BMW iX3 crowned World Car of the Year 2026 as EVs lead the way
The BMW iX3 has been named World Car of the Year 2026, with the announcement made at the New York International Auto Show on 1 April.
- Industry News
- 2 April 2026
Hyundai gave its Venue a new lease of life with and extensive makeover. The Venue is the smallest member of Hyundai’s SUV/Crossover family and a popular seller on local shores.
First launched in South Africa in 2019, the Venue has found 17 162 new homes locally, a great feat in a busy market segment. Hyundai later added a sporty N version.
What’s new?
Mechanically, it’s all still the same but for starters it has a fresh look with a bolder front grille and a fresh new appearance from behind. The side profile exhibits full-volume wheel arches, while the new, revised cascading grille and front end incorporate Hyundai’s signature design DNA found on the other SUVs in the range.
The range-topping Venue N Line variant has an individualised grille and several other bespoke exterior and interior design features to accentuate its status. The headlamps, with daytime running lights in the Fluid and N Line versions, are housed in separate clusters. The N Line is decorated by its own, bespoke grille with the N Line-logo.
The rear end is completely new, the new taillights are joined across the new wider hatch door with a horizontal strip to form a visual unit.
Inside is a new infotainment system featuring an 8-inch display audio touchscreen system and rear-view monitor and a leather-wrapped steering wheel in the Fluid and N Line versions.
Glovebox cooling, rear air condition ventilation ducts and automatic cruise control with buttons on the steering wheel also form part of the convenience features in the Fluid and N Line derivatives.
The drivetrains remain the same with a choice between the four cylinder 1.2-litre (61 kW/115 Nm) and the 1-litre turbo (88 kW/172 Nm), both petrol engines and a choice of a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed DCT gearbox.
There are three specification levels, the Motion as an entry-level derivative, followed by the Fluid version with more design and convenience features and topped by the N Line variant with its unique signature design features. There are altogether six variants in the 2022 Venue model line-up.
Pricing:
1.2 Motion manual (R294 900), 1.0 Motion manual (R354 900), 1.0 Motion DCT (R394 900), 1.0 Fluid manual (R389 900), 1.0 Fluid DCT (R429 900) and the 1.0 N Line (R449 900). The updated model range is available right now.
The BMW iX3 has been named World Car of the Year 2026, with the announcement made at the New York International Auto Show on 1 April.
Retail new vehicle sales continue to surge in South Africa despite global and regional conflicts, local floods and droughts.
South Africa’s new vehicle market delivered a standout performance in March 2026, extending its domestic growth trajectory to the strongest level seen in nearly two decades.
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