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When business demands meet off-road toughness, you need a vehicle that’s more than just transport. You need a partner. Introducing the new INEOS Panel Van: a versatile workhorse engineered for real-world performance, built on a legacy of durability, and designed to keep your business moving forward.

Born from Grit. Built for Work.

The Panel Van shares its DNA with the renowned INEOS Grenadier, combining rugged 4X4 capability with the practicality of a commercial van. Tough, capable and purpose-built, it’s designed to deliver in the harshest environments, from urban deliveries to off-grid operations. Powered by a reliable BMW engine and featuring INEOS’s signature boxy silhouette, this van brings together robust styling with serious strength. The generous load space and high payload capacity ensure it works as hard as you do without cutting corners on comfort or quality

Ready for Every Jobsite

With a heavy-duty ladder-frame chassis and permanent four-wheel drive, the INEOS Panel Van is engineered for demanding conditions. Practical features include:

● Multiple cargo configurations to suit a range of industries

● 2- or 3-seat layouts with wipe-clean interiors

● High ground clearance and durable underbody protection

● Full off-road capability with on-road ease

Whether you’re in construction, logistics, security or field services, this is the vehicle that keeps you on the job no matter the terrain.

Work Smarter, Drive Better

Built with the driver in mind, the cabin offers comfort, clarity and control. Intuitive layout. Quality finishes. Options include:

● Touchscreen infotainment with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto

● Integrated navigation and fleet management systems

● Advanced camera and driver-assist safety tech

It’s everything you need to stay productive and connected, even in the most remote environments.

Efficient. Compliant. Future-Focused.

With fuel-efficient powertrains and low-emission standards, the Panel Van helps your business meet today’s environmental benchmarks without compromising on capability.

Your Business Deserves a Vehicle That Delivers

More than just a van, the INEOS Panel Van is a serious tool for serious work. Built to last, easy to customise, and ready for action, it’s a smart investment for any forward-thinking fleet.

Visit us at one of our SMG Grenadier showrooms to learn more.

SMG Grenadier Umhlanga  21 Lighthouse Road, Umhlanga

SMG Grenadier Cape Town V&A Waterfront, E Pier Road Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, Cape Town, 8001

SMG Toyota and Lexus Hillcrest and SMG Toyota Cresta celebrated yet another year of excellence in the automotive industry at the Toyota SA 2022 Dealer Awards.

One of the highlights of the evening was SMG Toyota Cresta being awarded the Pyramid of Excellence certificate for Toyota Financial Services in the Medium Dealer Category and SMG Toyota and Lexus Hillcrest receiving the same accolade in the Mega Dealer Category. Both dealerships were awarded Bronze Certificates for New Vehicle Sales.

SMG Toyota and Lexus Hillcrest was one of 6 Mega Category dealers to receive the prestigious Lighthouse award.

A total of 9 Toyota Knights were named and honored for their exceptional service.

Congratulations to our following Toyota Knights –

Nicky Hewkins            – New Vehicle Sales Executive

Jonathan Rudd           – Automark Sales Manager

Gareth De Broize        – Automark Sales Executive

Angela Driver              – Finance and Insurance Manager

Kerry Shannon            – New Vehicle Sales Executive

Darren De Kock          – New Vehicle Sales Executive

Barrett Slabbert          – Automark Sales Manager (Cresta)

Zarlene Hugo              – New Vehicle Sales Manager (Cresta)

Sheridan Diedericks   – New Vehicle Sales Executive (Cresta)

A special congratulations goes to Marius Van Der Merwe from SMG Toyota Cresta who was awarded Best Parts Department in the Medium Dealer Category.

SMG Toyota Cresta was acquired by SMG in December 2021 and the dealership has continued to grow from strength to strength by following the SMG philosophy.

None of this would be possible without the continued support from our customers throughout 2022, and SMG Toyota and Lexus Hillcrest and SMG Toyota Cresta would like to thank you for your loyalty and will continue to strive to provide exceptional service across all departments.

