From the editor

It’s a bakkie bonanza in this month’s issue of CAR. We get behind the wheel of the new Volkswagen Amarok to see just how the German carmaker has gone about differentiating its new double-cab from the Ford Ranger (we also drove the Ford on the local launch) upon which it’s based.

Insight News peers into a fascinating, electri ed future; Japanese tech giant Sony and Honda reveal the rst fruits of their venture into the automotive sphere in the guise of the techladen Afeela. Peugeot’s Inception and BMW’S ivision DEE concepts are similarly bristling with eco-friendly powertrains and innovative features but thankfully, there’s also some oldschool performance-car muscle on show with last hurrahs for the Renault Mégane RS and Nissan GT-R.

Our Featured Drives place us in the lap of luxury, as we travelled to Palm Springs to sample BMW’S striking and innovative new halo models – the 7 Series, i7 and X7 – and it’s a similarly sumptuous motoring experience closer to home as we take a quick drive in Mercedes’ EQS and EQB electric cars in Cape Town. We then have an interesting mixture of striking style and budget-friendly motoring with our drives of Alfa Romeo’s attention-grabbing Tonale hybrid crossover, the quirky magic-carpet ride of Citroën’s C5 Aircross and a welcome dose of sensible fun in Suzuki’s updated S-presso.

This month’s comparative test sees a ghting stalwart fend off the challenge of a capable newcomer boasting a strong pedigree. Ford’s Ranger Raptor has managed to carve out a niche in the burgeoning double-cab bakkie landscape and counters the sheer punch of its V6-engined rivals with off-road racing-bred underpinnings to make it a unique player in its segment. Toyota has imbued the latest addition to its impressive Hilux stable with more power and suspension know-how gleaned from its Dakar-conquering Gazoo Racing arm to produce the formidable-looking GR-S. We investigate whether Toyota’s challenger has what it takes to wrest the performance-bakkie title from the long-standing champ that is the Raptor.

So, regardless of your automotive persuasion, we are certain you’ll nd something to get your engine revving.