18 December 2020 - 13:59
We continued to publish in these tumultuous times, with the importance of journalism emphasised more than ever in a time of crisis. As this is our last instalment of Motoring for the year, we would like to take stock of the happenings in the automotive sector. But the road to economic recovery on the whole looks set to be a lengthy one. “Deep scars will remain domestically and I believe that we will only get back to the 2019 GDP levels around 2028 – almost a lost decade,” said Dr Martyn Davies, MD: emerging markets and Africa at advisory services firm Deloitte.
But let us get back down to earth. Luckily, there were many alluring mainstream contenders to join the mix. Such as the Hyundai Grand i10, a compact car with a grown-up feel. We praised its plush seats, interior quality and aggressive-but-cute exterior aesthetic. Toyota put out an instant hit in the form of the Starlet – a direct copy of an existing product from Suzuki, the Baleno, whose competence is well-documented.
Staying with limited-edition performance vehicles, 30 units of the covetable BMW M2 CS were allocated to South Africa. The bulk of them were auctioned to selected customers. It could very well be the last bona fide M-car to be available locally with a manual gearbox. Volkswagen added a fifth member to its sport-utility vehicle family with the T-Roc, slotting above the T-Cross and below the Tiguan.