Check the 6th Generation Isuzu Pick-ups Built in Africa

The evolution of General Motors over the years has been tremendous as it crossed through a lot of successions.

The capabilities of early General Motors were simply endless and so very special, especially when considering the availability of machinery and advent of technology.

The uniqueness of General Motors was continually guarded even in the initial years of manufacturing.

The ‘New Isuzu pick up’, a symbolic  off-road tough performance vehicle targetted at redefining automotive standards and capabilities with both domestic and export markets confirms it’s supremacy in the global automobile industry.

The Isuzu Pick-up followed extensive testing and engineering leading up to its launch in 2013 – covering some 1.3-million kilometres of strenuous driving in extreme conditions.

“With the 6^th generation Isuzu Pick-up, we took an unprecedented approach to its development with
specific focus points directly related to the African markets in which it is designed to serve,” said Quality Manager at General Motors South Africa (GMSA), Andy Alexander.

“Along with our highly qualified and experienced engineering team, and involving the various departments who are jointly responsible for the design, development and production of this world-class pick-up, we left no stone unturned in the development process.

The Isuzu heritage of innovation, toughness, durability, reliability and functionality was put to the ultimate test.” he said.

Quality of production
With the harsh environments of the African continent dictating vehicle specifications and design including fuel quality, road conditions, consumer demands and vehicle versatility – Isuzu engineers not only had to design and develop specific elements of the Isuzu Pick-up to cope on a long-term basis, but also ensure the quality of each and every aspect that goes into the production of an internationally renowned pick-up – to ensure complete peace of mind and trouble-free motoring for the customer.

Built-in quality (BIQ) at the Struandale plant in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, is the most important element in this regard.

At every stage of the production process – from the body shop and paint shop to assembly and final inspection – each element is verified to ensure maximum quality in all respects.

Subscribing to a Global Manufacturing System (GMS), which makes obligatory global regulations and requirements on the GMSA plant, key focus areas are monitored to ensure ultimate production quality.
Exercises involved include continuous improvement principles, standardisation of tasks and processes, people involvement, short lead-times and built-in quality.

The latter in particular expresses the overall goal of creating a quality product in every aspect and is measured on a tier basis.

Benefitting directly from GMSA’s high engineering involvement with the new Isuzu Pick-up, the vehicle was fine-tuned and toughened to operate without problems in the harsh African environment.

“The Isuzu Pick-up has always performed consistently in the IPSOS quality surveys and in designing the all-new, 6^th-generation model, we strived to improve on our already high levels of quality,” said Alexander.

“Engineering and testing, which began as far back as 2010, included important factors which are particularly significant for the region – such as high altitudes, a large operating temperature range, high proportions of very dusty roads, particularly corrosive environments, varying fuel quality, bad road conditions, and specific towing and load requirements.”

As a result, the new Isuzu Pick-up features a number of uniquely African solutions to the problems and challenges that were identified. For example, a larger radiator is fitted to assist in improved cooling, and the radiator fan is indeed placed behind the radiator to remove the risk of fan blade damage when entering water at speed.

The high-ride suspension design which allows for ground clearance of up to 224 mm (linked to high profile tyres) enables for enhanced peace of mind when driving on particularly bad roads.

Furthermore, specific attention was paid to underbody components like fuel lines and side skirts, where special protective plates were added to prevent damage from stone rash on the move.

On the engine front, all engines are capable of running on even the lowest quality fuels.
Safety is also naturally an Isuzu hallmark, and the new Pick-up has been engineered with key safety principles in mind which hold particular importance in the African context – to maximise stopping power, assist with steering input under hard braking and reduce stopping distances.

Further safety-critical factors were also considered, like impact-absorbing materials in the front end which not only reduce frontal damage in an impact but also provide enhanced protection for pedestrians, as a first line of defence.

Adding further strength to the equation is Isuzu’s legendary reputation for off-road driving capability.
With certain derivatives available with four-wheel drive, traversing even the toughest of environments becomes an easy and enjoyable task thanks to great ground clearance, all-terrain tyres and an advanced 4×4 system with an electronic configuration switch which allows for easy transition between 2-Hi, 4-Hi and 4-Lo driving modes.

Adding power to the quality promise behind GM vehicles is a group of highly-competent and professionally-trained individuals who are dedicated to customer service, product quality and an enjoyable, long-lasting ownership experience.

