TOTT 28 March 2019

22 Talk of the Town ADVERTISING / NEWSDESK: (046) 624 4356 Find us on Facebook
March 28, 2019
Toyota hatches
BOWLSBANTER
... what’s happening
the new Corolla
Of all motoring name brands in
South Africa, Corolla was,
undoubtedly, the most chirped
about.
Toyota sold so many of them that
you could find one
parked next to just
about every kakiebos
bush in the
Tr a n s va a l … Then, it
stopped. No more
Corollas.
Now the company
has just launched a
radically new
hatchback – ever so
cunningly – under
the Corolla banner in
the hope that it will
also sell like hell in its new guise.
Suppose Corolla just had to come
back.
Just to show it’s a true departure
from the past, the new Corolla
hatches have traded the Auris
badge for a Corolla one, and
highlighting it as the 12th generation
of the brand.
Talk about hip diction, Toyota
refers to the TNGA (Toyota New
Global Architecture) platform as
being at the heart of this new hatch.
This TNGA allows for the Corolla’s
design to be longer, lower and
sleeker than ever before, says
Toyota. The car is 25mm lower,
30mm wider, 40mm longer and the
bonnet line is a whopping 47m
lower, which, I must concede, makes
for attractive styling and also gives
the driver a greater field of vision
upfront.
For what used to be a fairly
conservative Toyota, design-wise,
the Corolla’s front and rear sculpting
is pretty daring, with what it terms a
catamaran look from the front and
rear angles of the car.
The bold front trapezoidal lower
grille has a mesh design with
surround that’s more upright,
reducing the front overhang by
20mm.
The tail end has a 14-degree
increased angle to the rear screen
and LED light clusters located as far
to the edge as possible, a roof
spoiler and a shark fin antenna, to
catch one’s attention.
Styling is rounded off with the
inclusion of 16-inch alloy wheels,
which sit neatly in the wheel arches
with just the right amount of flare.
Toyota has opted for the same
motor it uses in the C-HR, which is
the lively 1.2-litre four-cylinder
turbopetrol unit, delivering 85kW
and constant torque with a
pleasingly flat torque curve of
185Nm at between 1 500r/min and 4
000r/min.
Couple this to either a six-speed
manual transmission, or Toyota’s
new, remarkable,
10-speed Sport
Sequential
Shif tmatic
Continuously
Variable (CVT)
a u t o m at i c
cog-swapper, and
you have the best
possible combo right
there at the
JUST HITTING CENTRE STAGE: Will the new Corolla Hatch take
over where the last one left off? A radical departure from the then
conservative but functional icon, might well do the trick
backbone of your running gear.
The car’s performance is wor th
twittering about and the manual
gets you to 100km/h in just 9.5
seconds – the CVT version does it in
10.4 sec – and on to a maximum
speed of 200km/h, says Toyota. Not
bad for a 1.2-litre.
A well-balanced engine/gearing
combination always leads to
beneficial fuel consumption as well,
and Toyota claims an average
consumption of 6.1 litres/100km for
the new Hatch.
The rear suspension is now a new
multi-link system that is more
compact and not only allows for a
larger boot space, but, together with
a new shock absorber valve design
for 40% less friction, yields a
smoother ride and better tracking
stabilit y.
The interior of the car is, likewise,
as no other Toyota before. Because
of the TNGA, you also immediately
feel that the Corolla has a
comforting, lower centre of gravity
than the Auris.
As you take the wheel, the new
instrument panel is now much
slimmer and immediately leads one
to feel interior space has been well
optimised.
The flagship Xr models have
sports front seats that are slimmer
and wider, and have thick side
bolsters for improved holding
performance in hard cornering.
The rear split seats can be folded
down to increase the boot’s load
space, and upholstery in the
premium models is a combination of
fabric and Alcantara leather.
There is just about a cockpit-full
of passive safety features to the car
and start with seven airbags –
driver and passenger, along with
two side and curtain, as well as one
for the driver’s knee.
In my opinion, the strengths of
the Corolla – for many years, SA’s
best-selling sedan – was that it was
sufficient to the everyday motorist.
Not overly more than any other
brand, but what it had, worked well,
economically and reliably.
Always costing a bit more than
the opposition, but then resale
values were high – and there was
always a good Toyota dealership
conveniently just around the corner.
Oh, and they were never very
exciting cars unless they were in
motorsport – but this Corolla is…
For a start, there are three Corolla
Hatch models. The 1.2T Xs 6MT
(manual transmission) – R336,800;
the 1.2T Xs CVT – R347,400, and the
1.2T Xr CVT – R 3 67 , 1 0 0 .
All come with a
six-services/90,000km Service Plan
and three-year/100,000km warranty.
TOP TEAM: The winners of the 2019 Kenton Business League were the Buco Rollers, from left, Sylvester
van Rensburg, Ockie Goosen, Zane van Rensburg, Keith Starbuck with Kenton Bowls Club president
Anthony Copeman
Port Alfred Bowling
Club
Last Tuesday afternoon the
Guido’s vouchers were won
by Hilary Allen, Studley Clark
and Tony Versfeld. Well
played and thank you to
Guido’s for their vouchers.
Congrats to Trevor and
Jenny Frost who won the
club mixed pairs internal
competition.
Mike Pfotenhauer won the
wrong bias potty and duly
paid his fine.
We hosted a very
successful Hospice
tournament on Thursday
which was very well
supported by all the local
bowling clubs, particularly
Kowie, Kenton and Albany.
All the proceeds are
donated to Hospice who
provides a fantastic service
in this town of caring for
potential terminal patients.
Just about everybody has
a family member or friend
who has been affected by
cancer of some sort.
The department of health
is cutting back on funds so
that Hospice is reliant on
funding to supplement their
income.
