As we splash into the puddles at the bottom, I look up and wonder. Surely it won’t manage that on road rubber? It’s been raining cats and dogs for weeks around here. Trying to avoid wheelspin, I depress the accelerator only about halfway. As it turns out, that is enough. We simply glide up the hill. I can’t believe how easy it is. All I have to do it keep the thing rolling and avoid the trees.
The MWM guys are pleased by this, of course, but not surprised.
“Every time I do customer demos, it’s the same situation,” says Mendis. “‘Oh, I was really nervous at first, but it was so easy.’ With an EV, it just makes things so much easier.”
Metelka concurs: “Many people find 4x4s difficult to understand and to drive, but anybody can get in and drive this car.”
Including our photographer Max, it seems – even if the curiously long time he is at the bottom of the hill coincides with a noise that makes me scan for a low-flying helicopter…
Is this a 4×4 that people could drive to and from work, though, and not just once they were there?
“If you’re looking for a luxury SUV, this isn’t the vehicle for you, answers Mendis. “This isn’t what it’s about. This is a functional, practical, utilitarian vehicle – but it has the modern comfort of a modern-day car.” He highlights that the Spartan is “less extreme” than rival electric 4x4s that have shown up recently – I assume meaning the Fering Pioneer and Munro M-Series.
“It provides much more than just a rough 4×4 experience,” agrees Metelka. “It’s really very comfortable not only in terrain like here but also on the road. The quality on road isn’t compromised. It’s comparable to any other car you will see on a highway. That’s quite unique for a 4×4.”
The makers of the modern Defender and the proper G-Wagen would surely bristle at that final statement, but if it’s another cheque (ahem) that the Spartan really can cash, this will be a highly impressive debut from MWM.