To this end, National Service Technical Forums are held in South Africa whereby Sub-Saharan Africa service technicians are able to liaise with their South African colleagues to share knowledge and experiences, in order to improve the GM product and service offering in Africa.

These quality assessment processes, which also include problem identification, analysis and solution implementation, form a combined effort to improve quality between the various GM departments – including source plants across the globe where shared knowledge allows for global product quality improvement.

Furthermore, an experienced aftersales division in South Africa is on hand for technical product support to assist in identifying and correcting any problems in the shortest possible time, regardless of where the customer may be situated.

A dedicated Service Operations Manager for Sub-Saharan Africa is also available, situated in Kenya, to ensure efficient communication and relationship management between the customer and GMSA.

The result of customised design, development, engineering and production done in Africa, for Africa, is thus a vehicle which has been specifically designed to be used in its various African markets with absolute confidence.

In this regard, all new Isuzu Pick-up pick-ups are available as standard with a comprehensive 3-year/ 100 000 km warranty (whichever comes first) in place for extended peace of mind for the consumer.

Volvo XC90-the world’s most powerful

Volvo Car’s all-new XC90 SUV will offer an unrivalled combination of power and efficiency when it is revealed later this year.

 The AWD seven-seater offers drivers up to 290 kW with C02 emissions of around 60 g/km (NEDC driving cycle).

The all-new Volvo XC90 is the first SUV to offer so much power with a low emissions rate.

“There are no compromises when you drive the all-new Volvo XC90,” said Peter Mertens, Senior Vice President Research and Development of Volvo Car Group.

“In the past you could either have power or low C02 emissions. But with the all-new Volvo XC90 you can have both.”

The all-new Volvo XC90 range offers a selection of Drive-E engine options, all of which provide an outstanding combination of performance and fuel-efficiency.

The main distinguishing feature of the Drive-E engine range is that all variants are four-cylinder engines – focus is on output and efficiency rather than number of cylinders.

“With our new Drive-E powertrains, we have created a family of intelligent petrol and diesel engines with power curves that give exciting driveability at the same time as delivering world-class fuel economy,” said Mertens.

“Even with seven people seated in the all-new Volvo XC90, the C02 emissions per person and kilometre are outstandingly low.”

The C02 performance of the all-new Volvo XC90 will reinforce Volvo Car’s leadership when it comes to bringing more environmentally-sound technologies to market.

According to figures monitored by the European Car Industry Association (ACEA), Volvo Car Group delivered an industry-leading reduction in average fleet emissions between 2012 and 2013 – an overall reduction of 8,4 percent.

Volvo has made it possible for a four-cylinder engine to provide all the driving pleasure associated with a much larger engine, whilst delivering record-breaking C02 figures.

Volvo’s ingenious Drive-E engines systematically replace all other powertrains in the Volvo range.
Volvo Cars will also debut its Twin Engine badge with the all-new Volvo XC90. ‘Twin Engine’ refers to all ‘combination’ powertrains in the Volvo stable.

In the all-new Volvo XC90, the top-of-the-range Twin Engine will carry the badge ‘T8′ and be a plug-in electric car, hybrid car and high-performance car rolled into one.

With Volvo Twin Engine, normal driving is conducted in the default hybrid mode.
This utilises a two-litre, four-cylinder supercharged and turbocharged Drive-E petrol engine that powers the front wheels while a 60 kW electric motor drives the rear wheels.

The supercharger fills in the bottom end of the power range to give the engine a big, naturally-aspirated feel, while the turbocharger kicks in when the airflow builds up. The electric motor on the rear wheels provides instant torque.

At the push of a button, however, the driver can switch to quiet and emission-free city driving on pure electric power. The pure electric range on the all-new Volvo XC90 T8 is approximately 40 kilometres, and the driver can immediately revert back to the combined capacity of the petrol engine and electric motor – with its combined output of around 290kW and 630 Nm of torque – whenever necessary.

Volvo Car’s new Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) chassis technology also allows for far more flexibility inside the car.

Other carmakers have struggled to combine the bulk of a battery pack with a luxurious and spacious interior, something that Volvo has managed to overcome.

“Since our new SPA technology is designed from the start to accommodate electrification technologies, the Twin Engine installation does not compromise luggage or passenger space,” says Mertens.

The all-new Volvo XC90 also has full range of other engine options which includes the D5 twin turbo diesel engine with approximately 165kW, 470 Nm, and best-in-class fuel consumption of around 6l/100 km, as well as the D4 turbo diesel engine that delivers around 140kW, 400 Nm and a fuel consumption of around 5l/100 km.

