There are vehicles designed to tackle the roughest trails in the world. Those are called off-roaders. And then there are vehicles designed to tackle dirt roads with maybe some pebbles. Those are called oft-roaders. What's your favorite soft-roader?
When Range Rover encouraged a generation of enthusiasts to head to the hills and go off-road other automakers decided they wanted to capitalize on the trend. Chrysler's European brand Simca was one of these carmakers, but lacking the funds or platform to build a true off-roader they modified and raised the Simca 1100 sedan to create this tough-looking leisure vehicle. Unfortunately, the Simca 1100 was a weakly-powered FWD sedan and the Rancho version was much the same.
Could you cross the Rubicon in it? No. But the increased ride-height, limited-slip differential, electric winch and protective bits allows the French Range Rover to cross rivers and rocky-ish paths. Like all soft-roaders, it's the perfect weekend car for a casual country getaway. It also looks awesome.
If you were heading to the hills — the gentle, rolling hills — what soft-roader would you take?
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