Colin-on-Cars - Simola Hillclimb gains new backing

Since inception, the size, status and relevance of the annual Simola Hilclimb has grown exponentially along with the speed, ferocity and technical innovation of the vehicles that clamour for inclusion – with all available slots taken up well before the event itself.

This motoring and motor sport lifestyle event has been given a further boost for this year’s 13th edition, as a record number of vehicle manufacturers are set to join the action. The 2023 Simola Hillclimb, which takes place from 4 to 7 May, will see six manufacturers supporting the event with official entries, with four of the brands also signing up as event partners.

“For the past three years we have been working exceptionally hard to expand the manufacturer support and participation in the Simola Hillclimb to broaden its appeal for spectators and competitors, and give the vehicle brands an unrivalled platform to highlight their latest products,  performance and heritage,” says Ian Shrosbree, managing director of the Knysna Speed Festival which runs the Simola Hillclimb.

“Moving away from having a manufacturer as a title sponsor from the 2021 event onwards allowed us to engage with other brands, and we have been encouraged by a steady growth in involvement each year,” Shrosbree says. “We are delighted to have six manufacturers lined up for this year, which elevates the profile and status of the Simola Hillclimb to even greater heights.”

Suzuki

Suzuki Auto South Africa is a Tier 1 partner for 2023, marking its third consecutive year of sponsoring the event.

“The Simola Hillclimb provides a platform to showcase Suzuki’s fun, exciting and passionate personality that stretches beyond our repertoire of providing affordable, fun and sporty compact cars and motorcycles,” says Brendon Carpenter, Brand Marketing Manager at Suzuki Auto SA.

“Globally, the Suzuki brand has a very strong heritage and enviable reputation of building crazy, and often record-breaking, high-powered hillclimb monsters such as Monster Tajima’s Suzuki Escudo Pikes Peak and the Suzuki SX4 Pikes Peak Special,” Carpenter says. “The Simola Hillclimb gives us an opportunity to dabble in the South African motor sport scene, and has become a highlight on our annual event calendar.”

Along with its Tier 1 sponsorship, for the second year in a row Suzuki will feature two standard Swift Sport entries competing in the standard production class. The company will also display the latest addition to its SUV line-up, and fans can look forward to demonstration runs with its newest motorcycle offerings.

BMW

Following its participation as an entrant last year, BMW South Africa has stepped up its involvement to become a Tier 1 partner for the 2023 Simola Hillclimb.

“We had a very enthusiastic response from the BMW team last year, and we are delighted to welcome the company on board as a Tier 1 partner for 2023,” Shrosbree says.

While the vehicle and driver line-up is still being finalised, fans can be assured there will be lots to look forward to.

“BMW’s presence at this year’s Simola Hillclimb will be a celebration of our heritage in South Africa on Classic Car Friday, as well as a look towards our future and our expanding electromobility portfolio in the King of the Hill Shootout,” says Thilosh Moodally, General Manager: Group Communications and External Affairs, BMW Group South Africa.

Volkswagen

Volkswagen has progressively stepped up its participation in the Simola Hillclimb over the past couple of years, and has signed up as a Tier 2 partner for 2023.

“This event is the most fun one can have in Knysna! It is a showcase of both driver capability and the incredible engineering in our Volkswagen products,” says Mike Rowe, Volkswagen Driving Experience Manager. “We use it as an opportunity to entertain important guests as well as to demonstrate new Volkswagen products and motorsport drivers to the elite motoring fanatics.”

The Volkswagen line-up will include the powerful Polo SupaCup race car that featured in the 2022 event, along with two Golf R entries in the production vehicle class.

“There will be a fourth very exciting car, but we can’t reveal the details yet,” Rowe says.

Honda

Joining the fray for the first time as a Tier 2 partner is Honda Motor Southern Africa.

“This is the first time that Honda will be participating in the Simola Hillclimb, and we are delighted to be a Tier 2 partner for this prestigious event,” says Letitia Herold, Marketing and PR Manager, Honda Motor Southern Africa.

“For King of the Hill, we are entering a highly anticipated new performance car that will be launched just before the Simola Hillclimb. It will be driven by one of South Africa’s best-known racing drivers, so we expect that there will be lots of interest from the enthusiastic spectators. Fans can look forward to demo runs up Simola Hill as well, and we will be involved in the Fan Fest activities too, so there will be lots to look forward to.”

Hyundai

Hyundai South Africa returns as the media shuttle partner for the second consecutive year, supplying the Staria buses to transport the press contingent to designated photographic locations along the Simola Hill course.

More noteworthy for hot hatch fans, though, is the official entry of the Hyundai i30N, which will be driven by Joshua Lowe, Hyundai’s Regional Sales and N-sport Manager.

“Hyundai N products such as the i30N and Kona N closely align themselves to motorsport and were developed to be track stars for the road,” Lowe says.

“We have entered our i30N which we raced in the Johannesburg-based Vilaca Racing time attack series in 2022, where it finished second in the FWD modified class in stock form,” Lowe says. “For this year the vehicle has a few basic modifications for the track, but is essentially what you can expect from the factory vehicle. We look forward to showing the South African public what the i30N is capable of.”

Ford

Fresh from its South African launch, the new V6-powered Ford Ranger Raptor will provide an unusual twist on the performance vehicle theme with the backing of Ford South Africa, and will compete in the unlimited class for sports utility/activity vehicles and bakkies.

“We are excited about participating in the 2023 Simola Hillclimb for the first time with a media partner,” says Minesh Bhagaloo, General Manager, Communications at Ford South Africa. “The Simola Hillclimb is a fantastic event, and fans will get to see the exhilarating Next-Generation Ranger Raptor in action. It is powered by a 292 kW 3,0-litre V6 EcoBoost engine which makes it our most powerful Ranger yet. We are confident that the Next-Gen Ranger Raptor will be a great attraction at this year’s event, and on our media partner’s social platforms.”