We would also like to thank all our staff for their tremendous efforts in a very challenging year and we look forward to a successful 2023.

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Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) registered a total of 3 927 sales in the Light Commercial Vehicles (LCV) segment – claiming a stake of 40.1% in the category – for the tough month of January. Hilux kicked off the year as the best-selling bakkie with a total of 2 681 models, while the legendary Land Cruiser pick-up posted a formidable total of 230 units. Both Hiace and Quantum recorded respectable sales – 777 and 137 units, respectively.

Toyota LCV Share: 40.1%

Hilux: 2 681

Hiace: 777

Land Cruiser Pick-up: 230

Quantum: 137

Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) registered a total of 3 927 sales in the Light Commercial Vehicles (LCV) segment – claiming a stake of 40.1% in the category – for the tough month of January. Hilux kicked off the year as the best-selling bakkie with a total of 2 681 models, while the legendary Land Cruiser pick-up posted a formidable total of 230 units. Both Hiace and Quantum recorded respectable sales – 777 and 137 units, respectively.

In the passenger segment, popular models such as the Corolla Quest and Etios continued their good run, posting 998 and 622 apiece. Hatchback sales were also encouraging with the Yaris, Corolla Hatchback and Aygo picking up useful retail numbers of 439, 99 and 72 respectively.

Overall industry sales are subdued as a result of the country’s economic woes. January’s aggregate automotive sales of 39 475 units showed a decline of 3 481 units or 8.1% from the 42 956 vehicles sold in January last year, according to the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (NAAMSA).

The association also confirmed that out of the January sales total, an estimated 32 050 units or 81.2% were courtesy of dealer sales, 13.5% represented sales to the vehicle rental industry, 3.1% to industry corporate fleets and 2.2% to government.

On the truck front, the Hino 300 Series played a pivotal role in the organisation’s 25.2% market share of Medium Commercial Vehicles, while the Hino 500 Series found the going tough in the Heavy Commercial Vehicles segment with a total of 36 units.

“The economic pressure remains and consumers have continued to be debt-averse. While Toyota has kicked off the year with a cautious market share of 20.9%, we are thankful to our customers, fleet owners and rental companies for their continued support in these trying economic times. We are also grateful to our Dealer Network, as well as all Toyota staff, for their sterling efforts in making Toyota such a competitive brand,” says Leon Theron, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at TSAM.

According to Andrew Kirby, President and CEO of Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM), total vehicle sales for the year 2020 will continue the downward trajectory that began in 2013 and settle at 515 000 at the end of the year. 

• Andrew Kirby: Only 515 000 vehicles will sold in 2020
• Ettienne le Roux: SA GDP will grow by just 0.6% in 2020
• Dr Thabi Leoka: There is still a lot of policy uncertainty

According to Andrew Kirby, President and CEO of Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM), total vehicle sales for the year 2020 will continue the downward trajectory that began in 2013 and settle at 515 000 at the end of the year. Of the total forecast, Kirby estimated that 339 900 will be passenger, 150 585 will be light commercial vehicles while the remaining 7 880 and 16 635 will be made up of medium and heavy commercial vehicles, respectively. Kirby shared his forecast while chairing TSAM’s third instalment of the State of the Motor Industry (SOMI) address held at Kylami, Johannesburg, on 30 January 2020.

As Ettienne le Roux, Chief Economist at Rand Merchant Bank (RMB), puts it: “Over the past two or three years, consumer confidence has been low and spending has quite been conservative. This will, of course, affect local vehicle sales because buying a car is considered to be discretionary spending. Finances are really tight and the pressure consumers are feeling is quite significant…”

Dr Thabi Leoka, an independent economist who also sits on President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Economic Advisory Panel, says the current South African socio-political landscape is also not conducive to attracting investment. Referring to South Africa’s socio-political problems, she says: “The house internally is dirty, and you are going out to the world to invite investors to come and eat in this house of chaos… We need to focus on cleaning this house first.”

