High mileage runner from Chery

The upmarket hatchback brand from Chinese automaker Chery, the Omoda has made it into the semi-finals of the South African Car of the Year competition amid much jubilation from the local arm of the company as one of the country’s youngest car companies.

However, the parent is certainly not resting on any laurels - the Jaecoo sub-brand is destined to officially launch locally early next year and the Chery range has been expanded on home shores with the pre-launch information on the Fengyun A8.

While this luxury PHEV version of the Arrizo 8 may not actually be destined for South Africa, its importance lies in the fact the company claims an operating range of more than 1 400 kilometres from the combined system resources.

The powertrain comes from Chery’s Kunpeng Electric Hybrid C-DM system consisting of a fifth-generation ACTECO 1.5T GDI hybrid engine and a permanent magnet synchronous motor, mated to a DHT150. The engine outputs 115 kW and 220 Nm while the motor outputs 150 kW and 310 Nm.

 In addition, its 18,3 kWh lithium battery pack provides a pure electric cruising range of 106 km (WLTC) and  it takes 19 minutes to replenish the battery from 30% to 80%.

Moving local, Shannon Gahagan, National brand and marketing manager of Omoda South Africa, says: “When we decided to introduce the Omoda brand to South Africa, we specifically picked the Omoda C5 to be our first model.

“This model is both a showcase of our technological development with its 115 kW 1,5-litre turbo-petrol engine and a perfect example of our futuristic design language that sees nothing as sacred and that looks at any new technology or design element through the lens of functionality and customer benefit."

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The C5 offers a comprehensive range of features, including diamond-cut alloy wheels, a dual-screen 10,25-inch cockpit with touch-screen infotainment and vehicle information and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Omoda then introduced a sporty Omoda C5 GT. Aside from the styling upgrades, such as aerodynamic side skirts, a front splitter and a rear wing, the Omoda C5 GT is fitted with the brand’s Kunpeng 1,6-litre turbo-charged petrol engine. 

The SA Guild of Mobility Journalists  Car of the Year competition is one of the most highly regarded of its kind in the world. Unlike many other COTY competitions, the South African version includes rigorous testing, both at low speeds over uneven surfaces and at the highest possible speeds, with sharp course corrections and dynamic handling of obstacles.

“We are competing in one of the most hotly contested segments – the Compact Family vehicle segmen and, while there are many contenders in this segment, we are confident that the Omoda C5 will offer unmatched value, dynamic capabilities and performance to impress the judges and make it into the list of COTY finalists,” says Gahagan.

Colin Windell

proudly CHANGECARS

Fengyun Image: DongCheDi, AutoHome

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Hino targets environmental concerns

The move towards carbon neutrality in the transport industry came through strongly with the vehicles on the Hino stand at the recent Tokyo Mobility Show where the company emphasised powertrain options including diesel-electric hybrids, battery electric and hydrogen fuel cells, to meet emissions targets.

The theme at the Hino display was “We make a better world and future by helping people and goods get where they need to go.” The theme was carried through by showing visitors vehicles, videos, and information panels.

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The dominant truck on the Hino display was the heavy-duty Profia (700-Series in South Africa) freight carrier, which uses Toyota and Hino-developed hydrogen fuel cells and a lithium-ion battery to power an AC synchronous electric motor. The hydrogen gas is stored in tanks at a pressure of 70 MPa and can provide a driving range of about 600 km before it needs to be refilled.

Two applications of the battery electric Hino Dutro Z EV were on show. One was a walkthrough van and the other an aluminium van with a side door. The ultra-low floor platform, which is exclusive to Hino’s Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs), makes it easier to handle cargo and for the driver to get in and out of the vehicle and to move between the driver’s seat and the cargo area.

These vehicles target ‘last mile’ suppliers who need zero emission transport. Each of these vans can carry a load of 1 000 kg and up to two occupants. A 40-kWh lithium-ion battery provides power to a 50-kW AC synchronous electric motor. The vans have a range of about 150 km between charges and they have a fast-charging mode when required.

Hino also displayed two methods in which the company is already involved to cut emissions and increase productivity.

The first is CUBE-LINX which provides a financial modelling consultancy service to customers about adopting electric vehicles and ancillary equipment such as battery chargers and then offers a management system to ensure the best productivity from the EV vehicles.

The other project is Hino’s partnership with NEXT LOGISTICS Japan which is developing solutions to solve the challenges that the logistics industry is facing, such as a shortage of drivers and lower loading rates. Solutions include using mixed loads from various customers and double-connected trucks. About 40 cargo transport companies are already involved in the project.

Colin Windell

proudly CHANGECARS

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Colin-on-Cars - Corolla Cross comes off line

The first hybrid model to be produced locally is now, officially, a reality as President Cyril Ramaphosa waved off the number one Toyota Corolla Cross to leave the production line in Prospecton, Durban.

