Latest news with #VWAmarok
Daily Mirror
14-05-2025
- Daily Mirror
Olympic cyclist avoids jail over ‘tragic' car crash death of his wife
Rohan Dennis, 34, has been given a suspended sentence of one year, four months and 28 days in jail after pleading guilty to committing an aggravated act likely to cause harm Former world champion cyclist Rohan Dennis has been handed a suspended sentence for his involvement in a car crash that caused the death of his wife. Melissa Hoskins, who was also a champion cyclist, died aged 32 on December 30, 2023 after being hit by a car outside their home in Adelaide. Dennis, 34, had pleaded guilty to a charge of committing an aggravated act likely to cause harm. He appeared before South Australia District Court on Wednesday, where he was sentenced to one year, four months and 28 days in jail. However, that jail time is suspended on the condition that Dennis enters into a two-year good behaviour bond. His driver's licence has been suspended for five years. Judge Ian Press said Dennis had disregarded his wife's safety, but was not criminally responsible for her death. The couple, who were married in 2018 and have two children, had been arguing about kitchen renovations when Dennis got into his VW Amarok, attempting to drive away and cool down. Hoskins ran after him and grabbed the car door's handle and ended up on the car's bonnet as Dennis continued to drive for 75 metres at 12.4 miles per hour. Judge Press described the incident as 'tragic' before adding that "really does not do justice to the grief, the anguish and the turmoil those events have brought into the lives of those who knew and loved your wife". Accepting that Dennis had intended to de-esclate the argument by driving off, Judge Press said: 'That is what you intended to do [but] your wife, however, jumped onto and lay on the bonnet of your vehicle in an apparent attempt to stop you from leaving as she wanted to continue to discuss the issue.' He added: 'What happened next does not form the basis of the charge as the prosecution accept that, unbeknownst to you, your wife held onto the car as you accelerated down the street. It was then that she fell and lost her life.' Hoskins was taken to hospital but died of her injuries. Dennis was arrested and initially charged with dangerous driving causing death and driving without due care. He pleaded not guilty, but later admitted a lesser charge. Speaking outside the court, Hoskins' parents said they were "glad" the case was over and they hoped the family could now "move on". Peter and Amanda Hoskins said they missed their daughter "terribly". Mr Hoskins added: "She was someone really special.' In a victim impact statement read to the court last month, Mrs Hoskins accepted that Dennis wouldn't have intentionally hurt her daughter, but said his temper was his "downfall" and "needs to be addressed". Dennis won a silver medal in the team pursuit at the London 2012 Olympics and a road time trial bronze at Tokyo 2020. Hoskins also represented Australia in the team pursuit at London 2012 and Rio 2016 and was part of the squad which won the world title in 2015.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
I swapped my gas truck for a Chinese hybrid. The BYD Shark is great to drive, but one thing worries me.
Wayne Dopson runs a renovation business in Brisbane, Australia, and bought a BYD Shark hybrid pickup in March. He said it's great to drive compared with his old gas truck, but fears it may be obsolete in a few years. Chinese EV makers are expanding rapidly in tariff-free Australia, putting Tesla under pressure. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Wayne Dopson, a project manager in Brisbane, Australia about owning a BYD Shark hybrid pickup truck. It has been edited for length and clarity. I've always been in the property market, flipping houses and doing renovations. I have a small renovation business, working on kitchens, bathrooms, and decks for clients in Brisbane, which I've been doing for about 12 years now. I bought a VW Amarok diesel-powered pickup in 2015. I wanted to upgrade for a while, but nothing came along that took my interest. Other combustion-engine trucks like the Ford Ranger were all very similar to the Amarok. I would have been getting pretty much the same car with just a bigger screen, so I waited for something a little bit different. I bought the BYD Shark hybrid pickup in March for 64,000 Australian dollars, around $41,000. Ford and Toyota are charging ridiculous prices for their pickup trucks, or utes in Australia. You're looking at up to 80,000 dollars for something that is, to me, inferior to what BYD is charging 60,000 for. I've only done 2,000 kilometers in the Shark so I'm still learning the car, but so far I love driving it. The