
The legend is back - VW introduces updated Golf GTI
Volkswagen will introduce the updated Golf GTI to the South African market in the last quarter of 2025. Well over 2.3 million GTIs have been sold worldwide.
- Product News
- 2 September 2025
By Harm Stavast, Commercial Director, Africa, Keyloop
The automotive industry is in constant evolution. From new entrants to the market and the adoption of electric vehicles, to the integration of new technologies, and how retailers and OEMS interact and deliver service. Perhaps most importantly, the consumers themselves are changing, and this is having a significant impact on the car buying, and ownership experience. Consumers today naturally want to control that experience, rather than be forced down one route or another by the retailer they are buying from.
The challenge for automotive retailers is to adapt to these changing expectations, leveraging data and technology to deliver an improved customer experience, while also evolving their operations and processes based on customer insights. When done successfully, this can lead to improved customer loyalty and increased profit margins.
At Keyloop, we provide software to keep the customer journey relevant in an automotive retailer’s dynamic world, ensuring a joined-up and frictionless journey that gives customers what they want. This is what we call the “Experience-First” approach. With the right technology, mindset, and empathetic approach, the automotive industry can capitalise on advanced solutions and thrive in the ever-changing retail landscape.
Consumers know – to the letter – what they want and how they want it. Poor service is unforgivable, and mediocrity is simply not good enough. Automotive retailers that recognise the power of Experience-First will create added value for their customers – providing personalised guidance, building long-term relationships, and fostering better, more tailored, sales opportunities.
Find out how Experience-First is transforming the automotive retail industry and how you can apply these lessons to your business, by downloading the Keyloop whitepaper here.
The National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) notes that August continued the positive trend for new-vehicle sales in South Africa, reflecting strong consumer demand and activity across the market.
Although the tariff clouds are gathering over the South African economy with serious implications for the local automotive export industry, local sales of new vehicles are soldiering on at a decent pace.
Automechanika Johannesburg successfully hosted its final CEO Breakfast for 2025 at the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit, bringing together senior automotive industry leaders for strategic discussions as the co-located Festival of Motoring roared into life.