WeeklySA_AdminExciting: There’s something for everyone including entry-level cars right up to ultra-luxurious models and everything in between
By Motoring Reporter
With 2025 fast approaching the half-time mark, South African car buyers still have much to look forward to in terms of new car introductions.
The first four months of the year have been hectic with several new car launches and updates, but brace yourself for more exciting entry-level cars including new EVs right up to ultra-luxurious cars and everything in between.
As they say, there’s something for everyone in the year of our Lord 2025. Here’s a look of some of the models coming our way: One of the eagerly awaited cars is the new Audi Q5, expected in the fourth quarter of 2025.
Built on Audi’s Premium Platform Combustion (PPC) architecture, the new third-generation Q5 SUV will initially be offered with a 48V mild-hybrid turbopetrol and -diesel powertrains, with PHEV derivatives to be added later. Although the SA line-up has yet to be finalised, the new Q5 will feature one or more of the following mild-hybrid (MHEV) powerplants, each of which will be mated with a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
Powertrain options include a 150 kW/340 Nm 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbopetrol engine in either front-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive quattro guise. A 150 kW/400 Nm 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbodiesel with quattro all-wheel drive is likely as well as a 270 kW/550 Nm 3.0-litre V6 turbopetrol engine which will power the SQ5 quattro flagship The new Q5 Sportback is due to arrive locally in 2026.
Chinese manufacturer
BAIC is expected to introduce its BJ30 compact offroad SUV which will stand alongside the larger BJ40 and the Beijing 55 in the firm’s local lineup.
The BJ30 is powered by either a 1.5-litre turbopetrol engine with 138 kW and 305 Nm or a hybrid electric version that produces a combined output of 246 kW and 550 Nm. The BJ30 features a modern cabin architecture equipped with a 14.6-inch infotainment screen and a 10.25-inch instrument cluster.
Note that local specification and pricing details will be confirmed closer to arrival in 2025.
Also confirmed is the Chery Tiggo 9 , the largest vehicle in the Chinese carmaker’s lineup with arrival set in the third quarter of 2025.
The Tiggo 9 will be offered with 2 powertrain options including a combustion engine and a PHEV option. Not to be left behind is Hyundai which will expand its local SUV offering with the addition of the Indian-built Alcazar 6/7-seater that’s based on the Creta.
The Alcazar will be offered with either a 1.5-litre turbodiesel engine with 85 kW and 250 Nm and paired with a 6-speed manual or automatic transmission or a 1.5-litre turbopetrol engine with 118 kW and 253 Nm and paired with either a 6-speed manual or 7-speed dual-clutch transmission.
The interior of the Alcazar features a tech-forward design approach with a large 10.25-inch infotainment system and a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster combined with the dashboard with a third control panel positioned in the lower dashboard. As a 6-seater, the second row can be had with 2 captain chairs for extra comfort.
Jeep lovers will be pleased to note the updated Gladiator can be expected towards the middle of 2025 with a subtle exterior styling revision and riding on new alloy wheel designs. The interior also gains a new 12.3-inch touchscreen! The American brand’s naturally aspirated 3.6-litre Pentastar V6 petrol engine will remain with 209 kW and 347 Nm of torque on offer and paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission.
Following the recent introduction of the Jetour Dashing and X70 Plus, the Chinese firm will look to expand its local range with the addition of the T2 offroader which will go head-to-head with the GWM Tank 300.
The T2 is powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine that offers 186 kW and 390 Nm and is paired with a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission.
We’ve been waiting for the new Mahindra Thar for a few years now and we’re holding thumbs that the Thar Roxx will finally go on sale in South Africa.
Seeing that South Africa is 4×4 crazy, an affordable and well-sorted offroad vehicle will sell well locally and the Thar Roxx ticks all the right boxes. The Thar Roxx is powered by a turbocharged 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder petrol engine that produces 119 kW and 330 Nm in 6-speed manual form or 130 kW and 380 Nm in 6-speed automatic guise.
2025 will be a busy year for Renault as the French firm prepares to launch numerous new and updated products in South Africa. The Duster is a major success story for Renault and the launch of the new Duster is significant. The rugged appeal of the Duster has been retained but previous Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) options are making way for electrically assisted powertrains.
The new Duster has arrived in South Africa with a 96 kW / 230 Nm 1.2-litre 3-cylinder turbopetrol engine with 48-volt mild-hybrid technology as well as a 1.3-litre turbopetrol engine with 113 kW and 250 Nm.