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Colin-on-Cars - The sting in the tail

Saturday’s 154-kilometre stage through the dunes to Al Hofuf would prove a dramatic dream breaker for some. South African T1.2 leaders Brian Baragwanath and Leonard Cremer, who suffered a hard landing, flipped, and damaged their Factory Century. The car was towed out of the stage. Another Century driver, Yannick, was airlifted to hospital after another crash.

Up front, Sebastien Loeb and his navigator Fabian Lurquin stormed to an unprecedented sixth straight Dakar stage win and his seventh of 2023 in their Factory Prodrive Hunter. His relentless pursuit has however hardly made a dent over second place in todays stage, the wholly unflustered Nasser Al-Attiyah and Mathieu Baumel who have an hour and 21-minute overall lead in their Toyota Gazoo Racing Hilux DKR T1+.

Nasser Al-Attiyah and Mathieu Baumel

Mattias Ekstrom’s surviving Audi was third ahead of South Africans Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings’ Gazoo Hilux, home hero Yazeed Al Rajhi’s GR Hilux, and best of the 4x2s Jakub Przygonski’s Mini. Rookie sensation Luca Moraes was seventh in his Hilux from Guerlain Chicherit’s Hunter, Juan Yacopini’s Hilux, and SA duo Giniel de Villiers and Dennis Murphy’s Gazoo Hilux.

Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings

Outside the top ten, Mathieu Serradori and Loic Minaudier’s second Century recovered to 12th after a difficult start to close on new class leader Wei Han’s 4x2 advantage down to 2 minutes 30. Overall, Attiyah leads Loeb, Moraes, de Villiers and Lategan. Martin Prokop’s Ford Raptor sat sixth after a tough day, from Yacopini, up four places overall but closely followed by Han and Serradori.

Thomas Bell and SA navigator Gerhard Schutte led Daniel Schröder and his SA notes man Ryan Bland home to another South African Red-Lined Racing T1.1 amateur class 1-2. Schröder and Bland lead Bell and Schutte in a comfortable Red-Lined 1-2 overall, with all four of the maker’s cars still running into Sunday’s short final stage.

MORE DRAMA IN EPIC BIKE RACE 

As it was in the cars, the bikes also delivered great late Dakar drama. The day started with news that tenth overall US KTM youngster Mason Klein had thrown in the towel after struggling since a Day 9 crash. Then ninth overall KTM factory rider Matthias Walkner crashed heavily, as third overall, teammate Kevin Benavides stopped to help until Walkner was airlifted out.

Kevin Benavides

Benavides would ultimately gain his lost time back, but that kept him invisible through the day.  His pace was however clearly quicker than the men up front. Heroic South African rookie Michael Docherty’s FK Husqvarna led the way from brother Luciano Benavides’ Factory Husqvarna and Adrien van Beveren’s Honda, as overall top two, Price and Howes fought in sixth and seventh.

Docherty ultimately benefited a Luciano Benavides penalty to top the times, with overnight leader Toby Price’s KTM third from Husqvarna privateer Romain Dumontier, second overall Skyler Howes’ Husqvarna, Pablo Quintanilla’s Honda, privateer Tosha Schareina’s KTM and Botswana’s double ‘23 stage winner Ross Branch’s Hero in ninth. Kevin Benavides was provisionally placed 31st overall.

All of which left Price leading Howes overall. But the world awaited news of Kevin Benavides’ corrected time, which ultimately saw him regain over 23 minutes. So, Kevin Benavides not only took the day win, but he also moved up to second overall, just twelve seconds from KTM teammate Price.  Howes sat just a minute and 31 seconds off the pace in third.

SOUTH AFRICANS STAR ALL THE WAY

Another South African, Charan Moore made more waves in the desert sand a little further back. He stormed home 29th on Sunday to move back into a 17 minute overall Malle Moto Original class lead on his R2 FK Husqvarna. Considered the ultimate Dakar iron man adventure, Malle Moto riders are not allowed backup of any kind, and must service their own machines out of small metal box.

Charan Moore

SA lady and gentlemen riders, Stuart Gregory goes into the final day in 63rd overall and tenth in Malle Moto, lady star Kirsten Landman 71st overall and 12th in Malle Moto and rookie Stevan Wilken 73rd overall. Marcelo Medeiros took another quad stage win from Giovanni Enrico and Moreno Flores, but Alexandre Giroud takes a 44-minute lead over Flores going into the final stage on Sunday.

Mitch Guthrie again won the T3 SSV day. SA rookie leaders Eben Basson and Abertus Pienaar were ninth and Geoff Minnitt and Gerhard Snyman 24th. Austin Jones has a strong overall lead with Basson seventh and Minnitt 12th. Second overall, Eryk Goczal beat leader Rokas Baciuska on Sunday, to close Baciuska’s advantage down to 3 minutes 24 in T4 SSV. Janus van Kasteren led the trucks overall. 

A 134 km short, sandy and gravel track road through a pan or two is all that now separates the 2023 field form the Dakar finish in Damman. Judging by Saturday’s late dramas however, it will not be over until that fat lady sings.

Words: Motorsport Media

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Colin-on-Cars - Keeping up the pressure

Nine-time World Rally Champion Sebastien Loeb’s ruthless pressure paid off as his fifth straight stage win on Friday moved him up to second overall, an hour and a half behind overall leader Nasser Al-Attiyah’s made in South Africa Toyota Gazoo Racing Hilux. In a busy day among the cars, the bike race remains on tenterhooks as South African men and machines fly the flag high in Saudi Arabia.

CARS: LOEB TO SECOND OVERALL BEHIND NASSER

The bikes set off early on what again proved to be a fast sandy, pan and dune filled day back to service at Shaybah with the cars also away relatively early. And as it has been ever since racing resumed on Tuesday, it was Loeb and Fabian Lurquin who stormed to their fifth stage win on the trot, and their seventh of twelve 2023 day wins in the Factory Prodrive Hunter.

