Nick Bates

Contrary to what some commentators may think, the DA leader’s humility should not be mistaken for weakness

Last year Proton, made its debut in South Africa with the Gen2, an attractive four-door sedan. The company has now signalled it wants a larger slice of the cake with the arrival…

It seems Ford isn’t prepared to see the competition run away with the lion’s share of the rapidly growing turbo-diesel market. Among the recently launched new Focus models is a…

Built in Tanjung Malim, the Proton Gen.2 is an attractive piece of machinery, and my "vigour red" 1,6 GLX unit drew admiring glances, especially with its rather aerodynamic boot…

"As SUVs and MPVs (sport utility/multi-purpose vehicles) become more popular, so the choice available to the buyer increases. And instead of just big, ungainly SUVs to choose…

Subaru’s popular Forester SUV range has been upgraded in all departments. For starters, it gets a new front grille with sharper lines and sleeker headlights, which give it a more…

Alfa has launched its upgraded 147 1,9 JTD model, and if the brief time we spent with the Italian is anything to go by, Alfa has a winner on its hands. Styling wise, the new 147…

There’s no better way to assess a vehicle’s qualities — its roadholding, fuel consumption, dynamic performance and comfort — than a long journey. And when Citroën delivered a…

There’s a new animal prowling the streets, but it doesn’t have a menacing gait, long claws, fierce growl or those trademark black eyes. It’s Fiat’s new Panda, a small 4×4 that…

The first Volkswagen Golf GTI was conceptualised over sandwiches and beer by some rather recalcitrant Germans back in March 1973. The first GTI, weighing just 820kg, made its…

Not content with winning the recent Car of the Year competition with its S40, Volvo SA has added another couple of strings to its bow in the form of the V40 2,0 turbo diesel…

There’s that addictive pop-pop-pop as you lift your foot off the loud pedal and the engine goes into over-run. There’s no waste gate to speak of, and that excess pressure created…

The Mégane CC should feature high on your shopping list if you enjoy the wind in your hair. Chic and classy is how I’d describe it. At R270 000 this coupé-cabriolet is sensibly…

Ingolstadt carmaker Audi has launched its new A4 range, comprising 11 models with three engine derivatives. At the media launch in Mpumulanga, Audi pointed out that these are not…

Last October I tested BMW’s 120i and, like any hack, I wanted more power. In the case of the 120i petrol version, both automatic and manual versions reflected a lack of grunt and…