C-Class Gets Cheaper, SA’s Most Affordable PHEV (Again) + Ford’s 2026 Plan
Hello and welcome to the weekly Kazakosa news. I’m David Taylor and in today’s episode, Merc South Africa cuts C-Class pricing. Meet South Africa’s new affordable plug-in hybrid, plus some intel on the updated Ford Everest. But before we get into the stories, guys, let me just remind you, Cars Kosa, we have over 80,000 vehicles for sale, double cabs, hatchbacks, and everything and anything in between. Right, Carl? Music. We’ve got Google ratings and reviews right here on cars.co. Don’t just trust the sales pitch, trust the people who’ve been there, done that, and got the D cross. Right, straight into it. First story for the week, MercedesBenz South Africa has done something very interesting. This doesn’t happen very often. They’ve cut the pricing for the MercedesBenz C-Class sedan. As a reminder, the C-Class sedan that’s built right here in South Africa at Merk’s East London factory. And these price cuts, these affect the breadandbut models. That’s the petrol C200 and C220 diesel. The C63, C43, they’re also built here. These prices have remained the same. So what exactly has changed? So our data specialist Ryan, he’s compiled this great table. And as you can see, the C220D Avanguard has the largest proportional price reduction. That’s just over 11%. Now that’s unheard of in terms of discounts. The petrol price C200 that’s also an avanguard that’s dropped by around 9% while the higher spec AMG lines they get around seven seven and a half eight% drops and in the face of tough market conditions I mean we know what the current landscape for South African motoring car sales is like at the moment it’s good to see some price reductions I mean not everyone is going to like it and I think there’s a case for why this has happened and so on but I don’t know the answers of that but it’s good to see Merk South Africa going you know what guys we still exist and we actually want to sell some cars Now, interestingly now, if you look at the current pricing, and here’s where the cars comparison tool comes into play, how close is a C-Class in comparison to the equivalent BMW 3 series and Audi A5? And as you can see, suddenly a C-Class C220 diesel looks quite competitive. And previously, it was priced higher and there was always a doubt going, is it really justified? And suddenly, now we have a battle on our hands. Onto the next story, and it seems like I talk about South Africa’s most affordable this or that. And yes, it’s happened again. And now we have South Africa’s most affordable plug-in hybrid. And this week, the honor goes to the BYD Cine 5. This is the BYD Cline 5. And a few units have already made their way to our local showrooms. Shout out to Mark at Mor by. I got to see this one up close. It looks really cool in the metal. So, what exactly is the Cine 5? Well, if you look at the tech data, it’s a touch bigger than things like the Toyota Corolla Cross, Kia Stos, that sort of ballpark. The plug-in hybrid engine is a naturally aspirated 1.5 4-cylinder petrol and that’s of course is paired to an electric motor and that drives the front wheels via a CVT. Total outputs 156 kW. That sounds really good. There’s a 12.96 kWh battery and BYD says you can do 50 km of pure electric, but guys, it’s a plug-in hybrid. It’s best to just stick to the default hybrid mode and then you can cruise around town using the best of both. In terms of consumption, well, BYD claims things on the NE cycle, which is a little bit sus in my opinion. I prefer the WLTP cycle. That’s apparently a bit more realistic. And you know what these things are like, but still, the figures of 1.4 and 3.8 L per 100. I mean, if you’re getting pretty close to 3.8 L per 100, that’s really good for urban fuel consumption. There’ll be two derivatives on offer. That’s comfort and dynamic. And as you can see by the picture that I took at the dealership, pricing starts from 499,900 rand. Like guys, take a moment here. That is insane value for a midsize family SUV with a plug-in hybrid motor. There was no pricing available as yet for the dynamic model. That’s the higher spec one. And that model, I mean, I reckon that’s going to come in about 560 550 thereabouts. There you get a heated ventilated seat, sunroof, wireless phone charger, some additional speakers, and some additional safety content. Those sort of things. But guys, do you think other brands will be able to match this sort of offering at this price? I think we’re in for a battle. Finally, in our last story for the week, it’s happening here as well. We’re starting to see the circle back. Let’s tackle this in the new year strategy emails. It’s happening. You know, it’s happening. It’s already the 1st, 2nd of December, there thereabouts. And Ford has sent out details on its updated Everest, which will be touching down in South Africa in the first half of 2026. Now, I’ve already spoken about the Ford Ranger engine lineup changing, you know, with the 2 L 4-cylinder burbo that’s falling away, and they’re going to be bringing in the 2.3. Well, that engine lineup, that system is being replicated for the Everest as well. So, yes, you’re now going to be able to get a Ford Everest with a 222 kW 2.3 L petrol EcoBoost. That sounds really awesome, but um I’m a bit concerned about the fuel consumption, but we’ll cross that bridge next year when we get there. Now, if I go through the Ford Everest lineup, which is cool. Ford has already shared exactly the entire Everest family for 2026, I see there’s a new entry- level model. Previously, well, as it stands now, the entry level point is the XLT. But now, Ford is introducing something called the Active. And I hope and pray that this model, this big family Everest, will be coming in at under 1 million rand because right now, I think the Everest is the best three row seven-seater family SUV. And yes, like I said, you can expect to see the updated Ford Everest and Ford Ranger, that’s the locally built Ranger that is, in showrooms in the first half of 2026. And that brings me to the end of this week’s episode, guys. We’re in December. We are heading towards the holidays. But let’s not stop your car searching cuz remember, Carza Kosa has over 80,000 vehicles for sale. We’ve got everything really. Sedans, station wagons, well, not many of those. Double cab buckies, and so much more. I’ll see you next week. Okay, bye. Now, buying a car from a dealer is like jumping into a super tube. It’s liquor, but it’s more liquorer if someone else goes first. That’s why we’ve got Google ratings and reviews right here on cars.co. You can see who’s legit, who gives proper service, and who you should avoid like a pothole on the N1. Don’t just trust the sales pitch. Trust the people who’ve been there, done that, and got the D cross. I’m called the Goza. Let’s find what moves you at cars.co.
In this week’s news episode, David Taylor shares pricing and information on the sudden price drop of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class. It’s a substantial discount on both the petrol C200 and diesel C220d, bringing the sedan right back into contention with the rest of the premium sedan market.
The second story sees a new affordability champion hit South African roads with the BYD Sealion 5 becoming SA’s Most Affordable Plug-in Hybrid and Dave shares powertrain details, some specs and just how cheap this SUV is.
Finally, we’re approaching the end of 2025 and Ford Motor Company SA has shared details of its updated Everest which will be hitting South African roads in the first of 2026. The big news is the 2.3 turbocharged petrol engine is confirmed, as is a more affordable Active derivative, and Dave shares specifics on that.
LINKS
https://www.cars.co.za/motoring-news/Mercedes-Benz-SA-slashes-C-Class-prices/329654/
https://www.cars.co.za/motoring-news/BYD-Sealion-5-2025-Price-Specs/329797/
0:04 – Weekly news intro
0:43 – C-Class price cuts
1:10 – Model price table
2:17 – BYD Sealion 5 debut
2:51 – PHEV powertrain specs
4:17 – Ford Everest updates
4:52 – 2.3L turbo engine
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