Africa Automotive May-June digital issue 2019

May-June issue 2019 Volume 3 issue no. 3 

Africa Automotive 

Vehicle Tracking 

in Fleet management 

GPS vehicle tracking can be the pivotal edge over your business 

In this issue...... 

The role of additives 

in motor oil performance....pg 

26 

May-June issue l 2019 

Apollo unveils new Aspire 

XP summer tyre....pg 10 

Modern tire technology 

the technological innovations 

of the modern tire era....pg 31 

Africa Automotive News l 2019 1

2 Africa Automotive News l 2019 May-June issue l 2019

Managing Editor 

Francis David 

Contents 

Editor-in-Chief 

Augustine Rang’ondi 

Editor 

Dorcas Kang’ereha 

Writer 

Violet Ambale 

Harriet Mkhaye 

Irene Joseph 

Innocent Momanyi 

Sales Executives 

East Africa 

Jimmy Mudasia 

Lydia Kamonya 

Caiser Momanyi 

Vincent Murono 

Sheila Ing’ayitsa 

South Africa 

Paul Nyakeri 

Sean Masangwanyi 

Lisa Brown 

Thembisa Ndlovu 

Nigeria 

Emelda Njomboro 

Uche Maxwel 

NEWS PG 4-9 

Kenya suspends age limit law for imported 

second-hand cars 

Isuzu inks vehicle financing deal with Gulf 

African Bank 

Auto-Springs East Africa opens factory in 

Limuru 

KEBS bans import of used car parts 

Mercedes-Benz has plans to expand C-Class 

production in SA 

Component manufacturing demand 

AUTOSHOW PG 18-19 

AUTOEXPO Africa 2019 

Testing Expo China 

Autonomous Vehicle Technology Expo 

PRODUCTS 

Apollo unveils new Aspire XP summer tyre 

CASE Construction Equipment unveils 

methane-powered wheel loader concept 

Continental’s Cutting-Edge Tyres 

INTERVIEW 

Vehicle tracking devices market in Africa 

Big adoption curve in Auto safety technology 

FEATURES 

Importance of GPS (Cover story) 

The role of additives in motor oil performance 


REVIEW 

2020 Range Rover Gets Mild-Hybrid 

Toyota Kenya launchesfifth generation 

Rav4 

Peugeot 3008 SUV Emerges ‘New Car Of 

The Year’ In Europe 

SAFETY TIPS 

Regularly check your tire pressure and 

inspect your tire tread and sidewalls 

Driving safety tips every driver should know 

Also check Motorbike News 

pg 42-43 

Published by: 

Nailex Africa Publishing 

P.O. Box 10109, 00100 

Nairobi, Kenya. 

The Editor accepts letter and manuscripts for publication from readers 

all over the world. Include your name and address as a sign of 

good faith although you may request your name to be withheld from 

publication. We can reserve the right to edit any material submitted. 

Send your letters to: info@africaautomotivenews.com 

Disclaimer: 

Nailex Africa Publishing makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of the contents of its publications, 

but no warranty is made to such accuracy and no responsibility will be borne by the publisher for the 

consequences of actions based on information so published. Further, opinions expressed on interviews 

are not necessarily shared by Nailex Africa Publisher. 



NEWS 

Kenya suspends age 

limit law for imported 

second-hand cars 

It was a relief for importers of 

second hand vehicles after the 

government suspended plans 

to cap the age limit for imported 

second-hand cars at five 

years from the current 8. While 

appearing before the Trade and 

Industries committee of the National 

Assembly, Trade CS Peter 

Munya the cap was a proposal. “It 

is still in its draft form and yet to 

undergo public participation,” said 

CS Munya. 

This was after the legislators aired 

concerns that the ministry was 

making policies without involving 

them. They even termed CS Munya’s 

pronouncement as roadside 

declaration. 

He however assured the lawmakers 

that the status quo remains until 

all stakeholders are involved and 

the policy is passed in Parliament. 

The new set of regulations seeks 

to cap importation of used cars 

from 8 to five years starting this 

July. In 2021, the limit is proposed 

to be three years and finally 

zero by the year 2024. 

The Kenyan government further 

wants restriction on importation 

of second hand vehicles of over 

1500cc and exceeding five years 

from date of manufacturing. 

The plan has since been met by 

strong opposition from dealers 

who say the business is the economic 

mainstay for over 2 million 

people, directly and indirectly. 

Some even told off the Kenya Bureau 

of Standards KeBS technical 

team saying the proposed national 

automotive policy is punitive and 

inconsiderate of their grievances. 


From Left: Isuzu EA CFO Charles Kariuki and Gulf African Bank MD Abdalla Abdulkhalik after signing the asset finance deal in 

Nairobi 

Isuzu inks vehicle financing 

deal with Gulf African Bank 

Financial deal has been signed 

between the Islamic lender 

Gulf African Bank and the 

Isuzu East Africa to finance 

customers’ purchase of a wide 

range of trucks sold by the Japanese 

motor vehicle dealer. 

Gulf African Bank Managing 

Director Abdalla Abdulkhalik said 

under the one-year deal the lender 

would provide up to 95% of 

funding while the customer would 

provide the remaining 5%. The 

financing arrangement targets both 

Muslim and non-Muslim clientele 

as Isuzu seeks to sell 1,000 units. 

“The financing is open to everybody, 

it is not limited to the 

Muslim faith but we are looking at 

the entire country to help people 

acquire the vehicles for their businesses,” 

said Mr. Abdulkhalik. 

Customers will enjoy a two-month 

grace period before they start making 

the monthly installments over 

a five-year duration to service the 

loans for the models that include 

Isuzu D-max, N series trucks and F 

series trucks. 

Increase sales 

Isuzu Finance and Strategy Director 

Charles Kariuki said the 

funds would be released within 

72-hours of an application under 

the deal as the firm seeks to 

increase sales. 

Isuzu was the only major dealer 

to grow sales in the first quarter 

ended March in what is attributed 

to special financing deals with 

lenders such as Co-op Bank. 

The dealer’s unit sales in the 

review period rose to 1,019 from 

891 a year earlier while orders in 

the overall industry fell 14.5% to 

2,741 units. 

Most dealers including Toyota 

Kenya and Simba Corporation 

recorded significant sales decline. 

Unit sales at Isuzu rose to 1,019 

from 891 while those of Toyota 

declined to 672 from 812. Simba 

Corp’s sales also fell to 487 from 

514. 



“We are trying to reduce the level 

of imports of goods that can be made 

by companies like ASL without compromising 

on quality,” said Industrialization 

secretary Adan Mohamed. 

Mr. Mohamed said locally manufactured 

goods benefit local businesses, 

boosting the manufacturing sector’s 

contribution to the economy. The 

auto parts firm currently produces 

150 tonnes of springs each month. 

It has set its eyes on hitting a monthly 

production of 450 tonnes, its 

maximum capacity. The says it is in 

advanced talks with Japanese manufacturer, 

Honda, to supply its local 

operations. 

About Auto Springs East Africa (PLC) 

Auto Springs East Africa PLC newly opened factory in Limuru 

Auto-Springs 

East Africa opens 

factory in Limuru 

Car parts manufacturer Auto-Springs 

East Africa opens 

a new manufacturing plant 

in Limuru. The plant is set 

to create 600 additional jobs. The 

auto parts firm, which has moved its 

operations from Athi River to the new 

plant, already has about 200 employees 

on its payroll. 

The newly opened Sh.500 million 

plant will be hiring both skilled and 

semi-skilled workers. The new jobs 

projection is, however, partly dependent 

on the government’s resolve 

in implementing a legal notice that 

requires car manufacturers to source 

more than a third of their inputs 

locally. 

“If the government enforces Legal Notice 

489 which requires automotive 

assemblers to have 40% local content 

in their vehicle assemblies, then we 

can increase our production to three 

shifts that would require a workforce 

of 800 persons,” said Kevin Kihara, 

the Auto-Springs East Africa board 

chairman. The company produces 

wiring harness, leaf springs, bolts and 

nuts and agricultural machinery. 

According to the Economic Survey 

report, Kenya imported car parts 

and accessories worth Sh. 2 billion 

last year an increase from the Sh.1.7 

billion purchased in 2016 but lower 

than the Sh.3.6 bn peak recorded in 

2014. 

Its current market stretches across 

East, Central and Southern African 

countries of Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia 

and the Democratic Republic of 

Congo. Among its biggest customers 

are Isuzu and Mitsubishi who order 

wiring harness for both buses and 

trucks. Toyota Kenya is also on its 

clients list. 

Auto-Springs East Africa got funding 

for the expansion from Mauritius-based 

SME financier, SFC Finance. 

The expansion loan comes months 

after Ascent Rift Valley Fund, a private 

equity firm, acquired a majority stake 

in the company in February this year. 

Auto Springs East Africa (PLC) is 

Kenya’s largest original equipment 

manufacturer to the Kenyan motor 

vehicle assembly sector. Auto Springs 

was established in the year 1979 and 

has been producing a wide range of 

products for motor vehicles specifically 

leaf springs, nuts and bolts (centre 

bolts, U bolts, wheel studs, shackle 

pins etc.) and wiring harnesses for various 

models of commercial vehicles. 

In addition to the above, the company 

manufactures a wide range of 

agricultural equipment including sugar 

Mill components. It is also involved 

in a wide range of chassis reinforcements, 

extensions and modification 

of springs to make them suitable for 

Kenyan roads. 

The factory is located in Limuru 

near the interchange of Kamandura 

Mai Mahiu Narok road and Eldoret 

Malaba road. The factory has modern 

and automated machinery to ensure 

quality and efficiency in production 

to meet the market demand. The 

factory has a strong technical team 

that is able to develop new products 

to meet the changes in technology in 

the motor vehicle industry. Our major 

customers in the assembly business 

are Isuzu East Africa, Simba Colt motors, 

Toyota Kenya and other industry 

players who distribute to garages 

and spare parts shops across the East 

Africa region. 


KEBS bans 

import of 

used car 

parts 

Thousands of second-hand 

motor vehicle spare parts 

dealers are staring at a bleak 

future after the Kenya Bureau 

of Standards (Kebs) moved to enforce 

a tough restriction on the importation 

of used car parts. 

The standards agency, in a notice sent 

out to pre-shipment cargo inspectors, 

has specified 17 categories of second-hand 

spare parts that are banned 

from entry into the country in a 

policy shift intended to rid the market 

of the used car parts. 

The policy change is part of the government’s 

agenda to gradually phase 

out second-hand vehicles with the 

ultimate aim of creating substantial 

demand for new, locally-assembled 

vehicles. 

The Ministry of Industrialisation has 

been developing regulations in the 

controversial National Automotive 

Policy intended to restrict import 

of used cars that are older than five 

years, arguing that this will boost 

local manufacturers and create 

high-quality jobs in the long run. 

The law currently allows import of 

second-hand vehicles that are up to 

eight years old. Kebs Corporate Communications 

Manager Phoebe Gituku 

said the restriction applies only to 

used car parts and does not put any 

barriers for importers of new spares. 

List of items 

The Kebs notice is pegged on the 

agency’s standard KS2190:2013. 

This requires that parts like tyres, tierod-ends, 

bearings, spark plugs, clutch 

plates, brake pads, tubes, brake hose 

pipes, rubber bushes, filters, pressure 

plates, rack ends, ball joints, break 

and clutch cables among others are 

to be imported only as new. 

“The used motor vehicle spare parts 

are not to be imported. This is outlined 

in the Standard and implementation 

began in March 2018. Kebs 

has only restricted the used spare 

parts, not new ones,” said Ms Gituku. 

