The Isuzu Off-Road Academy was launched early in 2011 with the aim of providing new and existing owners of Isuzu 4X4 vehicles a means to improve their off-roading skills. The Isuzu Off-Road Academy is lead by qualified instructors, who provide a safe and controlled learning environment in a fleet of 2.5- and 3.0-litre Isuzu KB D-Teq, double- and extended-cab models.
The Isuzu Off-Road Academy is offered at nine locations scattered between six provinces around South Africa. You can find the confirmed dates and locations for 2012 here, but the academy also travels between provinces according to demand.
Open to anyone with an interest in learning more about 4×4 driving, whether an Isuzu owner or not, the academy teaches the in’s and out’s of a 4×4 vehicle and then puts that knowledge to practice on routes that will build one’s confidence as the day progresses.
Isuzu hosted our media contingent at the Slagboom 4×4 trail roughly 30 km from the Addo Elephant Park in the Eastern Cape. The farm is located in a quiet valley at the foothills of the Suurberge, which is rich with bird life and dense Eastern Cape bush. The available trails total 36 km and include somewhat technical and mountainous off-roading. Our party followed the contours of the land, crisscrossing rivers and climbing hills, all the while offering fantastic scenery. We were also given a recovery demonstration, which highlighted the various types of ropes and best practices in their use, maintenance and of course safety.
The current generation Isuzu KB-series has been on-sale in South Africa for more than five years now, but while its replacement is due in 2013, the current models are still as capable as ever. A key ingredient to the Isuzu’s off-road ability is its low torque peak at 1 800 r/min, making it easy to progress at walking pace. Then again, the Isuzu Off-Road Academy is sponsored by Continental tyres, who have equipped the fleet with their ‘WorldContact 4×4′ rubber. Deflated to 1.8 bar, they offered ample grip over the rocks, muddy clay and through the rivers we traversed. In addition, when travelling on tarmac, they emitted less road noise than expected too.
The Isuzu Off-Road Academy is run by a team of instructors with decades of experience between them. Their knowledge, coupled with the amazing countryside that we live in, will take you to places you’ve never seen, on roads you would never otherwise travel on. The one day driving course costs R 1 000 incl. VAT and you can find more information as well a make a booking on the Isuzu website.
