Author:focus-on-transport

New GWM P Series bakkie coming to SA in 2020

The flagship GWM P Series Pickup will be arriving in South Africa towards the end of 2020, and we’ll be treated to the mid-spec model at the launch in April The new P Series Pickup from Great Wall Motors (GWM) will compete head-on with Toyota, Ford and other international mainstream double-cab bakkie brands in the global market. With the comfort of a sedan, the off-road ability of an SUV, the recreational nature of a station wagon and the loading capability […]

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Transport Manager’s Handbook 2020

The Transport Manager’s Handbook 2020 is available to view as an Ebook or to download in pdf format. Click here to download in pdf format.

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FOCUS Issue 2 2020

FOCUS Issue 2 2020 is available to view as an Ebook or to download in pdf format. Click here to download in pdf format.

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State of the commercial vehicle market, December 2019

New vehicle sales ended 2019 on a high note with 41 698 units moving off showroom floors in December, a rise of 4,2 percent compared with the figure for the corresponding month the previous year. While passenger car sales increased by 9,1 percent, volumes in the light commercial market dropped by 6,7 percent. Sales of medium and heavy commercial vehicles were up by 19,0 percent and 18,8 percent respectively, while sales of extra-heavy commercial vehicles declined by 19,1 percent. Light […]

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World Car Awards finalists announced

The finalists in the 2020 World Car of the Year contest have been announced at the Delhi Auto Show in India. A jury of 86 distinguished international automotive journalists – including South Africa’s Charleen Clarke – selected the finalists by secret ballot. The 2020 World Car of the Year (WCOTY) winner will be selected from 10 finalists, chosen from an initial list of 29 contenders. The Top Ten World Car of the Year finalists are, in alpha order: Hyundai Sonata, […]

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Kamaz takes the Dakar!

Looking like something out of Mad Max, the victorious Kamazes that took part in this year’s Dakar Rally were perceived to embody everything that’s crazy and wonderful about the event The Dakar Rally is perceived to be one of the motorsport world’s greatest challenges; a two-week journey to hell and back across a succession of relentless dunes and rocky outcrops. This year marked the first time the race had been held in Saudi Arabia – but conditions remained just as […]

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Cleaning up refuse collection

A recent report in a Canadian publication, Truck News, caught my eye: The Department of Sanitation in New York (DSNY) had just taken delivery of its first fully electric refuse truck – a Mack LR. The vehicle’s capabilities had been demonstrated to journalists at a handover event, where Jonathan Randall, a senior vice-president at Mack, had said the DSNY – which he described as the world’s largest sanitation department – would put the truck through real-life paces from April. β€œThere’s […]

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The new Peugeot Partner – the ultimate driver experience

Having been voted International Van of the Year 2019, the new Peugeot Partner – with its i-Cockpit as standard, along with state-of-the-art technology, driver comfort and advanced acoustics for the ultimate driver experience – is setting an unprecedented standard in the LCV segment An optimum ergonomic layout, tip-top comfort and exemplary safety systems make for an intuitive driving experience, including: Compact, double D-style steering wheel for improved grip and manoeuvrability – handling is swifter, less tiring and ten times more […]

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Transport and logistics under pressure

South African households are feeling the pressure of the weak economy and load shedding. With both consumer and business confidence negative in the fourth quarter of 2019, most freight transporters are feeling the effects in terms of tonnages and a decline in real income. According to the latest Ctrack Freight & Transport Index, only sea freight volumes recorded positive growth during the quarter. Land transport, which had maintained positive numbers until September for rail freight and October for road freight, […]

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Mercedes-Benz X-Class to be axed

Just two years ago, Mercedes-Benz launched its first premium mid-sized bakkie, the X-Class. However, it failed to garner the following it promised and, according to parent company Daimler, production will cease by May 2019. According to Automotive News Europe, only 16 700 units were sold in 2018 in Europe, Australia and South Africa combined. Only 973 units were sold in South Africa in 2019 – versus the Toyota Hilux, which sold 40Β 934 units. So, what went wrong? Launched just two […]

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