I’m not a traditional motoring journalist. While both my older brothers were petrolheads and fiddled under the bonnet of their cars, I was never bitten by that bug. I’ve never been a petrolhead, nor – to be frank – have I ever really cared much for cars. Until electric vehicles (EVs) arrived. Now I’m a batteryhead.

But there is a category of internal combustion engine (ICE) cars that I have a new fondness for: large, 4×4, going-into-the-bush types. Well, really, just driving off-road in the Free State. My son’s school found a brilliant place in Parys on the Vaal River for camping and other activities for its annual campout, Dimalachite River Lodge.

This year, my son and I (and his best friend and his father) went on our own camping trip. To the same place. The river was in flood, so the fishing was for the hardened pros we met there. Instead, we got to drive on muddy Vrystaat roads.

Despite the rains, the sand roads were no less corrugated. But we glided over them in the Statham-like Prado. It was smooth sailing, as it were.

I must admit that one of the things I have never really grasped is new car design. I always spot new styles, refreshes, and new LED lights, but I seldom have any emotion about them. But Jason Statham the new Prado, for a car, looks good. I must obviously live in the right part of town because I have been spotting them all over Joburg this year. No one is more surprised than I that I really like the look of the new Toyota Prado.

I know enough about real life and 4×4 to know that the Toyota Land Cruiser is still considered a top dog by the off-road fundis. I have first-hand experience of this. When my ex-wife and I went on an off-road trip (about 30 years ago) with her parents, I knew I had made it with my father-in-law, John, when he let me drive the Land Cruiser.

Made it

Driving the new Jason Statham made me feel like I made it again. Heads turned, both in Sandton and Parys. But where the car really shines is off-road. We made a point of driving around the back roads of Parys – and down the main drag, which features some impressive eateries and the obligatory craft beer brewer.

The Prado 300 is a pleasure to drive both on and off-road. You’re high above the ground, which is handy for the rough roads and dongas, encased in a high-tech cabin of luxurious comfort. The contrast between the toughness of the car’s exterior and the plushness of its interior is noticeable. Just like our Jason, depending on the scenario.

On the day it arrived, I foolishly took my dogs to the park – where they promptly found the swampy, muddy area and jumped back into the backseat where they, er, “stress tested” the backseat with mud. It passed. I wiped the leather seats down, and they were like new.

Most importantly, the Prado 300 is a pleasure to drive. I was especially impressed with its accurate cruise control and how it slowed the car down when approaching other vehicles from behind. It was an impressive automation of a key driving safety feature. That’s Jason Statham for you: knows his martial arts, but also knows when to pull his punches…

Vooma

The car has more than enough vooma from its 2.8-litre 1GD-FTV turbodiesel engine, while I can’t fault its all-wheel drive (AWD) handling. It was wonderfully smooth driving down the N1 to Parys and just as smooth on the bumpy off-roads.

The centre of the dash features a 12.3in touchscreen, which supports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There are two USB-C ports and a wireless charging pad in the middle.

The rear-view mirror is actually a screen that displays the rear-mounted camera. It took a bit of fiddling to get the visual perspective correct – thanks, best-friend’s dad – and its value was immediately apparent. If you overpack the boot area, as I did, before adding a Thule bike rack, you can’t really see out the back. But the rear camera solved all that.

I could see what was behind the car despite what was behind me on the bike rack.

Another clever upgrade is moving the de rigueur spare wheel to beneath the vehicle, so the rear window can pop open like it’s mounted on the side. It’s all very civilised. Just ask my car-loving Labrador, who sat all afternoon in the back seat with my eight-year-old son, hoping for another drive.

Toyota Land Cruiser Prado 2.8GD VX-R verdict

When you’re taking a vehicle off-road, the way you’re supposed to with the new Prado, you really want it to perform like an action hero. I don’t mean it calls in a stunt double when the going gets tough. That’s real life, and Toyota’s 4×4 doesn’t feel much like that. Instead, the Land Cruiser Prado 2.8GD VX-R acts like the final product, where things are blowing up and our star (in this case, good old Jason) is out in front, being awesome in the face of every obstacle.

However, like the British actor, getting Toyota’s new Prado to work for you isn’t cheap. It starts at R1.5 million and goes up from there, putting a premium on sliding through Vrystaat mud with nary a worry that you might not making it to the fishing spot. That’s likely a price worth paying for a great many of South Africa’s outdoor types.

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Which is no hardship because the Ford Territory Titanium is as fun to drive as any Ford. Despite its SUV size, it’s weirdly nimble – like a Sumo wrestler that also does ballet. To continue the comparison, it’s also not a sprinter. It’ll handle the highway comfortably, but if you’re hoping for some instant robot-to-robot action, pick something that weighs less than 1.6 tons.

The Ford Territory is a bruiser of a cruiser, at its best when you’re at the speed limit and looking down on surrounding traffic from your elevated and comfy position. A neat collection of in-cabin tech and a delightful sunroof mean it almost drives itself, leaving you to prod the accelerator and swivel the steering wheel when needed.

Trip to space

The first thing you’ll note when climbing into the Territory’s cabin is the generous amount of space you’ve got. This isn’t reserved for the driver, either. All passengers are similarly looked after. They’re also protected by a six-airbag system, assuming the bulky exterior frame isn’t protection enough

There are slight drawbacks for the driver, however. Ford’s usual layout is a touch off, perhaps a side-effect of this one being manufactured in China. The only niggling touch is the gear selector, a knob on the gear column that we kept confusing with the equally knobby volume control. Time corrects this, however.