Sebastian Loeb - chasing hard.

Loeb’s relentless pressure saw him move up to second overall behind runaway leaders, Attiyah and Mathieu Baumel, who were third on the day behind Mattias Ekstrom’s surviving Audi. Loeb had languished in 31st after day 2, but his meteoric pace saw him finally pluck second from rookie sensation Lucas Moraes and Timo Gottschalk’s Hilux, when they stopped briefly late on Friday.

There was more of a shake-up behind, as South Africans Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings Toyota Gazoo Racing Hilux lost 25 minutes at a standstill early in the stage. They slipped to fifth overall behind teammates and SA compatriots, ninth on the day Giniel de Villiers and Dennis Murphy. Consistent Polish crew Martin Prokop and Viktor Chytk Ford Raptor also moved up a place to sixth.

T1.2 4x2 leaders, South African Brian Baragwanath and Leonard Cremer’s Factory Century CR6-T lost several minutes early in the day to tumble back to 27th. They fought back to 12th to move up a position to seventh overall as Romain Dumas’ Toyota GR Hilux was delayed. 

Second in T1.2, Wi Han and Wei Li’s SMG in eighth overall is under pressure from sixth on Friday, Mathieu Serradori and Loic Minaudier’s second SA-built Factory Century, with Juan Yacopini and Daniel Oliveira’s Hilux tenth. Daniel Schröder and SA navigator Ryan Bland’s SA-built Red-Lined VK50 leads the T1.1 amateur class ahead of sand master Thomas Bell and SA man Gerhard Schutte’s similar car.

Mathieu Serradori - in the hunt

BIKES: TIGHT AT THE TOP!

All eyes were on the overall top three factory riders: American Skyler Howes’ Husqvarna and KTM duo, former winners, Aussie Toby Price, and Argentine Kevin Benavides. Price led Benavides with Howes down in eleventh. Honda rider Ignacio Cornejo however led Benavides and Price, with Howes up to fifth at the final waypoint, but there was a bit of a shake-up in the final sector.

Skyler Howes

While Cornejo held on for the day win, Daniel Sanders’ GasGas appeared out of nowhere to end second ahead of Price, his KTM teammate Matthias Walkner who also came from outside the top ten, Benavides and Howes. Which saw Price into a mere 28 second overall lead from Howes, with Benavides 2 minutes 40 adrift in third. Honda duo Pablo Quintanilla and Adrien Benavides are 15 minutes behind.

Of the Southern Africans, Botswana’s double ‘23 stage winner Ross Branch’s Hero ended tenth but sits 29th overall after his week 1 issues. SA hero Michael Docherty’s amateur R2 class FK Husqvarna was 16th on the day to move up to 17th overall and retain his strong rookie lead. Teammate Charan Moore was 32nd to close his Malle Moto second place deficit down to two and a half minutes.

Toby Price

Malle Moto Original is considered the ultimate Dakar class. Riders race without any backup and must service their own machines out of an army-sized chest. Two more South Africans, Malle Moto regular Stuart Gregory is 66th overall and tenth in Malle Moto, lady heroine Kirsten Landman was 75th overall and 12th in Malle Moto. South African rookie Stevan Wilken was 75th overall.

Ignacio Casale beat Guilaume de Mevius and overall leader Austin Jones to Friday’s T3 side-by-side prototype win. SA rookie leaders Eben Basson and Abertus Pienaar were seventh on the day and seventh overall. 12th overall, SA lads Geoff Minnitt and Gerhard Snyman were in 20th on Friday. Michal Goczal beat overall leader Rokas Baciuska, Marek and second overall, Eryk Goczal to the T4 side by side win.

Runaway overall quad leader Alexandre Giroud lost 26 minutes as Marcelo Medeiros beat Juraj Varga and Giovanni Enrico to the Day 12 win. And overall leaders Janus van Kasteren, Darek Rodewald and Marcel Snijder’s Iveco took the Friday win from third overall and second man Martin Macik’s similar trucks.

Just 290 kilometres and two days remain of Dakar 2023, with 154 of those through the dunes from Shaybah to Al Hofuf on Saturday. 

Words: Motorsport Media

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Colin-on-Cars - The desert bites back

The second week of Dakar bit hard as crews returned to action on Tuesday. Nine-time World Rally Champion Sebastien Loeb and navigator Fabien Lurquin took their fourth stage win of the race at the top of a Prodrive Hunter 1-2-3. Loeb continues in his relentless pursuit of comfortable overall leader Nasser Al Attiyah and Mathieu Baumel’s TSA-built Gazoo Racing Toyota Hilux.

Sebastian Loeb

It’s not that simple in the bikes, however. Luciano Benavides’ Husqvarna took the day from Toby Price’s KTM, which closed third place Skyler Howes and his Husqvarna’s overall lead down to just three seconds after 3,000 km of racing! South African riders, Malle Moto leader Charan Moore and second in the rookies, Michael Docherty continued to star.

CARS: LOEB WINS, NASSER STILL IN CONTROL

Week 2 started with Tuesday’s 358 km stage comprising mainly of gravel roads and tracks, with a few dunes lurking towards the end of the day at Haradh. Lower altitudes were said to favour the rear wheel drive cars, which do not enjoy turbo boost compensation, as the 4x4s do. And with 7% of rocks announced, punctures were inevitable as teams pondered the best tyre pressure strategy.

Prodrive was clearly on a mission. Loeb, Chicherit and Zala’s Prodrives led the rear wheel drive trio of Jakub Przygonski’s Mini, Frenchmen Mathieu Serradori’s Century CR6-T, South African Brian Baragwanath’s Century CR6-T, and Mattias Ekstrom’s Audi.

