Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2020 i Leisure Wheels

AS we start a new year, it is always great to reflect on the one that has passed. Here at Leisure Wheels, we are blessed that we get to do and see some incredible things. Thanks to continued support from the industry and you, our loyal reader, the magazine has continued from strength to strength and proves there is still room for print. Personally, there have been some highlights during 2019. I was able to interview personalities like Alfie Cox, John Smit, Mike Nixon, Nasser Al-Attiyah, Martin and Jeannie Dreyer, Fernando Alonso and Mattias Ekstrom and learn from all of them. I drove Chinese cars in China and came away with a very different impression of this country than I expected. I then drove a Chinese car across the longest…

The RAV4 is a really capable little 4×4, but we decided to equip it with a few extras and in the process, we went local. Over the years I have been amazed to see that we, one of the leading countries in the 4×4 industry, fail to develop our own equipment. It is no secret that the essence of most extras fitted to a South African 4×4 were developed in Australia and often manufactured in China or Thailand. We use Old Man Emu suspensions and ARB bull bars with T Max winches. We believe they are the best. All were developed in Australia and manufactured under strict specification from the Aussies in China. So are some of the opposition, like Tough Dog, Ironman, EFS and Opposite Lock. Looking for extras…

Isuzu Motors of Japan confirmed it will be investing R1.2 billion into the next generation bakkie programme in South Africa, while an additional total local content value of R2.8 billion will be generated through the lifecycle of the programme. This milestone development follows Isuzu’s takeover last year of the company’s light commercial vehicle operations, as well as the balance of shareholding in the trucks business. This decision saved 1 000 direct jobs, 4 000 jobs through its dealer network and many more through its base of 430 suppliers in South Africa. Current plans are to grow the company’s annual bakkie production to 29 000 units per annum, said Yoichi Masuda, senior executive officer for Isuzu Motors Limited and chairman of the Isuzu Motors South Africa board. “Our decision to invest…

Renault’s beloved and controversial Kwid recently underwent a significant facelift. We say ‘controversial and beloved’ because the Kwid infamously scored one star in its Global NCAP test. Yet, Renault continues to sell thousands of them to adoring South Africans. In October, Renault sold 1 056. Whatever your personal feelings about this car, the newest version is now available in South Africa, featuring even more of everything that made it such a huge hit. From the outside, the Kwid is more muscular than before and it comes as standard with new 14-inch wheels with more aggressive wheel covers. The new design highlights include SUV-styled headlamps with silver streak LED daylight running lights and tail lamps with LED light guides. The highlight of the interior remains the MediaNav infotainment system, now larger…

Stylmartin, famous for making the most stylish motorcycle riding boots in the world, is now available in South Africa. This follows an agreement between Stylmartin of Italy and IMI, the official distributors of Aprilia and Moto Guzzi in South Africa. Stylmartin focuses exclusively on the design and crafting of motorcycle boots, made with natural textiles, Italian leather and other premium materials. It first made these boots for Italian superbike racers in the 1970s and have gained an international following since reviving the brand in 2004. There are a range of shoes for male and female motorcyclists, including specific shoes for off-road racing, touring, track racing and more leisurely urban and café racer applications. The company also makes motorcycle shoes for kids in its Minimoto range. All shoes are reinforced in…

JOUB’S DINER R62 Set next to the scenic R62 artery on the outskirts of the hamlet of Joubertina, Joub’s Diner R62 offers an extended menu catering for all tastes. But it’s the restaurant’s pizzas that ensure people from far and wide dine here. Made in a wood-fired oven, the pizzas are a treat. Best you arrive hungry. More information: Tel: 042 273-1031 LEOPARD’S LEAP WINE Our guests enjoyed a selection of Leopard’s Leap Family Vineyards’ finest wines at the dinner tables. More information: leopardsleap.co.za WILDERNESS HOTEL, WILDERNESS Set in the beautiful Wilderness, next to the Indian Ocean, this hotel is steeped in history. With this area attracting a lot of tourist attention from the early 1800s, a small stone farmhouse was the only structure in this area. In time it…

LET’S start off by saying this list doesn’t include the most obvious driving apps most of us already use. Any decent smartphone should include both Google Maps and Waze, as well as some sort of music player or music streaming service. This list includes a number of driving apps meant to enhance the driving experience, or help you out with some motoring-related activity. All of these apps are available in South Africa, but not all of them are free. In fact, some of them are quite expensive given they’re really nothing more than a collection of ones and zeros. Most importantly, these apps all integrate with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which means you don’t have to physically hold your phone or engage with it while driving. 1 POCKET CASTS…