Stay inside

Expect loads of tech inside the Territory’s glossy Titanium-trimmed exterior shell. The instrument cluster is a bright 12in screen that shows the usual metric – speed, revs – just as well as old-school analogue might. Even better, the front passenger can play with an oversized 12.3in touchscreen that the driver really should ignore.

Ford includes a rear parking camera in its premium Titanium. It’s not the best we’ve ever seen, and the included sensors are very focused, but you’ll also spend less than a million on one of these. There are plenty of other sensors living under the Territory’s smooth skin, too. With the right stalk settings selected, it’ll swipe at rain and turn on your lights without being told to. There’s also a blind-spot indicator for those incidents.

Read More: Ford Ranger Raptor (2024) – A wolf in wolf’s clothing

Driving assistance is everywhere. Adaptive cruise control, lane assist, automatic braking, and collision detection join stalwarts like ABS, stability control, and hill launch assistance, which relieves the driver of a lot of pressure.

The gear column has a wireless charging pad, but it’s not the quickest we’ve encountered. A wired connection is a better choice for top-ups. The rear seats include Isofix fittings for current or prospective parents, making fitting a baby or booster seat into the back a trivial matter.

Star traveller

The Ford Territory doesn’t feel like it’s in a hurry, even when you’re hammering the highway at 20km/h over the speed limit. We reckon that’s a good thing, especially since its ride height and weight can make you feel like a predatory shark weaving around minnows on regular roads. The pace just cinches it.

With the eight-speaker audio system muted, you’ll note nary a whisper from the exterior. There’s a slight engine note that comes through, but it’s felt more than heard. Pop on some tunes or a podcast via Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, and even that vanishes from perception.

Ford’s figures officially reckon you’ll suck up seven litres per 100km but its own in-car data reported it as more like 10l per 100km. That wasn’t because we were lead-footed, but we also reckon consumption sits somewhere between those two figures. The 60-litre tank costs in excess of R1,300 to fill, but you won’t regret the expense as you whisper neatly up a rough incline with hardly any signs of slowing down.

Ford Territory (2024) Titanium verdict

The only serious drawback here for Ford is that there is a ton of competition in this segment in South Africa. Haval, Jaecoo, and Omoda, all Chinese brands, are just a few of those to sew up this section of the SUV market. Ford’s entry, also made in China, is competitive enough to go toe-to-toe with those brands and others. It’s a solid drive, but you should bear in mind that there are loads of other options looking to grab your attention.

Tech specs

Engine 1.8L GTDi EcoBoost Capacity 1799cc Power 138kW Torque 318Nm Transmission 7-speed automatic Fuel tank 60 litre Fuel economy 7.0l/100km Top speed 190km/h Display 12in cluster, 12.3in touchscreen Connectivity Bluetooth, USB-C, 3x USB-A Features Wireless charging, Android Auto, Apple Carplay, voice control

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For my son’s annual camping weekend, I took Ford’s ridiculously butch Ranger Raptor bakkie. It was fantastic. If Arnold Schwarzenegger was a car, he would be a Ford Ranger Raptor. With the XXL “tekkies” for tyres.

If you’re going away to the Free State for a weekend, this is the bakkie to do it in, especially if you’re taking a bike. This is a big bakkie. It has big bumpers and a big running board to stand on, which you need because the big tyres offer massive ground clearance.

Roaring plenty

The Ranger Raptor double cab is what you’d expect of a high-end vehicle selling from R1.2 million. The 12-inch touchscreen – now de rigueur in any modern car – is great. It’s called the centre touchscreen because it houses a 12.4-inch digital instrument cluster. I scrolled through the display options and chose the most minimalist option available. It’s not a major selling point, but I was relieved to be presented with just the dials and figures I know and understand.

Even less important, but what tickled my sense of humour, was the settings for how loud the car can be. The four exhaust profiles culminated in “baja” mode, which Ford says is “the most aggressive of the exhaust profiles in both volume and note. It behaves more like a straight-through system in this setting and is intended for off-road use”.

More than anything else, this bakkie is a pleasure to drive. That is the key criterion for any car for me. Smart integration with your smartphone is also de rigueur and the Ranger Raptor does that well.

Big bakkie

Unlike the previous year, when I reviewed Ford’s excellent Everest, my seven-year-old son is now very much into cycling and we are regulars at Dunkeld Cycles. So, the covered bakkie proved perfect for the trip. Luckily a friend and neighbour is a real outdoors sort, who bought a Ranger after driving the Everest and owns a tent, stretchers and even a caravan.

The bike, tent, stretchers and camping chairs went under the cover at the back and everything else fitted on the back seat. We took loads of sunblock.

Luckily, the Parys venue, Dimalachite, is perfectly geared for a horde of Joburg kids for a camping weekend.

I like to camp since it brings back so many happy memories of my childhood. Most of the old lessons were still within reach but I also learned from the other fathers to book a tent for a shower and to avoid the devastating midday heat (in early December).

When I dragged my son from the swimming pool on a baking hot afternoon, I wanted to hang up his Faf de Klerk swimming cozzie. But, as I wandered outside the chalet I also booked, the only thing in the sun was the back of the Raptor. I picked up a twig and wedged it in the back door. As I turned around, I realised I had invertedly made an Instagramable advert. It was so Jeremy Tailor’s “popcorn, chewing gum, peanuts and bubble gum” from another era, Ag Pleez Daddy for the social media age.

But I digress and shouldn’t be talking about a song also known for “blue skies” and <another nostalgic US car brand> in a Ford review.

