Innholdsfortegnelse for May 2016 i Leisure Wheels

AS you’d imagine, Kingsley Holgate has many stories to tell. And boy can he tell them. We can’t remember ever being anywhere near bored in his company. It’s not just the content, but the way he tells a story that’s so remarkably powerful. He’s also a charitable man. Communities all over Africa know the Kingsley Holgate Foundation for its simplistic, yet life-changing donations. These include donating mosquito nets, reading glasses and LifeStraws, a device that purifies water as it flows through the body of the straw. He’s a passionate Land Rover enthusiast, but he doesn’t give up when the road ends. That much we know thanks to his most recent adventure to find the beating Heart of Africa. Kingsley and his team departed Johannesburg late last year to find the…

Engine: 2 199cc four-cylinder turbodiesel Power: 145kW @ 3 800r/min Torque: 436Nm @ 1 800r/min Gearbox: Six-speed AT Drivetrain: FWD Driving aids: Traction and stability control Ground clearance: 185mm Fuel tank: 64 litres Average consumption: Nine litres/100km Range: 711km Warranty: Five-year/150 000km Service plan: Five-year/90 000km Price: R699 900 “The Hyundai Santa Fe is an excellent all-rounder – equally at home on the school run or chasing the horizon on extended family vacations” WILL IT STAND OUT IN THE PARKING LOT? Probably not, but it certainly is no ugly duckling either. However, if you swap your Santa Fe for the facelifted one, the neighbours might not even notice the difference. The facelifted version has received the now familiar chrome hexagonal grille, features redesigned LED daytime running lights, 19-inch wheels and…

“This little 4x4 can scamper up and over any mountain” Distance received/now: 456km/ 1 781km Distance completed: 1 325km Average fuel consumption: 6.7 litres/100km Selling price new: R241 900 Service plan: Four-year/60 000km service plan Why do we have it: To find out if the Jimny is equally talented on a daily basis as it is off-road Driven by: Deon van der Walt ✓ LEKKER! It’s got character You can park almost anywhere Great fuel economy if you take it easy It writes off-road cheques it can actually cash × NOT LEKKER! The 1.3-litre engine’s heaves at Highveld altitude Interior not big on space – especially not for Deon’s large frame Choppy ride over uneven surfaces 4WD selection system via buttons requires some getting used to THE Suzuki Jimny is…

Over 190 years. That’s how long ago Frenchman Nicéphore Niépce took the first partially successful image, or photograph, as it is known today. What has not changed since the 1820s though, is our aim to successfully capture a specific moment in time, and to tell a story without the need for many words of explanation. In this series we focus on just such photographs.…

Email your views to editorial@leisurewheels.com or submit them via our Facebook page or the website at www.leisurewheels.co.za. Please supply your postal address, in case you win a prize. Congratulations! Your letter wins you a CAT watch to the value of R1 200. We will be in contact soon to make arrangements for delivery. WINNING LETTER ENGINE POWER AND GEARBOXES I enjoy your magazine but it seems most of the motoring public (your readers) don’t understand some of the basics of engine power and gearboxes. I am not an engineer but have some experience with development of armoured vehicles; however, your technical experts may be able to give better explanations. Perhaps you could give a simple explanation of what a vehicle manufacturer does when deciding which engine and gearbox option to…

I WAS sitting on a red dune at the end of a hot day, killing time before dinner with my wife, Maryke. The sun was setting behind a cluster of camel thorn trees and hordes of guinea fowl were coming home to roost – only the unmistakable shrill sound of their squeaky chitter and the red dust cloud against the amber skyline betrayed their position. Ah, another day, another great Kalahari sunset, I thought to myself, sipping some red wine. The harsh call of a rooibekfisant and the bellows of distant cattle join the beautiful cacophony of the Kalahari twilight symphony. And before the moon was up, we were treated to a magnificent show of heavenly bodies. What a magnificent place this Kalahari is. Our trip had taken us from…

For the past few years while exploring Africa’s wild places, I’ve been using a 90-litre National Luna portable refrigeration system, and I’ve learnt a few tricks to keep it running optimally. My National Luna has a 50-litre fridge compartment and a separate 40-litre freezer. Fitted with dual thermostats, each compartment can have a specific and different temperature so it can perform as a dual fridge, dual freezer or fridge/freezer combination. 1 Ensure that there is a free flow of air around the compressor of the fridge. When you pack your vehicle, make sure there is nothing blocking the ventilator. 2 Strap the fridge down properly to its base or make sure it’s screwed down. A fridge does not like to bounce up and down, but as long as the fridge…

Engine: Four-cylinder turbocharged diesel Power: 130kW @ 3 400rpm Torque: 420Nm @ 1 400rpm Gearbox: Six-speed manual transmission 4C4 Drivetrain: Part-time 4×4 Driving aids: Shifton the fly 4x4, traction control, hill descent control, rear-locking differential Ground clearance: (claimed): 286mm Average fuel consumption: 9.1/100km Range: 879km Maintenance plan: 5-year/90 000km Price: R529 900 Not sold on the looks, but the rest of the car is pretty epic. The Amarok used to be my favourite bakkie, but if it were my money, I’d spend it on a Hilux. It’s now as refined as it is tough, and that’s exactly what a modern bakkie should be. Well played Toyota, well played. – GH Still mechanically robust, but it has gone a bit soft in both interior and exterior departments. That said, it is…

