Outlander’s mid-cycle makeover
made with tyre- ripping performance in mind and certainly as a family transporter it covers all the bases well.
It’s still powered by the familiar 2.4- litre engine pushing out 123kW and 222Nm and they claim consumption in the region of 8.2 l/ km but the best I could manage was 9.2 l/ km which I suspect is the CVT gearbox picking up fairly high revs on the inclines.
Still, it’s a very comfortable drive both on the open road and in town considering its size which gives you oodles of space including a third row of seats which on a long trip should be comfortable enough at least for the little people.
Its multi- select all- wheel drive system gives you 4WD eco mode, 4WD auto and 4WD lock mode all of which are managed by an electronic system to give optimum road and some less serious offroad performance.
The Rockford Fosgate sound system supplied with nine speakers, a 710W eight- channel amplifier and a subwoofer is enough to give even the loudest doof- doof taxi a run for their money. But the best thing according to my son, was the nine- inch roof- mounted fold down DVD player which you can listen to via the sound system or infrared headsets. Harry Potter nirvana, apparently.
The steering wheel is fully adjustable and multi- functional with the gear shift paddles, access to voice controls and handsfree Bluetooth phone functionality.
You get automatic lights and windshield wipers, dual zone climate control ( although no aircon for the rear passengers) and cruise control, while on the safety front are seven airbags, stability control, ABS brakes with emergency brake assist, and hill start assist which is peace of mind when loaded and travelling with the whole family.
The Outlander comes in at R549 900 and comes with a threeyear/ 100 000km warranty and a five- year/ 90 000km service plan.