5 new cars from 5 different brands are launching in South Africa this month – Pricing and specifications

February is shaping up to be a bumper month for new car launches in South Africa with five vehicles from five different brands currently in the pipeline to make their local debut before the calendar clicks over to March.

Toyota has planned the release of the facelifted Land Cruiser 70 Series, Honda will introduce its all-new Elevate crossover, Mazda is expanding the CX-60 family with a fresh flagship model, and Isuzu is bringing back the popular D-Max X-Rider after the nameplate was discontinued several years ago.

Volvo will also debut the battery-electric EX30 on local soil towards the tail end of February following its unveiling in June last year.

While these are the only vehicles that have been confirmed thus far, GWM said its new Tank 300 will arrive in South African showrooms in “early 2024” – which didn’t happen last month, but could happen this month. Ditto the new BYD Dolphin.

Here is everything you need to know about the new cars coming to our roads over the next four weeks.

Honda Elevate

The new Honda Elevate crossover is based on the Ballade sedan built by the same manufacturer.

Currently only available in India, the new Elevate runs on a 1.5-litre petrol engine with an output of 89kW and 145Nm, and provides improved ground clearance and a longer wheelbase than its sedan sibling.

The local spec sheet of the new Honda will only be revealed at launch, but looking overseas shows it is equipped with items like a 7.0-inch digital driver display, a 10.25-inch infotainment screen, a wireless charger, a reverse camera, cruise control, hill assist, and a two-tone interior.

Similarly, pricing for the Elevate has yet to be released, however, its competitors include the likes of the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Suzuki Grand Vitara, and Toyota Urban Cruiser – thus putting the Honda’s ballpark pricing in the R350,000-and-over bracket.

Isuzu D-Max X-Rider

The X-Rider is intended to be a more stylish option than what is currently available in the 1.9-litre Isuzu D-Max range.

It is decorated with a unique gloss-black grille, 18-inch alloy wheels, dark-grey roof rails, all-round LED lights, X-Rider badges and decals, red Isuzu logos on the hub caps, and black accents on components like the door handles, side mirrors, and tailgate.

Inside, the double cab is completed with leather seats with red contrast stitching, special-edition floor mats, a red divider between the dashboard and glovebox, and red accents on the doors, gearshift, and hand brake.

Standard equipment on the Isuzu includes a 7.0-inch infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a six-speaker stereo, cruise control, rear parking sensors, a reverse camera, ABS, traction control, electronic stability control, hill assist, and trailer sway control.

Its 1.9-litre diesel mill then provides 110kW and 350Nm, with fuel consumption averaging 7.3-7.6l/100km depending on the powertrain configuration.

Three interpretations of the X-Rider will be available priced at R640,500 for the 4×2 manual, R659,200 for the 4×2 automatic, and R740,700 for the 4×4 automatic.

Mazda CX-60 Takumi

The new Mazda CX-60 Takumi will be positioned at the helm of the automaker’s local catalogue and consequently demands a minimum spend of R1,049,200.

It gets upmarket features including a 12.3-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a windshield heads-up display (HUD), a 12-speaker Bose stereo, a wireless charger, leather upholstery, electric front seats with ventilation, a panoramic sunroof, and a hands-free tailgate.

This is on top of a suite of safety and assistance systems like adaptive LED headlights, radar cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist with lane-departure warnings, advanced smart city braking assist, front and rear cross-traffic alert, 360-degree cameras, and front, side, and rear radar.

Driving the pinnacle CX-60 is a new 3.3-litre, turbocharged diesel engine paired with a small electric motor for a total output of 187kW and 550Nm, which is fed to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission.

Average fuel consumption for the configuration is pegged at an economical 4.9l/100km, with the 0-100km/h sprint lapped up in 7.3 seconds.

Toyota Land Cruiser 70 Series

The iconic Toyota Land Cruiser 70 Series was on the receiving end of a mild facelift to keep it looking up-to-date in the modern era of swanky off-roaders.

It sees new circular LED headlights, a retro-inspired mesh grille, a revised front bumper, and redesigned alloy wheels.

The interior of the Cruiser has similarly been enhanced, now sporting a leather steering wheel with wood inserts, a 6.7-inch centre touchscreen with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, two USB-C connectors, and a cupholder integrated into the door panel.

Toyota’s Safety Sense package then brings a new pre-crash safety function, auto-control lighting, and drive-start control; and it adopts an array of driving and braking intervention systems including vehicle stability control, active traction control, and hill-start assist control.

Regarding its powertrain options, the 2.8-litre, turbocharged diesel engine that is equipped to models like the Hilux and Fortuner will now also be available in the 70 Series alongside the pre-existing powerplants which are a 4.0-litre, V6 petrol; a 4.2-litre, straight-six diesel; and a 4.5-litre, V8 turbo-diesel.

The 4×4 will be sold in several body styles, including a station wagon, a single cab, and a double cab.

Pricing for the new Toyota has not been made public just yet, though we expect it to be north of the R749,200 starting price of the current 70 Series.

Volvo EX30

Volvo’s reveal of the battery-powered EX30 in mid-2023 was met with great fanfare from South African customers as the country ranked within the top ten for pre-orders in the broader Europe, Middle East, and Africa region, said Greg Maruszewski, Volvo Car South Africa Managing Director.

Domestically, there are five derivatives of the EX30 on offer differentiated by their powertrains and standard specifications.

The single-motor options produce 200kW and 343Nm and achieve a driving range of between 344km and 480km, depending on whether the 51kWh or larger 69kWh battery pack is equipped.

The twin-motor units receive the larger battery as standard and boast a higher output of 315kW and 543Nm, though this comes at the expense of driving range as they only do a maximum of 460km.

All EX30 derivatives feature a 12.3-inch infotainment system, a heated steering wheel, heated front seats, climate control, a reverse camera, all-round LED lights with active high beams, adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assistance, run-off road mitigation, traffic jam assist, intelligent speed assist, blind-spot monitoring, and collision avoidance and mitigation assistance.

Pricing for the electric crossover ranges from R775,900 to R995,900 making it one of the most affordable EVs in South Africa.