Category: Motoring

By Tajudeen Adebanjo

 

After a successful 39 years run, and more than 3.3 million global sales, the production of the legendary Mitsubishi Pajero will be stopped by next year, gradually leaving the stage for the now popular Pajero Sport.

Though the production will cease next year, the sole distributor of Mitsubishi Motors in Nigeria, Massilia Motors, has assured that it will still back up the model with quality after-sales support in terms of service and genuine parts.

General Manager of Massilia Motors, Mr. Olatunji Itiola stated: “Though Mitsubishi Motors Corporation has announced the end of production of the model next year, the Pajero will still be available for purchase till end of 2021 due to popular demand.”

“We assure all our Pajero customers that Massilia Motors, known for its pedigree in after-sales backup, will continue to support the legendary Pajero with quality service and genuine spare parts.”

And to reaffirm Massilia Motors as a trust worthy and reliable company in the provision of quality goods and reliable services, the Group Managing Director/Country Delegate of CFAO in Nigeria, Mr. Thomas Pelletier was recently recognised by the Business Day newspaper and Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) with the Next Bulls Award.

The Next Bulls Awards celebrates private companies for their impressive growth, market reputation, regulatory compliance, and world-class corporate values.

By Tajudeen Adebanjo

 

The 2021 BMW M3 has arrived after a long build-up fraught with official teasers, unofficial leaked images, and countless spy shots.

While some people are ready to dismiss the car based on the front end styling alone, it’s worth noting that the new M3 improves on its predecessor in every measurable way (including grille size), likely putting it back near the top of the performance sedan pantheon.

As expected, the M3 adopts the same front end as the M4, which first debuted on the latest 4 Series Coupe. BMW enthusiasts who disliked the large kidney grilles on the 7 Series and X7 will feel the same about this new front end, but perhaps the rest of the car’s design can win them over. Plus, a European front license plate does wonders to mask the grille’s size.

Like the grille, the rest of the M3 is more aggressive than ever before. It features massive scoops and creases, car-inspired extended side sills, flared wheel arches, a lip spoiler, and enormous quad exhaust pipes. Standard M3 models ride on giant staggered wheels, 18-inches upfront, and 19-inches at the rear, with Competition models getting even larger 19- and 20-inchers. Several bold paint options are available, including the launch color, Isle of Man Green Metallic.

Inside, the M3 looks as we expected. BMW took the base 3 Series and added the usual M bits. There’s a different steering wheel with red M1 and M2 buttons, a new shifter with surrounding M drive mode controls, and more bolstered M sport seats that are available with ventilation for the first time. BMW also offers more aggressive M Carbon bucket seats (pictured on the M4), saving a whopping 21 pounds compared to the base chairs. Their race-inspired design allows drivers to install multi-point seat belts on track days, and they even come in a combination of black, teal, and neon.

Along with the crazy seats, BMW will fix one of our biggest gripes with the current M portfolio, the paddle shifters. The paddles on the current crop of M cars feel too small, but the M3 offers extended carbon ones that look much better.

As anticipated, the M3 borrows the S58 twin-turbo inline-six engine from the X3 M and X4 M. In the M3, it produces 473 horsepower and 406 lb-ft of torque, an increase of 48 hp over the outgoing model. The M3 Competition dials up the power even more with 503 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque.

BMW said the base car hits 60 mph in just 4.1 seconds, with the Competition taking only 3.8 seconds. Extra attention has been paid to the exhaust on this model as well, so we expect it to sound much better than the outgoing M3.

Customers who buy the M3 core model will row their own gears with a six-speed manual transmission sending power to the rear wheels only. Competition models get an eight-speed automatic, sending the grunt to an M xDrive system. The all-wheel-drive system features an Active M differential, which can disable the power to the front wheels, enabling a RWD mode for smokey burnouts.

 

 

Coscharis Motors Plc, the sole franchise for Jaguar Land Rover brands in Nigeria, has brought in Land Rover Defender to the market.Tagged the most capable Land Rover ever made, The Land Rover Defender completes the luxurious and versatile Land Rover family line up in the stable of Coscharis Motors, TAJUDEEN ADEBANJO writes.

 

Some may say it’s England’s answer to America’s Jeep, but the latest Land Rover Defender offers its own sense of style and functionality.

