Top Revs recently had the opportunity to test drive the bakkie to verify what other automotive journalists had to say about the workhorse and what we can say is, driving the XL is like driving a bakkie, without that bakkie feeling. To start off, the light delivery vehicle has all the bells and whistles expected from a bakkie from the exterior and interior looks, safety, comfort, off-road and 4×4 capabilities, as well as excellent fuel consumption. The diesel engine is more than capable of doing what it was designed for, delivering a hefty 125kW through its 2.
0L 4-Cylinder in-line turbo diesel engine. On paper, the XL’s fuel consumption is 7,7L/100km (around 12,98km/L) under normal driving conditions. With a tank capacity of 80L, it should theoretically reach a distance of just over 900km.
The vehicle provides information about fuel consumption at a glance, assisting the driver to adjust to driving conditions and engine performance. However, for diesel powered vehicles, it is not advisable to drive until empty, due to the complexity of the engine and injectors. This will send air, instead of fuel through the system and the vehicle will shut down.
And it will not start again until all the air is removed, which can take several hours to happen through a process called ‘bleeding’. The two-seater has all the aesthetics and comfort one expects from a Ford, while at the same time being robust enough to take on the jobs it was built for. From the multifunctional power steering.