The 2024 SUV Shootout was an epic experience, testing the mettle of the six SUVs, the support vehicle (Ford Ranger Tremor), and the manpower in attendance. Not only did we venture onto terrain less travelled, but also stepped into some of the most spectacular views found anywhere in South Africa.
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In the upcoming edition of CAR Magazine, we pit six ladder-frame 4×4 SUVs against each other. Or to put it in simple terms: six bakkie-based SUVs. These were, in no particular order:
- Toyota Fortuner 2.8 GD-6 48V 4×4 VX AT
- Mahindra Scorpio N 2.2D Z8L 4Xplor AT
- Ford Everest 2.0 Bi-T XLT 4×4 AT
- Mitsubishi Pajero Sport 2.4 DI-D 4×4 Exceed AT
- Isuzu mu-X 3.0 TD Onyx 4×4 AT
- GWM Tank 300 2.0T HEV 4×4 AT
The three-day excursion wasn’t about seeing which SUV would break first or buckle under the pressure of the deserted conditions, but rather how each performs against our strict criteria sheet.
Related: Leisure Wheels – The SUVs that took part in the 2024 SUV Shootout
Expectedly, the unforgiving and demanding R355 gravel road between Ceres and Calvinia claimed two scalps (tyres), but it didn’t deter the contingency at all. The six SUVs bossed the longest gravel road in SA, making small work of whatever was thrown their way. Were there aspects of some SUVs that irked the team? Definitely, but not to the point that anyone refused to drive one.
One aspect everyone embraced was the unspoiled views and terrains we’d see. Of course, this was secondary to the trip’s main purpose, but it still left the team in awe of what we were treated to.
We made a stop at the Tankwa Padstal before heading to the Tankwa Tented Camp, both along the R355, on the first day. These locations have their unique attractions, playing on the terrestrial ideas as spaceships and weird(?) constructions adorn the respective grounds. At the Tented Camp, we explored the vast landscapes that once hosted the infamous AfrikaBurn experience. Remanence of the festival can still be found and seen everywhere, and we were cautioned to remain on the tracks to avoid shattered glass that is still buried in the ground.
The second day saw the squadron head towards Sutherland via a(nother) gravel road off the R355. This road leads to Middelpos and the Tankwa Karoo National Park, but you must divert from it at some point en route to Sutherland. That’s what we did and moved towards the Ouberg Pass – perhaps the biggest, and most rewarding, challenge from the opening two days.
Littered with rocks and ditches, we reached the lookout point near its peak. The unspoiled views highlighted the way we came and made it look far less daunting than it was. From atop, it felt like we conquered something, even if it was just making it out of a literal hell in one piece. We delve into this and more in the July 2024 edition of CAR Magazine – on the shelves on 14 June.