Some Good News...

[Mad Manny]

Some good news amongst all the gloom and doom;
* The 5 door Jimny is coming soon
* Loadshedding has been greatly refuced
* The GWM Tank range is on its way
* Force Motors SA is launching next month
* You can order a Grenadier
* The Cruiser Covid Tax is gradually reducing
* Fuel prices have decreased over the past few months
* Toyota is finally fitting the 2.8 GD-6 with a 6 speed auto to the 70 series.

[jakeslouw]

* My beer and pub food prices are still very cheap

[Anthony Forgey]

The bad news.... in spite of the good news, so many historical offroaders seem to be staying on road and not venturing onto the rocks and dirt... I think it will take a long time for the industry to get back to where it was... that is, if it ever does!

[jakeslouw]

* We don't live in the Donbas region
* I don't eat bread or maize much
* I'm not downstream of Kharkov

[LX]

I see Force Motors SA have their own Jimny Version.

[Mad Manny]

Yes, the Gurkha, there is a Thread about it somewhere....

[HenriSteyn]

Maybe a bit OT.

A thought passed my mind concerning the amount of Chinese vehicles on the market.

Which, if any Chinese manufacturer has been around 10 years or more in South Africa?

They come and go like wildfires. Spares and service backup all gone.

Anyone brave enough to answer?

No prizes.

[Mad Manny]

GWM has been in South Africa for 17 years (since 2007) in 2017 it changed its name to Haval Motors.
GWM Haval is the Chinese manufacturer who has been here the longest.

JMC has been here since 2009, 15 years, I think they are now under JAC..


In Total there are currently only FOUR Chinese Motor companies in South Africa;
1. GWM Haval
2. JMC/JAC
3. Chery
4. BAIC

Personally,the only Chinese brand I'd buy is GWM/Haval...

Other Chinese companies have come & gone, Foton, Gonow etc...

[Erin]

Likewise, there are some very nice offerings from GWM / Haval. I've had a look at the Chery as well, very nice, but wouldn't consider one yet...will wait to see if they stick around this time.

Must say, I'm seeing more and more Chinese vehicles on the road daily. They must be doing something right. Still have issues with parts availability though from time-to-time, but then other brands are having the same issues. Mercedes, for example, is a complete disaster. Parts not available, and they can't provide any sort of ETA. Currently have a few claims where the vehicles have been at panel beaters for months, with no indication of when the body panels etc will arrive. Also having issues with motor glass - shortages of original glass (often required for warranty purposes and on high-end vehicles), again with no indication when they will be available.

[Saxj]

I see Force Motors SA have their own Jimny Version.

More of a competitor to the Thar, it's twice the size of a Jimny.

[Jadranko]

good news:
rocks and dirt once a month.

bad news:
no time to do it more often.

[Mad Manny]

More of a competitor to the Thar, it's twice the size of a Jimny.

...........Jimny vs Gurkha
Length 3625 vs 4116 - Gurkha is 490mm longer (but only 190mm longrr than the 5 door Jimny)
Width 1645 vs 1812 - Gurkha is 167mm wider
Height 1720 vs 2075 - Gurkha is 355mm higher
Tank 40L vs 63L - Gurkha has 23L more - nearly 200km better range

You should get 10 to 12km/L on the Gurkha, so 600km is possible...
A Jimny gets about half that range...

On a tight trail the Jimny will have the edge, but the Gurkha has 3 lockers so it'll be better on a looser wider trail.
Gurkha could do overlanding as it has more space & superior range.

[Saxj]

More of a competitor to the Thar, it's twice the size of a Jimny.

...........Jimny vs Gurkha
Length 3625 vs 4116 - Gurkha is 490mm longer (but only 190mm longrr than the 5 door Jimny)
Width 1645 vs 1812 - Gurkha is 167mm wider
Height 1720 vs 2075 - Gurkha is 355mm higher
Tank 40L vs 63L - Gurkha has 23L more - nearly 200km better range

You should get 10 to 12km/L on the Gurkha, so 600km is possible...
A Jimny gets about half that range...

On a tight trail the Jimny will have the edge, but the Gurkha has 3 lockers so it'll be better on a looser wider trail.
Gurkha could do overlanding as it has more space & superior range.

And almost double the weight at 2050Kg.
A stock Jimny does about 500km on a 40l tank. Mine with the big (for a Jimny) mud tyres only gets about 300km on a tank.

[Martin de Jager]

Saxj, I am now running on 31 inch Tyres, and know what you mean.
Mine gives me about 9 km to a liter .

I fitted a performance branch today, hopefully that will add . Something to my consumption..

The new five door remains a square brick, I doubt if will be better than 10km/l.

[PsyPhin]

Must say, I'm seeing more and more Chinese vehicles on the road daily. They must be doing something right. Still have issues with parts availability though from time-to-time, but then other brands are having the same issues.

GWM is the main company selling bakkies, with these brands under it;
HAVAL - SUV side
ORA - electric side to be
TANK - Off-road SUV to be

Parts availability is real thing. One of the reason I sold the Haval but luck and unpopular model were main culpries.
Dealer us also a Volvo and suzuki dealer. Workshop says same issues across all three brands right now with parts.

I still doubled down with a GWM to replace it so let's see how that gamble goes