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4 Awesome things we look forward to experiencing in the all-new Toyota GR 86

vuyi on April 7, 2021

The all-new Toyota GR 86, which made its world debut today is the third model in the global GR portfolio, joining the widely acclaimed GR Supra and GR Yaris.

Before you get too excited, the first thing you ought to know is that the GR 86 is only set to launch locally in Q1 of 2022; so there’s no need to start reconfiguring your household budget – just yet. In fact, we don’t have the pricing of the new sports car but we’ll certainly share that critical tidbit as soon as we have it. Bar pricing, here’s what we do know and our top-4 reasons to be thrilled about.

We can’t wait to plant our manicured feet on its (gas) pedal! Similar to its predecessor, we expect that the GR 86 will remain faithful to its revered fun-to-drive characteristics. Powered by a new, lightweight, horizontally opposed, four-cylinder engine, the incoming GR 86 will be propelled by a four-cylinder, 2.4-litre engine, producing 173kW and 250Nm. This is a step up from the 2.0-litre unit found in its predecessor.
We can’t wait to turn heads in it! The GR 86 retains the dimensions of the GT86, meaning it will be drop dead sexy and impossible to miss. Apart from being incredibly good-looking, the GR 86 will maintain a low centre of gravity allowing for agile handling. Coupled with increased torsional rigidity (increased by approximately 50%) the GR 86 will deliver even sharper handling and steering. For drivers who have attended more than one advanced driving course, this means taking curves will be an adrenalin inducing experience.
We can’t wait to get into ‘girl-racer’ mode! Thanks to the GT86’s proven motorsport track record – pun intended – the GR 86 will feature functional aerodynamic components, most notable being the front air ducts and side-rocker panels. These should aid the sports car to achieve expected best in-class handling and stability.
We can’t wait to test its suitability to everyday driving! The GR 86 is expected to the the lightest four-seater coupe in its class, thanks to weight-saving initiatives such as the use of aluminum for the roof and body panels. We anticipate that this will result in lower fuel consumption figures. Of course the amount of pressure applied to the gas pedal might cancel that out, a trait which will be more about the driver than the design of the vehicle!

The Toyota GT86, which was launched in 2012, went on to find more than 200,000 homes globally. If Toyota has retained the authentic driver feel of their newest sports car, and have not saturated the all-new GR 86 with countless driver (aka nanny) aids, the GR 86 should do just as well if not better than its outdated sibling.

Jaguar I-PACE wins 2020 AutoTrader South African Car of the Year

vuyi on July 8, 2020

The Jaguar I-PACE EV400 AWD SE is the 2020 AutoTrader South African Car of the Year!

This is the first time that the competition has been won by a Jaguar and also the first win by an electric car.

The accolade is the latest in a long line of victories for the all-electric I-PACE. It won the 2019 World Car of the Year, World Car Design of the Year and World Green Car awards (the I-PACE was the first model ever to win three World Car titles in the 15-year history of the awards). It also claimed the European Car of Year title last year.

The Mercedes-Benz GLE400d 4Matic was placed second while the Toyota GR Supra 3.0T came third.

The win by a Jaguar and an electric car were two firsts for the contest, which is organised by the South African Guild of Motoring Journalists. Given the lockdown, the winner of the 2020 AutoTrader South African Car of the Year was announced during a virtual awards ceremony that was streamed live – this was another first for the AutoTrader South African Car of the Year.

Performance Car: Toyota GR Supra 3.0T
Performance Car: Toyota GR Supra 3.0T

There are a number of category winners in the 2020 AutoTrader South African Car of the Year, and these winners were announced as well.

Watch the 2020 Auto Trader South African Car of the Year Announcement

The winner in the Urban Category was the Hyundai Atos 1.1 Motion. This category covers compact budget-friendly passenger vehicles that are ideal for in-town driving. Buyers of these cars typically rate practicality over luxury and performance.

The next category – Family – is especially popular. It consists of mid-size sedans. Buyers of these vehicles expect quality, practicality and comfort –with an element of advanced handling dynamics thrown into the equation. The winner in this category was the Toyota Corolla Hatch 1.2T XR CVT.

URBAN CATEGORY WINNER: HYUNDAI ATOS 1.1 MOTION
URBAN CATEGORY WINNER: HYUNDAI ATOS 1.1 MOTION

Family: Toyota Corolla Hatch 1.2T XR CVT

The third category – Leisure – was won by the Volkswagen T-Cross 1.0 TSI Comfortline 85kW DSG. This category covers sports utility vehicles (SUVs) and multi-purpose vehicles (MPVs). Owners of these SUVs and MPVs enjoy the freedom of driving both on and off-road. This – combined a high seating position and flexible cargo space – makes this a popular category amongst the buying public.

Leisure: Volkswagen T-Cross 1.0 TSI Comfortline 85kW DSG

The Lifestyle Utility Vehicles Category was won by the Ford Ranger Raptor. These vehicles typically offer supreme 4×4 ability and can be either an SUV or a single or double-cab bakkie.

