The Nation Newspaper

Category: Motoring

  • Toyota, Ford recall vehicles

    Toyota Motor Corporation and Ford are recalling some of their models.

    Ford is adding 270,000 vehicles to recall in North America to fix a gearshift problem that could cause them to roll away unexpectedly.

    The addition covers certain 2013 through 2016 Fusion midsize cars with 2.5-litre engines.

    The company is urging drivers to always use the parking brake until repairs are made.

    Ford said a bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission can degrade, causing the cable to detach. If that happens, a driver could shift into park but the car could be in another gear.

    Ford has one report of an injury and three property damage reports. Engineers are developing a fix.

    Last year, Ford recalled 550,000 Fusions from 2013 through 2016 and Escape small SUVs from 2013 and 2014 for the same problem with a different cause.

    Ford said owners will be notified when repairs and parts are ready, and that owners of cars fixed in the previous recall are not affected.

    The 2018 recall covered cars with a number of different engines, including the 2.5-litre .

    Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing is recalling 564 model year 2019 Lexus ES vehicles.

    The vehicles are equipped with a driver knee airbag assembly mounted to the lower instrument panel (IP) that may have been improperly installed, possibly affecting the deployment of the knee airbag in the event of a crash.

    There is an increased risk of injury if the knee airbag does not deploy properly in the event of a crash.

    Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the driver knee airbag assembly, if necessary free of charge.

    Meanwhile, Toyota (Nigeria) Limited has called on users of Corolla, Yaris, RAV 4, Hilux, Fortuner or Avensis, bought between 2001 and 2017 to confirm the status of their Airbag inflator.

  • Kia introduces ownership rewards programme

    Kia has rolled out a programme to reward its car owners with up to 25 per cent discount on all repairs for old models.

    Tagged: Kia Ownership Rewards Program (KORP), the programme is aimed at offering greater value, convenience, and support to customers who have owned a KIA for five years or more. It offers waivers ranging from 15 per cent to 25 per cent on service cost and genuine parts. These discounted pricings are premised on the years of Kia ownership, as it progressively reduces the cost of maintenance based on the years the car has been in operation.

    More often than not, old car owners are faced with the increasing cost of ownership owing to the depreciating parts of the cars and the need to continuously replace them to keep their vehicles in top condition.

    The programme is available on parts and labour charges, basic maintenance, battery replacement, select suspension and air conditioning parts, brakes, routine service parts amongst others. Additionally, the old Kia owners will be entitled to special discounts on body shop repairs and painting.

    According to Kia Motors Nigeria Chief Operating Officer Sanjay Tatpati, the initiative is “in line with our effort to foster ‘peace of mind’ in our customers and engage them meaningfully to drive affinity with Kia through service programmes that speak to them rationally and connect them emotionally to our brand with the implementation of exceptional services, we have added this value-added service, KORP to our service portfolio to drive customer satisfaction at its peak. This underscores our commitment to our brand’s global initiative, the ‘Promise to Care’; our service philosophy to offer service excellence and exceptional customer experience. This programme is set to reward them throughout the vehicle’s lifecycle.”

    With the introduction of KORP, Tatpati said Kia is setting a new benchmark in the auto industry.

    “This programme will substantially bring down the cost of maintenance as their Kia vehicles get older. Coupled with the unbeatable quality of Kia Motors Nigeria’s aftersales service, KORP will provide greater value for our customers,” he said.

  • JAC models show strength at motor fair

    Last growing auto brand, JAC has continued to make waves in the market with its appearance at the Lagos Motor Fair.

    JAC came with newly introduced brand with a full model range cutting across passenger cars, Sports Utility Vehicles (SUV), pickup and light duty trucks.

    Delighted by the achievements of the brand in Nigeria in just about four years, Managing Director of Elizade Autoland (distributor of JAC vehicles in Nigeria) Mr. Demola Ade-Ojo told reporters that the pedigree of the Elizade brand coupled with the sound quality of the JAC brand, facilitated the fast penetration of the auto brand into the local market.

    “When you have a very good product with good design and pocket- friendly price, the customers will appreciate. We want to get more Nigerians to trust the JAC brand. They already trust Elizade, and they are beginning to trust the JAC brand,” he said.