technology, the power, and the smoothness — it feels decades ahead of the Amarok. The level of luxury inside is incredible for the money. I've owned Audis and BMWs and it feels just as good, just as solid and well-built as a premium car. It also does 0 to 100km/h in 5.7 seconds, so it drives like a sports car. I use it mainly for work as well as leisure, and there are a couple of advantages to using it for work. It costs me just cents to run it each day. I've got 30 solar panels on my roof, so my electricity during the day is free. I pay eight cents per kilowatt hour from 12 a.m. to 6 a.m., which is enough time to charge the car — it takes between three to four hours to charge. If I set the car to charge at midnight, it's done by about 4 a.m., and it generally costs less than two Australian dollars, or $1.03. I'd be using 13 or 14 dollars ($8-9) worth of diesel a day in the VW Amarok, so comparatively it's very cheap to run. The other advantage is you've got power outlets in the back of the truck that provide about six kilowatts of power, which you can use on-site to power tools. It's got a really big tray with a couple of little tricks up its sleeve. You can open your tailgate with a quick press of the key, which is handy if you're walking up with your hands full. The Shark is what they call an EREV, or extended range electric vehicle. It's got two electric motors, at the front and rear, and it also has a 1.5-liter petrol turbo engine that acts as a generator. The petrol engine means range anxiety isn't really a thing for me. Generally, I do less than 100 kilometers a day, which will be done in electric mode, but if I do want to go to the beach or further down the coast, I've got the petrol engine right there. That just kicks in and charges the battery and I'm good to go for around 800 kilometers. The only thing that would worry me down the line is the resale value. I've already seen that new vehicles are coming out from Nissan, Ford, and Great Wall. The technology is advancing like crazy at the moment, so my Shark could be fairly obsolete in five years. It's got a six-year warranty, and I'm planning to keep it for the warranty period. What's it going to be worth at the end is anyone's guess. I think having more Chinese EV brands in Australia is great. We're getting longer warranty periods and better quality cars. Utes are a very important part of Australian culture. One of the issues the BYD Shark will face is that it doesn't have the same off-roading credentials as a vehicle with a diff lock — an axle mechanism that you need to crawl over rocks and rough terrain. It's fine on the sand and in the mud, but when it comes to really serious off-roading, where you are crawling up huge hills with ruts and boulders, it's going to struggle. For me, though, the Shark is great. It's a pleasure to drive, and it's nice being able to drive around knowing it's not costing me and not costing the planet either. Read the original article on Business Insider
Business Insider
11-05-2025
- Automotive
- Business Insider
I swapped my gas truck for a Chinese hybrid. The BYD Shark is great to drive, but one thing worries me.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Wayne Dopson, a project manager in Brisbane, Australia about owning a BYD Shark hybrid pickup truck. It has been edited for length and clarity. I've always been in the property market, flipping houses and doing renovations. I have a small renovation business, working on kitchens, bathrooms, and decks for clients in Brisbane, which I've been doing for about 12 years now. I bought a VW Amarok diesel-powered pickup in 2015. I wanted to upgrade for a while, but nothing came along that took my interest. Other combustion-engine trucks like the Ford Ranger were all very similar to the Amarok. I would have been getting pretty much the same car with just a bigger screen, so I waited for something a little bit different. I bought the BYD Shark hybrid pickup in March for 64,000 Australian dollars, around $41,000. Ford and Toyota are charging ridiculous prices for their pickup trucks, or utes in Australia. You're looking at up to 80,000 dollars for something that is, to me, inferior to what BYD is charging 60,000 for. I've only done 2,000 kilometers in the Shark so I'm still learning the car, but so far I love driving it. The technology, the power, and the smoothness — it feels decades ahead of the Amarok. Luxury and power on the cheap The level of luxury inside is incredible for the money. I've owned Audis and BMWs and it feels just as good, just as solid and well-built as a premium car. It also does 0 to 100km/h in 5.7 seconds, so it drives like a sports car. I use it mainly for work as well as leisure, and there are a couple of advantages to using it for work. It costs me just