More Bakkies Botha than Naas Botha!

22 April 2013 - 02:17 By Bruce Fraser
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During the short time spent behind the wheel of the Toyota Landcruiser 76 the comments made about the vehicle, were, putting it mildly, uncomplimentary.

They ranged from criticism of its hard angular looks to its lack of comfort features in the interior; from the fact that you practically need a ladder to climb in, to the outdated materials used on the seats.

If the Landcruiser had an ego, it would have been severely dented and in need of counselling.

Admittedly the Landcruiser 76, style-wise, is about as fashionable today as a safari suit, will be outrun by a 20-year-old Fiat Uno and, after a day behind its wheel, your bum feels as if you've spent the day on those wooden terraces at the Wanderers.

Oh, and you will be forking out just over half-a-million for the privilege!

But the strange thing is, I kinda dug it - and it was for one simple reason.

The Landcruiser and its owner give the middle finger to the pretenders of the off-road brigade in a big way.

These vehicles don't conform to the guidelines set out by many of the bakkies and SUVs we are bombarded with on a regular basis.

Fitting a bullbar to the front of a vehicle doesn't mean squat when the going gets tough in the bundu and, often, a whole host of features that are about as practical to use as an ice-maker at the South Pole, are included on a vehicle .

So, while it might be comfortable to have additional features like cruise control, automatic wiper sensors and a six-disc CD interchanger, if your scene is more the ruggedness of the Maluti Mountains or the expanses of the deserts of Namibia, you need something a bit more Bakkies Botha than Naas Botha!

That's the Toyota Landcruiser - a vehicle that has the look, drive and feel of a tough workhorse; a vehicle that won't depend on cellphone reception to get you towed out of a tricky spot when the going gets tough.

This is no-frills motoring at its best; what you see is what you get.

And what you get here is a vehicle that many other off-roaders will be calling on to help them out of a difficult situation.

Here, it's about taking on what nature throws at you and coming out the other side with a grin as wide as the horizon you are headed for.

The vehicle with a long, proud history has not really deviated much from when it was first launched.

Its large windows allow plenty of visual scope and I just sat back and imagined how suitable the vehicle must be in a game reserve while cruising along at 30km/h with a couple of "cold ones" in the front drinks-holders. Thanks to the enormous 18-inch tyres, you have an elevated ride height, which has advantages around town as well as off-road, while the quite reasonable ground clearance of 230mm will definitely be a bonus in rocky terrain.

Around town it's admittedly not the most elegant vehicle to drive. The five-speed manual gearbox has a gearlever that looks like it should rather be in a Putco bus and the seats, well, let's just say there are more comfortable ones around.

But I'm sure most owners/drivers of this particular vehicle are simply counting down the days to some great weekend away.

During my time testing the Landcruiser, I got talking to a Pretoria chicken farmer.

He explained how he and his farmer mates swore by the Landcruiser for its everyday practicality.

During the week it's up to the task on the farm while at the weekend his daughters don't cringe too much when they drive into town.

It's those kind of recommendations that speak volumes compared to the views of some city slicker motoring journalist who thinks that roughing it in the bush is sleeping at a luxury tented camp in Sabie Sabie!

The Specs

Toyota Landcruiser 76

Engine: 4164cc six-cylinder diesel

Power: 96kW at 3800rpm

Torque: 285Nm at 2200rpm

Top speed: 150km/h (claimed)

0-100km/h: N/A

Fuel consumption: 11.6l/100km (claimed/combined)

CO2: N/A

Pricing: R506700

We like:

A vehicle with attitude

Its rich history

We don't like:

Urbanites will need weekday vehicle

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