    He said all the models of the JAC brand stood the test of time as more corporate bodies, government agencies and individuals are buying the vehicles across the country.

    The T6 pickup, he said, is truly value for money.

    He said the vehicle comes with a lot of packages like turbo-charged technology, digital display, reversed view etc.

    All these and more, he said, “makes the JAC T6 pick up a workhorse and a leisure vehicle”.

    On the light trucks, Demola Ade-Ojo said: “The quality is better compared to other brands. The JAC light trucks come with Cummins engines, and high spring and reinforced suspension to enable them carry more loads”.

    JAC passenger cars and SUVs, he noted, have gained very rapid acceptance, as he attested to the fact that as the number one JAC sales man in Nigeria, both himself and his wife drive the JAC S7 SUV, which comes with all the luxurious features obtainable in modern luxury SUVs.

    Ade-Ojo added that his company offers total auto solution to customers.

    Beyond sales, he said, it offers quality after-sales in terms of spares and servicing, financing and suitable vehicles to fit the different terrain of the country.

    Though the JAC brand is still being embraced by more customers across the country, Elizade Autoland has already distributed the vehicles to some key establishments like Mobil, flourmills , Nestle, Guinness etc.

    Satisfied with the quality of the JAC models, Managing Director, Mobil Nigeria, Mr Tunji Oyebanji, stated during a tour of the JAC stand at the fair that “we want to continue to associate with the brand, very economical to run, it looks like the winner.”

    The different models distributed in Nigeria are the J4 sedan; the S2, S3, S5 and S7 Sport Utility Vehicles (SUV); the T6 pickup; the Sunray mini bus ; and the X5, L40 and N-Series light duty trucks.

  • Coscharis unveils Ford Everest at motor show

    Coscharis Motors, exclusive distributor of Ford vehicles in Nigeria, has unveiled the new Everest XLT Range and Everest Limited at the Lagos International Motor Show.

    The new Ford Everest is the most sophisticated Everest seven-seater sport utility vehicle (SUV) in the market. It is more appealing than ever with a range of styling, suspension and feature upgrades. As Ford’s premium offering in the rapidly growing SUV market, the New Everest puts the emphasis on quality, refinement and luxury matched to exceptional space and practicality.

    Coscharis Motors Marketing and Communications General Manager Abiona Babarinde expressed excitement that the new Everest will be joining their local line-up.

    The new Everest, he said, will provide Ford an important position in the SUV segment,

    He said: “It is a segment which continues to grow in Africa, as well as around the world. Consumers are opting for versatile, family-oriented vehicles that suit their active lifestyles.

    “With the New Everest, we have raised the game even further by introducing subtle yet effective styling updates with the eye-catching exterior, providing a more refined and luxurious cabin environment, adding several new trend-setting technologies to the already feature-packed range, and building on the outgoing model’s superb comfort and ride refinement with a revised suspension set-up. More so, the Everest comes in diesel engines, which is what some of our oil services customers have been yearning for, as it is more ideal for access into highly inflammable locations than its petrol counterpart.”

    The New Everest communicates rugged off-road capability with a sense of refined artistry that takes Ford’s seven-seater SUV to a new level within the segment. The refreshed grille introduces a new level of depth to the design through the layering of three distinctive grille bars that exude exclusivity and luxury whilst presenting a sense of strength and robustness.

    The lower bumper has been redesigned to accentuate width, incorporating a connected horizontal beam that has been added to the fascia insert, which gives the Everest even greater on-road presence.

    A classy new 20-inch wheel has been introduced on the range-topping Everest, featuring a modern split spoke design that gives the vehicle a more upmarket and dynamic appearance.

    Ford has also upped the ante in terms of overall quality and refinement, employing a more purposeful execution of colours and materials. Stronger contrasting elements are employed with the addition of the secondary grille texture against the chrome bright work.

  • Stakeholders seek review of auto policy

    Stakeholders in the automotive sector have called for a review of the automotive policy.

    Spaeking at the ongoing 14th edition of Lagos Motor Fair and 8th Autoparts Expo Africa in Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, they sought for a review of the plan to reflect some of the realities and development its implementation has thrown up.

