2011 FIESTA RS WORLD RALLY CAR SET FOR FINNISH DEBUT

Ford's all-new Fiesta RS World Rally Car will make its debut in Finland's Arctic Lapland Rally (28 - 29 January) next week.

Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally team drivers Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen and team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila will drive a leg each in the two-day snow and ice rally based in Rovaniemi, as the final part of the squad's pre-season testing schedule.  

Hirvonen will drive the Fiesta RS WRC on the opening leg of the rally before Latvala takes the wheel for the second day.

The Arctic Rally will conclude the Fiesta RS WRC's comprehensive test and development programme ahead of its FIA World Rally Championship debut at Rally Sweden (10 - 13 February) next month. It will be an extension of the team's four-day test in Sweden, which begins on Friday, and the Fiesta RS WRC will be seen in its usual white test livery.

The rally is the opening round of the Finnish Rally Championship. Friday's opening leg contains five special stages covering 98.47km, while Saturday's action comprises a further five speed tests covering 132.99km.

Ford Abu Dhabi team director Malcolm Wilson emphasised that the car had been entered purely for testing purposes.  "The Fiesta RS WRC has covered thousands of kilometres in testing over the last four or five months.  However, a traditional test cannot truly replicate genuine competition for learning about a car.  We believe that going to the Arctic Rally will provide ideal preparation for both the team and the drivers ahead of Rally Sweden."  

Hirvonen competed in the Arctic Rally in 2001 and 2002 and the 30-year-old Finn said: "The rally has a fantastic Arctic atmosphere, which is difficult to explain until you have witnessed it.  It has great winter conditions for driving and the stages are fast, but sometimes quite technical.  It's an ideal location to test the new car in a competitive way ahead of Sweden, and I'm excited that the team is coming to my home country again."  

Latvala, too, is looking forward to testing the Fiesta RS WRC in a rally environment.  "At a normal test a driver covers the same section of road continuously and quickly learns how to drive it.  Almost all the roads in the Arctic Rally are used only once, so it gives the team the opportunity to see how the car performs in competitive surroundings.  The stages will be a similar length to a WRC round so it really will be a perfect test opportunity," he said. 

STORY BY FORD

R363 MILLION EKURHULENI INVESTMENT FOR TOYOTA SA

Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) today (17 January 2011) announced a R363 million investment into a new Parts Distribution Warehouse in the Ekurhuleni municipality. The warehouse is being developed in two phases and will serve TSAM’s local and export markets.

The new warehouse represents the largest single investment by TSAM in the Gauteng Province and it follows a five year R8 billion investment programme into its manufacturing facilities in Prospecton, Durban. Upon completion the new facility will cover 80 000 m2 and it will be the largest of its kind in Africa.

“The development of a distribution warehouse of this size and scale is one of the clearest signs that we are committed to South Africa and intent on remaining South Africa’s most popular vehicle manufacturer,” says Dr. Johan van Zyl, president and CEO of Toyota South Africa Motors and Managing Officer of Toyota Motor Corporation.

According to Van Zyl the new Parts Distribution Warehouse will allow the company to further improve the availability of service and replacement parts on all of its vehicles, while the efficiencies gained from its world class management systems will serve to contain the cost of these parts.

The new Parts Distribution Warehouse will boast state-of-the-art management and workflow systems that will ensure optimal man and machine separation. By utilising these technologies the new facility will become one of the most modern facilities in the global TMC network.

The first phase of the new Parts Distribution Warehouse will open in May 2012 with the first round of daily deliveries to the more than 220 Toyota, Lexus and Hino dealerships in Southern Africa. This phase will feature 39 000 m2 of warehouse space and 3 000 m2 of office space. More than 800 of TSAM’s staff compliment of 7 793 employees will be based here. The second phase will include a further 38 000 m2 of warehouse space and is scheduled for completion by or before 2015.

“Toyota South Africa will remain an integral member of Toyota Motor Corporation and will continue to produce vehicles in South Africa. In making this a reality we believe that the government, through the actions of the Department of Trade and Industry and the Automotive Production and Development Programme (APDP) has created a stable and predictable environment in which we as manufacturers can make investments such as the one that we are announcing today” says Van Zyl.

STORY BY TOYOTA

ROLLS-ROYCE CELEBRATES 100 YEARS OF ECSTACY

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is celebrating the centenary of the Spirit of Ecstasy in 2011 with an exclusive Collection of bespoke Phantom models. Called the Spirit of Ecstasy Centenary Collection, one hundred cars will be delivered to customers bearing a suite of features inspired by the legendary flying lady, complemented by a range of exclusive exterior colours, wood veneers and leather options.

