ZA Car

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Three’s a company – and its also this week’s team, sans Christo. He’s off in Zimbabwe to take photographs completely unrelated to motoring. That leaves ZA Car Show in the hands of Patrick Gearing, Trevor van de Ven and Trevor Tuck. Whether that is a good thing or not is a question yet to be answered; what we can tell you is that its s short show, so go ahead download it and see if you can make your journey to work in a single listen.

It’s all about bakkies and Trevor van de Ven getting it horribly wrong about the Audi RS5 (its a V8, not a turbo V6 you idiot), but we burnt his hand with a cigarette when we discovered that faux pas. He shamed us and we apologise.

BMW achieves a five star plus in its NCAP safety ratings [via: World Car Fans]

FIAT wins Technobest award for its TwinAir engine [via Autoworld]

New Ford Ranger and a new Mazda BT-50

Renault launches its limited edition 20th anniversary edition Renaultsport Clio

Look at the gallery below for more pictures

Episode 96 hi-fi download (17MB)
Episode 96 lo-fi download (9MB)

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We’re nearly 100 hundred episodes old and have now been around for over two years. It’s strange then to see that companies like Ford have only now adopted a Facebook campaign to engage with its customers. Two years and 95 episodes ago, the FIAT 500′s seven airbags was big news (YouTUBE video link); now Volvo is bettering even the best scores leaving Euro NCAP to update its safety ratings to “better than the best.”

The team also runs through the latest from Ssang Yong, RenaultSport (fight material that) and the latest solar developments. Trevor Tuck also reviews the 2010 Chevy Cruz diesel with a review that surprises us all. Happy listening.

Trevor Tuck delivers his verdict on the Chevy Cruze Diesel which ZACS had recently for review.

Pics are below with the price available here and specs here

Very pretty inside and out especially in maroon

Episode 95 hi-fi download (29MB)
Episode 95 lo-fi download (15MB)

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Back in full swing is not only the full team at ZA Car Show, but also the pre-launch unveilings for the Paris Motor Show which seems set to be a cracker this year. First on the list is the new 2012 Ford Focus ST, which has a more important brother in the form of the regualr Focus – something the reswt of the media seems to be ignoring. Also set for launch within the year is the Hyundai ix20 and MINI Cooper S Diesel which we discuss.

Locally, the media has been busy with its launch of its Peugeot RCZ which, we assume, featured more celebrity guests than motoring media as this seems to be its publicity strategy if @PeugeotZA on Twitter is anything to go by. This coupe features a TT-like profile and some efficient turbo engines.Its also R140 000 less dear than the Renault Laguna Coupe. Sure they’re different types of cars, but we see a flaw in Renault’s strategy. ZA Car also reveals the rpicing of the Alfa Giulietta (click for a cool car configurator), while Tuck laments why it’s wrong for an Alfa. Finally we wrap it up with the Total Economy run and Christo’s comparative review of the Suzuki Swift Sport and his very own RenaultSport Twingo. The results will surpise and delight.

Head to head against a RenaultSport Twingo, which would you choose?

Photo credits: Quickpic (Ford Focus, Peugeot RCZ) and Motorpics (Suzuki Sport)

Episode 92 hi-fi download (32MB)
Episode 92 lo-fi download (17MB)

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The start of the nineties was the last decade of really good cars. There was a wide spread of cars, since all that existed on most options lists was colour; people just had to choose a brand. And they did. Nowadays production has become so efficient, that even the premium manufacturers are producing great volumes of vehicles cannibalising the market. Being a smaller brand these days is not enviable – something we discuss in our landmark cars for 1990 discussion at the end of the show.

If you realy want an IX35, consider this Sportage first

The show, featuring three of the four ZACS members, tackles the August Naamsa figures, which reveal the best sales month since 2008. Renault launches another new model in the form of the cut-price [for a] Megane Shake-it, a sub R200 000 C-segment hatch back.  Volvo South Africa has also laid out its plans for the DRIVe range of eco -efficient models, while we reckon that the Sportage is the car to buy if you’re in the market for a Hyundai iX35.

Trevor van de Ven and Patrick Gearing also review the Mitsubishi Outlander, while Patrick and Christo talk about the introduction of quattro all-wheel drive on the 2.0T models in the Audi A4 range.

Silver. A popular colour in Sweden

Episode 90 hi-fi download (32MB)
Episode 90 lo-fi download (17MB)

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