Indholdsfortegnelse for December 2025 i CAR

It’s a hugely demanding, yet ultimately fascinating task to compile the list of new products set to join the South African market in the coming 12 months. While some brands remain understandably tight-lipped regarding their respective plans, others relish the opportunity to create a little excitement around their upcoming wares. In some cases, this includes new entries that need to hit the ground running in terms of monthly sales and customer fulfilment. As you’ll see in our Cars for 2026 feature on page 28, if any of these highly anticipated products fail to meet their promise or mandate – including from the likes of Mazda, Nissan, Renault and Honda – there are plenty of alternatives arriving from the Chinese market poised to tempt potential buyers. That said, none of the…

Since the original, LJ10 generation’s introduction in 1970, the Suzuki Jimny has achieved cult status, globally and locally. However, as a friend, and fellow Jimny owner, of mine argues (tongue in cheek, mind), “It’s not a cult, it’s a lifestyle.” Having owned a Jimny since 2022, I wholeheartedly agree. Apart from its retro-inspired styling and goanywhere capability, there’s much more to owning this characterful compact 4x4 — it’s the community. Have you ever driven behind a Jimny and seen an oncoming one flashing its headlamps, with the driver waving enthusiastically? That’s for the Jimny in front of you, and just one of the unwritten ‘Jimny rules’. In fact, I’ve become so accustomed to doing the socalled ‘Jimny Wave’, at times, I’ve found myself doing it when driving a test car…

WHERE WE DROVE IT *Claimed figures Price: R1 936 500 Powertrain: 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder turbo and supercharged petrol + electric Transmission: 8-speed automatic Power: 340 kW Torque: 709 N.m 0-100 km/h: 5.3 seconds* Top speed: 180 km/h Fuel Consumption: 1.8 L/100 km* Rivals: BMW X5 xDrive50e; Lexus RX 500h F Sport Black Edition Still the sophisticated choice; usable EV range Ownership experience is reliant on proximity to a service centre When it was launched in 2015, the debut of the second-generation XC90 proved significant for several reasons. Not only did it introduce both the renewed ambitions and, indeed, the new face of Volvo Cars, it was also the first venture under Geely ownership that showcased the brand’s scalable product architecture (SPA). Alongside a compact modular platform (CMA) for models such as…

4 446 km 19.7 kWh/100 km Convenience of having your car’s location and health at your fingertips Unlined glovebox sends contents skidding when cornering While vehicle connectivity isn’t the exclusive preserve of the EX30, it’s a feature with which many of us are either uncomfortable or unfamiliar. But hooking this car into your phone does unlock some decidedly useful features. Once you’ve downloaded and registered with the Volvo EX30 app, from the home screen, you can remotely lock or unlock the car, activate the climate control, and see the state of your car’s battery and the operating range you have left. Next up is the GPSenabled tracking system which uses a Google Maps plug-in to show your car’s location at any time, as well as locating parking and charging stations…

Notes • The PRICES shown are the latest available at the time of going to press. Our deadline occurred on 14 October 2025. Readers should check with a dealer before making a decision. • The HP payment calculations are based on a 10% deposit at current prime interest rate @10.5% and a 5-year (60-month) repayment period incl. 15.0% VAT, with no residual value / balloon payment at the end. • Under ENGINE we list the number of cylinders and the cubic capacity in cm3. Here, V = V-shaped engine layout; H = horizontally-opposed engine layout; The absence of an initial symbol implies an in-line engine layout. • FUEL SUPPLY abbreviations are P = petrol-engined; D = diesel-engined; T = turbocharged, a compressor driven by exhaust gases; S = supercharged, a…

01 Alfa Romeo With the official local introduction of the all-electric Junior coinciding with this issue of CAR, Alfa Romeo looks set to use this significant moment as a launchpad into an exciting coming year. While we have confirmation of a new Tonale plug-in hybrid derivative, it seems likely that the Italian firm will use its 115th year of operations to introduce an all-new, second-generation Stelvio SUV, as well as a new Giulia package that will offer “a new design and a new type of bodywork”. We anticipate this alludes to the Giulia adopting a fastback profile, much like that of the current Audi A5. 02 Aston Martin With our time behind the wheel of the modern Vantage and DB12 still fresh, Aston Martin has recently announced the DB12 S…

WHERE WE DROVE IT CHANGAN CS75 PRO ETA: NOW Price: >R500 000 Engine: 1.5-litre, four-cylinder, turbopetrol Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch Power: 138 kW @5 500 r/min Torque: 300 N.m @1 500–4 000 r/min Fuel consumption: 7.6 L/100 km* CO2 emissions: 177 g/km* Rivals: Jetour X70 Plus; Hyundai Alcazar *Claimed figures Refinement; specification relatively unknown quantity The latest Chinese automotive brand seeking success in the South African market, Changan Auto boasts one of the oldest yet varied legacies in its home market. Fully state-owned, while the Changan name itself is relatively new, the backbone of this company dates back to 1862, when it serviced the military. Credited with producing the Chinese market’s first production vehicle, the Changjiang Type 46 off-roader in 1959, closer to home, the brand might be less inclined to remind the…

