Dakar - South African crews dig deep as second week begins
The 2026 Dakar Rally roared back into action on Monday with Stage 8, a gruelling 481km loop around Wadi Ad Dawasir.
- Industry News
- 12 January 2026
Nissan is adding a limited Midnight Edition to its Qashqai range.

The Midnight has a black roofline and roof rails, darkened 19” alloys, gloss black mirror caps and a darkened front bumper insert. Inside, the Midnight is spruced up with black air vents and gear knob, Alcantara seats and floor mats with red Qashqai stitching.
According to Nissan, this special edition will be well specified with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay and Nissan’s Intelligent Mobility features like Around View Monitor with Moving Object Detection, Forward Collision Warning, Cross Traffic Alert and Blind Spot Warning.
The Qashqai is fitted with the Nissan-Renault Alliance’s 1.2-litre turbo petrol engine, with CVT transmission. The engine delivers 85 kW and 190 Nm.
The new Nissan Qashqai Midnight Edition costs R480 800 (October 2020). Competitors in this crowded segment include vehicles such as the Ford Kuga, Citroën C5 Aircross and Mazda CX-5 to mention a few.
Lepas, part of the global Chery Group, will officially enter the South African market in February 2026, bringing a new vision of modern automotive elegance with the L4, L6 and flagship L8, the brand says.
BYD has added another model to its line-up in South Africa. This time it is the Sealion 5, which slots in below the larger Sealine 6, which is also available locally.
Geely has formally returned to the South African market with the introduction of two new models, the fully electric E5 and the plug-in hybrid E5 EM i.