CHEVROLET UPDATES LUMINA SS RANGE

General Motors South Africa (GMSA) has introduced some subtle changes to the iconic Chevrolet Lumina SS sedan and Ute for 2011. The changes include upgrades to the vehicle’s specification and changes to the exterior and interior styling of both vehicles.

The front of the Lumina features a revised bumper and air dam as well as new styling treatments for the fog lights and headlamps. A chrome strip is added to the boot lid just above the number plate on the sedan while the rear tailgate moulding on the Ute is now finished in body colour. The design of the massive 18 inch diameter alloy rims has also been refreshed. The tyre specification remains unchanged at 245/45 R18. 

A more subtle change is the addition of a V to the nomenclature changing the model designation from SS to SSV to bring the South African models in line with naming of other V series vehicles in the Lumina range.

Significant revisions have been made to the instrument cluster and the centre console of the Lumina.  The audio system has been upgraded to include a USB socket and advanced Bluetooth functionality – including mobile phone connectivity. The system features satellite controls on the steering wheel and touchscreen controls via the audio display screen.

Chevrolet have added roof airbags to the Lumina Ute which earned it a maximum five star safety rating from the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) making it the safest LCV in the country. The addition of the roof air bags to the ute brings it in line with the safety features found in the Lumina sedan with six airbags now standard on both.

The Lumina’s 6-litre V8 all aluminium engine remains unchanged with a maximum of 270kW and a massive 530Nm of torque driving the rear wheels via either a 6-speed manual transmission or a 6-speed automatic gearbox.

The Lumina SS sedan and Ute come standard with high levels of spec which includes: Leather seats; dual zone climate control air conditioning; power windows and side mirrors; sports contoured seats with 4-way electronic adjustment and lumbar adjustment for the driver’s seat; and sports alloy pedals. A driver information centre in the instrument cluster provides trip, vehicle and audio information.

Safety features include a six-airbag system, including roof airbags, on both the sedan and the Ute as well as ABS braking with Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) and Electronic Stability Programme (ESP). Traction control and cruise control are fitted across the range. Handling is enhanced by the advanced linear control suspension system.

Central locking with auto-lock is a standard feature as is an alarm immobiliser system. The alarm system includes a panic alarm.

Lumina Pricing

SS sedan manual (R444 390)

SS sedan auto (R441 930)

SS Ute manual (R413 700)

SS Ute auto (R413 700)

FIVE MILLION AUDI A4S BUILT SO FAR

Audi got into the now-famous 3-way scrap back in 1994 when it produced its first A4 sedan. Today the five-millionth A4 left Audi’s Ingolstadt factory to register a major milestone for the company. It was a red Avant 3.0-litre TDI quattro. The current A4 is the fourth-generation model (internally codenamed B8) and often outsells its major rivals in many countries around the world.

Frank Dreves, Member of the Board of Management for Production at Audi, was beside himself when he spoke of the milestone.

“This is another major milestone in Audi’s history,” he said. “All versions of the A4 are efficient, elegant and enjoy outstanding success in their class. Our highly motivated team and our effective Audi production system will keep this model on course for continued success in the future.”

A facelift model is set to go public within the next 6 months.

LAND ROVER FREELANDER 2 CELEBRATES 250 000TH MILESTONE

Land Rover employees at the Company's Halewood manufacturing plant in Merseyside in the UK, are celebrating an important milestone achievement – the production of the 250,000th Freelander 2.

Production began in 2007 and the plant's 250,000th Freelander 2 – a 2.2 litre TD4 Diesel GS in Fuji White – was driven off the line on 28th March 2011. The vehicle is destined for a customer who lives in Scotland. 

Land Rover is also celebrating a growing demand for Halewood's award winning model as retail sales for the popular model are up 22% year to date (Apr 2010 – Feb 2011) compared with the same 11 month period in 2009/2010.

Halewood Operations Director Richard Else, commented: "This milestone achievement and the increasing sales for Freelander 2 highlight just how important this vehicle is, not just to Halewood but also for the regional and UK economy – around 70% of Freelanders produced at Halewood are exported overseas. I'd like to thank our flexible and highly skilled workforce and congratulate the Halewood team on this superb achievement."

GENEVA 2011

Geneva went well, quite well in fact. Not everyday you get the chance to meet lots of people involved in the car bussines, was a great experience.

Apart from the competition, se simple fact of beeing there during the press day was something that i really liked.

About the competition, i won the internship ( no idea when...), and they also gave me an iPad :)

Photo: Opel Media

You can read the full history here:

http://cardesignnews.com/site/home/new_cars/display/store4/item219010/

BMW SOUTH AFRICA CONFIRMS NEW 1 SERIES, HYBRID 5 AND i3 FOR LOCALS

Great news for BMW fans. The company has confirmed that a brand new shape 1 Series hatch is coming to South Africa before the year is over. Additionally a 5 Series Hybrid will make its way to the 2011 Johannesburg International Motor Show (JIMS) happening at NASREC in October. More still, the upcoming full-electric i3 is headed our way, but not before 2015.