The range offers two petrol engine options: the first is a T6 turbo engine with supercharger and turbo providing 235 kW and 400 Nm, and the second is a T5 that delivers approximately 187 kW and 350 Nm.

Jaguar XF design to refine drive

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), a British luxury carmaker has said that its latest stylish Jaguar XF model is renowned for its performance, refined drive and effortless power.

The new car comes with  a choice of engines to suit every driver and driving style, delivering power and performance with improved fuel economy. 

Buyers of the latest Jaguar XF will benefit from integrated satellite navigation with extensive maps across 22 sub-Saharan African countries. 

 

The first-to-market benefit makes exploring Africa that much simpler and more convenient, reducing travel time, minimising distances and increasing safety.

Mr. Willem Schoeman, Public Relations and Marketing Manager, JLR Sub-Sahara Africa  said: “Jaguar Land Rover sub-Sahara Africa’s extended navigation represents an industry first as a factory-fitted integrated system, this is thanks to the combination of the latest generations of Tracks4Africa and Nokia HERE, seamlessly integrated via a sophisticated on-board unit using the acclaimed iGo primo platform that allows for SD card software and map updates.”

This feature, which combines two separate mapping packages offered for the first time as a single, integrated solution, will give Jaguar XF drivers an unprecedented trans-border navigation capability, allowing for safe and efficient travel across Africa.

The XF continues to offer a compelling blend of style, performance and refinement, and the changes effected from MY14.5 – as these updates are known internally – it remains a car which will appeal to those who are used to the finer things in life.

For these people, their time is one of the most important commodities and with Extended Navigation they can use time even more efficiently by getting straight to where they want to go, with minimal delay thanks to exceptional intuitiveness and usability, not to mention an impressive array of features.

This rear spoiler will be offered as an option on the 2.2-litre diesel and 2.0-litre petrol models, while a full aerodynamic – which adds a revised front bumper, black grille with chrome surround, body-coloured rear valance and ‘R’ Style side sills – is also available.

As far as the interiors are concerned, Premium Luxury models can be enhanced with the Sport Pack; comprising heated and cooled electrically-adjustable, with a dual-position memory for the driver) sports seats in soft grain leather, bright stainless steel pedals, and Jet Morzine treatment for the headlining and the roof pillars. 

The XF range has been the Jaguar brand’s mainstay for a number of years and with this latest round of changes will continue to do so. Extended Navigation is especially significant in the sub-Saharan markets, where it will give us a unique selling proposition.

For the urban environment, the mapping software of choice is Nokia HERE, which gives comprehensive coverage of over 100 cities in sub-Sahara Africa.

Users simply change from the rural to the urban environment at the touch of a ‘button’ on the TFT screen of their Jaguar, with features like lane guidance and historical traffic information depending on the market, enabling users to find their hotel or the airport with minimal delay and inconvenience. 

“Africa is a vast continent, and you don’t want to end up too far off track,” said Nigel Clarke, Operations Director of Jaguar Land Rover sub-Sahara Africa.

“With extended navigation the guesswork is taken out of it whether you’re in an urban or rural environment, adding yet another dimension to the Jaguar brand.”

Dynamic design

The sleek-sedan luxury car has been updated with a completely reworked front fascia with a subtly reshaped grille, revamped lower vents and newly streamlined headlights with LED daytime running lights arranged in a distinctive Jaguar 'J-Blade' signature pattern.

Around back, the tail lamps were extended onto the trunk lid, while a range of new wheel choices completed the visual changes.

The cabin is trimmed with the supple leathers and top-quality materials one would expect of a Jaguar while also featuring modern touches like the so-called ‘surprise and delight’ air-conditioning vents, which present a flush dashboard surface until the ignition is switched on, at which point they rotate to the open position.

Also lying dormant until the car is switched on is the unusual rotary shifter, which motors up and can be rotated to select from park, reverse, neutral, drive, and sequential modes.

The upgraded Jaguar XF with more supportive seats, new hide and veneer choices and a revised color scheme on the centre console, fascia and steering wheel that replaces the outgoing 'Tungsten' finish with a more contemporary 'Aurora' theme.

The XF rewards drivers with accurate, tactile steering and a well-tuned suspension that provides a good balance between ride comfort and handling prowess.