The Nation Newspaper

Category: Motoring

  • Nissan unveils 2020 GT-R

    Nissan has launched a revamped Nissan GT-R to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the very first model.

    Updates include new turbos, suspension changes, styling tweaks and a return of the Bayside Blue colour after an absence of 17 years.

    The 2020 GT-R is on sale now for £83,995, with first deliveries in November.

    The updated GT-R’s 562bhp twin-turbocharged 3.8-litre V6 petrol engine gets new turbochargers.

    They don’t increase the engine’s power but they do improve its responsiveness at low revs and its efficiency by around five per cent. Gear shifts in R-Mode are improved by 0.15 seconds.

    Nissan has tweaked the electronic suspension to improve the GT-R’s ride and cornering performance.

    Improvements should also provide more precise steering.

    Nissan has implemented a new brake booster that should improve high-speed braking and make it feel more controlled.

    Other changes include new exhaust manifolds that allow easier servicing, a new titanium exhaust muffler and burnished blue exhaust tips.

    Changes to the styling include new 20-inch alloy wheels with 20 spokes and the replacement of the ivory leather upholstery option with a new grey leather interior option.

    The Bayside Blue colour was retired when the R34 model of the GT-R was retired in 2002.

    The colour made its official return appearing for the GT-R 50th Anniversary model, announced earlier this year.

    Just 18 of those were allocated to the United Kingdom, making it a very rare sight on our roads.

  • Gokada returns with safer service

    Nigeria’s leading motorbike service, Gokada has announced that it has relaunched its operations in Lagos with new motorcycles and better-equipped riders.

    The riders, Gokada said, have been trained in safe driving standards, GPS navigation, and customer service.

    It would be recalled that Gokada halted its operation on August 14, citing the need to improve its safety standards and skills of the riders.

    Founder and Co-Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Gokada, Fahim Saleh, at a briefing in Ilupeju, Lagos said: “Gokada has always prided itself on setting the standard in the market for safety and service. Hairnets, DOT certified helmets, extensive training – these are all reasons safety on our bikes have been so consistent and how we were able to convince so many to give this new age bike taxi a shot. As we scale, what we have now would be the template for what all our future riders will follow. We took the risk to pause for a moment and improve on that template to provide our customers with exceptional service at scale.”

    Gokada, Saleh said, has upskilled existing and newly engaged GRiders in advanced knowledge of defensive driving behaviours for enhanced safety, GPS navigation, and optimized customer service delivery.

    “In addition to this, the brand has also overhauled its entire motorbike fleet and acquired first-of-its-kind, super-efficient TVS motorbikes and fitted their pilots with Bluetooth enabled helmets allowing for more seamless communication and navigation experience,” he said.

    Gokada Co-CEO Ayodeji Adewumni said: “Gokada 2.0 is all about our unflinching commitment to our customers. We believe that it is better to suspend our operations for two weeks so we can retool and revamp for unmatched service delivery and exceptional experience with the Gokada brand for a long time to come.  It will be an incredible time to use the Gokada services as we journey to transform transportation in Nigeria and the rest of Africa. As part of this relaunch we have also made several upgrades to the management team, and I am truly excited about Gokada 2.0”

    Director of Government Relations Kayode Adegbola added: “We are excited to continue setting the standard in our industry by exceeding all of the regulatory requirements in Nigeria and partnering with government organisations like the Lagos State Government to help move residents through quicker, more comfortable, safer and responsible means.”

  • Clarion call for people-oriented roads

    Research reports have revealed that a high percentage of road traffic deaths are pedestrians. Surprisingly, a large number of the pedestrians were knocked down near pedestrian overhead bridges.

    Looking at the general pattern of road construction, it can be confidently said that the roads and furniture are not pedestrian – friendly. It is obvious that most of the roads constructed were patterned after those in the developed countries without taking into consideration the attitudes of Nigerians.

    So many roads were constructed without Pedestrian walkways. Where walkways were constructed, measures were not put in place to prevent the infiltration of the walkways by vehicles, traders and other obstructions. Traffic officers are daily working to keep motorists safe without any provision of traffic officers dedicated to keep the walkways and pedestrians safe.

    Virtually all the pedestrian overhead bridges are very risky to use from 7pm because of pick pockets, armed robbers, rapists and kidnappers. So many pedestrians, particularly women have fallen victims thereby forcing them to abandon the footbridges from late evening, risking their lives to cross the roads. In this case, the lack of provision of security for the foot bridges is not making it to fulfil the designed purpose.

    In Lagos, Abuja and some other places, the governments have spent billions of naira to construct barricades near pedestrian overhead bridges as a measure to compel pedestrians to use the foot bridges. Research has revealed that this measure has failed and will continue to fail thereby resulting to massive wastage of money. The new costly barricades recently installed by the Lagos State government have been destroyed by desperate pedestrians and stray vehicles. I can’t remember the number of times this has been done by previous governments without achieving the desired results. There is a need to change the approach and get it right once and for all.

