20 MAART

PROPERTY:CONCERNSON IMPACT

Shorter tourismvisaproposedDALEEN FOUCHÉ

The Helderberg Property market maytake a beating if proposed legislation toshorten tourist visas is passed.

TheDepartmentofHomeAffairshaspro-posedseveralamendments to the Immigra-tion Act, one of which is to allow for onlythree-month tourist visas for foreigners,instead of the current six months.The proposed amendments were out for

public comment until February.Joachim Schuckmann, Immigration Di-

rector for Initiate Immigration, a companythathelps foreigners to immigrate toSouthAfrica, says many so-called swallows (Eu-ropeans who spend their winters in theSouthernHemisphere) arenow looking foralternative locations in the south to spendtheir European winters. Schuckmann ex-plains that the Act will force visitors on athree-month touristvisa to flyback to theirhomecountryandapply for a second three-month visa if they wish to stay a full sixmonths, as per habit. He says if the amend-ments are approved itwill have an adverseeffect on the Helderberg property marketbecause swallowswill no longerwant to in-vest inacountrywheretheycanonlyspendthree months of the European winter. Hesays Helderberg, especially SomersetWest, is a preferred destination for swal-lows because it is centrally located, but notpart of the busy city life, and because it of-fers gated villages, loads of space and greatviews.He says, however, that many swallows

are now looking to South America as analternative to South Africa.Lee Siebert, principal of Remax Helder-

berg, agrees and says one of her clients, aninvestor from the United Kingdom, wasconsideringbuyingresidentialproperty inSouthAfrica,butdecidedonbuying inCos-ta Rica because of the proposed legislation

changes in South Africa.Siebert says between 10% and 12% of

their business is with foreigners and pre-dicts that half of these clientswill be affect-ed if the proposed amendments are ap-proved, because they travel on tourism vi-sas and do not have residency.CarlNagel, whomanages the residential

team at Rose McFall Properties, describedthe proposed legislation to the Immigra-tion Act as “too broad and short sighted”.He says foreigners who invest in the resi-dential property market are an asset toSouth Africa and, contrary to popular be-lief, do not make a major contribution toproperty inflation.Nagel estimates that, inSomersetWest, the level of foreignresiden-tial ownership is less than 2% and is fo-cused in the upper end of themarket, Erin-vale being a good example. “The swallowswhocanaffordtofleetheEuropeanwintersare exactly the kind of tourists we need,they contribute to our local work force di-rectly, they frequent our restaurants, tour-ist attractions, retail stores and on almosteveryrandtheyspend, theypay14%direct-ly into our state coffers.” Nagel believesthat as a country, South Africa should“bend over backwards” to accommodatethe regular long-term tourists, as they con-stitute a small percentage of visitors andtheirrandspentdeservesamoreaccommo-dating visa treatment.Schuckmann says another proposed

amendment will restrict foreigners whowish to start a business in South Africa.The proposal entails that businesses,owned by foreigners, must prove that 60%of the employees are South African.Schuckman argues that foreigners inSouthAfricamightwant tostartabusinesstokeepthemselvesbusy,butwouldnotnec-essarilywant to grow this business andon-ly run a one man show.He says if the proposed legislation is

passed, this will no longer be possible.

COUNTRY LIVING: This 23 ha farm is part of the historic Goedeverwachting estate andhas excellent potential for sub­division. The property includes a three­bedroomed home­stead, manager’s house and two cottages, as well as stables and an entertainment centre.The property is on the market through Pam Golding Properties, priced at R11 million.

READ MORE ON PAGE 2

Print marketing a powerfultool to showcase property

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Local trader competesinternationally

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READ INSIDE

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Sir Lowry’s Pass, spanning theHottentots Holland mountainrange, offers one of the mostpanoramic and famous views ofCape Town, and is traversed bythousands of motorists everyyear. Yet few may realise thatits lower slopes are home tosomeof themost scenic countryhomes in the Cape, offeringsweepingviewsofFalseBayandthe Winelands.

Pam Golding Properties (PGP)reports that these properties arehighly sought-after for the secure,wholesome country lifestyle theyoffer, as well as their rich culturalheritage.

The area’s famous farmlandswere first developed in the 18thcentury, with notable estates in-cluding Goedeverwachting,Knorhoek and Frederiksburg.Originally the area now known asSir Lowry’s PassVillagewasnoth-ing more than an outspan site fortravellers who could water theiroxen at its two streams. But by theearly 19th century a smallmissionsettlement had been established,and by 1846 it already had a postoffice of sorts - a private housewheretravellerscould leaveorcol-lect letters. With the extension ofthe Somerset West railway line tothe area in 1890, the settlementsoon grew to include a smallschool, hotels and shops, aswell asfacilities for farmers to drop offtheir crops at the railhead.

The area grew in fame in 1806when the peace treaty to end theBattleofBlaauwbergwassignedat

Goederverwachting, formallyending hostilities and handing theCape to the British. Constructionbeganon thepass itself in1828, andit formally opened in July 1830. Itis named after Sir Galbraith Low-ry Cole, who was governor of theCape during this period.

This rich history provides thebackdrop for a number of historicfarmsteads and vineyards, whichare now flanked by a wide varietyof residential homes, includingseveral acclaimed secure estatesas well as smallholdings. PGPagent Edelweiss Hankey says thelikes of Tre Donne, Wedderwill,

KnorhoekandHighRidingEstatesoffer a combination of country liv-ing in a rural setting, with accessto a wide variety of city amenitiesand entertainments, from excel-lent schools, shops and medicalcare, to awealthof recreational ac-tivities.

Entry level prices typically startfrom just under R2 million whiletop end prices have reachedR6 million in Wedderwill Estateand R8 million in Tre Donne. Theestates aremost popularwith fam-ilies wishing to raise their chil-dren in a country environmentwith good security and large gar-

dens, aswell aswith thosewantingahomeofficeinatranquilenviron-ment, and those wishing to keeplivestock on their properties.

