Asian brands, EVs dominate 2025 Best Buy Awards
The 2025 Best By Awards, announced by Kelley Blue Book, reflect the rapidly shifting landscape of the automotive market not only in the USA, but also elsewhere.
- Industry News
- 17 April 2025
In line with its parent company’s recent strategic realignment to new-energy vehicles (NEV), Toyota South Africa recently laid its NRV cards for SA on the table.
Although the company maintains that internal combustion engines (ICE) still have a role to play, it said it will be shifting a large part of its focus to traditional hybrid vehicles (HEV), plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEV) and other engine conversions over the next few years, as far as the SA market is concerned.
The biggest news is that Toyota will be launching a new, mildly hybrid Hilux and Fortuner in early 2024 consisting of the standard ICE combined with an integrated starter generator and 12V-48V battery.
The company will also be introducing the Toyota Crown to South Africa this year. This crossover Crown variant is powered by a 2.5-litre, parallel-hybrid drivetrain with an output in the neighbourhood of 170kW and a fuel consumption of under 5.0L/100km.
Another NEV addition to the local market from Toyota will be a hybrid version of the new Urban Cruiser.
It is also rumoured that the plug-in hybrid RAV4, Lexus NX and RX are on their way.
Toyota has said that owing to the current scarcity of electricity on the African continent, that BEVs won’t be a practical solution yet for local consumers.
The 2025 Best By Awards, announced by Kelley Blue Book, reflect the rapidly shifting landscape of the automotive market not only in the USA, but also elsewhere.
Kia took the top honours for the second consecutive year when its all-electric compact crossover was named World Car of the Year during the New York International Auto Show in the USA this week.
The African Association of Automotive Manufacturers (AAAM) is strengthening its commitment to the industrialisation and development of Africa’s automotive sector with the establishment of a new regional office in Tunisia.
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If you are not taking care of your customer, your competitor will.
Bob Hooey
As the global automotive industry shifts into a greener, electrified future, South African fitment centres stand at a critical crossroad: adapt or risk falling behind.
Another plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) is on its way to South Africa; this time in the form of JAC Motors’ T9 2.0L TGDI PHEV double-cab bakkie.
Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa has begun full-scale production of the first-ever Ford Ranger Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) at its Silverton Manufacturing Plant.