Author:charleen-clarke
A month ago or so, you might have seen the comparative test between the Toyota Fortuner 2.4 GD-6 4ร4 and the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport 2.4 4ร2 โ in which I declared the Pajero Sport my favourite vehicle in the segment and one that deserves to do much better in this segmentโs one-sided sales race. This week I have what โ admittedly โ is the vehicle that shouldโve featured in the comparison with the Fortuner, the 4ร4 version of the Pajero […]
The all-new Actros and Arocs will be launched in South Africa in May and September this year respectively. CHARLEEN CLARKE jetted to Dubai to get a sneak preview of both of these vehicles. In South Africa, we always talk about the demanding conditions in which trucks operate. This market isnโt for sissies, we say (rather proudly). Having just been to Dubai and experienced operating conditions there first-hand, I can categorically state that we are wrong! I was invited to Dubai […]
Automotive suppliers in South Africa can prosper โ and make big moolah (despite the many challenges that they face). However, they need to address certain issues, inlcuding capital expenditure (capex) and training. These are two of the findings of a special report called the South African Automotive Supplier Industry Benchmark Report 2018. FOCUS attended a special function to mark the release of this report, which is produced for the National Association of Automotive Component and Allied Manufacturers (Naacam), on Tuesday […]
Thereโs a massive shortage of truck drivers in the United States; it stands at about 50ย 000 right now, and this is estimated to grow to 174ย 000 by 2026. Given this situation, Uber is testing a freight-delivery method that blends self-driving and conventional driver-operated trucks to relieve drivers from too much time spent away from home. Human beings are better suited at manoeuvring trucks in busy cities; autonomous driving is better suited to tedious highway driving (because a self-driving truck doesnโt […]
While some companies (especially here in South Africa) are battling to survive, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles (VWCV) is romping to the bank vault โ having made its highest profit ever! Last year, VWCV delivered around 498 000 vehicles to customers all over the world (versus 478 000 in 2016). Sales revenue rose to around โฌ11,9 billion (R176 billion) โ versus โฌ11,1 billion (R165 billion) in 2016. Profit soared to โฌ853 million (R12,6 billion) โ versus โฌ455 million (R6,8 billion) in 2016. […]
An awesome new Land Rover Discovery has gone on sale in the United Kingdom. Itโs called the Discovery Commercial and itโs a rather sexy alternative to a van or bakkie. Instead of seats in the second and third row, it comes with a rather handy 1 856 litres of cargo space. Available with Land Roverโs Ingenium 2.0D SD4ย 179 kW and 3.0D TD6ย 192 kW engines, the Discovery Commercial shares the fundamental underpinnings of the regular Discovery, so you can deliver that […]
In a move that has shocked our industry to its very core, Geely Automotive chairman Li Shufu has purchased 9,69 percent of Daimler โ meaning Shufu is the single largest shareholder in the giant German company. Wow, we sure didnโt see that comingโฆ Many South Africans havenโt even heard of Shufu โ but heโs rapidly becoming The Big Boy in the global automotive industry. Forbes estimates his real time net worth at US$18,1 billion (R216 billion) โ and heโs been […]
In the world of the bakkie-based SUV, the Toyota Fortuner is king. Based as it is on the venerable Hilux, this would only be a reasonable expectation โ for in the bakkie world, the Hilux is king. However, while the Ford ranger and Isuzu KB commendably challenge the Hilux on the sales charts, the Fortuner remains comparatively unchallenged. It is undoubtedly the nationโs favourite in its segment โฆ but, does that mean itโs the best? A couple of weeks ago […]
Mercedes-Benz has pulled an electric rabbit out of its hat! The company has lifted the lid on the eActros, which, as its name implies, is a fully electric heavy-duty truck. I must say that I was surprised at the launch. While I knew that MAN was working on bringing an electric truck to market (weโre expecting it within months); the Mercedes-Benz team was very hush hush about its developments. This is not to say that the company has been snoozing […]
The long-awaited Mercedes-Benz Sprinter has made its debut! CHARLEEN CLARKE travelled to Duisburg, Germany, for the world premiere of this highly anticipated new van. โThe new Sprinter is to conventional vans what the smartphone is to a plain old mobile phone.โ That was how Volker Mornhinweg, head of Mercedes-Benz Vans, described the new Sprinter in Duisburg. Heโs spot on right on a number of counts โฆ and these are the reasons why. โข It looks a whole lot better Remember […]
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