King cab

The Ranger Raptor is the top end of Ford’s bakkie range. Its performance 3.0-litre twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 engine is ridiculously powerful, delivering 292kW and 583Nm. It’s sure-footed on the gravel roads in the Free State, thanks to an electronically controlled four-wheel drive system on both rear and front differential locks.

I was impressed with its cruise control and how it slowed down when approaching a car in front. Along with lane control, these are features that show you the potential for autonomous driving. Cars that do the basics for you (maintaining speed, keeping you in your lane and braking) let your brain focus on the driving itself. It’s also not a bad idea in the age of distracted driving. Well, distracted everything, really.

The tekkies alone – which someone else referred to as “shoes” in English to my befuddlement – are impressive. If you’re going to drive off-road and need grip and traction, these are them. (I spent loads of time talking to small boys and their fathers about the tyres…)

It seemed like overkill for a weekend away, but that is precisely what the Ranger Raptop is for. Given how much space we had, I took the only power station I have, a Gizzu Hero Core 800W 512Wh (R7,000) which lives at my 96-year-old mother’s house for load shedding. This seemed like too much for a two-night camping trip but it meant not having to worry about power banks or other chargers. This was all we needed. It also has a handy built-in light.

Ford Raptor Ranger verdict

If you’re an outdoors type and want people to know it, this is the bakkie for you. It has all the mod-cons and excellent aircon, which is the best way to tackle the wilderness. The tekkies alone will strike fear in Free State roads and other bakkie drivers but the modular exhaust roar will also do its level best to subdue the smaller cars you whip past on the gravel.

That’s quite aside from the mechanical benefits of the high ride height in the event of traffic collisions, Ford’s focus on clean, aggressive lines, and a significant focus on customisable in-cabin tech make it an attractive option visually but clearing the million-Rand bar might be a challenge for the average driver. But those massive tyres…

The post Ford Ranger Raptor (2024) review – A wolf in wolf’s clothing appeared first on Stuff South Africa.

Inside, apart from a few buttons on the steering wheel, there are only two buttons – to open and close the windows. A soft switch lets you toggle between which windows.

The Volvo EX30 take minimalism to heart. Apart from the 10-inch tablet in the centre of the dashboard, there is nothing to distract you. Eye sensors in front of the steering wheel, where a speedometer traditionally is, monitor where you are looking, and scold you if you stare at the touchscreen too much while driving.

And what a drive. As you’d expect with Volvo, the EX30 is a wonderful car to drive. You can check out my video review below.

Read More: Volvo EX30 (2024) review – For the family of the future

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The Volvo EX30’s pricing still stops short of a million bucks here at home, which is relatively affordable in EV terms. It’s pricier than the first Mini Cooper SE to land in South Africa but drops with almost double the useful range as standard. That’s an attractive proposition, putting Volvo’s smallest EV to date up against the GWM Ora. Is it worth the extra cash to go with a more familiar brand? That’s something we were keen to find out.

New look

There’s a definite evolution going on with Volvo’s cars. The exterior look of the Volvo EX30 will probably cause some division but there’s no arguing that it’s a twenty-first century vehicle. The headlights perform their very best Thor’s Hammer impression, something that’s especially noteworthy when approaching the car with the fob in hand at night. Volvo’s quick little power on is an impressive sight in the darkness.

Elsewhere, there are signs of the design changes made possible by the electric motors and low centre of gravity conferred by the 51kWh battery in our review model (the extended range model features a 69kWh battery). Traditional vehicle lines are largely preserved but there’s a compact impression throughout. Walk a circuit of the EX30 and you’ll understand exactly what we mean. There’s no need to leave space for a mechanic to work, so this compact looks denser than a petrol-driven car might.

There are also changes to the cabin that we’ll address when covering the Volvo EX30’s tech. That’s because these changes are inherently tied to the car’s tech features. If you thought the outside was divisive…

Quick off the mark

But first, let’s take Volvo’s little 200kW motor for a spin. For a compact EV, the EX30 is appreciably speedy. It’ll make 100km/h from a standing start in just 5.7 seconds and caps out at 180km/h. We didn’t measure these speeds ourselves, lacking a race track and a traffic officer to do the measuring for us, but we can vouch for the fact that it’s impressively speedy. Okay, fine, we also got it up to 160km/h (more than once) but hopefully nobody in uniform saw us do that.

The single motor is situated in the Volvo EX30’s rear, meaning you’ll feel some sway if you hammer the accelerator too hard coming out of a corner. Just because it’s compact doesn’t mean there isn’t a considerable torque rocketing you forward at a moment’s notice. The single motor version produces a maximum of 343Nm and you’ll feel it every time you take off from an intersection.

There’s nothing like a Sport mode that we would find so you’re stuck with the performance you chose when purchasing one. ‘Stuck’ is the wrong word, though. Even completely stock, you’ll find that the Volvo EX30 is a joy to drive. A family car — and that’s what this is — shouldn’t be this tempting to send into orbit. Maybe save the joyfully mad acceleration for after the kids have been dropped off at school.

Future shock

The Volvo EX30’s cabin takes some getting used to but at least we got the full Volvo experience. Stuff’s review vehicle seems to have been fitted with the single motor and standard battery, based on the available 300km(ish) range that’s possible during Johannesburg’s winter, but the features were all from the Ultra options package. That’s not something you can choose — it defaults to the single-motor, extended-range drivetrain option — but it’s worth investigating. The panoramic roof, 360° camera, and parking assist are all worthy additions, but even the stock options are attractive.

