America’s most wanted SUVs in South Africa: Part 1

As much as they have become the bane of many buyers over the years, the facts are undeniable. The SUV, no matter how small or big, has become the modern day family’s preferred choice of vehicle with the added benefit of not being tarmac bound.

What’s more, mention the three letters denoting the Sports Utility Vehicle, plus its various sub-divisions, the mind immediately heads across the pond to North America where the initial boom of the late 1980s and especially the early 1990s saw every manufacturer rush to join a section of the market that has frankly become one of the most lucrative, but also oversaturated.

With just over 17-million new vehicles sold last year, of which 8.2-million were SUVs, it is not hard to see why the States has become SUV central and a key market that often receives international bound models before other markets.

Over the next few weeks, The Citizen Motoring takes a look at 12 SUVs that are unlikely to be offered in South Africa anytime soon, in spite of their makers being present locally. It is worth noting that with the departure of General Motors (GM) three years ago, models from Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC are not included, along with offerings from Dodge as well as the upscale divisions of Ford (Lincoln), Honda (Acura) and Nissan (Infiniti).

Ford Explorer

The sixth generation of the Blue Ovals’ iconic off-roader that is widely credited for taking the SUV out of the woods and into suburbia, the Explorer, celebrates its 30^th birthday this year and while no longer a body-on-frame model like the first four generations, it nonetheless remains an important model for Dearborn with total sales of 168 309 last year.

Providing seating for seven and incorporating a Tesla-style 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system, the Explorer comes with a choice of four engines; the familiar 2.3 EcoBoost that produces 221kW/420Nm, a brand-new twin-turbo 3.0 EcoBoost V6 outputting 272kW/515Nm, the normally aspirated 3.3-litre V6 from the F-150 combined with an electric motor for a total output of 237 kW and a 298kW/563Nm version of the twin-blown EcoBoost for the ST. Regardless of the powerunit, the only transmission offered is a rotary dial operated version of the 10-speed automatic co-developed with GM.

Once available in South Africa during the early ‘90s, the Explorer would serve as the ideal replacement for the long since discontinued Australian made Territory, but as mentioned, chances of this happening are unlikely.

Honda Passport

Offered in the States some 30 years ago as a rebadged Isuzu Rodeo, which South Africans will know better as the Frontier, the Passport made its return at the Los Angeles Auto Show two years ago as an in-house developed model, with Honda touting it as an adventure seeking vehicle “packed with modern amenities”.

Filling the gap between the CR-V and the eight-seat Pilot, the Nissan X-Trail sized Passport rides on a unibody platform shared with the Ridgeline pick-up and is available in four trim levels; Sport, EX-L, Touring and Elite, all powered by a 3.5-litre V6 that makes 206kW/354Nm with drive going to the front or all four wheels via a button-operated nine-speed automatic gearbox.

Boasting features, model depended, such as 20-inch alloy wheels, a heated steering wheel, a 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system, hands-free opening tailgate plus heated and ventilated front seats as well as Honda’s Sensing safety system, the five-seat Passport would make for an interesting local market addition as the marque’s flagship above the CR-V.

Kia Telluride

Along with its Hyundai Palisade sibling, the Cadillac Escalade-inspired Telluride has been something of a success since its North America debut in February last year with a total of 58 932 units sold.

The largest SUV made by Kia to date with seating for eight and equipped with an extensive array of features such as a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a self-levelling rear suspension system, heated steering wheel, a 10-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, up to six USB ports, remote start, Safe Exit Assist, Rear Occupant Alert that locks the doors when an incoming vehicle is detected, the Telluride is powered by a 3.8-litre V6 that sends 217kW/355Nm to the front or all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic gearbox.

Despite being North America-bound, the Telluride could still come to market with right-hand-drive in accordance with recent reports from Australia, but as mentioned by Kia Motors South Africa CEO Gary Scott earlier this year: “We would be keen to take a punt at it, maybe with next generation but for now, no.”

Toyota 4Runner

Whether you refer to it as the 4Runner or the Hilux Surf as past iteration sold in Japan were called, the undoubted darling of the grey market import scene in Africa has remained true to its roots of being one of the few SUVs of its kind to still offer a low range gearbox for hardcore off-road enthusiasts.

The model that effectively put Toyota on the SUV map as not just the maker of the Land Cruiser, the current fifth generation 4Runner has remained largely unchanged since debuting 11 years ago, with only exterior and interior updates have been applied, along with a number of special edition models.

With a brand-new model reportedly coming in 2022, the expansive 4Runner range comprises eight trim levels; SR5, SR5 Premium, TRD Off-Road, TRD Off-Road Premium, special edition Venture, Limited, Nightshade and TRD Pro, all powered by a 4.0-litre V6 petrol engine whose 200kW/378Nm is transferred to the ground through a five-speed automatic gearbox. Long since debated as to why it was never offered in South Africa at its peak in the 1990s, the 4Runner’s chances are now essentially nil as it would clash or be more expensive than the Fortuner.

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