Despite the negative economic sentiment expected to impact consumer spending in 2020, TSAM remains cautiously optimistic about achieving a competitive market share at the end of the year. According to Leon Theron, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at TSAM, the company strategy involves galvanising Toyota’s wide dealer channel, enhancing the Lexus and Toyota hybrid offering as well as a robust marketing approach around the Corolla nameplate.

TSAM also used the SOMI platform to introduce its Olympic and Paralympic Ambassador Pieter Badenhorst. “As a mobility partner of the International Olympic Committee and the International Paralympic Committee, Toyota aims to contribute to creating a peaceful society without discrimination through sport and a commitment to creating a sustainable society through mobility,” says Badenhorst.

In line with creating a peaceful society, TSAM is also proud to announce a new activity around mobility – especially for previously disadvantaged children living with lower limb amputations. Leading up to the Easter holidays, TSAM will launch #DriveBetter – a campaign which aims to encourage all Toyota and Lexus drivers who use the Toyota Connect feature to get good scores. TSAM has pledged to donate R1 000 with every 100 points achieved through good driving via the Toyota Connect feature. All proceeds will go to Jumping Kids, a non-profit organisation that provides access to lower limb prosthetic solutions to children.

The Toyota Corolla Quest has established itself as a formidable player in the local sedan market. First launched in 2014, the Corolla Quest employed the established credentials of the 10th-generation Corolla in a value-focused package – offering the space and comfort of a C-segment sedan at a B-segment price point.

• Bigger, bolder, better – Quest gets updated
• 1.8-litre engine across the range
• 6-model line-up
• New flagship grade
• Added safety features

The Toyota Corolla Quest has established itself as a formidable player in the local sedan market. First launched in 2014, the Corolla Quest employed the established credentials of the 10th-generation Corolla in a value-focused package – offering the space and comfort of a C-segment sedan at a B-segment price point.

Sticking to the same proven recipe, the new Corolla Quest adopts the outgoing 11th-generation Corolla platform in a quest to continue the legacy of value-minded motoring with comfort, space and style.

The previous generation Quest and Corolla duo racked up a combined 136 880 unit sales (Quest contributing 63 966 units), making them SA’s most loved sedans. In a time of ever-increasing SUV adoption, the pair achieved a 71% share of the C-segment – maintaining momentum in the compact sedan segment.

“Understanding that there is still a need for an affordable sedan in our market was one of the driving factors in developing the new Corolla Quest. We conducted numerous product clinics to gain a better understanding of what our customers wanted and where we could adapt our product offering to better suit the market needs”, says Glenn Crompton, Vice President of Marketing.

Question: So how does the new Quest differ from the previous one?

As mentioned the new Quest is based on the outgoing 11th-generation Corolla. This brings with it modernised styling, improved specification levels and enhanced safety features. We’ve also switched to a new 1.8-litre engine across the board and expanded the line-up to offer three grades for six models in total.

Question: Is the new Quest then just a de-specced Corolla?

Not at all, the Corolla Quest went through a thorough development programme which aimed to maintain the Quality, Reliability and Durability (QDR) level whilst implementing cost reduction – to the ultimate benefit of the customer. Likewise, the switch to a three-grade strategy, enables us to offer three distinct variants with distinct specification levels, thereby catering to different customer needs.

Question: What differentiates Corolla Quest cosmetically from the 11th-generation Corolla?

On the exterior front, the most noticeable difference is the front fascia. The front bumper has been given an updated treatment (grade dependent), replacing the gunmetal accent trims previously employed. The standard and Prestige models utilise a continuous matte-black lower apron, whereas the Exclusive model boasts partial colour coding.

The headlight trim too matches the radiator grille treatment (matte black vs colour), with the front fog lights now phased out. At the rear, the number plate garnish has been changed from chrome to body colour.

On the interior front, Corolla Quest is equipped with three bespoke interior trim combinations. The standard model makes use of a Black and Blue combination textile with a fixed rear seat. Prestige variants are equipped with a fabric and leather combination – available in either Blue/Black or Grey with red accents. The range-topping Exclusive, features a black leather interior with silver contrast stitching and a 60/40 split rear bench.

