand could be seen on the Jaguar stand at the recent 2010 Mondial de l’Automobile in Paris – or the Paris Motor Show as it’s commonly known. Indicative of Jaguar’s new product strategy, the company revealed the spectacular Jaguar C-X75 Concept, to co-incide with the celebration of 75 years of Jaguar. O’Driscoll says that this car is in keeping with the company’s heritage. “We made our name building sports cars. At our heart we are a sporting company – whether those cars are for the road or track.” Having said this, he was elated at the response to the C-X75. “Delighted would not adequately explain my feelings at the reaction to the concept car. The stand was just buzzing. It is great that Jaguar is back in the limelight,” he comments.

He’s equally delighted with the reaction of car buyers to the rest of the range. “On a year-to-date basis, sales are 40% up,” he reports. The United Kingdom, of

course, remains a pivotal market for the brand. “And we are doing very well there,” O’Driscoll points out. The United States is still the company’s largest export market. “On a year-to-date basis, sales are up. But that market has been very tough,” O’Driscoll comments. “At its peak, the American car and truck industry stood at 17 million units; it’s now down to 11.5 million.  However he says that this scenario is not unique to the United States. “Market conditions have been difficult in many of the mature markets; southern Europe has also been tough,” he comments.

On the other hand, the Asian market is showing considerable potential. “It is not an easy market; the XF faces off against locally built, lower priced long wheelbase competitors. The XK, on the other hand, is a two-door sports car and the sports sector has not developed in China yet. The size of vehicles is extremely important in that market because many customers have drivers. As such, they want space but they don’t necessarily want big and powerful engines. The vehicle with the most potential in that market right now is the XJ long wheelbase model – because its rivals are also imported,” O’Driscoll reveals.

He says that China is going to be a significant market for Jaguar. “We see some real growth coming from this market in the future. Last year we sold 2 000 units in China; we will sell 3 500 this year.” Does this mean that Jaguar will follow in the footsteps of many of its rivals and establish a factory in China? “That is not on the cards in the short term,” O’Driscoll responds. “It is just too early in our development in that market; we have only just formed the national sales company in China. But we are not ruling this out. We are looking at what we need to do in China in order to grow our business over the next few years; that may or may not include local manufacture.”

However, one thing is certain when it comes to Jaguar’s future: customers can expect to see new vehicles and engine derivatives making their appearance. “We said that we would rebuild Jaguar and I believe that we have achieved this. That was phase one in terms of the ‘new’ Jaguar. Phase two will involve broadening the product portfolio,” O’Driscoll says.

According to the Jaguar MD, there are two new vehicles on the company’s product radar: a sports car and a sports sedan positioned below the XF. “We will also grow our range of engines. We have a preponderance of larger displacement engines (both petrol and diesel). Given the challenges of meeting the expectations of customers (in terms of improved economy) and also meeting emissions legislation, we believe that there is considerable merit in the introduction of smaller displacement engines,” he explains.

Hybrids and range-extended electric vehicles could also come in the future – although O’Driscoll does not want to be drawn into specific timing for these products. “We are evaluating a lot of different technologies but you will certainly see Jaguar develop electric-based solutions in the future – and hybrids in the interim.” Irrespective of what vehicles Jaguar launches though, they will have some traits in common. “We will continue to offer a unique twist on luxury, and cars that are both beautiful and fast,” O’Driscoll notes.

These cars will appeal to buyers in major cities the world over. “We are increasingly focusing on cities rather than countries – because our customers are concentrated in major cities. In France, for instance, 40 to 50% of our sales take place in Paris. In South Africa, the majority of our sales occur in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban. Two American cities – New York and Los Angeles – account for 30% of our sales in that country.

“For me, that is intriguing. There is increasing connectivity between the residents of the major cities in the world. And, irrespective of where they live, the affluent and successful buy into our brand – because they are looking for the style, sophistication and sporting characteristics that define Jaguar,” O’Driscoll concludes.

It is abundantly clear that while Jaguar is acutely aware of its proud heritage, it is once again building cars that redefine sporting luxury.

STORY BY JAGUAR

On the Street....Charming, Milan

This is one of the cutest, most effortless looks that I saw in Milan. However, this look would just not the same without the elbow patches.