WHERE WE DROVE IT *Claimed figures Price: R249 999 Powertrain: 1.0-litre, three-cylinder, petrol Transmission: five-speed manual Power: 52 kW @6 250 r/min Torque: 96 N.m @3 500 r/min 0-100 km/h: n/a Top speed: n/a Fuel consumption: 5.5 L/100 km* CO2 Emissions: 131 g/km* Rivals: Suzuki Ertiga; Toyota Rumion Competitive asking price; generously equipped as standard On-road refinement; lethargic engine Since attending the local launch of the updated Triber, I started noticing an increasing number of Renault’s funky small MPV roaming around Cape Town. This could well be related to a touch of what is described as the ‘frequency illusion’, a sort of cognitive bias where you suddenly begin to notice something everywhere only after becoming aware of it. According to Renault, more than 30 000 South Africans have put pen to…

Visit car Magazine carmag.co.za/cars-for-sale To find the latest New & used cars for sale NISSAN NP200 Between 2008 and 2024 the Nissan NP200 made a name for itself as a dependable workhorse, but is it a viable choice as a used buy now that it’s been discontinued? R7 076 2 seats 2 airbags, ABS, EBD February 2017 (Nissan NP200 1.5 dCi ICE) 0-100 km/h: 14.44 seconds Top speed: 153 km/h Power: 63 kW Torque: 200 N.m Fuel consumption index: 6.36 L/100 km Launched in September 2008 at Nissan’s Rosslyn assembly plant north of Pretoria, the NP200 was positioned as the spiritual successor to the venerable Nissan 1400 bakkie; a compact workhorse that had loyally served the South African market for 37 years. The 1400’s retirement left a void in the…

When Plymouth lifted the wraps off the Plymouth III concept at the 1990 Detroit Auto Show – to what was no doubt a chorus of groans and muted smirks – the automotive world was at something of a turning point. The fuel crisis of the 1970s had gone some way to leaving a car market in its wake that focused more on downsizing and fuel economy, while the economic prosperity of the Reagan years was dwindling in the public’s rearview mirror. In these changing conditions, the days of thirsty, polluting, bigdisplacement engines and multi-car garages were numbered, and Plymouth’s parent company Chrysler knew it all too well. It was perhaps with this mindset that the firm’s designers came up with the oddball Voyager III. Dubbed a “socially responsible vehicle-within-avehicle”, the…

SAFE AND SOUND The bulk of ADAS and automated driver assistance systems are underpinned by visual sensors; be they radar, lasers or camera feeds that oversee braking and other collision avoidance measures, but the medium of sound hasn’t been a factor, until now. German engineering firm Fraunhofer has developed an acoustic sensor array that utilises AI to pick up on audio cues from the surrounding environment as an extra layer of safety system input. The setup, currently dubbed ‘the hearing car’ can detect sirens or the voices of pedestrians before they’re visible, and primes associated safety systems such as braking assistance or collision mitigation. There’s even a module that can transmit urgent sound signals through a speaker in the driver’s headrest – allowing them to prepare for approaching emergency vehicles.…

WHERE WE DROVE IT *Claimed figures Price: R1 116 845 Powertrain: 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, turbodiesel Transmission: 8-speed automatic Power: 125 kW Torque: 390 N.m Top speed: 175 km/h* Fuel consumption: 8.0 L/100 km* CO2 Emissions: 209 g/km* Rivals: Ford Tourneo Custom; Hyundai Staria; Mercedes-Benz Vito Select Spacious and immensely practical Powerplant is rather flat at altitude As we all know, few automotive firms operate in isolation – alliances between carmakers are common and are a genuine means of sharing development and production costs. Consequently, many vehicles out there share some of their mechanical DNA with products from other manufacturers. And the latest Volkswagen Transporter is just such a car. The 2017 alliance between Volkswagen and Ford isn’t some clandestine union, far from it. In fact, it makes complete sense: in sharing the…

7 346 km 10.7 L/100 km Recall completed with little inconvenience Its popularity means fighting the CAR team for the keys If you’ve read the Cars for 2026 feature on page 28, you’ll know that notable changes are coming to the South African double-cab market in the coming months, including several new entrants, fresh derivatives to existing products, and, significantly, an all-new Hilux. The arrival of Toyota’s ninth-generation contender is likely the biggest catalyst for Ford’s planned update to its Ranger portfolio, including the Tremor derivative that we’ve “owned” for an extended period. Looking ahead, while the forthcoming exterior updates will likely focus on this product’s grille design, presumably aligning the Ranger even closer in terms of its stance with its far larger brother, the F-150, the big news in…