These five will make any mum’s heart skip a beat this Mother’s Day.
1. Shake it all about
It might have been BMW that first brought auto-opening rear hatches to motoring, but in South Africa it became synonymous with the Ford Kuga. In theory, it’s activated by a kicking motion or foot movement under the rear bumper. With the new Hyundai Santa Fe, you only have to stand behind it for the hatch to raise itself.
2. Low rider
It’s hard work to hoist heavy shopping bags into a car’s boot. It’s even harder in an SUV with a raised body. The Kia Grand Sedona makes it easier, because it has a low floor level. In fact, the luggage bay is even lower than the boot lip. This makes it painless to unload heavy or bulky things, like shopping bags, strollers or big suitcases.
3. Thula baba
Only when you have children do people notice how hard it is to reach into the back seat. When conceiving the Subaru Forester, its designers kept this in mind. The doors open very wide, and the rear wheel arches do not obstruct access to the rear seats. This makes it easy to unclip your sleeping toddler, helping to prevent lower back pain.
4. All the king’s horses
What is true for Humpty Dumpty is true for cars. Accidentally hit another car or obstacle, and there’s no undoing the damage. With the first-generation Volvo XC60 came City Safety. If a collision is imminent and the driver does not react in time, City Safety steps on the brakes. Anyone who has transported young children knows how distracting this activity can be. City Safety has evolved and now recognises pedestrians too.
5. Wearing protection
There is no denying that mums have to visit shopping malls regularly. With that comes those dreaded narrow parking spaces and wayward shopping trolleys. The Citroën C4 Cactus introduced the world to Airbumps – tough plastic bumps on its flanks to protect its metal against carelessly opened car doors and low-flying trolleys. The latest generation Citroën C3 hatchback also comes with Airbumps.
Source: AutoTrader
