On Wednesday I was flown to George by Volvo South Africa for the launch of the “all new” Volvo S60.

When we arrived, we were taken to a warehouse just around the corner from the George Airport, where we got a glimpse of the “naughty” Volvo S60.

After a quick introduction and briefing, we paired up and got into the car, ready for our adventure. Our first task was to drive from George to Outdshoorn. We were told to get “naughty” in the Volvo S60 – and that’s exactly what I did.

Okay, so we know Volvo is all about safety first. When I drove the D5 model, I felt really safe and more importantly, confident, at the speed I was doing. I don’t think I’ll say how fast I went, but it was the fastest I’ve ever driven in a car. It was smooth.

On arrival at Outdshoorn, we were given a rock shandy – with rocks inside it!

A more technical briefing about the Volvo S60 followed. Like little bits that make the car different from the previous generation – an extra 30mm added to the legroom at the back, and the boot opening has been made 107mm wider.

Thereafter I got to see how the pedestrian avoidance test works. A dummy was placed on the road and I drove normally, (as one would) and as I approached the dummy, the car braked automatically! Sure, I’ve seen youtube videos (not talking about this one) but to actually experience it was really cool.

After lunch, we drove from Outdshoorn to Wilderness, swapping cars after reaching a certain point. The route was chosen carefully as we got to experience long flat roads as well as curvy roads, with an excellent view. It was my first time in George and it really is a beautiful city.

I got to drive the D5 (151kW) and T6 (224kW) and I preferred the D5. There was something about the T6 that didn’t feel right – the steering wheel felt a bit wobbly – but I’m not sure if it was the road. Whatever it was, the D5 was definitely the more enjoyable ride.

Although I’m not the target market, I was impressed with the Volvo S60, especially the little details that went into it.

Prices for the Volvo S60 are as follows:
2.0T Manual – R 355,500
2.0T Powershift – R 371,900
D5 Geartronic – R 408,000
T6 Geartronic – R464,000

More information can be found on the Volvo website.

Thank you Volvo South Africa for inviting me to experience the ‘all new naughty Volvo S60’ and the excellent hospitality.

Last week I attended a media briefing where results from a study of digital lifestyles on South African consumers were presented. It is the first time such an indepth study within SA was conducted. I found it quite interesting because I lead a very ‘digital’ lifestyle. I rather spend money on electronic goods / gadgets than make up, jewellery or clothes.

Those surveyed earn above R 8 000 and live in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town and Durban. Basically, those earning less than R 8 000 were not leading the digital lifestyle and it didnt make sense for them to be surveyed.

Candidates were questioned on their internet activities, digital products, cellular / mobile activities. Based on the results, they were classified using the ‘Digital Lifestyle Measure’ (DLM). The classification, based on the score, was then divided into 4 groups (DLM1 – DLM4). Digital products like cellphones, flat screen TVs, camera’s, laptops etc were used to score points and more points were awarded for uncommon technologies.

Fewer digital goods mean you fall under DLM1-DLM2 and average would be between DLM2-DLM3, while above average DLM3-DLM4.

These were some of the results:

• The most common form of communication in SA is Mxit
• More than half of IM users are in the 16-24 age bracket and use IM everyday
• Mobile IM has more than doubled in the last 12 months.
• The percentage of registered Facebook users decreased with age, except for the oldest age group (45 and over).

The study also concluded that the higher the consumer DLM, the earlier they registered on Facebook.

The Digital Lifestyle predictor is an ongoing study.

Mxit was just fortunate they came out at the right time. I dont think (if they have competition out there) that anyone can take over easily. I’m not a Mxit fan, I find that its more for tweens / teens or people who are still dating and of course people who are bored in their current relationships.

Originally blogged on My Digital Life.