4x4 Magazine - February 2021

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DRIVEN Off-road in the new Toyota Hilux

THE UK’S ONLY 4X4 AND PICK-UP MAGAZINE

VELOLCIWRANGLER!

PB Customs gets to work on a Wrangler JK Unlimited to create an eye-catching new take on Hollywood’s favourite Jeeps

The ancient and modern 4x4s that made Lamborghini what it is

£4.99

Epic roadbook on the vast wilderness of Salisbury Plain

FEB 2021

Sensational restoration job for a classic Land Rover 110 V8 4x4 Cover Feb 21.indd 1

22/12/2020 11:10

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21/08/2020 10:43

EGR ROLLTRAC.

INTRODUCING THE WORLD’S BEST ELECTRIC ROLL TOP COVER.

EGR RollTrac is the all new roll top cover that keeps cargo fully protected, wherever your pickup truck is heading.

Just the job for even the toughest of rides, it boasts a lightly textured black powder coating that’s water and scratch resistant to boot.

And if security’s top of mind, the EGR RollTrac simply won’t disappoint.

With an aluminium interlocking slat system, it’s impossible to cut through, or pull apart.

Find out more and buy online at www.4x4ni.com 30 | AUGUST 2020 Ad spreads.indd 30

What’s more, the EGR RollTrac is fully integrated into your vehicle’s electrical system. No hassle. It opens or locks shut with just the click of your key fob.

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February 2021

CONTENTS

58

“The ice was be too thin and in places there would If they persisted with the journey, they would die”

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64 | JANUARY 2020

2-3 Contents Feb.indd 4

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40

4x4 18/12/2020 13:39

56 12 MAGAZINES FOR THE PRICE OF 3!

Subscribe to Britain’s only 4x4 magazine and save a massive 75% by getting it delivered to your door every month. What’s not to love?

4x4 Scene: News, Products and More…

8 8 9 10 12 12 13 14 16 20 22 22 24

Ford Ranger New Chassis-Cab model for professional conversions Ford Kuga Third hybrid model makes SUV ‘the most electrified Ford ever’ Jaguar F-Pace Revised SVR model is faster than ever Jeep Wrangler Rubicon model gains 6.4-litre V8 engine – but not in the UK Toyota RAV4 Pricing announced for plug-in hybrid model Jaguar Land Rover 4x4 maker leads research into self-driving vehicles Jeep Gladiator Top Dog concept is all kinds of tasty…

Thornton Breakers 4x4 dismantler ramping up for VDA certification GLASS A pioneering mission to rediscover Worcestershire’s lost lanes Maxxis Bighorn All-round brilliance from an oft-overlooked mud-terrain Britpart Heavy-duty bash guard for new Land Rover Defender Britpart Somewhere handy for your in-car rubbish Ironman Heavy-duty suspension products for Mitsubishi L200

Driven 26 30 34

Toyota Hilux New 2.8-litre engine leads major mid-life revisions Isuzu D-Max Exclusive first drive of the all-new model that’s coming soon SsangYong Musso Full test of the high-capacity Rhino LWB range-topper

Every Month 6 13 18 54 80

Alan Kidd Television may be fiction, but the Toyota Hilux is always true Coming Soon Trucks and SUVs set to be launched in 2021 and beyond Calendar Get ready for a much better time this year Subscribe Stay at home and get 4x4 delivered – and save a huge 75%!

Next Month Memories of when Britain used to have proper winters

Features 40 46 50

Fungus the Defender A glorious 110 in an unpromising paint colour Jurassic Jeep Creating a Wrangler that turns heads even more than a T-Rex Lambo Showdown Mighty Urus SUV meets the even mightier LM002

Travel 58

Arctic Hilux The real story behind Top Gear’s famous jaunt on the ice

Roadbook 68

even be open water.

Salisbury Plain A classic route on the wilderness of the Troop Training Area

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18/12/2020 13:39

4x4 Alan Kidd Editor

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elevision is the art of lies. I’ve believed that for a long, long time, having had the odd little inkling into it earlier in my career, and I’ll forever be wholly cynical, and vocally so, towards more or less everything I see on the screen.

This does make me fairly intolerable to live with. But so does pretty much everything else about me too, so that’s alright. And anyway, I’m just keeping it real.

‘Reality’ is of course a word which, over the last couple of decades, has come to be put together with ‘television’ to describe the most egregiously fake entertainment of all time. I’m not being a snob here, I hasten to add – some of it is hilarious, and even quite absorbing at times, but shows like X-Factor, The Apprentice and 90 Day Fiancee, not to mention the original ‘social experiment’ Big Brother, require a suspension of disbelief the likes of which even Aristotle would have struggled to think possible.

Not Top Gear, though, right? That’s all real. Yes of course it is, whatever you say.

Prompted by our first drive of the latest Toyota Hilux, complete with its new 201bhp engine, this month we’re running an article which looks back at Top Gear’s famous Polar Special of 2007, in which Messrs May, Hammond and the other one had a race to the North Pole. It’s worth reprising, because it featured a Hilux, prepped for the journey by Arctic Trucks, which despite the producers’ best efforts attracted just about as much attention as The Boys themselves.

Now, I’ve already admitted to being cynical about television. So during the course of researching the programme’s history while bringing the story up to date, it didn’t surprise me hugely to learn that the Polar Special was about as Polar as a week in Magalluf. The North Pole, meanwhile, was actually the Magnetic North Pole… or at least its location (it’s itinerant) some time in the mid-90s. And the action-packed close-up sequences of May and Clarkson ragging the Hilux across the ice, yumping it off crest after crest, were actually filmed after the ‘race’ had finished and the stars had been airlifted away to a warm hotel, with drivers from the event’s support crew behind the wheel.

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30 million Hiluxes and Landcruisers later, we all know what the real truth is Not that any of this really matters.

So what if the whole thing was filmed on inshore waters among the islands of Nunavut in Canada, around 1000 miles south of the actual North Pole?

That doesn’t change the fact that the environment was exceptionally hostile and the terrain was very challenging indeed.

That, and not the carefully scripted banter and nothing-left-to-chance production on which shows like this thrive, is why the Hilux has become a bit of a legend. In fact, both Hiluxes from the show became legends – yes, there were two, along with a Landcruiser, to support the main truck and carry the entourage necessary for a location shoot. One of them showed up to the first 4x4 and PickUp Show at Stoneleigh a couple of years back, and even after all these years its crowd-pulling ability stood out by a mile.

While the Top Gear expedition was in reality just a few days’ filming in the Arctic, rather than the sort of genuinely gruelling undertaking so many people sign up for when they set out to explore the world in a 4x4, it still needed exceptionally tough vehicles. Since then, a similarly prepped version of the current Hilux has travelled the length of Greenland’s interior, and if you know your expeditions you’ll understand how much of a bigger deal that is.

Ultimately, what really matters is always the vehicle. There’s a reason why such an overwhelming number of people who embark on extreme 4x4 expeditions do so in a Toyota, be it a Hilux or a Landcruiser, and why between them, the two vehicles have sold around 30 million units so far in their storied histories.

And when we say ‘storied,’ we’re talking about true stories. Not the kind of reality you see on television, but the kind that trucks like these are put through day in, day out all around the world. Top Gear helped make more people aware of off-roading – but for those of us who already knew, their choice of truck was no surprise at all.

Tel: 01283 553243 Email: enquiries@assignment-media.co.uk Web: www.totaloffroad.co.uk www.4x4i.com Online Shop: www.toronline.co.uk Facebook: www.facebook.com/totaloffroad www.facebook.com/4x4Mag Editor Alan Kidd Art Editor Samantha D’Souza Contributors Mike Trott, George Dove, Dan Fenn, Paul Looe, Olly Sack, Bobby Cowling, Gary Noskill Photographers Harry Hamm, Steve Taylor, Richard Hair, Vic Peel Group Advertising Manager Ian Argent Tel: 01283 553242 Advertising Manager Colin Ashworth Tel: 01283 553244 Advertising Production Sarah Moss Tel: 01283 553242 Subscriptions Sarah Moss Tel: 01283 553242 Publisher and Head of Marketing Sarah Moss Email: sarah.moss@assignment-media.co.uk To subscribe to 4x4, or renew a subscription, call 01283 742970. Prices for 12 issues: UK £42 (24 issues £76); Europe Airmail/ROW Surface £54; ROW Airmail £78 Distributed by Marketforce; www.marketforce.co.uk Every effort is made to ensure the contents of 4x4 are accurate, but Assignment Media accepts no responsibility for errors or omissions nor the consequences of actions made as a result of these.

When responding to any advert in 4x4, you should make appropriate enquiries before sending money or entering into a contract. The publishers take reasonable care to ensure advertisers’ probity, but will not be liable for loss or damage incurred from responding to adverts Where a photo credit includes the note ‘CC BY 2.0’ or similar, the image is made available under that Creative Commons licence: details at www.creativecommons.org 4x4 is published by Assignment Media Ltd, Repton House 1.08, Bretby Business Park, Ashby Road, Bretby, Derbyshire DE15 0YZ

© Assignment Media Ltd, 2021

4x4 18/12/2020 00:27

Lynx Evo2

The Evolution...

What is Lynx Evo?

Lynx Evo is the next generation diagnostic tool for Land Rover vehicles. Offering market leading diagnostics from a powerful and mobile design. Lynx Evo provides vehicle servicing and in depth diagnostic capability for all Land Rover models from 1990 through to current day. Ideal for the workshop and home user.

What does Lynx Evo do? > > > > >

Live data can also be displayed using numerics and graphics making it easier to read time based events on your Land Rover. This small but powerful Dongle requires no batteries as it uses the vehicles power. For the enthusiast home user, using Lynx Evo will mean no more trips to your local main dealer to clear any faults on your Land Rover.

Read fault codes Lynx Evo is compatible with iOS and Android mobile devices with apps available for download from the Apple App Clear fault codes Store and Android Play Store. As the software is App Store based and is loaded onto your mobile device, updates Read & display live data are as easy to do as any other mobile app, simply click the update icon.

Test actuators Special functions - see online coverage www.lynx-diagnostics.com/coverage What do I need? > Programming - such as alarm settings, key Important - Lynx Evo and Lynx Evo Pro are not for sale or use in Canada, fobs etc. on selected models Mexico or USA. Please check that the Lynx Evo App is available in your > Service reset country before ordering.

DA3600 What do you get with Lynx Evo? Lynx Evo 2 > Lynx Evo dongle Single Land Rover family (see ‘What models does Lynx cover’ - left) > Quick start guide Land Rover family home user version. Unlocked for one Land Rover family What Land Rover models does Lynx Evo cover? only. Upgradable to allow extra Land Rover families to be added at a later It is important to note that if you purchase an unlock code for a Discovery date. Important - After 36 months you will need to purchase a new 12 month this code will cover all the Discovery family - from Discovery 1 through to subscription to be able to continue to use the tool.