Overall leader Nasser Al-Attiyah was initially the best of the SA-built Toyota Gazoo Racing Hiluxes in a row in eighth, ahead of second overall Lucas Moraes, Le Mans winner Romain Dumas and South Africans Giniel De Villiers and Dennis Murphy.

Giniel de Villiers

The week did not start well for Carlos Sainz Sr. and Lucas Cruz when they rolled their Audi RS Q e-Tron quattro into retirement only five kilometres into the stage. Second overall, South Africans Henk Lategan and Brett Cumming’s factory Gazoo Toyota was also in trouble but only lost 40 minutes thanks to Saudi home hero, Yazeed Al Rajhi and Dirk von Zitzewitz’s stopping to assist in their Hilux. 

It was tight up front with 12 minutes covering the top 20 cars at mid distance. The field also shuffled significantly through the morning as crews struggled to find the way. Zala led Loeb, Ekstrom and Dumas, but it was Loeb from Zala and Serradori at the next point.

Loeb duly fought Zala off, with Chicherit third for a Prodrive 1-2-3 from Ekstrom’s surviving Audi. Dumas was the first Toyota home in fifth, ahead of Przygonski’s 4x2 Mini, de Villiers, Attiyah, Sebastain Halpern’s Mini, and Moraes in tenth. The Centuries had a tough day. Baragwanath fought home in 11th as Serradori lost 33 minutes. Lategan ultimately dropped 53 minutes.

This all means that Al Attiyah now leads the overall standings by just over an hour ahead of Brazilian rookie, Lucas Moraes, who has really made an impression thus far. Relentless Loeb’s fourth Dakar 2023 stage win sees him move up to third, a further 28 minutes clear of the hapless Lategan, de Villiers and Dumas making it five SA-built Toyotas in the top ten. Martin Prokop’s Ford Raptor is seventh from Baragwanath’s SA built 4x2 Century.

All-Chinese crew Wei Han and Mai Li’s Hanwei SMG sits ninth from Juan Cruz Yacopini’s sixth SA made Toyota in tenth. Still running as we wrote, class leaders Daniel Schröder and SA navigator Ryan Bland’s SA-built Red-Lined VK50 led the T1.1 amateur class with Tom Bell and another SA navigator Gerhard Schutte second and 41st overall.

JUST AS TOUGH IN THE BIKES

Tough conditions up front and tricky virgin road navigation challenged Sunday’s bike frontrunners, who struggled to open the road. Mason Klein’s KTM, Honda Riders Adrien van Beveren and Pablo Quintanilla, Daniel Sanders’ GasGas, Botswana’s Ross Branch on his Hero and SA rookie Michael Docherty’s Husqvarna all got lost and tumbled down the day’s order. 

That left Toby Price, who started 17th on his Factory KTM, and Husqvarna counterpart Luciano Benavides, who set off 21st, trading the stage lead. Husqvarna duo R2 privateer Toni Mulec and overall leader Skyler Howes, fought over third and fourth. 

They took early advantage of finding their rivals returning from getting lost to lead the day. It went even worse for eighth overall, the hapless Joan Barreda who crashed out of the Dakar yet again after 16 km. He was airlifted to hospital in Riyadh. Third overall, Klein also fell and lost his roadbook.

Luciano Benavides

Luciano Benavides hung on for the win ahead of Price, Howes, Jose Florimo’s Honda, Kevin Benavides’ KTM and rookie Mulec. Van Beveren ended 12th, Quintanilla 18th, Sanders was 20th, SA hero Docherty 21st, Klein 23rd and Branch 28th. Overall, Howes leads Price by just three seconds after 3,000 km of racing! Kevin Benavides is five minutes back with Quintanilla and Klein more than 15 minutes adrift.

Of the SA riders, Docherty is 20th overall, second of the rookies by 9 minutes, and fifth in amateur R2. HK Husqvarna teammate and compatriot Charan Moore delivered another epic Malle Moto no service win to open up his lead in the Dakar Original class to over 23 minutes. 

Fellow South Africans, Stefan Wilken in 68th, and Malle Moto duo, Stuart Gregory and Kirsten Landman, were still racing in 83rd and 90th at the time of writing. Gregory was a virtual 68th overall,  Landman 78th and Wilken 80th as we wrote. The quads were also still running as outsiders Laisvydas Kancius and Marcelo Meredius led second overall Moreno Flores and overall leader Alexandre Giroud.

Elsewhere, Mitch Guthrie led the surprising Dania Akeel and overall leader Guilaume de Mevius in the T3 Prototype side by sides. SA crew, rookie leaders and 7th overall, Eben Basson and Abertus Pienaar’s GR Rally sat third on the day. 13th overall, another SA duo Geoff Minnitt and Gerhard Snyman’s HBE Can Am was running in 11th on Tuesday.

Up to a virtual second overall, Eryk Goczal led T4 side by side leader Rokas Baciuska and Jermais Gonzalez at the time of writing. And second overall Janus van Kasteren, Darek Rodewald and Marcel Snijders’ Iveco led Jaroslav Valtr’s Praga as overall leader Ales Loprais’ similar machine sat 7th among the trucks.

It’s a murderous 114 km of sand, sand, and more sand on Wednesday’s tenth Dakar 2023 stage from Haradh to Shaybah on Wednesday. The perfect scenario to turn the race once again on its head. 

Words: Motorsport Media

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Colin-on-Cars - Car of the Year contenders announced

The South African Guild of Mobility Journalists’ has announced the list of semi-finalists for the 2022 Car of the Year competition - the oldest car competition in the country, with its inaugural event taking place in 1986.

Over the years, the COTY competition has evolved based on changes in the automotive industry.

Honda Fit

“The impact of COVID-19 on the automotive industry has also seen changes in car launches and the allocation of fleet vehicles over the last year, necessitating modifications to the 2022 COTY competition,” says Graham Eagle, Chairman of the 2022 COTY committee.

