JEEP

Adventure AWAITS

LEE RONDGANGER TAKES THE ALL-NEW JEEP WRANGLER FOR AN OFF-ROAD SPIN

Deep in the Valley of 1 000 Hills the sun has slowly crept up the horizon, bringing with every ascending inch some reprieve from the icy winter morning. But no one cares that the cold hand of winter is freezing our toes, noses and ears. Certainly not us in the 10 4x4 vehicles that were on the “Travis Duggan Experience” – winding along trails and terrains that bring out the true capabilities of the vehicles.

I am driving the all-new Jeep Wrangler Sahara Edition from FMGH Jeep Hillcrest, it has just eaten up the gravel roads and steep terrain to get up to a vantage point for the sunrise.

My wife and our two boys, along with 10 groups of other 4x4 enthusiasts, were up early on a recent Sunday morning to meet Travis in Shongweni for the trail. Travis is one of South Africa’s top 4x4 driver trainers and offers drivers, from novices who have just bought their first 4x4 to long time off-roaders, a range of courses and adventure experiences to test their vehicles’ capabilities.

After watching the sun rise we tackle the trails again. Under Travis’s expert supervision, who makes sure we are always in the right gear to tackle the tough and tricky terrain to the Mqeku picnic area, we hit the steep gradients, water crossings, side slopes and cross axle holes with a nail-biting adrenalin rush.

We may be en route to a picnic, but the trails are no picnic. They push the 4x4s to the limit. But the Jeep Wrangler Sahara Edition takes it all in its stride.

One of the first things you notice about the new Jeep Wrangler Sahara Edition is that it is unmistakably a Jeep.

While the exterior is designed as a nod to a World War II-era military vehicle, the interior has all the luxuries of a modern vehicle – there’s touchscreen navigation with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto Android Play, power steering, electric windows, USB and two-pin electrical points.

Under the hood, Jeep Wrangler has an eight-speed automatic transmission as standard with its much-loved 3.6 V6 Pentastar V6 engine. The petrol vehicle has 209kW of power and a brilliant 347Nm of torque.

And while all these features make it a helluva impressive vehicle, the true grit of the Jeep Wrangler comes through when it is on an off-road trail. While the vehicle may

look comfortable in a suburban setting, it is built for adventure.

It is currently the only off-road vehicle that offers an authentic open-air experience that gives the driver and their passengers the feeling of greater freedom. The fold down windshield gives the driver a clearer view of the trail ahead, the hard top can be taken off to “bring more of the outside in”, and the lightweight aluminium doors can all be removed as well. From 4x4 to buggy in an instant!

To top this off, the all-new Jeep Wrangler has a 552-Watt Alpine All-Weather Premium Audio System with eight speakers.

Everything about this vehicle screams “let’s go on an adventure”. For those who listen to that call and unleash their free spirit with this bold and rugged vehicle, the Valley of a 1 000 Hills is the perfect setting. The Jeep Wrangler is in its element on the off-road setting – going over boulders with ease, traversing side slopes, eating testing terrain like a maniac, and crossing rivers. There is nothing thrown at the Jeep that it can’t handle.

As we made our way to the picnic site all of us who had experienced the thrill of the 4x4 had pure adrenalin coursing through our veins. Gone was the icy feeling in our toes, gone was the doubt of what this vehicle could do off-road. The adventure bug had bitten and our free spirits had been loosened.

While the vehicle may look comfortable in a suburban setting, it is built for adventure

FOR MORE INFO To book a test drive, email info@fmgh.co.za or call JEEP Hillcrest on 031 716 5050; www.fcahillcrest.co.za