Was the 2023 Festival of Motoring a hit or miss?

The Festival of Motoring had enthusiasts agog when it was inaugurated in 2016. It picked up where the Johannesburg International Motor Show (JIMS) left off as the biggest event on the calendar for the industry to punt their latest to an enticed audience of potential buyers and fans generally afflicted with the automotive condition.

Where it differed from JIMS was the aspect of interaction. Kyalami being the venue for the festival allowed attendees to experience vehicles first-hand, compared to merely swooning over static displays.

In addition to track activities, manufacturers used the show to launch new products and preview forthcoming models, in some cases showing off concepts fresh after global reveal.

Vehicle financier WesBank was the headline sponsor for the 2023 Festival of Motoring held last week. As before, the event was organised by Messe Frankfurt South Africa.

Addressing the media, WesBank CEO Ghana Msibi noted the cost of new vehicle ownership had increased sharply since 2012, with the highest annual spike of more than 21% seen between 2021 and 2022.

Msibi said there were positive developments to consider, such as a 4.7% decrease in the consumer price index (CPI).

“Despite the notion that fewer young people are interested in owning a car, there has been an enormous increase in the number of millennials who are applying for car finance through WesBank. This number has increased by a whopping 700% between 2017 and 2021,” he said.

Chalk it down to the effects of the pandemic — or the gloomy economic sentiment — but the Festival of Motoring this year seemed to lack the excitement that defined past events. It probably did not help that certain players had opted not to participate, including Toyota and Volkswagen, the two biggest automakers in South Africa.

Perhaps this was viewed as a win for the emerging Chinese firms that were in full force at Festival of Motoring.

Great Wall Motors and its more upmarket Haval division offered seat-time both off-road and on circuit. It displayed imminent newcomers such as the beefy Tank 300 sport-utility vehicle, as well as the cute Ora 03, which aims to be among the most affordable full-electric offerings in the land.

Omoda, positioned as the more exclusive partner to Chery, had a surprise in the form of the C9. It will take its place as the flagship of the range, mirroring the coupé-like aesthetic of the smaller C5. The brand showed a left-hand drive display unit, resplendent in matte grey.

Beijing Automotive Group had nothing new to reveal, but its B40 and increasingly popular X55 were there to convince attendees who might never have considered Chinese before.

Suzuki has risen to the higher echelons of the monthly new vehicle sales charts, with its arsenal of affordable, frugal compacts. It used the Festival of Motoring to stage the local debut of the Jimny five-door, which looks quite endearing in the metal. Expect it to go on sale towards the end of the year.

Since re-entering the market last year, Malaysian company Proton has been trying to stay relevant, expanding its line-up with a budget-focused sedan, bolstering its two initial sport-utility vehicle offerings. The firm took the wraps off a new seven-seater offering, the X90, priced competitively at R559,900. Power comes from a 1.5-litre, turbocharged-petrol, four-cylinder unit, with mild hybrid technology.

Of the big premium German three, it was BMW who had something to say at the 2023 show. It proffered a conversation-starter in the form of the iX5, which is like the X5 you know and admire, but powered by hydrogen. It has no plans to sell it in Mzansi any time soon. Mixing progressive with retro, was the presence of the E30 333i from their heritage fleet.

Aside from these unique reveals, the other brands in attendance served up their ranges for reacquaintance and to conquer new customers. Stellantis gave passenger rides on the main Kyalami circuit in its full spread, from Alfa Romeo to Peugeot. Kia offered self-driving experiences at the shorter handling circuit and the off-road area saw Isuzu and Ford in action.

After attending the media-only pre-event on Thursday, we opted to return on Saturday. It was expectedly busy, with attendees’ vehicles parked at far-flung corners of the facility and heavy traffic getting in. Getting around between the display sections proved frustrating at times (even the shuttle drivers agreed there were not enough shuttles) and the pit queues for ride-along sessions were snaking.

According to Judy Maharaj, show director at Messe Frankfurt, last year's show attracted more than 28,000 visitors and it is expected that this number will have increased for the 2023 event. Audited numbers were not available at the time of publication.

We asked Maharaj about the absence of heavy-hitters such as Volkswagen and Toyota and what might be done to get them back in 2024.

“The brands in question will probably be able to give you better insight as we can’t speak on their behalf,” she said.

“From our side, and as you likely saw first-hand, we offer exhibitors a variety of options in terms of stand size, location and activity. We work with exhibitors to find the right solutions for them as some want to do static reveals while others want to offer test drives.

“If you look at the exhibitors who did participate this year it’s clear this event is moving in the right direction, so we hope in the future we will have all vehicle brands exhibiting.”

Maharaj said the 2023 show was aimed at the experiential aspect and cited the activity on the 4x4 track as among her proudest elements of the show.

We also asked Maharaj about the limited shuttles, parking inconveniences and queues noted on Saturday.

“Regarding shuttles: we are working in a confined space, a racetrack, where safety will always take priority. There are a limited number of access roads for shuttles to use and unfortunately traffic will back up at times.”

“Regarding ride-along activities, these are managed by the individual exhibitors so we can’t comment on any specific delays or queues at certain brands. Again, everyone is working with limited space, a limited number of vehicles and limited time depending on track activity on the day.”

Maharaj said feedback would be taken into consideration for future events.

Megan MacDonald, head of marketing and public relations at Suzuki, lauded the event as a success.

“It's great to interact with people who love our product and those who want to learn more about it,” she said.

Bianca van Staden, head of marketing, brand and public relations at Haval Motors South Africa, said the opportunity to showcase new products was valuable.

“This was a perfect platform to enjoy the automotive festive vibe, allowing us to engage with customers and car enthusiasts on a more personal level, allowing them to learn more about us and experience our products first hand.”

We asked Toyota about its absence at the Festival.

“The timing for this year’s Festival of Motoring did not align with our immediate strategic goals,” the company said.

“When the timing is right, and when it makes business sense to participate in similar events we do get involved. We are constantly reviewing our participation in auto shows, and our involvement is usually dictated by our marketing and strategic directions.”

Volkswagen South Africa said it continuously reviews its marketing strategies and motor shows are not part of the current brand focus.

“The brand has adopted a new approach of hosting bespoke experiential events for its customers,” it noted.