    According to the Managing Director, BKG Exhibitions Limited, Mr. Ifeanyichukwu Agwu, the organisers of the fair, the review will ensure the policy achieves the desired ends.

    The sector, Agwu said, is very important as it shows physically the state of the economy and it generates much revenue and creates enormous employment.

    “No serious government toys with it. It is a sector that affects virtually everything. If it is not rightly re-positioned now, it will in the very near future negatively affect a whole lot in the life of the people and economy. Government should, therefore, parley seriously with the sector stakeholders to seeing how it could be made better,” he said.

    He urged the stakeholders to close ranks and pursue the development of the sector with more focus and dedication.

    He said: “They need to ensure unity of purpose and always utilise every window of opportunity such as this, to draw the attention of policy makers and implementers to the challenges in the sector. In unison the stakeholders can put the issues of the sector in the front burners of economic discourse and policy in the country and ensure that it does not collapse.

    “We aim at using this event to strengthen the auto parts markets role as the hub of the sectors business in Africa. The intention is to make players in the sector from other countries in the continent to be buying from the Nigerian markets. Nigeria has the resources and capacity to play such a role and it will be a very big disservice to Nigeria and its people if another African country does this ahead of Nigeria.”

    Automobile Spare Parts and Machinery Dealers Association of Nigeria, (ASPMDA) President Chief Offorkansi Ebubedike, represented by Secretary, Foreign Trade and Investment Committee, Sir Leo Okoye, thanked the organisers of the fair “for this positive development that will shape our immediate environment”.

    According to Ebubedike, the industry cannot move to greater heights without the support on government.

    He said: “The Federal Government through the Ministries of Technology, Trade and Investment or the National Automotive Council should come to our aid to open industrial hubs to take care of auto spare parts manufacturing for export.

    “Double taxation, multiple administrative bottlenecks in our seaports, bad road network and high interest rates are the clog in our wheels of progress. Our containers are left unattended to for months accumulating huge demurrages. Government should look into these areas; solve the ailing problems to pave way for our positive contribution in the economy.

    “Our relationship with China is not cordial or balanced. Chinese visitors entering Nigeria found it easy on the grounds that when they purchase their flight tickets, they flew into our borders to get visas at less than $150. But on our part, the Chinese Consular denies and frustrates Nigerians in the issuance of travel visas. Chinese government should reciprocate the good gestures offered to them by our government relating to the issue. This development has made some of our importers to start engaging exporters from Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia, who are willing to issue travel visas.

    “The Federal Government should come quickly to our aid, address these anomalies that limit our success in order to achieve greatness and contributing immensely to our economy. The economy of Thailand thrives in agriculture and motor spare parts production for export. United Arab Emirates do not produce auto spare parts components and yet, they are the major player in the Middle East. Here in Nigeria, with all the support needed, we can move Africa and surprise the world.”

  • Most neglected traffic sign

    The traffic sign displayed is very vital but over 80 per cent of drivers, riders, traffic management officers, and decision makers in government among others do not know the meaning and significance of the sign. I base my assertion on the results of the  research I carried out on the sign.

    The is a DE-RESTRICTION sign. The maximum speed limit sign indicates some form of restriction of the speed of a driver or rider in particular locations. You are not to drive above the stipulated speed limit. The De-restriction sign is to be placed towards the end of the portion covered by the maximum speed previous speed limit sign.

    The de restriction sign therefore implies that the driver or rider is free from that point to increase speed but still bearing in mind the National speed limit on the road. Going round the country, what is common is the maximum speed limit thereby leaving the drivers and riders to their judgements as to where the maximum speed limit ends.

    Many government ministries officials in charge of the installation of traffic signs do know the significance of the above traffic sign. Hence the scarcity of this very vital sign on Nigeria roads nationwide.

    I hereby encourage all drivers, riders, and relevant government agencies to know and install  the traffic signs correctly. This will guide the driver to be more cautious on the road to ensure safety on the roads.

