News - SA 4x4

Enter SA4x4’s Instagram photo competition

Do you have a magic shot in your photo collection that captures the essence of overland travel? SA4x4 is keen to promote adventure travel the world over, and to share those amazing memories with all our readers. Trawl your image banks and share those moments in time on SA4x4’s Facebook or Instagram pages, along with your name and a short description of what you are seeing and where. Action, wildlife, landscapes – we want to see it all! Tag @SA4x4 on Instagram and SA4x4 magazine on Facebook, and use the hashtag #SA4x4OverlandImages to enter. If Instagram is too 21st Century, email your…

LROC De Wildt Human Rights Day Trail

The Land Rover Owners Club of Southern Africa is returning to De Wildt 4×4 in Hartebeestpoort for some more family-friendly, four-wheel-drive fun. The trail is suitable for all Land Rovers, including soft-roaders like the Evoque and Freelander, but there will be plenty of tough obstacles for the more experienced drivers seeking more of a thrill. The day starts with an early driver briefing, after which the group will take on the trail. Afterwards, proud owners can discuss the day’s triumphs and mishaps over some tasty braaivleis and a cold one at the facility’s lapas and picnic areas. Places are limited,…

Land Cruiser Prado

More of the same: Toyota Prado

Toyota’s Prado is a strong, capable, bodyon- frame mid-size SUV with all the trimmings, for families who don’t want or need the immense Land Cruiser 200 Series in their driveway. The fourth-generation J150 has now come in for a mid-life refresh that has ushered in plenty of neat upgrades and changes, but not the one every previous Prado owner has been hoping for. In other markets, for some time, it’s been gifted the 2.8-litre GD-6 turbodiesel allied to a sixspeed automatic transmission; but here, a combination of factors including the low quality of fuel in Africa, the cost or time…

InterVOLT DC-DC charging system

As a tour operator with Fly Africa Safaris, I have led more than a thousand vehicles over the border, and guided countless tours as far as Uganda in my 18 years in the business. In that time, I have experienced a lot of changes and developments in the field of dual-battery systems, deep-cycle batteries and charging systems. I’ve seen technology evolve from a cooler box packed with dry ice to fridges connected directly to the vehicle’s main battery. Then solenoid systems took over the market. Today things have moved on with vehicle manufacturers opting for smart alternators, while charging technology…

Rock Solid Industries

Back in 2007, Mike Voss, founder and Managing Director of Rock Solid Industries (RSI), had just started a fledgling business spraying bakkie bed linings. The bed lining business was successful, but somewhat dead-end, and Mike needed more of a challenge. The mining industry was first port of call and RSI began building roll-over protection systems for mine bakkies. RSI is blazing the way when it comes to canopy technology and the latest innovations in roof racksUnfortunately for Mike, the auto industry also got in on the act, and when the T6 Ranger was released with an NCAP rating that met…

Elephant Charge 2017

Ten Years Ten Reasons To Charge! Sarah Davies #1 THIS YEAR IS NUMERO TEN – one of the most epic, audacious and thrill-seeking events going, the Elephant Charge in Zambia is a 4×4 motorsport challenge and has reached its tenth anniversary. You do NOT want to miss this year’s show! The 2017 Fuchs Elephant Charge will take place at a secret location in the Zambian bush on Saturday 14 October 2017. Are you rrrrrrready?! #2 EC PUTS THE FUN INTO FUNDRAISING – since 2008, the Elephant Charge teams have supported 17 wildlife conservation projects with grants totaling $647,991. This year…

Fresh rubber: Grabber AT3

General Tire has updated its popular all-terrain and mud terrain offering

Over the years, we’ve travelled countless thousands of kilometres on various sets of General Grabber all-terrain tyres, from the sharp rocks of the Tankwa Karoo to slippery mud deep in the Transkei, as well as on long gravel and sand stretches crisscrossing Botswana and Namibia. This left us with a high opinion of the previous-generation offerings, and especially of the AT version which proved extremely puncture-resistant on our travels. Now, General Tire, an American brand that is a subsidiary of Continental, has released redesigned versions of its all-terrain and mud-terrain offerings – respectively the Grabber AT3 and Grabber X3 –…

Fortuner 4x4

Fortuner 4×4 now in 2.4 guise

A Fortuner that combined the frugal and cost efficient 2.4 GD-6 engine with a 4×4 drivetrain was a model sorely lacking when the latest range was launched. Thankfully, Toyota South Africa has answered our prayers. The 2.4 GD-6 4×4 6AT will use the same 110kW/400Nm mill as found elsewhere in the range, mated to a 6-speed automatic box and low-range transfer case. More good news? At R506 000, it’s R118 100 cheaper than the 2.8-litre auto 4×4.

Ford ranger raptor

Ford ranger raptor to be powered by a four-banger?

Not to be confused with the F150-based Raptor as is sold in the US, the Ranger Raptor due to hit our market next year will be a performance version of Ford’s existing mid-size offering, the Ranger. Though we don’t have confirmation yet, reliable sources suggest that the new Ranger Raptor will be powered by a high output, twin-turbo 2.0-litre diesel engine – which comes as a big disappointment to many Ford fans hoping to see the 2.7-litre Ecoboost V6 petrol introduced, or at least the 2.3-litre four-cylinder currently found under Mustang bonnets. However, Ford insists the twin-turbo 2.-litre diesel mill…

Pajero sport: Right on point

Although the previous Pajero Sport was getting long in the tooth, Mitsubishi’s latest offering is set to stick it to the Everest and Fortuner with a combination of new tech, safety features, style and capability. The vehicle has been completely redesigned from the ground up, and is based on the ladder frame of the latest Triton bakkie. Capability and drivetrain Like the Triton, the Pajero Sport uses a heavily turbocharged 2.4-litre diesel mill, in this case with 133kW and 430Nm. Unlike the Triton with its five-speed auto, the Sport uses an Aisin 8-speed auto, and, thanks to that quick-shifting box,…

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