There were prizes for the
winning skips, thirds,
seconds and leads. Keith
Benson generously donated
his winnings back to
Hospice. Thank you, Keith.
The raffle was won by Sue
Purdon. Some of the bowlers
also won lucky tickets in the
form of a lunch for two, a
handbag and a bottle of
w h i s k y.
We thank Brian
Waddington who organises
this annual event and to all
the sponsors and the ladies
of Hospice who provided tea
and lunch.
This weekend was the
start of the Eastern Areas
(EA) mixed pairs, which
continues on April 27 and 28
for those who made it
through.
Should you be unlucky
enough to be playing in a
section of three, you may
only get to play one game,
and be knocked out which is
a shame in a competition of
this nature.
We had five teams from
our club that entered, four of
which played at Kenton and
one pair at home. Sadly none
of us won our sections so
will have to try next year.
The mixed novice 101
singles will be played on
Wednesday afternoon April 3
at 1.30pm and 3.30pm.
The men’s All Cape starts
in Port Elizabeth on April 1
and the Ladies’ All Cape
starts on April 8. Good
bowling and best of luck to
all the bowlers who have
entered a team. None of our
men have entered a team.
CROQUET
CORNER
... rolls that count
Good to see newcomers being coached
by Janet Thatcher on Wednesday
mornings.
If anyone is interested in playing
please come along or contact Roger on
0 8 2 - 373 - 8 1 8 1 .
On Friday March 29 weather
permitting don’t forget night croquet
with a bring and braai after. All are
welcome. Saturday will be rollover.
Forms for the Allan Wilson Classic are
in the clubhouse. Please remember the
hampers. Birthdays this week Colin
Barnard on the 28th – have a good day.
Only one ladies’ team has
entered.
We have night bowls on
Friday evening March 29 at
5.30pm for 6pm followed by
a bring and braai. Bowlers
and non-bowlers are
welcome.
Duties for the week ending
April 2 -6: Tabs - Mike
Pfotenhauer and Jenny
Frost, Bar Duty - Jim, Julie
and Hein.
Kowie Bowling Club
How does one describe the
absolute disbelief which
emanated from the
community when it became
known that Bob Ford had
passed away.
In a coastal town
dominated by retirees,
visitations by the grim reaper
are met with more stoicism
than in other towns, but it
took some time before the
members of the club
accepted the reality of Bob's
passing.
There was nothing
flamboyant about Bob.
Indeed it was his
unobtrusiveness which made
him almost invisible – and
yet, he was always there
pottering around the
clubhouse and the grounds
willing to do things for the
club and for individuals.
He never sought the
limelight but, inexorably, it
found him.
The attendance at the
memorial service was a clear
indication that Bob's sphere
of influence went well
beyond the precincts of the
club.
He was good at sport but,
more importantly, he was a
sportsman whether he won
or lost. He earned the
respect of all who played
with or against him and in
the old days with Eric Kent
and Eden Bradfield formed a
formidable trio. This was
later joined by Gavin Deenik.
He had the gift of defusing a
potential crisis by making a
remark (sometimes in Xhosa)
which took all the tension
out of the situation.
He, Gavin and I formed the
triumvirate known as the
“Under the Tree Club” where
all the problems of the world
were solved every morning.
Bob was a very good
committee man, a good
mediator and principled in
his decisions and actions.
Consistent and honest in
self-analysis. Polonius would
have been proud of his
Laertes: “This above all, to
thine own self be true.”
In any club there are
“members” and then there
are members. He belonged
to the group that no club can
afford to lose. He will be
sorely missed and,
paradoxically, the first
indication of his absence
might be an unfixed leaking
tap.
Tuesday was a big day at
the club – almost as if the
members wanted to share
their grief. There were some
big scores with Tony Brown,
Rob Walker and Piet Coetzee
hogging the prizes.
With most of our players
at the Sunshine Coast
Hospice day and, also,
helping to host the EP/
Border Nomads there were
only 24 to play Tabs-in.
Again it was left to Tony
Brown, Tessa Chanet, and
Robin Dowding to win the
mega-bucks.
Over the weekend we had
an excellent entry of nine
teams (out of a possible 25)
from Kowie to play in the EA
Mixed Pairs. With such a
large entry from Kowie it was
inevitable that some of our
teams found themselves with
other Kowie teams in the
same section.
Congrats to our teams
which won four of the seven
sections – Steve Minnaar
and Megan Kriel, Judy and
Jonty Alexander, Pieter and
Margaret Stegman, and
Grumpy Enslin and Helise
Hat tingh..
It was pleasing to note
that, at the end of the
weekend no marriage
counselling was required.
Good bowling to our
men's teams participating in
the All Cape at Port
Elizabeth.
Duties: Roll - Pieter
Stegman, Mark - Dick
Schuurman/ Mike Ryan,
Tabs - Lina Woodard, Bar -
Siegie Rohrs.
Kenton Bowling Club
A quiet week of bowls in
Kenton last week with good
turnouts at Tabs-in and a
focus on internal club
competitions.
Three sections of the EA
Mixed Pairs competition were
played this past weekend at
Kenton and our
congratulations go to Ruth
Low and Ken Nixon for
winning their section. Ruth
and Ken now progress to the
finals of this competition to
be played in April.
Ken is obviously a far
better bowler than a sleuth,
failing at his second attempt
to find the elusive joker and
ensuring that the joker stays
alive for at least another
week. Lolly Biggs also
missed out on the weekly
attendance draw of R500.
Club Duties (March 25 - 31):
Tabs - Bill Bedford, Bar -
Dave and Lynn West.
Dates to Remember
(March 25 - 31): 28th -
President’s Chair competition
at Kowie.