TongalandAdventures in our Mahindra XUV 500

There is only one place that we would rather be than in our beautiful village of Ballito. The only one place our heart longs for in the quite of the night when all lights are out and the sounds of our neighbourhood cease - the place is the ancestral land of the Tembe tribe right on the Mozambique border.

Getting there is a challenge and you will never get it right without a reliable 4x4. This treacherous terrain is not for the faint hearted, I guess this is part of the attraction for us, only the hard core adventure seekers get to the Mouth of the SihadhlaRiver.

A generous offer from Ian Ackerman, from Mahindra Umhlanga allowed us to slip away last weekend to the place, which taunts our dreams. A comfortable drive down the newly constructed Maputo corridor, the new XUV Mahindra is built for a comfortable leisure drive. Comfy high seats, the ample passenger space and the suspension make long journeys an indulgence.

The new Mahindra XUV is not a 4x4, however Ian, the sales manager from Mahindra Umhlanga said that it will go anywhere and assured us that it could do the trip on just one tank. At the time we just smiled politely and did not comment, we have done that journey many times and have never managed to complete it on a single tank.

Well Ian was right, the Mahindra XUV is not just a pretty exterior and comfortable interior, it has also a powerful mHawk 140 Diesel Engine, at a comfortable speed our consumption did not go lower than 14km to one litre of diesel and we completed our almost 1000km journey on a single tank.

We were very impressed. The new Mahindra XUV kept the excitement rolling on and when it came to the real challenge of swallowing up the soft Tongaland dunes it just did it, with real grace and impeccable precision.

Each obstacle on our path was hardly a challenge for our capable drive and each eroded track seemed effortless and sweet. All our fears were set aside we could enjoy a true 4x4 experience in our 2x4 ride. We were overjoyed and totally blown away by the sheer power and precision of this New Age Mahindra XUV 500.

Mahindra describes the XUV-500's cheetah-inspired design as "unmistakable" and with "bold, glorious lines", all of which apparently ensures you'll notice "the vehicle's innate desire to pounce at anything that stands before it". For us it ticked all the boxes.

We loved its solid and bulky shape. We loved the comfort and interior design and we were impressed with its on/off road capabilities. What more could we ask for?

If you would like to test drive the new Mahindra call Ian, he will show you a car that is not just comfortable and capable, it is really well priced and will save you a whole lot of cash on those long adventure journeys. Ian can be reached on his cell 083 775 8403.