What’s missing is an instrument cluster behind the oval-shaped steering wheel. This is in keeping with the serious minimalism of the cabin’s design. If you’re a fan of tactile buttons, you’ll be disappointed here. Everything has been pared back and there’s very little to get in the way of just driving the car. Some controls, including the gear selection, have moved to the stalks on either side of the steering wheel, but most of them have migrated to the generous 12.7in tablet sitting in the centre of the dashboard. This was backed, in our review model, by a lengthy Harman Kardon soundbar that ran the length of the windscreen.

What is behind the steering wheel is a camera system, presumably depth-sending or infrared. This enables several features, like fatigue and attention warnings. Muck around in the car or yawn widely and a chime will sound reminding you to keep your eyes on the damned road. There’s some collision avoidance and lane-keep tech built in, but that can only do so much.

The Volvo EX30’s sensors are an impressive lot in general, keeping an eye on traffic in front for a lengthy distance. It’ll also account for cars on either side, while obstructions around the car are also tracked. If a vendor passes by or a biker splits a lane in your vicinity, you’ll know exactly how far they are from your vehicle by checking out the centre tablet.

Volvo EX30 verdict

All told, the Volvo EX30 is a technologically impressive EV that doesn’t try to beat you over the head with all of its tech. It works best when you just drive and trust the car’s systems to warn you if you’re misbehaving. Put your foot down and it’ll chime if you go over the speed limit. Drift in your lane and it’ll twitch the steering wheel to bring you back to Earth. But you’re supposed to do most of this on faith and that’s something folks who have been driving the ‘old’ way for decades might struggle to do. Others, though? They could well relish the lack of distractions on offer, provided they don’t also need buttons to fiddle with while they’re driving.

Should you buy an EX30? If you’re looking for a premium branded EV that comes in at less than a million, absolutely. Range, even in the base model, is acceptable while scaling up to the extended range model makes it a serious contender for distance travel. Just plan your stops to top up the battery via the provided cable, or stay overnight and perform a slower charge, and it should take you just about anywhere. How comfortably it does so is up to you and your package choice.

The post Volvo EX30 (2024) review – For the family of the future appeared first on Stuff South Africa.

We don’t mean that you’ll somehow snag Nissan Skyline GT-R performance from what is a fairly modest family car but it’s easy to appreciate the level of engineering that the Japanese automaker ladles into its vehicles. Even small details are tightly refined to the point where they disappear from view unless you’re looking for them.

Big blue 

Before we get there, let’s take a look at the stuff that everyone else gets to look at. You know, the exterior. The Qashqai follows similar design language to previous outings but there’s a sporty look to the front end that’s only enhanced by deeper cuts and vertical slashes. It’s only once you look at the vehicle broadside or from the rear that its SUV/family nature leaps out.

But don’t get too attached to the visual presentation here. The 2023 Qashqai starts at R568,00 but that’s for the very base model of the vehicle. Stuff did not get to test the very base model. We were sent the DIG-T 150 CVT Acenta Plus Xtronic CVT. The complicated designator means that it’s Nissan’s top-spec model but the two-tone Magnetic Blue/Pearl Black paint job should be the major giveaway. This one starts somewhere around the R670,000 mark, which suits us. This one’s also got all of the best tech. Visually, though, the overall exterior design doesn’t vary much between options.

Standing still

We’ll mention the external features in brief but they’re sufficiently impressive to warrant some attention. This model is fitted with 19in rims, though they can be as ‘small’ as 17in. There are a couple of exterior trim options if you’re pedantic about how your ride looks and the dynamic LED headlights are capable of automatically shifting position as needed. It’s one of those quality-of-life features Nissan seems to do extremely well. They function so well that you’re barely aware that they function at all.

This spills over to the Qashqai’s in-vehicle tech. If you’re looking for a complicated operating system and almost smartphone-like functionality, you’ll be disappointed. It was surprising how much of the central 12.3in LCD’s control relies on physical buttons. Oh, you can tap on the touchscreen but there’s not much depth to the menus and you can get similar navigation from the strip at the bottom of the screen. That said, it hits all the notes it should.

Connecting a smartphone is simple as can be (why more drivers don’t do it is a mystery to us) and the subsequent functionality is smart and intuitive. Playing media is either automatic or activated by a couple of quick taps. The audio is piped (in this particular Qashqai) through ten Bose speakers. The effect is rather lovely. When an incoming message or call comes in, it’s possible to answer, reject, or send a brief ‘I’m driving’ message from the comfortable steering wheel. It uses its own GPS which is minimalist, slick, and lacking in traffic data. Still, navigation is anything but a pain. Part of this might be the actual driving.

Road worrier

Nissan’s Qashqai doesn’t only look sporty up front. We’re not sure many companies go to the trouble of making their engine bays look as attractive as Nissan does. Even if you don’t know a damned thing about the 1.3-litre four-cylinder sitting up front, it’s worth popping the hood just to stare at it. Out of the box, at least, it’s an impressive sight.

It’s even more impressive when it’s under your foot, of course. There are three modes while driving. Eco, which we found deactivated every time we turned the car off, is the obvious fuel-saver. In return, you promise to be okay with a slugging pull-off and similar performance on slopes. Standard was the winner, at least in our eyes. A great blend of performance and economy, it allowed for some rapid acceleration in traffic but also offered plenty of control at lower speeds.

The sport mode allows the engine to get a little growly, if a 1.3-litre can be described in that way. It’s for more aggressive driving, upping the Qashqai’s responsiveness to your every command. Unfortunately, we reckon it’d be simple to slingshot yourself into the car in front of you if you’re not paying attention.

