Uh-Oh, Santa’s Sleigh is Broken! Which of These Vehicles Should He Choose?
The magic of Christmas, at least for children, is this jolly character with a white beard and a belly full of cookies who, on the night of December 24 to 25, leaves his workshop at the North Pole with his sleigh and reindeer to deliver gifts to all the little boys and girls who’ve been nice during the year.
It sure takes a special ride to haul all that precious cargo and finish the job before the night is over. Some automakers, never lacking in imagination and always embracing the Christmas spirit, have designed their own unique sleighs. As a matter of fact, The Car Guide has compiled several examples in a special feature you can find right here.
But suppose something breaks down and Santa Claus has to find a last-minute alternative. What current vehicle should he turn to? We have a few suggestions…
Ford F-450 Super Duty
As the ultimate work truck, the Ford Super Duty offers a 6.7-litre diesel V8 including a high-output version producing 500 horsepower and as much as 1,200 lb-ft of torque through a 10-speed automatic transmission. That powertrain combined with a formidable chassis enables a payload of 8,000 lbs. Meanwhile, towing capacity reaches 38,000 lbs for an F-350 with a gooseneck hitch and up to 40,000 lbs for an F-450!
Incidentally, towing is made easier by a host of features such as Pro Trailer Hitch Assist for automatic hitch alignment, Onboard Scales with Smart Hitch for real-time weight distribution, and a 360-Degree Trailer Camera System for comprehensive views, not to mention Trailer Navigation and a Tailgate Down Camera for enhanced situational awareness and safety.
Chevrolet Suburban
The largest of the American SUVs (along with the GMC Yukon XL) would also be a good choice. Comfortable, quiet and incredibly stable, the Suburban is 37 cm longer than the Tahoe and offers the same engines including two gasoline V8s and a six-cylinder turbo-diesel. The latter delivers 495 lb-ft of torque and achieves better fuel economy than a Traverse with a four-cylinder engine!
The Suburban is bested by the Jeep Grand Wagoneer in the towing department, but it’s the only SUV to offer a nine-seat option (one seat each for Santa and his eight reindeer) and a cargo capacity that exceeds 4,000 litres with all the rear seats folded down. Not bad, eh?
Chrysler Pacifica
If Santa wants to be more eco-friendly, he might consider Chrysler’s plug-in hybrid minivan. The Pacifica uses a 3.6-litre V6 and two electric motors, producing a total of 260 horsepower. As a result, it manages to achieve 8 L/100 km—and that’s after depleting its battery, which allows 51 km of electric range. The only drawbacks are that the optional all-wheel drive system available on the gasoline-powered Pacifica isn’t offered on the hybrid variant, and the latter isn’t recommended for towing.
But before turning to, say, a Toyota Sienna, it’s worth remembering that the American minivan boasts class-leading cargo room at nearly 4,000 litres. Credit goes to the Stow ‘n Go seats that fold flat into the floor in the second row.
Tesla Model X Plaid
The Model X stands out with its gullwing rear doors (or falcon wings, as Tesla calls them), which are designed to improve access to the cabin thanks to a wider opening. It’s also possible to activate the Defrost Car function via the mobile app to help melt snow and ice on the windshield, charging port, windows and mirrors.
This electric midsize SUV can haul up to 2,430 litres of cargo. What’s more, in Plaid trim, it delivers supercar-like performance: three electric motors combine to produce 750 kW (1,006 hp) and accelerate from 0-100 km/h in just 2.6 seconds or 0-200 km/h in 7.2 seconds. It’s a shame that top speed is electronically limited to 262 km/h.
Ferrari Purosangue
One last suggestion for Santa? We bet he’d love Ferrari’s new crossover, especially if it rolls off the assembly line in Maranello painted in Rosso Corsa. Build quality is naturally outstanding, as is attention to detail, giving the impression of an exotic work of art on four wheels.
Admittedly, there are more practical SUVs out there—the trunk is smaller than that of a Hyundai Venue. However, the Purosangue’s naturally aspirated 6.5-litre V12 unleashes 715 horsepower and allows it to reach speeds of up to 310 km/h. Handling is fantastic, too.