  • Lagos Motor Show begins today

    This year’s Lagos Motor Fair and Auto Parts Expo will take off today at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, with a good number of the leading brands of automobiles, spare parts, accessories, lubricants, additives, financials and security gadgets poised to showcase different classes of modern and innovative models, brands and services from their stables.

    Chairman Organising Committee and BKG Exhibitions Managing Director Mr Ifeanyi Agwu said the 14th edition of the fair will be full of fun and innovative products will be on various stands.

    “In what has become an auto mundial and show of strength among the indigenous and foreign firms in the automotive business, more firms are confirmed their participation in the events. More indigenous firms have confirmed to join over 70 foreign firms coming. They are going to display different types of world-class products and services from their stables,” he said.

    According to Agwu, the Lagos Motor Fair remains the unparalleled gathering of established brands as well as new entrants ranging from passenger buses, cars, trucks, spare parts, accessories, lubricants, financials and many more, adding that the importance of continuously staging the show cannot be over-emphasised.

    The Managing Director said this year’s edition is holding despite the current challenges confronting the sector and the economy to continuously utilise its platform to bring the relevant stakeholders to a point where “we can all forge a future for the growing sector. Over a decade now, the event has played the role of a unique forum to access and assess the capacities and potentials of the nations’ automotive sector.”

  • Toyota to invest $100 million in self-driving vehicles

    Toyota is planning to invest $100 million in autonomous driving vehicles and robotic technology start-ups.

    The automaker is increasingly pushing the self-driving market.

    Toyota AI Ventures, a Silicon Valley-based subsidiary of Toyota, plans to invest the money into early-stage startups that develop “disruptive” technologies in those fields, the company said.

    “Auto manufacturers must participate in the startup ecosystem to stay ahead of the rapid shift in the auto industry,” Jim Adler, managing director of Toyota AI Ventures, said in a statement.

    The company said the fund is part of Toyota’s mission to help “discover what’s next” for Japan’s biggest automaker.

    Toyota’s AI venture fund has already invested in 19 different start-ups over the last two years, bringing its total funding commitment to autonomous driving technology to $200 million, the company said.

    “The growing interest in automated systems has created great opportunities to improve human lives using AI and next-generation mobility technology,” Dr. Gill Pratt, chief executive officer at the Toyota Research Institute, said in a statement. Pratt added the fund will help “bridge the gap” between automakers and technology startups focused on autonomous transportation.

    This is just the most recent investment Toyota is making in the autonomous vehicle market. In April, Toyota and auto-parts supplier Denso said they would together invest $667 million into Uber’s self-driving vehicle unit. Toyota is also committed to contributing an additional $300 million to Uber’s push into self-driving vehicles over the next three years.

    At the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show, Toyota also unveiled a self-driving concept food delivery vehicle called the e-Pallette. The e-Pallette was part of a partnership with Amazon to help Amazon explore ways to use self-driving cars for food delivery.

    Entering the autonomous vehicle market has been a goal for many automakers, with companies like Ford, BMW and Daimler all looking to innovate in self-driving vehicles. In April, Ford said it aims to have 100 self-driving vehicles on the road by the end of 2019. Ford announced in March that it is building a new factory in Michigan to focus on its self-driving vehicle efforts.

    BMW and Daimler also said in February that they are collaborating to develop automated driving technologies.

  • Air travellers relish Jeep Wrangler at Airport

    Travellers passing through the Murtala Mohammed Local Terminal Two in Lagos have been appreciating the Jeep displayed at the terminal by KewalramChanrai, the sole distributor of FCA brands.

    This is part of the efforts being put in place by the company to let the discerning public know more about the attributes of the FCA brands.

    FCA brands, such as Jeep, Fiat, Dodge, Jeep, Dodge, Chrysler, Ram, Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Maserati, amongst others, are enjoying better attention from customers following the takeover of the distributorship by KewalramChanrai.

    KewalramChanrai, is known for its solid pedigree in auto distributing and after-sales within and outside the country.

    The Jeep Wrangler is a series of compact and mid-size (Wrangler Unlimited and Wrangler 2-door JL) four-wheel drive off-road SUVs (Sports Utility Vehicle), manufactured by Jeep since 1986, and currently in its fourth generation.