Discovery 4. This feature is hugely beneficial if, at a later date, you upgrade How does the subscription work? your vehicle within the same Land Rover family you don’t have to purchase Lynx Evo 2 comes with a 36 month software subscription for one Land Rover another unlock code. See the full Lynx coverage for each model at model family. The subscription provides a licence to use the tool as well as www.lynx-diagnostics.com/coverage any software updates. The subscription starts from the point of registration by Defender Family the customer. At the end of the initial subscription (36 months) the customer > Defender - 1990 to 2019 will need to purchase a new 12 month subscription to continue using the Discovery Family tool. If the customer chooses not to renew their subscription the tool will stop > Discovery 1* working. Customers can choose to purchase additional subscriptions for > Discovery 2 other Land Rover model families and each additional subscription will last for > Discovery 3 12 months. After the subscription for an additional Land Rover model family > Discovery 4 expires the customer will have the option of purchasing another 12 month > Discovery 5 subscription, if they choose not to renew their subscription the software for Freelander Family this specific model family will stop working until they choose to renew. > Freelander 1 Extras > Freelander 2 See app for Unlock code for additional Land Rover families Discovery Sport Family full details - 12 months licence > Discovery Sport DA1504 Cable kit - 14CUX, air suspension & ABS DA1505 Range Rover P38 cable kit Check & diagnose BECM and Range Rover Family check, diagnose & calibrate air suspension > Range Rover Classic* DA6433 Upgrade lead - power cable for use with firmware updates > Range Rover P38 DA6433EU Upgrade lead - European 2-pin power cable for use with > Range Rover L322 firmware updates > Range Rover L405 Range Rover Velar Family NEW > Range Rover Velar Range Rover Evoque Family > Range Rover Evoque Range Rover Sport Family > Range Rover Sport - Mk1 > Range Rover Sport - Mk2

Upgrade software over app store

Ideal for workshop & home user

Supported Languages > > > > > > >

English French Spanish Portuguese German Italian Dutch

*Lead for 14CUX required - DA1504

www.lynx-diagnostics.com

www.britpart.com Find your nearest stockist - www.britpart.com/stockist

NEW 4X4S

FORD ADDS CHASSIS-CAB TO RANGER LINE-UP

170bhp Single-Cab XL base vehicle • Available through 160-plus approved converters

T

here’s an all-new Ford Ranger on the way in the not too distant future, however the current model continues to show the rest of the market across Europe a

clean pair of heels. And Ford is still moving it forward, with the addition of a new Chassis-Cab option for specialist convertors.

Based on the 4x4 Single-Cab XL model with Ford’s 170bhp 2.0-litre

diesel engine, this retains a gross vehicle weight of 3270kg and trailer towing capacity of 3500kg.

Ford quotes ground clearance of 237mm before conversion and a wading depth of 800mm, giving the

vehicle a sound base for bespoke conversions aimed at users in the construction, utilities, forestry and emergency services sectors, as well as military fleets and search and rescue operators.

Third Hybrid model joins range as new Kuga becomes ‘the most FORD HAS LAUNCHED the Kuga Hybrid – adding yet another electrified option to its medium-sized SUV line-up. Powered by a 2.5-litre petrol engine backed up by an electric system featuring a 1.1kWh battery, Ford says this is capable of covering more than 600 miles between fill-ups.

Joining the existing EcoBlue 48-volt mild-hybrid and Plug-In Hybrid versions of the Kuga, the new model completes a hat-trick which makes the medium-sized SUV ‘the most electrified Ford ever.’ It returns 48.7mpg and emits 130g/km, making it what Ford calls ‘a compelling alternative to diesel powertrains.’ The Kuga does still have those, and petrol too, if you want to keep it conventional.

The Kuga’s hybrid system uses liquid-cooled batteries, eliminating the need for a potentially noisy fan and allowing the units to be packed more closely together – which in turn allows more space within the cabin,

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4x4 18/12/2020 11:40

NEW 4X4S

Jaguar unveils faster, more dynamic F-Pace SVR

To help customers turn the Chassis-Cab into their ideal truck, Ford has a network of more than 160 Qualified Vehicle Modifier (QVM) converters in 13 markets. These are able to deliver bespoke vehicles for specialist applications which carry the same warranty as the rest of the Ranger line-up.

The Ranger’s dimensions allow for a maximum conversion length behind the cab of 2518mm. Ford says it worked closely with its QVM network to optimise the Chassis-Cab’s potential for conversions such as box bodies, tippers and cherry pickers – and it also has its own Special Vehicle Options equipment available, including items like towing electrical connectors,

high-performance batteries for increased electrical loads and an interface to link conversions and vehicle signals – for example, to prevent a tipper body from operating unless the vehicle is parked and in neutral. ’We’ve built the Ranger Chassis-Cab for customers who work in the most demanding environments and need a tough, off-road vehicle to carry their specialist kit,’ said Ford’s Conversions Manager Paul Baynes. ‘Combined with Ford’s extensive QVM converter network, Ranger Chassis-Cab enables our customers to get the job done, wherever they work.’

There’s not yet any suggestion of a price for the vehicle, however this will typically be costed in to a finished conversion anyway.

The ChassisCab will be available to order later this month.

electrified Ford ever’

JAGUAR HAS UNVEILED a new version of the F-Pace SVR. With a revised 5.0-litre V8 engine delivering 550bhp and 516lbf.ft, this now accelerates from 0-60 in 3.8 seconds and, given the chance, continues on to a new top speed of 178mph.

To help you make the most of all that performance, the SVR also gains a revised steering rack and retuned shocks for ‘a more connected driving experience with enhanced ride refinement.’ The vehicle’s braking system is uprated, too, with new pads, improved cooling and retuned pedal feel.

If it matters to you (and it should, even with a 5.0-litre V8 engine), the SVR is also now more efficient than before. Fuel economy is up to 23.1mpg and CO2 emissions down to 275g/km, so it’s a small win but a step in the right direction nonetheless.

Also revised on the new SVR is what Jaguar calls a ‘race-inspired’ exterior whose front end lowers drag and reduces lift by 35%. The new design ‘amplifies the F-Pace’s assertive stance,’ too, as does a new design of 22” alloy wheel.

Inside, a heavily revised cabin features Jag’s latest Pivi Pro dual-sim infotainment system, accessed through an all-new 11.4” HD curved glass touchscreen. New trim materials include alcantara for the seat and door inserts and Windsor leather for the cubby box, and there are various aluminium and carbon finishes on the options list. Also optional are slimline semi-aniline leather sports seats with diamond embroidery.

The F-Pace SVR will cost you £77,595 on the road before you get going with the options list. This provides plenty of opportunities for turning that into a much higher figure, of course, especially if you want a special paint finish, but even those leather seats are priced at a pleasingly modest £1100 – and truth to tell, even if you don’t tick any boxes at all this is still a very well equipped SUV, and an awful lot of performance, for your money.

with up to 1481 litres of cargo capacity available behind the front seats. In addition, exhaust gases are used as a heat source to bring the system up to optimum temperature as quickly as possible, allowing full electric mode to be engaged earlier following a cold start.

A further sign of hybrids’ progress in general with the new Kuga is a towing weight of 1600kg. This is hardly epoch-making on its own, but it’s an area in which electric vehicles have lagged behind since the first hybrids came on to the market, so it’s promising that the Kuga can be trusted in front of a trailer worthy of the name.

What it doesn’t have is four-wheel drive. This is available in the new Kuga line-up, though only with the 2.0 EcoBlue 190 engine and automatic gearbox.

Assuming that’s not a deal-breaker, the Kuga Hybrid is available to order now in ST Line Edition, ST Line X Edition and Vignale forms. List prices for

4x4 Scene Feb IN PROGRESS.indd 9

FEBRUARY 2021 | 9

18/12/2020 11:40

NEW 4X4S

JEEP LAUNCHES STUNNING NEW V8-ENGINED WRANGLER

6.4-litre Rubicon 392 • 470bhp, 470lbf.ft • 33” tyres • No plans for official UK imports

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iving in Britain is about to become that little bit more rubbish. As if being denied the V6 engine in the Jeep Wrangler wasn’t irritating enough, there’s about to be a 6.4-litre V8 version of the best-of-the-range Rubicon model. And sure enough, it’s not coming here either.

The Wrangler Rubicon 392, as it’s called, has 470bhp – and 470lbf. ft, too. Almost 75% of the latter is available from just above idle speed, allowing the vehicle to crawl over exceptionally steep and uneven terrain without the need for revs – and then once back on tarmac, you can put your foot down and it’ll launch itself from 0-60mph in an eye-watering 4.5 seconds.

Talking of putting your foot down, when you do this a set of valves

10 | FEBRUARY 2021

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opens in the quad-exit exhaust to let it sing out the way a V8 should. You can also make it do this by pressing a button on the dash – ideal for when you’re tooling around town and you see your mates walking down the pavement (or, more likely, you want to attract the attention of a woman who you fondly think will somehow be overcome by an insatiable desire to jump into bed with you as a consequence).

Another difference to the Wrangler we get over here is that behind its eight-speed auto box, this one has a full-time transfer case. Being a Rubicon, it runs Dana 44s as standard – but these are shod with 33” tyres on 17” beadlock-ready rims, with a 2” suspension lift featuring Fox shocks giving them room to breathe.

The result, even as it leaves the showroom, is approach, departure and breakover angles of 44.5, 37.5 and 22.6 degrees respectively. In addition, a smart air intake system allows a wading depth of 825mm.

Combine these numbers with the extra-deep low-range gearing, disconnecting front sway bar and front and rear lockers that help make the

Rubicon what it is, and you have a vehicle whose off-road ability is even more formidable than ever. The transmission has been revised to allow enhanced engine braking, and there’s also now a Selec-Speed Control function which can be adjusted through a range from 1-5mph, giving the vehicle a form of electronic hand throttle for off-road use.

4x4 18/12/2020 11:40

NEW 4X4S

Rubicon 392 is named for its engine’s displacement in cubic inches.

The standard Wrangler’s chassis rails have been strengthened to cope with the extra output, as have its steering knuckes and upper front control arms. High-spec Dana 44 axles hold it up via a +2” suspension system with Fox dampers To make it ready for this much power and torque, the Wrangler’s chassis rails have been strengthened specifically for use on 392 models. The front upper control arms and steering knuckles are upgraded, too, and heavy-duty brakes are fitted as standard.

Also standard on the Rubicon 392 is a combination of no less than eleven different options and option

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packs. These include leather seat trim and high-spec infotainment packages, a body-coloured hardtop and wheelarches, heavy-duty electrical switches, LED lights, steel bumpers, cold weather preparation and all the safety kit it’s possible to fit on a Wrangler.

Not that people who buy one of these are ever going to be content to leave it the way it leaves the factory.

That 2” suspension lift means it’s already primed for a set of bigger tyres, and Jeep’s Mopar accessories line will offer the usual wide variety of items added specifically for this model. These include winches, LED off-road lights, tubular and halfheight doors, off-road bumpers, rock rails, beadlock rims for bigger tyres and uprated Dana 44 Advantek axles with diff ratios of up to 5.38:1.

For now, the arrival of the Rubicon 392 marks the return of a production V8 Wrangler after almost four decades of smaller engines. But not in Britain, of course. The new model goes on sale in North America in the first quarter of 2021; it’s likely to be priced in the region of $70,000, which means you’ll pay at least that many pounds when grey imports start arriving on these shores.

18/12/2020 11:40

NEW 4X4S

PRICING ANNOUNCED FOR RAV4 PLUG-IN HYBRID

T

oyota has opened the order books for its new RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid, with prices starting from £47,395 on the road. The vehicle combines a 46-mile all-electric range with efficiency figures of 282mpg and 22g/km, allowing company car users to drive it at a benefit-in-kind rate of just 6%.

The RAV4, which won the Best Medium SUV category in last year’s 4x4 of the Year awards, is already available as a traditional Hybrid. The new Plug-in Hybrid model builds on this, however, by augmenting its 2.5-litre petrol engine with a bigger electric motor and battery pack to achieve a total output of 302bhp.

With a 0-62 time of 6.0 seconds and a maximum speed of 84mph in electric mode, the vehicle certainly promises to feel quick. Perhaps its most impressive statistic, however, comes in the real-world flexibility it offers, with 50% more mid-range pull than the standard Hybrid. All models will come with a 6.6kW fast-charging cable, though these do require to be used with a wall box.