On the Street....The Jardin des Tuileries, Paris

FEVERISH RENAULT MEGANE RS TOPS HOT HATCH PILE

My best time is 2 seconds off the best time of the timed run, but I don’t know this yet. I’m actually hoping it’s more so that tomorrow I can really enjoy the scenery and relaxation offered by Simola Hotel resort. Of course part of me, the competitive side, wants to push as hard as possible. But the larger part is just not interested. It wants to get this over and done with, especially given the fact that we’ve been waiting for hours to start driving. By the time our sight car, the Renault Twingo RS Gordini, pulls up for first runs my mind is way beyond supper.

Dinner time is almost here anyway. Sunlight is dropping slowly but surely and the occasional sounds of massive V8s and twin turbo V6s fills the air every now and then. My turn. Takeoff is spirited, evidenced by a little spin of the 17-inch front wheels. Twingo RS Gordini costs R214 900 at retail level, and doesn’t have any kind of traction control to speak of. So some smoke was expected. Two corners later and we are starting to enjoy the ride, if it’s a little tame in terms of power delivery. Again, expected from the naturally aspirated 1.6-litre giving out 98kW. Two runs in this should be enough.

Except the road being used for the Knysna Hillclimb 2010 Edition is part of the run-up to Simola and is therefore marked for two lanes, not just one. I’ve been driving two laps of about 1.4km sticking to the same lane! My second time feels quicker, if only marginally, since I now have a clearer idea of what this hill entails in terms of curves and corners. My gearshifts will need a little work though but sadly, I only get two laps in the Gordini. And in the Megane RS.

A sweet piece of candy for sure, but the Twingo is just a sardine in what proves to be a pool of sharks. For the next four laps my attentions have been given to the big dogs, the all-new Megane RS Sport and the RS Cup. Earlier I’d had the opportunity of twisting both mothas through passes not often passed on, down in the George/ Knysna area. Both cars had turn out almost exactly as I had imagined the first time I heard Renault was developing a new RS range for Megane. A hint of understeer around curves, but not as pronounced as one thinks it might be. That’s thanks to a new electronic limited slip differential (LSD) and other tricks up its sleeve. These include a 10mm lower suspension system and a stiffer axis.

My third run up that hill came courtesy of the Megane RS Sport, a tamer version of the model. Yes it packs a punchy 184kW at 5500rpm and maximum torque of 340Nm at 3000rpm. Claimed 0 – 100km/h time is 6.1 seconds and top speed is rated at 250km/h. Good figures if you want something to hurl up a mountain at high speed, high gear too. So I line it up and then light up the tarmac with a smile on my face. All electronic nannies are present of course; with a spectator spread of over 500, one doesn’t need the attention that follows a high speed wall attack. Therefore a bit of pushing will do, but not too much. Besides, remember, you don’t want to drive tomorrow – I tell myself. The swoosh sound of that turbo spooling, boosting, rising, falling off, rising again, is in sync with every gear change.

Megane RS is willing. And able. Through the corners I am confident, more so than I did in the Twingo for obvious reasons. Steering is responsive too, if perhaps a bit less attached than in the Clio RS I also drove earlier. Gear changes aren’t as crisp as I wish though. I feel I’ve gone faster again and start wondering if I might be pushing too hard. Perhaps the next lap should be a little easier. I try different lines, still in the same car. Two laps are up. Bugger. Exterior lighting is dimmer now.

Last run is in the Megane RS Cup. Renault South Africa says they’ve investigated the market well and feel two models of the Megane RS will go down well with us performance-oriented South Africans. I won’t dispute that. A split of around 70:30 in favour of the Sport is envisaged.

Stepping into the Megane RS Cup is a different experience from the get go. It has all the features of the Sport, with added bonuses. Apparent to the naked eye are the thin Recaro seats positioned up the front. Comfort, albeit present, is only secondary to the main purpose of supporting against lateral forces. Shiny pedals, some prominent stitching around the steering wheel, carbon fibre feel on the dash are just some of the highlights. Mainly the Cup features the LSD, even more stiffness at the front end, and red Brembo brake calipers. Both it and the Sport have the Brembos but Sport only does with grey calipers. Also, the rubber differs by an inch, with the Sport laying down on a 235/40 R18 tyre size with 18-inch wheels, while the Cup slaps the road with ultra low-profile 235/35 R19 tyres and special 19-inch Speedline flow-formed rims.

