( New Models)
Mini Countryman Rugged
Minis haven’ t been Mini for a long time, but if the charming design and a sense of adventure travel are your needs, this Rugged version is what you want.
Most crossovers and SUVs roll on low-profile tyres, which are terribly vulnerable to potholes and damage on corrugated dirt roads.
Mini’ s Countryman Rugged has proper 225 / 55 / 18 all-terrain General Grabber AT3 tyres, for absolute confidence on the worst South African secondary roads or deep Karoo detours.
Omoda C5 SHS
South Africa’ s third best-selling Chinese vehicle now offers a hybrid powertrain. The C5 SHS adds a small 1.83 kWh LFP battery for very mild hybridisation, enhancing efficiency and offsetting the notorious fuel-thirst of those Chinese turbopetrol engines.
Omoda’ s C5 SHS is rated at 165kW, which should deliver confident highway cruising and overtaking performance.
Amazingly, despite not being a plug-in hybrid, Omoda claims average consumption of 5.3l / 100km for the C5 SHS, giving it a near-1000km theoretical range on its 51l fuel capacity.
Toyota Land Cruiser Prado VX-L
The‘ junior’ Land Cruiser has inarguable off-road credentials and is much easier to live with in traffic and around narrow urban road infrastructure than the huge 300-Series.
Toyota has added a VX-L trim level to the Prado, upsizing wheels from 18- to 20-inches and enhancing the in-car entertainment experience with a 14-speaker JBL audio system.
That legacy Hilux 2.8 turbodiesel engine isn’ t particularly responsive at highway speeds when your Prado is fully laden. But if you want a luxury SUV that’ s nearly depreciation-proof and built to last decades, there’ s nothing to rival a Prado.
Vivo Xpress
The compact bakkie market disappeared a long time ago, but the rearseat deleted budget hatch replaced it. Want the VAT-reclaim benefit of a small-fleet delivery vehicle? This is as close to the half-ton bakkie idea as you can get.
Vivo Xpress has smash-and-grab, to keep anything loaded behind the front seats safe. And a cargo-area grid to keep the driver safe from dynamic cargo movement during emergency braking.
Load rating is 490kg, but the Vivo Xpress’ s 1.4-litre 63kW petrol engine option isn’ t turbocharged, so it does lose performance at Gauteng altitudes.
WORDS IN ACTION 38 JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2026