This year has also seen the increased importance of online scoring by Guild members. As in 2021, this year will also not see a physical event where winners will be announced; the winners will be announced on the Guild’s digital platforms.

Categories

The 39 semi-finalists represent 10 categories launched between March 31 and December 31, 2021. Four contenders tied with identical scores in the final 35th semi-finalist position and were all included.

Subaru Outback

A total of 65 new vehicles launched in South Africa during this period were considered for this year’s COTY competition.

Energy

For the first time in the competition’s history, the decision was made that vehicles launched with both regular and new energy derivatives would be entered into both their relevant vehicle category and the New Energy Category. Vehicle ranges that only launched a new energy derivative were also included in the ever-growing New Energy Category.

The recently announced 25 juror and trainee juror teams will vote for the 2022 COTY competition finalists in 10 categories.

The categories are: Budget, Compact, Compact Family, Midsize, Premium, Luxury, Performance, New Energy, Adventure SUV and 4X4 Double Cab.

Hyundai Palisade

 Toyota dominates with seven semi-finalists competing in five categories, but there is also strong representation by Audi and Hyundai. Surprisingly, the Performance Category has nine contenders, the most in many years. This year there are no contenders in the Budget category.

Audi A3

Shortly the jurors will narrow the field of semi-finalists to worthy finalists. They are given eight weeks to assess vehicles, after which the final scoring will commence, determining the 2022 SA Car of the Year.

“The overall 2020 SA Car of the Year winner remains the most coveted of all automotive competition titles in South Africa and enjoys international recognition,” concludes Eagle.

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Colin-on-Cars - Audis deliver ominous pace as Loeb chips away at Attiyah’s lead

Dakar Rally Day 8 ended up dispelling a few myths in the car race on the day. But the overall race remained tense as second man Sebastian Loeb continued to hunt leader Nasser Al Attiyah down. Daniel Sanders meanwhile reclaimed the overall bike lead with a dominant performance on the road to Wadi Ad Dawasir.

Sebastien Loeb

If anyone was concerned about the new petrol-electric Dakar Audi RS Q e-Tron’s lack of speed, that was officially dispelled on Monday’s complex 396 km run. Rookie crew Mattias Ekström and Emil Bergkvist put one over Mister Dakar, 14-time winner Stéphane Peterhansel and Edouard Boulanger in an emphatic maiden Audi 1-2. Teammates Carlos Sainz Sr. and Lukas Cruz were fourth. Third overall by over two minutes, Sebastien Loeb and Fabian Lurquin’s BRX Hunter was more likely the main focus of attention on the day. 

Mattias Ekström/Emil Bergkvist

All eyes were on Loeb and Lurquin, because they took more than seven minutes out of Nasser Al Attiyah and Matthieu Baumel’s Gazoo Toyota Hilux’s overall car lead. They now sit under 38 minutes adrift. Attiyah suffered a differential issue and a puncture on the day. That said, the wily Qatari can be said to be preserving his Hilux. To stave the french multiple World Rally Champion off when he needs to, later in the week. Loeb is on the other hand eking all he can out of his Hunter, to close the gap. Still, Attiyah came home outside the day’s top ten.

Climbed

That left Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings as the best of the factory Gazoo Hiluxes in fifth. Teammates Giniel de Villiers and Denis Murphy were ninth and consistent Shameer Variawa and Danie Stassen 12th. De Villiers and Murphy climbed two places overall to seventh overall and still have a realistic shot at a podium, with four full days of desert racing still to come. Variawa and Stassen meanwhile climbed to 13th overall, one place ahead of Brian Baragwanath and Leonard Cremer’s Century. They ended outside Monday’s top 20.

All-South African Century Racing trio, Ernest Roberts and Henry Kohne were provisionally 39th, and Schalk Burger and Henk Janse van Vuuren 52nd. But Chris Visser and Rodney Burke’s splendid run inside the top 20 came to an end with the crew still racing deep in the stage, having lost 3 hours at the time of writing. SA-born navigator Taye Perry ended 15th reading notes in Dakar bike legend Cyril Despres’ Peugeot. And Ryan Bland sat 43rd with Daniel Schroder in their SA-built Red-Lined VK 50.

Drama

There was once again drama before the bike stage even started. Botswana’s triple South African Cross Country champion Ross Branch opted not to further risk his Friday leg injury and joined Daniel Sanders and Skyler Howes in retirement before the start. Ross was just starting to warm up, having ended second by just two seconds to MotoGP refugee sensation on Thursday, before crashing hard on Friday. He rejoined on Sunday but decided to put discretion ahead of valour Tuesday morning.

Sam Sunderland

If Sunday was difficult for bikers Sam Sunderland and Mattias Walkner, they certainly made good on Monday. Taking advantage of their 27th and 23rd starting positions, Sunderland’s Gas Gas led all the way. Walkner moved his KTM into second at 200 km, only for Pablo Quintanilla’s Honda to pip him at the post. Ricky Brabec’s Honda was fourth from KTM duo, rookie privateer Mason Klein and Toby Price. So, Sunderland re-took the overall lead from Walkner, former leader Adrian van Beveren’s Yamaha and Quintanilla.

Rookie

SA riders, Bradley Cox’s KTM was 16th and second in rookie Moto 2, and Aron Mare’s Hero 21st. Mare sits 17th overall, Cox 18th. SA rookie Charan Moore was 44th overall and fifth in the no-service Original class, Botswana's John Kelly 47th and 7th in Original. They provisionally respectively lie fourth and seventh in Original. Fellow ‘Malle Moto’ men, Stuart Gregory was 86th and Werner Kennedy 114th overall. Swaziland’s Walter Terblanche was running 91st on Monday, Mozambican Paulo Oliveira 115th.

