SA Road Tests

Welcome

This is the home of automobile road tests in South Africa. We drive South African cars, SUVs and LCVs under South African conditions. It also just happens that most of the vehicles we drive are world cars as well, so what you read here probably applies to the models you can get at home.

*To read one of our road tests, just select from the menu on the left.

*Please remember too, that prices quoted were those ruling on the days I wrote the reports.



Mini test: 2011 Honda Ballade 1.5 Elegance m/t

Pics supplied

Still remembered with affection

The engine: It's a 1497 cc, SOHC, 16-valve, inline four-cylinder using Honda's i-VTEC technology. "VTEC" chooses electronically between two camshaft profiles for each valve, based on engine revs, while "i-" for "intelligent" adds variable timing control. This continuously modulates intake valve overlap depending on engine load. The combination yields a good balance between performance and economy under all foreseeable driving conditions. Gearboxes are a simple choice - five-speeds, manual or automatic.

The body: Set on the same floor pan as the Jazz and CR-Z, the car is Honda's "City" model built in Thailand for the Asian market. South Africans still remember the original Ballades with affection and "City" belongs to someone else, so the choice of name was easy. It's a four-door sedan with seating for five and a really large boot (506 litres) for what is actually a small car.

Standard equipment on basic, or 'Comfort,' models includes electrically adjustable mirrors, electric windows front and rear, multi-function steering wheel with tilt adjustment, cruise control, trip computer, manual air-conditioning with dust and pollen filter, height adjustment for the driver’s seat and a front-loading CD/RDS-radio sound system with four speakers. It’s MP3/WMA compatible with auxiliary and USB plugs for music devices. Active safety features include Vehicle Stability Assist, ABS brakes with EBD and EBA, dual front and side airbags, ISOFIX child seat anchors at the rear, pretensioning for the front seatbelts and height-adjustable belt anchors. Keyless central locking is included while steel rims with 175/65 R15 tyres round out the package.

Elegance specification gains you height adjustment and leather trim for the steering wheel, Bluetooth hands-free cellphone functionality and a pair of side curtain air bags, bringing the total to six. Comfort and convenience items include a front armrest with oddments box and a back-seat undertray for additional storage. Externally, multi-spoke alloy rims shod with 185/55 R16 tyres, front fog lights, chromed door handles and exhaust pipe, and a smart micro antenna distinguish this model.

The experience: As mentioned above, the boot is really big and 60:40 split rear seat backs fold to create even more space. The spare is a full-sized alloy unit. Back seat accommodation offers good knee- and foot space, but six-footers will find headroom compromised. There are three belts with a similar number of head restraints. In front, the seats adjust mechanically with height selection for the driver's chair as well. A good selection of bins and boxes look after storage needs. The filtered manual air conditioner is operated by means of straightforward rotary dials. Unfortunately, cheap-looking silver plastic on these controls and on dash and door trim, detracts somewhat from Honda's upmarket image.
Engine performance is willing and perfectly in line with what one would expect from a 1500 cc naturally aspirated unit. In fifth gear at 120 km/h the engine turns over at about 3500 rpm, leaving something over for discretionary acceleration. This is nice, because many cars are so highly geared in top that it becomes impossible to maintain speed up gentle inclines without fuel economy taking a dive.

Summing up, the Ballade rides comfortably, maintaining its composure over rumble strips and speed humps. It’s also practical and economical, although braking can be a little fierce until you get used to the pedal response. Conclusion? Five huge rugby forwards on a camping trip, no. Mum, Dad and three kids to work, school and shopping, yes.
 

For launch report and equipment details, click here

The numbers:

Price: R193 900
Engine: 1 497 cc, four-cylinder, naturally aspirated
Power: 88 kW at 6 600 rpm
Torque: 145 Nm at 4 800 rpm
Zero to 100 km/h: 10,7 seconds
Maximum speed: 185 km/h
Real life fuel economy over 240 km: about 6,9 l/100 km
Tank: 45 litres
Warranty: 3 years/100 000 km
Service plan: 4 years/60 000 km
Intervals: 15 000 km



What We Do

This is a one-man show, which means that road test cars entrusted to me are driven only by me. Some reviewers hand test cars over to their partners to use as day-to-day transport and barely experience them for themselves.

What this means to you is that every car reviewed is given my own personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.

Every car goes through real world testing; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads as well.

I am based in Pietermaritzburg, KZN, South Africa. This is the central hub of the KZN Midlands farming community; the place farmers go to to buy their supplies and equipment, truck their goods to market, send their kids to school and go to kick back and relax. 

So occasionally a cow, a goat or a horse may add a little local colour by finding its way into the story or one of the pictures. It's all part of the ambience!

Comments?

Want to ask a question, comment or just tell me you thoroughly disagree with what I say? That's your privilege, because if everybody agreed on everything, the world would be a boring place. All I ask is that you remain calm, so please blow off a little steam before venting too vigorously.