In this week’s news you need to know, Nissan might be wise to take a leaf out of its Australian counterpart’s book and ‘bring out the warrior’ in the local Navara, the facelifted Polo GTI could reinvigorate a stale segment, the new LX looks promising for underappreciated Lexus and Porsche, well, can seemingly do no wrong.
Nissan Navara PRO-4X Warrior – ‘A man and his bakkie’
“A man and his bakkie” has been the true love story – unrivalled by anything else – in the history of SA motoring. A bakkie is an extension (some might say hyperextension) of its owner much like the Iron Man suit is to Tony Stark. Nissan Australia teamed up with an engineering company to produce the off-road-optimised PRO-4X Warrior and plans to expand elements of that as a kit for the facelifted Navara range. Could there be a better way to stroke your own ego, um, bakkie, than slapping on a “badass kit” replete with blacked-out rims, sport-bar and angular wheel arches, oh, and a scarlet skid plate?
Nissan readying new-look Navara Warrior
The extraordinarily capable Ford Ranger Raptor is one thing, but we’ve seen countless more examples of Rangers adorned with Raptor kits in our beloved Republic. South Africans go crazy for the lean-and-mean look, which is why those kits are selling like hotcakes. Here’s hoping Nissan SA’s managers have sat up, taken notice and are planning something similar. The timing couldn’t be better, with local production of the Navara kicking off in Rosslyn. What better upsell moment than to introduce a Warrior kit? They simply must answer the call and get it into the market before those 10 babies are found.
Facelifted Polo GTI – Don’t switch the lights off just yet
I am sad to say this, but the supermini hot hatch game looks all but played out. Throughout the past 5 years, we’ve seen the gradual demise of the pint-size hot hatch segment. Ford has killed off the Fiesta ST; Renault has snuffed out its Clio RS. Call it bending over to the market’s demands for crossovers and SUV or maybe all those boy racers have finally grown up (although I doubt that!). Just one model remains – the Polo GTI. Why has Volkswagen kept it going? It’s simple, even though the baby GTI is painfully expensive compared to standard Polos, it fills the gap for those who can’t afford a Golf GTI.
Updated Volkswagen Polo GTI to have 152 kW?
The next iteration is apparently going to pack 152 kW, making it the most powerful Polo GTI to date. And, with the Hyundai i20 N set to arrive towards the end of the year – a mouthwatering clash is on the cards, which is just what we need to get this segment fired up again. Who knows, perhaps RS and ST badges will get dusted off? If there’s money to be made, it’ll happen! Where are those boy racers?
Lexus NX – Have we been sleeping on Lexus?
Lexus has been a slow burner in Mzansi, hasn’t it? Toyota Motor Corporation’s premium marque has been here for decades and consistently sells about 50 units a month (which is a paltry number compared with the sales figures of other premium brands in the market). Perhaps it’s due to the reluctance of owners of premium-brand models to jump ship/try something new, but it’s fair to say Lexus has been in South Africa’s blind spot. Its product line-up was admittedly limited up to a few years ago, but now its array of SUVs (including UX, NX, RX and LX) make it one of the most underrated brands in the country.
Lexus models have proven underpinnings (buoyed by Toyota’s reputation for reliability) and are supported by stellar after-sales service. Okay, so they’re expensive (like all other premium brands’ wares), but they usually offer much more in terms of high-end standard features than their German rivals, which need to be specced up. The new NX looks the business too, which is one more reason to give it a try.
Porsche GT3 Touring – ‘All dressed up and everywhere to go’
The Porsche 911 GT3 Touring is the brute who bought a suit to wear to his best friend’s wedding, then got a sharp haircut and made sure his shoes were polished to a fine shine for the occasion. But when he takes off his jacket at the reception later on, you can see myriad bulges straining underneath his tailored shirt. He’s clearly muscle-bound, so you wouldn’t want to cross him. Ever.
Analogies aside, I can’t but help appreciate the commercial genius of Porsche AG. The Zuffenhausen-based brand’s GT3 model has developed into an “in-yer-face” all-out speed machine, replete with a plethora of racy addenda, chief of which is that humungous WING. All of that is undoubtedly too “racy” for those that want a more understated look, but don’t want to lose out on the performance aspect.
Porsche 911 GT3 Touring Announced
That is where the GT3 Touring slots in perfectly. Porsche will continue to make great strides with money moves like these and, with the extension of the touring derivative, the GT3 is kept very much alive.
