I’m currently driving around Iceland. I have seen a Renault Megane, a plethora of newer Yaris’, one Yaris Cross (I lost my damned mind) and a crap ton of Suzuki Jimnys. Now, I’ve driven in some awful conditions in the states. Blizzards in Montana, Tornadoes in Texas, hail storms in the South and ridiculous wind in Arizona. I have driven in all of that in this tiny country, all in a short wheel base Kia Sportage. I was also outpaced by a fucking Yaris today, absolutely bombing down the mountain in 1c weather. Mind you, it was not a GR so AWD was out of the question.
I am so impressed by this Kia and all of the insanely capable Jimnys I am seeing coming off of F-roads.
If a harsh place like Iceland can coexist with RAM 2500s and modern Yaris’, why can’t we?
Oh, and when I say around I don’t mean poking around Reykjavik, I am literally driving the Ring Road around an entire country. Coolest experience ever.
I really think the Duster could be a huge hit over here. I rented a turbodiesel duster in Iceland and that thing is dog slow but they’re around $12k with loads of ground clearance, 4WD, plenty of interior space, and gets around 45 mpg. I went on some pretty gnarly “mountain vehicle only” F-roads and it handled them like a champ with only a little rubbing on the rocks.
Ironically, though, Iceland competes with the USA in size and number of SUVs and trucks. The country is crawling with “superjeeps” on big lifts and 44”+ tires that dwarf the average American brodozer.
Yeah, I am shocked by the amount of larger F150s and RAM trucks I’ve seen. Even witnessed a GMC Sierra in Akureyri.
The Duster is a sweet little ride. I’d snag one if they brought it to the states.
It makes sense though if you think about it. From talking to the locals, of the small cars seem to be either tourists or citydwellers because much of the country is inaccessible in the winter without large low pressure tires and high clearance.