The move could be a blow to the 

hundreds of thousands of motorists 

who heavily rely on used motor vehicle 

spares, which are relatively cheaper 

and of better quality than new 

imports that mainly come from China, 

Taiwan, India and Indonesia. 

Tens of thousands of Kenyans are 

engaged in the used parts trade, 

mainly based in Nairobi’s Kirinyaga 

Road, Grogon and industrial areas 

with others scattered across major 

towns around the country. The used 

parts are mainly imported from Japan 

and Dubai. 

The Economic Survey 2019 shows 

that Kenyans spent Sh10.1 billion last 

year on importation of motor vehicle 

spare parts, most of which were 

second-hand, based on motorists’ 

preference. 

Vehicle industry stakeholders 

Several motor vehicle industry stakeholders 

said the ban was retrogressive 

and it will only deny motorists the 

‘better quality’ used spares. 

Others saw the ban as a concealed 

effort to start implementing recommendations 

in the draft National 

Automotive Policy that is yet to be 

agreed on by all stakeholders. 

The Kenya Auto Bazaar Association 

secretary-general, Charles Munyori, 

said the proposal will unfairly punish 

users of second-hand spare parts. 

“I don’t think they are being genuine 

and you can see the whole conspiracy 

from the new motor vehicle dealers 

to take over the spares market as 

well. The government is not likely 

to achieve much because even the 

salvage motor vehicles still generate a 

significant portion of the second-hand 

parts. Some of the so called new parts 

are fake and break down very fast,” 

said Mr Munyori. 

A source within Kebs said the ban 

was originally intended to target 

parts with fast wear and tear but was 

expanded to target others that the 

government felt could be sourced 

locally. 

The Kenya Used Motor Parts Importers 

Association (KUMPIA), a lobby 

group of used car parts dealers, said 

members stand to suffer huge losses 

from the proposed policy changes. 

Continue reading online 

www.africaautomotivenews.com 



Mercedes-Benz has plans to 

expand C-Class production in SA 

A 

fresh report suggests 

Mercedes-Benz is considering 

scrapping production 

of its C-Class 

in the United States, leading to 

speculation the German firm’s 

plant in South Africa could pick 

up the slack. 

The Stuttgart-based firm is mulling 

the end of C-Class sedan production 

in the US (despite having 

produced the model there for only 

the past five years), with a plan to 

build more SUVs instead. 

It quotes industry forecaster LMC 

Automotive as saying production 

of the C-Class sedan in Alabama 

will cease in the final quarter of 

2020. 

“The SUV has really expanded 

from a consumer standpoint,” said 

Jeff Schuster, president of global 

forecasting at LMC. “That’s where 

the volume is; that’s where the 

future is.” 

This could leave the door open for 

the automaker’s East London plant 

to increase its output (it apparently 

has 25% production capacity 

available), since the South African 

operation already produces the 

vehicle in right- and left-handdrive 

form. 

In addition to Alabama and East 

London, the C-Class is built in 

Bremen (Germany) and Beijing 

(China). 

In June 2018, Mercedes-Benz 

announced the investment of an 

additional €600-million in the 

brand’s facilities in East London, 

effectively confirming the next generation 

of the C-Class would be 

built in SA. And in March 2019, 

the 500 000th W205-generation 

C-Class rolled off the assembly 

line at its East London plant. 


Component 

manufacturing 

demand 

a good sign for South Africa’s 

automotive industry 

After 2021 South Africa’s 

automotive industry 

growth is set to be 

bigger when government 

policy demanding more than 50% 

local content kicks in. Promising 

growth in demand by vehicle manufacturers 

for South African made 

automotive components cannot 

hide underlying challenges faced 

by the local components industry. 

According to the National Association 

of Automotive Component 

and Allied Manufacturers (Naacam), 

South African component 

suppliers grew average rand sales 

by 10.7% in real terms between 

2016 and 2018. 

This is well ahead of vehicle 

production growth. The top 25% 

of suppliers grew sales by 16.5%. 

Average job numbers grew 3.5% 

over the period. Among leading 

companies, the figure for 2018 

alone was 6.4%. Average supplier 

operating profits rose 6.2% in 

2017 and 4.3% in 2018. Productivity 

also improved. 

The problem with these positive 

numbers is that many of them lag 

behind growth rates in rival supplier 

industries in developed and 

developing markets. Put simply, 

these markets are improving faster 

than South Africa meaning local 

suppliers risk becoming less globally 

competitive. 

That’s not good news in an industry 

where component-sourcing 

decisions are taken in Europe, Asia 

and the US. 

Michael Sacke, CEO of Commercial 

Vehicle Manufacturer Isuzu 

SA, said: “We are all part of global 

ecosystems and purchasing decisions 

are made elsewhere, for the 

good of the group.” 

Also concerning is that, according 

to the B&M report, fewer motor 

companies believe there are opportunities 

to increase purchases 

from current direct suppliers, or 

to commit to longer-term relationships. 

Despite this, Naacam 

Director Renai Moothilal said: 

“Opportunities exist in the areas of 

supplying more of current products, 

supplying additional products 

in the existing range, and supplying 

newly developed products.” 

Some good news 

The good news for South African 

suppliers is that, from 2021, the 

government automotive policy 

will require motor companies to 

increase the value of local content 

in their vehicles by at least 50%. 

The current industry average of 

38% must reach 42% by 2023, 

then 60% by 2035. 

Some in the industry want this 

target to be imposed individually 

on each vehicle manufacturer. 

“Why should I have to exceed 60% 

and drag up the average because 

someone else is lagging?” said 

one MD – but Sacke said the idea 

is not feasible for his company, 

which bought the Port Elizabeth 

vehicle assembly assets of General 

Motors when the US company 

divested at the end of 2017. 

Isuzu SA, which produces bakkies 

and trucks, expects to build 

about 24 000 vehicles in 2019, 

the smallest number, by some 

distance, of South Africa’s seven 

major manufacturers. 

“We simply don’t have the volumes 

that would make it feasible to 

undertake wholesale localisation,” 

Sacke said. “Realistically, we’ll never 

get local content above 30% to 

40%.” He accepts this means Isuzu 

SA won’t receive some incentives 

from the updated Automotive 

Production and Development Programme 

(APDP). 

However, he says the company has 

an important role to play in the 

economy. 

“We employ 1 000 people in the 

assembly plant and another 4 000 

in our dealer network. We support 

430 service and component suppliers 

and spend billions of rand 

every year. We may be small in 

motor industry terms but we are a 

significant player in the economy, 

particularly in the Eastern Cape.” 



Product 

Apollo unveils new Aspire 

XP summer tyre 

Apollo is launching a 

brand-new summer tyre 

onto the market called 

the Apollo Aspire XP. 

Leveraging on the very latest developments 

in terms of construction 

and material technologies, the 

Aspire XP combines outstanding 

levels of on-road comfort with a 

high degree of safety. 

Featuring a total line-up of 52 

SKUs, the Aspire XP replaces 

Apollo’s range of Aspire 4G and 

Apterra HP tyres. The brand is also 

increasing its market coverage in 

the 17”, 18” and 19” segment by 

adding 20 new sizes in both the 

car and SUV segments. 

Extensive research & development 

The new Aspire XP summer tyre 

ensures an outstanding driving 

experience for cars and SUV´s on 

both dry and wet roads. Safety 

and comfort were given an absolute 

priority during the research 

and development phase. An 

improved silica tread compound 

enhances handling on wet roads 

by 22% compared to the Aspire 

XP’s predecessors, while braking 

distance in wet road conditions 

has been improved by 7%. 

A similar picture emerges in 

terms of performance on dry 

roads. The Aspire XP’s stiffer outer 

shoulder blocks and central 

lane reduce the braking distance 

by 4% and ensure a higher 

degree of steering response 

accuracy. Superior comfort is 

also guaranteed: sipes placed 

on the inside shoulder of the 

tyre reduce interior noise and 

the use of more flexible sidewall 

materials has improved shock 

absorption. 

The Aspire XP will go on sale 

at the beginning of March and 

was first launched at the Geneva 

International Motor Show held 

from 8 to 18 March. The Apollo 

Aspire XP is being manufactured 

in Europe at the Apollo Vredestein 

plants in the Netherlands and 

Hungary 


CASE Construction Equipment unveils methane-powered 

wheel loader concept 

CASE Construction Equipment, 

a brand of CNH 

Industrial N.V. (:CNHI / 

MI:CHI) has announced 

an insight into a sustainable, 

connected and technologically 

advanced future of construction at 

the Bauma trade show in Munich, 

Germany, with the unveiling of its 

methane-powered wheel loader 

concept – ProjectTETRA. 

Jointly developed by the CNH 

Industrial international design and 

CASE engineering teams, this concept 

is a clear departure from anything 

seen to date in the construction 

industry. The concept reflects 

both the increasing importance of 

alternative fuels, and demonstrates 

their viability in the construction 

environment: the concept wheel 

loader is powered by a proven 

methane engine, produced by 

sister brand FPT Industrial, and 

delivers exactly the same performance 

as its diesel equivalent. 

This is combined with cutting edge 

styling and an advanced operator 

environment, which makes 

extensive use of touchscreen 

and voice control technologies. 

Furthermore, innovative 

safety features include biometric 

technologies together with 

an obstacle detection system, 

which is derived from CNH 

Industrial’s autonomous vehicle 

research and development 

program. 

CASE has demonstrated the 

feasibility of this concept in a 

range of real-world construction 

environments as well as 

proving the business case, in 

terms of sustainability, reduced 

overall total cost of ownership 

and operational viability. 

The CASE methane-powered 

wheel loader concept is 

testament to CNH Industrial’s 

longstanding commitment to 

alternative fuel technologies, 

and is further proof of the 

practicability and flexibility 

of natural gas, demonstrating its 

viability in both on and off road 

applications. 

CNH Industrial N.V. (: CNHI /MI: 

CNHI) is a global leader in the 

capital goods sector with established 

industrial experience, a wide 

range of products and a worldwide 

presence. Each of the individual 

brands belonging to the Company 

is a major international force in 

its specific industrial sector: Case 

IH, New Holland Agriculture and 

Steyr for tractors and agricultural 

machinery; Case and New Holland 

Construction for earth moving 

equipment; Iveco for commercial 

vehicles; Iveco Bus and Heuliez 

Bus for buses and coaches; Iveco 

Astra for quarry and construction 

vehicles; Magirus for firefighting 

vehicles; Iveco Defence Vehicles 

for defence and civil protection; 

and FPT Industrial for engines and 

transmissions. More information 

can be found on the corporate 

website: www.cnhindustrial.com 



Continental’s Cutting-Edge Tyres 

Continental’s latest and most 

advanced passenger car tyres 

provide unparalleled safety 

and performance, according 

to the latest independent tyre tests 

conducted in Germany. 

In a recent summer tyre test conducted 

by German car magazine, Auto 

Zeitung, the PremiumContact 6 from 

Continental led the field by a comfortable 

margin compared to eight 

competitor summer tyres and one 

all-season tyre. The test was conducted 

using 235/45 R18 tyres, fitted to 

a Skoda Superb station wagon. 

Scoring a total of 277 points out of 

300 and earning first place on the 

wet and dry road tests, the Continental 

tyre finished a clear 25 points 

ahead of its nearest rival. “Maximum 

safety, a high level of comfort and 

superior dynamic handling,” summed 

up the Auto Zeitung testers. 

The PremiumContact 6 is a passenger 

car and SUV summer tire for compact-class 

models and above. It is approved 

for speeds of up to 300 km/h. 

It is original equipment (OE) fitment 

for a wide range of vehicles and is 

approved by numerous renowned 

automakers for fitting ex-works. 

