Off-roading goes big with Terrastorm

Although there is no indication of whether Torsus, the manufacturer of the world’s toughest, heavy-duty off-road buses, will bring its products to South Africa, its Terrastorm, a 4x4 off-road minibus, is most certainly promising to cause a stir within the commercial industry.

The 4x4 Torsus Terrastorm, based on a Volkswagen Crafter/MAN TGE 4Motion chassis, features a EURO VI D 2.0-litre bi-turbo diesel engine offering two power derivatives: a 103kW/340Nm and a 130kW/410Nm both mated to either a six-speed manual, or an eight-speed automatic transmission.

Terrastorm is manufactured in Slovakia, but the powerplant is sourced from Central Europe. Vakhtang Dzhukashvili, founder and CEO of Torsus, said, “At Torsus, we believe that strong, rugged, commercial vehicles aren’t only for working hours but can be used for fun as well. The Terrastorm aims to break that tradition as we set new standards in this market. We have taken what we know from Praetorian and translated it to a smaller overall footprint, but the dependability and toughness remain. By working with customers and listening to feedback and hearing their problems, we find solutions to create the ultimate off-road minibus. Terrastorm is a vehicle that will be at home on the dunes of the Sahara to delivering packages and emergency care work in the mountainous regions. The vehicle is versatile in its configurations, it is always able to offer more capability to serve multiple markets and industries.”

Design

Both trim levels of the Terrastorm TT1 Coach and TT2 Nomad - will offer an upgraded chassis and off-road suspension, all-wheel drive with a locking rear differential, integrated winch in the Torsus front bumper capable of towing up to 5 500kg (5.5 tonnes), side steps, durable scratch resistant coating on the lower body panels, and a bespoke Duraluminium skid plate running from the engine and gearbox down to the rear differential and fuel tank to protect from being damaged in inhospitable conditions. TT2 Nomad adds a front metal bull-bar and rear light metal grilles, roof rack with integrated lights, spare tyre rack and rear ladder.

Up front, MacPherson struts and Bilstein B6 shock absorbers offer optimum comfort. With the increased ride height, Ironman

4x4 Adjustable Camber bolts are fitted to offer ± 1.75 degrees camber adjustment. Wade depth is given as 690mm but this can be increased to 820mm with the optional ‘Deep Wave” package.

Interior

The Terrastorm can accommodate between nine to 20 passengers depending on the configuration. The cockpit sports a touchscreen control panel above the infotainment system to control all interior

heating, lighting, air conditioning and speaker system from the single unit, as well as offering the driver a status overview of all equipment.

Medivac and Cargo

In the appropriate configuration, the Terrastorm will offer tremendous value within, among others, the tourism, overland, mining, ambulance services, cargo industries.

The Cargo version is a versatile vehicle that can be commissioned by infrastructure maintenance providers and kitted out to suit those needs or simply a base for a customer with a dream for an ultimate off-road minibus.

Pricing

Pricing starts at €57 461 (approximately R1 110 630) for both left and right-hand drives.

There will surely be some die-hard-travelsavvy South African adventurers who will love to own one of these.