
JMC Grand Avenue, a big bakkie with a surprising value proposition
By Aurelia Mbokazi It is safe to say South Africans are bakkie crazy, and JMC knows it. Winning over buyers who swear by their long-trusted legacy brands: Toyota, Ford and

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By Aurelia Mbokazi It is safe to say South Africans are bakkie crazy, and JMC knows it. Winning over buyers who swear by their long-trusted legacy brands: Toyota, Ford and

By Aurelia Mbokazi When I learned that Nissan had sold its Rosslyn plant to the Chery Group, I felt a tinge of sadness. I wondered whether this was the end

By Mabuyane Mabuza Multi-purpose vehicles (MPVs), otherwise known as buses, are proving themselves as alternatives for large families. Instead of buying an SUV, an MPV can do the same job.

By Mabuyane Mabuza Ama2000 will not believe me when I tell them that, during the good old days, the most fiercely contested segment of the car market was the compact

By Mabuyane Mabuza By Mabuyane MabuzaThe saying walala wasala is what came to mind when I landed in Cape Town to sit behind the wheel of BMW’s new iX3. At

By Mabuyane Mabuza When Jetour arrived in South Africa in 2024, it quickly established itself as one of the country’s fastest-growing automotive brands. The Dashing and X70 Plus stood out

Revved Up with Itu Motuba I take my playlists very seriously because every drive deserves the right soundtrack. The equaliser has to be just right, the sound crisp, the bass

By Mabuyane Mabuza These days, the question is no longer whether you like SUVs or not. That debate has long been settled. The real question is: which SUV do you

By Aurelia Mbokazi Kashe Electric cars are not known for making a grand entrance. They slip quietly into driveways, parking lots and suburban streets, often arriving with little more than

Hello Mabs I keep seeing “service plan” “maintenance plan” and “warranty” when comparing cars. I thought they all basically meant the manufacturer looks after the car for a few years.

Hello Mabs I’m almost finished paying off my car and everyone keeps telling me this is the perfect time to trade it in. But I love my car and it’s

Hello Mabs My car has started making a squeaking sound whenever I go over speed bumps. It drives perfectly otherwise and there are no warning lights. Am I being paranoid,

Hello Mabs I earn a decent salary and can afford the monthly repayment, but my vehicle finance application was declined. I’m embarrassed because I don’t understand why. What exactly does

Hello Mabs I’m shopping for a new car and have narrowed it down to two. One is cheaper but the other has a longer warranty and service plan. I’ve always

Hello Mabs I have a problem with my passenger. Every time we’re in the car, they have something to say about my driving. I’m told to slow down, brake earlier,

By Aurelia Mbokazi When Martina Biene’s departure from Volkswagen Group Africa was announced at the Festival of Motoring, the emotional reaction from members of the media revealed how deeply she

By Staff Writer Volkswagen is celebrating 75 years of building and selling vehicles in South Africa, marking the anniversary of the first Volkswagen Beetle produced locally on 31 August 1951.

Hello Mabs I always hear people talking about defensive driving, but nobody has ever explained what it actually means. Is it just another name for driving carefully? Mabs answers: Defensive

By Staff Writer October is Transport Month in South Africa, a time to reflect on how we use our roads and what we can do to make them safer. As

Staff Writer October is Transport Month in South Africa, bringing with it a heightened focus on how we move and, importantly, how safely we do it. The hope is that

By Staff Writer The Heritage Day long weekend may be behind us, but for many South African families, the break is not quite over. Schools are on holiday, spring has

Staff Writer The discovery of the bodies of nine women in Ekurhuleni over the past two months has shaken South Africa and once again brought the safety of women sharply

By Aurelia Mbokazi From behind the wheel, a steep 4×4 descent always looks even steeper. You reach the top, peer over the bonnet, and have that strange feeling in your

Revved Up By Itu Motuba There comes a time in life when your car stops being just your car. First, there are gym bags, shopping bags and the occasional takeaway

Staff Writer The first spring rain can turn a familiar drive home into a very different journey. Traffic slows, visibility drops and that pothole you normally avoid disappears beneath a

Staff Writer You know how your car feels on the school run, crawling through morning traffic or squeezing into a tight parking space. But would you know what to expect

