This Week In The News

NEWS IN SHORT

• VW has announced the name of the new SUV that will be built in South Africa. The new model, which is expected to slot below the T-Cross, has already gone on sale in its home market of Brazil, where it is known as the Tera.
  However, Volkswagen Group Africa previously confirmed that the car will not use this name when it makes the trip across the Atlantic, as the company wants to give it a unique moniker for our country.
  VW has officially announced that the new model will be called the Tengo.
  Tengo stands for rich cultural significance in African languages and describes qualities like strength, resilience, and purpose
  
  
• South Africa has a major contaminated diesel problem, part of a wider illicit fuel industry that costs the fiscus around R3.6 billion annually. This tampering is especially appealing to criminals because paraffin is not taxed and is significantly cheaper than diesel, by around R6 to R7 per litre. SARS has collaborated with various law enforcement agencies to tackle the issue, leading to intelligence-driven raids over the past four months.
  These raids include random testing of tanker fuel composition. In some cases, contaminated diesel contained as much as 68% paraffin.
  
  
• Germany’s autobahn, or highway system, doesn’t enforce any speed limits, but a maximum speed of 130km/h is recommended.
  
  
• While our country battles severe unemployment and understaffed public facilities, the government is paying ghosts a fortune in salaries. Investigations by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) have revealed a widespread practice of using taxpayers’ money to pay salaries for workers who do not exist. The Gauteng Department of Health allegedly paid around R6.4 million to 230 ghost workers, while PRASA has reportedly spent around R20 million a year paying 1000 workers that no one has ever seen.

• Toyota’s Japanese insurer sues SA for R6.5bn over 2022 flood Damage Toyota’s insurer, Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance, is suing the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government, Transnet, and the eThekwini Municipality for R6.5 billion over damages the motor company suffered at its Prospecton plant during the 2022 floods Toyota South Africa Motors’ (TSAM) insurer claims its plant was extensively damaged because the responsible authorities failed to maintain critical flood prevention infrastructure.

 

A new Toyota bakkie is heading to South Africa this year.

A new Toyota bakkie is heading to South Africa this year, but it won’t be sold by Toyota. The Durban-based company Rospa International recently announced that it had signed a partnership agreement with Autogroup International to bring a curated selection of American cars to South Africa. Arguably, the most exciting addition for South Africa is the Toyota Tundra, Autogroup confirmed that it will bring two versions of the Toyota, which just so happen to be the range-topping TRD Pro and Capstone. Both models are equipped with the brand’s i-Force Max hybrid engine, which marries a 3.4-litre twin-turbocharged V6 petrol plant with an electric motor. The result is an enormous combined output of 325kW and 790Nm.

 

These were the 10 best-selling pre-owned cars in South Africa in May 2025, as listed by AutoTrader.

 

1.	Ford Ranger	1,946 units
2.	Toyota Hilux	1,584 units
3.	VW Polo Vivo	1,283 units
4.	VW Polo	1,279 units
5.	Toyota Fortuner	765 units
6.	Suzuki Swift	575 units
7.	Toyota Corolla Cross	488 units
8.	Isuzu D-Max	481 units
9.	Mercedes-Benz C-Class	476 units
10.	Toyota Starlet	469 units

 

Opel releases ultra-limited edition featuring just 40 exclusive units

JOHANNESBURG – June 17, 2025 – Building on the success of last year's Opel Corsa lineup, Opel is excited to unveil the highly anticipated Opel Corsa Irmscher Edition. This ultra-limited release, featuring just 40 exclusive units, celebrates Opel’s racing heritage, dynamic performance, and bold design - all wrapped in one extraordinary package. This unit comes with a recommended retail price of R534,900

Stay tuned for official details

 

70 Years of the Fiat 600:

FIAT is participating in the 2025 edition of the 1000 Miglia to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the iconic Fiat 600 born in 1955.

The Mille Miglia (Italian for "1,000 miles") was a historic Italian open-road endurance race, originally run between 1927 and 1957. It has since been revived as a regularity race for classic cars, taking place on public roads with a route from Brescia to Rome and back.

From 1927 to 1957, the Mille Miglia was a high-speed race, known for its challenging route and the dangers it posed to both drivers and spectators.

The race was reborn in 1982 as a regularity race for pre-1957 vehicles, focusing on historical accuracy and showcasing classic cars

 

Who Writes the Laws, and Who Enforces Them?

Sometimes we are left to wonder: Who writes the laws—and who enforces them? This is not merely a rhetorical question, but one rooted in the real-world challenges our members face in the automotive dealership sector.

A recent incident serves as a troubling case in point. One of our dealership members was subjected to a compliance check by four Metro Police officers. The purpose of the visit was to inspect vehicles displayed on the dealership floor. Before the inspection began, one of the officers specifically inquired whether any of the vehicles were under a floorplan agreement.

Our member, acting transparently, confirmed that three of the vehicles were indeed financed under a floorplan and provided the officers with the original NATIS documentation. In accordance with standard practice, the financing bank was listed as the titleholder, while the dealership was listed as the owner—a legal and industry-recognized structure.

To the dealership's surprise, no further inspection was conducted. Instead, the officers issued three AARTO infringement notices—one for each floorplanned vehicle. The fines, amounting to R500 per vehicle, were issued under Section 17(1) of Act 46 of 1998, with the infringement described as follows:

"That the motor dealer displayed vehicle for purpose of sale on his/her premises without such vehicle being registered in his/her name as dealer stock."

This raises serious concerns.

From our industry's perspective, and indeed as supported by current registration practices, the dealership is considered the owner of a floorplanned vehicle. The vehicle is lawfully registered, with the bank rightly listed as titleholder to secure its interest until the floorplan facility is settled. This structure is not only legally sound but essential to the functioning of automotive commerce in South Africa.

The infringement notice, as issued, fails to reflect the operational and legal realities of how dealer stock and floorplan financing function. Moreover, it raises the critical question: Is this law being interpreted and applied in a manner consistent with industry norms—and was the industry ever consulted in the drafting of this legislation or its enforcement protocols?

When laws are enforced without clear guidance, or when enforcement officers fail to understand the nuances of common industry practice, businesses suffer unjust consequences. This is not simply a matter of one dealership receiving fines—it reflects a deeper disconnect between legislation, enforcement, and industry consultation.

It is essential that the relevant authorities engage meaningfully with the automotive sector to ensure laws are applied in a manner that is fair, consistent, and reflective of commercial realities. Without such collaboration, we risk a regulatory environment where good-faith businesses are penalized for simply following standard practices.

This incident underscores the urgent need for dialogue between lawmakers, enforcers, and the industries affected by their decisions. We encourage our members to report similar experiences so that we may collectively raise these concerns with the appropriate authorities.

We will keep you posted on developments with the relevant roll players.