TOTT 25 April 2019

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Talk of the Town 9
Song and dance as
Happy Hours get to
celebrate classroom
ROB KNOWLES
It was an early evening of
fun and friendship at Happy
Hours Pre-primary School
last Friday when the school
celebrated the opening of its
new classroom as a thank
you to those individuals and
businesses that contributed
to this community project
and making it all happen.
School principal Tracy
Lloyd thanked everyone
involved in the project,
especially Brian Knight from
main construction contractor
CM Heunis who had driven
the project from the
beginning.
“We thank him very much
for all the work he has done
to make this classroom a
realit y,” she told the group
of business people and
individuals who had
contributed to the project.
For Knight this is just one
of the many community
projects that he, as CM
Heunis, has undertaken.
Knight said he was a part of
the community and wants to
give something back.
Other projects
successfully completed in
the past, include the
Kleinemonde Community
Church (with Barry Purdon),
a classroom at the Kenton
Primary School, the
Kleinemonde Recreation
Club and the Port Alfred
Tourism Office on Causeway.
“It is just a matter of a
phone call to suppliers to
get them involved,” said
Knight.
“CM Heunis is always
ready to help the
communit y.”
There is a long list of
people who need to be
thanked, Lloyd said. These
include Makana Brick,
KayJay Bricks, Inso
Aluminium, Buco Main
Street and Albany Road,
Bathurst Co-op, Mooifontein
Quarry, Trelidor, H Venter
Plant Hire, Dulux Paint, and
Viv Dell Transport. Roy
Bowles Construction did the
paving at the school.
There were also private
donations made in order for
the project to be completed.
The classroom is large,
airy and bright and leads
into a private baby section
where teachers or carers can
care for infants.
“Thank you all so much.
None of this would have
been possible without you,”
Lloyd said.
PLAYGROUND JOY: The pre-primary class at Shaw Park Primary pose on their
jungle gym
LOTS OF BUNNIES: Grade 3s at Shaw Park Primary put on their bunny masks
to wish everyone Happy Easter last week
EASTER POSE: The grade 1 class at Shaw Park Primary, with
teacher Ilze Dames, wished everyone a Happy Easter
Isuzu on maximum attack with D-Max
In the Eastern Cape, Isuzu is synonymous with
Ironman, Southern Kings rugby and other macho
international activities.
With its new D-Max pick-up one-tonners and
double cabs, it wants to portray the more than
“t u f fe n u f f ” image for these vehicles throughout
Southern Africa.
Just how tough are these four-wheel ironmen from
Port Elizabeth? Do they keep the driver
and occupants comfortable and happy
as they carry out their strongarm work,
as well as while cruising on the open
road?
We wheeled out the flagship D-Max
300 TD 4x4 LX Double Cab on a test
session via the uncompromising
mountain roads outside Oudtshoorn
and surrounding areas, to get some
answers.
The last time I visited Isuzu in
Japan, I came away convinced that it’s
firstly, strongly, an engine-oriented
motor manufacturer.
Now, one look at the styling of the D-Max tells me
that this ethos has drastically changed.
This new Isuzu is handsome and like no other
pick-up, with a frontal countenance that is forceful of
design. The new Xenon headlights are Bi-LED and do
their bit for the vehicle’s head-on styling, as do the
new, colour-coded radiator grill and front bumper.
Side-on, the rear window line sweeps up almost
immediately after the B-pillar, similar to that of a clubor
crew-cab vehicle. But not so, this is a full-form
fo u r - d o o r.
The 18-inch aluminium wheels stand well clear of
the aggressive arches, enabling more than usual
suspension travel. However, the fancy, but inhibiting
side steps and rear tow hitch on this model will
prevent one from taking on really severe off-road
work. Ground clearance, in spite of this, allows a
wading depth of 600mm.
Much as the D-Max’s styling and cosmetics have
been upped, so the mechanicals have largely been
left unaltered.
LOOKS AND POWER: New name and a new
appearance are key notes of the Isuzu D-Max
pick-up range. Our test D-Max seen here
weighing up a serious challenger in the outback
near the Cango Caves – both in ‘Blue Me Away’
colouring.
You say the Isuzu ‘s four-cylinder turbo-diesel motor
does not match the 3-litre V6 or five-cylinder units of
some of the main opposition? Well, this one has big
piston “p ot s ” for more torque and it comes with
380Nm at a low 1,800r/min and 130kW of power at
3,600r/min.
Not earth-shattering, but I got the impression that
this engine is designed to work at well below tress
levels and should still deliver
optimally way beyond when the
others may have reached the end of
their lives.
Our test pick-up came with a
six-speed manual gearbox with a
suitable ratio for a large variety of
situations – including pukka off-road
work. Four-wheel drive is simply
dialled in on the fly, via a rotary
control on the centre console, just
behind the gear lever.
Active safety features include
Electronic Stability Control, Electronic
Brake Force Distribution, Hill Start Assist and Hill
Descent Control for those whose off-road driving may
not be up to scratch.
Also, this package returns very low fuel
consumption figures compared with the D-Max’s
detractors, averaging out at just 8.2l/100km, for a
variety of driving conditions. Together with an 80-litre
diesel fuel tank, a better range with a 2,999cc chunky
double cab 4x4, would be hard to find.
The occupants of the LX version have the benefit of
leather upholstery, fully electrically-six-way-adjustable
front seats and sumptuous carpeting and cladding.
The cab is 1,860mm wide, offering sufficient shoulder
room for five adults.
The driver has rear parking distance sensors and
PORT ALFRED
SERVICE CENTRE
imagery that show on a nine-inch infotainment screen
up front on the dash. The electrically adjustable
polished chrome external rear view mirrors are heated
and fold away in tight situations or for bush work.
Those headlights also incorporate integrated LED
daytime running lights on the LX model.
An Alpine integrated touchscreen infotainment
system has an AM/FM radio, Bluetooth connectivity,
iPod control, USB ports, WiFi connectivity and
embedded satellite navigation. I found its operation a
bit of a challenge at first, but it was the old story of
having done it just once, it was easy thereafter. Cruise
Control is activated by buttons on the multi-function
steering wheel.
Our D-Max 4x4 LS standard has a price tag of
MONTHLY AUCTION
SATURDAY
27 APRIL 2019 AT 10am
SEE OUR FACEBOOK PAGE FOR PICTURES
75 BATHURST STREET, PORT ALFRED
T: 046 - 624 8070 C: 072 188 2633
GREENHEAT NOW AVAILABLE IN
OUR SHOP!!
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R600,700 without the optional extras.
Its warranty extends over five years/120,000km,
there is a five-year corrosion warranty and five-year
roadside assistance, while the service plan extends
over five years or 90,000km.
Our test D-Max was clad in a particularly pleasing
bright blue called ‘Blue Me Away’. Someone at Isuzu
has a nice sense of humour, because other colours –
after our last test Isuzu KB’s ‘Saturday White Fever’ –
include ‘Black Meet Kettle and ‘Pull Me Over Red’.
Classics at the Castle
19 Wesley Hill Port Alfred
- presents -
QUINTESSENCE
3pm welcome drink 3:30pm start of concert
Tickets @ R90 from KNA Port Alfred (046 624 2036)
includes a drink and programme