Team AutoTrader's festive season road-test results! Hilux, Prado, Golf, and more!
The festive season has come and gone, which means our holiday cars have completed their respective duties! How did our test fleet perform under these challenging circumstances? Catch up with the AutoTrader team to find out if the Toyota Hilux and Prado, VW Golf, Renault Duster, BAIC B30, Ford Transit Custom, and Chery Tiggo 8 PHEV are worthy of your consideration.
Sean Nurse (editor)
BAIC B30 1.5T HEV Premium Adventure AWD
In Sean's own words:
"BAIC offered us its B30 to drive for a few weeks, so I set off on an adventure, namely a wedding in Limpopo, in the top-spec hybrid variant within the range. My 600km trip included some city driving, large swathes of open-road cruising, and a substantial gravel-road portion, offering a comprehensive test for a hybrid off-road SUV."
The result?
"The BAIC B30 is certainly a disrupter, with an impressive spec sheet, practicality, reasonable fuel economy and eye-catching looks. I feel as though the final polish on the interior materials and infotainment functionality needs some work for this to be a great product."
Read his full review on the BAIC B30 here.
Ané Albertse (me)
Toyota Hilux 2.8 GD-6 Double Cab 4x4 Legend 55, R945 300
The Hilux was put to work immediately and laboured hard over December!
For the first part of the month, it assisted my husband's small business, hauling equipment to worksites without fuss, and looking the part with its Legend 55 styling. The colour also helped the Hilux look clean, despite a thick layer of dust, thanks to the dirt roads we travel on daily.
We also drove the Hilux from Hermanus to Still Bay, where we visited friends for a few days. For fun, we took a little economy run, with consumption dropping as low as 8.2 litres per 100 km on the open road. The Hilux was a godsend as Still Bay was overcrowded, and we could park almost anywhere we liked. Throwing the boogie boards into the lockable and rubberised load bay also kept the cabin free of sand.
In January, it was time to visit the Cape Winelands with friends from Jo'burg, who comfortably sat in the back with room to spare. Everyone enjoyed the JBL sound system, and I appreciated the uncluttered dashboard layout and intuitive touchscreen system. Many will say the 2025 Hilux's interior is dated, but it all just works so well! Those who prefer a tech-heavy bakkie may opt for something else, or wait for the 2026 model Hilux, but to me, its simplicity is refreshing. Life is complicated enough! Full road-trip review coming soon.
Related: Toyota Hilux 48V Raider Review
Renault Duster 1.2T Hybrid Zen 4WD, R549 999
We used the Duster for everything from taking scouts (with rucksacks) to camp, driving to Stanford for a girls' spa day, driving to Caledon and then to Bredasdorp to apply for an ID at Home Affairs, going to the beach, grocery shopping, and just driving teenagers around in the most horrendous December traffic imaginable. Fuel consumption was higher than I had hoped at 8.2 l/100 km, but it lasted slightly longer than the trip computer suggested.
To avoid traffic, we sometimes took the (dirt) road less travelled, and it was here that the Duster came into its own. Thanks to the manual gearbox/mild-hybrid combo, it's not quite as smooth in city traffic as it is on unruly road surfaces and on the highway, so if you're in a rural area or travel long distances, the Duster will delight you. My top pick is the entry-level automatic model.
Watch Taye's video review of the Duster, on launch (2025)
Chad Lückhoff
Toyota Land Cruiser Prado 2.8 GD VX-L, R1 513 300
“It takes less than a month to discover how good the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado actually is. While R1.5 million may sound like a lot of money, when you start shopping in that price range, you soon realise that there isn’t much that will offer you three rows, a ladder chassis, an exceptionally capable 4x4 drivetrain and a robust, powerful diesel engine. The VX-L trim is certainly a lot easier to live with with creature comforts such as heated and ventilated seats, a 14-speaker JBL audio system, and Toyota’s latest Safety Sense system.”
Chad just came back from competing in the Defender Trophy competition (his team placed third!), so his full review is still in progress.
While you wait, read our Prado VX-R review here.
Lawrence Minnie
Ford Transit Custom 2.0 SiT panel van SWB Sport, R949 000
Tayedza Mbiri
Golf 1.4 TSI in Life Plus, R604 500
Taye mostly took the Golf on regional commutes, like visiting mates, family, and quite a few airport trips, he says.
Ryno Fourie
Chery Tiggo 8 1.5T CSH Plug-in Hybrid Apex, R729 900