THE friendly staff quickly show me to my campsite and in the blink of an eye my tent is standing. The location mesmerises me with its massive oak trees and I think to myself that they must be at least a 100 years old and could probably tell a few stories. The camp site is neat and well maintained and I instantly fall in love with the place. The campsite was thoughtfully designed so that you don’t impede on your neighbour’s space. The sites are roomy and on the side where I camped, the large trees provide beautiful shade. There are two camping options available. When you drive into the property and turn left there is a dam and swimming pool filled with mountain water. To the right, the sites…

The intro above is a thinly veiled reference to the Terminator franchise and its main antagonist, Skynet. For the uninitiated, Skynet is a fictional artificial intelligence created by the US military to automatically co-ordinate its defence strategy. Skynet was created to out-think human enemies and was given the keys to a nuclear arsenal. There was only one problem: since Skynet had the ability to think for itself, it soon realised humans were their own worst enemy so it bombed the whole lot. The end. To many, it’s the main reason why the idea of self-driving cars should not be explored. The inescapable conclusion would be that humans are flawed and make mistakes and machines do not. How long before we’d have to surrender driving entirely? That approach is a bit…

Mahindra has taken the next step in its South African growth story with the opening of a special fitment centre in Gauteng. Located in the Motorvia Distribution Centre in Kempton Park, the new Mahindra Special Fitment Centre will be home to over 20 technical specialists. It will give Mahindra South Africa the capability to introduce locally designed and tested Special Edition models and unique variants to meet specific customer requirements. “Our new centre has four dedicated fitment lines where our specialists can fit a range of equipment, all to our level of specification and always with approved equipment and accessories,” says Rajesh Gupta, CEO of Mahindra SA. The opening of the new centre follows a year after Mahindra opened its assembly facility in Durban where it builds the complete range…

The Mini Clubman is now available with the most powerful engine ever fitted to a Mini thanks to the full John Cooper Works (JCW) treatment and a 225kW four-cylinder engine. This engine is mated to an eightspeed Steptronic sports transmission, including limited slip differential on the front axle and an ALL4 all-wheel drive system. The refreshing of the four-cylinder engine sees an increase in power by 55kW to 225kW and 100Nm to 450Nm. Mini claims this Clubman can sprint from standstill to 100km/h in just 4.9 seconds, which is 1.4 seconds faster than the model it replaces. Other improvements include a new exhaust system that ensures a suitable soundtrack, bigger JCW brakes and new LED headlights. Under the skin, suspension components were updated, too, optimised in terms of component rigidity,…

As always, the 2019 Defender Trophy was a family-friendly overlanding event where only natural obstacles and routes were selected. The website emphasises the fact that it’s not a 4×4 competition that will test man and machine to destruction but rather the kind of contest where you win points by answering questions about the local fauna, flora, culture, history, sponsors and, naturally, the car itself. This year was a bit special because it took place a mere 10 days after the all-new Defender made its official debut. In all likelihood, an all-new Defender will be entered next year, making this the last year the Defender as we know it will have this event all to itself. As for how the Defender faithful feel about the new vehicle… you’re either in the…

A Nissan Patrol is a pukka off-roader, with 4×4, low range and big tyres. They are legendary in the overlanding world no matter the model. So in theory, they don’t really belong on a drag strip. So what am I doing at a drag racing event? In a Nissan patrol? A stock Nissan Patrol. Well, the Y62 has a V8 under the bonnet. Producing 298kW and 560Nm, it has plenty of grunt. Enough to embarrass a couple of hot hatches right? Well, there are no hot hatches around on this particular evening. Just fast Nissans. ClUB 23 OUTLAWS These events are the brainchild of the GTR and Z Club of Southern Africa. Its members were looking for a safe and legal environment to race against each other and start a…

THE new JL looks like a Jeep Wrangler. In fact, it looks exactly like a Jeep Wrangler. It’s an iconic silhouette that first appeared in 1941, during the Second World War. It eventually played a pivotal role in helping secure an Allied victory, too, further swelling its legendary status. The seven-slot grille, capped off with seven-inch round headlights. The familiar, boxy shape with upright windscreen. The wide wheel arches, with the wheels set in the corners for best approach and departure angles. Plenty of ground clearance. It’s all very Jeep Wrangler. Yet, if you look a bit more closely, the new JL represents a gargantuan improvement over the previous JK model. On face value, it appears Jeep’s engineers have hit the nail on the head. Keep it Wrangler but make…