Land Rover reopens the book on one of its most iconic nameplates with the all-new Defender. It’s boxy shape and retro details recall the 1950’s original and combine with Land Rover’s modern design language to create an appearance that’s sophisticated and nostalgic.

While the latest Defender looks like an ordinary crossover, it has serious off-road capabilities and rugged components that help it live up to its go-anywhere heritage.

The Defender boasts durable cabin furnishings, but also upscale materials and numerous luxury features.

Available in Nigeria, the Land Rover Defender completes the luxurious and versatile Land Rover family line up in the stable of Coscharis Motors.

According to Cletus Aregbeshola, the Marketing Manager for Coscharis Jaguar Land Rover, “not only is the new version driven by a passion and respect for the original, it also inherits the previous model’s naming convention”. Available now in 110 guise, which gives a historic nod to the 110-inch wheelbase of the previous generation, the Defender 110 body style offers customers a choice of five, six or 5+2 seating configurations and a load space ranging from 1,075 litres behind the second row, to 2,380 litres with seats folded.

While the Defender 110 body style is available in Coscharis showroom for customer viewing, the short-wheelbase Defender 90, with seating for up to six, is scheduled for introduction early next year.

Though at the Global and South Africa launches, the 110 line-up includes a flagship 3.0-litre straight six-cylinder P400 featuring efficient Mild Hybrid Electric Vehicle technology with output of 294kW and 550Nm and a D240 twin turbocharged diesel producing 177kW and 430Nm.

Coscharis Motors is offering customers the options of two 2.0-litre variants, with a P300 turbocharged petrol offering 221kW and 400Nm.

A comprehensive model range is available, with four specification packs, including base Defender, S, SE and HSE models. Standard features in all versions include permanent all-wheel drive with a high- and low-range transfer box, air suspension, Terrain Response, LED headlights, Connected Navigation, 3D Surround Cameras, 10-inch Pivi Pro infotainment and a Driver Condition Monitor, among others.

A Defender 110 First Edition, available throughout the first year of production, is based on the SE model but adds standout features such as unique First Edition badging, illuminated tread plates, a Black Pack, 20-inch wheels, and a black contrast roof with sliding panoramic glass.

The First Edition also benefits from grained leather upholstery, a refrigerated centre console, domestic plug sockets and Configurable Terrain Response 2. It’s available in three exterior colours – Indus Silver, Gondwana Stone or Pangea Green.

Customers can also personalise their vehicle in more ways than any previous Land Rover with four Accessory Packs. The Explorer, Adventure, Country and Urban Packs each give Defender a distinct character with a specially selected range of enhancements.

Permanent all-wheel drive and a twin-speed automatic gearbox, centre differential and optional Active Locking Rear Differential ensure the Defender has the hardware required to tackle the harshest conditions in Africa.

A maximum wading depth of 900mm is supported by a new Wade programme in the Terrain Response 2 system, which automatically softens the throttle response, sets the heating and ventilation to recirculate cabin air, locks the driveline and adjusts the ride height to its off-road setting.

When exiting Wade programme the new Defender automatically drags the brakes, momentarily, to clean and dry the discs and ensure optimum braking performance is restored quickly after driving through deep water.

Land Rover’s advanced Clear Sight Ground View technology helps drivers take full advantage of Defender’s all-conquering capability by showing the area usually hidden by the bonnet and directly ahead of the front wheels, on the Pivi Pro touchscreen.

The new Defender raises the bar for both off road ruggedness and on-road comfort. It can negotiate city centres and suburbs as effortlessly as it can traverse the toughest mountain passes. Its carefully honed handling delivers both a rewarding drive and first-class long-haul comfort across all terrains.

Customers can contact our dealer outlets across Nigeria for pricing and specification listings.

Ford announced plans for  a new plant to build the electric version of its bestselling vehicle, the F-150 pickup.

The plant will be located in Ford’s massive Rouge complex, the company’s historic factory site in Dearborn, Michigan, just south of Detroit.

The new building will be a gleaming structure of glass and steel, a stark contrast to the hulking, nearly windowless steel buildings on the century-old site, where Ford has built iconic vehicles from the Model A to the Thunderbird and Mustang to the traditional gasoline-powered version of the F-150.

