4x4
NEWS • PRODUCTS • TRAIL GUIDES • WORKSHOP • CALENDAR • OFF-ROAD SCENE
DRIVEN Ultimate version of Volkswagen’s Amarok
THE UK’S ONLY 4X4 AND PICK- UP MAGAZINE
FREE with this issue: 4x4 of the Year 2019 – the experts’ verdict on the best SUVs and off-roaders you can buy
‘IT’S PERFECT’
This is it: Suzuki’s all-new Jimny tested on and off-road – by people who understand what 4x4s are about Jeep Gladiator: Full story of the Wrangler-based pick-up that’s coming to the UK
£4.99
Chilled North-East Leicestershire laning Roadbook
FEB 2019
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February 2019
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92 12 ISSUES OF 4X4 – FOR JUST £12!
This has got to be the best value offer in the history of publishing… subscribe to 4x4 for a year and it’ll only cost a quid an issue! News 14 18 21
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Jeep Gladiator Full details of mighty Wrangler-based double-cab Rivian R1T All-new, all-electric super-truck coming to the UK Coming Soon Off-roaders, double-cabs and SUVs on the way
Tested 26 34
Suzuki Jimny Full test of the most talked about 4x4 of the moment VW Amarok 256 Driving the fastest pick-up on the market
Every Month 4 6 8 10 12 22 80 95
Alan Kidd Every adventure starts with the decision to just go for it Gallery Celebrating the might of the one and only Unimog Destinations Fraser Island – the beach with a rainforest on it… Lost Lanes Parkamoor: a very British tale of corruption What Jeep Did Next… Pork Chop: not porky, definitely chopped Products Tools, parts and goodies to make your world go round Roadbook An SUV-friendly day out in North-East Leicestershire Next Month Stunning 6x6 Wrangler, and the Hilux of your dreams
Features 38 42 48 52
Skoda Kodiaq Tough SUV proves itself on roadbook duty Defender 90 DIY servicing – nothing to be afraid of?
Off-Road Scene 70 74
Odyssey Challenge Fancy dress finale for a winch championship JE Defender Petrol conversion to future-proof your 90 or 110
Off-Road Calendar 71 75 76
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Goodyear Eagle Track testing the latest premium SUV tyre Long-Range Jimny An unusual purpose for a much-loved 4x4 Camp Polaris ATV heaven in the wilds of France The Rubicon Wranglers take on the world’s most famous trail
Our 4x4s 60 64
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“It’s only the second 4x4 we’ve ever been able to describe as being perfect”
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UK Convoy Tours Tag-along runs on public rights of way Pay-and-Play Events Go in as hard as you want Overland Travel Long-range adventures in your 4x4
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4x4 NEWS
DOUBLE-CAB MARKET SET JEEP PLANS 2020 ARRIVAL Wrangler-based pick-up • 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel, eight-speed auto • Dana 44 axles front
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he Jeep Gladiator is set to bring new levels of off-road ability to the pick-up sector when it arrives in Europe in 2020. Based on a stretched version of the Wrangler JL itself brand new to the British 4x4 market, the company s first pick up in a quarter of a century goes on sale in America this coming spring – and promises to bring features like all-round beam axles and even open-air motoring to the normally conservative onetonne sector. Whether the Gladiator will actually be a one-tonner remains to e confirmed, as the model is quoted as having a payload of 726kg and towing limit of 3470kg. hese fi res are likely to e re-assessed for the UK, however, allowing it to be classed as a commercial vehicle – and to tow the legal limit of 3500kg. Making space for a pick-up ed meas rin some fi e feet in length is a chassis that’s 31” longer than that of the fourdoor Wrangler and 19.4” longer in the wheelbase. The design retains the lightweight strategy Jeep introduced on the JL; the chassis and pick-up bed are made from steel, however as
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much as possible of the vehicle’s bodywork uses aluminium. A much longer wheelbase cannot help but be more vulnerable off-road, however underbody components such as the transmission, fuel tank and gearbox sump are protected by heavy-duty skid plates as standard. Jeep is adamant that the Gladiator will mimic the Wrangler’s immense all-terrain capability, with long suspension tra el permitted y fi e link front and rear suspension designs using full-width panhard rods. The front set-up is lifted from the Wrangler, however the rear, which uses two upper and two lower steel trailing links, is unique to the Gladiator. The combination of suspension height and body design yields approach and departure angles of 43.6 and 26 degrees respectively, as well as a 30” wading depth. The huge length of the wheelbase means breakover angle is limited to 20.3 degrees, however ground clearance of 11.1” means the Gladiator is still a true highmobility vehicle. As if to emphasise this fact, the Gladiator will join the Wrangler in being available in Rubicon form. This spec package already
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4x4 NEWS
FOR MASSIVE SHAKE-UP AS FOR GLADIATOR
and rear • Only soft-top 4x4 pick-up • Rubicon model brings enhanced off-road ability
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PRODUCTS