“These beautiful models follow the finest traditions of Rolls-Royce in their luxury, craftsmanship and attention to detail,” said Torsten Müller-Ötvös, CEO Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. “They encapsulate the essence of the Spirit of Ecstasy legend, presenting owners with a range of exclusive bespoke options available only in this centenary year.”

Collection cars start with the famous icon herself. Cast in silver, each Spirit of Ecstasy will feature a base complete with black-gold plated bezel bearing the commemorative inscription Spirit of Ecstasy Centenary – 2011, a legend repeated on the cover plate when the mascot is lowered. The design is finished with a set of six hallmarks, two of which have been designed specifically for Rolls-Royce.

A new badge has been developed to authenticate the Collection and establish its place in Rolls-Royce history. Located beneath the Spirit of Ecstasy, on the trunk lid as well as on front side panels, the badge reverses conventional design, with white enamel RR detail set on a black chrome background.

A trademark Rolls-Royce twin coachline is accentuated on Collection cars, thanks to a delicate hand-painted Spirit of Ecstasy insignia, the detail of which has been taken from an original line-drawing by Charles Sykes, the mascot’s creator. A further tribute comes in the glove box lid, which carries an original Sykes quotation embossed into the colour-matched leather lining:

“A graceful little goddess, the Spirit of Ecstasy, who has selected road travel as her supreme delight and alighted on the prow of a Rolls-Royce motor car to revel in the freshness of the air and the musical sound of her fluttering draperies.” – Charles Sykes, 1911

Inside the cars, fine detailing abounds. Collection cars come with an analogue clock fitted in the fascia panel, the outer bezel of which is crafted from Britannia Silver, incorporating the unique set of six hallmarks. The backlit face presents an inner ring of silver incorporating the centenary inscription.

Instrument dials complement the clock design, carrying further fine detailing. Satin spun metal dials, centered with polished RR monograms are further enriched with polished chaplets and black numerals. All are meticulously hand-crafted, examples of the attention to detail for which all Rolls-Royce hand-built models are renowned.

Further affirmation of the Collection’s place in history comes from the lid of the centre console. This reveals a discreet, solid Britannia Silver commemorative plaque engraved with the inscription Spirit of Ecstasy - One of One Hundred.

Four exterior colour options are offered, all exclusive to Spirit of Ecstasy Centenary Collection cars. These start with Rhapsody Black, a black metallic incorporating a delicate gold sparkle and Maiden Blue a deep blue metallic highlighted with a silver sparkle. Ethereal White Pearl comes with a special pearlescent finish while Wildflower completes the bespoke paint offering, presenting a rich blend of red and brown colour with a fine sparkle. 

Each exterior colour can be ordered with a selection of sumptuous leather and interior contrast schemes while hand crafted banding of Britannia Silver will be delicately inset into the customer’s chosen veneer.

Owners will also receive a desk ornament with their cars, a polished steel Spirit of Ecstasy mounted on a piano black base. These will be presented with individual certificates of authenticity signed by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös.

STORY BY BMW

SUZUKI KEEPS IMPRESSIVE RESALE VALUES

Suzuki Auto South Africa’s range of passenger cars and SUVs continue to perform impressively when it comes to value retention at resale.

According to an analysis of data published in the TransUnion Auto Information Solutions’ authoritative Auto Dealers Guide, Suzuki passenger cars and SUVs achieve among the highest resale values, relative to their original retail prices, in their segments.
 

The resale data reflects actual trade values as a percentage of new vehicle list prices over the past 12 months. The values are determined by dealer returns sent to TransUnion on a monthly basis.

The latest data, calculated up to December 2010, underscores how well Suzuki vehicles are performing in their relevant segments as far as resale value is concerned.

For instance, the marque’s trio of Grand Vitara models – the Grand Vitara 2.4, Grand Vitara 2.4 AT and the Grand Vitara 3.2 V6 AT – outpaced all their major rivals in average resale value terms.

 At the end of December 2010, the average resale value of a Suzuki Grand Vitara 2.4 stood at 77.2% of the original retail price, with the automatic transmission version achieving the same, identical average. The Grand Vitara 3.2 V6 AT model achieved an average resale value of 76.8%.

The values place the three Grand Vitara variants at the top of their segment, ahead of Honda CR-V 2.4 i-VTEC RVi (76.7%), the Toyota Fortuner 4.0 V6 4x4 (75.6%) and the Toyota RAV4  2.0 GX (74.3%).