The winning streak continued for 

the PremiumContact 6 in AutoBild 

magazine’s big summer tyre test, 

where it was awarded the top “exemplary” 

rating, as well as being named 

“Eco-Champion.” The journalists 

tested a total of 50 different 225/45 

R17 tyres from European, American 

and Asian manufacturers fitted to a 

BMW 1-Series. 

The AutoBild experts from Hamburg 

described the PremiumContact 6 as 

“a premium tyre that offers balanced, 

safe handling on wet roads, short wet 

and dry braking distances, fuel-saving 

rolling resistance, high mileage and 

good economy.” 

Specialist 4×4 magazine AutoBild Allrad 

also praised the PremiumContact 

6 based on the outcome of its test 

of 10 different 225/55 R 17 tyres, 

a size suitable for compact SUVs. 

Amongst the offerings from Europe, 

America and Asia, the Continental 

tyre scored the highest rating: “exemplary”. 

“Top handling properties on 

dry roads; short wet and dry braking 

distances,” the magazine commented. 

While AutoBild Allrad accredited 

most of the models tested with good 

safety-relevant properties, there were 

critical words for one product from 

Asia: “Cheap tyre from the Far East 

with marked weaknesses in the wet. 

Understeer on dry and wet roads, 

dangerously long braking distances,” 

was the conclusion as the magazine 

handed out a “not recommended” 

rating. 

set the benchmark for safety 

and performance 


Under the heading “Pitstop”, Auto- 

Bild Sportscars reported on its latest 

summer tyre test, which evaluated 

11 tyres in the 245/45 R 18 size. 

Once again, the PremiumContact 6 

from Continental was awarded the 

best possible rating: “exemplary”. “A 

balanced peak performer delivering 

impressive dynamic performance on 

wet and dry roads, steady and safe 

handling in the wet and dry, a precision 

steering response in the wet, and 

short wet and dry braking distances,” 

was how the journalists summed up 

their findings. 

The PremiumContact 6 recorded 

high scores for safety-relevant criteria 

in particular: In the dry braking, 

aquaplaning and wet handling tests, 

for example, it scored good and very 

good marks as it laid the foundations 

for the best rating that the magazine 

awards. 

The ultra-high-performance Continental 

SportContact 6 also earned the 

highest accolades, winning the tyre 

test published by sportauto magazine 

by a substantial margin. The sports 

tyre from Hanover was the only one 

of nine contenders to score the top 

“highly recommended” rating. 

Responsible for delivering this fine 

result were the tyre’s balanced, sporty 

characteristics on wet and dry surfaces, 

as the Continental tyre turned 

in the best performance of all the 

products on test in both test segments. 

Summing up their verdict, the 

testers from Stuttgart wrote: “Shortest 

stopping distances and safe understeer 

in the wet; sporty, direct steering 

response and high dynamic stability 

in the dry; crystal clear feedback, 

outstanding directional stability and 

unequivocal vehicle reactions.” 

The test line-up included nine size 

245/30 R 20 Y tires from European, 

American and Asian manufacturers. 

The test vehicle was a Honda Civic 

Type R. While the SportContact 6 

scored the top “highly recommended” 

rating, one competitor was awarded 

“recommended” status and all the 

other products were rated “moderately 

recommended”. 

With the SportContact 6, Continental 

has a super sports tyre for the ultra-high-performance 

segment in its 

portfolio that demonstrates substantial 

improvements over its predecessor, 

primarily in terms of handling, 

precision steering response and highspeed 

capability. 

To put this tyre’s superior performance 

onto the road, Continental’s 

development engineers reformulated 

the chemical composition of the tread 

strip, redesigned the tread pattern, 

and revamped the construction of the 

tyre. The SportContact 6 is approved 

for speeds of up to 350 km/h and is 

fitted ex-works by numerous manufacturers 

of sports and super sports 

cars. 



Interview 

Kassim Hassanali Operations Director NAJ TRACKING LIMITED 

Vehicle tracking devices 

NAJ Tracking Ltd, offers Fleet 

Tracking, Fuel management 

and 24Hrs vehicle recovery 

solutions. They are created 

by Family and corporate values, 

demonstrated by motor security personnel, 

24Hrs surveillance solutions. 

Africa Automotive News conducted 

an interview with Kassim Hassanali, 

NAJ Tracking Ltd Operations Director 

in regards to tracking devices market 

in Africa. 

How is Naj Tracking Limited performance 

since its inventory? 

NAJ Tracking has grown progressively 

from car digital accessories enterprise 

to undisputed FLEET & FUEL 

TRACKING COMPANY, Bagging 

over 10 technology and innovation 

Awards in the last 2 years. And as 

the CEO I have won 3 awards including 

top 40 Under 40 MEN in Kenya. 

market in Africa 

How is the African market in 

regards to tracking devices and 

software development? 

Tracking in most African countries 

lags behind due to limited GSM/ 

GPRS coverage on which most 

devices relies on for data upload, 

but in countries with better coverage 

like Kenyan market where Tracking is 

picking up, Another important factor 

is software wise in terms of functionality 

& performance –The European 

developed software’s are still most 

preferred compared to locally developed 

Systems because of their prowess 

in Fleet reporting capabilities. 

As a car tracker developer, are 

there challenges in the market 

industry in Africa? 

The African market is being saturated 

with cheap, unlicensed poor performance 

software’s from Asia, which 

is affecting ability of offering African 

market with state of the art quality 

systems, other underlying issue is lack 

of access to software’s development 

tools, to allow developers to come 

up with a functional effective systems 

that are user friendly and on point. 

If yes, what do you think can be 

done to address the challenges? 

Critical Tracking information is held 

by these systems, with millions of 

automotive data fleet reports being 

generated, and thus the government 

should deal with quarks, operating 

as Vehicle tracking service providers. 

With unlicensed software’s used in 

transport industries to enhance Africa 

development of high quality systems. 

Any, considerations of partnership 

with other car tracking developers? 


Yes, we are looking forward to partner 

with other developers mostly in our 

neighboring borders of Uganda, Tanzania 

and Rwanda; this is to give us a 

position to venture in the untapped 

market in these countries. 

In terms of developing products, 

what is your expansion strategy? 

Our number one priority is to have 

the very best products in the telematics 

industry today and especially 

maintaining our core in Fuel Management. 

Naj Tracking has also partnered 

with Banks & Asset finance institutions, 

Transport industries, Parastatals, 

vehicle leasing companies, Taxis and 

Tours companies. 

Having Branches has made it easier 

for our clients to get quality service 

country wide & establishment of mini 

control rooms within the East Africa 

region to monitor and recover vehicles 

fast and timely in motor security 

operations. 

NAJ Tracking Ltd: 

The award winning 

digital motor security 

company 

Uniquely pronounced with 

10 awards, including the 

East Africa maritime awards 

in Vehicle tracking and Fuel 

management by their European 

Technology 

The award winning digital 

motor security company, 

NAJ Tracking Ltd, offers Fleet 

Tracking, Fuel management 

and 24Hrs vehicle recovery solutions. 

They are created by Family and corporate 

values, demonstrated by motor 

security personnel, 24Hrs surveillance 

solutions. 

Uniquely pronounced with 10 

awards, including the East Africa maritime 

awards in Vehicle tracking and 

Fuel management by their European 

Technology. Since their establishment 

they have grown with branches county 

wide in Kenya. 

Success rate 

Having partnered with the very best 

in Europe for Fleet & Fuel tracking 

hardware manufactures & software 

developers, their system enjoy a success 

rate of 99-100% accuracy, with 

an integrated system capability hence 

it can take over 30 add ons. 

Eg, Driver behavior & identification, 

driver rating, Sos panic buttons, voice 

monitoring, temperature sensors,GPS/ 

GPRS/Glonass satellite receiver capability 

with critical accuracy in Fuel 

tank, Fuel consumption, Refuel and 

Fuel theft in real time reports. Also 

their system offers Fleet management 

& maintenance capable of managing 

fleet events of next service, insurance 

expiry, spare parts & batteries warranties 

etc 

Market coverage 

Outside Kenya NAJ Tracking Ltd is 

currently working with logistics companies 

in Uganda, Southern Sudan & 

Rwanda with their award winning NAJ 

PRO 4 Fuel Tracking system. Plans are 

in pipeline to venture into East Africa 

market. 

Meeting customers’ needs 

Their sole responsibility is to listen, 

understand and identify the particular 

need of their Fleet customers thereafter 

offer them unique tailor made 

solution in terms of:- 

• Functionality-They need their 

products or services to function 

the way the customer need in 

order to solve their problem or 

desire. 

• Price-Customers have unique 

budgets with which they can 

purchase a product or service. 

Thus they offer different varieties 

of products in Fleet and Fuel 

Tracking. 

• Convenience-Naj Tracking Ltd 

strive best that their products are 

convenient solution to the function 

their customers are trying to 

meet. 

• Design-Along the lines of 

experience, the product or service 

needs to be slick to make it relatively 

easy and intuitive to use. 

This include Android/ios Apps & 

web applications. 

• Compatibility– Through their 

Technical Support they try as 

much as possible to fabricate 

their product and make it compatible 

with other products their 

customer is already using 

• Performance– correct Fleet 

accurate performance enables 

their customers to achieve their 

goals and places their products 

are superior. 

• Efficiency-the key element in 

efficiency is to streamline an otherwise 

time-consuming process 

for their client through process 

automation. 

Product range 

In addition to products and services 

they are offering they are looking 

and in the process of expanding their 

operation but not limited to, Speed 

limiters, Dashcams With Gps, Container 

locking to make NAJ Tracking 

Ltd ,a one stop shop digital solution 

provider for logistics companies. 



David Paja, 

president of advanced safety, Aptiv 

Big adoption curve 

in Auto safety technology 

The European Union reached a 

decision to implement tougher 

safety regulations, which will 

have implications for vehicle 

connectivity technology. The so-called 

General Safety Regulation (GSR) still 

requires final approval by ministers of 

the 28 EU member states, but many 

automotive suppliers expect that, 

once it takes effect in 2022, advanced 

safety technology will quickly 

spread from mostly premium vehicles 

today to lower market segments as 

well. 

In an interview with automotive IT 

International, David Paja, President, 

Advanced Safety and User Experience, 

at automotive supplier Aptiv, 

discussed the impact of the EU rules 

and the role of safety technologies 

in a changing industry. Paja’s division 

makes components and systems for 

infotainment and connectivity, body 

controls and security systems, as well 

as active and passive safety electronics 

and autonomous driving software. 

With autonomous vehicles likely to 

become the norm in the next 20 

years or so, how long will we still 

need active safety technology? After 

all, these systems are designed to 

compensate for the shortcomings of a 

driver, who may not be at the wheel 

a few years from now? 

In many ways these are building 

blocks. In robo-taxis you won’t need 

these systems, but in Level 3 vehicles 

the driver still takes over control once 

in a while. Driver-assistance systems 

such as radar and cameras are 

building blocks toward full automated 

solutions. There will be a lot of re-use 

of these technologies in fully automated 

vehicles. Also, bear in mind 

that not all vehicles will become autonomous 

in the near future. From a 

business-case point of view, it makes 

more sense, for example, to automate 


a taxi than a privately owned vehicle. 

2. Is regulation a big factor in the 

adoption of safety technology? 

As a technology provider, we tend 

to stay away from judging political 

decisions. Instead, we focus on the 

technology. From our point of view, 

many technologies exist in premium 

vehicles that can be deployed in 

volume cars as well. Europe tends to 

be slightly ahead when it comes to 

regulation and that has been driving 

the adoption of driver assistance 

features at a bit faster pace than 

elsewhere, but it’s not a big difference. 

