Kia’s Tasman bakkie arrives in South Africa
Kia has taken a bold step into one of South Africa’s most competitive automotive segments with the launch of the Tasman, its first-ever double cab bakkie.
- Product News
- 9 April 2026
Hino, which has been the dominant brand in Datatrack Management’s long-running comparative customer-care survey conducted among local truck operators for the past several years, has kicked off 2025 with another strong showing.
It not only retained top position in the combined category of sales, service and parts in the first quarter of the year but was also top in both the individual sales and service segments.
“What was particularly satisfying is that all three winning scores were over 99%, with a combined average of 99.01, and scores of 99.85 for sales and 99.78 for service,” comments Itumeleng Segage, General Manager of Hino SA.
“Competition from all the European and other Japanese brands is very strong, and the Hino team is very proud of being able to keep them at bay and to continue leading the way.
“Our ongoing strong performance in these quarterly surveys is largely owing to the commitment and dedication of our countrywide network of 67 dealers and head office staff, as well as the guiding customer-care strategies developed over the years by Hino Motors in Japan,” Itumeleng explains.
Datatrack Management has conducted this survey since 1986 and currently it interviews about 30 000 truck operators every three months.
Volkswagen Group Africa (VWGA) has reached another major milestone with the production of the 500 000th unit of the current Polo for the export market.
Nissan South Africa has agreed to sell its Rosslyn production facility after 60 years of operation. The plant, which produced models such as the 1400 ‘Champ’ bakkie, NP200 and Navara, was acquired by Chery SA. The Chinese automaker has sold over 80,000 vehicles locally since 2021 and is now strengthening its African presence.
Following an intense national selection process that pushed participants to the limit, South Africa’s representatives for the 2026 Defender Trophy global final have been decided.