There are features in place to mitigate this. Sensors and cameras surround the exterior. Parking is a dream, provided you don’t manually fold the mirrors (and the cameras on them) down by accident. Lane-assist keeps you in your own, and there are blind-spot sensors and a warning notification that seems to become more sensitive if you’ve got your indicator on. Nissan’s ProPilot is also integrated but you’ll only rarely know that it’s working. Unless you sometimes drive like a muppet and the system has to maintain your follow distance or warn you that you’re being a Kermit. Then you’ll know that ProPilot is there.

Nissan Qashqai (2023) verdict

The Qashqai is a family car. The spacious interior, the comfortable seats, the fixtures and fittings, and the overall design all point in that direction. But when Dad is out on the road by himself, it’s possible to get a little silly thanks to the sportier mode built into the dashboard. The tech is extensive, right down to an adjustable lumbar region and back massage function, but it’s also unobtrusive. Just because it’s all there – and it is all there – doesn’t mean that the Qashqai has to hit you over the head with it every time you start it up. And then there’s the engine bay…

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The C40 Recharge is apparently the first Volvo to be designed as a pure electric vehicle only, while the Swedish manufacturer’s other EV offerings, like the XC40, are also available in hybrid and ICE derivatives. It certainly won’t be the last EV-only vehicle from the company as it aims to only sell EVs by 2030.

The XC40 and C40 Recharge share many similarities. In fact, the C40 is pretty much just a sportier version of the XC40, in both looks and performance. From the outside, that’s most noticeable in the C40’s sloped rear instead of the XC40’s boxy attire.

Along with the slope, Volvo’s included a few embellishments that hint at the C40’s understated performance – the rear roof overhangs and a spoiler. The rear design is supposed to make the C40 more aerodynamic to help with its battery range but it does cost you 15l of cargo space and 62mm of rear passenger headroom while only netting you an extra 10km over the XC40.

Going the distance

The total range of the 78kWh lithium-ion battery pack inside the C40 Recharge is supposed to be 510km, according to Volvo’s website. That will depend on driving style, conditions, and how well you use the built-in range optimiser.

You have a few options when it comes to charging. During the week we spent driving our review model around Johannesburg, the full charge it came with lasted for the entire time with our average 22.6kWh/100km usage.

C40 Recharge buyers will receive a Volvo wall box charger and a seven-metre charging cable with their vehicle. While that’s a nice addition, it does make you reliant on having electricity available at home which we all know isn’t guaranteed and isn’t exactly cheap if you’re getting it from Eskom or City Power.

If your home is equipped with three-phase power, the wall box charger is capable of an 11kWh output so you’re looking at roughly eight hours for a full charge. That’s not bad, considering the provided cable used for plugging it straight into the wall can only do 2.3kWh. When you don’t have the whole night to wait for a charge, publicly available chargers can be found scattered around the country.

If you’re lucky enough to find an unoccupied 150kWh fast-charger, Volvo says a 10-80% charge will only take you 27 minutes. We recommend becoming friends with GridCar’s interactive charging stations map if you’re a prospective EV owner.

These horses are electric

While the sporty embellishments might look a little out of place on a Volvo, they start to make sense when you’re behind the wheel. While the C40 Recharge is still very much a Volvo – a Volvo crossover, at that – it still features the kind of performance we’ve come to enjoy from electric vehicles.

Peak power and maximum torque are rated at 300kW and 660Nm respectively. A 0-100km sprint will only take 4.7 seconds and the top speed maxes out at 180km/h. That’s a fair bit more than other similar vehicles in this segment and not something we expected from a brand known for its sensible, safety-first approach.

Volvo is only offering the top-specced C40 Recharge Ultimate in SA. It features a twin-motor setup, one for each axle. That means the all-wheel drive system is ready to apply all of its available power to the road beneath you at a moment’s notice.

There’s something special to be said about breezing past other vehicles as if they were stationary with nary a peep save for the slight electric motor whine. Especially when the occupants of said stationary vehicles have to do a double take because they weren’t expecting that from a Volvo.

Performance around bends didn’t bring the same enjoyment. There’s no escaping the fact that it feels like you’re driving a tank at times, having to lug all that battery weight around. Despite the slanted rear, the C40 Recharge still felt a little top-heavy and we would’ve liked the steering to feel a little more present. But we’re inclined to let that slide. This is still a crossover SUV, after all.

The slanted sporty rear may have alluded to the C40 Recharge’s performance but it’s a different story inside the cabin. Volvo has crafted a superbly sophisticated cabin that will feel familiar to past Volvo owners yet somehow still adequately advanced in 2023.

Comfort, meet technology

That was apparent from the moment we climbed in and instinctively looked for the ‘Start’ button. There isn’t one. You simply climb in, select ‘drive’ or ‘reverse’ via the centred nubby selector and you’re off. It took some getting used to but we came to enjoy the ease of use. Just as we enjoyed ‘one-pedal’ driving, as Volvo calls it. This engages regenerative braking to its maximum effect and eliminates the need to manually brake in all but a few scenarios.

We also appreciated the fact that Volvo’s infotainment system now runs on Google’s Android Automotive. This means the 9in vertical centre display works a lot like an Android smartphone. It makes over-the-air updates a lot easier to manage on Volvo’s end so you won’t have to visit a dealership as often. It also means that if you aren’t intimately familiar with Android, you might not have a good time right away. The words ‘needlessly complicated’ come to mind.

