S to Z of Surfing Vehicles Dude
“Surfs up!”
“Dude, how am I gonna get there?”
“Bro, you need a car!”
Summer is here, and surfing is a great lifestyle for getting out, chasing the waves, and getting some immunity-boosting Vitamin D. In fact, any sort of outdoor adventure and exercise will see you a fitter and healthier person for getting out there and doing it. What 2022 cars make for an ideal surfer’s or outdoorsy-person’s companion? The following are several useful vehicles that will transport you, a friend or two, some gear, and surfboards/mountain bikes through something more than just a little puddle, mud or soft sand.
Dedicated vans or MPVs with AWD like the Volkswagen Multivan, LDV G10, Mercedes-Benz V-Class, Kia Carnival, Mercedes-Benz Valente, Volkswagen Caravelle, Honda Odyssey, Hyundai STARIA, Volkswagen California, Toyota Granvia, Mercedes-Benz Marco Polo ACTIVITY, and the Volkswagen Caddy are potentially great for surfing travels with one, two or more mates. Some, but not all, will offer AWD. Depending on how far down onto the beach you want to get your MPV or Van, AWD is definitely the way to go for ensuring you have a better chance of getting through soft sand and out of sticky situations.
For years, station wagons have been a go-to machine for the surfer; for good reason too as they offer plenty of space for lugging gear and for sleeping. Having a vehicle that can get you across country and down onto the beach makes for the ultimate surfer’s vehicle. Outside of the list of MPVs/vans above, there are some great vehicles worth a look if you’re into doing a bit of surfing, fishing and any other type of outdoor adventure.
Here is the best of them from S (Skoda) to V (Volvo). Let us know if we’ve missed anything in between!
Skoda Kodiaq
Arguably the best in the business is Skoda’s Kodiaq. It does everything a surfer wants very well. The 2.0-litre Turbo petrol engine is smooth and powerful. 4×4 capability is at the ready, and the Kodiaq Wagon boasts 7-seats and a 7 speed automatic 4×4 gearbox. A 132 kW/320 Nm turbo-petrol is under the bonnet of the base and Sportline variants. The punchy RS packs a 176 kW/500 Nm version of the 2.0-litre engine. The AWD-only Skoda not only offers 3 rows of seats, it is also able to open up 2005 litres of boot space. With standard autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, active LED headlights and a cosy, suede-trimmed interior complete with sat-nav, keyless start, two-zone climate-control and side and rear-window blinds, the Skoda Kodiaq is one very impressive package.
Skoda Superb AWD Scout
Grab yourself an AWD Skoda Superb Scout crossover wagon and surfing trips just got a whole lot nicer. Under the Scout’s bonnet sits a 200 kW/350 Nm, 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine with a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. The spacious, comfortable and high-quality cabin is laden with plenty of soft-touch panels and easy-to-read interfaces. Safety technology includes front and rear autonomous emergency braking, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning with active assist, blind-spot monitoring and self-parking. The Superb Wagons will take 660 litres of luggage, expanding to 1950 litres with the rear seats folded. Towing capacity is rated at 2.2 tonnes.
SsangYong Rexton
Here’s another strong contender for best surfing wagon. The seven-seater, five-star safe, 8-speed auto, 4×4, 2.2 Diesel-Turbo SsangYong Rexton large SUV uses a 149 kW/441 Nm 2.2-litre turbo-diesel that boasts less than 9 litres/100 km fuel economy. With, all-independent suspension, all-wheel disc brakes and an eight-speed auto gearbox, the big Korean-made SUV is equipped to go bush. Boot space is a handy 1806 litres with second and third rows flat.
Subaru Forester
An icon in the surfing fraternity, the Subaru Forester always delivers the goods. 2022 sees the 5-door wagon offer a CVT 7-speed AWD with even autonomous emergency steering standard. This is five-star safe, great on sipping small amounts of fuel and comfortable on any surface of road. The Forester continues with the 136 kW/239 Nm 2.5-litre four-cylinder boxer engine, and the 2.0-litre mild-hybrid claims 6- to 7 litres/100 km. The Forester offers generous levels of passenger space, and the luggage capacity can open to 1768 litres with the rear seats folded. Of course, the Forester is known for going places that Physics suggest it shouldn’t. It is capable off-road, just keep in mind that it’s not a “Landie”!