The Cup is a different animal without a doubt. Everything is on high alert, even without the software that allows for different characters of the car to emerge. One setting, the highest, is called Extreme. It’s the Defcon 3 of Renault Megane RS Cup. Set it only when you have the balls to grab it tight and smack it twice across its face. Everyday driving should be left in Sport mode or less.

These cars were always gonna be impressive. I mean, Renault’s racing heritage speaks for itself. In fact, its RS tradition has put it alongside other legendary names in the game, names like GTI for instance, and to a lesser extent, M, AMG and RS. The new cars, although both quite pricey even as you consider all the standard equipment like Tomtom navigation, are now firmly at the top of their respective segments and show no possibility of relenting anytime soon.

Renault Megane RS Pricing

Megane RS Sport (R349 900)

Megane RS Cup (R399 900)

Nissan's first ever Hybrid car Fuga/Infiniti M Features and Price

Nissan, one of the world's largest Car manufacturer's has now come up with their first ever gasoline-electric car. This new Nissan hybrid car, that was launched recently is named as Fuga in Japan but it is going to be sold as the Infiniti M in the United States and a few other markets.

Nissan is aiming to be the leader in the zero-emission arena by introducing the first mass-scale electric car in this year, but it should also be noted that Nissan lags rivals Toyota Motor Corp and Honda Motor Co by more than a decade in offering a proprietary hybrid model.

So far, Nissan has been selling a small number of Altima hybrids in the United States using Toyota's hybrid system to clear regulations in California. Now they come up with a solution for it, Nissan's new Fuga/Infiniti M hybrid uses lithium-ion batteries produced by Nissan's battery unit, Automotive Energy Supply (AESC), held jointly with NEC Corp.

According to Nissan, its one-motor, two-clutch hybrid system would achieve far better fuel economy, at a much lower technical cost compared with hybrid leader Toyota's complex, two-motor "series parallel" system. The Fuga hybrid gets the best fuel economy of about 19 km/litre among high-end gasoline-electric sedans.

Nissan's hybrid system has a structure similar to that of Volkswagen AG , mounting an extra clutch that separates the electric motor from the engine to allow for driving using only electric power when the battery is charged. The car, Nissan's Fuga Hybrid, starts at 5,775,000 yen ($71,470).

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On the Street....Knotted, Buenos Aires & New York

(click to enlarge image)

On the Street...NYU, New York City

Great Packaging........Terra Amoree Fantasia

Found this can of Pomodori Pelati at the new Eataly on Fifth Avenue.

On the Street...Delancey St. & Bowery, New York City

On the Street....Place Vendôme, Paris

The playful mix of three patterns is great.

On the Street....Via San Primo, Milano

LAUNCHED: NEW MERCEDES-BENZ R-CLASS FACELIFT

Mercedes-Benz might not readily admit that its R-Class is not a fire cracker on the sales charts, but the fact that two facelifts have been performed on the luxurious people mover so far, on its own speaks volumes. Merc ain’t givin’ up though. The crossover is now available from dealerships around the country, sporting a new look courtesy of several updates.

Mzansi first got a taste of the biggie over two years ago when we received stock of the facelift model from Europe. Now we are getting a second facelift. In keeping with recent facelift tradition, only a few touches were made. They may or may not be noticeable, depending on how much interaction you’ve had with the R-Class. A new front end with a refreshed bonnet, front grille and surround is featured. Integrated LED daytime running lights and bi-xenon headlights are installed. On the whole the front end is much more attractive than before and falls in line with Merc’s latest product offerings. The same applies to the rear end which now has new tail lights and a rear bumper.

Three models are sold at this point. The baseline is an R300 sporting a 3.0-litre V6 engine pushing 170kW at 6000rpm and maximum torque of 300Nm between 2500rpm and 5000rpm. Company claims 9.6 seconds for the 0 – 100km/h sprint and top speed of 222km/h. A spirited drive between George and Port Elizabeth did not produce the latter figure but we did manage over 170km/h, which is more than adequate for such a car.