Google’s Maps, Assistant, and Play Store apps are all supported natively and come preinstalled, widening your choice for just about everything. Climate control is also handled by the centre display. There aren’t any physical buttons so we’d recommend spending a bit of time familiarising yourself with the layout because it isn’t always as intuitive as Volvo probably intended.

The C40 Recharge’s 12in driver display lives where you’d normally find a gauge cluster. It provides you with info while you drive although we would’ve liked a few more customizable options here than the present two – ‘Calm’ or ‘Navi’.

Other interior highlights include an ambient lighting system that you may not care about, an air purifier system that you’ll probably care about a little more, and a 12-channel Harmon Kardon sound system that you’ll absolutely care about if you’re under 40.

We did find one, rather large issue during our time with the C40 Recharge – driver visibility. The windows of our model were tinted a little too aggressively for our liking which impacted visibility, particularly at night.

The panoramic sunroof that comes standard is fun while the sun’s out but isn’t much to help at night. Coupled with the small rear window thanks to that sloped backend, there were times during our review when pulling into and out of tight spaces took longer than it should have. And that’s with Volvo’s 360-degree camera system helping.

Speaking of which, Volvo’s other assistive safety features are present as well, like cross-traffic alert, blind spot information system, collision avoidance, and lane-stay assistance. They’re there if you want them or can be turned off if you can find them in the menus.

Volvo C40 Recharge Ultimate (2023) verdict

If it wasn’t already obvious, the Volvo C40 Recharge really impressed us. It offers a ménage à trois of sophisticated comfort, effortless immediate power, and technical capabilities that we reckon a lot of people will find very appealing. The starting price of R1,324,000 certainly isn’t cheap so we don’t foresee streets full of C40 Recharges anytime soon. But if you’re looking for an all-electric luxury compact SUV crammed full of tech, put this at the top of your shortlist, or at least in the top three.

The post Volvo C40 Recharge Ultimate (2023) review – Technically comfortable, comfortably technical appeared first on Stuff South Africa.

And that’s because you’re going to pay for that second (electric) engine. It’ll make you pleased you spent the cash but when the so-called ‘mild hybrid’ version starts at R957,200, you’ll start questioning why the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) XC60 T8 starts at R1,284,000. The difference is between a small amount of electrical assistance (with no fully-electric driving at all) and an electric motor able to take control of the entire car. That’s worth the price of a decent second-hand hatchback, right?

What’s in the box?

Once upon a time, Volvo’s design language was 95% rectangular. Stereotypically so. The (Chinese-owned) Swedish company has since softened its lines but there’s still a hint of its roots in the XC60 T8’s design. And before you ask, all of the rest of the XC60 models feature the exact same design. It’s what’s under the hood, and the little badge at the back, that sets each model apart.

From outside, you’re greeted with clean lines flowing from front to back. There’s a hint of aggression to it, but just a hint. The whole concept feels like a family car that’s trying to be edgy, but not so much so that the kids steal it to go for joyrides on the weekend. But, in typical Volvo fashion, if that were to happen, said kids would be very well protected in the event of an accident. After the accident, however…

The sensible design carries on to the interior. The version we drove was packed with features, mostly to do with driver comfort (more of that in a bit). It’s eye-catching enough but not so much so that you’ll come across as a show-off. You’re far more likely to see an XC60 T8 picking kids up from school than racing other cars at the intersection. If you plan it right, though, it’ll also scare the pants off a performance car or two.

Box of tricks

That’s because the XC60 T8 Recharge is perfectly capable of running entirely on electric motors. What this means is instant torque from a standing start, though the 18.8kWh battery is only good for about 80km before you’ll top it up via the included cables. Regenerative braking is also an option but that means your brakes have an awful lot of work to do. It’s best to just charge it overnight. Connected to a wall, it’ll take seven (uninterrupted) hours or so to top up.

You don’t have to charge the T8 but that negates the point of it. When the electric motors are fully charged and working, your daily trips to the office and back will use only hints of petrol. Volvo claims about 1.6l per 100km. Our experience, according to the dashboard readout, was often more like 0.9l/100km. It seems that the engine only takes over at around 80km/h — it’s hard to tell, the Volvo is incredibly silent inside and the transition is seamless — so most town speeds are fully electric.

But we also ran the battery flat, just to see what would happen. Turns out, fuel economy isn’t nearly as good, sitting in the region of 11l/100km for the 2.0-litre 340kW engine, though cold startup will have you sweating bullets at the projected 18l/100km assessment. That’s very temporary, at least, but you also get a feel for what the engine can do when there’s no battery compensating for your gas-guzzling.

But you’re not buying a PHEV in order to not use the thing and the extra R300,000 and change you’ll pay for this over a mild hybrid works out to a massive saving in petrol. If you’re economical about your daily driving, a single full tank (70 litres) should last you close to 7,000km. But the option to go on longer trips without experiencing any range anxiety makes this an easier drive, mentally, than most pure EVs.

Internet in a box

The XC60’s interior, particularly the seats, is highly customisable though it can take some time to really get your placement perfect. Don’t do what we did and go for ‘good enough’. Adjusting a seat in traffic when you have no idea which of the little buttons and dials does what (and then switching over to the touchscreen centre console display for fine-tuning) is a terrible idea.

But very little about the rest of the experience is. The heads-up display is bright enough to be seen in any condition, though it isn’t enough to prevent us from using the display behind the steering wheel nearly constantly. That might change over time but Volvo only gave this one to us for a week.

