Aug 12, 2023
Industry’s finest.
seen from China
seen from Kazakhstan
seen from United States
seen from China
seen from Germany
seen from China
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from T1
seen from Canada
seen from Canada
seen from Canada
seen from Canada
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Germany
seen from Australia
seen from United States
seen from China
seen from India
Industry’s finest.
‘New energy’ (i.e. electric and hybrid) vehicles accounted for just 2% of the 17 million cars sold in the United States last year. Demand in China is waning after consumer subsidies were cut. Yet with decreased demand, governments and car companies continue to push the electric revolution. Electric cars are expensive to produce and less profitable long term. And though we’re more environmentally conscious than ever, most people aren’t prepared to pay the premium if it affects their convenience or wallets. I’m all for being clean and green. The environmental issues are real. But I can’t help but think: Are legacy carmakers shooting themselves in the foot? posted on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/p/B7iGYmrh6cH/
CarIndustry – Heritage vs Reality: The VW ID. Polo GTI and the Future of European Brands in South Africa
Back in the day, European manufacturers lived and died by top‑speed bragging rights. A car wasn’t truly “premium” unless it could hit 250 km/h or more. BMW, Audi, and Mercedes built reputations on autobahn dominance, and VW’s GTI badge became a cultural icon.
Fast forward to today, and the landscape looks very different. Most electric cars are capped below 200 km/h, because speed drains batteries fast and isn’t practical outside Germany. Instead, EVs win headlines with 0–100 times and torque figures. The obsession with max speed has faded, but the pricing madness hasn’t.
Take the VW ID. Polo GTI: a hot hatch for the EV era, with 226 hp, 175 km/h top speed, and a 6.8‑second sprint to 100. Impressive numbers, sure. But in South Africa, if it lands here, it’ll likely cost R900K or more, easily R100K above the MINI Cooper SE, which offers almost identical performance and better range.
And that’s the problem. VW still leans on heritage, the GTI badge, the red fascia strip, the nostalgia of hot hatches past, but the value equation is broken. South Africans are being asked to choose between a GTI and their kids’ education, because the sticker price is higher than a house.
Meanwhile, the Chinese brands have shown what’s possible: cars with more features, faster iteration cycles, and far lower prices. BYD, Chery, and MG are proving you don’t need to gouge buyers to deliver performance and tech.
VW’s recent moves like selling the Taigo and T‑Cross at inflated “premium” prices despite being ordinary Polo derivatives, only highlight the disconnect. They’re not premium, they’re just expensive. And when they pulled genuinely affordable models like the UP!, they abandoned the very segment that built their reputation here.
So the question is: are heritage brands still relevant?
They offer badge prestige, driving refinement, and established dealer networks.
But they also bring high prices, slow innovation, and headaches when things go wrong.
If they don’t adapt, they risk becoming nostalgia brands, loved for their past, but irrelevant in the showroom. In South Africa, where affordability is everything, that could be their undoing.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bottom line: The GTI badge still tugs at the heartstrings, but in a market where a hot hatch costs more than a house, heritage alone won’t save VW. The future belongs to brands that balance performance, features, and affordability. And right now, that’s not the Europeans.
America Was Slow To Take Action Around Climate Change
The Trump regime is rolling back regulation designed to protect public health and limit the warming of the planetary atmosphere. America was slow to take action around climate change in the first place and this reversal is a dangerous and irresponsible action. This backward thinking by Donald Trump is further evidence of his unsuitability for leadership in the 21C. Scientific consensus regarding climate change is unanimous and has been for decades. This wilful disregard for the reality is a crime against humanity. To do this in a bid to prolong a US car industry which has been outmanoeuvred by China tells the world a lot about America.
“US President Donald Trump has reversed a key Obama-era scientific ruling that underpins all federal actions on curbing planet-warming gases. The so-called 2009 "endangerment finding" concluded that a range of greenhouse gases were a threat to public health. It's become the legal bedrock of federal efforts to rein in emissions, especially in vehicles. The White House called the reversal the "largest deregulation in American history", saying it would make cars cheaper, bringing down costs for automakers by $2,400 per vehicle.”
- (https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn0zdd7yl4vo)
Trump Is Trashing The Planet & Poisoning America
Trashing the planet and the United States to save a failing automobile industry is a desperate act. This administration of incompetents and extremists is trying to turn back time to maintain US hegemony. The health of American children will suffer, as air pollution in cities returns. The irresponsible Trump regime is on a fool’s errand. Chinese manufacturing is so far ahead of America that they are no longer in the conversation. The octogenarian President is stuck in a time warp and incapable of meeting the challenges of 21C life on planet Earth. My advice to you, the reader, is to watch the video below to get up to speed on what is actually happening in this space.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLnxzkiB-GI America Has Selfishly Dragged The Chain On Climate Change
Americans have been putting their own interests first for a very long time. The power elite in the US have been profiting at the expense of everyone else. The Epstein class have been revealed. Now, the US hegemony is over and no amount of Trumpism will bring it back. No one wants to buy US debt anymore. The good times are over folks. There is a universal law, what comes around goes around. The global order can despise Donald Trump but 76 million Americans voted Trump back into power. Americans have been putting themselves first over saving the planet for a very long time. America was slow to take action around climate change.
“ Climate change has led to the United States warming up by 2.6 °F (1.4 °C) since 1970. In 2023, the global average near-surface temperature reached 1.45 °C above pre-industrial levels, making it the warmest year on record.”
- (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_change_in_the_United_States#) Petrostates & Living In The Past
Trump is attempting to reduce the United States to a petrostate like Russia. Donald Trump admires Vladimir Putin, the murderous ruler of Russia. Invading Venezuela and seizing its oil is the act of a criminal state. Trump wants to see Americans blithely polluting their country and the world. The truth is he will be dead soon and will not live to see stuff either way. Authoritarians want to impose their kleptocracies upon the nation state. Every dictator that has lived has stolen billions from the people. Look at the Trump family grift happening right now via cyber currencies.
