WeeklySA_AdminRELIEF AT FUEL PUMPS IN APRIL
South Africans motorists are set for a bit of a break next month as the prices for fuels like petrol and diesel are set to decrease, according to the Automobile Association of South Africa (AA).
Speaking on local TV AA spokesperson Layton Beard said that South Africa’s fuel prices will decrease from Wednesday 5th April. The AA expects a full announcement to be made closer to that time, either Sunday or Monday, with more information on the exact price changes.
While still too early to know precisely what price changes are coming to products like illuminating paraffin and petrol, Beard did say that motorists can expect the price of diesel to decrease by around 53 cents.
However, he noted that “the situation is pretty flat for petrol” but “in all likelihood, we will see a decrease to [petrol prices], the question now is exactly how much that will be.”
WHO NEEDS A CAR
SALESPERSON?
If you want to test drive a new Tesla, you do not even have to step foot into one of its showrooms. That is because the US brand is trying to branch out to new customers with the launch of its ‘Remote Test Drives’, which offer drivers to chance to get behind the wheel without having to shake the hand of a car salesman or woman.
Customers will be able to unlock the car they want to test with their phone, have a half-hour video call to discuss the vehicle’s features and then take the expensive electric vehicle (EV) out on a 30-minute drive unaccompanied.
Tesla says it already applies ‘21st century thinking to car purchase and ownership’ but now wants to expand this into pre-sales too.
FINAL EDITION MINI
CLUBMAN
MINI has revealed the new, ominously named Final Edition of the Clubman, which adds a host of bespoke details inside and out. 1,969 units will be made globally (a reference to the original’s launch year) and only 100 of these will come to the UK.
The MINI Clubman is one of the more oddball cars you can buy. It manages to tow the line between hatchback and estate, although MINI itself calls it a shooting-brake. The Clubman’s future is in doubt however, as the current model has been on sale since 2015 and there doesn’t appear to be a plan to replace it.
MINI has been vocal in recent months about a swathe of upcoming models. The all-new Aceman SUV will be unveiled next year alongside the next-generation Countryman and a larger Volkswagen Golf-sized MINI is also on the cards – which is expected to replace the Clubman.
LIFELINE FOR COMBUSTION ENGINE
Germany and the European Union announced on Saturday that they had reached an agreement in the dispute over the future of cars with combustion engines, allowing the registration of new passenger vehicles with such engines after 2035 provided they use climate-neutral ‘e-fuels’ only.
Just last month, the European Parliament had formally approved a law to effectively ban the sale of any new car with a combustion engine – including petrol, diesel and hybrid models – in the European Union from 2035.
However, Germany had threatened to block the law from being rubberstamped unless it included the loophole for new vehicles running exclusively on carbon-neutral e-fuels.
The UK Government does not yet have an official line on whether combustion engine cars using e-fuels will be allowed to remain in showrooms, though a Department for Transport spokesperson told us that if industry can prove they are ‘zero-emission’ they could stay on sale beyond 2035.
JAC FLEXES MUSCLE WITH T9 HUNTER RANGE
DOUBLE-CAB SERIES: Bakkie buyers will love its large body design which is one of the most important buying motivators
By Ali Mphaki
JAC Motors South Africa has announced is about to launch its new top-of-the-range T9 double-cab series in 2023. The new T9 Hunter range, comprising four models, including 4×4 and 4×2 derivatives, will lead the company’s quest in the competitive lifestyle segment of the double-cab bakkie market.
The T9, developed for both left- and right-hand drive markets, is manufactured in China, utilising state-of-the-art production facilities. The T9 turbo-diesel derivative will be introduced in South Africa and Australia in the second semester of this year, with a PHEV derivative following at the end of 2023. The battery-electric derivative’s introduction is planned for early 2024.
The new T9’s bold design, its large body measuring 5 330 mm (L) x 1 965 mm (W) x 1 920 mm (H), and its wheelbase of 3 110 mm, created tremendous interest when it was first shown to the public at the Beijing Auto Show in 2020. Since then, more R&D has been done to prepare the new T9 for its global launch in one of the world’s most competitive market segments.
“We are excited about the imminent arrival of the new T9 Hunter range. Bakkie buyers will love its large body design because local customer research highlights that a bakkie’s actual size is one of the most important buying motivators when it is purchased,” says Karl-Heinz Göbel, CEO of JAC Motors South Africa.
The T9 Hunter’s 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine produces 125 kW and 410 Nm sending the power through a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission to the rear wheels. The T9 4×4 derivatives feature a part-time 4×4 system with a low-range transfer case and a rear diff-lock. It offers a towing mass of 3 500 kg (braked).
Local specification levels still need to be confirmed, but the T9 range will only be available in an eight-speed automatic transmission to ensure a relaxing driving experience.
The T9’s active- and passive safety feature list includes seven airbags, autonomous emergency braking, forward collision warning, rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, tyre pressure monitoring, a surround-view parking camera and ISOFIX child seat anchors.
Other standard equipment includes a 10.4-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone mirroring, wireless phone charging, a 7-inch driver information screen, heated power-adjustable front seats, partial leather trim, a 220V power outlet and climate control with air ducks for passengers in the back of the cab.
“South Africa and Australia are important markets in JAC Motors’ plans to increase its global right-hand drive market share; that is why we get the latest high-tech products like the T9 and the battery-electric N-Series trucks early in their product lifecycles.”
Pricing and standard specification for the JAC T9 Hunter range will be announced closer to its launch.
Published on the 92nd Edition.
