WeeklySA_AdminREFRESHED: Aggressive new styling with the sleeker catamaran-inspired face
By Ali Mphaki
The reason why there’s been somewhat less pageantry about the refreshed Fortuner is probably because most products from the Toyota stable don’t need much hype to excite the market..
Even if were Toyota SA to slash its advertising budget in half, it would seem nothing short of last year’s devastating floods in KZN will stop discerning motorists from snapping Toyota units from showrooms. Thing is reputation precedes the Japanese manufacturer which continues to be the leading car manufacturer in SA.
The taxi industry a case in point. Begging the question, however, is why tweek the current Fortuner model instead of unleashing an all-new model?
Could it be that the lack of fanfare about this revised version is because Toyota is saving the best for last -when they finally unleash a GR-Sport version before shouting from their rooftops?
Or more pointedly, is the refreshed model a sign of things to come? Evident with the refreshed model is a new face, a new front bumper, revised air intakes, new front skid plate. A new mech grille, LED fog lamps, sequential indicators and black A-pillar and exterior mirrors confirms the frontal updates.
The rear also benefits from new corner mouldings as well as black licence-plate garnish, LED taillights and fog lamps covers. All derivatives wear freshly designed 18-inch alloy wheels.
Ingress and the addition of red leather door pad covers along with red stitching throughout does a little magic to what was a bland interior and no doubt will be most welcome.
There are also gloss black interior accents, an update to the graphics in the small digitised central instrument cluster, a black headliner and interior ambience lighting.
Toyota has also seen to it that there is a rear USB C port particularly in the 2.8-litre and VX models. Without giving much, Toyota says the updates are a mere “specification and aesthetics” enhancement for the brand, now in its seventh-year of production.
The local line-up again comprises seven derivatives. Available with either a 2.4-litre, 4-cylinder turbodiesel engine (110 kW/400 Nm) or a 2.8-litre, 4-cylinder oil-burner (150 kW/500 Nm), the Fortuner, however, finds itself pitted against the likes of the Isuzu mu-X, the new Ford Everest, the Hyundai Santa Fe, and Kia’s Sorento.
It is a highly competitive segment of the market, and Toyota is fortunate to be represented by the Fortuner, which even in its refreshed version looks set to continue make the opposition eat dust, though the gap may be shrinking.
Pricing start at R653 500 for the Fortuner GD6 RB MT and the top-of-the range 2.8 GD6 4×4 VX will set you back at R915 400
A 3-year/100 000 km warranty and a 9-service/90 000 km service plan. (with intervals of 10 000 km) are included in the purchase price.
motoring:
Briefs
ITS UP TO YOU – EASTER
DRIVING
The approaching Easter long-weekend will see a surge in traffic volumes on major routes in the country, the AA again urge motorists to be especially vigilant on the roads for their own, and other road users’ safety.
Statistics from the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) show that 270 people died on the country’s roads over the Easter period in 2021. More than 2500 have died on the country’s roads over the Easter period in the last decade. Sadly, the increase in traffic over the Easter break also leads to an increase in the number of fatal crashes and road fatalities over this period. While traffic law enforcement is enhanced during this weekend, many road users continue to disobey the rules of the road, and to disregard their own and other road users’ safety. We therefore urge motorists, those on motorbikes, and pedestrians to be mindful of the increase in traffic volumes and to ensure they cautious and always focused on the road when travelling.
We have noted before, and we do again this year, that road safety remains a problem in South Africa but, at the same time, is not prioritised sufficiently by authorities. Even though traffic law enforcement is increased at specific times of the year, road users have a responsibility to obey the rules of the road.
INTEREST RATES HIKE STALLS CAR SALES
CITY OF TSHWANE: The Automotive Business Council said that the South African Reserve Bank [SARB] interest rates increase by 50-basis point to 7,75% repo rate and prime lending rate at 11,25% is already having an impact on a shrinking disposable income purse many consumers rely on when making new vehicle sales decisions.
Reflecting on the March 2023 vehicle sales, naamsa CEO, Mikel Mabasa said for many South African households, buying a brand-new car is the second mostimportant investment. The perceived continued increase in interest rates would likely have a negative impact on the already severely financially constraint consumers’ affordability to purchase vehicles and/or to service their car loan repayments.
For the period under review, aggregate domestic new vehicle sales, recorded at 50,157 units reflected a decline of 308 units, or 0,6%, from the 50,465 new vehicles sold in March 2022. Overall, out of the total reported industry sales of 50,157 vehicles, an estimated 43,801 units or 87,3% represented dealer sales, an estimated 6,1% represented sales to the vehicle rental industry, 4,1% to government, and 2,5% to industry corporate fleet.
CHERY MOVING FAST
Chery South Africa is moving fast to keep up with its ever-increasing sales volume in South Africa. The company this week inaugurated a new parts warehouse in Parkhaven, Boksburg in Gauteng, a mere 14 months after opening the doors to its previous facility. The new facility represents a doubling of storage space and available parts in this short time.
To put it in perspective, the new facility will hold stock of R70 million at all times and it can hold as much as R100 million in stock if required. This represents over 4 500 different part lines and a significant investment by Chery South Africa.
“In 2022, Chery’s first full year of sales, the company welcomed 13 142 new customers to the brand. This is a new record for any new entrant in the South African market and it makes Chery the seventh most popular brand in the country. We hope to further improve on this ranking in 2023,” says Tony Liu, Executive Deputy General Manager of Chery South Africa.
NEW 2024 MINI ELECTRIC HATCH SURFACES
The new-generation 2024 Mini Cooper electric hatch has surfaced online this week, captured in California as it undergoes filming and photography for the coming onslaught of marketing. The new-look Mini, posted to Instagram, looks set to enter as the biggest styling revolution the brand has seen in decades – as far as a Mini goes. The round headlights and huge grille are still present, but bother elements are bigger than ever before, surrounded by a more streamlined bumper design than past generations.
The rear is where the most standout change can be found, with new triangular tail lamps replacing the familiar rectangles of previous models. And, while we have only one photo to work from, it looks as if the Union Jack will continue as the key LED light signature. In 2021, BMW confirmed all future electric Mini models will be built in China by GWM.-WHICHCAR?
Published on the 93rd Edition.