With the new Brussels regulations, 

we’re likely to see a slight acceleration 

in adoption. 

3. Automotive safety is a good area 

to be in for an automotive supplier. 

We started investing in this technology 

20 years ago and there was no 

big revenue back then. But we’ve seen 

a big adoption curve in the last five 

years. Aptiv is committed to the space 

and we believe safety technologies 

bring value to the end customers. 

We’ve seen 60 percent annual growth 

in active safety sales over the past two 

years and we’re at 1 billion dollars 

a year today. We expect our sales 

volume to double by 2022. 

4. You have a broad portfolio of 

safety technologies. Can you pick a 

few that you think are more important 

than others? 

First, I would mention our scalable 

Automated Driving Satellite Compute 

Platform, which allows you to do your 

computations away from the sensors 

in one safety controller. Each sensor 

now has its own control unit. Our 

technology is more cost-effective 

and allows the adoption of technology 

into entry-level vehicles. We first 

launched this on the Audi A8 three 

years ago and it’s now in several cars. 

The second technology is interior 

sensing and driver monitoring, which 

is being rolled out across BMW’s 

vehicle range. It’s important to know 

whether a driver is distracted and we 

can monitor, for example, the way 

his head is pointed or the direction 

of his gaze. We use machine learning 

here, too. It’s important because half 

a second of improved reaction time 

prevents 60% of all accidents. 

5. You mentioned machine learning. 

How does Aptiv use artificial intelligence 

in general? 

We are increasing our capabilities in 

this domain and use machine learning 

for sensing, classifying things and understanding 

what sensors see. We also 

use it in sensor fusion and in defining 

how a car should react to a particular 

situation. 

6. How big is your team? 

We have around 3,000 engineers 

in the active safety domain globally. 

That’s double the number two years 

ago. About 70% of those engineers 

are systems and software engineers, 

and that includes machine-learning 

and data experts. 

7. Do you have trouble hiring people 

with the digital skills that you 

need? 

There’s obviously a big fight for talent 

going one. It’s one of the reasons we 

acquired (autonomous driving specialist) 

nuTonomy in 2017. That company 

offered a way to get talent and 

expertise in robotics and more depth 

in machine learning. 



Auto 

Show 

AUTOEXPO AFRICA 2019 

The rapid industrialization 

and 

modernization 

currently 

sweeping through 

many African countries 

has resulted in 

an increased demand 

for capital goods such 

as machinery, lubricants, 

spare parts, ball 

bearings and other 

automotive mechanical 

goods and accessories. 

The market for automobile 

spare parts, in 

particular, has been 

an attractive sector for 

global exporters, as 

Africa has witnessed a 

remarkable increase in 

imports by 30%. 

For 21 years, AU- 

TOEXPO Africa has 

been chosen by global 

manufacturers and exporters 

as the precise 

platform to enter the 

market of the millennium 

Africa. 

22st AUTOEXPO 

Africa – the largest 

automobiles, spares 

and accessories exhibition 

in the entire 

east African region is 

scheduled to be held 

from 18th – 20th July 

2019. 

Celebrating its 22nd 

anniversary; the leading 

trade exhibition for 

automobile, truck and 

bus parts, equipments, 

components, accessories, 

tools, and services 

continues to bring 

world leading manufacturers, 

suppliers, 

and service providers 

in touch with one of 

the most important 

markets in the world. 

Come, be a part of 

progress in Africa! 

TESTING EXPO 

CHINA 2019 

I 

f you need to reduce development 

time, increase 

quality and decrease 

product failures, you 

need to attend Testing Expo 

China – Automotive! The 

event is China’s largest vehicle 

and component testing 

and validation technology 

and services exhibition, 

featuring more than 400 exhibitors 

and attracting over 

10,000 attendees. 

Visitors can expect to 

see the latest in vehicle 

and component development-tools 

such as ADAS 

testing, NVH measurement 

tools, test rigs, simulation 

packages, durability testing 

technologies, crash testing 

know-how, dynamometers, 

emission measurement 

systems and dynamic 

assessment tools, as well as 

countless service providers 

such as proving grounds 

and test facilities. 

The path to reduced product 

development cycles, 

more efficiency and better 

durability starts at Testing 

Expo China – Automotive! 


T 

he Expo in Europe for advanced technologies for 

autonomous vehicle development – around 90 

companies will showcase essential building blocks 

and systems, including AI learning and virtual 

environments, deep learning systems, validation of autonomous 

systems and more. 

As the event is co-located with Automotive Testing Expo 

(the world’s largest vehicle test and development technologies 

exhibition), visitors to Autonomous Vehicle 

Technology Expo will also see countless ADAS validation 

systems and service providers. Furthermore, the exhibition 

is co-located with Automotive Interiors Expo, which 

showcases everything from vehicle materials and fastening 

solutions, to lighting technologies, safety systems, and so 

much more! 

Over 800 automotive exhibitors will participate in Stuttgart 

and those exhibiting exclusively at Autonomous Vehicle 

Technology Expo will only showcase systems that are 

specifically for ADAS technologies and the path towards 

autonomous vehicles. 

S o i f y o u a r e w o r k i n g o n A DA S 

t e c h n o l o g i e s o r f u l l y a u t o n o m o u s 

vehicles, you need to attend 

A u t o n o m o u s Ve h i c l e Te c h n o l o g y 

Expo! 



Features 

Importance of GPS 

Vehicle Tracking in Fleet management 

There is no smartphone, tablet 

or computer that is not 

integrated with GPS tracking 

technology. Nowadays, GPS 

tracking technology is widely used in 

personal households and businesses. 

The GPS tracking market is rapidly 

growing and has an amazing potential 

in the future. Many apps implement 

navigation systems for mapping and 

transport information, but also for 

fleet monitoring. 

GPS vehicle tracking can be the pivotal 

edge over your business competitors 

and therefore, investing in a 

good vehicle tracking device can help 

you monitor your employees, keeping 

track of your cargo thus ensuring 

timely delivery of your products and 

services. Vehicle tracking is defined as 

getting information about the vehicle 

on map, speed and distance traveled 

using internet or other software. In 

general GPS (Global Positioning 

System) or GLONASS are used to 

locate the vehicle. The automobiles 

are provided with modernized feature 

which works to find the path of them. 

Other functions include vehicle 

tracking performance and maintenance, 

driver’s performance, but 

also facilitates fuel management and 

dispatching, sends alerts and notifications, 

prevents thefts and provides 

reports and enables analysis of these 

reports. More functionalities are possible, 

however, that depends on the 

company offering fleet management 

solutions. 

The role of GPS Tracking 

Vehicle tracking is defined as getting 

information about the vehicle on 

map, speed and distance traveled using 

internet or other software. STrack 

Kenya Limited highlights below the 

merits of tracking your vehicle. 

i). Security. Tracking devices come 

with an immobilizer meaning that in 

the unfortunate event that your vehicle 

is stolen you can stop it remotely 

through the click of a button or a 

simple SMS. 

ii). Quick recovery. It is crucial that 

a vehicle is found within 24 hours 

before it is disassembled. GPS devices 

always upload their location to 

servers in real time allowing the quick 

recovery of vehicles. 

iii). Diverse array of features. Through 

vehicle management platform customers 

can access a wide array of reports 

such as trips, distance, speed, parking/ 

idle time, fuel etc. 

iv). Alerts. Customers can also subscribe 

to SMS or Email alerts which 

will be triggered when a vehicle sets 

of an alarms. For example a customer 


can get an SMS when their vehicle 

crosses the border of a given place, or 

when the vehicle is refueled or fuel is 

siphoned. 

v). Integration. System is built to be 

integrated with other systems for 

example courier companies can offer 

real time tracking to their customers. 

STrack specializes in provision of 

advanced vehicle tracking, fleet management 

and digital fuel monitoring 

services for motor vehicles, motorcycles, 

and assets using GSM/GPS 

technologies, supported by thoroughly 

tested and certified devices, online 

tracking, fleet and driver management 

software based on various online 

Maps and a Linux server environment 

for enhanced reliability and user security. 

The company is licensed by the 

Communications Authority of Kenya 

(CA) and is also a founding member 

of Kenya Automotive Security Association 

(KASA). 

“Tracking devices offers Fleet management 

& maintenance capable of 

managing fleet events of next service, 

insurance expiry, spare parts & 

batteries warranties etc,” says Kassim 

Hassanali, NAJ Tracking Ltd, Operations 

Director. 

NAJ Tracking Ltd is an award winning 

digital motor security company, 

dealing with Fleet Tracking, Fuel 

management and 24Hrs vehicle 

recovery solutions. They are created 

by Family and corporate values, 

demonstrated bywww motor security 

personnel, 24Hrs surveillance solutions. 

Uniquely pronounced with 10 

awards, including the East Africa maritime 

awards in Vehicle tracking and 

Fuel management by their European 

Technology. Since their establishment 

they have grown with branches county 

wide in Kenya. 

According to Trackimo, GPS has 

revolutionized our daily lives. GPS or 

Global Positioning System provides 

satellite tracking services that are 

useful in a variety of commercial and 

personal applications. Most companies 

now realize the importance of 

GPS technology for achieving greater 

efficiency. And, thus provide better 

benefits to people. PEACE OF MIND. 

Trackimo represents a new GPS tracking 

device to locate the things that 

matter most from anywhere in the 

world. Trackimo devices are 3G, with 

100% US coverage, most other GPS 

devices in the market are 2G with 

only 10% US coverage. Revolutionary, 

uses 5 different technologies to 

accurately Locate anything Worldwide 

Indoor & outdoor. Trackimo also has 

SOS panic button sending email and 

SMS text alerts. 

“It is important for vehicle owners 

to protect their vehicles from theft. 

Installing a car track device helps in 

the recovery of a vehicle in case of 

theft. Transport and Haulage companies 

can fit vehicle tracking systems 

in their fleet vehicles transporting 

goods and cargo worth millions and 

they can know where their vehicles as 

well as their prized goods are at any 

time from our phone tracking app or 

our online web based vehicle tracking 



platform. Car track not only tracks the 

vehicles but the transit goods as well,” 

says Anthony Waikwa, of Shield Car 

Track. 

Shield Car Track Fleet Tracking technology 

provides GPS+LBS tracking 

and asset management solutions tailor 

made to fit wide range of business 

customers from startup companies, 

to mid size companies and to the 

transport and haulage giants – our 

internet based fleet tracking system 

gives entrepreneurs full access, full 

control from anywhere in Kenya and 

from their phone and any computer 

that is connected to the internet. 

“Through Shield Car Track phone app 

or online vehicle tracking platform 

our customers can track their vehicle 

through their mobile phones, by using 

our vehicle tracking app or through 

our online GPS car tracking website. 

Our vehicle tracking technology updates 

the location of the tracked vehicle 

every 10 seconds so as to provide 

24 hours vehicle surveillance,” adds 

Mr. Waikwa. 

Leon Mynhardt Technical Manager 

– South Africa Electronic Tracking 

Systems Ltd, says, apart from the 

obvious theft recovery aspect of using 

tracking devices, they have many 

other features through their telemetry 

information that make them essential 

in today’s commercial applications. 

Safety: By getting live GPS speeding 

reports from the system, fleet controllers 

can react immediately to speeding 

alerts generated, ensuring drivers 

are driving safely. Fleet Managers can 

also receive daily, weekly or monthly 

speeding reports with this information 

target and train repeat offenders 

ensuring the safety of the drivers and 

other road users. 

