News / 27 March 2025 / Albert du Toit

The cheapest way to armour your car in South Africa

Gauteng-based armouring firm SVI Engineering has launched the “SVI Lite” package, a new product that seeks to provide cheaper armouring solutions for everyday motorists.

SVI Lite is specifically designed to combat hijacking attempts and is currently available on the Toyota Corolla Cross and Ford Ranger, with the option soon to be extended to the Toyota Hilux, Toyota Fortuner, and Ford Everest.

Pricing starts at R54,950 (excl. VAT) per closure (door) on the Corolla Cross, and R64,950 (excl. VAT) per closure on the Ranger.

“Compared with 360-degree B4 discreet armour – which, for a medium-sized SUV, starts at approximately R750,000 (excl. VAT) – SVI Lite is particularly cost effective,” said SVI Business Development Director, Nicol Louw.

Regardless of the number of closures chosen, installation of the SVI Lite package takes around two weeks and will kickstart in May 2025.

As SVI has earned Qualified Vehicle Modifier status with Ford, fitment of the new product on the Everest and Ranger has no impact on the original manufacturer warranty or service plans.

How it works

SVI Lite is limited to the chosen vehicle’s side closures – i.e. doors and side windows – with the customer further able to specify how many doors are armoured.

In each case, the panel gains carefully shaped and fully concealed Kevlar sheets, while the standard side-window glass is replaced with special lightweight armoured glass.

When all is said and done these upgrades provide B2 protection and can thus withstand 9mm, 124-grain rounds fired from a handgun.

The armouring components add 15kg to each door, so vehicle performance is virtually unaffected.

Furthermore, the ballistic glass is light enough to allow for the standard operation of the side windows in most vehicles, resulting in unhindered access to parking-ticket machines, biometric readers, and the like.

“In much the same way as a bullet-resistant vest provides protection to vital organs of the human body, our new SVI Lite solution covers critical areas of the vehicle that are typically targeted during a hijacking attempt,” said Louw.