In the other Dakar classes, Overall leader Alex Giroud fought Marcelo Medeiros off for the quad win with Pablo Copetti third. The lightweights were still racing as we wrote, with Goczal brothers Marek and Michel fighting it out for Side by Side honours with overall leader Austin Jones in pursuit. Seth Quintero was battling Pavel Lebedev in the prototypes with overall leader Francisco Contardo keeping a watching brief. And Kamaz four, overall leader Sotnikov, Karginov Shibalov and Nikolaiev were in control of the trucks.

Tuesday's mountainous eighth stage is a shortish 287km dash around Wadi Ad Dawasir. The two-week 4,000 km two-week Dakar Rally across the Saudi Arabian Desert finishes in Jeddah on Friday. 

ENDS

Issued on behalf of Dakar 2022 Daily News

For further information please contact info@motorsportmedia.co.za

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 Road Review - Honda Fit 1.5 CVT Executive

With the launch of the hybrid version of the Fit imminent, I thought it appropriate to take a look at the Executive version of the car that replaced the Honda Jazz on the local market. 

Throughout it’s history the Jazz enjoyed quite some success locally even though it was often referred to by the less politically correct among us as a ‘girls’ car. 

At the launch of the Fit, Honda South Africa said the decision to rebrand the model was, in part, to broaden the customer base by creating a visually exciting offering with more emotional appeal to add to the rational appeal of practicality and function that characterised the Jazz.

 

To achieve this, Honda focused on a new design philosophy, encapsulated in the Japanese notion of 'Yoo no bi' that recognises the beauty that exists in everyday items, which have been perfected over time to make them even more appealing and ergonomically satisfying to use for their specific purpose. 

In that they have succeeded and the Fit presents a compact, yet perfectly proportioned, body with an intelligently constructed interior that is both contemporary and timeless – and, above all, the whole package coming with a welcome feeling of solid workmanship that Honda manages to ingest into vehicles. 

Smooth contours follow the short nose, long roof line and cabin-forward style of previous generations, to form the monoform silhouette,  while the smooth exterior surface treatment achieve a visual balance, with all the different exterior surfaces, including the C-pillars and rear combination lamps, blended together, devoid of any lines. 

The A-pillar thickness has been more than halved from 116 mm to just 55 mm with the pillar behind now providing the main structural strength. This, along with the hidden windscreen wipers, provides the driver and front seat passenger with an unobstructed, almost panoramic field of vision. 

The overall height is reduced by 13 mm, which combines with a forward-leaning tailgate design to create a more compact-looking, well-balanced cabin.

 

The uncluttered dashboard incorporates a slim instrument panel that sweeps horizontally across the cabin. The central HMI 9-inch touchscreen (standard on Elegance and Executive grades) and 7-inch full TFT instrument cluster which is standard across the range, are simple and easy to read. The luggage capacity (with rear seats up) starts from 309 litres and increases to 1 210 litres (to the roof with the rear seats down). 

Also key to maximising cabin room is the positioning of the fuel tank in the centre of the chassis beneath the front seats, which is unique in this class. This enables the Fit to retain the Magic Seat configuration that offers both fold-flat or flip-up seat flexibility. 

Front seat occupants also benefit from Honda's newly developed body stabilising seat frame featuring a new premium mat structure for additional support and an increase of 30 mm in seat padding thickness for extra comfort. 

Adults in the second row also travel in increased comfort thanks to the redesign of the Magic Seat structure allowing the hinges to be moved outside of the passenger hip points. Rear leg space of 986 mm – made possible by the torsion beam suspension lay out – and an increase of 24 mm in seat padding thickness also adds to the enhanced comfort levels.

 

The LCD touchscreen is navigated using familiar smartphone-style usability, with swipe controls to scroll through pages and lists. The display can be configured to suit any usage requirements, incorporating customisable shortcuts to frequently used functions and audio sources. 

The suite of in-built apps can be supplemented by smartphone mirroring, enabled by Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, with the latter available via wireless connection. 

The Fit petrol models are equipped with a 1,5-litre DOHC i-VTEC petrol engine generating a power output of 89 kW at 6 600 r/min and torque of 145 Nm at 4 300 r/min. Fuel consumption is claimed at  5,5 l/100 km and CO2 emissions are 132 g/km. 

My dislike of CVT transmissions continued unaltered – but Honda does have one of the best on the market that at least manages to find a suitable gear quite quickly and without too much of the sickly whining that is so evident on many other versions of this transmission type. 

While no racer, the Sport option on the Fit further improves the accuracy and speed of gear selection but, obviously, does so at a cost to the overall consumption. On test, my overall average – with a mix of driving modes – finished at 6,2 l/100 km.

 

Honda enhanced the car’s chassis, suspension and body rigidity which, along with of an aluminium die-cast rear damper mount structure and a low front roll centre enhances stability that is easy to feel on our more potholed and damaged road surfaces. 

The Fit has decent enough road manners and will comfortably respond to vigorous intent from the driver and remain neutral through all but the sharpest bends, where it does have some initial understeer. 

Stopping power comes from an all-disc braking system featuring 262 mm ventilated front discs and 239 mm solid discs at the rear. Electronic brake systems include: Vehicle Stability Assist, Brake Assist System, Hill Start Assist and Automatic Brake Hold. 

The Honda Fit comes standard with a 5-year/200 000 km warranty, as well as a 4-year/60 000 km Service Plan with 15 000 km service intervals. 

Just leaves it for me to say the Honda is a perfect Fit for everyday urban cruising. . .and all that jazz!

Fit for purpose 

Honda South Africa has dropped the Jazz nameplate and replaced it with the Fit that also becomes the first model powered by the company’s new e:HEV hybrid technology – alongside a more traditional 1,5-litre petrol engine. 

“The all-new generation of the longstanding Honda Jazz will officially be reintroduced into the South African market as the Honda Fit, in recognition of the vast and distinct improvements made over the previous model,” says Yuishi Fukuda, President of Honda Motor Southern Africa. 