Subaru Outback
Surprise, surprise, here is another Subaru, and a favourite with surfers. The latest Subaru Outback is the newest of a long line of wagon’s that have carried surfboards and surfers all around the country. Subaru’s Outback is made for the surfer’s design brief, so it will happily go off-road, cruise the open road, accommodate a mattress and provide great accident protection. Five-star safe and comfortable to drive, the 5-door Outback Wagon uses a 138 kW/245 Nm 2.5-litre boxer petrol four-cylinder driving all four wheels through a new CVT transmission. Subaru’s Outback crossover is bigger inside and out, employs the company’s latest global platform and features all the latest safety technology. You can tow up to two-tonnes, and you have a boot with up to 2144 litres!
Toyota
Plenty of choice in the Toyota brand. Take your pick out of the RAV4 (smallest), Kluger, Fortuner, Prado (largest), and Land Cruiser. All will get you far and beyond the tarmac, the Prado and Land Cruiser being truly 4×4 bush bashing capable. Comfortable, reliable, and safe. Boot space starts at around 1800 litres for the RAV4 and gets bigger from here.
Volkswagen Touareg
Good things come from VW, as surfers well know – the VW Kombi being a surfing icon. Well-dressed, big and brutish is what many of the ladies like, and the Volkswagen Touareg has it all. Available as a huge 5-door SUV shape, the Touareg boasts five-star safety, 4×4 competence, and a huge boot (over 1800 litres). Passenger space is right up there with the best in the business. It is available with a choice of three diesel engines: two 3.0-litre V6s – 170 kW/500 Nm (170 TDI) and 210 kW/600 Nm (210 TDI), plus a ruthless 310 kW/900 Nm 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 monster.
VW Tiguan Allspace
Over 2000 litres of boot space (Allspace version), a practical no-nonsense interior, 5-star safe, comfortable to drive, AWD availability, and the Tiguan starts to make sense. It is also another vehicle that has self-parking capability. With 4MOTION AWD and a dual-clutch six or seven-speed auto transmissions, the Tiguan is an impressive mid-size SUV. The choice of motors is good; a 110 kW/250 Nm 1.4-litre and 162 kW/350 Nm 2.0-litre petrol turbo is available along with the torquey and thrifty 147 TDI 147 kW/400 Nm turbo-diesel.
Volvo XC60
Volvos are amazing cars to drive. They are so comfortable, elegant, and boast all the best tech. Safety is a given, and the XC60 has up to 1792 litres of boot space. Five-door SUV styling, an 8-speed automatic with AWD and you’re away. Volvo’s XC60 SUV line-up is powered by petrol-only mild-hybrid 2.0-litre four-cylinder engines. The R-Design continues with the more powerful 220 kW/420 Nm B6 mild-hybrid powertrain while the Polestar Engineered sticks with the 311 kW/670 Nm T8 Twin Engine plug-in hybrid powertrain. Both are nice and responsive engines.
Volvo XC90
Even with all 7 seats in place, the Volvo XC90 boot can hold up to 302 litres of luggage. Folding down second and third rows makes way for 1856 litres. A superbly comfortable, AWD capable, and delivering huge safety credentials, the new Volvo XC90 is a luxury SUV like no other. All XC90s come with autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning/assist, sat-nav, self-parking, AWD, an 8-speed automatic transmission and a fuel-saving idle-stop system. The XC90 D4 is powered by a 173 kW/480 Nm 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel. The T6 petrol comes with a 140 kW/400 Nm 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel. The 2.0-litre plug-in petrol-electric hybrid XC90 T8 claims an amazing 2.1 litres/100 km fuel consumption and slingshots to 100 km/h in 5.5 seconds!
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