Toyota lauds Dream Car contest
Toyota South Africa encouraged children to dream big upon announcing the national winners of its annual Dream Car Art Contest at an award ceremony held at FCB in Sandton on 5 May. The contest, which is one of the largest globally, invites children from more than 80 countries and regions to share ideas about the future of mobility by drawing their dream cars.
This year marks the 11th wave of the annual competition, which is categorised into three age groups: under eight years old, 8-11 years old, and 12-15 years old. This year, the national competition ran from 17- 1 March and received 16 955 submissions from all across South Africa.
After a judging process presided over by Glenn Crompton, Toyota SA’s Vice President for Marketing; and Tiaan van der Heever, Creative Director at FCB, the top five contestants from each age group were recognised and awarded prizes including PlayStation consoles, tablets, and the main prize of R10 000 in cash. The top three contestants from each category also entered the international segment of the competition, which is held in Japan, and includes TMC President Akio Toyoda on the judging panel.
Toyota still leads even in tough conditions
Toyota South Africa has retained its position as market leader with 7 528 unit sales recorded during the holiday month of April. This gives Toyota a margin of 1 767 units ahead of its closest contender, and has resulted in a market share of 21,5% for the month.
“April figures reflect a tough month for the domestic motor industry owing to low productivity levels coupled with the political instability that kicked the month off,” commented Calvyn Hamman, Senior Vice President for Sales and Marketing.
April remained a favourable month for Toyota on the SUV front with 985 Fortuner and 426 RAV4 units finding new homes, placing Toyota at the forefront of the large and medium SUV segments.
Furthermore, dealers logged a total of 10 908 Toyota Hilux sales during the first four months of 2017.
Amarok introduces 3.0-litre V6 TDI
The new Amarok will boast, among other things, a refreshed external look, and is now available with the 3.0-litre V6 165kW TDI engine. Additional new features include an all-new interior and the latest in in-car infotainment systems as well as additional safety and technology elements.
The 3.0-litre V6 TDI engine is the only six-cylinder diesel engine in the segment, delivering 165kW of power that is available at 550 Nm of torque channelled through its standard eight-speed automatic gearbox. The V6 engine pushes the Amarok to a top speed of 193km/h and sprints from 0 to 100km/h in 8.0 seconds.
The redesigned outside comes with a new look front bumper and radiator grille incorporating front fog lights, new alloy wheels and a third brake light with LED technology. Horizontal lines dominate the front of the new model, with cleaner-looking, angled folds and edges.
Inside the cab the changes are more prominent with an all-new dashboard design which incorporates Volkswagen’s modular infotainment system with touchscreen radio, App-Connect, Bluetooth and USB interface (iPod/IPhone compatible).
Isuzu Celebrates 80 Year Anniversary with Customers
Isuzu Motors Limited of Japan recently commemorated the establishment of the company in April 1937.
Isuzu is a Japanese vehicle and engine manufacturing company headquartered in Tokyo.
The company’s roots can be traced back more than a century, to 1916 when the Tokyo Ishikawajima Shipbuilding and Engineering Company Limited was formed. It started out building trucks under licence from British company, Wolseley.
The South African Isuzu story started in the early 1970s with the launch of the Chevrolet LUV (Light Utility Vehicle), in essence the first Isuzu ‘bakkie’ which was imported from Japan. Local production of the LUV commenced in 1972 at the Kempston Road plant in Port Elizabeth and in 1973 Isuzu-based trucks were introduced for the first time.
Limited Edition Fx4 Model added to Ford Ranger Line-up
The limited edition Ford Ranger Fx4 badge is derived from the all-conquering Ford F-Series pick-ups in the United States, and reinforces the “Built Ford Tough” DNA that defines the Ford Ranger. The Ranger Fx4 is based on the segment-defining 3.2-litre XLT Double Cab 4×4, and introduces an attention-grabbing array of styling enhancements.
“The Ranger Fx4 fills a unique space in our current line-up as it offers our valued Ranger customers a vehicle that has been personalised as part of our standard manufacturing process, but introduces an entirely new level of exclusivity and appeal,” says Tracey Delate, General Manager, Marketing – Ford Motor Company Sub-Saharan Africa Region.
Changes to the Ranger Fx4 include black finishes for the radiator grille, fog lamp bezels, exterior mirrors, roof rails, as well as the door and tailgate handles.
Sporty Toyota 86
Inspired by Toyota’s fine sports car heritage and models such as the 2000GT and AE86 Corolla, the 86 has equally taken on the role of a torchbearer for Toyota’s mission to build cars that are genuinely more engaging and rewarding to drive.
For 2017, Toyota has sharpened the driving focus of the acclaimed 86 with improvements that build on the style, performance, handling and accessibility that have made it the cult car of the 21st century. Toyota SA’s Vice President of marketing Glenn Crompton said the latest improvements will enhance the appeal of the 86, particularly among sports-car fans.
“These updates for the Toyota 86 are focused on improving the responsiveness, balance and handling of a car that is already rated in the same league as legendary sports cars of yesteryear,” Glenn said.