Reduce vehicle maintenance: Tracking 

devices give Fleet Managers 

vital driver behavior telemetry like 

harsh-braking, harsh-acceleration, 

harsh-cornering and excessive idling 

events. By monitoring these events 

live or historically thought reports, 

fleet owners can train specific drivers 

to reduce these events and as such 

reduce overall maintenance and fuel 

costs on their fleet. The system also 

provides for a driver scoring system 

based on these exceptions and 

makes it very easy to see who are the 

problem drivers and who might need 

additional training and in what areas 

they need help. 

Increase productivity: By being able 

to monitor the where about of your 

entire fleet live at all times is essential 

to make sure your vehicles 

are where they are supposed to be 

and are productive. There are also a 

whole host of reports which allows 

fleet managers to ensure their fleet is 

being utilized to its full potential and 

then identify possible problem areas 

that are affecting productivity. One 

example is our Zone Report, which 

details which vehicles have entered 


which Customer Zones (customized 

polygon zones created by the client), 

when they entered, how long they are 

there for and then when they leave 

again. This makes it easy to see at a 

glance where there might be zones 

where the vehicles are taking too 

long to either pickup or drop-off. The 

processes at these zones can then be 

assessed and fixed to ensure productivity 

is increased. 

Mtrack provides world-class products, 

and a complete tracking and 

asset recovery service. Mtrack have 

two main product lines, MtrackFleet 

and MtrackWireless. MtrackFleet is 

focused on fleet management and 

assisting companies and fleet owners 

with their vehicle’s day to day operations. 

MtrackWireless focuses on asset 

management and recovery. Because 

the devices are completely wireless, 

they can be placed on to any asset 

which needs to be tracked. 

The growing number of commercial 

vehicles, such as trucks, buses, and 

vans, drive the market for GPS tracking 

devices. Vehicles engaged in the 

timely transportation of men, material, 

machinery, or money-where on 

time delivery can make a significant 

difference in cost and productivity-are 

prompting players to adopt GPS 

tracking devices. School buses, city 

and state transport buses, cash vans, 

cargo vans, police petrol vans, radio 

taxis, courier pickup and delivery vans, 

and others are prospects for vehicle 

tracking systems. The increasing sales 

of commercial vehicles would increase 

the adoption of GPS tracking 

devices. 

Gerrie Van Wyk of Pulsit Electronics 

says that, “The transport and logistics 

industry has become a very 

competitive and lean industry which 

necessitates that fleet owners and 

operators aligns themselves with a 

tracking partner that understands their 

business, able to meet the demand 

for service and provide them with not 

only a dot on the screen but also real-time 

information and telemetry that 

has an effect on their bottom line as 

well as looking after their reputation 

by providing them with tools to protect 

their clients cargo in transit and 

prevent losses as a result of hijackings 

and theft.” 

Pulsit Electronics is a South African 

based Telematics Solutions Provider 

established in 2002 with specific 

focus on Tracking, Fleet Management 

and Risk Mitigation Solutions in the 

transport and logistics industries. Pulsit 

is VESA/ABS Accredited and meets 

with SAIA (South African Insurance 

Association) standards. Pulsit works 

with TAPA (Transporters Asset Protection 

Association) a global organization 

that regulates standards and 

employ best practices for the protection 

of high value cargo in warehouse 

as well as in transit. 

According to International Organization 

of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers 

(OICA), sales of commercial vehicles 

is on an uptrend. By tracking and 

managing these vehicles in real time, 

enterprises can efficiently utilize their 

resources. GPS tracking devices also 

ensure the safety of vehicles. In case 

of an emergency, GPS devices help 

locate the ambulance and show the 

exact location from where a distress 

signal was received. 

"GPS vehicle tracking can be the pivotal edge over your business 

competitors and therefore, investing in a good vehicle tracking 

device can help you monitor your employees, thus ensuring timely 

delivery of your products and services." 



HP NEOSYNTH 5W 30 is 

a high quality synthetic 

engine oil specifically 

designed for modern cars 

running on Petrol/Diesel/LPG/ 

CNG/Bio-Diesel. 

HP NEOSYNTH 5W 30 is manufactured 

from finest API Group III 

base stocks and state of the art 

additive technology to meet the 

most stringent requirements of API 

SN, ACEA A5/B5 thus making it 

suitable for modern cars running 

on petrol or diesel fuels. 

HP NEOSYNTH 5W 30 provides 

exemplary benefits in reduction 

of piston deposits, improved fuel 

economy benefits and after treatment 

compatibility. The product is 

also designed to exhibit improved 

performance in bio-diesel fueled 

vehicles. 

Application 

HP NEOSYNTH 5W 30 is recommended 

for various models 

of Tata Motors, Maruti-Suzuki, 

Hyundai Motors, Renault, Nissan, 

Datsun, Chevrolet, Toyota, BMW, 

GM and Ford etc. requiring a 5W- 

30 engine oil, running on Petrol/ 

Diesel/LPG/CNG/Bio-Diesel etc. 

Features and Benefits 

• High fuel efficiency 

• Unmatched reduction in piston 

deposits 

• Improved after-treatment 

compatibility 

• Improved protection against 

Sludge 

• Improved bio-diesel compatibility 

• Low oil top-up 

• Longer engine life 


Meets or Exceeds Requirement 

Of 

• API SN 

• ACEA A5/B5-12 

About HP Lubricants 

HP Lubricants is Hindustan 

Petroleum Corporation 

Limited’s (HPCL) umbrella 

brand for manufacturing 

and marketing various lubricants 

and specialty products. 

A vital part of HPCL, HP Lubricants 

is India’s largest lubricant marketer, 

which markets more than 350 

grades of lubricants, specialties 

and greases manufactured in stateof-the-art 

blending plants spread 

across India. The grades manufactured 

by HP Lubricants find applications 

in automotive, industrial, mining 

and construction, agriculture, 

fishing, defence and railways among 

others. HP Lubricants is especially 

dominant in industrial oils, and has 

the highest market share in this 

segment, comprising all industrial 

oil applications. 

HP Lubricants has a robust marketing 

network that spreads across 

the country through warehouses, 

distributors, CFAs and offices with 

highly qualified sales and technical 

personnel. These teams and offices 

make HP Lubricants a dependable 

brand providing energy and 

fuelling growth in every significant 

area of development in India. 

Innovative R&D and robust quality 

assurance are a hallmark of HP 

Lubricants’ processes which ensure 

development and consistent 

supply of world-class products to 

support this growth. 

Flagship brands such as Racer for 

two and three wheelers, Milcy for 

commercial vehicles (diesel engines), 

Neosynth for the passenger 

car segment and Enklo for hydraulic 

oils among other, make HP 

Lubricants a leading brand across 

all segments. 



The role of additives 

Oil additives are chemical 

compounds that 

improve the lubricant 

performance of base 

oil. Manufacturer of many different 

oils can utilize the same base 

oil for each formulation and can 

choose different additives for 

each specific application. Nearly 

all commercial motor oils contain 

additives, whether the oils are synthetic 

or petroleum based, additives 

comprise up to 5% by weight 

of some oils. 

Oil additives are vital for the proper 

lubrication and prolonged use 

of motor oil in modern internal 

combustion engines. Without many 

of these, the oil would become 

contaminated, break down, leak 

out, or not properly protect engine 

parts at all operating temperatures. 

Some of the most important 

additives include those used for 

viscosity and lubricity, contaminant 

control, for the control of chemical 

breakdown, and for seal conditioning. 

Some additives permit 

lubricants to perform better under 

severe conditions, such as extreme 

pressures and temperatures and 

high levels of contamination. 

Role of additives in motor oil 

Andrew Dziuba of UAB SCT LU- 

BRICANTS says that, “The main 

role of additives is to reduce 

engine wear and increase fuel 

efficiency.” 

UAB SCT Lubricants is a leading 

manufacturer of high-quality 

engine oils and automotive fluids 

located in Klaipeda, Lithuania. 

“An additive is a chemical added 

in small quantities to a product to 

improve certain properties. Motor 

oil typically contains a Perfor- 


in motor oil 

performance 

mance Additive Package that can 

make up 5% to 15% of its composition. 

The remaining percentage 

is base oil. The additives help to 

enhance the performance and 

viscosity of the motor oil,” says 

Erik Vermeer, Commercial Director 

at RYMAX LUBRICATS. 

Rymax Products 

Rymax is an international lubricants 

brand from the Netherlands. 

The company specialize in automotive 

and industrial lubricants. 

According to DANA LUBRICANTS 

FACTORY LLC, one of the leading 

manufacturers of lubricants 

in UAE, additives help lubricants 

withstand extreme operating 

environments. Even the best base 

oil cannot protect as well against 

the effects of heat, shearing forces, 

chemical and water dilution, corrosion 

and wear particles. In short, 

additives make good base oils better. 

They give good base oils the 

performance benefits consumers 

expect, such as multi intervals and 

extreme-pressure performance. 

DANA Lubes 

“Additives help lubricants withstand 

extreme operating environments. 

Even the best base 

oil cannot protect as well against 

the effects of heat, shearing forces, 

chemical and water dilution, corrosion 

and wear particles. In short, 

additives make good base oils 

better. They give good base oils 

the performance benefits consumers 

expect, such as multi-grade 

performance, extended drain intervals 

and extreme-pressure performance,” 

says DANA Lubricants. 

Oliver Kuhn, Deputy Head of the 

Oil Laboratory at LIQUI MOLY 

GmbH, says, “Additives deliver 

the performance of the motor oil. 



Motor oil consists of two main 

components: base oil (the actual 

oil) and the additive composition. 

In the latest motor oils, the role 

of the base oil is more or less 

reduced to a carrier fluid for the 

additives. Even lubrication is provided 

rather by the additives than 

by the base oil.” Liqui Moly GmbH 

is a German company specializing 

in oils, lubricants and additives. 

Liqui Moly oil production 

“In former times, lubrication has 

been the main job of an engine 

oil. Today, there are lot of additional 

tasks an engine oil is 

required to do: it needs to keep 

the oil system clean by removing 

contaminants and transporting 

them to the oil filter. It needs to 

protect the oil system from corrosion 

by neutralizing acids which 

may form in the oil. It needs to 

keep the viscosity stable over a 

wide temperature range. It needs 

to suppress foaming. It needs 

to remain liquid enough at low 

temperatures to quickly reach and 

lubricate moving parts after the engine 

is started. And it needs to be 

capable of overcoming even very 

high engine temperatures. It is the 

additive packages which take care 

of all these tasks. If you use motor 

oil without additives, i.e. just base 

oil, in a modern car, the engine 

would survive this only for a few 

kilometers,” adds Kuhn. 

Dmitry Tsyplyaev, Executive Director 

– Suprotec EU s.r.o. (ATOMI- 

UM Brand) says, automotive additives 

and lubricants aim to protect 

car motor, to restore friction knots, 

to prolong the lifecycle of internal 

combustion engines, mechanisms, 

gear boxes. 

Atomium tribo-technology is 

unique, because the base of our 

Atomium products – is mineral 

(natural product) with neutral pH 

level and doesn’t affects on the 

oil and sealings, our products 

works only on the metal (friction 

pairs) and provides conditions to 

building up new surface on the 

friction pairs. By our products we 

are restoring the friction pairs of 

the cars units (engine, gearbox, 

hydraulic power steering unit, high 

pressure fuel pump). So, everywhere 

we have friction pairs and 

restore them to the new condition. 

