THE CAR NAIRA BLOG

The Nord A5 Luxury is Nord Automobiles’ bold entry into the compact crossover segment; a locally assembled SUV that blends global engineering with regional flair. Built on the proven Changan CS55 Plus platform, the A5 Luxury is tailored for Nigerian roads and tastes, offering a compelling alternative to global heavyweights like the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V. Exterior Nord’s designers have given the A5 Luxury a distinctive look that sets it apart from its Chinese sibling. The upright stance, SUV-style cladding, and crisp LED lighting front and rear lend it a confident, modern presence. It’s a crossover that looks ready for both Lekki traffic and Abuja highways. Seating Capacity: 5 Body Style: 5-door compact SUV Suspension: MacPherson strut (front), multi-link (rear) Interior Step inside and you’re greeted by a clean, driver-focused cabin. Leatherette upholstery, a semi-digital instrument cluster, and a central touchscreen infotainment system with smartphone connectivity come sta...

The Sony Honda Afeela 1 is an innovative all-electric vehicle (EV) developed through a collaboration between Sony and Honda. This joint venture, known as Sony Honda Mobility (SHM), aims to combine Honda's automotive manufacturing expertise with Sony's advanced technology and entertainment capabilities and was just presented at CES 2025. The Afeela 1  comes in two versions: the Origin and the Signature. The Origin starts at $89,900, while the Signature trim is priced at $102,900.  Some key features of the Afeela EV are: - A display screen on the front end that shows the logo, greetings, and other customizable messages. - Advanced Technology: The vehicle is equipped with 40 sensors, including cameras, LiDAR, radars, and ultrasonic sensors, to support advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). - Autonomous Driving: The Afeela 1 includes a suite of autonomous driving features, powered by AI and machine learning, rumored to be subscription-based. - Entertainment: It features Sony H...

The 2024 Nord A3 is a sedan from Nord Motion, a premier Nigerian automobile manufacturer. It  is designed to offer a blend of elegance, sporty performance, and safety features, making it a standout in its class.   It is positioned in the Nord lineup as a refined and luxurious competitor to vehicles such as the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Kia Optima, Hyundai Sonata, etc., in the steadily shrinking sedan market.  It's quite commendable that Nord is still putting some skin in the sedan game despite everyone's seeming preference for SUVs today. Prices start at  ₦ 47,280,000. Origin The 2025 Nord A3 was originally designed and built as the Cowin Xuandu by Kaiyi Auto, under the Cherry Automobile Group, in 2021. It was then offered to the Nigerian market in 2024 by Nord Automobiles as the Nord A3. Specifications Build: Unibody Seating Capacity: 5  Body Style: Compact 4-door sedan Layout: Front engine, front-wheel drive (FWD), no AWD available Suspension:...

Innoson Vehicles Manufacturing (IVM) has taken an unforeseen step in its journey to become one of Africa's largest automobile manufacturers. At a time when major vehicle manufacturers across the globe are easing their electrification plans, IVM seems to be moving in the opposite direction, surprisingly in Nigeria, a country plagued with power infrastructure decay.  As announced on the company's website, their first dabble into the full EV world comes in four variants:  i. Innosson IVM Link, 201 km IVM Link ii. Innosson IVM EX01, 200km IVM EX01 ii. Innosson IVM EX02 330km IVM EX02 iv. Innosson IVM EX02 , alternative price option IVM EX02 AP The IVM Link and IVM EX01 seem identical in pictures. We're unsure of the differences between the EX02  and EX02 (alternative price option). One thing is sure however, the marketing department need to come up with better names.  No specific prices announced yet, but he EX02's pricing starts at 38,000,000 only. That's certainly...

These lubricating fluids were designed to overcome the shortcomings of mineral or conventional oil. Thanks to the modification at the molecular level and the incorporation of more advanced systems of additives in their formulations, synthetic oil and lubricants have many advantages over conventional ones. The benefits of synthetic oil include. 1. UNIFORM COMPOSITION Synthetic lubricants are engineered from artificially built chemical compounds. These synthetic compounds are made from petroleum molecules which are first broken down and then rebuilt. Thanks to this rebuilding process, synthetic oils have a more uniform molecular structure. This property is highly important. It enables a more even and regular lubrication of the machine which results in less power consumption and increased efficiency. 2 FEWER IMPURITIES Mineral oils originate from natural sources. They contain various chemical compounds including waxes, oxygen, sulphur, nitrogen, phosphorus, and others. These compounds aff...

Nissan Qashqai Nissan is developing an engine for road cars that could reach 50% thermal efficiency, meaning the potential for much more fuel-efficient cars. An engine's thermal efficiency is a measure of how much of the heat energy generated by combustion is actually converted into useful work. A good rating for a road car is about 40% whereas 50% is a rating normally associated with the best Formula One engines. Most cars particularly older models are have 20%-30% efficiency ratings. Nissan said Friday that an engine designed for road cars could achieve 50% thermal efficiency, but there's a catch: the engine would need to be running at a constant rpm, for example when used as a generator in an extended-range electric vehicle. In a conventional car, an engine experiences a wide variety of rpm and loads, which prevents it from running in its most optimal state due to the rich air-fuel mix required at certain rpm levels. This isn't the case for an engine acting as a generato...

Volvo's new cars and SUVs strike up a conversation with one another 2020. The automaker has announced Monday that every new car sold in Europe will be fitted with its latest connected-safety technology that can warn other Volvo drivers about road conditions or vehicle crashes. Volvo connected car safety Volvo calls the features its "Hazard Light Alert and Slippery Road Alert", which rolled out in 2016 on the brand's 90-series cars, but was relegated to Sweden and Norway. Now, all 2020 model year Volvos will feature the technology across Europe. Motor Authority reached out to Volvo to learn if U.S. drivers will be treated to the technology and a spokesman confirmed there are plans for an introduction. However, Volvo isn't ready to say when it will be ready for the U.S.  Before you ask, there's no hope for Africa.  Volvo connected car safety The technology works over a cloud-based network that all Volvo cars will be connected to. From there, every car will anony...

A vacuum leak is a  leak anywhere between the engine and a mass air flow sensor. In most cars, a mass airflow sensor is installed at the air filter box. In the fuel injection system, the mass air flow sensor measures the air flow into the engine. The engine computer (Power Control Module) calculates how much fuel to inject based on the mass air flow sensor measurements. If there is a vacuum leak anywhere between the engine and the mass air flow sensor, it causes "unmetered" air to enter the system. This causes the actual air flow to be higher than the mass air flow sensor measures. As a result, the PCM miscalculates the amount of the injected fuel, and the engine runs "lean". The term "lean" means too much air and too little fuel. The effect of a vacuum leak is more noticeable at idle, when the air flow is lower. Air induction system schematic   Vacuum Leak Symptoms Symptoms of a vacuum leak include the Check Engine light, rough idle, stalling and a hissin...