Six cars that transformed their identities in 2024

It’s expected that any new car will carry new improvements from a predecessor. Others arrive with truly surprising enhancements. Below we list the cars and firms that brought exponential change in 2024, starting with the SUV on top. 

Electric Maybach

From 1909, when the company was founded as a luxury subsidiary of Mercedes-Benz, Maybach cars have always been big-bodied behemoths driven by equally gargantuan engines. In 2024 that formula changed slightly when the first full-electric Maybach arrived on the scene. The EQS 680 SUV is still a big car that’s laden with the best in luxury items, including automatic door opening, but the electric power train of twin electric motors that combine for 484kW and 955Nm with all-wheel drive are the big departure points. It costs R4,052,983.

A pony with poise

Someone jokingly said with the new Mustang, Ford would bankrupt YouTube. This is because the latest model that debuted this year is a handling ace, unlike its predecessors which have made a name for themselves on the internet video channel for bolting sideways and emptying their drivers into the weeds when they overdo things. The two flavours already on sale in South Africa — the standard 5.0 GT and Dark Horse — have redeemed the errors of their ancestors by taming the twisty roads of Lesotho like no other Mustangs before.   

Greening the 911

German sports car brand Porsche always carried a cavalier attitude to suggestions of change to its most iconic model, the Carrera coupe. On the 60th anniversary of the model it would seem leniency crept into the staunch minds of the board and the company launched a Carrera GTS hybrid, the first 911 of its type. It’s not a defeat move as the brand says the electric system is there to help continue the remit of stirring souls as seen through an 8.7 seconds quicker time around the Nürburgring than its predecessor. It’s priced from R3,486,000.

A rattler of tradition

The 2024 Land Cruiser 70 Series arrived with circular headlamps as a nod to the original model from 1951, but this is not the brightest highlight. To the V8 diesel manual faithful the most contentious change is the new 2.8l four-cylinder engine paired with an automatic transmission that can be had if you want. The company reports a healthy uptake of the new and user-friendlier models with downsized engines.

Age reversal

Once known as “old geezer” cars, Volvo transitioned into a hip brand in 2024 thanks to its modernly styled electric vehicles and bright colours. The stigma of a slow gait was quickly erased by the outrageous acceleration of models like the EX30. The fountain of youth is the twin electric motors that develop 315kW and 453Nm, giving the model a silent dash from 0-100km/h in a loud German sports car rivalling 3.6 seconds. 

A swan is born

The new Mahindra 3X0 is another transformer in 2024. Though the company tried hard to convince the fashionista crowd to sign up for the previous Mahindra XUV 300, it just wasn’t registering. The new model with a bolder “frontal” is a more convincing effort that has also upped the ante in expectations of quality and refinement. The range is powered by a 1.2l turbo petrol motor and prices start from R254,999 — R404,999.