Two versions of the Plug-in Hybrid are available, called Dynamic and Dynamic Premium. The former offers 19” alloys, heated front and rear seats, LED headlights and a me-

dia system with a 9” touch-screen and access to connected services, while the range-topper adds leather, cooled front seats, pan roof, head-up display and a premium stereo.

Prices are £47,395 (Dynamic) and £50,895 (Dynamic Premium). You can place a deposit now, with the first vehicles scheduled for delivery in the second quarter of 2021.

ALSO NOW AVAILABLE to order at Toyota dealerships is the new Highlander SUV. Positioned above the RAV4, this is a large seven-seater with ‘high levels of comfort, drivability and authentic SUV credentials.’

Toyota has been making a vehicle called the Highlander for just over two decades, however this is the first version to be brought to the UK. It will be offered exclusively as a hybrid.

As with the RAV Plug-in Hybrid, the Highlander will be available in two grades. These are Excel and Excel Premium; all models get 20” alloys, leather, three-zone climate, panoramic roof and a premium stereo, while the extra money adds head-up display, heated rear seats, surround-view camera and a power tailgate with hands-free operation.

On the road prices are £50,595 for the Excel and £52,575 for the Excel Premium. Place an order now and you can expect to be receiving your vehicle in the spring, with the first deliveries promised in March.

Jaguar Land Rover leads new real-world urban hub for research JAGUAR LAND ROVER has announced that it is to be a lead partner in the Future Mobility Campus Ireland (FMCI) – a smart city hub allowing real-world testing of connected technology in which self-driving vehicles share the streets with cars, pedestrians and cyclists.

The FMCI will be spread across 12 kilometres of public roads along the Shannon estuary. It will allow its stakeholders to harness valuable data, simulate a variety of road environments and traffic scenarios and trial new technologies, with a Jaguar I-Pace deployed as part of the project.

The site will be equipped with sensors throughout the area it covers, along with high-accuracy location systems, a data management and

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control centre and a fleet of self-driving prototype vehicles. It will feature smart junctions, connected roads, autonomous parking and electric vehicle charging as well as links to a 450-kilometre stretch of connected highway and a managed air traffic corridor for unmanned aerial vehicles from Shannon airport.

As part of the project, JLR will collaborate with tech giants including Cisco, Seagate, Renovo, Red Hat, Valeo and Mergon. ‘Traditionally,’ says the company, ‘such testing sites have been established overseas. The FMCI provides Jaguar Land Rover with a key research site next to an existing facility: its Shannon software hub.’

4x4 18/12/2020 11:40

NEW 4X4S

COMING SOON Forthcoming 4x4s due on sale in the near and medium-term future

Jeep concept is a mobile MTB base (and hot dog grille…)

THE GLADIATOR TOP DOG is a concept vehicle created by Jeep for the recent SEMA360 show. Using a combination of commercially available Jeep Performance Parts and custom accessories, Jeep’s Mopar team turned the truck into what the company calls ‘a fun concept vehicle for serious mountain bikers.’

The concept is based around its rear pick-up bed, or rather the lack of it – it was removed to make way for a custom PCOR flatbed storage system. This is fitted out on one side with pull-out drawers which securely store tools and spares which mountain bikers are apt to need when out on the trails. Interior shelves, exterior lighting switches and extra power supplies are all positioned within easy reach.

On the other side of the rear area are a battery-powered refrigerator and, wonderfully, an electric hot-dog roller grill stand. ‘Ready to refuel riders for the next section of challenging trails,’ says Jeep.

Above the cab area, the vehicle is fitted with racking for tools and equipment – not to mention a pair of bikes. There’s a set of work lights mounted up there, too, along with traction mats for vehicle recovery.

Talking of recovery, a JPP Rubicon Bumper is home to an 8000lb Rubicon Warn winch wound with 30 metres of Spydura Synthetic Rope. There’s a second winch mounted at the rear, too, and further off-road kit on the vehicle includes rock rails, a 2” JPP suspension lift, 37” BFGoodrich KM3 mud-terrain tyres and concept steel wheelarch flares which allow additional clearance for the big tyres.

‘Loaded with nearly 20 Jeep Performance Parts, we built this go-anywhere Jeep Gladiator Top Dog Concept for passionate mountain-bike enthusiasts,’ said Mopar’s Mark Bosanac. Jeep has no plans to bring the Gladiator to the UK, however a small number of left-hand drive examples have already come here as parallel imports, so this is a vehicle you could, in theory, very nearly replicate yourself.

into self-driving vehicles ‘This partnership with FMCI provides us with a real-world facility to trial our emerging autonomous, connected, electrified and shared technology in a strategic location,’ commented Jaguar Land Rover’s John Cormican.

‘Collaborating with top-tier software companies will allow us to develop our future systems more efficiently.’

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Aiways U5 Alfa Romeo Tonale Alpina XB7 Audi Q4 e-tron Audi Q5 facelift BMW iX3 Bollinger B1 Bollinger B2 Cupra Formentor Ford Mustang Mach-E Ford Ranger Chassis-Cab Ford Ranger Hyundai Tucson Hyundai Tucson PHEV INEOS Grenadier Jaguar F-Pace PHEV Jeep Jeep Cherokee Desert Hawk Jeep Grand Commander Jeep Compass 4xe Jeep Grand Wagoneer Kia Kia Sorento PHEV Land Rover Defender 130 Land Rover Defender EV Maserati Mercedes-Benz EQB Nissan Ariya Nissan Qashqai Peugeot 3008 facelift Peugeot 5008 facelift Pininfarina Pininfarina Renault Arkana Rivian R1T Rivian R1s Skoda Enyaq iV SsangYong Korando EV Suzuki Across Tesla Cybertruck Tesla Model X Tri-Motor Tesla Model Y Torsus Praetorian Torsus Overlander Torsus Terrastorm Toyota Highlander Toyota Hilux facelift Toyota RAV4 Plug-In Hybrid Toyota Yaris Cross Vauxhall Mokka Volkswagen Amarok Volkswagen Golf Alltrack Volkswagen ID.4 Volvo XC40 P8 EV

Electric SUV Small SUV Performance SUV Electric SUV Medium SUV Electric SUV Electric off-roader Electric pick-up Performance SUV Electric SUV Pick-up Pick-up Medium SUV Hybrid SUV Off-roader Hybrid SUV Small SUV Performance Off-Roader Large SUV Hybrid SUV Luxury SUV Crossover EV Hybrid SUV Off-roader Electric off-roader Medium SUV Electric SUV Electric SUV Crossover Small SUV Medium SUV Electric sports SUV Electric luxury SUV Coupe-SUV Electric pick-up Electric large SUV Electric SUV Electric SUV Medium SUV Electric Pick-Up Electric SUV Medium SUV Off-road bus Off-road motorhome Off-road van Large SUV Pick-up Medium SUV Small SUV Small SUV Pick-up Crossover Electric SUV Electric SUV

Mid-2021 2021 2021 2021 Late 2020 June 2021 2020 2021 Late 2020 Early 2021 Early 2021 2022 Late 2020 Early 2021 Late 2021 Spring 2021 2021 2021 2021 2021 2022 2021 Early 2021 March 2021 2023 2021 Early 2021 Spring 2021 Summer 2021 January 2021 January 2021 2022 2023 July 2021 Spring 2022 Summer 2022 Spring 2021 2021 Late 2020 Late 2022 Early 2021 2021 Early 2021 2022 2021 March 2021 December April 2021 Early 2021 April 2021 2022 Early 2021 Late 2020 Early 2021

FEBRUARY 2021 | 13

18/12/2020 11:40

NEWS

Parts aplenty as 4x4 and pick-up specialist Thornton Breakers gets set for certification from Vehicle Recyclers Association

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ext year, Thornton Breakers will celebrate three and a half decades in operation. And the Halifax-based 4x4 dismantler is getting ready for the anniversary in the best possible way: with certification from the Vehicle Recyclers Association.

This first-of-its-kind quality assurance scheme was established to give customers confidence that they’re dealing with a vehicle recycler which operates legally and only markets quality assured reclaimed parts. As part of the process, Thornton Breakers will be subject to an annual audit of policies and procedures to ensure that it’s continuing to follow VRA rules on operating practice.

A family business run by the Jones family, Peter, Cameron, Hollie and Courtney, Thornton Breakers was originally set up in 1987. Back then, it dismantled cars and vans on a small site next door to renowned off-road specialist Simmonites in Thornton, Bradford – but just over ten years later, the company started breaking 4x4s, mainly pick-up trucks, and since then it has gone from strength to strength.

14 | FEBRUARY 2021

Scene Feb IN PROGRESS.indd 14

Fast forward to 2012, and the company celebrated its 25th anniversary by moving to the site in Halifax which it continues to call home today. This covers more then six acres and is split into two parts, one concentrating solely on export worldwide while the other dispatches parts throughout the UK. You might not immediately think of recycled parts as being an export commodity, but demand is huge.

It’s not just a case of phoning up and asking for a belt tensioner to be posted to the other side of the world, though – it’s rather a bigger deal than that.

‘Our export department purchases old, unloved, unused, unwanted, accident damaged and MOT-failed pick-up trucks throughout the UK,’ explains the company. ‘Once purchased, they are dismantled into various parts or sections. Both 20 and 40-foot containers are loaded on-site and shipped direct to the customer’s choice of port.

‘We regularly ship to Trinidad and Tobago, Greece, Barbados, Surinam, Cyprus, Saint Lucia, Malta, Ghana, Dubai and Afghanistan, plus many more destinations.’

Back home, getting hold of that belt tensioner is about as straightforward as it comes. ‘We operate an in-house delivery service which works alongside the courier services we use, offering full UK coverage,’ the company continues. ’This works alongside our vehicle transport which collects both salvage vehicles for stock and customers’ vehicles for repairs.’

Yes, they do that, too. ‘Our on-site workshop allows us to extend our services to customers. We have two full-time fitters who regularly fit engines, gearboxes, differentials, axles and so on. All the parts that are fitted on-site are also covered by our warranty.’ This in turn extends a minimum of three months’ cover to any part the company sells.

That should give you some peace of mind as a customer, but there’s a lot more besides. Get this for a belt-and-braces approach: ‘When vehicles arrive, they are photographed and logged. Then they are allocated a stock number and inventoried into our stock management system.

Once a vehicle is in for dismantling, it is fully de-polluted to the Environment Agency guidelines and all waste is disposed of in a responsible manner.

‘Once a vehicle is dismantled, parts are transferred across to our warehouse inventory team. From here, they are allocated a QR code and tag number. Parts are then quality checked and graded A, B or C, cleaned and then photographed.

From here, the parts are transferred to their warehouse location to await dispatch or collection.

‘We offer parts traceability, which is just like the Red Tractor scheme.

Using our stock management sys-

tem, we know which part has come from which vehicle, right back to where we purchased it from. Parts are checked for manufacturer safety recalls, ensuring we only sell the best quality parts.’

There’s a fair bit of work in all this, and while it remains a family company there’s a whole team of people running the operation. This includes four dedicated parts finders who handle incoming phone calls and emails as well as dealing with general enquires – which come from a more diverse range of punters than you might expect. ‘Our client base is very extensive,’ the company says, ‘from customers with a show pony to agricultural contractors, quarries and main dealers.’

As well as offering a massive range of parts, Thornton Breakers is always in the market for pick-up trucks for dismantling. Either way, if you drive a truck of any sort of age this is an outfit that’s very well worth knowing about. You can talk to the aforementioned team on 01422 243100, or visit thorntonbreakers. co.uk and go browsing for the bits you need to help keep your pick-up running well into the future.

