These were the five biggest stories in South Africa’s automotive industry this week.
Why this 12-year-old South African automaker has never sold a car
Mureza, a licenced car manufacturer in South Africa, has not sold a single vehicle in the 12 years since it was first registered.
First established in Zimbabwe in 2011, the company expanded its head office to South Africa in 2016 while stating that its first car, the Prim8, would hit showrooms in 2021.
However, the carmaker recently came out on social media saying it has not sold a single vehicle nor registered any shipments, attributing this development to a change in its market “strategy.”
New Suzuki Jimny 5-door – South African pricing revealed
Suzuki has finally revealed the pricing of the upcoming Jimny five-door after months of speculation.
The larger SUV will start at R429,900 and is available in three specifications, positioning it around R40,000 above the three-door model.
It still uses a 1.5-litre petrol engine and an all-wheel-drive layout, and can be had as a manual or an automatic.
Limited-edition Omoda C5 GT confirmed for South Africa
Omoda has announced its intention to launch a new limited-edition version of its C5 crossover in South Africa.
Dubbed the GT, the new vehicle boasts a higher power ceiling than the regular models and has been shown to have new gold trim aesthetics to help it stand out.
Only 100 units are set to arrive in local showrooms, and the company has yet to announce the official pricing.
When Gauteng is getting new number plates
Gauteng is getting new number plates before the end of 2023, according to the province’s head of transport Dr Thulani Mdadane.
The new plates will feature enhanced security measures aimed at cracking down on the use of fraudulent plates in the region.
However, they will retain the current alphanumerical format until the number of combinations is exhausted, which is only expected to happen by 2038.
New Ford bakkies, SUVs, sports cars, and vans coming to South Africa
Ford dropped a bombshell of new information this week as part of its 100th anniversary., including the announcement of eight new cars of various body types scheduled for a South African launch before 2026.
This will include two new Ranger variants as well as an all-new SUV called the Territory that has never appeared in our borders before.
The Blue Oval will also launch two new vans, the seventh-generation Mustang, and the battery-powered Mustang Mach-E crossover – its first electric car – in the country.
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