And at the end – this provides 

all effects of application for Engine 

like increasing compression 

up to the nominal, reducing fuel 

consumption by 6-10%, reducing 

oil burning by 80%, decreases 

vibration and noise level, decrease 

CO/CH emission, protect during 

active driving, protect in extreme 

working conditions, restores and 

functionality of hydro-compensators, 

and what is more important 

prolong life-time of the engine. For 


gearbox – gearshift facilitation, reduces 

noise and vibration, gearbox 

wear protection. Same effects for 

the other car units – for Reducer, 

HPS (hydraulic power steering), 

HPFP (high pressure fuel pump). 

So, everywhere we have friction 

pairs – our products works and 

prolong the life time of the cars 

units. 

Atomium provide lubricants and 

motor oil additives, fuel additives, 

transmission oil additives, hydraulic 

liquid additives for cars and 

industrial equipment, designed for 

diesel, petrol and LPG engines, 

passenger cars, trucks and buses, 

motorbikes, and small technics. 

The specific role of additives in 

motor oil are: 

• Oxidation inhibitors. (antioxidants), 

Oxidation is the 

general attack of the weakest 

components of the base 

oil by oxygen in the air. It 

occurs at all temperatures all 

time but accelerates at higher 

temperatures due to presence 

of water, wear metals 

and other contaminants. under 

conditions of high temperatures 

in the engine, the 

motor oil can oxidize when 

reacting with oxygen. If that 

happens, the motor oil ages 

quickly, thickens and forms 

sludge. Antioxidants work 

to slow down this oxidation 

and the forming of deposits. 

They also help to keep the 

engine clean and prolong 

the life of the motor oil. 

• Rust and corrosion 

inhibitors. These additives 

reduce or eliminate internal 

rust and corrosion by neutralizing 

acids and forming 

a chemical protective barrier 

to repel moisture from metal 

surfaces to protect lubricated 

surfaces against rusting and 

corrosion. The internal parts 

of the engine can rust and 

corrode because of exposure 

to moisture and acids. These 

additives create a film over 

the parts and protect them 

against damage from these 

hazards. 

• Anti-wear agents and/ or 

extreme pressure (EP) agents. 

These additives are typically 

used to protect machine 

parts from wear and loss of 

metal during boundary lubrication 

conditions. They are 

polar additives that attach 

to frictional metal surfaces. 

They react chemically with 

the metal surfaces when 

metal conditions of mixed 

and boundary lubrication to 

protect parts of the engine 

that are susceptible 



to high temperatures such as cylinder 

walls, piston rings, lifters and 

cams. These additives form a protective 

layer on these components 

and prevent the friction that can 

occur because of metal-to-metal 

contact. They also act as antioxidants 

and are used up over time. 

They also help protect the base oil 

from oxidation and the metal from 

damage by corrosive acids 

• Demulsifiers to promote 

oil-water separation. 

• Viscosity Index (VI) Improvers 

are very large polymer 

additives that partially 

prevent the oil from thinning 

out (losing viscosity) as 

the temperature increases. 

The long-chain polymers 

help control the viscosity 

of multi-grade motor oils. 

They expand and contract as 

temperatures vary. High temperatures 

cause VI improvers 

to expand and reduce oil 

thinning; low temperatures 

cause VI improvers to contract 

and have little impact 

on oil viscosity. They are 

also responsible for better 

oil flow at low temperatures, 

resulting in reduction in wear 

and improved fuel economy. 

• Pour-point depressants to 

lower the cold temperature 

fluidity of petroleum products. 

These additives work 

to prevent the hardening of 

wax particles in the motor 

oil under cold conditions. As 

a result, the motor oil flows 

freely even at low temperatures 

and does not need 

the engine to work harder 

to pump it. In this way, the 

engine continues to function 

effectively despite fluctuations 

in the outside temperature. 

• Detergents and dispersants. 

Detergents perform 

two functions, they help 

(clean) and neutralize acids 

that form in the oil. Detergents 

are primarily used in 

engine oils and are alkaline 

or basic in nature to keep 

hot metal components free 

of deposits and to maintain 

cleanliness of lubricated 

parts by taking care of the 

soot present in the lubricant. 

They are typically materials 

of calcium and magnesium 

chemistry. A detergent 

additive is normally used in 

conjunction with a dispersant 

additive. Dispersants 

are mainly found in engine 

oil with detergents to help 

keep engines clean and free 

of deposits. The combination 

of detergent/dispersant 

additives allows more acid 

compounds to be neutralized 

and more contaminant 

particles to stay suspended 

• Anti-foam agents. The 

chemicals in this additive 

group possess low interfacial 

tension, which weakens the 

oil bubble wall and allows 

the foam bubbles to burst 

more readily. They have an 

indirect effect on oxidation 

by reducing the amount of 

oil air contact to reduce 

foaming tendencies. If the 

motor oil foams and forms 

bubbles, it is unable to coat 

all the important parts of the 

engine and keep it cool. 

• Tackiness agents. These 

additives increase the adhesive 

properties of a lubricant, 

improve retention, and prevent 

dripping or spattering. 

• Friction modifier. This 

additives alter coefficient 

of friction, and can be used 

to give oil more ‘slippery’ 

characteristics. In motor oils, 

friction modifiers are used 

to increase the oil’s lubricity 

for the purpose of reducing 

friction and improving fuel 

economy. 

"Oil additives are 

vital for the proper 

lubrication and 

prolonged use of 

motor oil in modern 

internal combustion 

engines''' 



One of the most comprehensive 

technological innovations of the 

modern tire era is run-flat tire 

technology 

From the early days of the automobile 

until now, tires have 

seen many technological 

advancements. Improvements 

in raw materials and chemical 

compounds have led to tires that 

perform more effectively. 

Whether it’s compounds offering 

better grip in snow and ice or 

compounds providing improved 

wet handling, technology continues 

to enhance tire performance. 

Innovations in tread patterns, 

sidewall design and overall tire 

construction have made today’s 

higher-performing tires more reliable 

than ever before. Tire manufacturers 

work hand in hand with 

vehicle designers to engineer tires 

for the future. 

One of the most comprehensive 

technological innovations of the 

modern tire era is run-flat tire 

technology. Run-flat technology 

allows drivers who sustain air 

loss due to a puncture or cut in 

their tire to drive approximately 

50 miles at 50 m.p.h. so they can 

reach a safe location to change 

the tire. 

Elements contributing to modern 

tire technology 

Rubber is the main raw material 

used in manufacturing tires, and 

both natural and synthetic rubber 

are used. Natural rubber is found 

as a milky liquid in the bark of the 

rubber tree, Hevea Brasiliensis. 

The other primary ingredient in 

tire rubber is carbon black. Carbon 

black is a fine, soft powder created 

when crude oil or natural gas 

is burned with a limited amount 

of oxygen, causing incomplete 

combustion and creating a large 

amount of fine soot. So much carbon 

black is required for manufacturing 

tires that rail cars transport 

it and huge silos store the carbon 

black at the tire factory until it is 

needed. 

Sulfur and other chemicals are 

also used in tires. Specific chemicals, 

when mixed with rubber and 

then heated, produce specific tire 



characteristics such as high friction 

(but low mileage) for a racing tire 

or high mileage (but lower friction) 

for a passenger car tire. Some 

chemicals keep the rubber flexible 

while it is being shaped into a tire 

while other chemicals protect the 

rubber from the ultraviolet radiation 

in sunshine. 

However, constant improvements 

in rubber chemistry and tire design 

are creating exciting new tires that 

offer greater mileage and improved 

performance in extreme weather 

conditions. Manufacturers now 

offer tires estimated to last up to 

80,000 miles. Treads, designed 

and tested by computer, now 

feature unique asymmetrical bands 

for improved traction and safety 

on wet or snowy roads. 

Tire design engineers are also 

experimenting with non-pneumatic 

tires that can never go flat because 

they don’t contain air under 

pressure. One such non-pneumatic 

tire is simply one slab of thick 

plastic attached to the wheel rim. 

The plastic curves out from the rim 

to a point where a rubber tread is 

secured to the plastic for contact 

with the road. Such a tire offers 

lower rolling resistance for greater 

fuel economy and superior handling 

because of a greater area of 

contact between tread and road. 

According to Mallesh Kumar at 

ZAFCO Low Rolling resistance, 

higher fuel efficiency, less carbon 

emission, low cost per kilo meter 

are among the elements contribut- 


ing to the modern tire technology. 

Zafco Tires 

ZAFCO is one of the leading 

importers and exporters of automotive 

tires, batteries, and lubricants 

and operates internationally 

to cater the needs of hundreds 

of customers spread across all six 

continents. 

Tire challenges in the African 

roads 

When it comes to tires, the African 

continent is one of the fastest 

growing markets for the global 

tire industry. The rapid growth of 

the middle class in many African 

countries has pushed demand for 

automobiles to an all-time high – 

in turn creating a growing market 

for all kinds of tires: passenger car 

tires, off-the-road tires, industrial 

tires, agricultural tires, truck, bus 

and trailer tires as well as motorcycle 

and bicycle tires. 

Even so, tire industry is faced with 

one great obstacle called roads. 

Africa’s roads are notorious and 

more than half of them are unpaved. 

This has greatly hinder tire 

growth in Africa given that manufacturing 

process improvements 

have largely been spurred on by 

environmental concerns. Moreover, 

growing demand has resulted in 

the setting up of new manufacturing 

units that are more capable 

of handling technology and new 

equipment. Automation advances 

have also helped to a significant 

extent. 

“Road conditions, terrain, maintenance 

practices, lack of surveillance 

on the health of tires,” says 

Mallesh Kumar highlighting major 

challenges in tire industry 

Overcoming these challenges. 

“Government authorities should 

have a periodic inspection on tires, 

tires more than five-year-old and 

with minimum tread depth (1.6mm 

for PCR) are not to be used, resale 

of old/used tires should not be 

encouraged, tires with cuts and 

injuries (which are not safe) are to 

be removed,” suggests Kumar. 

“When it comes to tires, 

the African continent is 

one of the fastest growing 

markets for the global tire 

industry. 



Review 

2020 Range Rover Gets 

Mild-Hybrid 

In a move meant to bring a 

breath of fresh air to the Range 

Rover lineup, Land Rover 

announced the availability of 

a new powertrain option for the 

American market. 

The 2020 model year Range Rover 

gets updated with the introduction 

of a new mild-hybrid 3.0-liter 

inline six-cylinder gasoline engine, 

which will come in two power 

outputs, namely 355 and 395 hp, 

and 406 lb-ft of torque. 

The new engine is capable of pulling 

the car from a standstill to 60 

mph in 5.9 seconds, while giving 


it a top speed of 130 mph (209 

kph. The two new powertrains will 

make their way into the P360 and 

P400 variants of the Range Rover, 

the latter being exclusive to the 

HSE trim level. 

Land Rover says the order books 

for the new engine options are already 

open. The P360 has become 

the entry level of the Range Rover 

lineup, priced from $90,900, while 

the P400 joins the list somewhere 

in the middle, priced from 

$96,150. 

With the addition of these two 

new versions, the carmaker has 

increased the number of available 

Range Rover SUVs to twelve, 

including the Autobiography 

series. The most expensive Range 

Rover on the American market is 

the SVAutobiography LWB, priced 

from $209,500. 

Aside for launching the P360 

and P400, Land Rover will refresh 

the 2020 lineup with the introduction 

of two new colors, Eiger 

Grey and Portofino Blue, replacing 

the current Corris Grey and 

Loire Blue. New 22-inch Gloss 

Black wheels are also available for 

the SUV. 

The Range Rover is one of the 

British carmaker’s most important 

models in the U.S. On the 

American market, the nameplate 

enjoys above-average 

success in its segment, selling 

well in excess of 15,000 units 

per year since 2015, according 

to Car Sales Base. 

