Five leisure vehicles for fun-loving families

By Ané Theron

Whether it’s with a bakkie, SUV or crossover, most South-African families love a good road-trip and spending time in the great outdoors. We’ve rounded up a few vehicles that will suit your sun-filled, active lifestyle just perfectly. Here they are, in no specific order.

MINI Countryman (from R 423 824)

Not just an oversized replacement to the fiery MINI Cooper S convertible (once the baby made its appearance), the Countryman is the stylish family’s practical fashion statement - big on space, maneuverability and character, and equally at home on dirt or in town. And trust me, you don’t need the ‘S’ or John Cooper Works derivative to have fun. The three-cylinder 1.5-litre mill in the Mini Cooper Countryman has a very decent 100 kW and 230 Nm, complemented by a cheeky little growl. I drove the six-speed MINI Cooper Countryman Auto (R442 052) and I was reluctant to hand it back! (Warning: Once your spouse sees the upmarket, funky interior, it’s a done deal…)

KIA Sorento (from R 457 995)

If you plan on spending many hours on the road with your offspring, the Sorento is a champ. After driving 3000 km across the country on gravel, in the wet, in the snow, and in thick fog, I can confidently say that you won’t regret investing in the comfortable Sorento. I was impressed most by how it handled the terrible dirt roads of the southern Free State. And we didn’t even have the AWD derivative: we drove the entry-level diesel model, the front-wheel drive Sorento 2.2CRDi LS (R 489 995). I missed having a leather-covered steering wheel, though. With 147 Nm and 440 Nm of torque, you won’t be left wanting for power to overtake - and fuel economy is favourable at 8 litres per 100 km, if you drive sensibly.

Toyota Hilux Raider Black (from R 521 100)

Us South Africans do love our Hiluxes. With a reputation of being reliable, rock-solid and almost indestructible, the Hilux stays at the top of the sales charts month after month. Toyota recently added limited edition ‘Black’ models to the Hilux line-up, featuring a blacked-out grille instead of chrome, a blacked-out roof, and a few other macho bits and bobs for added sex-appeal. Yet it’s the black leather interior with silver stitching, the very Lexus-like instrument binnacle and carbon fibre accents that raise the sexy-stakes here. Comfort levels inside this Hilux are top-notch: this is the bakkie your wife will like to drive as much as you do. It was perfect for our romantic journey into breathtakingly beautiful KolKol Mountain Lodge ( www.kolkol.co.za ),where a bit of ground clearance is a must - even though a 4x4 isn’t. The Hilux Raider Black 2.8GD-6 4x4 6MT double cab we drove (R 585 300) has a hearty 130kW and 450Nm of torque - and can handle so much more than we could throw at it.

Volkswagen Amarok Double Cab (from R 487 700)

You get your Hilux types, and then you get your Amarok types. Both have their strong and weak points (though neither of them have many of the latter). Yet when it comes to ergonomics and clean, stylish, uncluttered design, the Amarok falls in the favour of many - and now that there’s a turbo-diesel V6-engine in the line-up...well, that changes things. However, you don’t necessarily need all that torque. I had the Amarok 2.0 BiTDI Double Cab Highline 4Motion auto (R590 600) at my disposal, which was more than sufficient for my daily bakkie-needs, with 132kW and 420Nm.  The 8-speed automatic gearbox shifts seamlessly, and 4Motion means that the Amarok’s computers decide for themselves when all-wheel drive is needed. This helps to inspire confidence off-road, especially if you don’t see yourself as the hardcore bundu-bashing type or if you just want to make it a little bit easier on yourself. But don’t think this Amarok is for softies - it is proven to be highly capable.

Fiat Panda 0.9 TwinAir 4x4 (from R 229 900)

So many little crossovers these days boast all kinds of bundu-bling, yet often it’s just for show, and you can hardly scale a sidewalk at Checkers. But the cute-as-a-button Fiat Panda 4x4 is the real deal. At the local launch it wholeheartedly earned its stripes by climbing up and over an array of obstacles that looked almost too advanced, at first. The top-spec Panda 0.9 TwinAir 4x4 Cross (R 249 900) comes endowed with a drive mode selector to choose between auto and off-road, and descending scary declines is made easy, thanks to hill descent control. Even though it’s such a tiny car, safety features have not been skimped on, with stability control and hill-start assist being standard features (along with ABS and EBD, and four airbags). There are parking sensors in the front and rear.