IRONMAN LAUNCHES HEAVY- DUTY PROTECTION FOR CURRENT LANDCRUISER IF YOU’RE IN THE HAPPY POSITION of being able to modify a Toyota Landcruiser 150-Series, you probably already know what Ironman can do for you. The company is one of Australia’s most respected aftermarket o tfits – and with the Landcruiser being a vehicle the guys Down Under love more than life itself, it stands to reason that Ironman will make some pukka kit for it. Kit like this. Ironman’s UBP Series of underbody protection equipment is not new, but the 150-Series (and the structurally similar 2009-on FJ Cruiser, which has never come to Britain as an official import has st een added to the ran e as a fitment Made from 4mm fabricated steel, the plates pro ide p to fi e times as much protection as the ori inal mm pressed o s a ainst impacts and penetration. They cover something like three times as much area, too, shielding the engine bay and transmission, as well as the radiator and steering, from impacts on rocks and tree stumps. The plates’ design includes an integral framework which gives them the greatest strength in areas where ground strikes most commonly happen. This reduces deformation y de ectin the force of the impact into load-bearing elements in the vehicle’s structure. By smoothing out the vehicle’s underside, the plates also allow it to slide over sharp crests in the ground. All its mounting hardware is fully recessed, and high-tensile fasteners are used all-round – while the plates themselves have an anticorrosion layer and black powdercoated finish to keep the metal healthy after the inevitable happens. Which it will. n the s ect of ine ita le things, the plates are stamped with inspection holes for easy access during routine servicing and maintenance. They come with a two-year warranty and are available from Ironman’s UK importer, West Coast Off-Road Centre who yo ll find at www westcoastoffroad.co.uk.
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WHILE WE’RE ON THE SUBJECT of Ironman kit for the Landcruiser 150, also new this month are a Mounting Kit and Wing Kit for use with the company’s 900mm Locksafe Drawer System. These are designed for use on seven-seat versions of the Cruiser – or rather, for what were seven-seaters nti t t t e t ir r ing ea e an ne en r i t e nting it re tifie r i ing a at r a e r Ir n an ra er t nt n t With these in place, the Wing Kit comes in to its own. It’s designed to create a more functional space ar n t e ra er nit ering er t e ee ar i ter t r i e a at area r a t a in the rear of the vehicle. e it i a e r 12 arine ine it arine ar et an r nte a a er ate a ia e a r i ing a at r a e t it e it i t t ane i t rn t e i t eit er side of the drawer unit into easy-access storage areas. S n i e an i ea a a ing a g e i e etter e e ia i re re ing r r i er r overland expedition work. Once again, the place to go is West Coast Off-Road Centre, Ironman’s importer in the UK – they’re at www.westcoastoffroad.co.uk.
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PRODUCTS
Everything electrical for your 4x4 project at great prices. 1000’s of parts in stock for immediate despatch with fast delivery.
NEW WHEEL SPACERS FOR VW AMAROK FORGE MOTORSPORT is now offering new wheel spacers for the Volkswagen Amarok. Available in 16mm and 20mm widths, these can be used to make the truck look meaner on the road – or, and this is the bit we appro e of, i e yo yo r sta ility ack after fittin a hefty s spension lift. While also making the truck look meaner on the road, obv. The spacers have a 5x120mm PCD and 65.1mm centre bore, with an alloy spi ot to allow centrin on the h for easier wheel fitment once they e een offered p hey come with a lack anodised finish to inhi it corrosion, so that getting them back off the hubs again should still be possible if you decide to remove them some way down the line. heel spacin is a pop lar sol tion when a ehicle has een fitted with lifted suspension, both as a way of compensating for the heightened centre of gravity and to help aftermarket wheels clear the brake discs and calipers. These new units from Forge are priced and sold in pairs – though they don’t come with extended wheel nuts, so be sure to factor that in. efinitely worth the effort, at any rate, if yo re oinin the ranks of happy punters discovering the Amarok’s off-road potential. The 16mm spacers cost £51.90 per pair, while the 20mm units kick that up to £55.28,
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Cables, fuseboxes, terminals, connectors, switch panels Battery-to-battery chargers for Euro 5/6 vehicles Made-to-measure split charge kits Multi-stage leisure battery chargers Power distribution components LED lighting
www.12voltplanet.co.uk 01865 236446 sales@12voltplanet.co.uk fb.com/12voltplanet
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25TH
ANNIVERSARY
SILICONE HOSES a re e it ri e n a range ite e ifi t the Land Rover Defender and Discovery. These are being sold off as ‘end of the line’ items – which means that when they’re gone, they’re gone. The range on offer mainly covers vehicles from the 300Tdi era, although there are several others on sale too. The hoses are variously available in blue and red – as well as black, if you want to keep your engine bay looking a little more sober. The clearance comes as the company prepares to rationalise its off-road range in order to make way for new products. Prices for items included in the sale start at a ridiculously low £4.04 plus VAT – so you an i agine i t e re g ing t e ing t e e e get them before they’re gone, pay a visit to www.siliconhoses.com.