cents to run it each day. I've got 30 solar panels on my roof, so my electricity during the day is free. I pay eight cents per kilowatt hour from 12 a.m. to 6 a.m., which is enough time to charge the car — it takes between three to four hours to charge. If I set the car to charge at midnight, it's done by about 4 a.m., and it generally costs less than two Australian dollars, or $1.03. I'd be using 13 or 14 dollars ($8-9) worth of diesel a day in the VW Amarok, so comparatively it's very cheap to run. The other advantage is you've got power outlets in the back of the truck that provide about six kilowatts of power, which you can use on-site to power tools. It's got a really big tray with a couple of little tricks up its sleeve. You can open your tailgate with a quick press of the key, which is handy if you're walking up with your hands full. Range is not a problem The Shark is what they call an EREV, or extended range electric vehicle. It's got two electric motors, at the front and rear, and it also has a 1.5-liter petrol turbo engine that acts as a generator. The petrol engine means range anxiety isn't really a thing for me. Generally, I do less than 100 kilometers a day, which will be done in electric mode, but if I do want to go to the beach or further down the coast, I've got the petrol engine right there. That just kicks in and charges the battery and I'm good to go for around 800 kilometers. The only thing that would worry me down the line is the resale value. I've already seen that new vehicles are coming out from Nissan, Ford, and Great Wall. The technology is advancing like crazy at the moment, so my Shark could be fairly obsolete in five years. It's got a six-year warranty, and I'm planning to keep it for the warranty period. What's it going to be worth at the end is anyone's guess. BYD puts down roots in Australia I think having more Chinese EV brands in Australia is great. We're getting longer warranty periods and better quality cars. Utes are a very important part of Australian culture. One of the issues the BYD Shark will face is that it doesn't have the same off-roading credentials as a vehicle with a diff lock — an axle mechanism that you need to crawl over rocks and rough terrain. It's fine on the sand and in the mud, but when it comes to really serious off-roading, where you are crawling up huge hills with ruts and boulders, it's going to struggle. For me, though, the Shark is great. It's a pleasure to drive, and it's nice being able to drive around knowing it's not costing me and not costing the planet either.
The Citizen
10-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Citizen
VW Amarok Life targets Ford Ranger XLT and Toyota Hilux Raider
New bakkie model comes standard with alloy wheels, LED lights and smartphone integration. The VW Amarok Life is built alongside the Ford Ranger in Silverton. Picture: Volkswagen Volkswagen has added a new derivative to the VW Amarok bakkie line-up to go head-to-head with the Ford Ranger XLT and Toyota Hilux Raider. The new model is the 125kW VW Amarok Life 2.0 TDI which only comes with a 4×2 drivetrain and is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. VW Amarok Life well-specced Just like the Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux it is up against, the new VW Amarok comes packed with a range of practical and premium features despite not being a top-of-the-range derivative. These include 17- ch Combra alloy wheels, power tailgate lock, trailer hitch and front and rear park distance control including a fixed rear-view camera. Six tie-down hooks and integrated cargo lights feature on the sides of the loadbox, making it ideal for both family and work-related tasks. ALSO READ: Powerful LDV bakkie slayed by VW Amarok, Ranger, Hilux and D-Max Inside, the Amarok Life features seat trim covers finished in durable fabric and an 8 inch multifunction display with radio, six speakers, and Bluetooth connectivity. Smartphone integration is seamless thanks to App-Connect (Apple CarPlay and Android Auto). The VW Amarok Life includes a leather-wrapped multifunction steering wheel and cruise control with a speed limiter. Safety is a priority, with LED headlights and daytime running lights, as well as driver and front passenger airbags. Frugal sipper The 2.0 TDI offers 125kW of power and 405Nm of torque from its four-cylinder single-turbo diesel powertrain. Claimed top speed comes in at 180km/h with the fuel consumption number set at 6.9 litres per 100km. The VW Amarok Life 2.0 TDI costs R704 700. Its two main rivals, the Ford Ranger 2.0 SiT XLT and Toyota Hilux 2.4 GD-6 Raider cost R681 500 and R633 200 respectively The VW Amarok comes standard with a five-year/150 000km warranty and also a five-year/100 000km Genuine Easy Drive maintenance plan.
