5 important things that happened in South Africa’s car industry this week

These were the five biggest stories in South Africa’s automotive industry this week.

New Suzuki Frox launching in South Africa soon

Suzuki South Africa has confirmed that the new Fronx has started shipping from its factory in India, and that it will soon appear in local showrooms.

The Fronx is the more affordable of the two vehicles the automaker is bringing to the country to replace the fan-favourite Vitara Brezza, having launched the new Grand Vitara earlier this year.

It is based on the Baleno hatchback, with a similar engine and list of features.

Toyota announces two new Land Cruisers

Toyota announced two new vehicles this week in the form of the new Land Cruiser Prado and Land Cruiser 70.

The Prado has been rebuilt from the ground up to provide a more capable and comfortable ride than before, while the 70 gives us an early glimpse into how the facelifted Land Cruiser 76, 78, and 79 will look come launch time in 2024.

A wide array of powertrains have been discussed for both of these 4x4s, but Toyota South Africa has yet to confirm which ones will be brought here.

New Hyundai Grand i10 goes on sale in South Africa

Hyundai has launched the new Grand i10 in South Africa at a starting price of R229,900.

It is available in both hatch and sedan body types, with either a 1.0 or 1.2-litre petrol engine.

Standard features on the i10 include an infotainment system with smartphone paring, automatic air conditioning, a multifunction steering wheel, parking sensors, a reverse camera, and LED headlights.

Uber quietly charging extra for airport journeys

Uber places an additional surcharge on all airport trips in South Africa, even after a ride has already been ordered.

Earlier this week, a local motorist reported that an extra R30 had been slapped onto their bill after travelling from Lanseria airport in Gauteng, raising the initially quoted bill of R179 up to R209.

A copy of the receipt later showed that the individual was charged an extra R10 “airport surcharge” as well as a R20 “Lanseria airport surcharge.”

Official petrol price for August

The official fuel price adjustments for August took place this week Wednesday.

All forms of diesel and petrol saw an increase this month, with the former being worse affected.

These price hikes are not expected to be the last ones this year, as experts have warned that international oil prices may continue to go up for the rest of 2023.