The Johannesburg International Motor Show recently ended, so we rounded up all the off-road related, SUV, crossover concept metal on show for your convenience.
#JIMS2013
While the speed of web news and social media means that there were very few suprises for the media, visitors still delighted in seeing the vehicles that they’ve heard about from Frankfurt and Japan up close and personal. The manufacturers present were put through nasty weather as the Nasrec halls leaked water on vehicles like BMW’s i8 and GM’s concept 6.2 litre Camaro Convertible, but that didn’t stop the parking lots from filling up with petrolheads and off-road enthusiasts. Leisure Wheels was there with our Project Terios – the “Terrier” – and a 4×4 track was used by various manufacturers to show off their off-roaders.
While performance enthusiasts would have been disappointed by the lack of exotics at the show, potential overlanders and SUV buyers had plenty to pick from. Certain manufacturers elected, however, not to attend the show, and none of the Chrylser SA brands, nor Subaru, Volvo and Suzuki could be seen.
To see the motor show through the eyes of the many visitors, search the tag “#JIMS2013” on Twitter and pour through the enthusiastic photos, complaints and excitement of enthusiasts and media alike.
Below is a selection of SUV, crossover, concept and off-road news and vehicles we enjoyed at JIMS. We’ve also got short video compilations of the show online here, here and here.
Off-road star of the show? 2014 Range Rover Sport
We’ve driven the new Rangie Sport ahead of its SA introduction, but the highly anticipated luxury SUV was finally within reach of the general public – and it drew as big a crowd as was expected! Barely able to reach the vehicle on launch for photography, the public days were no different, and if interest on the show was anything to go by, it’s going to be a good seller for the company. The new Rangie Sport will launched to the media only two weeks after the show, and will be available shortly – although we suspect their order list is already pretty long.
Go here to read our road test editor, GG van Rooyen’s first impressions of the new Rangie Sport, driven at global launch a few months ago, and here for photos of the launch.
Pricing
3,0 V6 SC S: R824 500
3,0 V6 SC HSE: R1 057 100
3,0 SDV6 S: R885 800
3,0 SDV6 HSE: R1 151 300
5,0 V8 SC HSE Dynamic: R1 263 600
Click here to view a video overview of the Land Rover stand.
An Isuzu … In a box?
The outdoor stand for Isuzu at JIMS this year was quite special – with the whole stand done in a pop-up event style. A hospitality area and Isuzu display stands all pack up into a fully automated container, which can pack up and close up the entire setup. It’s said to be self-sufficient, with solar power running the whole thing – an entire Isuzu display, in a box. On the stand they had the Trail View bakkie, featured in our November issue, as well as the KB Sumo – with its high ride and fat tyres.
Of course, the Isuzu Off-road Academy was there to give enthusiasts a ride on the JIMS 4×4 track.
A Crossover from Tata: Meet Aria
Tata Motors brought a Crossover to the show, set for South African dealerships early next year. Known as the Aria, it’s positioned as a luxury vehicle with leather seats and a lot of safety kit. The list includes crumple zones, side impact beams, six airbags, ESC, traction control, ABD and a distance-sensing parking aid. The suspension setup is independent at the front and a has a coil beam rear axle – which the extent of the details available for now. Pricing will be interesting as it goes up against GWM’s new H6 SUV.
GWM’s H6 is finally here
The H6 is already gaining ground internationally, and will be in South Africa within the next few months. Impressed by the H5 4×4, Leisure Wheels will be keeping a close eye on this SUV. With full, working models on show at JIMS, details include 17 inch alloy wheels, chrome detailing, roof rails, fog lamps, tilted windows, a unibody platform and ground clearance of 180mm (just higher than an ix35). It will be available in white, silver, blue, red, grey and black, and is 4640mm long with a 2680mm wheelbase. It comes with a full size spare, a colour touch-screen entertainment system with full radio/CD/DVD/MP3, USB, mini-SD and auxiliary inputs and functionality. The H6 has a rear view camera, climate control, power steering, electric mirrors and windows, rain-sensing wipers and automatic headlights. It’s powered by a 2.0 litre turbodiesel and a 1,5 turbocharged petrol (to follow early next year, after the diesel launch). The former produces 110kW and 310Nm of torque at 1800 to 2800 r/min, and is said to deliver fuel consumption figures of 6,7 litres per 100km. The petrol engine has the same power output, with 210Nm of torque at 2200 to 4500 r/min, and returns 8,5 litres per 100km, according to GWM. Also on the features list are ABS, EBD, dual front aribags, disc brakes all-round, pre-tensioners on seatbelts, Isofix points on the rear seats and central locking.
Click here to watch a video overview of the GWM stand.
2 off-road GWM concepts destined for SA
The growing Chinese brand also unveiled their Steed 6 – previously only seen at the Shanghai Auto Show in China earlier this year. It’s going into production next year and should reach our roads later in 2014, and is their biggest bakkie to date. Also positioned as a luxury vehicle, it has a touch screen entertainment system, climate control, push button start, six airbags, ESP, hill-start and descent assist, a diff lock (no details on where) and all-wheel drive (“intelligent four-wheel drive”). It’s higher than the H6 off the ground at 200mm ground clearance, with a length of 3200mm and a width of 1800mm. The 2.0 litre VGT engine will also be in the Steed 6. It won’t replace the Steed 5, but rather run alongside it as a premium option.