Mitsubishi Pajero: www.mitsubishi-motors.co.za / Tough Dog suspension: www.oppositelock.co.za Front Runner rock sliders: www.frontrunner.co.za / Bridgestone all-terrain tyres: www.bridgestone.co.za IN fact, some newbie drivers arrive at the competition full of bravado, knowing all the (4×4) answers. But later, after those first 10 challenges, they are much more timid. The main protagonist who causes this turnaround in attitude is one Sakkie Coetzee. Sakkie, in conjunction with the event organisers from Bridgestone South Africa, creates the obstacles that are designed to not only test machine, but man and woman, too. Each obstacle is designed to test a specific skill set, and to test it to the fullest. So our stock-standard shorty Mitsubishi Pajero 3.2Di-D GLS really had its work cut out. On paper, the Pajero certainly has the 4×4 hardware to smoke this…

It all started in 1990, when a South African engineering company tendered for a World Health Organisation (WHO) project. The tender called for the development and production of solar-powered medical vaccination refrigerators (as part of a rollout project for large parts of Africa), and National Luna answered the call. At the time, National Luna was manufacturing borehole pumps and 12V fluorescent lights, but it jumped at the opportunity. National Luna’s prototype 12V fridge was the only unit to pass the WHO’s stringent specifications; however, due to political reasons, the vaccination project was scrapped and National Luna was leftwith a portable fridge project worth R3-million. (This amount was invested in the development of the prototype refrigeration unit, a figure equivalent to around R10-million today.) It was a do-or-die situation – National…

BOTSWANA As we watch the Makgadikgadi salt pans slowly appear on the horizon, we start to get a little nervous. This is the spot where Africa’s largest inland lake used to be, 10 000 years ago. In dry weather, driving a car on this 12 000-square-kilometre plain can be a smooth and even comfortable ride. If the snow-white salt gets a little bit wet, though, it turns into dangerous quicksand in which you run the risk of getting hopelessly stuck and even sinking to roof level. Since you won’t come across many people on this boiling hot plain, there’s a risk of staying unnoticed for weeks – which would probably mean the end for you. Not exactly a positive outlook. Not to mention the fact that the rainy season had…

Engine: 2 179cc four-cylinder turbodiesel Power: 103kW @ 3 750r/min Torque: 330Nm @ 1 600r/min Gearbox: Six-speed manual Drivetrain: FWD Driving aids: Traction and stability control, hill hold and hill descent Ground clearance: 200mm Fuel tank: 70 litres Average consumption: 7.5 litres/100km Range: 933km Warranty: Five-year/150 000km Service plan: Five-year/100 000km Price: R354 995 AT A GLANCE… The recently updated XUV500 is not bad looking at all. It features an abundance of curves and modern elements, which is quite unlike the rest of the boxy Mahindra commercial-based line-up. There are some peculiarities: the accented curve above the rear wheel arch which extends as far up as the C-pillar, giving it a slight resemblance to a double chin. Another minor issue is the vertical door handles. THE INSIDE IS NICE TOO,…

Distance received/now: 189km/5 933km Distance completed: 5 744km Average fuel consumption: 8 litres/100km Fuel tank: 50 litres Range: 625km Selling price new: R289 900 Service/Maintenance plan: Three-year/45 000km Why do we have it: To find out why Renault’s pavement special is so darn popular Driven by: Gerhard Horn ✓ LEKKER! It’s large enough for most families Not a pukka offroader, but way better than you probably think Loads of standard equipment, including navigation Fuel economy What you see is what you get × NOT LEKKER! The Bluetooth connection can be unstable, but it depends on what phone you use The sound system’s quality is not the greatest Cool LCD screen, but not great to use and tough to see in sunny conditions Cold-start smoke clouds It is not as polished…

IN ideal conditions, LED light bars are said to have a major advantage over standard automotive headlights. On a rough gravel road in the middle of nowhere, they can mean the difference between a potential disaster and arriving at your destination with both vehicle and nerves intact. In this comparison, we considered popular sizes, power outputs and reasonable pricing. In short, this is what we would consider when shopping for LED light bars. Before the proverbial ‘window shopping’ can commence though, there are some important matters to consider... THE LAW Firstly, the fitment of LED light bars must adhere to the South African National Road Traffic Act which is an ambiguous document drafted by lawmakers in suits and thinly rimmed glasses. It states in great detail what is allowed on…

For more information on any of these tours, or to book your trip, contact Avril Muller well in advance on Tel: 021 200 4149 or mail avril@ramsaymedia.co.za. Sign up for any one of our Leisure Wheels 4x4 Safari trips, and get this handy bag free. Compact and easily storable when empty, this versatile bag can be used to carry just about anything. From books and travel documents, to an exercise towel and water bottle. EASTERN CAPE HIGHLANDS THE WILD SIDE OF THE DRAKENSBERG 2016: 15 – 20 October The Eastern Cape Highlands, also known as the Wild Side of the Drakensberg is growing in popularity as a safe and uncommercialised mountain destination with spectacular scenery and challenging gravel mountain passes. The route includes Naude’s Nek with a summit of over…