The centre console’s operating system is based on Android. As such, it’s a breeze to use, though we’d have preferred a different file structure. The version here works. Icons are always a good idea but we’d have preferred more physical controls in addition to the various software options. We’re fond of tactile engagement. Sue us.

The XC60 T8’s camera system, though, was spot on. If we were to complain about anything, it would be that the extreme edges, right next to the vehicle, aren’t as visible as we’d like but we’d also be splitting hairs. It’s really not a problem anyone should care about. Ever. Besides, with features like anti-collision and blind-spot warnings, parking sensors, advanced climate control, and a very slick sunroof, we reckon Volvo’s done more than enough to offset any perceived negatives.

Volvo XC60 T8 Recharge verdict

Not on board with the EV trend? A plug-in hybrid like Volvo’s XC60 T8 Recharge might be what you need to convince you otherwise. Maybe not all the way there — there’s still the option to put your foot down and feel cylinders burning dead dinosaurs kick into action — but it’ll certainly save on your monthly fuel bill. Volvo’s effort packs in as many tech features as you could ask for from a car, plus the PHEV offers fuel economy that would make a scooter feel like a glutton for gasoline. Whether it’s worth spending more than R300,000 on the XC60 T8 over the mild hybrid version should be up to you and your bank but we’d have to come down on the full PHEV’s side on this one. It’s mostly silent, uses almost no fuel, and has the range of a traditional petrol vehicle. That’s a tough combination to beat. We’re not even sure that pure EVs are up to the task.

The post Volvo XC60 T8 Recharge review – What a hybrid workspace should be appeared first on Stuff South Africa.

Before going any further, there’s no skirting around the price. Laying your hands on Suzuki’s most kitted-out model – the one we played with — will set you back a cool R530,000. If you don’t have that kind of cheddar lying around or, you know, hate the planet, there are cheaper models out there with a regular engine in the bonnet that’ll pull in a better value. At least, in our opinion.

Sittin’ pretty

If you’ve seen Suzuki’s Vitara before, you’ve seen the Grand Vitara (GV) before. The added grandeur here – also known as a bigger chassis – is noticeable, though the sexy boxy design that was apparent there hasn’t yet disappeared. That extra space certainly helps the car’s interior, giving the designers more room to work with and the ability to pack in more than they’d be able to in a normal car.

But we’ll return to the interior in a bit. There’s still the GV’s front and weirdly futuristic-looking rear to deal with. We’ll deal first with the multi-level grille mounted to the front, stuck right in-between the car’s 3-point daytime headlamps that act as the eyebrows of the operation. Below are the car’s standard lights and standard-issue bumper that doesn’t add frills where they don’t need to be.

The back keeps a similar theme, with two plain-LED lines encompassing the ornate S. With only the license plate and bumper left back there, it’s all a rather formal affair with little flair to help it stand out. We can’t see Suzuki struggling to get these off the lot. Whether the owner can get it off or not is another question entirely.

Gettin’ a view

We quite literally had a front-row seat to check out the GV’s innards, of which there were plenty. Unlike the outside, which opted for a more… subtle look, it’s clear Suzuki spent most of the budget on the spacious interior, adorned with comfortable faux leather and glossy black trims everywhere you look. Oh, and it’s big, too. That’s important to… some people.

Our eyes were immediately drawn to the 9in infotainment system, which says more about modern society than it does the car. Philosophy aside, we had no trouble hooking up our Samsung smartphone through Android Auto, though we found that the process was smoother still with an iPhone at hand. That’s not Suzuki’s fault – but it’s certainly worth remembering if you’re an Android person.

Taking refuge underneath the screen (and the vents) are a few physical buttons you’ll find on the front docket. These control the temperature, though the built-in automatic climate control was intelligent enough throughout our journey that we hardly needed to fiddle with buttons at all.

In truth, most of our touching went to the infotainment system which was simple enough to operate, though best done while parked. We got on alright with (and much preferred) the steering wheel’s physical buttons, which kept our music blasting throughout the trip. There wasn’t enough time to dig into the dashboard’s speedometer controls, which says enough about the customization on offer there.

If you’re springing for Suzuki’s GLX models and above, you’ll be greeted with more USB ports than you know what to do with. There’s also a wireless charging port that our phone occupied, even if the charging was somewhat slow and might have done better with a physical cable involved. Still, a charge is a charge.

Take me home, country roads

Eventually, it was time to finally drive the thing. We weren’t particularly thrilled with the Vitara’s on-the-road performance, with the pull-away power and overall performance leaving us a little downhearted. Once the car picked up a bit more speed and we became accustomed to the car’s ins and outs, the ride proved to be smooth and comfortable, though not extremely fast. It was responsive when we needed it to be – especially when the rain began pouring sometime around the Montagu Pass, giving us an excuse to really put the AllGrip name to the test up the winding, uphill turns.

The real test came when the trip took a turn (no, really) onto a dirt track laden with the day’s mud. We locked it into 4×4 mode and set off. It navigated the rain-glutted roads with ease, and for off-roading novices like ourselves, it made the experience far simpler and less stressful than expected. Maybe it’s the weight, the hybrid engine, or our excellent driving that did the trick. Either way, it made for an experience we wouldn’t mind doing in the Grand Vitara all over again. Whether we’d do it in one of the GV’s less-expensive models…

There are a couple of features that made an appearance along the drive. Our favourite was the 360-degree camera that helped us navigate the trail with a little more ease (though the raised suspension did plenty to help too) when the roads narrowed. Like most vehicles, it’s hard to fault a rearview reverse camera. That came in handy once or twice.