Wedderwill Estate includesaround 80 properties, ranging insize from 800m² to 6 000m². Theseare laid out in six precincts to cre-ate a sense of true country living.The estate spans over 400ha, ofwhich just over half is allocated toa private game reserve.

Residents also have access todedicated hiking and riding trails,as well as a private lake for water-sports. Equestrians also love theHigh Riding Estate, which con-

sists of a community of smallhold-ings ranging in size from 8 500m²to 14 000m², and offers 5 km of bri-dle paths. There are just over 90properties in the estate, with anumberof vacant plots still availa-ble.

AlsopopularisTreDonneEstatewith just over 90 erven, and plotsranging in size from just under3 000m² toover10 000m².KnorhoekEstate offers larger properties,with erven ranging in size from12ha to 66ha. Property turnover isparticularly lowonthisestate, andit is only seldom that homes areavailable for purchase.

“Residents of these estates notonly live in a secure environmentwith rich flora and fauna sur-rounding them, but also have ac-cess to the beaches of Strand andGordon’s Bay, the hiking trailsand concerts of theHelderbergNa-tureReserveandVergelegenWineEstate, and the wild beauty of theKogelberg Biosphere Reserve,”says PGP’s areamanager for Som-erset West, Louise Varga.

“They are also close to popularwine estates such as Waterkloof(with a popular restaurant),Mount Rozier and Journey’s End,and can enjoy guided wine walksthrough the vineyards of theSchapenberg Hills. Private medi-cal care is available nearby atMediclinic Vergelegen. There arealsoendlesspossibilities forhorse-riding, mountain-biking, hiking,and bird-watching in the sur-rounding areas, as well as twonearby golf courses including theacclaimed Erinvale.”

This exclusive Tre Donne property is in the market for R2,995 million

Sir Lowry’sPassoffers sought-after countryhomesCOUNTRY LIVING

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Printmarketingapowerfultool to showcasepropertyIf someonetoldyouthatwatch-ing TV ormovies in colourwasa waste of time, and that blackand white is perfectly accepta-ble, what would your responsebe?

For one, you’d wonder whatcentury they were from? We allknow that colour is the standardthat everyone expects, and hasbeen for decades. To suggest it’snot necessary is simply absurd.Surprisingly some real estate

“marketing experts” suggest thatprint marketing is not necessaryfor your property. Really? I’m cu-rious to knowwhatmarketing re-search that is based on? If it weretrue, then why do the largest es-tate agencies spend so much onprint marketing? It’s not forboasting rights, I can assure you.The reality is that, even though

printmarketing is by far the larg-est expense that a real estate com-pany has, it works! It works be-cause in South Africa – and inmost property markets in theWestern World – buyers stillsearch for properties in the print-ed media.What has changed in the last 20

years is that buyers also use theInternet to search for properties.The Internet and property web-sites are powerful tools to show-case properties, with additionalphotos, floorplans, videos, andde-tailed information. Every estateagency serious about selling real

estate will definitely list all theirproperties on the web.But thatdoesn’tmeanthatprint

advertising isn’t necessary. Onthe contrary, print marketing isa very powerful way to drive po-tential purchasers to websites. AtHarcourts we can track the indi-vidual number of views on ourwebsite listings. Without excep-tion, every time we advertise aproperty in print we see a spikein ourwebsite views on those spe-cific listings.Droppingprintadvertisingisas

naïve as dropping Internet adver-tising. It’s simply not an “either/or”.In fact, to ensure your property

receives maximum exposure andattracts all the buyers, you needall forms of marketing to be used.These also include showhouses(where properly advertised), ForSale boards, marketing to a data-base of buyers, property flyers,floorplanpresentations andvideomarketing.Estate agents have access to

more marketing tools and meth-ods than ever before. Why wouldyou willingly exclude any ofthem? It would be like asking asurgeon to exclude some of hissurgical instruments from the op-erating theatre to reduce the costof your operation. Somehow itdoesn’t make sense.These different marketing

methods appeal to different buy-ers.Whatwedoknowisthatmanybuyerswhoenquire off printmar-keting have a very strong emo-tional interest in the propertiesthey enquire on. When a buyerhas a strong emotional interest ina property they usually maketheir best offer to purchase it.And isn’t that what a seller

wants? The best offer in the mar-ketplace? So, the next time an es-tateagentsuggests thatprintmar-keting isn’t necessary to sell yourproperty, consider how you’d feelexchanging your flat screen TVfor a black and white tube set!

Talking Property, by Steve Cara­doc­Davies, principal of Har­courts Platinum

EXPERTOPINION

Aclean slate oncredit informationThe move from the Depart-ment of Trade and Industry(DTI) to clear the slate onbad credit information isgood news for the propertymarket, according to princi-pal of Remax Helderberg,Lee Siebert,DrRobDavies,Minister of

Trade and Industry, an-nounced in February regu-lations for the Removal ofAdverse Credit Informationand Information Relating toPaid Up Judgments that willtake effect in April.Davies emphasised that

thiswill not remove the obli-gation on consumers to re-pay debt owed by them tocredit providers. Instead, itseeks to create the incentivefor consumers to repay theirdebt better and timeously.“Through this process, wealso seek to encourage con-sumers to approach creditbureaus to check their cred-it records and to hasten tosettle amounts owed onjudgments so their cleancredit recordcanberestoredimmediately.”Davies says the regulation

provides a simple and quickprocess to remove such neg-ative information withoutapproaching the court oncethe consumer has paid up.It also provides relief to a

consumer, whose financialpositionhaschanged tostarton a clean slate and main-tain a clean credit record go-ing forward.According to Siebert,

credit providers would turnclients away because oftheir credit ratings, even ifthe client has the appropri-ate buying power. She saysthe new regulations will al-low these clients to move in-to the property market, as itwill be easier to get approvalfor a home loan.The regulation will also

have an effect on the rentalmarket. Siebert explainsthat currently, agencies per-form a credit check on a po-tential lessee to ensure theycan afford the property rent,but this would have to be re-placed by new ways like re-ferrals, to ensure potentiallessees have the capacity topay rent.

