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.

Massive petrol price increase for September

The Central Energy Fund (CEF) has published the latest price estimations for petrol ahead of next month.

Both petrol and diesel are expected to see a significant hike, owing to a drop in global oil production and depreciating rand.

These estimates will be confirmed closer to the start of September.

Changes to Cape Town’s public transport

Cape Town’s public transport sector is currently undergoing major changes, involving its trains, buses, and taxis.

The recent taxi strike has resulted in a task team being appointed to create an agreed-upon resolution for the city and the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) regarding the impounding of taxis.

The city is also threatening to take legal action against the national government, due to a recent dispute regarding the devolution of its train network.

Additionally, a major transport operator in the Mother City is planning to introduce 1,100 electric buses with the end goal of replacing its entire diesel-powered fleet.

New Suzuki Fronx launched in South Africa

Suzuki has launched the new Fronx in South Africa at a starting price of R279,900.

The crossover is based on the Baleno hatchback and is the new entry-level SUV in the automaker’s catalogue.

It has a 1.5-litre petrol engine with attractive fuel usage, and can be had in four different specifications.

Next-generation Mahindra Pik Up revealed in South Africa

Mahindra has unveiled the new concept model of its next-generation Global Pik Up series, one of South Africa’s best-selling bakkies.

The reveal took place at the brand’s Futurescape event in Cape Town, showcasing the new ladder-frame platform 4×4 to the public.

It uses the same architecture as the Scorpio SUV, including the 4Xplore four-wheel-drive system, and it has a 5-star safety rating.

Jaguar is discontinuing its entire line-up

Jaguar is discontinuing its entire line-up as part of its plan to go all-electric by 2025.

This means favourites like the E-Pace, F-Pace, F-Type, and even the electric I-Pace will all be taken off the market within the next two years.

Jaguar Land Rover is instead committing to a new platform of electric vehicles, such as a new “baby” Land Rover Defender.