Following the R300 is the R300 CDI, a turbo diesel motor running at 140kW at 3800rpm and at 440Nm between 1400rpm and 2800rpm. The engine behind the scenes is a 3.0-litre V6 that accelerates from 0 – 100km/h in 9.5 seconds, just topping off at 215km/h. Average fuel consumption is 7.7 litres per 100km. C02 emissions are 234g/km. It seems a new trend to use big engines but downsize their power in less expensive models. Funny enough these figures are similar to ones made by the BMW 530d of two generations ago. I did enjoy putting the R300 CDI through its paces though. While it may not have sheer acceleration on its side, the torque is thick enough to pull it at a reasonably pacey speed.

At the top is the R500, a petrol V8 of 5.5-litre displacement. Power is 285kW at 6000rpm and torque is rated at 530Nm. It should be quite strong on the freeway and on take-off. Drive for the R500 comes through Merc’s 4MATIC AWD and the SA operation has decided to offer this model only in long-wheel-base (LWB) which means it is longer and can take up to 7 passengers with all the seats up.

All three are suited with a 7G-Tronic gearbox which is best left at automatic mode rather than using the paddles behind the steering wheel to shift it (where applicable). Apart from the R500, the other two are rear-wheel-drive (RWD) and come fitted with 10-spoke alloys of 18-inch size and 255/55 R 18 tyres. The R500 has 255/50 R 19 tyres.

Because this is a family vehicle, safety becomes much more of a concern than in other cars. That means technologies like ABS brakes with Brake Assist, an Electronic Stability Programme (ESP), an array of air bags, ISOFIX attachments for child seats, belt tensioners and the PRE-SAFE system.

I’m must admit to being a little disappointed with the dashboard though. One expects updates to filter through into the interior as well, but it seems Mercedes-Benz was only happy to put on a new face for the R-Class. If you’ve been inside a new Merc over the past three years you’ll feel right at home here. I was thinking the S-Class’s look would be transferred into the R-Class as well, but instead it keeps the old dials, radio system. At least buyers can now choose a two-tone colour scheme.

An entertainment system accessed through the COMAND APS centre with a 6-CD changer, a 16.5cm display, 4GB for storage and a reverse camera if installed. Harman Kardon came to the party with their Logic7 sound system.

A number of hacks present at the launch shinding in Knysna last week questioned the very idea of a people-moving Mercedes-Benz, forgetting that the brand is also offered on busses and massive trucks as well. “What’s the point of it?” mused one. I actually get the point. When you own a number of cars but none of them fulfil the dream of carrying all your people in sumptuous surroundings while maintaining a certain level of status, then an R-Class is but one of a handful of solutions.

Mercedes-Benz R-Class Pricing

R300 V6 (R577 400)

R300 CDI (R582 400)

R500 4MATIC LWB (R823 400)

Latest Hyundai i10 India Specifications, Features and Price

With the introduction of more small cars like Chevrolet Beat, Maruti Suzuki Ritz, that too featuring unconventional designs, into the ever growing small car market, Hyundai are forced to rework on the look of their much acclaimed model, Hyundai i10. As a result of it, a newly refreshed i10 model is all set to take over the competition.

The features that make the Hyundai i10 one of the bestselling cars of the country are its excellent performance, comfortable and economy. These features helped this model from Hyundai to make it's sales chart so attractive over the years, always pointing upwards. Let's take a look at the newly refreshing Hyundai i10 model.

The main thing to be noted is with the engine specification of this new Hyundai i10. It comes up with 2 new engine, 1.1 iRDE2 (manual) unit capable of producing 68bhp and peaks at 4000rpm. The new 1.2 Kappa2 (manual & automatic) uses variable valve timing or VTVT and generates 79bhp and peaks at 5200rpm. 1.2 Kappa2 claims excellent fuel efficiency figure of 20.36kpl meaning the i10 with Kappa2 is more fuel efficient than the iRDE2 motor.

The new i10 has a one-piece bumper and hexagonal grille that make the model look fresh and aggressive. Some of the other notable features within this new Hyundai i10 are the honeycomb grille of the air dam, rectangular fog lamps in place of round ones, larger headlamps, outside rear view mirrors with integrated turn signals, body coloured side moulding, body coloured rub strip rear bumper, re-sculpted rear bumper space for reflectors and parking sensors, longer tail-lamps and an overall increased length of 20mm.