4x4 18/12/2020 11:40

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01/10/2019 18:28

RIGHTS OF WAY

Neglected rights of way in rural Worcestershire set to breathe again after surveying work by volunteer group from Green Lane Association

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problem with green laning is that most areas have a relatively small number of ‘honey pot’ trails which see the majority of the action. But having a 4x4 is all about exploring – and most parts of the country also tend to have plenty of less well known which all too often

don’t see a set of wheels from one weekend to the next.

The majority of lane users in Worcestershire, for example, will automatically head west into Wales.

But their own county has a good many rights of way too. It’s just that several of them are showing some classic signs of neglect.

These can take many forms, as an intrepid surveying team from the Green Lane Association highlighted recently when they set out to check the condition of some little-used lanes. The project was conceived by Gordon Bunker, who as well as being GLASS’ Assistant Rep for Worcestershire also sits on the county’s Local

Access Forum. The local Community Police team think highly of him, too, after he tipped them off about an off-piste incident earlier this year.

Gordon takes up the story: ‘Using Trailwise 2, I decided to identify lanes that aren’t dead ends and either had no comments, were obstructed or impassable, or had very old comments against them. I ended up with a list of 40. I then cross checked them all against the online versions of the Definitive Maps and also the online List of Streets.

‘Knowing that a couple of people were eager for a trip out, I let a few people know. The plan was to drive to the start of a lane, park and walk it first, photograph any obstructions etc and make a decision whether it needed a couple of minutes’ tidying up, or whether it would need reporting to the Rights of Way team or Highways Department.

‘Next thing I know, I’ve got six people saying “me! me!” Problem is that for whatever reason, most people prefer to follow rather than lead, and a group of seven would be way too large to travel around. So I made the decision to split into two groups and find one other leader. We’d go to opposite ends of the lanes and walk to the middle.

‘This way, we’d actually be able to walk the lanes in half the time.

If they were drivable, we’d take it in turns to drive them.’

Gordon armed himself with OS Landranger maps, as well as copies taken from Memory Map with the 40 lanes printed on them and a GPX file which he exported to a couple of the group with the necessary software. With everyone gathered near the start of the first lane on the appointed day, he split the vehicles into groups based on their and their

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18/12/2020 11:40

RIGHTS OF WAY

Surveying a set of little-used lanes is sure to unearth an A-Z of classic signs of neglect. Sure enough, some were passable but overgrown, some were littered with tree branches, some were simply too narrow to be of any use at all and there was the inevitable illegally locked gate to go with the similarly inevitable moronic resident who refused to speak but just stood there writing down number plates. Thanks to the team’s efforts, however, GLASS now has an up-to-date record of which lanes are usable, which are lost and what’s needed to return those in between to usable order drivers’ ability, just in case anything unexpected should happen.

After a bit of discussion, Gordon decided simply to mark up everyone’s maps, with the lanes numbered in the order in which they were to be surveyed. ‘This actually meant that the only time we would meet each other would be at one or the other end of a lane, so minimising our presence,’ he says.

‘Although this sounds incredibly planned, I kind of made it up as we went along – I wasn’t expecting such enthusiasm for a day which would involve a lot of walking, and this way we could survey more lanes in a shorter time.

‘Also one of the group kindly stepped forward to take notes and write those up for Trailwise 2. Planning a route, following it, checking it and liaising with the other group doesn’t leave a lot of time to make notes as you’re going along!’

With that done, the convoy was all ready to split up and move off… when a police van pulls up and on go the flashing blue lights.

‘Anything I can help you with, officer?’ says Gordon.

4x4 Scene Feb IN PROGRESS.indd 17

‘Yes, I saw the Land Rovers parked up. Which one of you has broken down?!’ That’ll be a cop who knows what he’s looking at, then…

Gordon explained what was going on, showing him the map, and his reply was exactly what it should be: ‘Go and enjoy yourselves, guys – have a great day out!’ By and large, the group were met with the same positive attitude by the people they encountered as they went about their work.

‘In all,’ says Gordon, ‘we visited 18 lanes on the day. The first was seriously overgrown and the lady at one end was more than happy to chat. She commented that very occasionally a trail bike came down, though it is impassable by horses and there’s little chance of recovering it for 4x4 use as it is way too narrow and overgrown.

‘The second turned out to be a hard surfaced lane through the trees that clearly saw very little use. The third was impassable for all users, including walkers; it had clearly been abandoned long ago. The fourth had seen occasional pedestrian use, though even if recovered would be

too narrow for 4x4 use. The fifth turned out to be a nice grassy lane.

‘And so the day went on. In all, four of the lanes are completely lost and impassable by 4x4s; two of these could be used by trail bikes.

One could be recovered for 4x4 use with a small amount of work and another with a lot of work – though still without destroying the nature of the lane.

‘One needs repairs due to drainage problems meaning it has become impassable. Two lanes were listed as impassable but we managed to drive them – though some might consider them scratchy.

‘In all, we only met three landowners or householders, two of whom were pleasant and pleased to see us

and happily engaged in a conversation. The third refused to engage and despite offering my name and contact details, simply took photos and registration numbers.’ You can’t reason with stupid, as they say…

Following the survey, all these lanes have now had their Trailwise 2 entries updated. ’So any future explorers can be safe in the knowledge that the information on those lanes is up to date,’ comments Gordon.

This was a very unusual kind of a day’s green laning, but one which was as enjoyable as it was worthwhile. ‘Everyone had a great day out exploring lanes previously undriven for quite a while,’ concludes Gordon.

‘Plus, we now had an action plan to get the lanes back in use.’

FEBRUARY 2021 | 17

18/12/2020 11:40

CALENDAR KEY

P Off-Road Playday

G Green Lane Convoy Tour

A Overseas Adventure Travel

S 4x4 Show

IMPORTANT: In the wake of the Covid crisis, most green laning and adventure travel companies have redrawn their calendars from scratch. As a result, some of the information on these pages will inevitably be out of date. In addition, some dates are for rearranged tours which had to be cancelled this year and which may already be full. Most operators are still prioritising existing clients over new business; some are yet to start accepting new bookings. While we do go to great lengths to ensure that our 4x4 Calendar is accurate and up to date, it is essential to check with the site, operator and/or organiser that events are still going ahead. Even without a pandemic to deal with, events are always prone to being rearranged, sometimes at very short notice, so this advice will always apply – we accept no liability for the consequences of any inaccuracies in this information.

28 December

24 January

20-21 February

8-12 March

P Hill’n’Ditch Mouldsworth, Cheshire

P Protrax Tixover, Northamptonshire Safari P Slindon Slindon, West Sussex Valley 4x4 P Thames Slab Common, Hampshire Events G UKTyneLandrover and Wear

G Protrax Wales

G Ardventures Coast to Coast

21 February

13-14 March

Pit P Devil’s Barton-le-Clay, Bedfordshire Off Road P Explore Silverdale, Stoke-on-Trent P Hill’n’Ditch Mouldsworth, Cheshire Bottom P Muddy Minstead, Hampshire Landrover Events G UKDurham Dales

Overland G Atlas Wessex G Protrax Wiltshire

3 January 4x4 P Frickley Frickley, South Yorkshire Bottom P Muddy Minstead, Hampshire 4x4 P Parkwood Tong, Bradford Wood P Picadilly Bolney, West Sussex P Protrax Tixover, Northamptonshire

8-24 January

A Ardventures Morocco 10 January Without a Club P 4x4 Aldermaston, Berkshire Essex, Rochford and District 4x4 P Rayleigh, Essex Slindon Safari P Slindon, West Sussex Events G UKPeakLandrover District

17 January Pit P Devil’s Barton-le-Clay, Bedfordshire Off Road P Explore Silverdale, Stoke-on-Trent 4x4 P Frickley Frickley, South Yorkshire P Hill’n’Ditch Mouldsworth, Cheshire Bottom P Muddy Minstead, Hampshire

23 January Adventure Tours G 4x4 Wales

23-24 January

G Protrax Wales 18 | FEBRUARY 2021

Scene Feb IN PROGRESS.indd 18

30 January Off Road Centre P Kirton Kirton Lindsey, North Lincs

31 January

P Whitworth, Lancashire Frickley 4x4 P Frickley, South Yorkshire Kirton Off Road Centre P Kirton Lindsey, North Lincs Cowm Leisure

7 February Adventure Tours G 4x4 Wales Bottom P Muddy Minstead, Hampshire Wood P Picadilly Bolney, West Sussex Landrover Events G UKLincoln and Belvoir

19 March Events G UKLakeLandrover District

19-21 March

26 February

G Ardventures Mid and North Wales

Events G UKDalesLandrover and Eden

20 March

27 February

Landrover Events G UKTynedale

Adventure Tours G 4x4 Wales Off Road Centre P Kirton Kirton Lindsey, North Lincs

22-23 March Landrover Events G UKCumbria and Yorkshire

28 February

26 March – 11 April

A Ardventures Morocco

G Protrax Wiltshire

Leisure P Cowm Whitworth, Lancashire 4x4 P Frickley Frickley, South Yorkshire Off Road Centre P Kirton Kirton Lindsey, North Lincs Safari P Slindon Slindon, West Sussex

13-24 February

6 March

A Ardventures Galicia

G Protrax Wales

Landrover Events G UKYorkshire Dales

27 March – 11 April

14 February

6-25 March

Rochford and District 4x4 P Essex, Rayleigh, Essex Frickley 4x4 P Frickley, South Yorkshire P Protrax Tixover, Northamptonshire Safari P Slindon Slindon, West Sussex

World Overland A Lost Morocco

A Protrax Morocco

28 March

7 March

Events G UKNorthLandrover York Moors

Events G UKEdenLandrover District

3-20 April 2021

13-14 February

27 March Adventure Tours G 4x4 Wales

27-28 March

Safari A Peru Kuelap / Cloud Warrior Tour

4x4 18/12/2020 11:41

CALENDAR 4-17 April

7-16 June

2-6 August

30 September – 13 October

Overland A Atlas Morocco

4x4 Adventures A Active Pyrenees

4x4 Adventures A Active Provence

Overland A Atlas Morocco

18 April

9-23 June

7-27 August

2-10 October

A Protrax Pyrenees

A Ardventures Galicia

Landrover Events A UKPyrenees

19 April – 3 May

12-27 June

10-24 August

3-16 October

A Trailmasters Morocco Marrakesh

A Ardventures Pyrenees

Safari A Peru Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

A Trailmasters Morocco Draa Valley

22 April – 6 May

19 June – 4 July

16-22 August

3-21 October

Safari A Peru Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

Safari A Peru Jaguar Tracks Tour

A Landtreks Pyrenees

A Protrax Morocco

1-14 May

21-27 June

16-25 August

11-16 October

Overland A Atlas Portugal

A Landtreks French Pyrenees

4x4 Adventures A Active Pyrenees

A Landtreks Pyrenees

3-12 May

21 June – 1 July

24 August – 4 September

15-31 October

4x4 Adventures A Active Portugal

Overland A Atlas Corsica

A Trailmasters Morocco

A Ardventures Morocco

15-29 May

26-27 June

31 August – 12 September

16-30 October

A Landtreks Pyrenees

A Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

11-12 September

17 October – 4 November

British Land Rover Show S Great Newark, Nottinghamshire

Overland A Atlas Portugal

Off-Road Show S Billing Billing, Northamptonshire

Peru Safari

20 May – 2 June

9-23 July

A Trailmasters Morocco Extreme

Adventure Tours A 4x4 Pyrenees

22-23 May

9-24 July

11-19 September

18 October – 1 November

A Ardventures Balkans

Landrover Events A UKPyrenees

4x4 Adventures A Active Sahara

24-28 May

10-24 July

13-22 September

25 October – 8 November

4x4 Adventures A Active Provence

Safari A Peru Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

4x4 Adventures A Active Southern France

A Trailmasters Morocco Atlantic Sahara

25 May – 5 June

12-18 July

13-27 September

29 October – 14 November

A Landtreks Portugal

A Landtreks Pyrenees

Overland A Atlas Morocco

A Ardventures Morocco

27 May – 1 June

19-28 July

15-29 September

13-27 November

4x4 Adventures A Active Alps

A Protrax Pyrenees

Safari A Peru Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

28 May – 11 June

27 July – 8 August

16-29 September

21 November

Safari A Peru Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

A Landtreks Pyrenees Coast-to-Coast

A Trailmasters Morocco Marrakesh

1-4 June

31 July – 14 August

18 September – 2 October

3-17 December

Overland A Atlas Italian Alps

Safari A Peru Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

Safari A Peru Peru Inca Tracks / Macchu Picchu

6-20 June

31 July – 15 August

21 September – 2 October

Adventure Tours A 4x4 Albania

World Overland A Lost Sardinia

A Landtreks Corsica

Land Rover Gathering S Classic Wansford, Peterborough

National S ALRC Bilsington Priory, Kent

National Follow-On Rally S ALRC Bilsington Priory, Kent

4x4 Scene Feb IN PROGRESS.indd 19

Show S LRO Peterborough

A Protrax Morocco

British Land Rover Show S Great Stoneleigh, Warwickshire

FEBRUARY 2021 | 19

18/12/2020 11:41

PRODUCTS

MT-764 Bighorn proves there’s more to Maxxis than just extreme off-road competition tyres

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here are some very well established choices in the 4x4 tyre market. For general all-round use, with plenty of road miles but enough mud, ruts, rock and water to matter, it’s normal to choose an all-terrain or mud-terrain pattern – and in each case, you’ve probably got one of about two or three brands as your default go-to source of rubber.