    Pedestrian overhead bridges were mostly constructed without taking into consideration the aged, sick, weak and the physically challenged people. With these and the fact that the number of pedestrians that do cross the roads daily are more than the number of vehicles that pass the roads, I hereby submit that the governments ( Federal and State) should experiment a pedestrian – oriented interface with vehicles.

    Black spots where more pedestrians are being knocked down should be identified and marked for restructuring. At those busy black spots, overhead bridges should be constructed for vehicles while pedestrian walkways should be marked under the overhead bridges. This suggestion will make it easy for all classes of pedestrians, the healthy and the weak,  to cross the roads with ease.

    The suggested restructuring may be costly but in the long run, it will be cheaper and more effectively promote safety at the target locations. There is a need for the Federal and State governments to embark on road audit with special focus on pedestrian safety. Very busy bus stops, school environments and market areas should be given priority in the suggested overhead bridges restructuring where they already exist and construction where necessary none yet. In every country, every life must count.

  • Cars45 unveils premium inspection service

    Nigeria’s leading automotive trading platform, Cars45, has announced the launch of a new product – Premium Inspection service – in line with its commitment to exploring new platforms that create convenience for end-users.

    This valued-added service allows Cars45 to cater to individuals who are unable to visit any of its inspection centres but would still like to use its service to sell their cars. To enjoy the premium inspection service, customers would be required to make an upfront payment of N10,000 to book an appointment. Cars45, in turn, would visit the seller’s preferred location to inspect, provide a valuation report and purchase the car.

    Speaking on the launch of the premium inspection service, Vice President, Consumer-to-Business services, Mayokun Fadeyibi said “Cars45 is a consumer-first and value-driven business as such we are always seeking new and innovative ways to make the car trading process as seamless as possible for consumers. With this premium inspection service, we are enabling convenience and offering consumers best-in-class experience.”

    The Premium Inspection Service, which is being piloted in Lagos adds to a rich variety of value-added services which Cars45 provides across Nigeria’s automotive industry. Other services include fleet liquidation, vehicle auctions, concierge services and vehicle financing which it does in partnership with financial institutions across the country.

    Known for bringing transparency to Nigeria’s marketplace for used vehicles, Cars45 has become synonymous with creating delightful consumer experiences by offering people a fast and convenient way to buy, sell or swap their cars.

  • Expert cautions govt against import of China’s used cars

    The Federal Government has been cautioned to stop the import of used cars from China.

    This, the Chairman, Motor Vehicles and Miscellaneous Assembly Sectoral Group of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Dr. David Obi, said is inimical to the development of local automobile industry.

    The Chinese Ministry of Commerce announced recently that a state-backed company in Guangzhou had officially commenced the shipment of used cars to Cambodia, Myanmar and Russia with Nigeria as one of the major destinations for the first batch of 300 units.

    Obi, who described it as “Chinese gift,” said it would also amount to opening the floodgates for used vehicles to submerge the local industry.

    Obi, who is also the Chairman of DVC Group, warned that if allowed to flood the local market, the used vehicles from China would add to the damage the influx from Europe and America has been inflicting on the local industry over the years.

    Nigeria, he said, should not open its borders for the dumping of disused (internal combustion engine) vehicles from the industrialised countries.

    He said: “I was shocked. I was alarmed. Everybody knows that once China joins the used vehicles shipment to Nigeria, we are finished. Moreover, the shipment is an official initiative of the Chinese government and will be sustained over years, which means that millions of fossil fuel vehicles driven in China will end their life-spans in Nigeria as the Chinese look forward to electric cars.

    “Luckily for them (the Chinese), we are relieving them of the burden of disposing of vehicles they can no longer use. But, unfortunately for us in Nigeria, our government does not seem to realise the implications of allowing this kind of dumping.

    “And, one of the implications of Chinese second-hand vehicles flooding the Nigerian market is that all the efforts being made to promote local auto assembly, deepen auto technology and generate jobs, would definitely be stifled. To me, what should be of concern to the government and all well-meaning Nigerians is the loss of jobs, because the auto industry is like a network which impacts on many other sectors of the economy.”

    He lamented the refusal of President Muhammadu Buhari to give assent to the Nigeria Automotive Industry Development Plan (NAIDP) Fiscal Incentive and Guarantees Bill, arguing that the Chinese are simply taking advantage of a loophole resulting from the lukewarm implementation of the auto policy.

    “One of the many implications of a legal framework for the policy and the imminent invasion of Chinese ‘tokunbo’ vehicles is that many renowned OEMs (original equipment manufacturers), who are afraid to invest in Nigeria because of our usual policy summersault, will remain reluctant because there is no assurance that their investments will be protected.

