Box Clever

Smaller cars and a crowded planet require innovative solutions to maximise space utilisation. And automotive transportation solution company, Thule, has got the perfect answer for modern motorists.

Thule roof boxes, thanks to a combination of intelligent design and meticulous construction, are able to safely supplement the load-carrying capability of virtually every vehicle on South African roads. No wonder it is one of the fastest-growing brands in the automotive industry.

In a recent roof box test conducted in Thule’s home country of Sweden by Europe’s largest car club – ADAC – the Thule Atlantis stood head and shoulders above six of its rivals. In fact, it was the only product to score maximum points in three key areas under evaluation: crash-worthiness, quality of sealing, and the ease-of-use and integrity of its mounting arrangement.

For a number of reasons a roof box is becoming an increasingly popular accessory for the 21st century traveller. These include their light weight (thanks to the moulded polycarbonate construction), ease of storage (and it can be stored with the contents still inside), minimal maintenance (there are hardly any moving parts) and low drag: the streamlined shape of a Thule roofbox with its diffuser underbody is far less disruptive of a car’s aerodynamics than a trailer and therefore has an insignificant affect on fuel consumption. Not having the additional mechanical drag of a pair of extra wheels on the tarmac is an additional benefit.

Thule roof boxes range in size from a svelte 320 litres to a mammoth 650 litres in the case of the award-winning Atlantis 900. Thule’s latest model, the aptly-named Excellence, weighs just 26 kilograms yet has a load capacity of 75 kilograms and a volume of 520 litres.

Virtually all models feature dual-side opening, central locking (the key cannot be removed unless all locking points are engaged), and – most importantly – either Thule’s patented Power-Grip or Fast-Grip mounting systems for quick, easy and safe attachment and removal. Adding further appeal to the Thule roof box concept is the fact that the sturdy roof racks (the crossbars which fasten into mounting points integrated with the vehicle’s roof, or to the runners fitted to many SUVs and MPVs) for attaching the box can be used as the starting point for a myriad of other Thule products. This allows for the safe and convenient carrying of anything from bicycles to canoes – or just securing long and inconvenient loads from the hardware store! And an array of ‘footpacks’ available from Thule retailers means just the mounting configuration needs to be changed to enable the roof racks to be transferred from one vehicle to another.

The workmanship and materials of Thule boxes are guaranteed for five years, and they are designed to harmonise with modern cars both from an engineering and aesthetic point of view. Colours range from glossy black to metallic silver, and a total of 13 derivatives (15 including the ‘soft’ Ranger models) mean the days of trailer ownership – and the storage, maintenance and licensing issues that comes with it – are very much a feature of the past rather than the future. For as little as R4 499 (excluding roof racks) your car could be wearing a Thule roofbox – the perfect accessory to help you discover your world. Consumers should go to http://www.thule.co.za for a list of dealers or call Thule on 086 118 4853, or email sales@thule.co.za.