If you’re in the off-road comp game, on the other hand, it’s highly likely that your sole focus is on Maxxis. The American manufacturer produces several iconic patterns in the sort of sizes you need for hardcore winching and Ultra4 style rock racing, and these are almost universally popular.

So why is it that the same company’s MT-764 Bighorn almost certainly wasn’t among the go-to brands you thought of when we asked about mud-terrains just now?

Good question, because this is a seriously capable tyre that does the job on roads, trails and rough ground alike.

We say that because we had a set on a Landcruiser Colorado we

20 | FEBRUARY 2021

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used to run a few years ago as a project vehicle. The project itself didn’t go particularly well, with the price and scarcity of parts making a mockery of the idea that this was in some way a budget vehicle – but throughout the trials and tribulations we had along the way, the Bighorns performed outstandingly.

With an aggressive take on a classic mud-terrain tread layout, the Bighorn allows good traction and confident braking alike, whether on wet or dry surfaces. It’s moulded to take studs, should you be planning to visit a cold climate where these are allowed on the road – and, while it’s not as extreme as some of the other tyres in Maxxis’ off-road range, it benefits from much of the same technology used to resist punctures and repay your investment with a good wear rate.

Mainly, though, it grips. Its pattern is well suited to use when aired down – but, recognising that you can’t do this when out green laning, for which it’s ideal, it’s similarly effective at road pressures.

Maxxis’ website lists the Bighorn in a vast range of sizes to fit wheels

in a spread from 15” up to 20”. Ours were an entirely conservative 265/75R16 – probably the most common fitment on typical do-it-all Defenders and things like Discoverys, Patrols and indeed Landcruisers with a couple of inches’ lift.

Where all-round tyres are most likely to be found wanting, at least in Britain, is when you ask them to deal with really deep mud. Obviously, there are only so many liberties you can take with the laws of physics – but when we threw our MT-764s at Silverdale, a renowned hardcore off-road site near Stoke, they proved to be up there with the best of them.

Parts of Silverdale are very good at holding water. It was a pretty dry time of year when we visited, but we still managed to get stuck while looking for somewhere to get

stuck. Things like this have a habit of happening when you try to drive through a sunken trough of mud whose base has been rutted away to the point where it hides a series of sheer steps.

The Bighorns did actually do a heroic job of trying to get us out. We were able to thrash backwards and forwards all we wanted – however

4x4 18/12/2020 11:41

PRODUCTS Ford Ranger Big Brake Kit Ad - Jan 2020 - UK.pdf

when you’re trapped in a pit whose entry and exit slopes are too steep for anything to be able to climb without the sort of momentum it takes a serious run-up to achieve, it’s questionable whether any tyre would have been able to fetch us out.

Would we have made it out on a similarly sized Simex-style pattern?

Maybe, if it was down at about 10psi and we had a front locker to go with the one in the back that was already failing to help. Just maybe, though.

It looked a lot like the pit we were in had been dug out by people giving it death while using exactly that kind of tyre, so we wouldn’t have fancied our chances of breaking free with anything less than our winch, which in the end was exactly what we did.

We managed to get stuck again shortly afterwards, this time by perching the Cruiser on its chassis while crossing a crest at 45 degrees and pausing to pull a showy rooster for the camera. Pride comes before a fall, and all that.

Show it real mud, nonetheless, and a Bighorn will gobble it up. Its pattern self-cleans very effectively at everyday getting-about speeds and, when you need to get on the loud pedal, they spin their way through with real confidence. It’s rare to feel as if you’ve left it to luck.

Similarly, they work very well in general woodland conditions. Here, what you want is a tyre that won’t go sideways at a moment’s provocation – and the old-school tread pattern, combined with heavy-set shoulders, provide plenty of reassuring stability. Again, that’s at road-going pressures; air them down and it the same again, only more so.

1

28/01/2020

17:31

Even without opening the valves, the self-cleaning tread means you don’t end up with four large slick balls of mud rotating pointlessly on the ends of your axles unless WITH PEDDERS TRAKRYDER EXTREME BRAKE KITS you drive into the sort of conditions which mean that frankly, you deserve it. Which is exactly what we BRAKE KITS had already done by now, of course.

Anyway, we found that these tyres grip very well when you’re clawing your way around on torque alone, kind of like cogwheels in the ground, and when you need to spin them to get up a slithery hill they resist the urge to show you what they think of you by going sideways towards the nearest tree.

They’re also very civilised on the road, where their grip is as good as anything else in the mud-terrain For the discerning driver who is particular about how Features: category and noise levels on the • Stainless steel braided hoses. eXtreme Brake Kit. motorway barely rise above what • 10 slot and dimpled TrakRyder geomet coated rotors The braking results are staggering with the inclusion of a 14”/356mm diameter (OE 11.85”/301mm). larger 6 pot caliper design, high tech TrakRyder eXtreme you’d expect in a standard vehicle.

• TrakRyder eXtreme Kevlar Ceramic low dust brake pads. kevlar ceramic pads mated with a 10 slot dimpled and • TrakRyder eXtreme 6 pot design caliper brackets and geomet coated larger diameter rotor.

Talking of the motorway, this is bolts.

Bigger braking surface means bigger stopping power. With • 6 Pot, 2 piece aluminium forged calipers. the fitment of the all new Pedders TrakRyder eXtreme brake normally where your mud-bashing • High grade alloy steel brake pad insulators. kit, independent Australian Engineering tests reflected an VDEG.ad.4x4.mag.Dec.2020.qxp_Layout 1 31/10/2020 12:11 Page 1 average improvement in braking distance by up to 14%. antics come back to bite you on the • Stainless steel pistons.

Specialising in Suspension solutions since 1950 way home when your wheels shake like crazy thanks to all the mud For further information go to www.pedders.co.uk 01296 711 044 or please contact your local Pedders experts. info@pedders.co.uk throwing them out of balance – but for whatever reason, this simply didn’t happen on the Bighorns.

When a tyre comes on as strong as the Bighorn, with its look-atme tread and huge raised white lettering, you sort of expect it to be all fur coat and no knickers. But this is actually a tough, dependable, no-nonsense bit of kit that’s right at Used by home on an everyday lane wagon.

Special Forces instructors ... in UK and US Maxxis is better known for more extreme tyres – but when you’re thinking of those go-to brands for a compromise pattern, the MT-764 is well worth putting on your radar too.

BIG BRAKING PERFORMANCE!

ADJUSTABLE 4X4 SUSPENSION

C

M

Y

CM

MY

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K

Stainless steel abutments.

* Independent Australian engineering test results proved that at 100kmh the TrakRyder eXtreme Brake Kit system upgrade stopped on average 11m sooner than original

distances are reduced by 21%. This kit is suited for 18” wheels or larger. Further details available in store and on our website. Suits Ford Ranger PX & PXII Models.

See the light ... NOW !

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Available now.

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4x4 Scene Feb IN PROGRESS.indd 21

FEBRUARY 2021 | 21

18/12/2020 11:41

PRODUCTS

HEAVY-DUTY UNDERSHIELD JOINS BRITPART RANGE OF GENUINE ACCESORIES FOR NEW DEFENDER SPECIALIST 4X4 VEHICLE DISMANTERS JEEP - LAND ROVER SPECIALIST 4X4 VEHICLE DISMANTERS AND MOST MAKES AND MODELS JEEP LAND ROVER QUALITY GUARANTEED USED PARTS AND MOST MAKES AND MODELS QUALITY GUARANTEED PARTS SOME OF THE VEHICLESUSED WE HAVE RECENTLY DISMANTLED: SOME OF THE VEHICLES WE HAVE RECENTLY DISMANTLED:

20012015 JEEPJEEP WRANGLER JK CHEROKEE XJ 2.8CRD

2015 JEEP WRANGLER JK 2.8CRD

2007 DODGE 2018 JEEP NITRO 2.8CRD RENEGADE 2007 DODGE NITRO 2.8CRD

2014 RANGE 2016 2006 JEEP 2011 ISUZU ISUZU ROVER SPORT 4.4 D-MAX 2.5 DIESEL WRANGLER TJ RODEO V8 DIESEL 2014 RANGE 2016 ISUZU ROVER SPORT 4.4 D-MAX 2.5 DIESEL V8 DIESEL

2016 RANGE 2008 NISSAN ROVER EVOQUE PATHFINDER 2.0 TD4 2016 RANGE ROVER EVOQUE 2.0 TD4

2014 2010 JEEP CHEROKEE MK5 MITSUBISHI L200 KL 2.0 MULTIJET 2014 JEEP CHEROKEE MK5 KL 2.0 MULTIJET

JEEP 2007 LAND HONDA 20152010 RANGE 2012ROVER 2008 2013 TOYOTA CHEROKEE MK4 DISCOVERY 3 2.7 CRV 2.2 CDTI ROVER EVOQUE MITSUBISHI ASX HILUX KK 2.8JEEP CRD 2007 LAND TDV6ROVER 2010 CHEROKEE MK4 DISCOVERY 3 2.7 KK 2.8 CRD TDV6

2008 HONDA CRV 2.2 CDTI

2006 NISSAN 2006 JEEP 2006 JEEP GRAND 2015 LAND 2004 JEEP CHEROKEE WK PATHFINDER 2.5 GRAND GRAND 5.7 V8 HEMI ROVER DCI 2006 JEEP GRAND 2006 NISSAN DISCOVERY CHEROKEE WK CHEROKEE WJ CHEROKEE WK PATHFINDER 2.5 Charlton Recycled Auto Parts SPORT DCI 5.7 V8 HEMI Vehicle Recycling Centre, Gravel Pit Hill, Thriplow, Cambridge, SG8 7HZParts Charlton Recycled Auto Tel 01223Gravel 832656Pit Hill, Thriplow, Vehicle Recycling Centre, Email parts@charltonautoparts.co.uk Cambridge, SG8 7HZ PLEASE VISIT WWW.CHARLTONAUTOPARTS.CO.UK Tel 01223 832656 Email parts@charltonautoparts.co.uk PLEASE VISIT WWW.CHARLTONAUTOPARTS.CO.UK

22 | FEBRUARY 2021

Scene Feb IN PROGRESS.indd 22

IF YOU’VE GOT a new Defender, you’re probably quite keen not to damage it.