    “It is also very ridiculous to hear the argument that tokunbo vehicles are not on the import prohibition list and therefore should be allowed to freely come in as long as they are not old. The emphasis should rather be on loss of jobs resulting from the present inactivity in the auto manufacturing sector.

    “And there is no way the situation will improve if we continue to allow used vehicles to flood into the country while we take one step forward and two steps backward with the auto policy,” he said.

  • Hyundai Kona, Santa Fe, others get safety rating

    The 2020 Hyundai Kona, Santa Fe and Tucson were all awarded 5-Star Overall Safety Ratings, the highest available overall safety rating issued by the government’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) as a facet of its New Car Assessment Program (NCAP).

    Kona, Santa Fe and Tucson exemplified exceptional safety in crashworthiness and collision avoidance—due to the new Hyundai SmartSense safety technologies available in these 2020 models. Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA), uses the car’s front-facing camera and radar to help detect an imminent collision and avoid impact or minimise damage by braking autonomously. Sensing road markings, Lane Keeping Assist (LKA) helps to prevent accidental lane departure and may automatically steer the car if required.

    Driver Attention Warning (DAW) monitors ones’ driving patterns—detecting drowsy or inattentive driving. Once detected, it alerts the driver with a sound cue and warning message on the instrument panel. Additional safety technologies in these vehicles include Blind Spot Collision Warning (BCW) and Rear Cross Traffic Warning (RCCW).

    NHTSA conducts vehicle testing and ratings each year to give consumers information about crashworthiness, collision avoidance and other areas that improve the safety of new vehicles.

    Hyundai praised NHTSA, IIHS, and the automotive industry for working together to make rear-seat reminder systems standard features on new vehicles in the future. Making these systems standard equipment will help prevent child deaths from heatstroke in vehicles. In August 2019, Hyundai announced that they will be making Rear Occupant Alert (ROA) door-logic system standard on most new vehicles by 2022.

  • Dangerous manholes

    The case of a promising young Accountant, Adewura Bello who met her untimely death in a manhole on a road in Lagos State is still very fresh in our memories.

    For about three years now, I have used various platforms to draw the attention of the governments, drivers, riders and pedestrians to the open manholes in Lagos and Abuja. This was a follow-up to my road traffic research assignments in Ketu area of Lagos State and Wuse Area 1 in the Federal Capital Territory (Abuja).

    At Ketu bus stop in Lagos State, there is a very dangerous manhole by the junction of Ketu – Ikosi road which is wide enough to swallow a tricycle. Whenever it rains, the rush of water through the manhole can move a car with speed. T

    here are open drainage, weak wooden planks and broken concretes at different parts of the drainage along Ketu – Ikosi road. The drainage beside the Ketu market is another snare whether there is rainfall or not.

    In the Federal Capital Territory, far beyond the areas of coverage of my research, dangerous open manholes have dotted virtually all the roads in Abuja.

    During my research, I was told that people, particularly the refuse cart pushers popularly called “BOLAR” used to steal the iron covers for the manholes. This is another demonstration of the security lapses even in the Federal Capital Territory.

    These open manholes can cause harm to pedestrians, cars and other road users. The manhole can cause tyre blowout and somersault among other hazards.

    The government road and traffic monitoring agencies should take stock of all these open and dangerous manholes so as to replace them with welded or screwed iron covers or better still, with concrete covers. The construction companies should also change their preference to concrete manhole covers.

  • NADDC, FRSC for auto journalists’ workshop

    The National Automotive Design & Development Council (NADDC) Director-General and the Federal Roads Safety Corps (FRSC) Corp Marshal Boboye Oyeyemi will lead other experts to the Nigerian Auto Journalists Association (NAJA) training workshop.

    The workshop, designed to aid human capacity for journalists reporting the automotive sector, will hold July 26 at the Golden Tulip Hotel, along the Murtala Muhammed International Airport road, Lagos.

    The reporters would be trained on basic principles of mechatronics, automotive maintenance, electrical/electronic systems and air-conditioning systems.

    The event will also provide avenue for critical stakeholders to ventilate their perspectives on some of the burning issues that relate with the auto industry and the way forward.

    Chairperson Organising Committee Julie Chi-Nwaoha said there is need for consistent training and retraining of journalists to be up-to-date on their beat.

    The workshop, she said, will impact positively on members as knowledgeable and competent instructors will be on hand to give their best to members.

    “Journalism is wide and we must open ourselves to consistent training and retraining. It is important that journalists writing about the automotive sector are well informed; they must be well educated and empowered to write effectively without error of facts,” she said.

  • Dana Motors introduces new brand

    Dana Motors Limited in partnership with Dongfeng Motor Corporation (DFM) have introduced adjudged best East Asia brand of vehicles to the local market.