The giant-killing Suzuki Jimny mini-SUV continued its impressive ability to retain value, with an average resale value of 77.8% – well ahead of the Daihatsu Terios 4x4 on 71.2%, and the two-wheel drive version of the Terios at 70.9%.

The SX4 lifestyle hatchback was another of Suzuki’s star performers in value retention terms. The automatic-transmission SX4 2.0 AT achieved an average resale value of 74.85%, placing it at the top of its segment.

Its manual-transmission stablemate’s average resale value of 72.51% was good enough for third place, with Toyota’s Auris 180 RS taking second place with 74.17%.

However, the two Suzukis trounced several other key segment players in value retention terms, including the Nissan Qashqai 1.6 Visia (72.19%), the Toyota Auris 180 RX (72.03%) and the Honda Civic 1.8 i-VTEC EXi (72.0%).

Suzuki’s most affordable car, the budget-beating Alto, is also proving its mettle in value retention terms. The Alto 1.0 GL and its more luxurious 1.0 GLS sibling recorded resale values of 74.2 and 74.1% respectively, placing them second and third in their sector.

While the Hyundai i10 1.1 GLS was the best performer in resale value terms, its average resale value of 74.5% means it only just pipped the two Suzukis to the post.

However, the Alto duo finished well ahead of its nearest rivals: the Kia Picanto 1.1 posted a value of 71.9%, followed by the Citroën C1 1.0i Play (70.1%) and the Chevrolet Spark LS and LT hatchbacks on 69.6 and 69.2% respectively.

The Swift subcompact continued to perform well in average resale values, despite the fact that the trendy hatchback is due to be replaced with an all-new model this year, which impacted negatively on its resale value.

The three Swift derivatives – 1.5 GL, 1.5 GL Auto and 1.5 GLS – still managed resale values of 75.5%, 73.6% and 73.1% respectively, earning them fourth, sixth and seventh places in their segment.

Heading up the segment in resale value terms was Honda’s Jazz 1.4i LX and LX AT hatchbacks, with identical scores of 79.0%, followed by the Ford Fiesta 1.4i Trend 5-Door on 77.5%.

“When we analysed the value retention of our vehicles six months ago, we were pleasantly surprised that many of our models were segment leaders in resale value terms,” says Kazuyuki Yamashita, managing director of Suzuki Auto SA.

“That trend continues to be reflected in the latest average resale values, and underscores the underlying strength and attraction of the Suzuki brand in SA,” he concluded.

STORY BY SUZUKI

DAKAR 2011: AL ATTIYAH TAKES CROWN, DE VILLIERS SECOND

Qatar’s Nasser Al-Attiyah was declared the winner of the 2011 Dakar Rally Argentina Chile on Saturday when he crossed the finish line in Buenos Aires 49 min 41 sec ahead of Volkswagen team-mate Giniel de Villiers of South Africa and 1 hr 20 min 38 sec in front of last year’s winner Carlos Sainz of Spain in a third Volkswagen Race Touareg 3.  It was Volkswagen’s third successive Dakar victory with the diesel-engined Race Touareg and its most dominant performance yet – 12 stage wins out of 13.

Some comfort for Sainz, who lost over an hour on the third last stage when he hit a hole and damaged his front suspension, was the superb achievement of winning seven of the stages, including the first two and the last two.  Al-Attiyah, second in 2010, won four stages and De Villiers, winner of the 2009 Dakar, won one to take his all-time Dakar stage wins to 13.

Fourth overall and 1 hr 33 min 48 sec in arrears after a 9 000-km adventure through Argentina and Chile and 5 000 km of special stage rallying was France’s Stephane Peterhansel in a BMW X3, making it four Dakar winners in the top four.  The three-times Dakar winner (he last won in a Mitsubishi in 2007) took stage five.  America’s Mark Miller and South African co-driver Ralph Pitchford finished sixth overall in the fourth factory Race Touareg, 41 min 20 sec behind the BMW X3 of Polish rally champion Krzysztof Holowczyc.  They lost almost an hour when their car rolled on stage two and thereafter performed the role of backup to their team-mates, including stopping to repair Sainz’s front suspension on stage 11.

“As you would expect from the Dakar, this has been a really tough rally, long and tiring,” said De Villiers.  “My co-driver Dirk von Zitzewitz and I are very happy to have finished second after our disappointing result last year when we were seventh after losing over two hours with electrical problems on the third stage.  Our strategy throughout the 13 days of racing was to push as hard as we could without taking any unnecessary risks.  The Dakar demands great respect and we are proud to have made it on to the podium for the third time in five years.  This is a great result for Volkswagen, who once again have proved they are the best team.  Congratulations to Nasser on a brilliant race.” 