In 2018, 19,000 Range Rovers 

were sold in the States, making 

for the best year of the nameplate’s 

history there. 



Toyota Kenya launches 

fifth generation Rav4 

Motor vehicle distributor, Toyota 

Kenya, has launched the fifth generation 

RAV4 in the Kenyan market. 

Speaking during the launch on 

Thursday, Toyota Kenya Managing 

Director Mr. Arvinder Reel said 

the new RAV4 offers customers 

an opportunity to try something 

new and to experience the joy of 

driving anywhere, anytime, and as 

far as they want. 

“The RAV4 has been a long-time 

market leader in the urban passenger 

SUV market and it remains 

one of our key mass production 

models. With the fifth generation 

of our RAV4 model, the vehicle 

has come full circle and we can 

confidently say that the all-new 

RAV4 is indeed evolved and ready 

for anything that the future holds,” 

said Mr. Reel. 

The all-new 2019 RAV4 banks 

on its upgraded, more premium 

design paired with better performance 

and capability. 

Based on creating a “Robust Accurate 

Vehicle with 4 Wheel Drive,” 

the new RAV4 development 

concept blends the power and 

sophistication of an SUV, achieving 

top-class generous rear cargo 

space and outstanding driving 

performance realized by a new 

4WD system. 

The new Toyota RAV4 comes 

with a variety of updates including 

a stylish new look, a new engine 

and added safety and technolgy 

features. The fifth generation RAV4 

also comes with a 2.5-liter engine 

that produces 207 horsepower. 

The vehicle’s new engine plus a 

lighter curb weight compared to 

previous versions help the new 

RAV4 achieve the most fuel-efficient 

performance among its peers. 

Styled with a sportier design, the 

RAV4 allows the driver to bravely 

take on the exciting roads at any 

time. 

Noting that customer safety 

plays a major role in the Toyota 

The fifth generation RAV4 unveiled in the Kenyan market 

business, the new vehicle comes 

equipped with Dynamic Torque 

Vectoring AWD system which 

automatically senses what the 

terrain the vehicle is on and how 

much torque is needed to wheels 

to ensure stability, achievement of 

high 4WD handling, stability, and 

off-road performance and this resulting 

in improved fuel efficiency. 

It also has Stability control which 

automatically senses when the 

vehicle’s handling limits have been 

exceeded and reduces engine 

power and/or applies select brakes 

to help prevent the driver from 

losing control of the vehicle. 

For passenger safety, the RAV4 

comes with front-impact airbags, 

side impact airbags and overhead 

airbags as well. It also has a 

Security system and the vehicle is 


equipped with an ignition disable 

device that will prevent the engine 

from starting if the correct original 

manufacturer key is not used. 

The first-generation RAV4 debuted 

in 1994, when body-on-frame 

four-wheel drive vehicles were 

positioned as off-road vehicles. 

Since then, the RAV4 has played 

a pivotal role in the development 

of a new market for the passenger-friendly 

sport utility vehicle 

(SUV/crossover SUV). 

“The launch of the 2019 model is 

a show of Toyota Kenya’s continued 

efforts towards changing 

the SUV landscape in Kenya with 

better technology and increased 

driver comfort,” added Mr. Reel. 

Toyota Kenya Managing Director, Arvinder Reel (right), explains to the motor dealer’s Chairman, Amb. Dennis Awori, 

new features of the fifth generation RAV4 shortly after it was launched at the Toyota Kenya showroom 



Peugeot 3008 

SUV Emerges 

‘New Car 

Of The Year’ 

In Europe 

Sleek Peugeot 3008 Sports 

Utility Vehicle (SUV) has 

won the ‘New Car of the 

Year’ at the annual Auto 

Trader New Car Awards ceremony 

held in London recently. The accolade 

endorsed recently by over 63, 

000 UK drivers who voted for the 

impressive SUV to beat key rivals 

in that segment is coming about 

one year after the assembler of 

Peugeot vehicles in Nigeria, PAN 

Nigeria Limited, unveiled the midsize 

people’s choice at a well-attended 

launch in Lagos. 

The win is the 66th award for the 

Peugeot 3008 SUV, making it 

one of Peugeot’s most successful 

models. Unlike many other awards 

which rely on editorial judging 

panels, the Auto Trader New Car 

Awards are decided by more than 

63,000 real car owners who voted 

via a survey. Drivers review vehicles 

in 16 different criteria, ranging 

from reliability and performance 

to running costs, to give potential 

buyers a complete picture of 

ownership. 

3008 SUV highly in a range of 

areas, including its design, interior 

practicality and its innovative tech, 

including the Peugeot i-Cockpit® 

infotainment system. 

Commenting on the win, Erin Baker, 

Auto Trader’s New Car Editorial 

Director, said, “The PEUGEOT 

3008 SUV was a stand-out winner 

and has been highly commended 

for how comfortable and safe 

it feels when driving, as well as 

the quality of its interior and it’s 

good”. 

According to Baker, “Owners were 

quick to highlight the quality of 

the technology that comes as standard 

and its features and accessories. 

It’s a fantastic all-rounder and 

a wholly worthy winner of New 

Car of the Year.” In his remark, 

Peugeot UK managing director, 

David Peel, said, “Certain awards 

stand out for us in the industry. 

Any award based on owner feedback 

is extremely important for us 

and it’s fantastic to see so many 

owners praise their PEUGEOT 

3008 SUV. Our commitment to 

building vehicles that feature uncompromising 

quality, an instinctive 

driving experience and sharp 

design is clearly paying off.” The 

New Car of the Year award is just 

the latest in a range of accolades 

won by the Peugeot 3008 SUV, 

including Carbuyer’s ‘Best Medium 

SUV’, ‘Mid-Size SUV of the Year’ in 

the 2019 Fleet News Awards and 

‘Best Mid-Sized SUV’ in the 2019 

Driver Power survey. 

"Owners rated the 

Peugeot 3008 SUV 

highly in a range 

of areas, including 

its design, interior 

practicality and its 

innovative tech, including 

the Peugeot 

i-Cockpit infotain 

ment system 

Consumers are also asked about 

their overall satisfaction with their 

car and how likely they would 

be to recommend the model to 

others. Owners rated the Peugeot 


The Peugeot 3008 was officially 

unveiled to the local market by 

PAN Nigeria Limited at a launch 

held in Lagos in the first quarter 

of 2018, an event that attracted 

crème-d-la crème of the nation’s 

automotive industry. Reacting to 

Peugeot 3008’s latest award, the 

Managing Director of PAN, Ibrahim 

Boyi, said the SUV’s string of honours 

is a confirmation that all the 

attractive technological, safety 

and luxury features the company 

highlighted at the launch last 

year, were no marketing gimmicks, 

but true attributes of the 

car. 



Motorbike 

Samsung and Energicar 

evolutionize the world 

of two wheels 

Innovating to improve people’s 

lives, expand their experiences 

and support their passions 

by letting them do things that 

they could not do before. Setting 

out on a path that has not been 

explored to date, this innovation 

meets and revolutionizes mobility 

on two wheels. Samsung Electronics 

Italia, in collaboration with 

Energica Motor Company S.p.A., 

announces Smart Ride, a project 

that has as its aim a completely 

new riding experience. 

developing a solution of great 

importance and quality, we wanted 

to work with a valued brand in the 

world of two wheels like Energica 

which, thanks to its experience and 

innovative approach, represents a 

partner of excellence to start out 

on this journey with the creation 

of the Smart Ride project.” 

“We are proud to be at the side 

of a global leader like Samsung in 

In Italy, a country where motorbike 

market is growing (with a 4.3% 

increase in registrations during the 

first half of 2018), urban mobility 

on two wheels is a crucial subject, 

not only with a view to reducing 

emissions and easing traffic, but 

also in terms of technological 

development for the introduction 

of innovative solutions for motorcyclists. 

The collaboration between Samsung 

and Energica, the first Italian 

manufacturer of electric motorbikes, 

fits into this scenario. This 

partnership originated from the 

companies’ shared values, such as 

great attention to quality, research 

and technological innovation. All 

these elements have allowed the 

development of a cutting-edge 

project, Smart Ride, which offers 

a new way of experiencing motorbikes. 

It is a solution which 

perfectly reflects the Do What You 

Can’t philosophy of Samsung: at 

the service of people and their 

passions, innovation lets them 

achieve objectives which otherwise 

would be completely out of reach. 

“At Samsung, we are aware that 

innovation can play a key role 

because it enables revolutionary 

projects with direct impact on everyday 

life. This is exactly the reason 

why we are committed to continue 

exploring new sectors, where 

ideas can be transformed into real 

projects thanks to technology,” 

explains Francesco Cordani, Head 

of Marcom at Samsung Electronics 

Italia. “With the objective of 

the Smart Ride project,” emphasizes 

Livia Cevolini, CEO at Energica 

Motor Company S.p.A. “Our 

corporate idea is firmly rooted in 

the well-known Italian Motor Valley: 

engines and innovation have 

always been in our DNA. Over the 

past few years, we have interpreted 

the market’s need by anticipating 

products and solutions that are 

unique in the world. We have gone 

beyond the status quo offered by 

current technology, creating a new 

know-how. By creating innovation. 

I hope that the Energica and 

Samsung visions connected in this 

new Smart Ride project can be an 

inspiration for electric mobility in 

Italy and beyond its borders.” 


SMART RIDE: THE BOLID-E PRO- 

TOTYPE 

The prototype conceived by Energica 

Motor Company for Smart 

Ride has been designed starting 

from the electric old-style Eva 

EsseEsse9, the newly proclaimed 

Best Electric Bike of the Year 

2018. The result is “Bolid-E”, a 

speed machine which exalts the 

concept of speed as an emotion: a 

futuristic motorbike in which Samsung 

technologies and Energica 

expertise come together. The logo 

takes up this concept, showing, in 

the second letter, the graphic design 

of the headlights which, with 

their hollow profile, emphasize the 

sensation of speed and getting 

permeated by the wind. Bolid-E is 

the evolution of the key concept 

of Eva EsseEsse9: an alchemy of 

passion and tradition projected 

towards future at high speed. 

SMART RIDE 

Smart Ride, a project managed and 

developed in all its phases in Italy 

by Samsung and Energica, aims at 

making possible the interaction 

– through NFC and Bluetooth 

connectivity – between Samsung 

Galaxy Watch and the Energica 

motorbike, guaranteeing a brand 

new riding experience. The Energica 

motorbike is also fitted with 

intelligent mirrors. The Head-up 

Displays consist of two Samsung 

Galaxy A series devices integrated 

into mirrors which, thanks to 

the videos generated by the two 

cameras – one rear and one front 

– on the motorbike, revolutionize 

road safety, analyzing images in 

real time and warning the rider of 

any hazards and obstacles ahead. 

FAR FROM THE MOTORBIKE 

Thanks to the interaction with 


the Samsung smartwatch through 

the dedicated “Energica” app, the 

rider can control her/his Energica 

motorbike via Bluetooth, checking 

battery level and related autonomy, 

and displaying the position of 

the bike on a map (based on the 

integrated GPS module on the vehicle). 

It is also possible to display 

in real time the average consumption, 

the power supplied, information 

on the journey such as total 

and partial (TRIP) odometer and 

performance of the vehicle (Speed, 

Torque, Power, RPM). Through the 

Horn function, riders can sound 

the horn directly from the Samsung 

smartwatch to be able to 

locate their bikes or as a deterrent 

for criminals. 

BEFORE SETTING OFF 

Samsung and Energica are also 

revolutionizing the way the motorbike 

is started: through the interaction 

(NFC) between the Galaxy 

Watch and the vehicle, a virtual 

key can be created which allows, 

merely by putting the smartwatch 

near the tank, starting the motorbike. 

