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The rear camera integrated into the tailgate helps the driver position the bakkie close to the trailer. Once hooked up, latching the trailer cable link into the Tremor’s digital brain activates seven cameras from which you can view the sides and rear through the touchscreen display and a towing program that prompts the entering of a few measurements to calibrate the trailer weight, width and length.
Up to 10 trailers can be stored in the system, which also carries out pre-drive checks of the trailer lights. The cameras also track the trailer sides on the move to ensure you don’t take out street lights when cornering, while the trailer reverse guidance system uses graphics to recommend the direction to turn the wheel to keep the trailer straight.
Once all the parameters have been set and you are ready to go, the next step is selecting the “Tow” mode on the drive mode controller in the centre console. This automatically selects 4-high in the 4×4 system for better traction. You can select rear-wheel drive mode, if only to save fuel when the trailer is unladen, but the standard setting is recommended for safe and effortless hauling.
The Tremor has a braked towing capacity of 3.5 tonnes.
The Biturbo 2.0l four-cylinder engine with 157kW and 500Nm on tap provides plenty of pulling power and the 10-speed automatic gearbox is always in sync. The towing fuel economy figure was 9.5l/100km — just shy of my 9.1l/100km average. I didn’t complain too much.
It offers everything, and a bit more, that I could want in a double cab bakkie, save perhaps for the lack of a cargo protector in the form of a rollback cover.
With the rainy season upon us, getting caught in a highveld storm with luggage in the back would be unwelcome.