Hannes Oosthuizen

Cape Town

Consumer Experience Manager at Cars.co.za

@CarsSouthAfrica @worldcarawards judge. @sentimetal_by_cars.co.za manager https://t.co/jqtDkZH0Wy…

Featured in: Favicon

cars.co.za

Articles

Volvo 850R: Classic Drive

3 weeks ago | cars.co.za | Hannes Oosthuizen

Think “Volvo 850” and your thoughts are likely to turn to the brick-like station wagon version piloted by the likes of Rickard Rydell and Kelvin Burt in the British Touring Car Championship in the 90s. It was a marketing tactic that bestowed considerable desirability on the Swedish marque’s faster T5-badged variants and, in particular, the limited-edition T-5R, which was the curtain raiser for the Volvo 850R.
Hyundai Alcazar (2025) Launch Review

1 month ago | cars.co.za | Hannes Oosthuizen

The 7-seater Grand Creta was a popular choice for family-car buyers; it contributed around 35% to the Creta range’s sales numbers. Slotted between the 5-seat Creta and the bigger, pricier, but 5-seat-only Tucson, it occupied an important position in Hyundai’s line-up. So, where does the Hyundai Alcazar fit in?
Mercedes-AMG S63 E Performance (2025) Review

1 month ago | cars.co.za | Hannes Oosthuizen

We like: Phenomenal performance, wonderful combination of supple ride and grip/traction, sinister appearance on the outside, high-tech cabin, acceptable fuel consumption We don’t like: Clunky transmission, eye-watering price Model: Mercedes-AMG S63 E Performance Price: R4 604 226 (April 2025, before options) Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 with plug-in hybrid assistance Transmission: 9-speed dual-clutch auto Power/Torque: 590 kW/1 430 Nm (combined) 0-100 kph: 3.3 sec (claimed) Claimed fuel...
Kia takes top honours at 2025 World Car Awards

1 month ago | cars.co.za | Hannes Oosthuizen

The 2025 World Car Awards winners were selected based on the votes of nearly 100 top international motoring journalists, including Cars.co.za’s Hannes Oosthuizen; the results were tabulated by KPMG. Now in its 21st year, the WCA has been the #1 awards programme in the world for 12th consecutive years in terms of media reach and analysis of 47 top global markets in AITASTIC’s 2024 media report.
Vehicle armouring goes mainstream with SVI LITE

2 months ago | cars.co.za | Hannes Oosthuizen

Speaking at the launch of the new product, Jaco de Kock – the CEO of the Pretoria-based firm – said that SVI was well aware that most South African consumers could simply not afford the significant investment that B4- or B6-level discreet armouring packages require. Therefore, SVI set out to develop a considerably more cost-effective solution to combat hijacking attempts specifically: SVI LITE.
2025 World Car Awards - Top 3 Finalists

2 months ago | cars.co.za | Hannes Oosthuizen

This is the final stage before the winners are announced on April 16 at the 2025 New York International Auto Show. The results (tabulated by KPMG) are based on votes cast by nearly 100 top international motoring journalists, including Cars.co.za’s Hannes Oosthuizen, South Africa’s longest-serving judge.
Aston Martin Vantage (2025) Launch Review

Feb 27, 2025 | cars.co.za | Hannes Oosthuizen

It seems like not so long ago that Aston Martin wheeled out a “new” V8 Vantage in 2018, by all means a solid offering, boasting all the traits we’ve always admired the British sports- and supercar marque for – drop-dead looks, stonking performance and great exhaust sounds. A lot has happened in the junior supercar market since then, with the usual suspects (most notably Porsche and Ferrari) launching improved or all-new models in the past 7 years.
Volkswagen Tiguan (2025) Living with it

Feb 18, 2025 | cars.co.za | Hannes Oosthuizen

More than 40 000 Tiguans had found homes in Mzansi before this 3rd-gen model was launched in 2024. Its predecessors were frontrunners in the medium SUV/family segment, but the 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan faces much stiffer competition than they did. The local arrivals of particularly high-value Chinese models (especially from GWM/Haval and Chery/Jaecoo/Omoda) have truly disrupted this sector of the market.
2025 CarsAwards Finalists: Best Compact Family Car in SA

Jan 28, 2025 | cars.co.za | Hannes Oosthuizen

With household budgets stretched to breaking point, a reasonably affordable compact family car needs to wear many hats. The winner of the Compact Family Car category of the 2024/25 Cars.co.za Awards, sponsored by Absa (2025 CarsAwards) needs to excel at being a compact urban runabout, a sufficiently spacious school-run vehicle and, on occasion, a source of transport for weekend getaways.
Toyota Corolla Cross (2025) Launch Review

Jan 24, 2025 | cars.co.za | Hannes Oosthuizen

Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) is immensely proud of the Corolla Cross, with good reason. The crossover has breathed new life into the iconic Corolla nameplate, has become a very strong seller (22 000 units of the pre-facelift model were sold last year) and, perhaps most importantly, is locally built. The Corolla Cross’ success is not only important to TSAM, but also to automotive manufacturing in SA and ongoing efforts to secure this vital industry’s future.