Some of the interior features of this new Hyundai i10 are buzzer-type parking sensor, height adjust for the driver's seat on the higher variant, better seat fabric, heated and powered rear view mirror, MP3s music system with USB or iPod connectivity, steering wheel-mounted controls and Bluetooth. Also a gearshift indicator in a big LCD screen on the right-hand side of the instrument cluster. The dashboard gets new darker tan colour scheme and a metal finish is given to the centre console.

This new Hyundai i10 with a brand new look has mainly 2 variants, 1.1 iRDE2 and 1.2 Kappa2. Price for this new 1.1 iRDE2 Hyundai i10 varies from Rs 3.5 to 4 lakhs, where as the price for the 1.2 Kappa2 varies from Rs 4.15 to 5.90 lakhs.

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TOYOTA RIVALS EAT DUST

Toyota’s Hilux showed dominant form to win all three of the production vehicle classes in the Human Auto 400, the penultimate round of the ABSA South African Off Road Championship. Toyota also took the manufacturers’ award in the event.

This all new event on the calendar through up a number of challenges for competitors with its mix of wide open straight and flat out sections, and tough technical sections. Wild weather on parts of the route during Saturday’s racing section added a further element of variety.

At the end of the 400 kilometre event just one second separated the Hilux SP of Chris Visser and Japie Badenhorst from the Ford of Neil Woolridge and Kenny Skjöldhammer as they crossed the line in the wake of a thunderstorm that transformed the run up to the finish in a quagmire. 

It was these treacherous conditions that robbed Christiaan du Plooy and Henk Janse van Vuuren of a close fought second place. They slid off the route and into a culvert just 300 metres from the finish and crossed the line with steering on just one wheel on their RFS Hilux just 26 seconds adrift of Woolridge despite the time wasted extricating themselves from the ditch.

Further down the order Deon Venter and Ian Palmer brought their 4X4 Megan World Hilux home at the head of Class D and in 13th place overall. They were followed across the line by Pikkie Labuschagne and Rickus Erasmus in their Class E 4X4 Mega World Hilux.

“Toyota would like to thank the privateer Hilux teams for their continued support and good results in all the production vehicle classes,” says Ferdi de Vos, General Manager: Corporate Public Relations and Motorsport. 

“Not only has their performances again helped to secure the Manufacturer’s Title for Toyota in the National Off Road series; it also in no small way contributes to the top seller status of Hilux in South Africa.” 

The Castrol Team Toyota Hilux SP of Anthony Taylor led the field after Friday’s prologue and set the pace through the early part of Saturday’s racing section only to suffer two punctures in the first loop of the racing section and a third flat in the second loop. 

They were not alone in falling victim to punctures on the rough terrain in the De Brug military training area. At one point as many as six competitors were seen changing wheels within metres of each other. The time lost proved too much to recover and Taylor eventually finished eighth.

Reigning Off Road Champion Duncan Vos had a disappointing run in the prologue, slowed by a minor technical issue, but came alive in the first loop of the racing section. 

He overtook some 20 vehicles in the first 70 kilometres to place himself right up at the front of the field before a strap used to limit the extension of the front suspension failed and allowed a shock absorber to pull out of its mount. This delayed Vos and navigator Rob Howie by an hour-and-a-half as they battled their way back to the service point.

“We went into this event needing a clean run for both Castrol Team Toyota Hilux SPs to close have any chance of winning the championship,” says team principal, Glyn Hall. “Duncan was right up there in the chase with enough points available to challenge Chris Visser. 

“In the prologue Anthony demonstrated that we had the speed and handling over the mixed terrain to win the event. Duncan’s charge through the field in the early part of the racing section underlined that performance but the clean run that we needed to compliment the performance of the vehicles eluded us.

“In the end though the result was a good one for Toyota with wins in all three Production Vehicle classes and six out of the top ten positions filled by Hilux SPs. 

“Chris Visser has had a really good season and goes into the final round of the championship with a pretty secure lead. Only Hannes Grobler has any chance of overtaking him but Chris needs just one more point to place him out of reach if Hannes wins the final round.”

STORY BY TOYOTA

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