Details regarding the 1 Series – internally codenamed F20 – are being closely guarded. However, we know one or two things. One, the range will feature an all-turbo engine lineup. We speculate that it will consist of a 1.6-litre turbo, 2.0-litre turbo and two turbo diesels, including a 2.0-litre. There should be something smaller than a 1.6 as well. The bigger 2.0-litre turbo will even make 180kW in the 128i as it does in the X1 xDrive28i.

The other thing we know is that it will eventually come in five body styles; 5-door hatch first, then 3-door, a convertible, coupe and a sedan model. In fact, the current coupe which BMW launched in Soweto, is being facelifted in 2011. The same will be done for the Convertible.

More news on the blue and white propeller is that a new 5 Series ActiveHybrid model will debut at the 2011 JIMS, probably alongside the new M5, start selling in early 2012. The hybrid (running on both electricity and petrol) is expected to use a similar setup to the 7 and X6 hybrids. It should make a total system output of between 335kW and 358kW. A second BMW hybrid, probably a 3er, will join it at a later stage.

Lastly but not least, the upcoming i3 all-electric small car is a go for Mzansi. BMW says it will be here sometime in or after 2015. The i3 is all carbon fibre in terms of body build and runs on electricity, which means it has no engine at all, but instead uses an electric motor and lithium-ion batteries for power.

AUDI TOPS ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE (4X4) SALES

Audi sold more vehicles with all-wheel-drive (AWD) than any other premium manufacturer. The brand with the four rings produced 437 792 vehicles with quattro drive last year. In the year in which Audi celebrated “30 years of quattro,” around 38% of all cars produced worldwide were equipped with the all-wheel-drive technology. With 74 262 new car registrations for all-wheel drive models, Audi also topped the competition in Germany.

The most popular Audi model with quattro drive in 2010 was the Audi Q5, 155 025 units of which were built. In the months ahead, the brand will further expand its AWD lineup in the SUV segment with the Audi Q5 hybrid quattro and the compact Q3. But it is not just SUV drivers who are turning to quattro; the all-wheel drive technology is a popular choice of Audi customers for all other model lines as well.

From the Audi A3 to the A8, nearly one quarter of the automobiles produced in 2010 had quattro on board. “quattro is one of the Audi brand’s greatest success stories, and today we are writing what may well be its most exciting chapter,” says Peter Schwarzenbauer, Member of the Board of Management for Marketing and Sales at AUDI AG. “As we move down the road toward electric mobility, we see entirely new possibilities for Quattro technology. The electric quattro of the future will be even more agile, safer and – above all – more efficient,” adds Schwarzenbauer.

Audi customers today can choose from more than 130 quattro model variants (much fewer in South Africa), taking all the different body types, engine versions and transmission options into account. Audi thus offers by far the widest range of all-wheel drive models in the premium segment.

New otomotif Yamaha T-Max 750 Scooter Competitor To The Gilera GP800

There are rumors about the added accommodation of YAMAHA TMax from 500cc to new 750cc but the closing has appear calm with assets and patents registered by Yamaha in Japan . Yamaha has started projects for a three butt engine for a new development on its sports T-Max 500 scooter. The new Yamaha scooter would again be alleged T-Max 750 and could be accessible for presentation appear autumn. Production and sales are planned for the end of 2010. The images in this column are from artist J.M Guerin with bigger foreground end (from R6) and the final Yamaha.

YAMAHA TMAX 750CC CONCEPT SCOOTER

The development is demography abode on the accepted engine base: the T-Max 500 cc accompanying cylinder, with a third agent rod with anti-vibration function. That third rod would after accomplish way for a absolute third cylinder, accretion ability to 750cc. With the all-important modifications, the new three butt engine would be chip assimilate the scooter with no problems, while the final manual would be adequate to bout the greater ability output.

Yamaha 3-cylinder scooter T-Max 750, which will become adversary to the Gilera GP800.
June 8th, 2009 - Imagine a new, better looking T-Max that puts out even more power than the current 500cc model. Rumors keep reemerging that Yamaha will introduce a new 3 cylinder T-Max with a displacement of 750cc. Apparently the T-Max 500 already has a dummy cylinder and rod that is currently used to counter balance engine vibration. It appears the plan is the utilize the extra cylinder and rod with a real piston to bump the displacement to 750cc. Although nothing has been officially announced by Yamaha, it seems like this would be a easy way to compete power-wise with the newest maxi supersport scooter to hit the market, the Gilera GP800.

If this model is getting ready to be launced for the 2010 year, expect an announcement from Yamaha sometime in the Fall of 2009. If the US does end up getting the T-Max 750, I would imagine that it won't arrive here until the 2011 or 2012 model year. Stay tuned for all of the latest updates on the new Yamaha T-Max 750cc maxi sport scooter.