By Aurelia Mbokazi On Friday morning, women police and traffic officers took charge of a busy road blockalong the N14 in the Northern Cape, stopping hundreds of vehicles, checking motorists

By Aurelia Mbokazi The first time I looked at the new Toyota RAV4, one thought came to mind: Toyota is flexing. It felt as though someone had said, “Listen, we

By Aurelia Mbokazi Like the next person, I love a bargain. Knowing I have paid less than expected gives me a thrill. In my circles, I am that woman who

By Aurelia Mbokazi South Africans know how to love things loudly. Amapiano comes with dance moves, rugby and soccer stir households, and bunny chow, kota and a braai need little

By Aurelia Mbokazi Being a motoring journalist is a huge flex, but it can also be a disadvantage. One week, there is a premium SUV in your driveway. The next,

By Mabuyane Mabuza Sometimes I chuckle at the questions I still get after so many years of being immersed in the world of cars. The three most common ones are

By Mabuyane Mabuza Photography: Shaun Mallet It takes a special kind of car to awaken the almost dormant petrolhead in me. Since becoming a true country meisie, a lot of

By Aurelia Mbokazi-Kashe Some cars announce themselves loudly. Others quietly win you over. The GWM H6 GTPHEV did both. It arrived with bold confidence and, a week later, left me

By Aurelia Mbokazi-Kashe For the past month, the Suzuki Swift has quietly slipped into my daily rhythm and made itself at home. It has reminded me why I have always

By Mabuyane Mabuza Sometimes one cannot help but wonder what the automotive scene will look like ten years from now. Some of us have watched the industry evolve, cars becoming

By Staff Writer As Women’s Month draws to a close, we meet three women building careers in trucking and helping to keep businesses, goods and communities moving. Every truck travelling

By Aurelia Mbokazi When government leaders, Toyota executives and industry stakeholders gathered at Toyota South Africa Motors’ (TSAM)Prospecton plant in Durban last Thursday to celebrate the line-off of the ninth-generation

By Mabuyane Mabuza After months of negotiations, Chery Group officially opened its first manufacturing plant on the African continent on Friday, marking a major step in the Chinese carmaker’s expansion

By Staff Writer South Africa’s automotive industry has long been defined by engineering excellence, technological innovation and fierce competition. Increasingly, however, another story is unfolding behind the scenes, one that

The announcement of the 2026 South African Car of the Year marked more than the crowning of a new winner. It signalled a significant shift in South Africa’s automotive landscape.

By Mabuyane Mabuza I am old enough to remember when the South African motoring scene was dominated by German swagger and prestige. Don’t get me wrong, those brands still stir

By Aurelia Mbokazi-Kashe There are moments in driving that feel small until they become stressful. A parking sign on a busy street. A confusing lane marking. A split-second uncertainty about

By Staff Writer From yesterday’s electric BONDay sessions to President Ramaphosa’s opening address today, Africa’s Travel Indaba 2026 is making its mark on the global tourism stage. BONDay Sets the

By Staff Writer While most consumers engage with motoring brands through new model launches and the aspiration of owning the latest vehicle, the real story often starts with people long

By Staff Writer October is Transport Month in South Africa, a time to reflect on how we use our roads and what we can do to make them safer. As part of its Safety Mondays series,...

By Aurelia Mbokazi The first time I looked at the new Toyota RAV4, one thought came to mind: Toyota is flexing. It felt as though someone had said, “Listen, we are legends. We know how to...

By Aurelia Mbokazi Like the next person, I love a bargain. Knowing I have paid less than expected gives me a thrill. In my circles, I am that woman who will drive to a market for...

By Aurelia Mbokazi It is safe to say South Africans are bakkie crazy, and JMC knows it. Winning over buyers who swear by their long-trusted legacy brands: Toyota, Ford and Isuzu takes more than gimmicks and...

By Aurelia Mbokazi When I learned that Nissan had sold its Rosslyn plant to the Chery Group, I felt a tinge of sadness. I wondered whether this was the end of a chapter for a manufacturer...

By Mabuyane Mabuza Multi-purpose vehicles (MPVs), otherwise known as buses, are proving themselves as alternatives for large families. Instead of buying an SUV, an MPV can do the same job. I had the pleasure of driving...

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