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.

Government finds 70 filling stations selling dirty diesel in South Africa

The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) has discovered at least 70 fuel stations in South Africa selling contaminated diesel.

The diesel is watered down with illuminating paraffin to achieve a higher profit, a practice that could have detrimental effects on a vehicle’s engine and lead to costly repairs.

The DMRE has warned consumers to pay attention to the price of diesel at their filling stations, as a margin significantly lower than other retailers is likely too good to be true.

New Toyota bakkies and SUVs coming to South Africa in 2024

Toyota held its annual State of the Motoring Industry address this week, where it announced all the new cars it has planned for the next year.

Among the newcomers will be mild-hybrid versions of the Hilux and Fortuner, the new Land Cruiser 70, the next-gen Prado, and more.

The company is also bringing its first electric vehicle – the bZ4X – to the country, but this will only be coming in 2025.

Facelifted VW Golf GTI revealed

VW has revealed the facelifted eight-generation Golf GTI, otherwise referred to as the Mk8.5.

The new Golf is anticipated to be the last-ever petrol version before the nameplate is switched to an electric platform.

The update gives the hot hatch a revised appearance, new equipment, and an uprated version of its current engine.

Why Tesla is avoiding South Africa

South Africans were finally given an answer this week as to why Tesla has refused to set up shop on our shores.

CEO Elon Musk confirmed on X (formerly Twitter) that the country’s “super high” import duties make it unfeasible for the all-electric brand to launch here, stating that “it doesn’t make sense.”

South Africa currently places a higher tax on EVs than other cars, on top of an additional luxury tax and VAT, which significantly raises the cost of EVs across all brands.

New Mahindra Scorpio-N Adventure Edition for South Africa

Local pricing has been revealed for the new Mahindra Scorpio-N Adventure Edition, several months after it was first announced.

The rugged SUV slots in at the top of the Scorpio-N range and will start at R644,499 once it officialy goes on sale.

It will use the same 2.2-litre, turbo-diesel powertrain as its siblings and sports a 4×4 driveline paired with a six-speed automatic gearbox.