Question: You mention cost reduction, how was this accomplished?

A three-prong approach was followed here. Firstly, comprehensive studies were performed on how to make the production line more efficient; secondly component part commonisation and sourcing were re-looked in order to implement savings and thirdly, vehicle specification was tweaked to match customer requirements.

For example, Corolla Quest makes use of the IMV (Hilux and Fortuner) colour palette (assembled in the same factory), to improve economies of scale and simplify production processes. Other non-aesthetic componentry has also been commonised between the two model ranges with additional localisation further contributing to cost savings.

Examples of such measures are commonised headliner material and seat fabric with IMV, as well as localisation of the seat cross braces, floor silencers and seat bracketry.

Question: Why the change to a 1.8-litre engine?

This was one of the key research areas when we started the development brief. The reason for this is quite simple, the 1.8-litre is standardized across more Toyota models globally versus the previously fitted 1.6-litre engine – providing cost and sourcing benefits for TSAM.

The 1.8-litre mill produces 103 kW and 173 Nm at 4000rpm. One of the advantages of the 1.8-litre engine is that the torque figure is not only higher but also produced 1200 rpm earlier, compared to the 1.6. This offers an enhanced driving experience – one of the key attributes customers identified in the research. Fuel consumption is listed as 7.0 l/100km for manual models and 6.3 l/100km for models equipped with the CVT option – which is actually better than the outgoing 1.6-litre mill.

Question: What underpins the new Corolla Quest?

The platform is identical to the 11th-generation Corolla, with a McPherson strut layout in the front and torsion beam design in the rear, offering a perfect balance of ride comfort and body control. The torsion beam design also contributes to a large flat boot space.

Four-wheel disc brakes, with ventilated front and solid rear discs provide solid braking performance. Standard models ride on 15-inch steel wheels with 195-65-R15 tyres, whereas the mid and high-grade Quests roll on 16-inch alloy wheels shod with 205-55-R16 rubber. All models feature a full-size spare wheel.

Question: How many models are there in the new Quest range?

The new Quest has been designed to appeal to a broader target audience compared to the outgoing model. With this in mind, we’ve expanded the product range to cater to a wider spectrum of buyer and allow the new Corolla Quest to appeal to the values of the traditional Corolla buyer. Using a singular engine, we’ve created three grades; ‘Standard’, Prestige and Exclusive.

The standard model is a no-frills variant, catering to the business user and focusses on value-for-money motoring. It makes use of a functional matte-black grille and bumper finishes, with 15-inch steel wheels and core specification features. The Prestige grade offers a blend of value and style, with colour-coded exterior treatment, 16-inch alloy wheels and added comfort ‘spec’. At the top of the range is the Exclusive model, which adds chrome exterior elements, a colour-coded front bumper treatment and a high-standard specification set.

All three grades are offered in both 6-speed manual and CVT transmission guise – creating a matrix of 6 models. The standard features list echoes the exterior grade strategy and provides a significant ‘spec’ upgrade versus the previous model (even on the ‘standard’ grade).

Question: What are the safety upgrades you mention?

This is one of the standout features of the new Corolla Quest. In response to customer feedback, we’ve amplified the safety features considerably. All Quest models now come with Driver, Passenger and driver-knee airbags – while the Prestige and Exclusive models receive side airbags too.

Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) with Hill Assist Control (HAC), ABS, EBD, Isofix, LED daytime running lights and rear fog lights are standard across the board.

Question: How do the other specification features rack up?

All models feature auto door-lock with remote operation, electric windows, air-conditioner, steering wheel switches, follow-me-home headlamps, radio/CD with USB, Aux and a minimum of four integrated speakers.

The Prestige models receive an upgrade to a touchscreen DVD audio system with six speakers, reverse camera, cruise control, leather steering wheel, combination fabric and leather seats plus the aforementioned 16-inch alloy wheels.

