Category: Car & Bike Launches

latest releases and hot new rides on the market

The New Nissan X-Trail 2017 face lift has arrived

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The Nissan X-Trail SUV benefits from trim and tech updates, now we drive the face lifted model in Cape town, SA for the first time The Qashqai has been Nissan’s bread-winner in the SUV sector since it launched in 2009, but the X-Trail has also proven an undisputed success for the brand. Last year, more than 19,000 units were sold in SA, with an astounding 766,000 models finding homes globally. The current third-generation car has been around since 2013. Four years later, Nissan has freshened it up with a facelift.…

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New VW Polo officially revealed: mini Golf, anyone?

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By CJ Hubbard ‘Good lord, the new Volkswagen Polo looks just like a miniature Golf’ – perhaps the most predictable sentiment you’ll come across in ages. But having witnessed the reveal of this all-new, sixth-generation Polo at a fancy standalone event in Berlin, we can tell you it now really does look like a miniature Golf. It’s as if the Mk7.5 spawned a Mini-Me. Not all of the angles are exactly correct, and what’s not obvious from the pictures is the sharply creased side detailing, which really stands out in…

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First look @ Jaguars E-Pace

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by James Taylor The new Jaguar E-Pace will be unveiled in full on 13 July, it has been confirmed. The smallest member of Jaguar’s burgeoning Pace-themed SUV family, it will join the established F-Pace and the upcoming i-Pace electric crossover. First, Jaguar released a preview image showing part of the E-Pace’s tail, then tweeted an image showing the whole side profile of the car alongside its bigger F-Pace brother and the new i-Pace electric SUV. It’s no great surprise that the tail-lights adopt a similar family look to the F-Pace (and, in turn,…

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Tesla Model 3 details leaked online

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Tesla is down selling its upcoming Model 3 with an internal comparison tool. Details of the American electric car maker’s upcoming mass-market Model 3 have leaked online with the Tesla Model 3 Owners Club forum publishing what it claims is a comparison chart for dealers to upsell customers into a larger, far more expensive Model S. The leaked chart shows the Model 3 has a battery range of more than 346km and of a 0-60 miles per hour (0-97km/h) time of 5.6 seconds, which stacks up to previously released information. Tesla has made…

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BMW’s new ‘Concept Link’ scooter

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Think scooter meets smartphone BMW Motorrad Concept Linkby visordown YOU’RE riding your motorcycle (or scooter) when suddenly you realise you don’t know where your next appointment is. If only your motorcycle (or scooter) knew. No, we’ve never thought this either. But BMW Motorrad has never been one to let mere demand dictate innovation and so the German firm has just unveiled this, an electric scooter concept that ‘keeps the rider connected while riding, thereby expanding his mobile world by providing him with new opportunities’. See, you want it now, don’t you? Called…

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Renault shows off new Megane RS in Monaco

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Five-door layout, auto and manual options confirmed for French GTI rival. Renault has fired its first shots in a looming hot hatch battle, presenting the new Megane RS to Formula One spectators at the Monaco Grand Prix. Nico Hulkenberg, star driver for Renault’s F1 program, punted a mildly disguised example of the upcoming model around the circuit during a celebration of the brand’s grand prix history. The 2015 Le Mans winner seemed happy with the car, telling Renault publicists he was “hooked first time out by the excellence of its…

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Inside Mercedes-AMG’s F1-powered supercar

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New machine to feature more than 736kW of hybrid power The new $3.4 million Mercedes-AMG hypercar, known under the internal working name Project One, will be powered by an advanced petrol-electric plug in hybrid drivetrain based around an Formula One derived petrol engine that operates in combination with four electric motors to deliver an overall output of over 736kW in most performance orientated driving mode, AMG boss Tobias Moers has confirmed. The hi-tech driveline, unveiled at a media event at the Nurburgring 24 Hour race in Germany, uses a heavily…

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New BMW 8-Series line-up, M8 super coupe #BMW #M8