“The all-new Japanese-built Honda Fit represents a new generation of cars for Honda Motor Southern Africa focused on reasserting Honda’s position as a brand that is synonymous with outstanding quality, durability and technology,” says Dinesh Govender, General Manager of Honda Motor Southern Africa. “Our strategy for the Fit aims to rebrand the image of the model from one that has always appealed to customers’ rational side due to its space and practicality, to one that appeals more to customers’ emotional side with an exquisite design, exceptional drive and brand-new technology.”

 

The new design evolution introduces simplicity to the shape of the outgoing Honda Jazz. Its smooth contours follow the short nose, long roof line and cabin-forward style of previous generations. 

The A-pillar thickness has been more than halved from 116 mm to just 55 mm with the pillar behind now providing the main structural strength. This, along with the hidden windscreen wipers, provides the driver and front seat passenger with an unobstructed, almost panoramic field of vision. 

The overall height is reduced by 13 mm, which combines with a forward-leaning tailgate design to create a more compact-looking, well-balanced cabin and a reassuringly surefooted stance.

 The user-focused dashboard incorporates a slim instrument panel that sweeps horizontally across the cabin, where the central HMI 9-inch touchscreen (standard on Elegance and Executive grades) and 7-inch full TFT instrument cluster which is standard across the range, are simple and easy to read.

The luggage capacity (with rear seats up) starts from 309 litres (298 for HEV) and increases to 1 210 litres (to the roof with the rear seats down) (1 199 for HEV). 

Also key to maximising cabin room is the positioning of the fuel tank in the centre of the chassis beneath the front seats, which is unique in this class. This enables the Fit to retain the rear Magic Seat configuration that offers both fold-flat or flip-up seat flexibility. 

Front seat occupants also benefit from Honda's newly developed body stabilising seat frame featuring a new premium mat structure for additional support and an increase of 30 mm in seat padding thickness for extra comfort. 

The base Fit petrol models are equipped with Honda’s new 1,5-litre DOHC i-VTEC petrol engine generating 89 kW at 6 600 r/min and torque of 145 Nm at 4 300 r/min. This new powertrain is more powerful and efficient than the outgoing model fuel consumption claimed at 5,5 l/100 km and a CO₂ emission figure of 132 g/km. 

The flagship Fit Hybrid has two compact, electric motors connected to a 1,5-litre DOHC i-VTEC petrol engine, a lithium-ion battery and a fixed-gear transmission via an intelligent power control unit, which all work together to provide a smooth and direct response.

 

The total output of 80 kW and 253 Nm of electric propulsion torque can propel the car to 100km/h in just 9,4 seconds and on to a maximum speed of 175 km/h. Fuel economy is claimed at 3,7 l/100 km and produces CO₂ emissions of 88 g/km, exempting the Fit Hybrid model from additional CO₂ tax. 

In most urban driving situations, optimum efficiency is achieved through seamless transitions between EV Drive and Hybrid Drive. For driving at highway speeds, Engine Drive is used, supplemented by an on-demand peak power ‘boost’ from the electric propulsion motor for fast acceleration. 

In Hybrid Drive, excess power from the petrol engine can also be diverted to recharge the battery via the generator motor. EV Drive is also engaged when the car is decelerating, harvesting energy through regenerative braking to recharge the battery. 

Rather than using a conventional transmission, the Fit Hybrid is equipped with a newly-developed electronically controlled Continuously Variable Transmission (e-CVT) with a single fixed-gear ratio to create a direct connection between moving components. The result is a smooth and reassuring transfer of torque with a linear feel during acceleration across all drive modes. 

When in Hybrid Drive mode the all-new e-CVT control logic ensures the electric propulsion motor provides powerful torque, whilst the engine provides a direct and linear feel during acceleration, similar to that of a multi-stage transmission. 

Honda has enhanced the car’s chassis, suspension and body rigidity and the ratio of higher tensile strength steel has risen by 80% for the new generation model, helping to reduce weight and improve safety performance in the event of a crash. Static bending is improved by 6% while static torsion is improved by 13%. 

The front suspension geometry has a low front roll centre to enhance stability, which helps the Fit feel precise, natural and agile when cornering. Its agility is further augmented by an electric power-assisted steering system and steering ratio improvements, which deliver accurate feedback to the driver and provide more natural direction-changing behaviour.

 

Stopping power is ensured by an all-disc braking system featuring 262 mm ventilated front discs and 239 mm solid discs at the rear. Electronic brake systems include: Vehicle Stability Assist, Brake Assist System, Hill Start Assist and Automatic Brake Hold. 

Fit owners and occupants are protected by six crash bags, comprising front, side and curtain SRS bags while the enhanced Honda SENSING active safety technology, includes:

·                  Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) with improved night-time operation to also detect pedestrians when there is no street lighting. The system also alerts the driver when it detects a cyclist turning into the road. In addition, the system now also applies the brakes when the Fit cuts across or turns into the path of an oncoming vehicle thanks to the new front wide-view camera.

·                  Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) manages the distance to the car in front automatically by continuously adjusting the speed, allowing the car to follow traffic at highway speeds.

·                  Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS) prevents the vehicle from drifting into adjacent lanes by detecting lane markers on the road

·                  Road Departure Mitigation (RDM) system assists the driver to not stray from the road. It alerts the driver if it detects that the vehicle is approaching the outer edge of the road, an oncoming vehicle, or drifting into another lane without indicating.

·                  Auto High-Beam (AHB) switches High Beam head lights on/off automatically depending on oncoming/preceding vehicles (cars, trucks and motorcycles), bicycles and environmental brightness so not to blind other road users.

The driver is also able to operate and determine how much driver assistance information is displayed on the seven-inch TFT liquid crystal display (LCD) instrument binnacle. 

