PRETORIA, South Africa, 2 July 2020 – The fuel price relaxation during level 5 and level 4 of the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown was barely any consolation for financially-bruised South Africans – with few experiencing the benefits due to the country’s travel restrictions.

During May the price of petrol decreased by a remarkable R1.89, while diesel dropped by R1.88. This was caused by the steep decline in crude oil prices, that was somewhat able to mask the rand’s own struggling performance. “The global lockdowns under COVID-19 saw fuel demand plummet. The resulting oversupply left storage bunkers full, with the extraordinary outcome that oil prices in the USA briefly dipped below zero,” says the Automobile Association’s Layton Beard.

That unprecedented oversupply, however, all seems to be long forgotten news and despite the rand’s small recovery against the US dollar, a stronger rebound for the international price of crude oil is affecting motorists where it hurts – in the pocket, particularly as many people have now returned to work.

As motorists head into July, the petrol price has increased by R1.72 a litre and diesel by R1.69 a litre. This means a jump from R13.40 to R15.12 for 95 unleaded petrol and R11.40 to R13.09 for 50 ppm diesel for inland motorists, or R14.32 and R12.49 respectively for those living at the coast. These increases come close to nullifying the earlier fuel price drops that took place during level 5 and level 4 of lockdown.

“The basic fuel price for petrol and diesel in South Africa jumped from around R3 a litre on 1 May to nearly R6 a litre by 25 June. We cannot overstate the effect that the rand’s collapse is currently having on fuel users: if the rand had remained at its pre-COVID-19 levels, fuel users would likely be seeing a reduction in fuel prices in the order of 75 cents a litre in July,” Beard adds.

Warming the mood from July’s wintery fuel outcomes are Ford’s two newest offerings to the family: the Figo Freestyle and EcoSport Ambiente Auto, both designed to remove the sting from the fuel hike while furthering each model’s appeal beyond looks, technology and safety. Both models also broaden the Ford’s reach to new customers – the Figo Freestyle as a trend-setting compact utility vehicle (CUV), and the EcoSport Ambiente as the only contender available at this price point in the compact sport utility vehicle (SUV) segment with an automatic transmission.

“The savings that come with downsizing aren’t only felt at the beginning with the purchase price of the vehicle. Fuel hikes have widespread effects on motoring-related expenses, along with other cost items such as insurance and licensing costs, so driving an economical car helps to stabilise these shifting finances,” says Atloli Lesela, Ford’s brand manager for passenger cars.

Equipped with Ford’s modern 1.5-litre three-cylinder engine in both the Figo and EcoSport, there’s reason to smile. Blending sprightly performance thanks to healthy outputs of 91kW and 150Nm with frugal economy of 5.5l/100km* for the Figo, a full tank will help get you from pay cheque to pay cheque with less strain on your finances.

The EcoSport Ambiente Auto, meanwhile, hardly feels hampered by its larger size, returning a combined cycle fuel consumption of 6.9l/100km* thanks to the newly-introduced automatic gearbox – now available in the most affordable Ambiente specification for the first time. The six-speed automatic makes city driving a breeze, and is tailored to deliver optimal performance matched to great fuel economy.

And, with Ford’s latest engine technologies, size doesn’t matter like it used to. Take, for example, the new Ford Ranger Double Cab XLT which edged ahead of the competition at the inaugural 2019 WesBank Fuel Economy Tour, recording 6.8l/100km** over the 2 500km test route thanks to a harmonious 10-speed gearbox mated to the 2.0-litre single-turbo diesel engine. This is a valuable advantage for those who use their Ford Ranger’s carrying capacity for everyday family and work obligations, and for those generating a secondary income for a side hustle business.

Unforgiving fuel hikes, during a time when COVID-19 also seems to be at its worst, is enough to make anyone want to stay at home -- but as the world regains economic activity so will South Africa. Here at Ford, the mantra of #GoFurther has never meant more to South African motorists.

Read the latest news from Ford South Africa by visiting the Newsroom:

https://www.ford.co.za/about-ford/newsroom/

*The declared fuel consumption and CO2 emission figures were achieved during technical laboratory testing in accordance with the legislated technical specifications (SANS 20101: 2006 / ECE R101: 2005). Fuel consumption and CO2 emissions figures are used to compare different vehicle types under uniform conditions and are not necessarily indicative of real-life driving conditions. Note that the actual fuel consumption and emissions levels will depend on many factors including individual driving habits, prevailing conditions and vehicle equipment, condition and use and your vehicles equipment, condition and use.

** https://worldoffueleconomy.com/wesbank-fuel-economy-tour-fuel-consumption-data-list/

To download the Word document of this press release, please click here