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The sedan and the SUV

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We drove a swanky sedan that parks itself, and an affordable micro SUV made by an enormous company you might not have heard of, writes Justus Visagie


Mahindra KUV100
Price range: R150 000 to R198 000

3/5

‘So what’s the new Mahindra KUV100 like?!” said no one ever. Firstly, because it’s the first of its kind and, secondly, because South Africans aren’t all that interested in what the Indian company Mahindra does.

Well, not yet. They might take notice now, because Mahindra’s new diminutive SUV has some outlandish styling elements and is also relatively affordable. The company is associated with basic bakkies and medium-size SUVs, and it makes the XUV500, a pleasant, spacious SUV that used to be superb value for money before the rand collapsed.

The little KUV100 shares this trait of roominess with its big brother. It’s about the size of a VW Polo, but has more space for knees and heads. The boot has ample space, too.

Buyers can choose between two engines – petrol or turbo-diesel, both of which are 1.2 litres. The petrol engine provides adequate power, while the diesel pulls like a freight train. Unfortunately, our dear cousins in India rarely exceed 90km/h, so when I reached 120km/h, the little diesel engine was buzzing its head off, crying out for a sixth gear.

On the road, its ability to smooth out bumps and potholes is evident. Comfortable, absorbing suspension seems to be a common trait in cars from India.

The KUV100 is well equipped and even the most basic version, the K4+, has air-con, corner braking control, front air bags, ABS, roof rails and under-floor storage. The K6+ adds an infotainment system with six speakers, Bluetooth and USB input, auto-locking doors and a cooled glove box.

Should you buy one? Well, you should at least test-drive one. The steering feels a bit vague and it doesn’t have the fit and finish of a Polo Vivo or a Renault Sandero, but there’s not much to fault, except for that missing sixth gear in the diesel models.

Mercedes-Benz E-Class Sedan

PHOTO:

Price range: R710 000 to R974 000

. . . . .

Ihave friends who don’t even attempt to parallel park. I don’t judge them, because I feel the same way when I have to reverse a large trailer for more than 20m.

Lucky for us, robots have begun to take over the world, and certain driving duties.

Some cars, such as the Opel Adam, can already park themselves perfectly, but they still require the driver to control the brakes and accelerator. If your car budget is nice and big, you can now buy the new Merc E-Class, which does all these things for you.

I sat in the back seat and watched how the centre screen indicated suitable parking spaces. It then asked the driver if he wanted to go in nose or bum first. He selected the latter and let go of the steering wheel, and a benevolent spirit possessed the car. It turned the steering wheel and pressed the brake pedal and accelerator, moving the car tail first into a tight parking spot.

But this is more than a convenience feature. It also shows that self-driving cars and trucks are right on our doorstep. Although they haven’t been fully approved by any country, drivers already benefit from some of their functions, such as autonomous driving. This means the new E-Class can pilot itself and stop if the driver becomes unconscious because of a medical condition or alcohol abuse, for example.

My co-driver carefully tried to mimic the driving behaviour of a teenager who suddenly realised Nicki Minaj was in the back seat, but the E-Class just wouldn’t drive itself. She did manage to be pulled over for unwittingly exceeding the speed limit while we were in the E350d. It has the most powerful engine in the range: a 3-litre, turbo-diesel V6. The other engines in the line-up include a new and particularly fuel-efficient 2-litre turbo-diesel and a 2-litre turbo-charged petrol version. Power delivery from the smaller engines is more than adequate and fuel consumption is low.

I’ll have another go at the autopilot when I get the E-Class for a longer evaluation.

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