FEAR not, fellow traveller; help is at hand. We have done the research so you don’t have to and what follows is the greatest list of snacks for the road and trail ever compiled. However, even great lists can be improved and we welcome your suggestions of things that work for you. Feel free to email us with your secrets, must-haves or things you reckon we forgot. 1 A BIG BAKKIE OF SWEETS Diabetes in a box! I first thought this one up when I travelled to Kruger with some friends donkey’s years ago and it was such a hit, I got invited back. And don’t try kidding yourself, this one isn’t just for the kids. Adults can’t resist this either. Granted, today it costs an arm and a leg…

FOR 2020, the Dakar Rally moves to Saudi Arabia. A new country brings new challenges for the teams as they explore uncharted routes and terrain. One thing is for sure, there will be big dunes and plenty of sand. In the car category, Toyota Gazoo Racing has entered four of its South African-built Hilux bakkies driven by Nasser Al- Attiyah and Mathieu Baumel, Bernard ten Brinke and Tom Colsoul, Fernando Alonso and Marc Coma and local boytjie Giniel de Villiers alongside navigator Alex Haro, this star-studded line-up should ensure this South African team is a force to be reckoned with for overall honours in the category. The team has done considerably more testing prior to this event than ever before to ensure their already competitive and reliable vehicle is ready…

There’s an old expression that goes something along the lines of “familiarity breeds contempt”. Basically, if you spend enough time with something, you’re bound to get bored by it, which inevitably leads to disdain. We don’t believe this is true when it comes to cars. In fact, there’s something rather alluring about familiarity. Hopping from one new car to the next, you start appreciating extended stints in a vehicle a lot more. After a month, you know exactly what everything does, where the most important controls are located and what wiper blade setting you prefer. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: a man’s preferred wiper speed setting is an extremely personal thing. Sometimes this works in its favour. Spend a day with something small and strange and…

THE Tshwane Automotive SEZ was officially launched by South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa and is an automotive component supplier industrial park that will play a significant role in bolstering further investment and job creation in the local economy. It will also be instrumental in enabling future expansion opportunities for Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa’s (FMCSA) local operations. “The launch of the Tshwane Automotive SEZ is a milestone achievement following five years of engagement between Ford Motor Company and government, specifically the Department of Trade and Industry,” says Neale Hill, managing director of Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa. “It is an exceptionally proud moment for Ford to have partnered with the South African Government in the creation and development of the Tshwane Automotive SEZ, as an enabler for economic…

Keep up to date with news, videos, photos and articles, with Leisure Wheels online Like our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/LeisureWheels Follow us on Twitter: @LeisureWheelsZA Web: www.leisurewheels.co.za SHARED ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE This is the Ford Nugget. We are not 100% sold on the name but the rest is pretty cool. Dan Dunlap: Pretty cool Gerrit Naude: All-wheel drive? Leisure Wheels @ Gerrit Naude: No, but there is a company in Germany that does an allwheel- drive conversion. Eugene C Fredericks: Hope it’s gonna be sold in our part of the world. Daniel Steyn: Did they ask KFC if they could use the name? Black Bison now offers a Hilux with side-exit exhausts Johann Swanepoel: Those exhaust pipes on the side ain’t gonna last very long on a 4×4 route. And…

Following his exit from Formula One, Fernando Alonso began to dabble in other motorsport series and has had tremendous success in the World Endurance championship. Looking for a new challenge, he will tackle the 2020 Dakar Rally behind the wheel of a South African-built Toyota Hilux. We caught up with him during a testing session in Lichtenburg. In Formula One and WEC you have a pit crew that will change your tyre if you get a flat. Have you needed to change the tyre on the Hilux yet? We have not had to change a tyre yet but my navigator, Marc Coma, has won Dakar five times and in order to do that he needed to know how to rebuild his bike, so Marc knows his way around some spanners.…