“Days before Donald Trump returned to office in January 2025, an investment firm controlled by a senior member of the United Arab Emirates royal family secretly signed a deal to pay $500m to buy almost half of a cryptocurrency startup founded by the Trump family. Under any other president, such an arrangement, which was revealed this past weekend by the Wall Street Journal, would cause a political earthquake in Washington. There would be demands for an investigation by Congress, televised hearings and months of damage control.”
- (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/feb/06/trump-family-uae-crypto-deal)
America was slow to take action around climate change. The Trump regime is now reversing regulation by prior administrations in this regard. Stupid is as stupid does. The billionaires will be able to keep their families safe in ivory towers and palatial bunkers, when climate disasters from global warming rain down on the schmucks who voted for Trump 2.0. Did you drink the kool aid and vote for Trump?
The ICE Threat To Democracy
“If you have ICE, already, targeting brown skinned Americans in Democrat cities, then the next obvious step for the Trump regime will be to do this during elections. American citizens have been beaten up and detained illegally by ICE. If you don’t realise that this will be a huge deterrent to voting for these Americans you are a fool. How would you feel about the possibility of being grabbed off the street and taken away to be locked up in some concentration camp facility wherever? The United States is in the grip of an authoritarian regime committing lawless acts every day. ICE is a paramilitary force targeting brown skinned Americans and progressives. Trump’s ICE a threat to democracy.”
- (https://www.midasword.com.au/trumps-ice-a-threat-to-democracy/)
Robert Sudha Hamilton is the author of What Price Life?; America Matters: Pre-apocalyptic Posts & Essays in the Shadow of Trump; and other titles. NOW AVAILABLE AT APPLE BOOKS & GOOGLE PLAY BOOKS. Google Play Books AUDIOBOOK
©MidasWord
Accelerate your brand’s success with a premium automobile domain from Domains Yesterday.
Analysts Foresee Lower New Car Sales In Malaysia This Year http://dlvr.it/TQXbKM
Mazda Delays New EV to 2029, Shifts Focus to Hybrids
Mazda has officially confirmed that its first fully in-house developed electric vehicle (EV) will not arrive until 2029 at the earliest.
Instead of rushing into full electrification, the Japanese automaker is choosing a different path — doubling down on hybrid technology as global EV demand continues to shift.
Let’s break down what this really means
What Changed?
Originally, Mazda planned to introduce its own dedicated EV platform by 2027.
That timeline has now been extended by at least two years, pushing the launch to 2029 or later.
The reason? Changing global market conditions.
Slowing Global EV Demand
Over the past two years:
EV sales growth has slowed in North America and Europe
High battery costs continue to pressure prices
Charging infrastructure remains inconsistent
Consumer demand is shifting toward hybrids and plug-in hybrids
According to industry data:
Hybrids now account for over 30% of electrified vehicle sales in Japan
In the U.S., hybrid sales grew 30–40% year-over-year, outpacing EV growth
Mazda is responding directly to these trends.
Mazda’s New Strategy
Rather than going all-in on EVs, Mazda will focus on a multi-solution approach, including:
Mild hybrids
Full hybrids
Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs)
Internal combustion engines with improved efficiency
This allows Mazda to reduce emissions while maintaining affordability.
Hybrid Expansion Plan
Mazda plans to introduce:
Next-generation Skyactiv hybrid systems
New hybrid versions of popular models including:
Mazda CX-5
Mazda CX-50
Mazda CX-60 / CX-90
The company is also developing a new gasoline engine optimized for hybrid use, expected to improve fuel efficiency by up to 30% compared to older designs.
EV Development Continues — Just Slower
Mazda is not canceling EVs.
Instead, it is:
Reducing EV development investment by nearly 40%
Partnering with Toyota and Panasonic on battery research
Developing scalable EV platforms for future use
This approach lowers risk while keeping long-term electrification plans intact.
Why Hybrids Make Financial Sense
Mazda’s leadership states that:
Hybrid vehicles cost 30–40% less to develop than EVs
They require no charging infrastructure investment from buyers
They provide immediate CO₂ reduction
For many markets, hybrids are currently the most realistic solution.
Regional Market Reality
Mazda’s decision reflects global differences:
🇯🇵 Japan → strong hybrid demand
🇺🇸 North America → hybrids growing faster than EVs
🇪🇺 Europe → EV incentives declining
Developing markets → charging still limited
One technology simply doesn’t fit every country.
What Happens in 2029?
By 2029, Mazda expects:
Lower battery costs
Improved charging infrastructure
More stable EV demand
Profitable EV production
Only then will Mazda launch its true next-generation electric vehicle.
Final Thoughts
Mazda isn’t abandoning electrification — it’s choosing patience.
While many automakers rushed toward EVs, Mazda is betting on:
Hybrids today
EVs tomorrow
Sustainability without sacrificing affordability
A slower path — but possibly a smarter one.
Crystal Car Awards | Crystal Auto Trophy Awards
Looking for automotive industry awards? @creativecrystalawards supplying crystal car awards ideal for automotive companies, automobile companies, car hire companies, insurance companies, auto shows, car shows, car racing events and for those car brands. Check out car theme awards here at https://creativecrystalawards.com/product-tag/crystal-automotive-awards/
Crystal automotive awards
auto industry awards
car theme awards
auto theme awards
automotive industry awards
automobile awards
car shoe awards
auto show awards
crystal car awards
crystal auto awards
crystal car shaped awards
corporate crystal awards
wholesale crystal awards supplier
Creative Crystal Awards