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11Paarl Post20 Maart, 2014

BOLANDSOLD PAARL/WELLINGTON

Biggest and Best Property guide in the Boland

SOLD bied die grootste en maklikste toegang tot die

mark vir eiendomkopers en -verkopers in die Boland.

021 870 4600021 841 4285 021 887 2840

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BOLANDSOLDPAARL/WELLINGTON

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BOLANDSOLD PAARL/WELLINGTON

SA PropertyOwners Association to hostessential workshop about lease agreementsTheSouthAfricanPropertyOwnersAs-sociation (SAPOA) will host a LeaseAgreement workshop on 25 March atDoubleTree by Hilton Cape Town from08:30 to 16:00

The workshop is an intense full-day pro-gramme that looks at the rights and obliga-tionsofthepartiestoalease,newlegislationand case law affecting lease agreements.

The workshop, which covers essentialsfor a lease agreement, is aimed at profes-sionals who have to implement lease agree-ments and/orwhoare responsible for nego-tiating, renewing, drafting, and managingleases and lease agreements.

The lease agreement is one of the mostimportant documents in commercial, in-dustrial and retail property from the mo-ment you start working in property until

you retire.Legislation, needs and trends change all

the time and those working with leaseagreementshavetobeawareof thesechang-es and legal requirements.

TicketsareR2 500formembersandR3 200for non-members.

For more information on SAPOA educa-tionofferings, sendanemail toMelissa@sa-poa.org.za

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BOLANDSOLDSTELLENBOSCH

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Local trader competesinternationallyAndries Havenga, trainee accountantat BGR Pyper Turner Incorporated inSomerset West, will travel to Amster-dam in April to compete for the title of“best student trader of the world”.

Havenga was the first runner up in the2012 South African Traders Trophy na-tional final competition held at the Johan-nesburg Stock Exchange.At the time he was a student at the Uni-

versity of Stellenbosch. Malusi Mthiyane,a student from theUniversity ofKwaZulu-

Natal was the winner and Siyanda Palifrom the University of Pretoria took thirdplace.A total of 1 050 students enrolled in the

qualification rounds and 37 candidatestook part in the final competition to be-come South Africa’s best student traders.This year in April the winners of 2012 and2013 will compete against winners from 15other countries in the Traders TrophyWorldwide Final to be held in Amsterdaminorder tobecome“thebest student traderof the world”!

Andries Havenga

17Eikestadnuus20 Maart, 2014

BOLANDSOLD STELLENBOSCH

Biggest and Best Property guide in the Boland

SOLD bied die grootste en maklikste

toegang tot die mark vir

eiendomkopers en -verkopers in die

Boland.

021 870 4600

021 841 4285

021 887 2840

Never tooearly toplan foryour retirementHowever you choose to spendyour retirement, the real secretto enjoying your golden years isto have enough pension money.

The younger you start to save andinvest, the easier it will be to meetyour retirement goals.This means implementing good

planning practices, so decide todaywhereyou’dliketobetomorrowandthen start putting a plan in place.For many, however, one of the

hardest things about planning forretirement is knowing where tostart.This is often a daunting prospect,

left all too lateToday,with higher career volatil-

ity and corporate trends towardsoutsourcing, and pension fundschanging fromdefinedbenefit to de-fined contribution, the risk and re-sponsibility forproviding forretire-ment has shifted increasingly to theindividual.It’s also important to remember

that the tax implications of yourcompany pension fund and any an-nuities that you have accumulateduring your working life need to beassessed before your retirement.This ensures that youdonot get anyunwantedsurpriseswhenyoudore-tire.Ideally, when you plan for retire-

ment you should have, whereverpossible, a balanced portfolio of in-vestments that include property,cash, equities and annuities.Importantly, when you reach re-

tirement, you’ll require a lump sumofaround ten timesyourhighest an-nual salary. Experts recommend

that your retirement income re-placeaminimumof75%ofyourpre-retirement income. This is a goodtarget toplan for,until youarewith-in ten years of retirement.At that point, comparing your

present budget with what you wishto spend when you reach retire-ment,willprovideamoreprecisein-come target.It’s also worthwhile to use finan-

cial services websites – many ofwhich include “retirement calcula-tors” that can assist you with yourplanning.A general rule of thumb is to use

10% of your monthly gross incometowards planning for retirement;the percentage will vary dependingon when you started your retire-ment plan.Remember,youwill probably live

longer than you expect – improve-ments in medical technology andhealth habits will result (in time) inlife spans of 90 and even 100 yearsbecoming the rule rather than theexception. Someone retiring at 65may well live a further 30 years ormore.Remember that the cost of medi-

cal treatment, in particular, andgeneral living expenses are increas-ing all the time and will continue toincrease longafter your retirement.On average, women tend to live

longer than men, and experts saythey are 50% more likely to needlong-term care. Because of this,married women should be involvedinallaspectsofretirementplanningand budgeting of the couple’s pen-sions, social security and savings,as well as their long-term care

options.Another consideration is to ask

yourself what legacy you wish toleave behind. Perhaps you wish toleaveacertainamountofmoneyup-on your death to your children andgrandchildren.If so, then factor this into your re-

tirementplanningandconsider tak-ing out a funeral plan to ensure thatyour children are not left having tofinance the cost of your funeralwhile awaiting beneficiary pay-ments from your estate.

