Several years ago, while some commentators were quick to accuse fledgling S Chinese auto manufacturers of shamelessly copying their trendsetting German counterparts from luxo-hatches or land yachts built by BMW, Audi and Mercedes - what we're seeing now, in truth, is no different.
Ownership of niches by a sole competitor is simply not allowed. The binary nature of segmentary leadership or imitatorship is a never-ending round of roulette exclusively determined by the swiftness and the madness of marketing executives.
Since launching in 2021 (locally in 2022), Mercedes has enjoyed a category-specific monopoly in its positioning of the EQB as an EV crossover with its optional seven seats. Based on the GLB SUV, the EQB's transformation from diesel dinosaur to voltage vulture was a simple one, with mixed effect, it has to be said. It ditched the conventional powertrain in favour of an electric motor at each axle and it was fuelled by a rather small (and ahem, by extension, range-limiting) 66.5 kWh battery.
Curiously, MBSA opted to offer only one power specification in the EQB, which develops 215 kW and 520 N.m. This means, as with the more compact EQA entry EV, the three available derivatives are distinguished only by equipment grade. They ranging in price from R1 379 000 to R1 523 400.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة April 2023 من CAR South Africa.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة April 2023 من CAR South Africa.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Toyota Fortuner
Considered by many as the quintessential adventure SUV, the Fortuner is about as strong a used buying proposition as you can get in this segment. We take you through the things to look out for and list two rivals for comparison.
MIND THE HURDLE
With a repaired car and a point to prove, Alex Shahini returned for Round 3 of the Toyota GR Cup at Zwartkops Raceway to achieve a career-best finish
KING OF KILLARNEY
For four decades, Denis Joubert was directly involved with the creation, development and ongoing success of Cape Town's international motorsport venue, Killarney. Having just celebrated his 90th birthday, we talk to the man whose contribution to South Africa's motor-racing heritage is priceless....
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Kia Picanto 1.0 LX MT
Kia's ever-popular budget hatch has recently received a range of exterior and interior updates - we test the entry-level variant to see if it remains a force to be reckoned with in this highly competitive segment
Super C
The fastest and most technologically advanced flagship C-Class to date, AMG's C63 S has evolved into an electrified uber-sedan. Has this mighty model forsaken some character in pursuing this status? We strapped our test equipment to the new shooting star.
Bentley's Brutes
A break in proceedings during an exclusive preview of the fourth-generation Bentley Continental GT afforded us an opportunity to sample the stately yet hair-raising Bentayga S
RUNNING UP THAT HILL
Now in its 14th year, the Simola Hillclimb continues to combine adrenaline-fuelled competition with showcasing some of the most appealing classics out there in a heady mix that keeps local petrolheads coming...
BAND OF BROTHERS
Complete with rugged bakkie-based underpinnings that encourage off-the-beaten-track venturing, largely proven powertrains that afford maximum range and towing capability, and brand names with enviable respective reputations for reliability, adventure SUVs remain the favourite of thousands of South Africans.
TWELVE OF THE BEST
Ferrari keeps things suitably old-school with its V12-engined 12Cilindri GT