Lamborghini will introduce its first plug-in hybrid Urus SE in South Africa in 2025. Order books are open with pricing starting from R4 875 000. The Urus SE is the most powerful Urus ever with 588 kW and 950 Nm developed from its twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 engine that works in conjunction with a powerful electric motor allowing for impressive performance. The sprint from zero to 100 kph is claimed in just 3.4 seconds before reaching a top speed of 312 kph. A 25.9 kWh lithium-ion battery allows for an all-electric driving range of around 60 km.
Ferrari will unleash its new 12Cilindri in both Coupe and Spider forms in the first quarter of 2025. Powering the 12Cilindri is Ferarri’s stellar front-mounted 6.5-litre naturally aspirated 12-cylinder petrol engine with peak outputs of 610 kW and 678 Nm. An 8-speed dual-clutch transmission lights up the rear wheels and the 12 Cilindri is capable of sprinting from zero to 100kph in just 2.9 seconds before reaching 200 kph in 7.9 seconds and topping out at 340 kph.
Order books for the Ferrari 12Cilindri are open with pricing starting from R9 995 000.
MOTORING: Briefs
NISSAN IN REVERSE GEAR
Nissan has announced its 2024 financial results, and they are even worse than the ailing company had projected. The company announced a net loss of £3.4bn over the course of 2024 and says 2025 isn’t looking any rosier.
The biggest news is the loss of a total of 20,000 jobs worldwide – 11,000 more than initially announced – including in areas like manufacturing, administrative and R&D. The brand has also confirmed it will ‘consolidate its vehicle production’ by closing seven manufacturing plants (down to 10) by 2027. To combat the plunging losses, new CEO Ivan Espinosa – who took over from Makoto Uchida who stepped down in the wake of the failed merger with Honda – has initiated the Re:Nissan plan. The aim is for the company to become profitable again after the 2026 financial year.
BEST SELLING EV
Volvo’s EX30 was the best-selling electric vehicle (EV) in South Africa in 2024, selling over 400 units, nearly double that of the second-place BMW iX3. This is according to GreenCape’s 2025 Electric Vehicles Market Intelligence report, which expects the country’s EV market to reach 25,456 vehicles, or R13.9 billion, by 2030. GreenCape says the primary drivers of this growth will be innovative financing models, rising fuel costs, the entrance of affordable models, and the growth of public charging infrastructure.
The report notes that there are currently 7.95 million passenger vehicles in South Africa, with 363,682 new cars sold in 2022 and 340,662 in 2023.
NEW RAV4 SPIED
It was long thought the new RAV4 would be an evolution of its predecessor, following in the tyre tracks of the Camry sedan in sharing its underpinnings and some of its body panels with its predecessor to reduce costs. While it’s still expected to use a carry-over or lightly-revised platform, spy photos suggest the bodywork will be all-new, albeit similar to the outgoing RAV4.
The RAV4’s boxy proportions and chiselled lines remain, but with a new ‘hammerhead’ front fascia similar to the Camry, bZ4X and latest Prius home to C-shaped LED headlights and a honeycomb grille. There are slimmer LED tail-lights below what appear to be a more upright tailgate than before, plus new sculpting along the doors.
SEVEN MAJOR CAR BRANDS RECALL
The National Consumer Commission (NCC) has urgently recalled several vehicle brands and models sold in South Africa. The recall is over various defects found in the vehicles related to airbags, axles, batteries, and seatbelts.
According to the NCC, the affected brands include Jeep Wrangler, Chrysler, Citroën, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, VW Polo and Sedan, and Volvo. This recall applies to specific car models under these brands that were manufactured between 2014 and 2016.
KEEP IT AT 30KM/H
South African authorities are ushering in sweeping road regulation changes effective July 2025, aimed at curbing the carnage on the nation’s roads. These reforms come in response to persistently high crash fatalities, roughly 14,000 lives lost annually and an economic toll estimated at R300 billion per year due to road accidents. From speed limit cuts to stricter drunk-driving laws, the new rules mark one of the most comprehensive overhauls of traffic regulations in decades.
One of the headline changes is reduced speed limits in areas deemed high-risk for pedestrians and visibility. Urban residential streets and school zones will now be limited to 30 km/h, a significant drop aimed at protecting children and pedestrians in these areas. (Previously, such zones often had limits of 40–60 km/h.)
Drivers will notice new 30 km/h signs posted in neighborhoods and near schools, and authorities warn that speed cameras will strictly enforce these lower limits.