Funeral plans are very inexpen-sive policies that pay out a lumpsum immediately upon your death,as well as catering for other expens-es associated with a funeral.Takingall thisintoconsideration,

the next vital step should be talkingto a financial service provider.An adviserwill be able to conduct

a regular assessment of your chang-ing financial circumstances as wellas help you take advantage of themarkets where appropriate.With all of the above in mind, it’s

particularly important that when it

finally comes to choosing a retire-ment village that you select some-thing that will provide you withpeace of mind on all levels.Look at a range of options that

best suit the type of lifestyle youhave in mind and ensure that it hasfacilities that allow for flexibility orchange of circumstances whereverpossible.Furthermore, oneneeds to look at

purchase options and whether youwouldopt for life-rights,sectional ti-tle or share-block models.

The life-rights scheme is a rela-tive newcomer to the SA retirementlandscape. As a purchase option itis considered ideal for those whohave less capital to invest, or simplyfavour this scheme due to its othernumerous benefits. Life rights is awidely practised and requested re-tirement model in the more maturemarkets worldwide.In the USA (the world market

leader for retirement villages) themost common type of sale is basedupon the life-plan model, the sameas the South African life-rights sys-

tem.A life-right schemerefers toacon-

tractwherebyaresidentenjoyssim-ilar privileges to those afforded bysectional or other titles except thatthe developer remains the sole own-er of the property.The developer is responsible for

the maintenance and upkeep of thevillage.Unlike sectional title develop-

ments, an advantage of life rights isthat it is not a property transfer –there are no bond registration fees,transferdutiesandnoVATpayable,thereby avoiding the negative ef-fects that such costs have upon dis-cretionary income and estate val-ues. The developer is fully involvedand provides financial, estate,healthcare and operations manage-ment, taking a huge burden off theshoulders of a life-rights holder.Conversely, the headache ofman-

aging a retirement estate when youare retired is not awelcomeburden,but one that the retirees often facein a sectional title scheme.The secret is to evaluate your

needs and plans as soon as possible,and to seek sound financial advice.We all want to retire happilywith

personal and financial peace ofmind and retirement can most cer-tainly be an exciting and fulfillingexperience once you have eliminat-ed any of the potential stress factorsinvolved.Getting the quality of life you

want in the future will depend onhow well you plan for your retire-ment now.S Adjustment of an article courte-

sy of Property24

Look at a range of options thatbest suit the type of lifestyle youhave inmind and ensure that ithas facilities that allow forflexibility or change of

circumstanceswherever possible

MITSUBISHI PAJEROSPORT: TOYOTA FORTUNER RIVAL

PajeroSport4x2Auto: thenippy flipHANJO STIER

It had to happen eventually. We have astern rule at the office that my boss onlydrives Diesels, bakkies and automaticswhile I test anything he describes as fan-cy, flat ‘n fast. This way everyone’s hap-py, we won’t be exposed to our mostloathed automotive segment and the re-sulting reviews should be relatively fair.

Despite our best booking and logistical ef-forts, I somehow still found aMitsubishi Pa-jero Sport 2.5 DiD 4x2 Automatic on mydriveway recently.

Great. Although it’s a car I’d never wantto own myself, I vowed to be as objective aspossible and even found a few big jobs forthe Japanese SUV.

First up was the transportation of a fewbulky items to a farmon theoutskirts of Stel-lenbosch and this immediately tested theSport’s versatility.

Blessed with seven seats, it took us quitea while to figure out how to collapse thembut the resulting space (1,149-1,776F) isenough for most pieces of oversized cargo.

Dirt roads, ditches and other loose surfac-es quickly showcased the Mitsubishi’s off-road abilitieswhich are underpinned by im-pressive ground clearance (205 mm), ap-proach (34°) and departure (24°) angles. Ifyou stay away from soft sand, mountains,mud and other such obstacles, the 2.5 4x2will do just fine.

The rear leaf-spring suspension is hardand jittery on the road but settles downwith

a dose of weight or speed.Pajero Sport’s overactive steering needs

1.5 turns to navigate a normal 90 degree cor-ner in town, yet we found that its upside isexcellent control over slow-speed, rough ter-rain.

No sooner was the cargo delivered and wewere cruising on the highway to the airport.Road holding is a tad wonky but you simplyneed to treat thehigh-ridingcarwithrespectfor it to follow your commands.

Travelling at the national speed limit, it’salso fairly quiet and economical.

The 2.5-litre in-line four cylinder turbo-diesel enginedevelops131 kWor350 Nmanddelivers this through a smooth five-speedautomatic gearbox with touch-shift option.Pajero Sport has surprisingly nippy per-formance (we achieved 0-100 km/h in 10.4seconds) and will gladly jack-hammer to4,000rpm if you wish.

Obviously it’s most happy between 1 500and 2 000 rpm so you need never bury yourright foot to gain thrust. The 8.5F/100 kmclaimed average consumption and a 70Ftank do their best to stretch time betweenrefills.Our average consumptionduring theweek was closer to 10 though.

At the airport, three see-through visitorsfrom overseas were immediately roped intohelpingmereview thecarand it startedwiththeir mass of luggage.

No problem for a Pajero Sport and fiveadults were soon motoring towards themother city in air-conditioned, cruise con-trolled comfort.

Some declared the leather seats to be a lit-tle hard but the following items all got atleast one thumb up: the comprehensive tripcomputerwith individual graphs, the touch-screen sound system, ride height, overallvisibility, head room, storage solutions,

wheels and front design of the car.It’s not exactly racy but the projector

headlights and grills have been skillfullyjoined in a tapered nose.

Step/skid boards along the flanks breakthe slab-sidedness of it all while the tailgatehas a simple, uncomplicated look.

Based on theTriton bakkie, we’re not surehow this ended up being called a Pajero?

Never mind though, when outdoorsytypes queue for a big, rugged, affordableSUV they obviously don’t care about itsname.

Price and spec are way more importantso here goes: leather, Bluetooth, front andrear aircon, cruise control, three 12V sock-ets, HID headlights, rear-view camera andpark sensors.