The second off-roader destined for SA (quite soon!) is the M4 compact crossover. Styled for the young urban market, it rides 180mm off the ground, has 16 inch alloys, aircon, electric windows and mirrors, power steering, rear park sensors, a fully kitted entertainment system as in the H6, ABS, EBD, dual front airbags and Isofix points in the rear. It will be powered by their 1,5 litre petrol engine, producing 77kW and 138Nm of torque at 4200 r/min, and is front-wheel drive. It has also been successful in the Chinese market already, and GWM has high hopes for it in SA.
A Crossover that does 1.8l/100km?
The aim behind the Cross Coupe concept was to build a high performance, all-wheel drive SUV that is also extremely fuel efficient. And, two years later, Volkswagen reckons they’ve done it. With claimed fuel consumption figures of just 1,8 litres per 100km, it’ll be impressive if it’s anywhere near that – nevermind on the money. It’s powered by a turbodiesel engine and two electric motors, and the CO2 emissions are only 46 g/km. Its top speed is a respectable 220km/h, with 225kW of power in the system (engine plus motors). The engine produces 140kW of power, mated to a six-speed DSG ’box. It reportedly accelerates to 100km/h off the line in 6,5 seconds, and develops 400Nm of torque from the engine at only 1600 r/min. The total torque available is 700Nm. In electric-only mode, top speed is a respectable 120km/h, limited to 45 kilometres. Engines available are the 1,6 litre and 2,0 litred TDI mills, ranging from 66kW to the aforementioned 140kW, boosted by the electric motors. Drive is either all-wheel or two-wheel, dependent on mode.
Click here to watch a video overview of the Volkswagen stand.
SsangYong’s Korando C
A refreshed Korando – known as the Korando C – was seen at JIMS, with a new grille, headlights with LED daytime running lights, a wide tailgate and new tail lamps. Inside, SsangYong says the cloth seats are more durable and softer to the touch, while MP3, Bluetooth and aux input are now standard. The two-litre petrol and turbodiesel engines are still avaialable, with six-speed manual or auto ’boxes and either front-wheel or all-wheel drive. The diesel’s towing capacity is 2000kg, and safety additions include six airbags and active head restraints.
SsangYong’s Rodius:
The Rodius has been previewed globally, and will be on our roads before autumn next year. It may look like a big SUV, but it’s actually a seven-seater MPV that took the company over two years to develop. The two-litre turbodiesel delivers 114kW and 360Nm of torque, and has either a six-speed manual or five-speed automatic gearbox. With all the seats down, the load capacity is a massive 3240 litres, and other than ESC, the features list is yet to be announced.
Click here to watch a video overview of the SsangYong/Mahindra stand.
Dakar news from Toyota
Toyota’s stand featured the new RAV4, the 2014 FJ Cruiser (which gains new 17 inch alloy wheels), their popular Prado (which has new safety features), the Hilux and Fortuner range with black interiors. Of course, the biggest news for off-roaders was Dakar news, and Giniel de Villiers and Dirk von Zitzewitz, joined by Dakar rookie Leeroy Poulter and Rob Howie, were there to greet the media. The new Dakar Hilux is largely unchanged from its predecessor, and Glyn Hall’s team are currently working on the ninth and tenth Hilux V8 bakkies locally built for motorsport. A new engine will be used, however, namely their all-alloy, 32-valve quad camshaft five-litre engine. It currently powers the Lexus IS-F, has direct petrol injection, dual variable valve timing, an electric inlet camshaft actuation, titanium inlet valves and produces over 310kW of power and 500Nm of torque at 2000 r/min.
“The significant increase in torque at low revs is the most important improvement over the previous engine, which gave nothing away in terms of reliability and overall performance,” says team principal, Glyn Hall. It’s their most powerful engine in terms of kilowatt per litre, and they’re adapting it for the specific requirements of the Dakar. The entire exhaust system is also new, tailored to the engine, and Giniel and Dirk won their quest for air conditioning! Now, they need to find ways to shave off the 20kg in weight that they’ve added. The chassis is also slightly different, mostly in terms of materials used to reduce weight.
The 2014 Dakar Rally starts in Rosario in Argentina on January 5 and ends in the Chilean city of Valparaiso on January 18.
Click here to watch a video overview of the Toyota stand.
2014 Outlander & Hybrid SUV
Mitsubishi used the show to preview their incoming Outlander, restyled and updated. The exterior received a refresh, while inside dual zone climate control aircon, a high contrast LCD colour display, leather upholstery on the seven seats, a powered driver seat and ehated seats in the front, and a recline function on the third row. The new Outlander will also be keyless, with push-button start. A 2.4 litre petrol engine will still be paired with a CVT gearbox, and Mitsubishi South Africa are investigating the plug-in hybrid EV version of the Outlander for local introduction later in 2014.