Publications
Partners
This week Justus Visagie answers your questions about the 228kW Golf R, the new owner of Mitsubishi and options for a seven-seater SUV
Ashley: Why did VW only release the more powerful 228kW Golf R this year, when the Audi S3 with the same engine and output has been available for quite some time?
Volkswagen argued that South Africa’s climate is too hot to tune the Golf’s engine for such high performance. Maybe they used the Audis as guinea pigs to see if the engines could cope with our high altitudes and heat. With that said, this engine is known for making more power in real life than on paper, so you might have driven a car that you thought churned out “just” 213kW, but it was actually delivering 228kW.
Here’s an idea: See if you can get two of these ultra high-performance Golfs – one with the “213kW” engine and another with the “228kW” engine – together and put them on a dynamometer at a tuning centre to see what they really produce. Keep in mind that there’s a difference between power delivery at the crankshaft and at the wheels.
Sisanda:Now that Nissan and Renault own Mitsubishi, will the latest Mitsubishi Triton double-cab bakkie also be based on the Nissan Navara, just like the Mercedes-Benz X-Class?
I love this question because brand ownership is fascinating. For example, BMW owns Rolls-Royce, Tata owns Jaguar Land Rover and Geely owns Volvo. It’s often not at all what consumers expect. About the new Triton – it’s a significant update of the current model and therefore still pure Mitsubishi. Note that the Fiat Fullback double cab is a re-badged Triton.
And then, horror of horrors, Ford and Volkswagen have signed an agreement that will see the new VW Amarok built for the German brand by Ford!
Who knows what people will argue about when the next Ranger and Amarok will be almost the same bakkie.
Sue: My tax consultant advises me to replace my 2012 Audi Q3 turbodiesel auto, but I’m hesitant to spend close to R700 000 on the new model. What cheaper alternatives should I consider? My car has done 150 000km.
You could consider the smaller Audi Q2, but once you’ve added optional extras to the 1.4T S-tronic auto, you’ll be in R600 000 territory. Some of the latest Japanese and Korean SUVs now rival their premium brand German counterparts, so that’s where my money would go. The impressive new Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross has gone on sale for R400 000. It has a comprehensive list of standard features and it feels like a premium, luxury product in almost every respect. The same goes for the Subaru XV 2.0i-S (R459 000), which can brake itself to prevent collisions if the driver doesn’t react. Also put the edgy Hyundai Kona 2.0 Exec AT on your short list. If you’re prepared to go half a size up, test drive the superb Mazda CX-5 2.2DE AWD (R586 100) or the Peugeot 3008 2.0HDi Allure (R491 900). The Mazda and Peugeot have the added advantage of mighty diesel power, which is what you’re used to.
If you can wait until next year, you can buy the Volkswagen T-Roc, which is kind of like the VW version of the new Audi Q3, but it will be built on the latest platform, while Audi will still be using a much older platform.
But, whatever you do, get rid of your Audi before its engine gives you very expensive trouble.
Thabo: I’m looking for a diesel SUV with enough seating for seven people. Which brands or models should I consider?
The Mahindra XUV500 has recently benefited from another round of updates and improvements, and the entry-level version is priced at a reasonable R306 500.
This vehicle is smaller than it appears and, with seats six and seven up and in use, there’s no boot space left.
The slightly longer Nissan X-Trail 1.6dCi Visia (R423 500) offers enough space for three to four grocery bags behind the rear passengers, but it’s only when you can stretch your budget to the likes of the Hyundai Santa Fe (R600 000 for the 2.2D Premium) that the luggage area is usable when all three rows of seats are in use.
If you can afford one of these new Hyundais, I strongly recommend buying one. They are extremely light on fuel and the engine has a seven-year warranty. If you have a small fortune to spend, buy a Volvo XC90. The range starts at about R1 million.