The highly contested Premium Car Category was won by the overall winner, namely the Jaguar I-PACE EV400 AWD SE. Buyers of these prestigious mid to large vehicles want powerful engines, luxury features and high-end trim options.

The Premium SUV Category caters for vehicles that offer a combination of versatility, comfort, style and performance both on- and off the road. Boasting genuine 4×4 ability without low range, these vehicles are luxurious, spacious and refined. This category was won by the Mercedes-Benz GLE400d 4Matic.

The final category – sport/performance – was won by the Toyota GR Supra 3.0T. Whether it’s a sportier flagship of an existing passenger range or a pure stand-alone model, vehicles in this category have one common trait: superior performance. Accordingly, thoroughbred sports cars are included in this category.

The South African Car of the Year trophy, which has been awarded since 1986, is the country’s most highly respected and sought-after motoring accolade. While the competition has evolved over the years (categories were only introduced recently), one thing has remained true to the contest; it celebrates and rewards automotive excellence. Both the category and overall winners are considered to be benchmarks within their categories. The 2020 competition was no exception, with many of the winners having already achieved international acclaim.

Meet the 2020 AutoTrader Car of the Year Semi-Finalists

vuyi on June 25, 2020

South Africa’s premiere motoring journalists have voted. So too have members of the public. The votes have been tallied and 25 semi-finalists have been announced for the 2020 AutoTrader South African Car of the Year competition.

One of these semi-finalists will win the most sought-after title in the South African automotive industry, that of 2020 AutoTrader South African Car of the Year.

“The 25 vehicles hail from 16 different car manufacturers, and they include anything and everything from family runabouts to sports cars, and from luxurious sports utility vehicles (SUVs) to bakkies,” reveals Rubin van Niekerk, chairman of the South African Guild of Motoring Journalists (SAGMJ).

Some of the vehicles on the list have already won major international accolades. The Jaguar I-Pace, for instance, made history when it won an unprecedented three awards – World Car of the Year, World Green Car and World Car Design of the Year – at the 2019 World Car Awards. “Were it to win the 2020 AutoTrader South African Car of the Year title, it would be the first electric car to take top honours in the 34-year old competition,” notes AutoTrader CEO, George Mienie.

In most competitions around the world, journalists don’t get together to physically drive the vehicles
– GEORGE MIENE, CEO – AUTOTRADER

The Mazda3 has recently been named Supreme Winner at the 2019 Women’s World Car of the Year Awards. It also scooped the 2019 Thailand Car of the Year and the 2020 China Car of the Year trophies, while the Toyota Corolla has recently been named a 2020 European Car of the Year finalist.

AutoTrader became the title sponsor for the competition, organised by the SAGMJ, in 2019 – and it has facilitated the successful consumer vote. According to Mienie, public interest in the competition is intense. “This year, the number of public votes by AutoTrader’s car buying consumers has more than doubled. This is a clear indication that South Africans want to have their say in these top motoring awards,” he comments.

And which vehicle did they vote for? “Of all the semi-finalists, the car that received the most public votes was the Mazda3,” Mienie reveals.

Now that the semi-finalists have been named, voting for the finalists will commence; for the first time in the competition’s history, consumers will be able to vote alongside motoring experts. A special event in Johannesburg on December 4 will reveal which cars make up the 14 finalists.

This event will be followed by the test days in March 2020, when 27 of South Africa’s top motoring journalists (our Editor, Vuyi Mpofu being among them) will put the vehicles through their paces. According to Van Niekerk, this is one of the most important components of the competition. “In most competitions around the world, journalists don’t get together to physically drive the vehicles. They simply score them electronically or on paper. In South Africa however, journalists spend two full days evaluating every single aspect of each finalist – from design, technology and engineering to handling, safety and value for money; followed by the final scoring. Our methodology is both thorough and extremely scientific, and yields the most deserving category and overall winners,” he added.

Commenting on the list of Finalists, Vuyi said she was delighted to see the Mahindra in the running, adding that the brand had worked hard to establish itself in the market, “Making it onto the list is not only a huge vote of confidence for Mahindra, but also a clear demonstration that even though South Africans are extremely particular about the brands they drive, they are fair and open to acknowledging vehicles which are not ‘main-stream’.

The category and overall winners will be announced at an event hosted by AutoTrader in April 2020. Herewith a list of the 2020 AutoTrader South African Car of the Year semi-finalists

Audi A1

Audi Q3

BMW 3 Series

BMW 8 Series

BMW X5

Citroën C3 Aircross

Ford Ranger

Ford Ranger Raptor

Hyundai Atos

Hyundai Santa Fe

Jaguar I-PACE

Kia Sportage

Mahindra XUV300

Mazda3

Mercedes-AMG CLS 53

Mercedes-Benz A-Class Sedan

Mercedes-Benz GLE

Mitsubishi Triton

Peugeot 5008

Subaru Forester

Suzuki Swift Sport

Toyota Corolla Hatch

Toyota RAV4

Toyota Supra

Volkswagen T-Cross