    The introduction of DFM brand is aimed at meeting the needs of auto lovers ranging from exceptionally delivered quality aftersales services to the best-in-class model range from the premium sedan, to uniquely built SUV and all terrain Pickup.

    Birthed in China, DFM has continued to spread its operations all over the world with its growing footprints in Africa, particularly Nigeria.

    Assembled and distributed here in Nigeria by Dana Motors Limited, DFM is set on the path of limitless possibilities in the Nigerian auto market, as it boasts of impressive penetration of Dana Motors operations to give the brand a far-reaching presence across the major cities in the country.

    Making its first entry into the local market at the newly opened DFM showroom on Akin Adesola Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, the Chinese brand depicts the forward thinking automotive engineering that’s evident in the top-of-the-segment model range that had continued to draw praises from other countries of operations across the globe, owing to the innovative and stylish designs of the cars.

    Spealing on the partnership, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Dana Motors, Jacky Hathiramani, said: “All of us at Dana Motors are extremely proud to introduce DFM, the leading Chinese brand into the Nigerian automotive markets. And we are here to build more than just great cars. We aim to set a new standard in the Nigerian auto industry by providing consumers with world-class products and services while engaging customers exceptionally with quality service deliveries at every touch point.

    “Having being a major stakeholder and the leading company in the Nigerian auto industry, Dana Motors Limited has been offering best-in-class brands with a second to none after-sales service to customers in the country for over two decades.  Together, both Dana Motors Limited and DFM Global are committed to providing the best-in-class cars to meet our esteemed customers’ vehicular requirements and exceed their expectations with quality after sales services.”

    DFM award-winning products are now among the most popular cars on sale in China and some parts of Africa, gaining praise for attractive design, high-tech features, and reliability.

    The company’s distinctive design identity runs through the brand’s entire vehicle the line-up, making the brand’s cars immediately recognizable all over the world.

    DFM Global Commercial Manager, Africa, Henry Lian said the newly launched DFM model range in Nigeria is proof of the company’s plans to introduce cars that cater to the changing paradigm of the Nigerian market in the near future.

    On the provision of after-sales service support for Dana Motors, Henry stated that the DFM global team are readily available to provide all the necessary spare parts and expertise to support Dana Motors in delivering exceptional after sales service to the teeming customers.

    In line with the fit-for-purpose the operational approach of DFM in Nigeria, the newly launched DFM brand vehicles will be rolled out from Dana’s assembly plant in Lagos.

    The locally produced compact sedan, SUV and all-terrain pick up are specially built for the Nigerian market, he said.

    “We are delighted to announce that DFM brand model range will be produced here in Lagos,” Olu Tikolo, Vice President of Dana Motors said, adding “Producing cars in our assembly plant will enable us to sell highly tropicalized cars in the Nigerian market while providing greater flexibility for our local customers.

    “We at Dana Motors are thrilled to start operations at such a time where the need for the diversification of the economy is evident. To further show our commitment to advancing the frontiers of the Nigerian economy through our company’s industrialisation drive, the introduction of DFM is geared towards making Nigeria one of the manufacturing hubs of Africa. We’ve partnered with DFM global here in Nigeria to provide the country with stylish and differentiated motoring options and we are here to win trust and hearts of the people with above par ownership experience.”

  • Mercedes-Benz dominates premium segment

    After the first six months of the year, Mercedes-Benz continues to be the leader among the premium car brands in a highly competitive environment worldwide, despite ongoing model changes.

    From January to June, 1,134,729 cars were handed over to customers by Mercedes-Benz.

    Unit sales decreased in the first half of the year primarily due to ongoing model changes for SUVs, the brand’s segment with the largest volume.

    In the second quarter, Mercedes-Benz sold a total of 573,856 cars (-3.5 per cent). Sales momentum in those three months came primarily from the new compact-car models, including the new A-Class Saloon worldwide, and the new B-Class and new CLA Coupé in Europe.

    In June, the Stuttgart-based company with the three-pointed star sold 196,230 vehicles (-3.7 per cent). Mercedes-Benz maintained its market leadership in the premium segment in the first half of the year in markets including Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Switzerland, Portugal, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Czech Republic, Luxembourg, Greece, South Korea, Japan, Australia and Canada.

    “After a challenging first half of the year, Mercedes-Benz continues to be at the top of the premium segment. We are particularly pleased with the great popularity of the new compact models. In the third quarter, we anticipate sales momentum from the new SUVs with the star,” said Britta Seeger, member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG responsible for Mercedes-Benz Cars Marketing and Sales.

    “In July, two real customer favourites will be in our showrooms: the new GLC and the GLC Coupé. The GLC, which has been the highest-volume model in our SUV portfolio for several years, comes with the latest intelligent driver assistance systems just like the GLC Coupé and is equipped with MBUX as standard,” Seeger said.