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BMW’s M division has wasted little time in making public its plans for the new 8-Series by unleashing an early camouflaged prototype of its upcoming M8 in the support program for this year’s Nurburgring 24 hour race. The impromptu appearance of the M8 prototype at the circuit where much of the chassis development work on the new performance coupe is set to take place comes just two days after the Concept 8-Series design study was unveiled as a preview to the forthcoming 8-Series at the Concorso d’Eleganza in Como, Italy.…

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Rolls-Royce unveils world’s most expensive new car at Over R220 million

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Yacht-inspired Sweptail the ultimate in bespoke luxury. This could be the most expensive car in the world. Tipped to cost R220 Million to R260 million, the bespoke Rolls-Royce Sweptail coupe is a limited-edition one-of-one machine created to satisfy the vision of a particularly exacting customer. Making its public debut at the Concorso d’Eleganza at Villa d’Este in Lake Como, the machine features hand-crafted bodywork  inspired by racing yachts. Dramatically sculpted lines see glossy blue panels and immaculate bright work meet a full-length panoramic roof unlike any other car on sale. Rolls-Royce…

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MotoGP racer Nicky Hayden dies after being hit by car while training on bicycle

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Former MotoGP world champion Nicky Hayden died in hospital on Monday, five days after he was hit by a car while training on his bicycle. Hayden was 35. Maurizio Bufalini Hospital in Cesena, where Hayden had been since the collision last Wednesday, made the announcement. Hayden had severe cerebral damage and multiple traumatic injuries. “The medical team has verified the death of the patient Nicholas Patrick Hayden, who has been undergoing care since last Wednesday May 17 in the intensive care unit of the Bufalini Hospital in Cesena following a very serious polytrauma which occurred the same day,” the hospital…

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Toyota has unleashed its inner-child to create a real-life Tonka truck.

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The Japanese brand has converted one of its HiLux utes into a big, yellow, go-anywhere off-roader to celebrate the popularity of the dual-cab workhorse and celebrate Tonka’s 70th anniversary. The Tonka HiLux also serves a serious purpose, highlighting Toyota’s investment in its 150-strong product planning and development division that is still active in Australia despite the impending closure of its manufacturing facilities. Australian product design chief Nicolas Hogios was in charge of the project and explained it was about showing the brand’s fun side. “We have taken Tonka out of…

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The South African Launch of the 2017 Alfa Romeo is a must-win event for the century-old Italian carmaker. So what’s it like?

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The global launch of the all new Alfa Romeo Giulia isn’t just a big deal, it’s quite possibly a make or break moment for the century-old Italian car manufacturer. None of Alfa’s top-line executives were prepared to put a precise figure on the investment in the model, suffice to say that billions have been invested in a completely new modular architecture dubbed ‘Giorgio’, which not only underpins the rear-wheel drive Giulia, but an entire Alfa Romeo family including a raft of new sedans, coupes, and SUVs that will soon follow.…

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Triumph Thruxton R is a better way to race to the cafe

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TRIUMPH THRUXTON R Engine: 1200cc liquid-cooled eight-valve fuel-injected parallel twin, 72kW (96bhp) at 6750rpm and 112Nm at 4950rpm Transmission: Six-speed sequential gearbox, chain final drive. Frame: Steel-tube twin cradle frame and oval-section aluminium rear swingarm; 43mm Showa fully-adjustable BPF front forks with 120mm of travel, Twin fully-adjustable Ohlins rear shocks with 120mm of travel. Hot: The heritage-sportsbike comes of age with the Thruxton R, and never has history, performance, quality, ease-of-use, and design been so skilfully combined. Not: Pseudo-carburettors and pretend pre-unit crankcases will offend purists; brake set-up could have unleashed further stopping power; pillion accommodation optional. For most of last year,…

