SVI Engineering has developed SVI LITE, an affordable partial ballistic protection system.
Image: Supplied
With hijackings and kidnappings a constant threat to many South Africans not everyone has the financial means for a comprehensive bulletproof car.
To that end SVI Engineering in Pretoria have come up with a more affordable option that’s not only aimed at top-end vehicles but also at more affordable cars called SVI LITE, a cost-effective partial ballistic protection that can protect you from 9mm handgun rounds; the most common weapon used in highjackings.
Prior to SVI LITE the options were either B4 or B6 discrete 360-degree protection that ranges between R750,000 and R1-million.
Doors and windows
Slotting in below them, SVI lite was conceived with mainstream passenger cars and light-commercial vehicles in mind and designed specifically to combat hijacking attempts.
SVI LITE is limited to the vehicle’s side closure (door and door window), with the customer able to specify how many doors they want armoured.
The vehicle door gains carefully shaped and fully concealed Kevlar panels, while the standard window glass is replaced with special lightweight armoured glass.
Together, they deliver level B2 protection and are rated to stop 9mm, 124-grain rounds fired from a handgun.
Research shows that the most common guns used in hijackings are 9mm.
The standard window glass is replaced with special lightweight armoured glass.
Image: Willem van de Putte
Not much extra weight
The armouring components add just 15kg to each door, meaning vehicle performance is virtually unaffected. The ballistic glass is light enough to allow for the standard operation of the windows in most vehicles, resulting in unhindered access to things like parking-ticket machines and biometric readers.
“In much the same way as a bullet-resistant vest provides protection to vital organs of the human body, our new SVI LITE solution covers critical areas of the vehicle that are typically targeted during a hijacking attempt,” explained SVI Business Development Director, Nicol Louw.
The protection is rated to stop 9mm, 124-grain rounds fired from a handgun.
Image: Willem van de Putte
The SVI LITE range launches with kits for two of South Africa’s most popular vehicles: the Toyota Corolla Cross and the Ford Ranger.
“Since SVI LITE originated from an idea to make vehicle armour more accessible to the broader motoring public, it made sense for us to focus on some of South Africa’s most popular vehicles. And, while we’re launching with the Corolla Cross and Ranger, we will soon extend this range to the Toyota Hilux, Toyota Fortuner and Ford Everest,” said Jaco de Kock, CEO of SVI.
Cost
The price per closure for the Toyota Corolla Cross is R54,950 (excluding VAT) and R64,950 (excluding VAT) in the case of the Ford Ranger.
Fitment at SVI’s facility takes two weeks which they say should eventually be down to between 1-3 days.
Initial installations are scheduled to start from the beginning of May 2025.