Lee Rondganger takes the all-new Jeep Wrangler for an off-road spin.
Deep in the Valley of 1000 Hills the sun has slowly crept up the horizon, bringing with every ascending inch some reprieve from the icy winter morning. But nobody cares that the cold hand of winter is freezing our toes, noses and ears. Certainly not us in the 10 4×4 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 4×4 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 4×4 driver trainers and offers drivers, from novices who have just bought their first 4×4 to long time off-roaders, a range of courses and adventure experiences to test their vehicles’ capabilities.
After watching the sunrise 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 hardtop can be taken off to “bring more of the outside in”, and the lightweight aluminium doors can all be removed as well. From 4×4 to buggy in an instant!
To top this off, the all-new Jeep Wrangler has 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 1000 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 that 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.
FOR MORE INFO:
To book a test drive, email info@fmgh.co.za or call JEEP Hillcrest on 031 716 5050.