    Known for its toughness and rigidity, the SUV, once taken as only meant for off the road terrain, has metamorphosed into an urban vehicle that can adapt to all kinds of terrain be it city or country side.

    The Jeep Wrangler which can easily adapt from being a work vehicle to a leisure accompli, has won a lot of admirers over the years that it has become a household name needing little review about its offerings.

    It comes with a Full Time Four Wheel Drive system, with a seven inch touch screen display that enhances its aesthetics and promotes one of its major concerns, which is-safety.

    The owner of the Jeep Wrangler is also sure of enjoying the use of a park view/rear back-up camera, even as there are also air bags fitted round the award winning vehicle.

    Different occupants of the vehicle do not only enjoy the powerful air conditioning system the vehicle offers, they are also entitled to automatic temperature controls.

    Because of the need to ensure maximum comfort for all occupants irrespective of the terrain, the Jeep Wrangler comes with heavy duty suspension and shock absorbers.

    Other specs in this vehicle are almost endless, but a few more that can be mentioned are Traction control that keeps the driver focussed and in lane, deep tint sun screen glass, premium lighting etc.

    The Jeep Wrangler is not only making waves in Nigeria, as only recently, readers of one of the most famous Russian motoring magazines, ZaRulyom (Behind the Wheel), named the Jeep Wrangler as winner in the Premium Crossovers and SUV category of its Grand Prix awards, which crowned the best new cars of 2018.

    According to more than 25,000 readers who took part in the voting, the best newcomer in the Premium crossovers and SUVs category was the Jeep Wrangler. The vehicle was appraised through online voting across three criteria: Equipment, Design and Practicality.

  • Traffic law enforcement

    It gladdened my  heart when I heard that the Corps Marshal/Chief Executive of the Federal Road Safety Commission has renewed the commitment of the Corps to commence the full implementation of the Penalty Point System effective from June 1, 2019. Equally commendable is the pronouncement that apprehended traffic offenders at a point, will be sent to Driving Schools for correctional training. This is the global practice and it is remarkable that Nigeria is now ready for its full implementation.

    There is, however, the need to put additional measures in place to accomplish the objectives. Firstly, there is the need for adequate public enlightenment on the types of traffic offences, points and penalties. The traffic offences were reviewed and gazetted in 2016 but as at today as the National President of Driving School Association of Nigeria , I can authoritatively say that over 80 percent of Driving School Proprietors and over 90 per cent of drivers are not yet aware of the reviewed traffic offences for which they could be held liable.

    Secondly, appropriate technology should be deployed to ensure that the points of traffic offenders are properly documented, accumulated and transmitted for appropriate actions without human manipulation. There should be a harmonisation of the activities of the activities of the Federal Road Safety Commission(FESC), The Nigeria Police, Vehicle Inspection Officers(VIOs) and the State Traffic Management Agencies to ensure the uniformity and gross accumulation of the points by traffic offenders apprehended by all the agencies anywhere and anytime, not FRSC records alone.

    Thirdly, FRSC should work out a system with the National Insurance Commission and the Nigeria Insurers Association to ensure that the penalty points of traffic offenders are also transmitted to the insurance companies. The insurance companies in turn should make the policy holders(Vehicle Owners and Drivers) pay higher premiums as high risk Clients. This measure will further discourage drivers from violating traffic offences. The employers of drivers will thereby take appropriate measures to ensure their drivers acquire the requisite knowledge, skills and safety consciousness.

    No matter how good a policy is, the commitment of the people implementing it determines the level of accomplishment. There is therefore the need for the FRSC COMACE and the heads of other Traffic Management Agencies to get their officers committed to the goal of apprehending all traffic offenders without fear or favour for sake of saving irreparable lives and valuable properties on Nigeria roads.

    The authorities should also take appropriate monitoring measures to ensure that bribery, favouritism and other forms of compromise does not turn the commendable pronouncement to another wishful thinking. Without any iota of doubt, uncompromised implementation of the penalty point system will greatly reduce the rate of traffic law violation and by extension, the rate of road traffic crashes and fatalities in Nigeria as it obtains in other countries with lower rates of road traffic crashes.