PRICING

Fit 1.5 DOHC i-VTEC Comfort CVT                                R319 900

Fit 1.5 DOHC i-VTEC Elegance CVT                              R359 900

Fit 1.5 DOHC i-VTEC Executive CVT                             R389 900

Fit 1.5 DOHC i-MMD e-CVT Hybrid                                R469 900 

The Honda Fit range comes standard with Honda’s 5-year/200 000 km warranty, as well as a 4-year/60 000 km Service Plan with 15 000 km service intervals. The Fit Hybrid model comes standard with an extended 8-year/200 000 km warranty specifically covering the battery and related components of the Hybrid system.

 Honda 'evolutionises the NC750X

Gaining 2 kW more power and throttle-by-wire with three riding modes, the Honda NC750X takes a grand evolutionary step from the initial variant launched back in 2012 (and updated in 2016 and 2018).

The storage compartment (where the fuel tank would normally be), capable of holding a full-face helmet and Honda’s Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT) are features that set the NC750X apart. 

More peak power for the NC750X’s EURO5-spec engine plus an extra 600 r/min to the redline are the headline changes, thanks to work on valve timing and intake/exhaust efficiency. Shorter ratios for first, second and third gears smarten response while a slipper clutch reduces lever load and keeps the ride smooth on rapid downshifts. 

Throttle-by-wire (TBW) brings with it adjustable engine character through three default rider modes - Rain, Standard and Sport plus a customisable User mode. Honda Selectable Torque Control (HSTC) now has a finer level of input over three levels, while the Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT) option features Automatic shifting schedules that integrate with the riding modes, as well as User control. 

It is also 6 kg lighter, thanks to a new frame and detail improvements around the engine and bodywork. There’s also a sharper, more minimalist edge to the bodywork, with fresh style for both LED headlight, taillight and rear indicators, while the redesigned storage space grows in volume and usability. 

Seat height is reduced 30 mm, the screen offers more wind protection and a new LCD dash is an attractive addition.   

The design of the NC750X’s liquid-cooled, SOHC 8-valve parallel twin-cylinder engine ensures punchy performance in the low-to-mid range. Its relatively long-stroke architecture and specially shaped combustion chamber combine with the high-inertial mass crankshaft to produce large amounts of effortless torque from very low revs. 

The addition of a slipper clutch for 2021 reduces lever load by 20% and manages rear-wheel lock up under fast down changes of the manual 6-speed gearbox while decelerating. 

The NC750X engine sips fuel ­– with a measured consumption of 28,3 km/l (WMTC mode) providing a near 400 km range from the 14,1-litre underseat fuel tank. 

With TBW now managing engine performance and character there are three modes for the rider to choose from for various riding conditions. Mode selection is managed between the left-hand switchgear and the LCD display. 

SPORT gives more aggressive delivery of engine power and braking, with low HSTC intervention and DCT mode 4. 

RAIN delivers engine power and braking least aggressively, has high HSTC intervention and Level 1 for the DCT shift pattern. 

STANDARD delivers a balanced middle point for engine power delivery, engine braking and HSTC intervention, plus mode 2 for the DCT. 

USER offers custom options of low/medium/high for delivery of engine power and engine braking, low/medium/high/off for HSTC, and four different shift patterns for DCT. 

Honda Selectable Torque Control (HSTC) is fitted as standard on both the manual and DCT NC750X. It now offers much softer, finer control as it manages rear wheel torque thanks to TBW, over 3 levels as opposed to 2: 

Level 1 allows the minimum intervention for some rear wheel spin – on gravel or dirt for instance, and its level of control is reduced from the previous design. 

Level 2 is the default setting and provides traction for general riding conditions. 

Level 3 provides maximum control for slippery roads. 

HSTC can also be switched OFF. 

The ‘easy and direct’ DCT technology delivers consistent gear changes up or down and very quickly becomes second nature in use. It uses two clutches: one for start-up and 1^st, 3^rd and 5^th gears: the other for 2^nd, 4^th and 6^th, with the mainshaft for each clutch located inside the other for compact packaging. 

Each clutch is independently controlled by its own electro-hydraulic circuit. When a gear change occurs, the system pre-selects the target gear using the clutch not currently in use. The first clutch is then electronically disengaged as, simultaneously, the second clutch engages. 

With the DCT gearbox, the rider may choose Manual mode, using paddle-style triggers on the left handlebar to change gear, or Automatic mode. In Automatic mode for the NC750X,  four different shifting schedules operate, with three defaults: Level 1 is the most relaxed, and is used within Rain mode; Levels 2 and 4 shift up at higher revs and are linked with Standard and Sport riding modes.   

The NC750X has a sharpened identity thanks to redrawn, smaller upper and lower fairings accentuated by the fuel tank. A new LED headlight and running lights form a strong frontal signature. 

Improving wind and weather protection, the screen is also new. The side panels and side covers are slimmer and, along with the seat unit, are underlined by the exhaust muffler, further emphasising the mass-forward stance. 

Honda’s development engineers started with the tubular steel diamond frame and, through a careful redesign (using varying tube thicknesses and weight) not only saved 1,8 kg over the previous model but also freed up more useful space for the storage compartment by relocating the battery and redesigning the airbox.

Technical Specifications

ENGINE
Type	Liquid-cooled 4-stroke 8-valve, SOHC parallel 2-cylinder. EURO5 compliant.
Displacement	745cc
Bore & Stroke	77mm x 80mm
Compression Ratio	10.7: 1
Max. Power Output	43.1kW @6,750rpm
Max. Torque	69Nm @ 4,750rpm
Oil Capacity	4L
FUEL SYSTEM
Carburation	PGM-FI electronic fuel injection
Fuel Tank Capacity	14.1 litres
Fuel Consumption	MT: 28.3km/l (WMTC mode) DCT: 28.3km/l (WMTC mode-Tested in D-Mode)

Pricing

NC50XA 21YM: R126 000 including VAT

NC750X DCT: R135 500 including VAT