Auto lights and wipers, power windowsandmirrors aswell as driver’s seat controls,ABS,EBD,BAS, stability control and sixair-bags.

I could go on about our many trips, thelights and seat adjustments but I sense thatthere’s one burning question in the air. Isit as good as a Fortuner?

Unfortunately,Mitsubishi has an inferiordealer count to its big Japanese rival andthis Pajero Sport 2.5 4x2 Auto will set youback R419 900.

The cheapest Fortuner, a 2.5 Raised Body,costs “just” R361 600 but doesn’t come closeto the Mitsu’s specifications.

The next model up is on par with our testcar but costs R20 000 more so the entry-levelPajero Sport is competitively priced andwell spec’d.

Its 3-year/100 000 km warranty and5 year/90 000 km service plan are identicalto Toyota’s so you may want to draw strawsor flip a coin to choose between these mod-els.

The 2.5­litre in­line four cylinder turbo­diesel engine develops 131 kW or 350 Nm and delivers this through a smooth five­speed automaticgearbox with touch­shift option. PHOTO: QUICKPIC

19Donderdag20 Maart, 2014

BOLANDSOLD AUTO

LexusdebutsRC350FSPORTatGenevaMOTORPRESS

Lexus will unveil the F Sport*variant of its RC Coupe at the2014 Geneva Motor Show.

First revealed at the 2013 TokyoMotorShow, theRC isa standalonemodel rather than a two-door de-rivative of a sedan.Although based on the GS plat-

form, it differs in all dimensionsfrom the GS and IS model lines.The F Sport variant of the RC 350

offers visual and dynamic up-grades over the standard model.Visual upgrades include unique

interior and exterior styling pack-age, including body kit, wheels, in-terior instruments, seating andother touches.The F Sport’s dynamic upgrades

take the form of exclusively tunedfront and rear suspension hard-ware, the availability of adaptivevariable suspension (AVS) and theLexus Dynamic Handling (LDH)system (incorporating dynamicrear steering), providing driverswith an even more rewarding andengaging driving experience.Readily identified by a model-

specific ‘F’ mesh grille design, thefront of F Sport models features afurther evolution of the Lexusspindle grille.The F Sport model range com-

bines model-specific badging witha unique 19” F Sport alloy wheeldesign featuring a machine-fin-ished outer 10-spoke layer offsetover an inner 10-spoke layer fin-ished in a dark metallic paint.Three exterior colours – white

nova, orange and flame blue – are

exclusive to F Sport.The RC F Sport also adopts an

LFA-style instrument cluster withmoveable centre ring, and an FSport steeringwheel and premiumshift knob.The F Sport-exclusive interior

design is completed by wedge met-al ornamentation and an F Sport-exclusive dark rose interior col-

our.Lexus Engineers have carefully

tuned the RC F Sport to offer great-er dynamic performance.Kicking off the dynamic up-

grades for the F Sport model is theadoption of AVS.Teamed to drive mode select,

AVS responds to driver inputs, ve-hiclebodymotionandroadsurface

conditions to automatically andindependently adjust the perform-ance of the suspension at all fourcorners to maximise dynamic per-formance.When the vehicle’s Sport+ drive

mode is selected, AVS is set toSPORT and allows the driver tofeel improved body control andprecise responses to steering input

via a firmer suspension settingand revised power-steering assist-ance.The suspension enhancements

of the RC 350 F Sport are comple-mented by the four-wheel steeringbenefits of the LDH system.This leading-edge technology of-

fers the integration of dynamicrear steering (DRS), electric powersteering and variable gear ratiosteering (VGRS).The system calculates the opti-

mum angle for all four wheels bymonitoringvehicle speed, steeringdirection and driver inputs.UsingVGRS in the front andDRS

in the rear, the system can inde-pendently manage both front andrear wheel steering angles to helpimprove turn-in response, reargrip, vehicle control and overallagility when cornering.The Lexus unique vehicle dy-

namics integrated managementsystem coordinates LDH, the anti-lock braking system, traction con-trol, vehicle stability control andadaptive variable suspension.The LDH system monitors vehi-

cle speedandyawrate, steeringan-gle and speed, and lateral G to cal-culate the required rear wheelsteering input up to a maximumrear wheel angle of two degrees.The front and rear wheels turn

in opposite directions at lowerspeeds to assist manoeuvrabilityand in the samedirection at higherspeeds to provide stability.The Lexus Dynamic Handling

systemcoordinates all of the aboveand optimises dynamic and safetysystems to suit vehicle speed anddriving style.

When the vehicle’s Sport+ drive mode is selected, AVS is set to SPORT and allows the driver to feel improvedbody control and precise responses to steering input via a firmer suspension setting and revised power steeringassistance. PHOTO: MOTORPRESS

20 Donderdag20 Maart, 2014

BOLANDSOLDAUTO

Road test:HondaVFR1200CrosstourerXDFRANS LE ROUX

The adventure bike category haslong been ruled by the Germansat BMW with their very popularGS models. If you wanted a bigdual purpose adventure bikewhich could easily carry two pas-sengers and all their luggage, the1200GS was the bike of choice.

Other manufacturers who sharethe spoils in the segment is themoreoff-road orientatedKTM990 and theever reliable Yamaha Super Tenere1200.

Adventure biking has developedinto a major market segment in thelast 10 years, and buyers seek awhole host of features when consid-ering to fork out a hefty sumof theirhard-earned South African rands.These multipurpose motorcyclesshould be comfortable, easy to con-trol, fuel efficient, safe and reliable.This is a tall order, but thanks tohealthy competition, increasinglybetter options are now available.

Enter thenot sobrandnewHondaVFR 1200 Crosstourer. A rathergood looking adventure bike whichseems to have all the makings of aproper 1200GS competitor. TheCrosstourer has been around since2012, although themodel I testedhasa brilliant trump-card. Somethingso special in fact, that it is uniqueto Honda, andmight sway other po-tential clients to give this bike a try.

