7 important things that happened in South Africa’s car scene this week

These were the seven biggest stories in South Africa’s automotive scene this week.

Toyota Vitz pricing revealed

Toyota revealed the pricing of the new Vitz this week – the affordable replacement to the outgoing Agya.

The Vitz is now positioned as the cheapest entry in the automaker’s family, with prices starting at R189,900.

Based on the Suzuki Celerio, the Toyota runs on a 1.0-litre petrol engine with 49kW and 89Nm while averaging 4.4l/100km on a typical fuel cycle.

21 new cars coming to South Africa

The South African motor scene is not slowing down anytime soon as there are at least 21 cars launching in the second quarter of 2023.

This includes the Nissan X-Trail and Chery Omoda C5 which launched this week, as well as various other models from affordable and luxury brands alike.

A few examples include battery electrics like the BMW iX1 and GWM Ora Cat, as well as replacements for the highly-popular Toyota Urban Cruiser and Suzuki Vitara Brezza.

Expected petrol price for May

The latest fuel price projections from the Central Energy Fund (CEF) point to a significant increase for petrol in May.

Diesel, on the other hand, should hopefully see a small reduction in its cost if the current predictions hold true.

These changes are not final, as they are dependent on multiple factors like global oil prices and government levies.

VW Golf R pricing revealed

Volkswagen has finally announced the pricing on the new Golf R, now in its eighth generation.

The high-performance hatchback will go on sale at the end of the month at a starting price of R912,800.

As the flagship model in the Golf family, the R is equipped with a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol drivetrain with 235kW and 400Nm at its disposal.

Combined with a 4Matic all-wheel-drive system and seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, the VW sprints to 100km/h in 4.8 seconds before reaching an electronically-limited top speed of 250km/h which can be upped to 270km/h if the right optional extras are equipped.

Chery Omoda C5 launched in South Africa

Chery has launched the new Omoda C5 in South Africa at a starting price of R447,900.

As the first model to come from the brand’s luxury sub-division, the Omoda has an extensive features list that goes beyond what is currently offered in Chery’s Tiggo Pro range.

The range is also powered by a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine, giving drivers 115kW and 230Nm to play with.

Nissan X-Trail launched in South Africa

The new Nissan X-Trail is now on sale in South Africa at a starting price of R649,900.

The SUV sports a 2.5-litre petrol powerplant with 135kW and 244Nm, which is linked to a CVT transmission for an average consumption of 7.4l/100km.

Only the range-topping Acenta Plus is 4WD, with the other two models pulling themselves along with the front wheels.

Mazda CX-60 pricing revealed

Mazda has announced the pricing of the new CX-60, which is expected to go on sale before the end of Q2 2023.

The SUV is positioned as the flagship of the automaker’s line-up with prices starting at R739,800.

The company has yet to confirm the South African specifications of the SUV, including the engine line-up, though it did state that it will not be introducing the plug-in hybrid drivetrains to the local market, at least for now.