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Davanti has spent years developing this AllTerrain tyre, applying the latest design and manufacturing innovation to develop a tyre as comfortable on the road, on the construction site, in the fields or up in the mountains.
TO FIND YOUR LOCAL DAVANTI DEALER, PLEASE VISIT DAVANTI-TYRES.COM
THE EXPERT VERDICT FROM 4X4 MAGAZINE
8 CLASS WINNERS • 1 OVERALL CHAMPION
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4x4 OF THE YEAR 2019 | LARGE SUVS
WINNER | VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG
Introduced this year, the Mk3 Touareg is less of an off-roader than the original – but more of a premium vehicle than, perhaps, anything else VW has ever made. You get that from the moment you climb aboard. It’s classy, comfy and extremely spacious, its back seats and boot have plenty of
room in them and, if you like hightech toys, it will blow you away. That’s thanks to VW’s new Innovision Cockpit, which combines two screens to create a more or less full-width virtual facia. This controls just about everything in the vehicle, with sublimely crisp graphics highlighted by a giant sat-
nav display based on aerial images from Google. It takes a lot of learning, but the functionality built into it is phenomenal – and the facia above and below it is shaped to let you rest your hand while swiping, meaning it’s much easier to operate than most touchscreen systems.
That’s a brilliant bit of design, and it’s matched for appeal by front seats with a massage function that has to be felt to be believed. And so too has the vehicle’s on-road performance. It’s very smooth around town, with next to no noise from its engine, and it cruises like a dream on the motor-
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4x4 OF THE YEAR 2019 | LARGE SUVS
£45,970-£58,195
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED LAND ROVER DISCOVERY
£46,355-£70,405
Last year’s winner in this class remains a benchmark which, in its own way, is unlikely ever to be matched. The Discovery is an astonishing all-rounder whose skills as a premium seven-seat are a mented y a le el of off road a ility which, ite simply, leaves everything else standing. Land Rover traditionalists might not like what the Disco has become, with all its complex electronics. But that fact is that if yo want to lea e the tarmac ehind in an e pensi e , it wipes the oor with e erythin else in its class And while it really is expensive, it has a sumptuous ride, taut handlin and a choice of smooth, powerf l and whisper iet en ines eldom has come so close to ein eradicated The cabin is gorgeous, too, with loads of space, sky-high ality and a dri in position that p ts yo in mind of a an e Rover. The Disco has that much class – but with even more practicality. It costs, but it’s a phenomenal bit of kit. KIA SORENTO
way, aided by the latest generation of four-wheel steering technology. The idea of this is basically to make it feel like a limo on the motorway and a hatchback on a B-road – and it gets pretty close to succeeding. The engine choices include petrol, diesel and hybrid options. Not all have arrived yet, but eventually
there’ll be a range of power outputs from 231 to 421bhp. Safe to say none of them will e slow or nrefined he o are is a ma nificent to drive and just to sit in, with a topclass cabin and road manners that live up to it. It’s not even expensive compared to many rivals – some of which it beats at an absolute stroll.
£29,910-£42,925
he orento is no lon er the ar ain asement it once was. But it’s still one of the best ways of getting such a big vehicle for relatively affordable money. All Sorentos are powered by a 2.2-litre diesel engine with hp, whose ea erness and refinement make it a pleas re to drive. This is aided on auto models by an eight-speed box, added at the end of 2017, which makes it smoother than ever. It’s not the best at disguising its size and weight in corners, but it’s perfectly predictable nonetheless and its composure on poor surfaces is worth more than all the steering feel in the world. All models have seven seats as standard, as well as a high le el of ild ality and a dash desi n that s as attracti e as it is functional. It’s very spacious, too, in all three rows of seats. The Sorento is one of those vehicles that simply does everything well – and of course it does it at a price you can’t ignore.
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