Jeep

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An Eruptive Experience Jeep brings new meaning to experiencing

a blast on a volcano, writes Richard Webb

Often, when a car brand invites me to do a bit of off-roading they mean they have found a dusty track that would scarcely trouble a family crossover. But when I got a call from Jeep, I expected more.

The call came through unexpectedly early in December. Jeep asked if I’d be keen to go and drive a Jeep up Mount Etna in Sicily, just off the Italian coast. ‘But wait a minute, isn’t that currently a live volcano,’ I asked, incredulously. ‘We’ll be in Jeeps so it’ll be fine’, Jeeps’ PR countered breezily. Needless to say I was up for some ‘dewy-eyed’ nostalgia, especially since that old war-horse – the Jeep Wrangler – is about to be completely phased out.

Mount Etna was smouldering as we flew over it, adding to the sense of adventure. Upon arrival in Sicily, I made a beeline for the Wrangler, purely out of deference and to give a snappy GI salute to this old soldier one last time.

Starting off with the Wrangler in two-wheel drive, I eased through suburbia towards the first obstacle course. Almost immediately, I was confronted with a rocky river. The car scrabbled up the muddy bank with little drama, but the rock-strewn crest of the bank looked very daunting, so I eased the transfer box into four-wheel drive. >

‘My eyes widened at the sheer scale of the natural obstacles the Wrangler was expected to clear.’

Piazza del Duomo - Catania

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Donnafugata Golf Resort & SPA

My eyes widened at the sheer scale of the natural obstacles I was expected to clear. I smashed through undergrowth seemingly made of impenetrable bamboo arched to create a natural tunnel, which was just about the only indication of where I was supposed to point the bouncing Wrangler.

Branches kept scratching the bonnet and roof, making a sound akin to scratching your nails down a chalkboard. But the Wrangler relentlessly made forward progress in everything from moss-covered rock, to mud and gravel in wheel-top deep flowing water. What it lacked in refinement was made up for in its ability to just keep going.

And going. In a terrain where Wranglers get a workout, it makes it even more impressive that the little Jeep Renegades behind me kept up.

It was time to hit the tarmac for a while and I chose a Jeep Renegade ‘Night Eagle’ and headed North on the A19 towards Sicily’s second largest city, Catania – with its Grandiose monotone baroque style palazzi, hundreds of bars, clubs and eateries – all under the watchful gaze of Mt Etna.

I pressed on, taking the winding Strada Provinciale, leading right up to the largest active volcano in Europe. Although the first eruptions at Mt Etna were 500,000 years ago, it did occur to me that it might not be wise to goad this nest of strato volcanoes too much. After all, this mountain has the longest period of documented eruptions in the world.

Mt Etna has been pretty unpredictable recently and it has just started to splutter up lava again. My Renegade made serene progress up, challenging ancient tracks – pock-marked with millennia aged solidified magma– as I ascended to a summit crater.

We passed numerous fissures and vents on the flanks of the volcano. The lava enriched soil is extremely fertile and as much as I was tempted to make a gastronomic circular tour of all 21 towns encircling the volcano, I stopped at the first available restaurant for a quick Arancine – basically a risotto shaped into a ball, filled with ragù and deep-fried – followed by Sicilian Cannoli – that mouthwatering dessert that is a crispy brown shell filled with fresh sweet sheep milk ricotta and chocolate chips, garnished with candied fruits.

Suitably refreshed, I swapped over into a new Cherokee, for a dash of luxury. I headed away from Mt Etna on an anti-clockwise route from Catania, passing Acireale and Giarre before turning inland to Linguaglossa, Randazzo, Bronte, Adrano, Paterno and Belpasso. I passed an abundance of orchards – oranges, mangoes, peaches, kiwi and lemons, as well as pine nuts, pistachio, and almonds.

As I eased back South West on the two and a half hour journey along the Strade Statale 514 towards Donnafugata and on to the luxury five-star Donnafugata Golf Resort & Spa, which lies 17 km from Comiso International Airport and is a short drive from the historic centre of Ragusa, Modica, Noto and Scicli, which are all UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

After many hours of travel, from Cape Town via O.R. Tambo International Airport, via Istanbul Atatürk Airport and on to Catania Fontana Rossa and then a tough day’s driving, I wearily contemplated whether Jeep truly had a ‘go anywhere, do anything’ persona.

Jeep certainly is not the world’s biggest maker of SUVs without good reason, and that whirlwind trip had me convinced that Jeep has a range of vehicles for all terrains – including active volcanoes.

M

ore than 600,000 Willys Jeeps were made during World War II for use as light reconnaissance vehicles in war theatres around the world. That the Willys ever saw the light of day as a civilian production vehicle is incredible, since the design brief was urgently written by the military with very little planning for comfort. It simply was required to be of lightweight construction, have fourwheel drive and a short wheelbase; they were rushed almost immediately into full production. The G.I.s adored the Willys and it has endured its 75 years born out of necessity, but was also nurtured with a nations gratitude.

The Wrangler, which is the direct descendant from those Willys, is at its finest when facing off-road challenges, but it is not as primitive as you may expect on the tarmac – certainly no more so than a Land Rover Defender. It is comfortable enough in the cabin, with heated seats and tinted windows, and you can roll back the roof and treat yourself to driving the only current 4x4 convertible. (However, Range Rover’s Evoque is about to take that crown).

To mark their 75th anniversary, Jeep is celebrating with even more product launches with its seven-slot signature grille and legendary off-road ability.

There will be a new Wrangler-type of vehicle and another new SUV, which is intended to be in between the Cherokee and the Renegade, with Trailhawk models in all line-ups.