This Week In The News
Toyota reveals next-generation Land Cruiser Prado
Toyota has revealed the next-generation Land Cruiser Prado, also known as Land Cruiser 250 in global markets, which is expected to go on sale in 2024. The Land Cruiser (LC) is one of the Japanese automaker’s oldest and most successful vehicles, as it made its debut over 70 years ago in 1951 and has since gone on to sell roughly 11.3 million units in 170 countries and regions around the world.
Cars are becoming unaffordable for 35% of South Africans
South Africa’s youth are quickly being pushed out of the car market as prices continue to rise at an alarming rate. This is according to data from Lightstone Auto, which revealed that people between the ages of 15 and 35, who represent 20.6 million (35%) of the country’s 59.3 million citizens, saw a 7% drop in vehicle purchases over the last decade, going from 39% in 2012 to 31% in 2022.
Lightstone attributed the drop in youth purchases to multiple factors, including load shedding, inflation, and consecutive interest rate hikes – all of which have led to a steep rise in the cost of vehicle ownership in the last decade.
A study from WesBank showed that the real cost of car ownership, adjusting for inflation, has risen by a staggering 48% in just the four years since the Covid-19 pandemic – translating to an average ownership bill of R11,627 in 2023, compared to R7,851 in 2019.
End of the Nissan NP 200
After a 16-year heritage, the production of NP200 will end in South Africa in March 2024 following the end of its extended lifecycle. No immediate replacement model is planned, although Nissan is currently evaluating other alternatives in line with the ambitions of its Africa Mid Term plan. – Nissan South Africa
Order books for the new Ineos Grenadier Quartermaster are now officially open in South Africa.
Here’s how much the Ineos Quartermaster bakkie costs:
Standard Quartermaster: R1 717 100
Quartermaster Trailmaster Edition: R1 862 100
Quartermaster Fieldmaster Edition: R1 862 100
Electric car sales boom in South Africa — despite worst load-shedding yet
South African motorists have bought about as many fully-electric vehicles (EVs) in the first half of 2023 as they did during the entire 2022, despite skepticism over the ability to charge the cars amid intense load-shedding.
That is according to data from the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (Naamsa) and data analysis firm Lightstone Auto.
First pictures: Kia Sorento gets bold new look
What you see here is the facelifted version of Kia’s midsize SUV, and these images have leaked onto the interwebs ahead of its imminent official debut.