Motoring News: South African and International

Carshop Car Reviews

Nissan Navara Road Review: 2.5 Pro-4X DC 4x4: A No Brainer Bakkie Choice

The Navara name dates back to 1985: three generations of this hardy bakkie with the last complete range revision coming in 2017 – the Pro-4X being a recent update on that with the 2,5-litre mill replacing the older 2,3-litre and made in South Africa in the company’s Rossly, Pretoria plant.

Citroën C3 Road Review: 1.2 Feel

Colin Windell

Alfa Romeo Tonale Road Review: 1.5T Hybrid Speciale

Colin Windell

Suzuki Eeco Road Review: 1.2: Locked and Loaded

Colin Windell

Mahindra Karoo Storm Road Review: 2.2-Litre Turbo 4x4

Colin Windell

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The Storm features the mHawk 2,2-litre turbo-diesel engine offering 103 kW at 3 750 r/min and 320 Nm of torque in a power band between 1 500 r/min and 2 800 r/min, driving through a six-speed Aisin automatic transmission. It also has a 4-year/120 000 km mechanical warranty and a 5-year/90 000 km service plan.

Grand Vitara and Urban Cruiser Road Review: 1.5 GL Manual vs 1.5 XR Manual

Colin Windell

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The Suzuki Grand Vitara and Toyota Urban Cruiser employ the same version of Suzuki’s K15 engine – the K15B, which is a naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine that delivers 77 kW at 6 000 r/min and 138 Nm at 4 400 r/min.

Mahindra XUV300 Road Review: 1.5d: A Feisty Little SUV

Colin Windell

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The Carshop test unit came with the four-cylinder 1,5-litre turbo-diesel engine that delivers 85,8 kW at 3 750 r/min and 300 Nm in a flat band between 1 500 r/min and 2 500 r/min and drives the front wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox.

Mercedes-Benz S-Class Road Review: S350d L

Colin Windell

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Exuding its 600 Nm of torque in the same creamy-smooth style as the whole drive feel, the Mercedes-Benz S350d glides elegantly and smoothly about its business. At nearly R2,5-million, one would expect the car to have everything – and it comes close.

Haval Jolion Review: 1.5 S: Linked to the Road

Colin Windell

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The Haval Jolion S boasts a multi-link rear suspension that improves handling and smooths out the overall ride quality, bringing it more in touch with the road. Additionally, its updated 1.5-litre engine and turbocharger increase power by 25 kW to 130 kW and torque by 60 Nm to 270 Nm, providing a refreshing sense of urgency for overtaking.

Fiat 500X Review: Cross

Colin Windell

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The 500X Cross comes with a soft-touch steering wheel, automatic dual-zone air-conditioning, and a courtesy light on the sun visor. It also includes several standard and optional features, such as a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, Bluetooth, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a six-speaker audio system, satellite radio, and a rearview camera.

Beijing X55 Road Review: 1.5 Premium: Muddying the Waters

Colin Windell

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With its futuristic design, the Beijing X55 does a lot to muddy the waters in the mid-level SUV playing field, having launched and immediately found a place as a finalist in the 2023 Car of the Year Competition sponsored by Old Mutual. The X55 is bristling with tech specs backed with performance to match and a growing dealer footprint.

Ford Ranger Road Review: Wildtrak 3.0 V6: A Commanding Presence

Colin Windell

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The Wildtrak comes with a full house of safety specifications including Dynamic Stability Control incorporating anti-lock braking, Load Adaptive Control, Roll Over Mitigation, Traction Control and Trailer Sway Control. Blessed with a smooth-running turbodiesel V6 engine, the Ford Ranger Wildtrak Double Cab progresses from A to B seamlessly, however

Ford Everest Review: Platinum 3.0 V6

Colin Windell

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Ford’s new Everest Platinum 3.0 V6 does almost everything the company said it would long before the official launch and provides smooth, quiet and efficient mobility. However, talking of long – the gestation period of the Everest (and its Ranger bakkie cousins) was, perhaps, the longest in South African automotive history, going from rumour to conf

Mahindra XUV700 Review: AX7 L

Colin Windell

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Flush with technology and occupant comforts, the Mahindra XUV700 AX7 L – admittedly the flagship of the three-model range – strikes the right balance between luxury travel and cost of operation, giving it a high value in terms of value for money. Mahindra has earned its stripes regarding the fit, finish and presentation of the new generation produc

Mahindra Scorpio-N Review: 2.2D Z8L 6AT 4x4

Colin Windell

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The Scorpio-N – and yes, there is and will be a reference to a ‘scorpion’ – was formally launched in South Africa in June of last year at the same time as its reveal in India but is now in dealer showrooms with four variants on offer and pricing starting at R465 000 for the base 4x2 model. The variant features six crash bags, disc brakes on all fou

Mercedes-Benz EQB Review: 4Matic

Colin Windell

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With 215 kW instant power and acceleration from the electric motor, the Mercedes-Benz EQB 350 4Matic almost seamlessly dealt with the mid-morning Sandton inclement weather and traffic caused by the unpleasant load shedding. The new model can be personalised with the AMG Line equipment package, the MBUX Innovation Package, Advanced Plus Package, and

Proton X50 Review – 1.5T Executive: We Were Not Expecting This

Calvin Fisher

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With a fairly contrived genealogy we were expecting a car equally as muddled. Imagine our surprise, upon delivery of the Proton X50, finding a well-consolidated compact SUV. There's a lot to love here, and we suspect that the Proton has what it takes to do the distance, literally and figuratively in a soft roader-loving Mzansi...

Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Road Review: Executive 1,6-Litre TGDI

Colin Windell

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At the R500 000 segment, the Chery offers a lot for less money than its nearest price competitors: the Volkswagen Tiguan 1.4TSI 110 kW, Honda CR-V 2.0 Comfort and Hyundai Tucson 2.0 Executive – with a smaller engine than all but the Volkswagen but still offering more power and torque than the other three.


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