African car brand Mureza debuts new hatchback

African car brand, Mureza, has debuted its first model here in South Africa – a crossover hatchback called Prim8 (pronounced “primate”). 

With the ultimate objective of designing and manufacturing cars in Africa for Africa, Murenza is a joint venture with the SAIPA Group in Iran and is being driven by a group of Africans from various countries, backed by funders in the United Arab Emirates. However, Mureza basically intends to gradually build a viable Africa based automobile firm, where the products are entirely designed and assembled on African soil. In order to achieve this, there would be various assembly plant branches, spread across strategic locations. 

The company aims to provide good quality, affordable cars.

Currently, the new Prim8 hatchback is assembled in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana. 

This crossover hatchback was launched in Iran in March 2017 and was first known as “project 212”. With architecture based on the foundations of the previous generation Kia Rio, the Prim8 has a 1.5litre four-cylinder petrol engine with a five-speed manual or CVT transmission. The top model includes keyless entry, 7-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth, satnav, reverse camera, cruise control, parking sensors, audio system, air conditioning, power-adjustable driver’s seat, four airbags, electronic stability control, ABS brakes and tyre pressure monitoring. 

Pricing for the Prim8 is set to be around R180,000 to R200,000. (Prices correct at time of publication.)

The Mureza company executives have said that the Prim8 hatchback will come with a 3-year warranty. 

In addition to the Prim8, Mureza has said it is also looking at introducing a new half-tonne and a one-tonne bakkie to the African market. 

“The word Mureza means ‘flag’ and we want to be the flag-wavers for indigenous African motor industry. We want to be like Henry Ford who replaced horses with affordable cars. In our case it will be replacing imported used cars with affordable cars made in Africa,” said Tatenda Mungofa, in a company press release. Mungofa is one of the leaders of this ambitious project.

Looking for a new car?

If you’re in the market for a new car, but you want to wait to see if Mureza proves its staying power, you’re in the right place. Through our partners, we’re able to connect you with over 4000 pre-loved quality cars. All our vehicles have a proven service history and undergo a stringent 116-point quality assurance check.

Please note the imagery supplied in this blog was taken off www.carmag.co.za