I am of course talking about thebrilliant dual clutch transmission,yes your eyes arenot deceiving you.This capable tourer features a fullyautomatic dual clutch gearbox,which, simply put, makes biking

loads more fun. When I first heardthat Iwould be testing an automaticmotorcycle, Iwasabithesitant.Partof the fun of owning a bike is thatsmall lever at your left foot whichyou use to shift gears at a franticpace.

At first glance, the VFR1200 lookspurposeful and ready for anythingyou can throw at it. Good groundclearanceandav-shapedfront light-cluster help to make the Honda at-tractive and modern. LED indica-tors work well and aid visibility in

low light conditions. The instru-ment cluster is digital with thespeed, fuel level and temperaturegauge at your disposal. A trip com-puter is also fitted although the revcounter is difficult to read if the sunis not at your back. The switch tooperate the trip computer wouldhavebeenmoreefficient if itwassit-uated on the handlebars.

At your left hand you can easilyoperate the indicators, lights andhorn, while at your right is whereyou select your gears for the auto-

matic dual clutch gearbox.This is where things get interest-

ing. If you start the bike, it is auto-matically inneutral. Flip the switchat your right hand into D to selectnormalDrivemode.Thismodeisforrelaxed city driving and really addsto the appeal of this bike. The big1200cc motor shifts up at the twistof the throttle and changes down byitself when you approach a stopstreet or traffic light. S or Sportmode is theoneyouselect if theneedarises to get to your destination a

little quicker. This livens up thegearbox, stretches each gear untilnomore revs are available and putsan even bigger smile on your face.Ifyouwantfullautomaticmode,youcan also shift gears using a plus (+)or minus (-) switch.

This Honda features a wonderfulengine. A deep V-Twin growl ads tothe aural pleasure of the 4-cylinderengine. With 95 kW/126 Nm, this275 kg bike is by no means lazy. Infact, acceleration is brisk and safeovertaking in any gear is possible.With a 21.5F fuel tank, you can ex-pect a tank range of around 270-320 km. My average consumptionwas 15,8 km/F which included vari-ousroadsurfacesanddrivingcondi-tions.

I would have enjoyed a biggerscreen on my bike, but Honda canfit one for you or you can have thelarger touring screen standard onyour VFR1200 Adventure version.

I am a big fan of adventure bikesandenjoyeverything theystand for.The VFR1200 Crosstourer XD wascomfortable, featured confidenceinspiring handling, looked greatand took care of all the obstacles Ithrew at it. At R174 990, the Hondaoffers good value for money. Thegearboxalone isenoughtoconvinceme that Honda is truly onto some-thing with the Crosstourer. If youhave a little extra money to burn,I would opt for the Crosstourer Ad-venture which features cruise con-trol, heated grips and the largerscreen as standard. There is just noway that the BMW 1200 GS could bemore comfortable.

Who knew that an automatic ad-venturebikecouldbethismuchfun.

Adventure biking is a lucrative segment for manufacturers. Honda has caught the opposition napping with theintroduction of their VFR1200 Crosstourer automatic. PHOTO: FRANS LE ROUX

21Donderdag20 Maart, 2014

BOLANDSOLD AUTO

Road test:Harley-DavidsonNightRodspecialFRANS LE ROUX

If someone would have told me ayearago that Iwouldsuddenlydoroad tests onmotorcycles aswell,Iwouldhavehadaquiet chuckle.

But, as the old saying goes - thereis a first time for everything. Clear-ly, in my case “everything” meantthat Iwouldbegivenanopportunityto test probably the most iconic ofmotorcycles, namely a Harley-Dav-idson.My motorcycling background

takesme back almost 20 years whenI got my first 50 cc Honda. Back inGr 1 that was probably the coolestgift any child could ask for. Sincethen I have owned a hand full of mo-torbikes,butnothingquitepreparedme for the Harley-Davidson I testedrecently.In motorcycling terms, no other

make has as much brand power,iconic status or cult following asHarley-Davidson. The brand is syn-onymous with big, heavy cruisersall paired beautifully with thatunique exhaust rumble, although intechnology terms Harley hasn’tquite moved along at the same paceas its competitors.This still doesnotstop people from buying them. TheUnited States police force still usethem today. They are notoriouslytough and unbreakable and carryheaps of street-cred when seen driv-ing one.When I arrived at theHarley-Dav-

idson Tygervalley store, my heartskipped a couple of beats because achildhood dreamwas about to cometrue. Ten minutes after I arrived Iwas shownaround the bike and sent

onmyway.TheV-Rodmodelwas in-troduced in 2002 and it changed theface of Harley-Davidson. The bikebroke themould in look and feel andwas seen as the sportiest of the Har-ley lineup.Firstly, the 2014 V-Rod features a

keyless starting system. The key issafely stored in your pocket while amanual ignition switch is found onthe right side of the engine. Turn theignition, press the electric starter

and the 1250cc v-twin motor erupts.Wait, it is a lot more quiet than I ex-pected, but I suppose that isn’t a badthing.My first ride on the near R200 k

machinecertainlydidnot takeplaceatthebestpossibletime.Fiveo’clockon a Friday afternoon in bumper tobumper traffic I carefully made myway out of Durbanville. If you owna Harley-Davidson, you should getused to envious stares from passing

motorists. Parents point to showtheir children while schoolboyswish they could sell their scooters toride a Harley. In an unfamiliar seat-ing position with a rather heavy hy-draulic clutch Imademywayhome.On the open road, this V-Rod cer-

tainly comes into its own. With amassive 240 mm wide rear tyre, the94 kW/112 Nm is effortlessly sent tothe road via a belt driven mecha-nism. You quickly get used to the