Pitchford, second with Miller behind De Villiers in 2009 and third last year, was disappointed to not make it into the top three for a third year in a row.  “The Dakar is not regarded as the world’s toughest off road race for nothing,” said the former South African off road co-driver champion.  “To finish is an achievement.  We’re very proud to have been part of the best team in the race, for the third year in succession, and although we lost any chance of a good result after our roll on stage two we enjoyed our Dakar and were pleased to be able to help Carlos when he crashed his car.”

STORY BY VOLKSWAGEN

2012 MERCEDES-BENZ SLK REVEALED!

Mercedes-Benz has unveiled the all-new SLK roadster. After almost seven years in production, the old car – which took its styling cues from the McLaren SLR – is being replaced. The SLK is probably best known for popularising the electronically folding hard top format that is now available in many CCs (coupe convertibles) and roadsters. This car predictably takes after the SLS AMG in terms of looks.

"The new SLK embodies the role of the trend-setter like no other car", says Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars. "I am convinced that with its passionate design, its high-quality interior and its modesty at the fuel station it will continue to provide an enormous amount of fun on the road in future, too, consolidating its status as a cult roadster."

The SLK’s innovative approach to the roadster concept was epitomised not just by its folding vario hard top, but also the Airscarf feature that came with the second-generation car. Airscarf was a system that blew air from the two passengers’ headrests to allow for open-top driving, even in colder weather.

The new car features something called Magic Sky Control which, according to Merc, can be switched to variable lightness or darkness of shade. This means it can be set to block the sun out a greater extent than what a normal tinted sunroof can do.

The engine list is quite short, which is expected of such a semi-niche car. The entry level is an SLK 200 with 135kW and 270Nm. Next is an SLK 250 which comes fitted with a 1.8-litre turbo four-cylinder unit producing 150kW. Top of the menu is the SLK 350 with its V6 engine making 225kW. It is claimed to go from 0 – 100km/h in 5.4 seconds. AMG will of course contribute to a super SLK AMG. What we don’t know is if it will feature a 4.7-litre twin turbo, or a twin turbo 5.5-litre V8, or the naturally aspirated version of that. Power though, will certainly go over 300kW to make it the most powerful roadster in its class (eclipsing both the Audi TT RS and the BMW Z4 sDrive35iS).

KIA SPORTAGE WINS MAJOR AUSTRALIAN ACCOLADE

Kia’s exciting Sportage SUV has kicked an early goal in the awards season with a win in the SUV under AU$40 000 (R272 300) category at the prestigious Drive awards.

The experienced panel of judges from the respected Drive and Drive.com media group put the all-new Sportage SLi diesel automatic at the top of one of the most crowded and competitive segments in the Australian motoring landscape.


Kia Motors Australia CEO, Mr MK Kim, said he was both delighted and humbled by the decision to give the award to the Sportage.

“We have always believed that the Sportage is an exceptional car, but to have this independent recognition from such a respected body is a wonderful verification of our belief,” Mr Kim said.

“The Sportage, like all of the cars coming from Kia, is the end product of a great deal of work and dedication by everybody within Kia Motors. This recognition is shared by all of us.”

Accepting the award in Melbourne today, Kia Motors Australia Chief Operating Officer, Mr Tony Barlow said: “You don’t build and launch new cars with awards in mind, but to receive an award such as this is a strong indication that what you are doing is ticking the right boxes.”

Launched in August, the Sportage is a shining example of the marriage of form and function with head-turning styling from Kia’s global design team, led by head designer Peter Schreyer and penned at the company’s Los Angeles Design Studio by Massimo Frascella, and outstanding engineering.

A key feature of the Sportage was the “localisation” of the ride and handling characteristics for the Australian market. The Sportage has specifically tuned spring and damper rates and now boasts tuned MDPS (motor driven power steering) which adds rake and reach adjustment.
Streaming Bluetooth is also standard across the Sportage range.

The 2.0-litre R series diesel is good for 135kW and 392Nm and coupled to the new 6-speed automatic, the performance is class leading.

New safety features include ESC with a new Rollover Sensor, Hillstart Assist Control (to prevent roll-back when starting on an incline and roll-forward when reversing up a slope in reverse with the manual transmission) and Downhill Brake Control (to limit speed during a steep descent). 

STORY BY KIA