You know, by taking it off-road or something mad like that.

I know, right? But sooner or later, someone’s bound to give it a try.

When they do, they may turn out to be glad that before they slipped the lever into low (lever, ha ha ha, our little joke with you), they invested in Britpart’s new Front Undershield. This is suitable for the 90 and 110 alike, so there really is no excuse.

Made from 5mm anodised aluminium, the undershield protects the lower bumper area and radiator from the sort of impacts that can happen when you’re driving off-road. Its structure provides plenty of strength – and this is backed up by the mounting assembly, which adds further reinforcement when the whole unit goes into place.

Equally important when you’re off-roading is what happens when you get stuck. Obviously in the case of the new Defender, what happens when you get stuck is that someone does a video on their phone and by the time you get home it’s been shared all over Facebook so everyone can say I told you so, but first you have to get home. Which isn’t happening while you’re still stuck. So the good news is that even with the shield in place, you still get easy access to the vehicle’s recovery loop.

Prices vary from dealer to dealer, but you needn’t expect a lot of change out of £700 once the VAT man has been paid off. You can find out more at www.britpart.com.

ALSO FROM BRITPART is this new Mini-Bin Buddy from Navigator. Designed to take 32-litre bags, this measures 250 x 290 x 400mm and folds completely flat when not in use.

When erected on its frame, the unit has a heavy-duty sealed lining for moisture protection and, most important of all, a hard moulded lid with fastening to keep nasty smells locked in.

You can sniff it out it by visiting www.britpart.com

4x4 18/12/2020 11:43

Untitled-1 1

15/12/2020 12:51:04

PRODUCTS

Mitsubishi L200 joins fitment list for Ironman’s Pro

our Freeland

SPAIR! T he Mitsubishi L200 may be living on borrowed time in the UK, now the Japanese manufacturer has announced that it’s preparing

to withdraw from the European market. But the good news is that Ironman has launched a version of its long-travel Foam Cell Pro suspension kits and Pro-Forge upper

control arms for vehicles that are already here.

These go together to create a 2” suspension lift whose components have all been designed to work

together as a package. The shocks in the system have a 65mm body, which Ironman says makes them the largest on the market – adding that ‘Foam Cell Pro suspension provides more lift, more wheel travel and greater off-road endurance,’ as well as ‘long travel and greater durability no matter the conditions.’

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We are specialists in reconditioned: We •are specialists • Rear Differentials Transfer Boxes in reconditioned: Same Day Service • Rear Differentials • Transfer Boxes To get you back on the road • Viscous Coupling Units (VCU) • Haldex We Units are just a phone call or email away• and here to help • Viscous Coupling Units (VCU) Haldex Units

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sue@freelanderspecialist.com | FEBRUARY 2021 24www.freelanderspecialist.com

FreelanderSpecialist.indd 1

Scene Feb IN PROGRESS.indd 24

31/07/2020 11:17

www.rlgtyres.co.uk

4x4 18/12/2020 11:43

PRODUCTS

range of heavy-duty suspension products

Using twin-tube construction and foam cell technology (there’s a clue in the name), the shocks also have 45mm pistons with a 20mm rod. The bodies’ wall thickness is similarly hefty 3mm – safe to say these things are made to last. ‘Well suited to trades, fleet and serious off-roaders,’ comments Ironman, with what could be called a degree of understatement.

4x4 Scene Feb IN PROGRESS.indd 25

Made from high-strength alloy, the Pro-Forge Upper Control arms are designed to correct the front wheels’ alignment once the 2” suspension lift is in place. This means the vehicle will still drive the way Mitsubishi intended, allowing up to 4° of caster correction and improving the operating angle of the ball joints – while also leaving more clearance for larger tyres, allowing you to make the most of the lift.

The arms come with brackets already installed for mounting sensor wires and brake hoses, as well as integrated bump stops complete with removable trim packers for high-lift applications.

Going back to the shock absorbers around which the kit is based, these aren’t adjustable but they are available in three different set-ups, each with its own unique compression and rebound settings.

The first of these, called Comfort, is for lightly accessorised vehicles and/or drivers wanting a soft ride;

Performance is for moderately accessorised vehicles and what Ironman calls a ‘versatile’ ride; and Professional is for heavily accessorised vehicles and delivers a ‘strong, controlled ride.’

Safe to say the days when you used to get maximum spring travel by just throwing on a set of old Range Rover shock absorbers with all the seals taken out are now well and truly in the past…

Ironman’s equipment is made to comply with Australian Design Rules (ADR), meaning it’s road-legal Down Under but, more importantly up here, that it’s pukka kit you can trust to look after you. Which is the kind of kit we like. Don’t expect

it to be cheap, but do expect it to be waiting for you when you pay a visit to www.ironman4x4.com.

FEBRUARY 2021 | 25

18/12/2020 11:43

DRIVEN

TOYOTA HILUX

New 2.8-litre engine moves Hilux into 200bhp class – and comes with wide-ranging updates to steering, suspension and interior as Toyota takes aim at the lifesyle market FIRST DRIVE Hilux Invincible X

W

e will never soften the Hilux,’ said the spokesman from Toyota. And the world breathed a sigh of relief, because we’ve had quite enough of tough vehicles being turned into costume jewellery.

What we’ve not had enough of, clearly, is double-cabs being turned into lifestyle wagons. Because the market for premium one-tonners continues to thrive – and, as the Mercedes X-Class found to its cost, it continues to prefer well known pick-up brands.

And they don’t come any better known than the Hilux. Five years ago, Land Rover got excited about building its two millionth Defender: today, Toyota is on about ten times that many Hiluxes, in not much more than two-thirds of the time.

So, this is a very relevant vehicle.

It hasn’t ever quite hit the heights in Britain, though, because first Mitsubishi, then Nissan and then Ford were always doing a better job of building tart-spec trucks. And also because Toyota has always had a tendency to be conservative with its engines.

That looked set to change when the previous model, which had launched with a torquey but

unspectacular 2.5 D4-D unit, gained an altogether more exciting 3.0-litre job which, with the aid of a chip, could sing out 200bhp – the first in the UK to do so. But then along came the current one, which Toyota proudly said would be much more SUV-like, and they went and did it again. The 2.4-litre engine is fine, as far as it goes, but mate it to an auto box and you won’t have gone very far before you start wondering where the rest of the power is.

The company is keen to point out that its trucks account for around 40% of the 150bhp pick-up market.

But for people who want more than that, its lifestyle models lack the oomph that helped put the Ford

The existing 2.4-litre engine remains in most versions of the Hilux, but the new 2.8 becomes an option on the Invincible and standard issue on the Invincible X. Pity it’s not available lower down, because it would be perfectly suited to heavy towing and carrying

26 | FEBRUARY 2021

3pp Hilux.indd 26

4x4 18/12/2020 00:22

Updates to the Hilux’s cabin are highlighted by the all-new infotainment system. Tidily mounted on the dashboard, this runs software for smartphone pairing as well as a range of other functions – it’s a big step forward over the old model. Hill descent control should never be required, but it’s good to see that a rear diff-lock is retained

Ranger and Volkswagen Amarok in pole position.

You wouldn’t expect the world’s biggest car maker to be stuck for an answer to this problem. And here is that answer. From now on, the lifestyle models in the Hilux range will be available with a 2.8-litre engine giving them 201bhp and up to 369lbf.ft.

The new engine is available in manual and automatic form. So far, we’ve had the opportunity to drive the latter on the road and the former on some fairly testing off-road terrain, and in each case the Hilux acquitted itself well.

On the road first, it accelerates with a solid, steady pull and doesn’t run out of revs. The engine never

3pp Hilux.indd 27

has to strain to keep the auto box wound up, making it far more relaxing to drive than any other Hilux we’ve experienced. It’s quieter, too, with so many fewer revs being necessary, and the inlet manifold has been reshaped to minimise vibration – with results that are clearly evident at all speeds.

Toyota has also reduced the engine’s idle speed, and this helps give you an exceptional level of control off-road. Given the grip, you could drive it up a lamp-post and down the other side, so confidently does it crawl in low range. In fact, part of the test route included a lengthy set of ‘elephant’s footprints’ created to lift alternate wheels several feet off the ground – and

we drove the whole thing without touching the throttle once. Long, steep hills were conspicuous by their absence, but we saw nothing to suggest they would make the Hilux break a sweat. The engine’s torque (just the 310lbf.ft in manual models, but delivered at 1400rpm instead of the auto’s 1600) is ever-present but never over-eager, and the clutch and gearbox are a pleasure to operate.

The Hilux is more comfortable, too, both on and off the road.

Toyota says that for the first time, it tuned its rear leaf springs with the vehicle unladen, and the result is a ride which, while not entirely free of low-level pattering on rough and corrugated roads, is well controlled

and largely unfussy. Certainly, there’s never any sign of harshness through the suspension.

There’s also a new variable-flow power steering system which gains weight, and therefore feel, at higher speeds and lightens up around town and off-road. Without specifically noticing this in action, it’s certainly there in the confidence within which the Hilux handles and the ease with which is can be palmed around tight off-road course.

You always feel engaged when driving the new vehicle, whether on or off-road. It’s well suited to a spirited thrash on B-roads, should you want to bring all that power to bear, and whether you’re cruising on the motorway or working your

18/12/2020 00:22

DRIVEN The Invincible X model is marked out by a pronounced black styling kit featuring a range of body enhancements to the front, side and rear. It certainly works to make the range-topper look different to the rest

way around a quarry there’s a permanent feeling of there being plenty in reserve. As we said above, that’s not the case when you mate the 2.4-litre engine to an automatic box – but between the strength of the new unit and the added suppleness, poise and control in the new chassis, it’s now a vehicle whose composure in all conditions is top-drawer.

It’s much better in the cabin, too, thanks in particular to the new multimedia system that’s standard on all but the entry-level model.

Toyota has found itself playing catch-up in this area, but now it has caught up and, indeed, moved

28 | FEBRUARY 2021

3pp Hilux.indd 28

into the leading pack with a much improved installation featuring DAB, smartphone integration and, on the range-topping Invincible X, sat-nav. This model also gets a premium nine-speaker JBL stereo whose clarity of sound at maximum volume is matched only by just how unbelievably loud said maximum volume is.

The 2.8-litre engine is standard on the Invincible X and optional on the Invincible, in each case with the choice of manual or auto gearboxes. You can’t help but feel that the bigger unit would be well suited to lower spec models, too, given that they’re the ones most

likely to be used for heavyweight towing and carrying, but with the range structure the way it is it certainly does add something premium to those lifestyle trucks at the top of the tree.

And it’s entirely relevant to add that lifestyle trucks are apt to be used for heavy towing and carrying too. You just have to look at the kind of people who buy them – not so much office workers looking for a funky tax dodge as tradesmen and user-chooser professionals to whom a pick-up is first and foremost a tool. The fact that you can get one which doubles up so effortlessly as a family car is a

very welcome bonus – but that would be no use if it didn’t have the same school-of-hard-knocks underpinnings as the vehicles you see going about in utility company liveries or carrying access platforms on the back.

Which is where the Hilux scores.

Because people believe in what its name stands for, and Toyota knows that. They’ll never soften the Hilux, remember – and they know perfectly well what would happen if they tried.

After all, you can turn a crocodile into a handbag. But first you have to kill it. And the Toyota Hilux, it feels very plain to see, will never die.

