Thanks to the added mass that comes with comprehensive 360-degree B6 (assault-rifle) armouring solutions, operating a bullet-resistant vehicle requires a degree of recalibration on the part of the driver. As such, SVI believes driver training is critical, particularly for those who lack experience with armoured vehicles.

“Since more and more new customers are joining the SVI family, we’re now including a full-day driver-training course with the purchase of every B6 discreet armouring package. This initiative will help new owners to better understand the capabilities of their armoured vehicles, equipping them with the skills to handle – and ultimately escape – potentially hostile situations,” says SVI Business Development Director, Nicol Louw.

“We believe that offering a complimentary full-day driver-training course with every B6 discreet sale is an important first for the local armouring industry. It’s also yet another example – along with many others under our broader #WhySVI? campaign – of how SVI strives to cover all the needs of its clients,” adds Louw. 

BOTH THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL TRAINING

Held at SVI’s impressive Bashewa headquarters outside Pretoria, the complimentary single-day course – which is valued at R3,500 – includes a theoretical component designed chiefly to educate participants on armoured-vehicle dynamics. Thereafter, these learnings are put into practice, with drivers taking to SVI’s newly revamped test track.

Practical training is carried out in the client’s own freshly armoured vehicle, allowing them to become familiar with its dynamics in a controlled environment (including on SVI’s dedicated off-road track, should the vehicle in question be fitted with 4×4). The central theme of the programme is to help owners to first understand and then experience the impact of the extra mass on their vehicles.

“Adding somewhere in the region of 600 kg of B6 armouring components to a double-cab bakkie, for example, results in a change to the vehicle’s centre of gravity. This, in turn, has an effect on various aspects of the vehicle’s dynamic performance, each necessitating specific adjustments to driving styles,” explains Louw.

FACTORY TOUR (AND LUNCH) ALSO INCLUDED

In addition to the theoretical and practical instruction, the single-day programme includes a tour of SVI’s extensive manufacturing facility, allowing clients to witness the company’s factory processes first-hand (and indeed see the armouring components that were earlier applied to their own vehicles). Since the programme runs from 8am to 4pm, lunch is also served.

Each training group will be limited to between 3 and 9 customers, affording participants the benefit of individualised attention from SVI’s team of expert instructors, which boasts vast experience coaching private clients, security crew and even military personnel.

It’s also worth noting that SVI separately offers a comprehensive 5-day driver-training programme that comprises as many as 5 distinct modules (including a practical-training module fully accredited by SASSETA). This all-encompassing course is pitched primarily at the broader security industry, with a particular focus on the valuables-in-transit, law enforcement and mining sectors.

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Recognising that the majority of South African motorists cannot afford the significant investment required for B4 and B6 discreet armouring packages, SVI set out to develop a more accessible solution specifically aimed at countering hijacking attempts. The result is the SVI LITE product range.

Positioned between full 360-degree armouring packages and standard smash-and-grab window film, SVI LITE has been developed with mainstream passenger cars and light-commercial vehicles in mind. This innovation ensures that protection against hijacking is no longer reserved for high-earning VIPs in luxury vehicles. More individuals, families, and first-time car buyers now have the opportunity to safeguard themselves against this ever-present threat.

While SVI’s renowned B4 and B6 discreet armouring solutions provide full 360-degree protection for occupants, SVI LITE is focused on the vehicle’s side closures, including the doors and door windows. Customers have the flexibility to specify how many doors they wish to have armoured.

Each armoured door is fitted with carefully shaped and fully concealed Kevlar panels, while the standard side-window glass is replaced with lightweight armoured glass. These components provide level B2 protection, capable of stopping 9 mm, 124-grain rounds fired from a handgun.

“In much the same way that a bullet-resistant vest protects the vital organs of the human body, our new SVI LITE solution covers the critical areas of a vehicle that are typically targeted during a hijacking attempt,” explained Nicol Louw, Business Development Director at SVI.

Despite the additional protection, the armouring components add just 15 kg to each door, ensuring vehicle performance remains virtually unaffected. Additionally, the ballistic glass is light enough to maintain the standard operation of the side windows in most vehicles, allowing unhindered access to parking-ticket machines, biometric readers, and other everyday conveniences.