The Exclusive grade adds auto air-conditioner, push start with keyless entry, TFT-colour instrument cluster, leather seats, rain-sensing wipers and LED headlamps.

Question: What about the service plan and warranty?

All Corolla Quests are sold with a 3-services/45 000 km service plan with intervals pegged at 12 months/15 000 km. A 3-year/100 000 km warranty is included.

Model Line-up and Pricing

*Please note that the new Corolla Quest will reach dealerships in March 2020.

TOYOTA’S AYGO SIPS ITS WAY TO CLASS WIN AND 2nd OVERALL PLACING

Toyota’s compact city car – the funky-styled Aygo – has claimed victory in the inaugural Wesbank Fuel Economy Tour which concluded on Saturday 16 November in Cape Town.

The Aygo uses a three-cylinder, 1-litre, normally-aspirated petrol engine with record-winning thermal efficiency to achieve excellent fuel consumption. Piloted by experienced motoring journalist and Women on Wheels (WOW) editor; Carri-Anne Leathern and joined by yoga instructor Roxanne Jones as navigator – the all-ladies team proved to be a formidable force, consistently placing in the top three over the course of the five-day event.

The Aygo impressed by delivering very consistent fuel consumption figures – despite the varied terrain, altitude and climate – with very little deviation in its fuel index versus some of its peers.

In the end the Aygo duet took out the class win for I1 (Petrol Saloons and Hatches Normally Aspirated sub 1199cc), beating the Suzuki Swift 1.2 GLX MT and Renault Kwid Climber.

With an average fuel index of 4.8328 l/100km over the duration of the competition, the pairing were also rewarded with an impressive 2nd overall placing as well as being the highest-placed all-female crew.

Carri-Anne had the following comment on achieving the 2nd place overall finish:

“Our strategy going into the Fuel Economy Tour was to drive the Aygo in as real-world a manner as possible – so that the numbers would be achievable by anyone behind the wheel. In shakedown testing, we saw only a small variance in fuel consumption between slow, efficient driving and driving normally at the speed limit. We decided that driving normally to get to each check point within the time-frame allocated, and not accrue penalties was our main priority.

The conditions and routes we drove perfectly simulate realistic holiday drives and thus fuel consumption numbers. I’m incredibly happy with the Aygo’s performance, winning its class and mixing it up in 2nd place flanked by diesel engines in the overall results. We hope this event continues to gain traction and attendance from other manufacturers.”

HILUX LEGEND 50 2.8 GD-6 ACHIEVES IMPRESSIVE FIGURES

South Africa’s best-selling vehicle, the celebrated Toyota Hilux, showed its mettle in 2.8 GD-6 4×2 D/C Legend 50 guise by recording an impressive 6.9412 //100km fuel consumption figure in class D2.

The driver/navigator pairing of George Smallberger and Jaco Britz, showed that the 2.8 GD-6 variant of the Hilux could easily compete against the smaller displacement turbodiesels of class D1 and in turn claimed class victory for Turbo Diesel Double-Cab Bakkies over 2500cc.

LEXUS UX HYBRID CLAIMS HYBRID VICTORY

The Lexus UX luxury cross-over entrant of Khulekani Dumisa and Sala Masindane (of Khulekani on Wheels fame) flew the flag for Hybrid-powered vehicles in the competition. The Lexus UX 250h SE showcased its acclaimed blend of sharp looks, luxurious appointments and low fuel consumption. Propulsion is provided by an Atkinson cycle 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine, accompanied by an electric motor driving the front wheels through a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT).

Whilst Hybrid powertrains tend to favour low-speed urban commutes to maximise the electric power usage – the UX realised laudable fuel consumption figures, ending on 6.0348 l/100km. This figure also beat out the bevy of turbodiesel SUV entrants over 2000cc.

Toyota SA Motors would like to congratulate all the competitors in this maiden Fuel Economy Tour challenge and also thank each one of our participating teams.