4x4 18/12/2020 00:23

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DRIVEN

ISUZU D-MAX

All-new D-Max strives to retain the existing model’s appetite for hard work – while also appealing more to buyers at the top end of the market FIRST DRIVE D-Max V-Cross

A

couple of months from now, the all-new Isuzu D-Max will go on sale in the UK. Replacing the current model, which has achieved no small measure of success since going on sale here in the middle of 2012, the newcomer promises a step change in design and quality

as Isuzu looks to make inroads into the premium sector of the double-cab market.

During its eight years on sale, the D-Max has given Isuzu a strong foothold in the business end of the market, with fleet and agricultural users particularly drawn to the no-nonsense virtues of its work-

spec models. In addition, the UK importer has developed a number of variants targeting specific niches such as the eye-catching XTR and AT35 and the excellent Huntsman, whose specification was created to appeal to people who work and play in the countryside.

With this new model, Isuzu will take great care not to leave these core markets behind. However a much improved interior will give it the opportunity to go after high-end customers with renewed vigour – and there’s much about the truck itself to suggests that this approach will bear fruit.

As is currently the case, the UK range will be divided into three subranges – Business, All-Purpose and

Adventure. Within these, however, most models’ names will change – as will their kit lists, which Isuzu says will feature ‘an incredible amount of additional equipment on all variants.’

Models within the Business range will continue to be called Utility, and this spec will be available in Single, Extended and Double-Cab form.

All will have steel wheels – 16” in diameter on the Single-Cab and 18” elsewhere. Bluetooth, DAB and adjustable lumbar support are all standard, as are air-con and cruise control, and a hugely improved safety specification includes autonomous emergency braking, traffic sign recognition and lane departure warning.

The 1.9-litre diesel engine from the current D-Max lives on in the new one, albeit tuned to meet Euro 6 emissions standards.

It appears usefully smoother and quieter, too, adding to an air of refinement that’s noticeable throughout the vehicle

30 | FEBRUARY 2021

3pp Road Tests Feb D-Max.indd 30

4x4 18/12/2020 00:24

The interior of the new D-Max is a step change from the current model, with a much slicker dash design and an impressive combination of controls and material quality. In particular, the media offering in the top-speccer seen here is light years ahead. The seats are excellent, too; the brown leather won’t be available on UK models, which probably won’t ruin your day, but the news that knee room in the rear remains as good as ever might feasibly make it

The All-Purpose range will include two new trim levels, called DL20 and DL40. These names refer to the fact that they are the first D-Max models to come here with a locking rear differential – which promises to make them among the very best off-road pick-ups on the market.

The DL20, which is available in Extended and Double-Cab form, also gains 18” alloy wheels, front fogs, heated seats and rear parking sensors, as well as an improved stereo. Move up to DL40 and the list grows to include LED lights, electric seats, dual-zone climate, front parking sensors, rear-view camera and a media system with smartphone pairing through a 7” multi-function touch screen. This model is highlighted by a variety of chrome styling details.

At the top of the range, at least for launch, the new V-Cross model trades the DL40’s chrome for a gunmetal finish to the grille, mirrors, door handles, side steps and alloys, while the stereo gains more speakers and the media screen grows to 9”. If Isuzu follows the path it trod with the current D-Max, as well as the Rodeo before it, the range will continue to expand upwards as time goes on.

4x4 3pp Road Tests Feb D-Max.indd 31

The model driven here, in an exclusive early preview on UK roads, is to all intents and purposes a V-Cross. Isuzu says it’s close to UK spec, but not 100% identical; most notably, the brown leather seen in our pictures won’t be available here, which is unlikely to break many people’s hearts.

The seats beneath the leather look superb, with big, pronounced bolsters like those of a wing chair.

We didn’t get long enough in them to be able to deliver a definitive verdict on how supportive they are on a cross-country journey, but they’re certainly comfortable to

settle in to. You sit slightly lower to the floor than in the old model, though the driving position is no less convincing and both head and leg room are excellent.

As with the previous generation D-Max, knee room in the back is well above average for a doublecab. Headroom is not outstanding, but by no means does it disgrace the vehicle either.

Moving back to the driver’s seat, the steering wheel looks and feels great and the facia is dominated by a superb touch-screen (the full 9” job in this case) which is basically like a horizontal

tablet mounted in the dash. Its appearance is top-class – as is that of the analogue switches and buttons lined up beneath it. The impression is entirely premium, and convincingly so.

It’s also convincingly truck-like, thanks to a dash assembly that’s rich in hard, wipe-clean plastic. The upper section is trimmed in leather, as are the door cards, which doesn’t detract from the overall image of a vehicle built to do a job – though this in turn doesn’t make its cabin any less impressive to look at.

From the limited amount of time we were able to spend behind the

FEBRUARY 2021 | 31

18/12/2020 00:24

DRIVEN

Top V-Cross model, pictured here, will be picked out from the rest of the range by various gunmetal styling cues wheel, it’s equally as impressive to drive. The 1.9-litre diesel engine is basically the same as the unit in the current model; it’s tuned for lower emissions, but the main difference we noticed was how much smoother and quieter it is.

The automatic gearbox, which will be optional on higher-spec models, is every bit as refined as the engine, too. It changes almost imperceptibly under normal driving inputs, though we didn’t manage to unearth anything significant in the way of extra get-up-and-go by kicking it down.

The feeling of refinement continues in to the suspension, with a smooth, composed ride on typically rough and bumpy urban

32 | FEBRUARY 2021

3pp Road Tests Feb D-Max.indd 32

roads. Its steering feels natural and pleasingly accurate at higher speeds while remaining both light and full of feel around town, making it a very easy truck to drive, and there’s a steady, planted stability on the motorway that’s not upset by fast lane changes.

We haven’t yet had the chance to drive the D-Max off-road. We know from experience that Isuzu’s trucks tend to be very good in this area, however, and the arrival of a rear locker promises to make this one better than ever.

That and many other questions will be answered in the next couple of months, when the D-Max finally arrives here in production form.

It will be the first of three big

new model introductions due in 2021, with the Ford Ranger and Volkswagen Amarok set to follow soon after, so Isuzu will be thrown

straight into a battle. On the basis of what we’ve seen so far, It’s one which the company is better equipped than ever to fight.

Pricing Full pricing for the new D-Max is yet to be announced. Isuzu’s UK importer has, however, given us advance information about what the top models will cost – suggesting that across the range, overall prices will only increase slightly compared to the outgoing model. These prices are: Model

Basic

OTR (inc VAT)

DL40 V-Cross

£28,929 £30,429

£35,634.80 £37,434.80

Auto extra: £1500 + VAT

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DRIVEN

SSANGYONG MUSSO LWB

High-value pick-up gains an intriguing range-topper with a longer wheelbase, extended rear overhang and… leaf springs ON TEST SsangYong Musso Rhino LWB

I

t’s a couple of years now since the current SsangYong Musso came to the UK. A traditional double-cab blended with the SUV-derived amenities of SsangYong’s exceptional Rexton, it boasts the Korean manufacturer’s usual selling points of a long spec sheet, low purchase price and hardto-ignore warranty.

The latter, which covers the vehicle for seven years or 150,000 miles, is far and away the best on the market. And these are not the only impressive numbers surrounding the Musso. In models with automatic transmission (which accounts for the bulk of them), it will tow 3500kg and carry a 1000kg payload – at the same time.

SsangYong claims very proudly that it’s the only pick-up in the UK which can do this.

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There’s also the number which, many would say, matters most of all. This is of course the Musso’s price. SsangYong has moved on from the days when it sold questionable vehicles at bargainbucket prices, but value for money is still at the heart of what the company offers. The base-spec Musso EX is priced from £21,676, and that money gets you a doublecab with air-con, DAB, Bluetooth and alloy wheels.

We’re at the other end of the range here, though. The Rhino LWB costs £29,676 at list (£35,931 including VAT on the road) – that’s well below average for a rangetopping pick-up, albeit not so far below the competition as to look detached. Reassuringly expensive without being actually expensive, you might say.

Arriving in the UK just as we all went in to our first lockdown, the Rhino LWB is the most recent addition to the Musso range. Leaf springs rather than coils on its back axle, combined with a unique load bed, allow it to run the same chassis but with a 4.5” longer

wheelbase and a 9” longer rear overhang. As a result, the 1.3-metre loadspace that’s standard on the rest of the range becomes 1.61 metres here.

It’s also equipped with an automatic gearbox as standard, along with a spec list that reads

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The Musso’s cabin borrows its styling and materials from the Rexton SUV, with a leather-faced trim element running the whole way across a facia whose highlight is an excellent infotainment module. Everything from the seating position to the multi-function steering wheel appears well thought out, and built quality is rock solid. There’s very little here to suggest that the truck was done to a budget like something straight out of a premium manufacturer’s sales brochure – nappa leather upholstery, powered, heated and cooled front seats, heated rear seats, all-round parking sensors and a 9.2” media system with sat-nav, smartphone pairing and a high-res reversing camera. Interestingly, while mid-range Mussos have 18” alloys, the Rhino goes back down to 17” – the same size as the EX, which backs up SsangYong’s positioning of it as a serious

working tool as well as a high-spec form of personal transport.

CABIN AND PRACTICALITY None of this kit would count for much if it was cheap tat in a poor quality cabin. Various budget manufacturers have been down that route in the past, but there’s not a sniff of any such behaviour in the Musso. It’s very well screwed

together, with a minimum of creaks and groans from the dash panel and floor console, and while some of the materials are hard to the touch they all have a feel of quality and robustness to them.

While it would be misleading simply to call the Musso a Rexton pick-up, the two vehicles are closely related and do bear many similarities to each other – especially in the cabin. The truck’s dash layout is very SUV-like in both its design and its trim, with a leather

panel stretching across much of its width and an eye-catching carbonlook passenger’s airbag cover. The multi-function steering wheel looks sporty and functional at the same time, and that 9.2” media screen looks like it belongs – it’s integrated into the facia, not fixed on top of it.

The seats’ nappa leather does pass muster as being worthy of the name, too. It’s not as soft and sumptuous as you get on some vehicles, but considering this is a work truck they feel as classy

Legroom at the front is excellent – and it’s good in the back, too. All it takes is for the driver to yield a couple of inches and you’ll get one six-footer comfortably ensconed ahead of another. Headroom is exceptional, too, and the seats’ nappa leather trim is as classy as anything you’ll find in the pick-up market. The seats are heated and cooled, too, and have a wide range of electric adjustment up front

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DRIVEN as anything in the market. Their three-way heating and cooling is very welcome, too, as is eightway electric control with four-way lumbar adjust on the driver’s side.

You can certainly get comfortable nice and easily, and it stays that way even on a long journey.

The driving position is excellent, with loads of room in every direction and an excellent view all-round – aided by that reversing camera, as well as front and rear parking sensors, though even without them the view over your shoulder is among the clearest we’ve seen in a modern pick-up. The A-posts don’t obscure your view unduly, and though the edges of the bonnet rise up very slightly they don’t stop you positioning the vehicle accurately when manoeuvring or picking your way around off-road.

Knee room in the back is above average, though with the front seat all the way back a tall adult will be pressed against it. The driver only needs to give a couple of inches, however, for one six-footer to be able to sit behind another – and here, too, headroom is exceptional.

The privacy glass that’s standard on this model makes it a little gloomy in the back, but the waistline is low enough for there still to be plenty of glass around you.

There’s plenty of stowage space, too, with an excellent cubby box and good big door pockets as well as a handy bin on top of the dash giving you a useful set of spaces for your bits and pieces. And for the

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SsangYong’s familiar 2.2-litre diesel engine works well with the Rhino’s standard auto box to keep a steady flow of torque available at all times. It pulls well and doesn’t raise its voice unduly even when worked hard big stuff, that 1.61-metre pick-up bed has an awful lot of capacity.

