SUVs desirable to ‘Mother Nature’

Indian spice of course).
After last week’s issue, I got to realise that so many women out there are hungry for these babies.
First off is the hot and sassy Freelander 2 TD4_e SE.
This is no super sports car with aggressive horsepower that will have all men lining up at Premier Auto Services to buy one just to show off.
This is the perfect car for a woman who wants a trendy accessory, which says “here I am looking good and my car is adding panache to my style”.
After the face-lift it got a smattering of free – yes, free – eco kits that headlined with a fuel saving Intelligent Stop/Start system.
Land Rover is going greener with every model.
At the touch of a button after pressing down the clutch off course, you will be on your way. You don’t have to worry about that expensive manicure being messed up with turning stiff keys in the ignition.
It drives smoothly and handles rough terrain gracefully considering that it has great towing capabilities, this is a joyful drive and handy too because you never know when a friend needs to tow their car to the nearest garage after knocking their vehicle.
It comes in different funky colours too so you are spoilt for choice with an interior upholstered in fine fabric with leather trim. It may not be a Range Rover but it has enough legroom and a generous boot too.
It’s still small, but it’s better, more compact and more economical than its sibling from 2006. Land Rover claims you can save up to US$19 a tank with the Freelander 2’s “e_terrain technologies,” while also reducing your carbon tyre print by 8 percent.
We all want to go green and save the planet so if money is not an issue at an entry price of US$81 000, you can do your bit of saving Mother Nature.
It comes with a host of sophisticated stability control systems, all fitted as standard, imagine that. With other vehicle manufacturers, you pay for every little thing, but not with the Freelander.
Imagine, having your emergency brake assist (EBA) which increases hydraulic pressure during emergency braking and can improve stopping distances. (Ladies, we need that considering we are safer drivers than most of the opposite sex . . . ha ha ha).
So whatever obstacles might come your way, Freelander 2 gives you impeccable control.
It’s just as desirable as it ever has been.
Now to the German camp, and I choose the all new BMW X1. Like they say joy is a life full of possibilities and the X1 sure is packed with those possibilities, it’s all about driving pleasure and letting it all go.
For starters, the environment is joyous because there are fewer emissions in the new models, and most of all you get to enjoy the little things in life in grand style no matter what model BMW you are driving.
What comes with others as high standard and pricy optional extras, with BMW it comes standard. As always BMW is big on quality, the exterior all decked out in leather and fine wood trim. The new BMW X1 is based on the current 1 Series platform, and it completes the X line-up of X3, X5 and X6 models.
However, the X1 is less obviously a brashly styled 4×4, it looks more of a chunky five door, five seater estate with a bit more ground clearance than a conventional BMW Touring model.
Most X1s come as standard with a six-speed manual gearbox but the xDrive23d has a six-speed Sport automatic gearbox with gear change paddles as standard. BMW’s much applauded Efficient Dynamics technology plays a part in the BMW X1 story with the introduction of Auto Start-Stop technology on an X product for the first time. Available on all manual transmission cars the system improves fuel consumption figures. Gone are the days when you have to start the car with a key, risk it breaking in the ignition, now at the touch of a button and you are ready to go.
The BMW X1 certainly takes some of its styling from other X models in the BMW range but it is less obviously a bulky 4×4 or SAV/SUV, it’s more like a muscular estate car and that will be attractive to some buyers.
It looks very much like what a 1 Series Touring would be like if there was such a thing.
It is more of an estate with large wheels and a bit more ground clearance than an SUV. So sports day at school or that camping trip offroad, you don’t have to worry about bruising the suspension or not finding where to park because everyone else in their sedans is all the way down there.
The long bonnet is classic BMW 1 Series as is the side wedge shaped profile. The xDrive all wheel drive versions can be recognised by the additional roof rails and satin finish side sill guards.
The equipment levels are good with all the usual must have “premium” brand items from automatic air conditioning, ambient lighting, electrically operated windows and heated door mirrors, fast-thaw front windscreen, multi-function buttons in the steering wheel, multi-speaker sound system and a stop/start ignition button.
With a top speed electronically limited to 220kmph this engine is only marginally faster than other versions and 0-100kmph takes just 7,3 seconds.
The official average fuel economy is 7 litres per every 100km on a 61-litre tank. With the base model available from US$58 000 no one will blame you for choosing to be stylish.
It’s been a pleasure driving with you.
Ciao.
Fact D. Jeke is a motoring enthusiast who has attended auto shows, rallies and has written for various publications in the region for the last decade. She can be contacted via email on [email protected]