The revolutionary SVI LITE range debuts with kits for two of South Africa’s best-selling vehicles: the Toyota Corolla Cross and the Ford Ranger. The Corolla Cross, produced in Prospecton, was the country’s second best-selling passenger vehicle in 2024, making it an obvious choice for SVI.

The Ford Ranger, manufactured in Silverton, was South Africa’s top-selling double cab last year and ranked second overall in the country’s bakkie market. Given its popularity, it was also one of the first vehicles earmarked for the SVI LITE programme.

“Since the goal of SVI LITE is to make vehicle armour more accessible to the broader motoring public, we focused on South Africa’s most popular vehicles. While we are launching with the Corolla Cross and Ranger, we will soon expand the range to include the Toyota Hilux, Toyota Fortuner, and Ford Everest,” said Jaco de Kock, CEO of SVI.

As an official Qualified Vehicle Modifier (QVM) with long-term partner Ford, SVI has factory-backed B4 and B6 discreet armouring packages for the Everest and Ranger, as well as a B6 Stopgun V3.0 security kit for the Ranger. Importantly, the fitment of the new SVI LITE products to the Everest and Ranger does not affect the original manufacturer warranty or any selected service plans.

Compared to a 360-degree B4 discreet armouring package, which starts at approximately R750,000 (excluding VAT) for a medium-sized SUV, SVI LITE is a far more affordable alternative. The price per armoured closure for the Toyota Corolla Cross is R54,950 (excluding VAT), while the same solution for the larger Ford Ranger is priced at R64,950 (excluding VAT).

For example, if a customer opts to protect all four doors and side windows of a Corolla Cross with SVI LITE, the total cost would amount to R219,800 (excluding VAT).

Regardless of the number of closures selected, installation at SVI’s world-class facility near Pretoria takes just two weeks. Fitment is scheduled to commence at the beginning of May 2025.

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Vehicles require Level B6 ballistic protection against 7.62×39 mm full metal jacket (FMJ) rounds at 10 metres, and 7.62×51 mm rounds. Further, the armour must be upgradeable to STANAG Level I on all vertical sides. Vehicles must retain their standard factory appearance, with armouring concealed and discreet.

Vehicles must be fitted with 360-degree Level B6 protection, including the vehicle floor. The windshield, rear glass and side glass must be armoured to Level B6, with spall mitigation capability, but side windows must be able to slide down halfway into the door. The electrical window system must be able to sustain the weight of protective glass, and a heavy-duty window mechanism must be installed to open the windows.

All doors must be lockable to prevent outside access, with reinforced hinges to handle the weight of the armoured doors. The vehicle pillars and roof must additionally meet Level B6 protection, with the fuel tank, radiator and battery also covered with ballistic protection.

Front and rear suspension must be upgraded with heavy-duty shocks and an adjustable coil spring, with additional leaf springs if the vehicle is designed with such a system. A high-performance custom brake system must be incorporated to accommodate the additional weight, with high-performance brake pads able to sustain high heat and high-speed braking.

Vehicles must be provided with five heavy-duty rims and five heavy-duty tires with run flat capability. Further, a heavy-duty jack for the vehicle must be provided.

All ferrous metal parts must be protected against corrosion in an acceptable and suitable manner. All repairs pertaining to the armouring must be concluded within 30 days.

Several companies on the market offer discreet vehicle armouring to Level B6, notably Armormax and SVI Engineering. Both companies are recognised as a Qualified Vehicle Modifiers (QVM) by the Ford Motor Company.

The QVM programme is a global standards recognition structure that intends to gauge the ability of a final stage manufacturer to produce a consistent quality level throughout the product line, through control over the engineering, fabrication and vehicle delivery processes. The process of assessment is similar in some respects to the ISO 9001 Quality Management programme that Armormax has been certified for in the past.

Armormax has built several Ford Ranger examples in both B4 and B6 guise. Their approach to vehicle armouring of using the lightest, highest grade ballistic materials available globally means that even the B6 package on the Ranger is only fractionally heavier than B4 packages offered.

Bids close on 10 December 2024.

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