MOTORING NEWS - Hyundai has maintained its position as one of the world's 40 most valuable brands for the third year in a row, according to the latest Best Global Brands report from international consultancy Interbrand.
The manufacturer retained its place as the world's 35th most valuable brand and 6th most valuable automotive brand, despite challenging conditions in many global markets.
Interbrand's rankings are calculated using companies' financial balance sheets combined with marketing activities, while also reflecting each brand's potential profit.
The analysis assessed Hyundai's brand value as growing at 5,1% over the previous year.
The ranking comes after Hyundai sold 4,86-million units worldwide and places the company above Audi, Nissan, Volkswagen and Porsche.
This follows a period of exponential growth for South Korea's leading automotive manufacturer that has seen a fourfold increase in brand value since 2005, rising to its current record value.
The annual Interbrand report identifies the 100 most valuable global brands, analysing the ways in which the strength of a brand benefits organisations, from delivering on customer expectations to driving greater economic value.
The ranking is based on a combination of attributes contributing to a brand's cumulative value.
These include financial performance of branded products and services, the role the brand plays in influencing customer choice and the strength of the brand in commanding a premium price.
Online service booking
Jaguar and Land Rover customers can now make use of a convenient new online booking facility to book in their vehicles for scheduled maintenance or any other services.
This functionality is available through both the Jaguar and Land Rover websites, as well as the Jaguar Engage and Land Rover Engage smartphone applications for Apple and Android devices.
According to Lisa Mallett, marketing director of Jaguar Land Rover South Africa, the company invested in the technology after research showed that nearly 50% of customers prefer an electronic booking system for their convenience.
Customers can visit the Jaguar or Land Rover booking pages to schedule their vehicles for a service, or visit their nearest dealer's specific website.
The process walks customers through entering their vehicle details and specifying the services they require, ranging from scheduled maintenance to requested items.
For customers who no longer have an active Care Plan but wish to have the peace of mind of service and original parts, the online booking system displays estimated pricing for service items, including parts and labour.
Jaguar and Land Rover online service booking is available now, at www.jaguar.co.za or www.landrover.co.za.
First SA online media for bikers
South Africa's first online motorcycle media platform has been launched by ZA Bikers (www.zabikers.co.za).
The ZA Bikers Motorcycle Magazine App is free. It can be downloaded to stay up to date with the latest from the South African motorcycle scene.
The app is available at the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
One of the benefits of downloading the ZA Bikers App is that push notifications are sent directly to a smartphone as new content is published daily.
Content to expect are reviews on the latest bikes, industry news, SA racing news and biking events.
Push notifications can be switched off to check manually for new content.
Mazda celebrates 3 years
In October 2014, Mazda Southern Africa started operating from its Midrand based head office as an independent national sales company.
A full sales and service dealer network was put in place to operate in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Swaziland.
In the short three years since operations began, Mazda has introduced several new models showcasing Mazda's KODO design philosophy and SKYACTIV technology.
In addition to new products, Mazda also announced a number of initiatives.
These include an industry first three year, unlimited kilometre factory warranty, three year, unlimited kilometre roadside assistance and a three year, unlimited kilometre service plan on passenger vehicles.
The BT-50 Customer Care Plan was introduced to assure a like-for-like courtesy vehicle for BT-50 owners.
In February 2017, the company announced Mazda's lifetime parts warranty - another industry.
It means Mazda commits to the repair or replacement of any part fitted as part of a retail repair that fails to perform its normal function.
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