Harley’s hefty weight thanks to itslow centre of gravity. The comforta-ble seat and low positioned engineaidmanoeuvrability at slow speeds.It quickly becomes evident that

this V-Rod (with nowind protectingscreen) is perfect for cruising. At alegal 120 km/h wind pushed yourightbackintoyourseat.But luckilythat is not the only thing that sendsyou to the rear of your seat. The V-Rod is by no means slow. With a 5-speed gearbox and revhappymotor,manufacturers claim a top speed ofclose to 220 km/h. That is in no waysuper bike quick, but in Harleyterms that's blisteringly fast.A 19 F fuel tank makes for a theo-

retical tank range of around to 250kilometres. With the handlebars setslightlyclosertotherider,youdogetsome confidence when leaning intoa corner. The suspension is forgiv-ing and you never feel the suddenjolts which you expect to find on amotorbike.On my last trip towards Riebeek

Kasteel, Ihadsomechancetostretchthe legs of theV-Rodand fully appre-ciate what a company can do withmore than a 110 years of experience.In my opinion the V-Rod is the per-fect bike fromHarley-Davidson. It ismore than a 100 kg lighter than theElectra Glide and has loads morepower than the entry level Sportster883.As a whole, riding the V-Rod was

a far less daunting task than I origi-nally imagined. At R199 500, the V-Rod does not come cheap. I wouldrather pay the premium than ven-ture over to any Japanese brandwhich tries and imitate the Harley-Davidson’s ultimate cruiser image.

If you are in the market for a fast, gorgeous and powerful Harley Davidson, look no further than the V­RodNight Rod special. PHOTO: MOTORCYCLECRUISER.COM

22 Donderdag20 Maart, 2014

BOLANDSOLDAUTO

23Donderdag20 Maart, 2014

BOLANDSOLD AUTO

Tophonours forKiaMotorsHermanusKia Motors Her-manus proudly re-ceived tophonours inCSI (Customer Satis-faction Index)amongst 68 othercompeting KIA deal-ers in the country atKiaMotors South Af-rica’s annual awardsevening in CapeTownon12February.Yes,that’sright–firstin the country!

Customers who pur-chasedand/orservicedtheir Kia motor vehi-cles at Kia Motors inHermanus had the op-portunity to rate theirservice experience atthelocaldealershipandtheir combined ratingsthroughout 2013 culmi-nated in three highlyacclaimed awards forthe local Kia dealer-ship.

) Kia Motors Her-manus was ranked 1stinSouthAfrica inSalesCSI Category C for 2013and took the award for“SalesCSIDealer of theYear,Cat 3”

)KiaMotorsHermanus’sserviceadvisor, Carla King, excelled in herCSI performance and amongst allKia dealerships throughout SouthAfrica won “Service Advisor of theYear, 2013”.

)Due to these twohighly ranked1st place achievements the Kia Mo-tors Hermanus team was awardedthe most sought after and prestig-ious dealer award of them all, the

“Overall CSI Dealer of the Year,2013”.

The Kia Motors Hermanus teamhascertainlymadetheOverbergar-ea proud and has shown that righthere in Hermanus you can receivecustomer service worthy of beingrankednumberoneinSouthAfrica.It seems all you need to do is jointhe ever-growing Kia Motors Her-manuslistofveryhappycustomers.

ThemanagingdirectorofKiaMo-

torsHermanus,SeanSmith,hadthefollowing to say: “Thank you to allour family members (customers).We are extremely proud of you forbelieving in us and commendingourability to lookafter you.Wewillcontinue to strive to be the best wepossibly can in all aspects of ourbusiness. If you are a Kia owner oryou are thinking of purchasing aneworusedcaryoucanrestassuredthatyouwillbewelcomedandtreat-

ed like family – it is the only waywe know how!

“Weare very fortunate to be asso-ciated with such a great qualityproduct with fresh modern looks(thankstoourGermandesigner,Pe-ter Schreyer), excellent re-sale val-ue,acomprehensivestandard listoffeatures and benefits all warrantedfor 5 years or 150 000 km and veryimportantly at a very competitiveprice.

“I am very proud of our team forfocusing on our goals and believingin themselves and most important-ly, for taking care of you. We knewif taking care of you was done withpassionthiswouldculminateinsuc-cess.We do have the best of the bestworking at Kia Motors Hermanusand I really enjoy seeing our teammembers delight each and everyfamily member (customer) they in-teract with.”

Pictured here is the winning team of Kia Motors Hermanus. From the left: Stuart King (sales executive), Francois Basson (sales executive), Carla King (serviceadvisor), Bulelani Dondolo (general assistant), Antoinette Abrahams (F & I consultant), Vincent Duffy (driver), Amelda Lotter (accountant), Johann Kotzee (techni­cian), Pauline Smith (new & used car sales manager) and Sean Smith (managing director).

Geely betree Turbo-eraQUICKPIC

Turbo-enjins met ’n klein verpla-singsinhoud, maar met baie oemf,salbinnekort in ’naantalnuwepro-dukte van Geely aangetref word.

Hoewel die Geely-passasiersmo-torafdeling vandie ZhejiangGeely-groep die afgelope paar jaar al ver-skeie turbo-aangejaagde kragbron-ne op internasionale motorskoueonthul het, het dié private Chinesevoertuigvervaardiger nog nie diésoort tegnologie begin gebruik nie.

Maar dit is besig om te veran-der . . .

Die eerste turbo-kragbron in dieGeely-stal sal ’n 1,3 F-weergawe

wees.Diemaatskappyseeerste tur-bo-produk sal die GC7 1.3 T wees,wat na verwagting voor die eindevandie jaar bekendgestel salword.

Die 1.3T sal ’n eerbare 99 kW le-wer en aan ’n 5-gang-handratkas of’n outomatiese 6-gang van Geely seAustraliese ratkasvervaardiger,DSI, gekoppel wees.