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2018 Jeep Compass

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Better than before, and that’s no backhanded compliment. For some, saying goodbye is easier said than done. Just ask Jeep. Despite the arrival of this all-new, second-generation 2017 Jeep Compass crossover SUV, the brand will keep selling the first-generation Compass also as a 2017 model before sending that decade-old ute to the great scrap heap in the sky. Consumers may be confused. We, however, are happy to bid adieu to the lackluster first-generation Compass, as well as its boxier twin, the Jeep Patriot. Like its predecessor and short-term stablemate, the…

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Audi Q8 Concept First Look: Getting in on the Fastback SUV Game

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Concept Closely Previews Production Model Erick Ayapana Words Audi had a lot of metal to show at the 2017 Detroit Auto Show, but the Q8 e-tron concept was the debut that stole the spotlight. The coupe-inspired crossover closely previews a production model slated to arrive sometime next year, built on the same modular platform that underpins the Audi Q7. The automaker says the Audi Q8 concept is a mix of coupe-like styling with a few elements harkening back to the vintage Ur-quattro as well. For starters, the wide C-pillar is…

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Yamaha YZF-R15 V 3.0 launch still months away

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The Indonesian arm of Yamaha recently unveiled the YZF-R15 V3.0 and that got a lot of us excited. But it looks like this motorcycle won’t be launched in South Africa immediately. Car and bike spoke with a few Yamaha SA officials at the launch of the FZ25 regarding the YZF-R15 V2.0. The officials said that they were happy with the sales performance of the YZF-R15 V2.0, especially of the YZF-R15 S version. There’s enough demand for this entry-level fully-faired motorcycle from across the country. Due to this, the company isn’t really focusing on getting the YZF-R15 V3.0…

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New 911 GT3 to get 4.0-litre flat-six and manual gearbox

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500bhp model will offer six-speed manual or seven-speed PDK by Dan Prosser  The new Porsche 911 GT3, set to be unveiled at the Geneva motor show in March, will feature a naturally aspirated 4.0-litre flat-six engine and will offer the option of a seven-speed PDK transmission or a six-speed manual. Yes, you read that right: the manual GT3 is making a return. Details of Porsche’s 2017 GT car strategy emerged at the launch of the 911 Carrera GTS in South Africa. A well-placed insider revealed Porsche’s plans for its Motorsport…

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Hennessey ends production of Venom GT

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Final Edition commemorates Hennessey’s record breaking supercar by Will Beaumont  Hennessey has announced it has ended production of its 435Km/h supercar, the Venom GT. The Texas company has celebrated its record breaking car and created a special version of the very last Venom GT. Called the Final Edition, the last car is based on the hard-top Venom and is finished in bright blue with two white stripes that stretch down the centre. The car is powered by Hennessey’s most powerful engine, a twin turbocharged 7-litre V8 that produces 1451bhp. The…

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Mercedes-Benz E-Class All-Terrain Review

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by Anthony ffrench-Constant Verdict Given that Mercedes’ ambition to fill every off-road niche is still a motor show reveal or two short of completion, you’d be forgiven for thinking it a mite odd that the company should suddenly peel off down the potential sales cul de sac of the off-road estate and introduce this E-Class All-Terrain. Established competition from Audi and Volvo Then again, with the E-Class already widely celebrated as a Jolly Good Thing, allied to the somewhat tardy recognition that the likes of the Audi A6 Allroad and Volvo’s V90 Cross Country have…

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BREAKING: Another Ford Kuga is ablaze in Johannesburg

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Graeme Hosken | 17 January, 2017 11:45 The company maintains that the Kuga fires were caused by a coolant system fault exacerbated by South Africa’s hot climate.  The fire comes a day after Ford SA CEO Jeffery Nemeth announced a safety recall on over 4,500 1.6l EcoBoost Ford Kugas built between 2012-2014. The company maintains that the Kuga fires were caused by a coolant system fault exacerbated by South Africa’s hot climate. Investigations have revealed that the fires were caused by overheating, which led to cylinder heads cracking and oil…

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