Lexus has given its RX SUV range an extensive overhaul, including some muchneeded equipment upgrades on the inside. From a design perspective, the changes include a new rendition of the signature Lexus grille, slimmer and sharper headlights and more rounded edges. The rear features a redesigned lower bumper that links smoothly to the rear wings. New LED combination lights have been changed to a mirrored L-motif design that contributes to greater brand recognition. All models come standard with 20-inch alloy wheels and an electrically operated sunroof. The infotainment system has been upgraded to a 12.3-inch display featuring touchscreen functionality. The new RX also provides seamless smartphone connectivity via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Voice control can be enabled via Apple’s Siri or Google Assistant if using an Android device. This…

After months of teasing, Aston Martin has finally unveiled its first-ever SUV, the DBX. The DBX’s bonded aluminium construction has resulted in a 2 245kg kerb weight, which will be motivated by an AMG-sourced 4.0-litre twin turbocharged V8 petrol engine. Aston Martin says the engine produces 404kW and 700Nm of torque. The 0–100km/h sprint time is claimed to be 4.5 seconds, while the top speed is said to be 290km/h. The DBX is equipped with a 48-volt adaptive air suspension and anti-roll system. With its capacity to raise the ride height by 45mm or lower it by 50mm, the air suspension gives any driver the confidence to tackle a wide range of terrain. Transmitting this power and torque to the ground is a nine-speed torque convertor automatic gearbox, allied to…

Casio South Africa has released the all-new G-Shock GA-140, a large analogue-digital resin model with the same case and features as the bestselling GA-100/110 series and a new dial design. The dial is slightly asymmetrical with easy-to-read arrow-shaped hands. The watch has a simple and straightforward layout and is likely to appeal to those who prefer the GA-100 over the GA-110. The updated dial appearance has more depth than the previous GA-100/110 series and offers a number of features, including a 1/1000-second stopwatch that works in tandem with the average speed indicator sundial at three o’clock (similar in function to a tachymeter); chronographic abilities including elapsed time, split time, and lap time; a digital time sub dial at 12 o’clock for a second time zone; and day and date in…

“HEY, are you guys driving that Bethlehem karretjie ?” A gentleman came strolling over in the hamlet of Klaarstroom, set in the shadows of the Swartberg Mountains. We were parked in front of the hotel. Not that you can park in front of much else in Klaarstoom. Maybe the general dealer. And the police station. But that’s about it. We later found out the gent is a retired policeman who has secured a bit of reputation in the district for helping to keep law and order. He was pointing at our Subaru Forester. Bethlehem car? The Forester has Gauteng number plates, not Free State ones. He grinned, clearly pleased by the perplexed looks on our faces. “Look at the stars in that Subaru badge, with that one big star. Like…

“AH, the Renault 5. Now that brings back some memories.” Fuel economy and general driving legend Willie Nel had a big smile on his face, as we stood chatting, beers in hand. “I remember barrelling down a steep hill, on a gravel road, Harry Flatters. There was a major caution for a dip at the bottom of this hill but I kept my right foot flat. That little Renault hit the dip, became completely airborne, then touched down, carrying on regardless. It was always solid, too, and no matter if you drove it flat out or with a feather-foot, it always drank just about the same amount of petrol, which was less than five litres/100km.” So there I was, chatting to the man who incited my late father to acquire…

UNFORTUNATELY, the Canyon was not included in our special-edition bakkie shootout so we decided to take a bog-standard V6 Amarok along for the ride. There was no way we could leave the bakkie GTI out of a shootout between double cabs meant to make their drivers feel special. Sure, it didn’t have fancy stickers, grippier tyres or a modified suspension set-up but it does have that mighty V6. Perhaps that was already more than enough? With the Amarok selling around 250 units per month (70% are of the V6 variety) you might even argue it’s a more exclusive item and therefore doesn’t need a limited-edition derivative to make it stand out. Following comprehensive scruting by our panel of 4×4 experts, the Amarok ended up winning, followed closely by the Ford…

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BY now it’s clear the Renault Duster has quite a large following in South Africa. With nearly 300 sold per month, how could it not? There are quite a few Duster owners out there and almost all of them easily spot our modified version. To be blunt, it’s not that hard to miss. This means you frequently find yourself stationary at a robot, wondering why people are snapping pictures of the car. That kind of thing usually happens only when you drive something extremely expensive and shouty. We’re not complaining, as we hope all of these snaps eventually lead to enquiries. Getting a Duster to look like this doesn’t cost all that much and it’s even cheaper if you buy a used model. As stated in the last issue, there…