Hoewel die GC7 (wat nog nie inSuid-Afrika beskikbaar is nie) nie’nnuwevoertuig isnie, isdiémodelal ’n paar jaar in die Gleagle-reeks.

Geely ondersoek ook die moont-likheid van kleinverplasing-turbo-enjins vir sy bestaande EC7-reeks,wat verlede jaar in Suid-Afrika be-kend gestel is. Die Chinese motorvervaardiger Geely gaan eersdaags begin om turbo’s by sy enjins te voeg. FOTO: QUICKPIC

24 Donderdag20 Maart, 2014

BOLANDSOLDAUTO

NuweSuzuki Swift 1.2:MeerbekostigbaarSuzuki Auto Suid-Afrika het ’nnuwe, meer bekostigbare1.2-weergawe by sy reeks Swift-luikrugmotors gevoeg. Die Swift1.2 vul die bestaande Swift-reeksaan, en word in twee vlakke vanspesifikasie gebied, terwyl ko-pers ook tussen ’n handratweer-gawe of ’n outomatiese ratkaskan kies.

Die huidige, tweedegeslag-Swifthet reeds groot welslae op plaaslikebodembehaal sedert die oorspronk-like reeks as deel van Suzuki se toe-trede tot Suid-Afrika in 2008hier be-kend gestel is, en is onlangs vir die2014-modeljaar verder opgekikker.

Die Swift verteenwoordig amper’nderdevanSuzukiAutoSAsealge-hele verkoopsvolume, en die meeras 8 500 Swift-verkope bewys dat dieklein rakker se kombinasie vanjeugdige, kopdraai-stilering, tasba-re gehalte, bestuursplesier en doel-treffendheid die sleutelredes virdaardie welslae is.

“Die toevoeging van die 1.2-weer-gawes tot dieSwift-familiebringnienet die motor binne die bereik van’n groter gehoor nie, maar is ook ’nreaksie op die groeiende vraag namotors met kleiner kragbronne ensuiniger verbruik wat bekostig-baarheid aan gehalte, veiligheid engerief koppel,” sê Francois van Ee-den, nasionale bemarkingsbestuur-der van Suzuki Auto SA.

“Die GA-model se prys betekendat begrotingsbewuste koperssteeds die Swift se ekonomiesebrandstofverbruik, binneruimge-rief en bestuursplesier kan ervaar.Die GL-weergawe baat by die doel-treffendheid van ons nuwe K12-

kragbron, maar bied steeds die vol-ledige toerustinglys waaraan Swift-eienaars gewoond geraak het.”

Die belangrikste kenmerke vandie Swift 1.2 se buitevoorkoms blyonveranderd. Daaronder tel dieskerp gekantelde voorruit wat lykasofditomdiemotorsekajuitgevouis, diebreëbakvorm,endieopmerk-like kopligte en agterlig-samestel-lings.

Dit skep ‘n jong en vaartbelyndeindruk wat verder deur die sterkomlynde wielboë en gespierde pro-porsies van die motor benadrukword. Die wiele is op die hoeke vandie motor geplaas om die bakoor-hang te beperk, en terselfdertyd dieruimte binne optimaal te benut.

Die nuwe Suzuki Swift 1.2-model-le se voorgestelde kleinhandelspry-se sluit ’n diensplan van twee

jaar/30 000 km in, asook ’n waar-borg van drie jaar/100 000 km, en ’npadbystandsdiens vandrie jaarmetonbeperkte afstand. Die diensinter-val is 15 000 km.

Met ’n minimum-massa van net960 kg doen die Swift sy naam ge-stand wat werkverrigting en wak-ker reaksies betref. Die motor segunstige krag-tot-massa verhou-ding bevoordeel nie net blote ver-

snelling nie, maar ook die vermoëvandiemotor omvinnig opversnel-lerinsette te reageer, terwyl brand-stofverbruik ook suiniger is.

Die Swift 1.2-handratmodel severbruiksyfer vir die gekombineer-desiklusbeloopnet5,7 liter/100 km,met ’n gepaardgaande CO2-uitlaat-gasvlak van 134 g/km. Die outoma-tieseSwift1.2 isooknie ’nbrandstof-duiwel nie: die motor se verbruikvir die gekombineerde siklus komop 6,3 liter/100 km te staan, met ’nCO2-uitlaatsyfer van 149 g/km.

Die nuwe Swift 1.2 is met tweevlakke van standaardtoerusting be-skikbaar. Die Swift 1.2 GA is veralgemikopbegrotingsbewuste intree-vlak-kopers wat die rats dinamika,die gehalte en die doeltreffendheidvandieSwift-reekswilervaar,maarook by die bykomende suinigheidvan die K12-enjin sal baat.

Die 1.2 GL se dinamiese persoon-likheidis identies,maarditwordge-koppel aan ’n meer volledig toege-rustebinneruimwatnogmeerweel-de en gerief by die 1.2-pakket voeg.

Die groot nuus is egter Suzuki sejongste-geslag K12-enjin van 1,2 F.Die sestienklep-viersilinderkrag-bron maak van elektroniese brand-stofinspuiting en Suzuki se soge-naamde VVT veranderbare klep-tydreëling gebruik om optimaleverbruik en verrigting te behaal.

Die nuwe enjin het ’nmaksimum-kraglewering van 63 kW by 6 000 r/min, met ’n gepaardgaande wring-kragpiekvan113Nmby4 500r/min.Die veranderbare kleptydreëlingoptimiseer krag en wringkrag oordie enjin se hele toerestrek, om sodie beste moontlike verrigting endoeltreffendheid te bied.

Die 1.2 GL se dinamiese persoonlikheid is identies aan die GA, maar dit word gekoppel aan ’n meer volledigtoegeruste binneruim wat nog meer weelde en gerief by die 1.2­pakket voeg. PHOTO: QUICKPIC