Read Also: Land Rover Defender: Sophisticated, durable

 

Ford says it will invest $700 million in the facility, which will assemble both the electric pickup and electric batteries. The plant will add about 300 jobs to the complex where more than 7,000 already work.

Production at the new plant is scheduled to begin in the middle of 2022. Many automakers, both traditional and upstarts, are planning electric pickups in the next few years.

The site of the new plant is surrounded on three sides by the Dearborn Truck assembly line, the body shop and the paint shop which produces the traditional F-150, the bestselling US vehicle for more than 40 years. The land under the new site once housed the plant that built the Ford Mustang, before that plant was torn down to make room for Dearborn Truck.

Hyde Energy Limited, an indigenous petroleum trading company, has unveiled its brand of automotive lubricant products.

The unveiling, which took place at a Stakeholders’ Forum held in Lagos, solidifies the company’s efforts towards expanding its footprint in Nigeria. The forum had key stakeholders, including trade partners, distributors, auto garages, haulage companies and spare parts dealers in attendance and provided an opportunity for industry players to discuss global best practices and trends as well as explore the issues and opportunities within the oil and gas sector.

During the forum, Hyde Energy presented its lubricants range that cuts across synthetic, multigrade and monograde oils to industrial oils and greases. The lubricants are formulated and blended to the highest standards to meet the needs of consumers across Sub-Saharan Africa for use in their industrial and transport machines including but not limited to petrol and light diesel engines, industrial and heavy-duty diesel engines and special purpose engines.

The Chief Executive of Hyde Energy, Oladimeji Edwards, said: “Hyde Energy was established in 2012 as an indigenous global petroleum company to meet the growing energy needs of Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa. In line with our vision to enrich customer experience, we commenced operations  to ensure quality and excellence in the products and service delivery we provide to all stakeholders.

“We have now expanded our portfolio and network to ensure we are providing revolutionary solutions and creating value throughout the oil and petroleum products value chain as we provide energy to keep you going from one day to the next.”

The Regional Sales Manager and Head of Lubricants, Hyde Energy, Victor Nwakaku, said: “Product and service offerings at Hyde Energy are designed based on the company’s deep understanding of the costumers and operating environment. At Hyde Energy, we have a strong belief that using the right lubricant is a vital element in auto care, this is why we have devoted our time, expertise and innovation to creating a high quality range of lubricants suitable for all kinds of petrol and diesel automobile engines.

“These lubricants are manufactured under the highest quality conditions using materials that meet global standards. We are confident in introducing the newly launched Luminor and Maximus series to the market, because they were conceived as industry solutions which will guarantee optimum engine performance.”

The Luminor product range is a passenger car motor oil, while the Maximus range is heavy-duty diesel engine oil which feature a series of grades and are packaged in 1litre, 4-litre, 5-litre and 25-litre dark grey, uniquely shaped containers with special safety and tamper-proof features to ensure product quality throughout distribution. The range of Hyde lubricants is carefully formulated to serve numerous benefits including reducing friction and wear, enhancing protection for the machine, keeping temperatures low to reduce the risk of heat-related damage to the machine, improving engine life span, efficiency and reliability culminating in significant cost reduction.

The Luminor ZS9, which is at the zenith of the Luminor series, was the product in focus at the forum. Being a synthetic engine oil with the most advanced protection for all modern engines, the Luminor ZS9 with its prolonged drainage intervals, (lasts three times longer), allows the machine to perform effectively for over 18,000 km resulting in massive cost savings for the customers.

It also delivers invaluable benefits including a better high and low temperature viscosity performance at service temperature extremes, better chemical and shear stability, decreased evaporative loss and resistance to oxidation and oil sludge. In addition to this, customers are assured of improved fuel economy, reduced engine wear and increased engine efficiency.

Hyde Energy also provides value added services to its lubricant partners including the Hyde Lubricant Monitoring Program which offers Oil Analysis As-A-Service; Lubricants surveys & trainings as well as Marketing support such as branding, POS materials and marketing campaigns.

With retail stations  in Lagos, Abuja, Calabar and still expanding, other products included in the Hyde Energy portfolio include Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG).

 

In addition to this, Hyde Energy also offers customers services such as Lube Bay, Car Wash and Minimart services at its retail stations.