Publications
Partners
Toyota Land Cruiser 200 4.5 VX
Price: R1 141 700
Some SUVs look ready to chase 20 crocodiles out of the Limpopo – and make stew and handbags out of them – but in reality can’t say boo to a goose. And then there’s the real thing: the Toyota Land Cruiser 200, the first choice of expedition leaders and UN peacekeepers everywhere. Its formidable reputation was built over six decades. Cruisers don’t break and they can reach seemingly inaccessible destinations more easily than anything else, all while carrying enough supplies for a mission
to Mars.
About 30 years ago, a new generation of Cruiser took a different path, which led to the good life. Today, the brand has evolved into the luxury land yacht known as the Land Cruiser 200, available in GX and more luxurious VX spec. (The extremely capable 70 Series, with its left-behind-in-the-80s looks, continues with minor updates, but hasn’t discovered comfort yet.)
The Cruiser 200, launched here in 2009, has just received its midlife face-lift. So what was changed or improved? Well, the 200 is a real box on wheels, shaped for maximum load carrying, not beauty contests. So Toyota ran with that “theme” and made its face even more masculine, mainly through emphasising the grille (that “mouth” between the headlights). These changes to the front and rear also allow it to climb up and descend steeper inclines than before.
The new 200 VX gets an updated Multi-Terrain Select system that sets the vehicle up for the coming terrain at the turn of a knob. Speaking of coming terrain, a camera records video of the surface ahead and, seconds later, displays it on a screen inside when the vehicle is above it. Toyota says this is useful to determine wheel and underbody position when (carefully) negotiating large rocks and deep sand. If that sounds too technical, you’ll probably be more impressed by the wireless charger for your Samsung Galaxy S6 and similarly equipped smartphones.
On the test routes in the eastern Free State, where we drove the VX only, I found the suspension quite hard on tar and dirt roads, with a tendency to make the Cruiser jive a little on sand and loose gravel above 65km/h. The 200’s on-gravel road manners will probably improve if the tyre pressure is dropped from the specified 2.3 bar to about 1.8 bar, something that will require further experiments by yours truly. In the rough stuff, however, the 200 performed flawlessly and held its legendary name aloft.
Honda CR-V 2.0 Comfort
Price: R362 900
For motorists who only require some of the practicalities of a 4x4 with a strong dose of off-road style, Aladdin’s cave has opened. Even Bentley and Maserati want bundu action with their Bentayga and Levante, respectively – though don’t expect to see these two at your nearest Jeep trail soon.
So how on earth do you choose the best of the lot if so many SUVs are vying for your wallet? By way of an answer, let’s look at how Honda improved the CR-V.
They made it attractive by banishing the oddness from its “old” face, where the grille and headlights ate into each other.
Imagine someone whose nostrils and eyes touch. Pretty? No.
They made an already comfy SUV even more comfortable by giving it redesigned front-suspension components – those bits that give a car a hard (sporty) or soft ride. Honda also made it quieter inside by using better sound-absorption materials and thicker carpets.
All versions of the updated CR-V, except the Comfort, get a new touch screen display, but Bluetooth for hands-free calls and streaming music is standard.
Other notable features common to all CR-Vs are Vehicle Stability Assist, six air bags, roof rails, alloy wheels, rear parking sensors, separate ventilation for rear passengers, and fog lights front and rear (to be used in fog or heavy rain only).
The CR-V’s biggest virtues are reliability, comfort and spaciousness, making it a superb family car that can run on poor roads all day.
By making it more comfortable and transforming its appearance, Honda has built one of the best, if not the best, “soft-roader” in the world.