The President – accompanied by a delegation of public officials, including the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Ebrahim Patel joined Toyota in celebrating the opening of the Corolla Cross production line.

TSAM’s newest production line is a result of the company’s investment commitment to the South African economy and the local automotive sector. Established some 60 years ago, Toyota in South Africa has grown significantly over the years and now manufactures Hilux, Fortuner, Corolla Quest and Hi-ace at its Prospecton Plant, while selected Hino and Dyna models are produced as SKD or semi-knocked-down assemblies.

President Cyril Ramaphosa waves off the first Toyota Corolla Cross

“If you tally up the investments we have made in this plant spanning the last five years – of which Corolla Cross accounts for R2,6-billion, we arrive at a cumulative figure of more than R6,5-billion. So, we are therefore committed to further developing and strengthening our business in South Africa and making a difference in the country, our communities, our suppliers, dealers, customers and of course in own employee’s lives,” says Andrew Kirby, President and CEO of Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM).

The introduction of the Corolla Cross model has generated a total of 575 new jobs at the TSAM plant while some 1 200 direct jobs were created in the component supply base. Another significant focus during the project was to maximise the local content for this model. This resulted in the localisation of 621 parts with 56 local suppliers – 16 of which are Black-owned. TSAM has also onboarded five new Tier-1 suppliers (all Black-owned) and 12 new Tier-2/3 suppliers. The economic contribution with TSAM’s local suppliers for this project is more than R1,4-billion a year.

According to Ramaphosa: “I had called upon Japanese carmakers to strengthen their investment in South Africa. A few months later at the second South Africa Investment Conference, Andrew Kirby came up to stage to announce Toyota’s new investment (R2,6-billion)… I am particularly pleased to see the announcement that was made has led to the creation of so many jobs – a total of 1 775 jobs made through the announcement of the investment .”  

The new Corolla Cross is based on the Toyota New Global Architecture platform, or simply the TNGA platform. As of August 2021, 32 Toyota and Lexus models are using this platform and now account for approximately 70% of global Toyota sales.

From a regional marketing perspective, the Corolla Cross is produced in both right and left-hand drive variants and is also the first model to be produced en masse on the continent. It will be exported to more than 40 countries in Africa.

The introduction of hybrid technology in the Corolla Cross line has required altogether new assembly processes as well as vehicle testing systems, and these are now part of TSAM’s standard operating systems at the Prospecton Plant.

For the Toyota customer, hybrid technology has the obvious benefits of lower emissions and significantly reduced fuel consumption while reinforcing the overall driving performance – but for TSAM, the introduction of the low-emission Corolla Cross in hybrid guise is significant in that it is integral to the company’s roadmap towards Carbon Neutrality.

The launch of South Africa’s first locally-produced, volume Hybrid Electric Vehicle not only allows many more local customers the opportunity to accelerate their own change to green mobility far quicker than what was previously possible, but also establishes the building blocks for TSAM’s long-term sustainability as a globally competitive and relevant exporter. TSAM is committed to the adoption of New Energy Vehicles in the South African market and will keep pace with the green regulations in our export markets such as the European Union and the United Kingdom.

Kirby adds that TSAM has set a “very ambitious” target of selling more Hybrid Corolla Cross models than traditional internal Combustion Engines (ICE) models by 2025.  To put this into perspective, in 2020 the local industry only sold 324 New Energy Vehicles (155 of them being HEV, 77 PHEV and 92 BEV), and this year to-date, only 322 have been sold (169 of them being HEV, 46 PHEV and 107 BEV).  Incidentally, most of these have been Lexus models.

“We plan to fundamentally change the NEV landscape in South Africa from a few hundred NEV’s a year to well over 10 000 units per year,” says Kirby. 

His sentiments are echoed by Toshimitsu Imai, General Manager Africa Support Division in Toyota Motor Corporation and Chief Operating Officer at Toyota Tshusho Corporation: “We are trying our best to make a significant contribution to reduce carbon emissions. We are currently proposing hybrid technology for South Africa as it is important for local vehicles to have proper range or mileage.”  

As a final step towards carbon neutrality, TSAM is investigating ways to eliminate or off-set the balance of its carbon emissions, especially those originating from the use of natural gas in its production processes. The company plans to invest over R2-billion to realise these goals in the next seven years.

“This isn’t just limited to reducing vehicle emissions; our activities span the entire value chain, which includes our suppliers, manufacturing facilities, offices, parts warehouse as well as our dealer network. For example, since 2006 we have reduced our total factory carbon emissions by 34%, improved our energy efficiency by 29% and already achieved carbon neutrality at our Hino Manufacturing Facilities and at some of our other office sites… In fact, we are targeting to be 100% reliant on renewable energy by 2028,” explains Kirby.

- To watch the highlights of the Corolla Cross Line-Off Ceremony, please click here: Corolla Cross Line-off Ceremony - YouTube
https://bit.ly/3CeGaIh

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.