We’d hoped for a little more power on the everyday roads than we got and a pull-away that excites us just a little. We weren’t all that impressed with the Hybrid K15C engine (instead of the K15B which is reserved for the petrol models). Its power wasn’t all too noticeable, though that’s by design, with Suzuki’s main ambition in the Hybrid being to save on fuel – what with the added 125kg the AllGrip and 4-wheel-drive our model had extra. It begs the question; is it worth it?

Suzuki Grand Vitara Verdict

We’d have liked at least a few more hours of driving to get our thoughts in order on the Suzuki Grand Vitara. But, we didn’t and this is the result. Overall, we enjoyed our time with the car, and are even willing to look past the few minor issues. If you’re looking to get into a Grand Vitara, we’d suggest sticking to one of the model’s cheaper variants, regardless of the (slight) savings on fuel. Still, more time would have been appreciated

We’ll shortly get our wish and will be spending a full week behind the wheel of the Grand Vitara 1.5 GLX 6AT Hybrid AllGrip to get a better sense of the range, fuel consumption, and ease of navigation through Joburg’s traffic. Expect that… soon.

Finally, it’s worth mentioning that our hours-long test drive was made possible through Suzuki’s new partnership with FlySafair – with the airline bringing us to George for the drive. Better yet, the collaboration includes a competition where you could win yourself one of two Suzuki Grand Vitara 1.5 GLX 6AT AllGrip Hybrids if you book a flight with FlySafair before 31 July – after which you’ll be automatically entered into the draw.

Read More: First Drive: Volvo C40 Recharge – Volvo’s back in Recharge

The post First Drive: Suzuki Grand Vitara Hybrid – Adding a level of grandeur appeared first on Stuff South Africa.

But you’re buying a completely different thing if you’re opting for an EV and the Volvo C40 Recharge is no different. It looks like a Volvo. It smells like a Volvo. But it’s actually a surprisingly stealthy ninja car that’ll confuse anyone you happen to drive past. It looks like it makes noise but it really, really doesn’t.

Everybody line up

The C40 Recharge looks like an SUV-lite, one with a spot of sportiness about it. Standing outside the car, it looks bulky at first glance but once you’ve started it up, you’ll have trouble remembering why you thought that. The design is almost typically Volvo but with slightly more curves and an aggressive line or two. That last point might just be us anticipating what an EV can do. But first, a look at the inside.

The interior of the vehicle, from the driver’s seat, is dominated by a large touchscreen panel, angled slightly toward the driver. It’s optimised for Google Automotive Services, which is what runs the whole vehicle. It’s like Android Auto but wholly integrated. That goes some way to explaining why the menus are so deep and sometimes complicated — any control is best done while stationary or by a passenger. It’s very distracting.

The interior goes light on physical buttons. They’re there but they’re underemphasised since the major control will happen via the touchscreen.

The heel and stalks are easy to manage. Controls are within easy reach of thumbs and you can choose one of several modes for the instrument cluster. These vary in how busy they are but the most useful includes navigation updates along with your speed and power info. It may be more customizable, but we didn’t have enough time to really dig into the settings.

Road worrier

As far as driving the Volvo C40 Recharge goes, it’s perhaps a little too easy. It doesn’t include quite the same aircraft carrier takeoff jolt you get from Jaguar’s electric vehicle but it’s snappy and responsive when you need it to be there. Whipping past slow-moving trucks in Franshoek was incredible, but the vehicle’s weight and tendency to hold velocity longer than expected — regenerative braking may have been turned off — makes for a hair-raising experience on tight passes. We know, we know, make better driving choices. But when it’s capable of 0 to 100km/h in 4.7 seconds, you kinda have to put your foot down. At least once. Even if they tell you not to.

The cabin itself is plush though Volvo tells us that the interior is all recycled and doesn’t use any leather at all. You could have fooled us, but that’s the point. We found, in the overcast Western Cape afternoon, that the window tint was a little too dark for comfort but the glass sunroof made up for it somewhat. Still, changing lanes was a bit hairier than we might have liked. Thank goodness for all of Volvo’s driving assists, like blind-spot notification, lane assist, and collision avoidance. We didn’t use that last one. Promise.

It comes out at night

There were a few features we were only told about since they primarily function at night. The Volvo C40 Recharge features an ambient light strip inside the cabin that hides a Swedish easter egg. We forget the name of the feature it represents but it’s there and a dealer will probably explain it to you.

The other feature was the Pixel headlamps. These apparently feature intelligent lighting, able to illuminate the area in front of you without blinding other drivers. We’d have loved to see it in action. Sadly, we’ll probably only experience it ‘passively’ when an oncoming Volvo C40 Recharge spares our eyes one fine winter evening.

Volvo C40 Recharge initial verdict

We only got to spend a limited amount of time behind the wheel of the Volvo C40 Recharge but the experience was great. Part of that was the scenic Western Cape roads but a lot of it was the responsive and safe-feeling EV.

There’s 300W of output behind the wheels and 660Nm of torque, which is more than enough to overtake anything plodding along. The 78kWh battery apparently features a 444km range, which looks about right, based on our time with the vehicle. It’s rated for charging at home (AC, 3.5kW) or from a custom installation (11kW) but you really want to take it to a DC charging station, which hits up to 150kW and gets drivers from 10% to 80% in under 40 minutes.

But these are all just figures we’ve been told. From what we’ve experienced, it’s well worth giving a serious look if you’re after a spacious and safe EV. As long as you’ve got around R1.3 million in the bank (or a very good car loan), that is.

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