In addition, owners can share 

their virtual key with a selection of 

contacts from their address book. 

Before setting off, you can also set 

your destination and start recording 

the journey. 

ON THE WAY 

Smart Ride is a project that not 

only aims at innovating the riding 

experience, but also at guaranteeing 

a high level of safety on 

the road. Thanks to the intelligent 

mirrors – the Samsung Head‐up 

Displays – it is possible to see, 

without any distraction, useful 

information on the journey, such 

as possible obstacles, the presence 

of vehicles in blind corners or 

pedestrians on the road. Furthermore, 

while travelling it is possible 

to check the availability of AC or 

DC type charging stations nearby, 

thanks to the GPS module integrated 

in the Samsung Galaxy 

Watch. 

RELIVE EMOTIONS AND SHARE 

PASSIONS 

The Energica riding experience is 

characterized by speed and performance: 

by activating the Track 

Recording function, it is possible 

to virtually relive the emotions 

of the journey on your Samsung 

Smart TV thanks to videos recorded 

by the built-in cameras on the 

motorbike and data captured by 

the smartwatch. In addition, using 

Smart Ride, the Energica riders can 

share their passion with friends 

through the Track Sharing and 

Key Sharing features. With a view 

to guaranteeing safety that is as 

effective as possible, Samsung 

and Energica have implemented a 

remote monitoring system to track 

the motorbike when it is used by 

several people. It is possible to display 

on a map the current position 

of the user and her/his Energica 

motorbike, define a range within 

which the motorbike can be used 

and get notified when it goes too 

far away. 

"This partnership 

originated from 

the companies' 

shared values, such 

as great attention 

to quality, research 

and technological 

innovation. 


Chinese 

firm set 

to pilot 

electric 

motorbikes 

in Kenya 

the United Nations Environment 

Assembly in Nairobi. 

Jayson said that motorbikes will 

contribute to the reduction of 

carbon dioxide as part of efforts to 

eliminate greenhouse gas emissions. 

He said the company that is collaborating 

with the UN Environment 

Programme (UNEP) will be 

sending technicians to Kenya to 

help fix the equipment required. 

The company that has plants in 

Chinese cities, including Dongguan, 

Wuxi, and Tianjin, plans to 

expand to Ethiopia and Uganda 

after setting base in Kenya. 

Anyang Nyong’o, Governor for 

Kisumu County welcomed the 

company, adding that the project 

will help reduce pollution in the 

city. 

Nyong’o said that such initiatives 

should be taken up as they help 

solve pollution and electricity 

Chinese electric vehicle 

manufacturer TAILG 

Group said that it is set 

to pilot electric motorbikes 

in Kenya as art of its entry 

in the local market. Jayson Huang, 

an official with the group, said that 

the introduction will take place 

in the western inland port city of 

Kisumu in July. 

“We intend to pilot 50 motorbikes 

in the city as part of our entry 

into the Kenyan market,” Jayson 

told journalists on the sidelines 

of the ongoing fourth session of 

problems and keep people healthy. 

“The program comes at a time 

when we are working on a modern 

transport system that will help us 

decongest the city,” he added. 

Rob De Jong, head of mobility unit 

at UNEP, said that the UN agency 

is currently working on a project 

that aims at integrating electric two 

wheelers and three wheelers into 

existing urban transport modes in 

developing countries. 

“We are piloting and developing a 

comprehensive policy framework 

in Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Philippines, 

Thailand and Vietnam,” he 

added. 


Upcoming 

electric motorcycle 

Pune-based startup Tork 

Motorcycles introduced its 

first concept T6X a couple 

of years ago. It received 

tremendous appreciation, but it 

wasn’t until this year that Tork 

finally announced the launch of 

the much-awaited e-bike. With its 

launch expected this year, here’s 

what you should know about the 

Tork T6X. 

Tork T6X Engine 

As the T6X is an all-electric bike, 

it will be powered by a 6 kW or 8 

BHP electric motor, which churns 

out a peak of 27 Nm of torque. 

This will be mated to an automatic 

transmission. 

Tork T6X Chassis 

The e-bike is built on the sturdy 

yet light-weight trellis frame, which 

incorporates its battery pack, 

among other electronics. It is also 

expected to have telescopic front 

forks and a monoshock at the rear. 

Tork T6X Range 

With a juiced-up battery, the Tork 

T6X has a claimed range of over 

100 km. That coupled with a 

claim of up to 80% charging in 

just an hour, could be a severe 

threat to the current 200cc motorcycles. 

Tork T6X Performance 

As an 8 BHP motor powers the 

e-bike, it has a claimed top speed 

of 100 kmph, though actual roadtests 

are yet to be conducted. The 

bike is also equipped with Tork’s 

latest technology, TIROS (Tork 

Intuitive Response Operating System). 

This will allow the selection 

of riding modes that will alter the 

power delivery. 

Tork T6X Pricing 

When the bike was first revealed 

as a concept, it was slated to be 

priced around the Rs 1.25 lakh 

mark. Now, though the company 

has maintained the price figures, it 

would be safe to assume that the 

after sales service and availability 

of spares would not be an issue. 



Safety 

Tips 

Regularly check your 

tire pressure and inspect 

your tire tread 

and sidewalls 

In addition to maintaining proper inflation 

pressure, regularly inspect the tire 

tread and sidewalls for irregular tread 

wear, cracking, scrapes, bulges, cuts, 

snags, foreign objects or other damage resulting 

from use. Remove any stones, glass, 

foreign objects, etc. embedded in the tread 

to prevent further damage. Even minor damage 

can lead to further injury and eventual 

tire failure. Tires with excessive cracking on 

the tread or sidewall(s) should be removed 

from service. This is typically caused by under 

inflation, over loading, improper storage, 

and/or improper long-term parking. 

Consumers should check their tire tread 

and sidewall areas during monthly inflation 

pressure checks, looking for uneven or irregular 

tread wear or other conditions as noted 

above. It is recommended that tires, including 

the spare, be periodically inspected by 

a tire service professional during routine 

maintenance intervals such as oil changes 

and tire rotations. 

WHEN INSPECTING YOUR TIRES, LOOK 

FOR: 

Uneven tread wear – This can include more 

wear on one tread edge than the other, a 

rippled pattern of high and low wear, or 

exposed steel wire. Uneven wear can be 

caused by problems such as under inflation, 

vehicle misalignment and improper 

balancing. 

Shallow tread – Well worn or bald tires can 

result in hydroplaning, loss of traction and 

are more likely to be damaged by potholes 

and other road hazards. Replace tires when 

worn to 2/32 inch (1.6 mm) tread depth 

anywhere on the tread face. To help you 

see when the tread is worn out, tires have 

a built in “tread wear indicators.” These 

are narrow bars of smooth rubber that run 

across the tread. When the tread is even 

with the bars, a tire is worn down to 2/32 

inch and the tire must be replaced immediately. 

You can also try the penny test: place 

a penny in the tire’s most worn groove with 

Lincoln’s head facing down. If you can see 

the top of Lincoln’s head, the tire should be 

replaced. 

Troublemakers – Check for small stones, 

pieces of glass, bits of metal and other foreign 

objects that might be wedged into the 

tread and carefully remove them. They can 

cause serious problems if they are pushed 

farther into your tire as you drive. 

Damaged areas – Cracks, cuts, splits, 

punctures, holes and bulges in the tread 

or on the sidewalls of the tire can indicate 

serious problems, and the tire may need to 

be replaced. 

Slow leaks – Remember that tires lose 

inflation pressure when the air temperature 

gets colder (about 1 psi or 7 kPa for every 

10°F drop in temperature). Tires may also 

lose a certain amount of inflation pressure 

due to their permeability (about 2 psi or 14 

kPa per month). However, if you find that 

you have to add inflation pressure every few 

days, have the tire, wheel and valve checked 

by a tire service professional – and if necessary, 

repair or replace the tire. 

Valve caps – Those little caps on your tire’s 

valve stem keep moisture and dirt out, so 

make sure they are on all your tires. Also, 

when you have a tire replaced, have a new 

valve stem assembly installed at the same 

time. 

Driving on a damaged tire can be dangerous. 

If you see something you’re not 

sure about during your inspection, have it 

examined by your tire service professional. 

Any time you see damage to a tire, don’t 

drive on it – use a spare if you need to go 

somewhere. And finally, pay attention to 

the “feel” of your tires as you drive. A rough 

ride may indicate tire damage or excessive 

wear. 

If you notice vibrations or other disturbances 

while driving, and/or you suspect possible 

damage to your tire or vehicle, immediately 

reduce speed, drive with caution until 

you can safely pull off the road and stop, 

and inspect our tires. If a tire is damaged, 

deflate it and replace it with your spare. If 

you do not see any tire damage and cannot 

identify the source of the vibration, have the 

vehicle towed to a mechanic or tire dealer 

for a thorough inspection. 


Driving safety tips 

every driver should know 

When you’re behind the 

wheel of a car whether 

alone or with passengers 

– driving safely 

should always be your top concern. 

We’re more distracted than 

ever, so it’s crucial to know the 

basics of safe driving and practice 

them every time you’re on the 

road. Here are some safe driving 

tips: 

Top 4 driving safety tips 

• Focus on driving 

Keep 100% of your attention 

on driving at all times – no 

multi-tasking. 

Don’t use your phone or any other 

electronic device while driving. 

Slow down. Speeding gives you 

less time to react and increases the 

severity of an accident. 

• Drive “defensively” 

Be aware of what other drivers 

around you are doing, and expect 

the unexpected. 

Assume other motorists will do 

something crazy, and always be 

prepared to avoid it. Keep a 2-second 

cushion between you and the 

car in front of you. Make that 4 

seconds if the weather is bad. 

• Make a safe driving plan 

Build time into your trip schedule 

to stop for food, rest breaks, 

phone calls or other business. 

Adjust your seat, mirrors and 

climate controls before putting 

the car in gear. Pull over to eat or 

drink. It takes only a few minutes. 

• Practice safety 

Secure cargo that may move 

around while the vehicle is in 

motion. 

Don’t attempt to retrieve items that 

fall to the floor. 

Have items needed within easy 

reach – such as toll fees, toll cards 

and garage passes. 

Always wear your seat belt and 

drive sober and drug-free. Don’t 

allow children to fight or climb 

around in your car – they should 

be buckled in their seats at all 

times. Too much noise can easily 

distract you from focus on the 

road. 

Avoid driving when you’re tired. 

Be aware that some medications 

cause drowsiness and make operating 

a vehicle very dangerous. 

Learn more about drowsy driving. 

Always use caution when changing 

lanes. Cutting in front of someone, 

changing lanes too fast or not 

using your signals may cause an 

accident or upset other drivers. 

Be extra careful while driving 

during deer season. 



Advertiser’s Index 

1. 3M........................................................................................................................................................................................ 

2. Asuki Automobiles................................................................................................................................................. 

3. ARB Bearings................................................................................................................................................................ 

4. Castrol............................................................................................................................................................................... 

5. Globbat............................................................................................................................................................................ 

6. Good Year...................................................................................................................................................................... 

7. Hp Lubricants.............................................................................................................................................................. 

8. Mintex............................................................................................................................................................................... 

9. Motorol............................................................................................................................................................................ 

10. Voltronic.................................................................................................................................................................. 

Pg....IBC 

Pg....IFC 

Pg....33 

Pg....17 

Pg....19 

Pg....33 

Pg....24 

Pg....IBC 

Pg...OBC 

Pg....28 

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Africa Automotive May-June digital issue 2019

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