A tailgate damper would seem in keeping with such an otherwise comprehensive kit list, though, so its absence comes across as an oversight – albeit not one that’s by any means unique to SsangYong.

DRIVING We normally prefer our pick-ups to be manual, but in the case of the Musso it’s the other way round. The

stick-shifter found lower down the range is not the slickest thing in the world – however the auto that’s optional elsewhere and standard on the Rhino is very well suited to the 2.2-litre diesel engine, whose 181bhp and 310lbf.ft are pleasingly accessible throughout the rev range.

Maximum torque is yours from 1600-2600rpm, and with the auto doing the work for you it’s easy to keep the engine spinning in its sweet spot – whereupon it pulls

with an assertive, linear certainty.

It’s not lightning fast, but your speed builds like a swell on the tide and even with a heavy load on board or a big old trailer behind you, it’ll still pull strongly.

It’s not loud, either, even when the pedal goes all the way down – in fact the engine has a nice, smooth note when you can hear it at all.

There’s a touch of vibration through the pedals, and also through the floor when you blip the throttle, but no so you’ll notice it without making a conscious effort. Overall, it’s not the most refined pick-up on the market – but, given that it IS a truck, when all’s said and done, there’s little to criticise about it.

Similarly, it rides a little fussily and skips a bit here on there on poorly surfaced urban roads – but once again, only to a degree that will upset you if you can’t understand why a truck should be different to a 5 Series BMW. There’s a bit of thumping when you hit major bumps or holes in the road; again, there are other trucks that retain their composure better in these situations, but compared to even the best of them the percentages are small enough for few people to notice them as part of the bigger picture.

It rides and handles nice and smoothly on A and B-roads, too, with good body control and steering that’s well tuned to the vehicle’s

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weight. You don’t need to be making endless micro-adjustments to the wheel on dual-carriageways, either, so it’s pleasingly settled as a cruiser. Wind and road noise do pipe up quite significantly once you reach a typical motorway speed, but not intrusively enough to prevent normal conversation.

Off-road, the Musso’s tractability is already well known. The aforementioned 17” alloys wear 235/70R17 tyres, which is a sensible enough size and allows plenty of options for fitting a more focused tread pattern should that be your thing, and even on the standard Nexen rubber we found it impressively sure-footed in the wet

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and sloppy conditions of a typical British November.

Its manoeuvrability is little changed by the longer wheelbase, either, and similarly there’s no apparent loss of rear axle travel that can be ascribed to the change from the standard coils to this model’s leaf springs. The Rhino LWB is 105kg heavier than a comparable standard-length model, however, and at times it did feel as if it was having to work harder to haul itself through energy-sapping conditions such as when fording deep water.

The longer rear overhang is clearly going to be a limiting factor, too. SsangYong quotes a departure angle that’s only two degrees worse

than the standard model, but we found ourselves sitting it down on more benign looking ground than that would account for. Our test vehicle did have a towbar fitted, which obviously takes a big bite out of the available space under

there – though of course this is an accessory that the vast majority of Mussos will share. It’s not something that should be a dealbreaker, but you should certainly be aware of it if this model is ticking a lot of your pick-up boxes.

★★★★✩

SsangYong Musso Rhino LWB Adds something worthwhile to a truck that already had more to it than just value for money The Musso was already a very good truck, and the Rhino LWB gives if a worthwhile new dimension. It retains everything that makes the standard model what it is and adds a dollop of extra utility on top. Don’t be put off by those leaf springs, either – if anything, its extra weight makes this the best-riding example of what is the most SUV-like truck you can buy

18/12/2020 00:21

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MUSSO FROM £22,355*

LOOK WHAT WE’VE PICKED UP NEW MUSSO

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CAR OF THE YEAR 2020

Pick-up Less than £28,000

SSANGYONG MUSSO & NEW MUSSO RHINO LWB BEST PICK-UP SsangYong Musso

The fully loaded 4x4 pickup, now featuring the longest load bed in its class.

Fuel consumption figures in mpg: Combined 31.4-35.8. CO2 emissions in g/km 235-211. Models featured are a Musso Saracen at £27,930 ex. VAT, and a Musso Rhino LWB at £30,930 ex.

VAT inc. optional metallic paint at £575 ex VAT. *Including delivery charge, Vehicle Excise Duty & First Registration Charge, ex VAT. †Figure shown is based on Musso Saracen manual. To qualify for discount, you must be a member of an accredited agriculture, country profession or country pursuits organisation, a member of an accredited building and construction organisation or a front line worker including NHS, care home workers, and blue light organisations. Requires proof of membership/affiliation – check with a dealer for more details. Offer available until 31st March 2021. Cannot be used in conjunction with any other SsangYong affiliation scheme including BASC, Ringlink Scotland, NFU Scotland, Mole Valley and the Caravan and Motorhome Club free towbar offer. Warranty covers 7 years or 150,000 miles. Prices are correct at the time of going to print but may be modified or changed at any time.

SSA010031 MUSSO 4x4_1712 V2.indd 1

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Every breath Oxygen is Arkonik’s name for the latest wholly manufactured Land Rover 110 to emerge from its production facility in Somerset. Combining subtle off-road enhancements with a level of luxury that puts it in a class of its own, it’s another example of what you get at the very top of the Defender market. It’s an heirloom vehicle with a build spec to savour – even if its paint colour looks an awful lot better than it sounds…

Words: Dan Fenn Pictures: Arkonik

H

e’s out there. Somewhere. Somewhere in the world, nobody knows where. But he’s out there.

Perhaps he’s reading this. Perhaps not. But somewhere, somewhere out there in the world, is the man who thought it would be a good idea to name a paint colour Fungus Green.

Wherever he is, we should all be grateful that when Land Rover needed a name for that brown

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you take

colour Defenders used to come in, he was nowhere nearby. It’s colloquially known as farmyard camouflage, because the stuff that comes out of cows doesn’t show up on it, but a name like Richard the Turd or something really would not have helped it become part of the vehicle’s legend.

Not that being called Fungus Green has prevented the shade you see on this 110 from, well, being on this 110. Which is saying something,

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because it’s one of the most beautiful Defenders ever built.

We can say this with confidence because it’s the latest Land Rover to come out of the Arkonik factory. The Somerset company last appeared in these pages just under a year ago after unveiling a stunning right-hand drive demonstrator which heralded its return to the UK market after several years of concentrating solely on North America;

it operates right at the top end of the restoration game, remanufacturing Defenders from scratch to unique customer specifications and with many improvements over the way Solihull built them first time round.

This latest work of four-wheeled art is called Oxygen. An eight-seat station wagon, it looks splendid in its sparkling green coat – there’s nothing fungal about it at all. There’s a bit of a

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Above: A superlative interior is very much at the heart of every Aronik build. This one features Vintage Thatch brown leather with diamond stitching to the seats, cubby box and door cards, brushed alloy gear knobs and a 15” Evander wood-rimmed steering wheel. There’s a matching brown suede headlining, and the dash is augmented by a Pioneer touch-screen media display with Apple CarPlay and a reversing camera monitor Below: Words like ’rebuilt’ and ‘reconditioned’ hardly touch the sides of what Arkonik does with its engines and gearboxes. For exporting to the USA, these need to be original to the vehicle, so replacing them is not an option. Instead, they’re dismantled back to ground zero and completely remanufactured from scratch

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Above left: KBX supplied its Hi-Force wing-top vents and Signature grille, including headlamp surrounds Above centre: 255/70R18 BFGoodrich KO2 All-Terrains are mounted on 18” Kahn Defend 1983 alloys, providing a very nice blend of subtlety, functionality and outright bling Above right: There are more eye-catching winch bumpers in the world, but on a vehicle like this that’s really not what you need to be going for. A standard bumper with end caps and DRLs looks nice and discreet, and provides the perfect home for a Warn Zeon 12-S rim-before-sidewall sense to its stance, with 255/70R18 BFG All-Terrains mounted on a set of tremendously eye-catching Kahn alloys, and up top a Slimline II roof rack from Front Runner adds an air of functional purpose.

This is enhanced still further by a front bumper carrying DRLs, an A-bar and a Warn Zeon 12-S winch. It looks like it’s ready for business but not as if it’s waiting to start a fight, the way some off-road prepped Defenders can. Along the sills, it’s trimmed in black chequer plate – something that tends to make us shudder, if only because of the number of people who think this somehow qualifies as armour, but when there’s also a set of Fire and Ice side steps looking after them you know the vehicle is in good hands.

Then you look inside, and you see that the vehicle hasn’t just been in good hands. It’s been in the hands of a master. Arkonik is known for the

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quality of its cabins, and for using the very best suppliers to ensure it stays that way – but even by its own heady standards, this one is something special. Vintage Thatch brown leather with a diamond-stitched finish is applied to the seats, cubby box and door cards, creating a sumptuous ambience that’s boosted hugely by a classic 15” wood-rimmed steering wheel. ‘Imitating nature,’ says Arkonik, ‘Oxygen’s interior is a heady mix of natural materials.’

Of course, materials don’t come any more natural than fungus, so there’s a theme running all the way through this 110. Even if the paint isn’t coloured using ACTUAL Fungus, you can still convince yourself that this glorious 110 is a force of nature rather than a man-made masterpiece.

And a masterpiece it is, from the detailing on the V8 engine to the trim in the cabin to the level of finish with which that Fungus Green has been

applied. We’d be very surprised indeed if the guy who named it, whoever he might be, ever thought it would grace a vehicle with such style.

And he’s out there, whoever he is. He’s out there somewhere. And maybe, just maybe, he’s reading this article and smiling to himself – because as it turns out, he was right all along.

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JURASSIC

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C JKU The original Jurassic Park movie was famous for starring a fleet of Jeep Wrangler YJs, and some dinosaurs. This eye-catching JKU is one man’s homage to those long-suffering old leafers – and it also happens to be his daily drive, off-road toy and future expedition truck, too…

Words: Paul Looe Pictures: Harry Hamm

I

f you’re into Land Rovers, it won’t have escaped your notice that every spanner man in the country has hit on the idea of building a Spectre 110 lookalike. The originals, when they come up, sell for enormous sums, and even a rough copy is likely to get lots of love.

It’s the same with Batmobiles, Bluesmobiles, Mad Max copies and so on. There’s something about cars from the movies that makes everyone flock to them.

Take this Jeep Wrangler JK Unlimited, for instance. When Damien Gallivan first picked it up from PB Customs, the leading expert in Raptor paint finishes, the first thing he did was stop for fuel. By the time he came back out after paying for the stuff, four people were stood around it taking photos on their phones.

Yet back then, it happened almost by accident.

‘I always wanted a Wrangler,’ explains Damien.

‘I bought this one two years ago, initially just to modify it and go off-road. I’m going to use it on green lanes, so I chose Raptor paint because of its robustness.’

You almost certainly know about Raptor by now. Made in Britain by U-Pol, it’s a tough, textured spray-on protective coating of the sort that used to be used solely for truck bedliners. A few years ago, someone hit on the idea of doing a full-body treatment with it, then it proved to be tintable in any colour under the sun and now here

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The stubby front bumper and Smittybilt Atlas rear unit are the stuff of hardcore rock-crawlers and trail rigs back home in the USA. Both are the sort of thing you’d expect to see on a Wrangler packing about 40” of rubber – though having said that, they certainly don’t look out of keeping with the Jurassic Park theme. After all, if you’re going to get chased down by a T-Rex you might as well do it in something with a decent bit of steel on the back of it we are with PB Customs doing pin-sharp using it for creative work including complex logos and graphics, flip colours and even finishes that glow in the dark.

So that kind of brought Damien and PB’s Paul Brown into a place where they were talking Raptor. He had already spotted one of the company’s previous creations, a Wangler known as Green Meany which we featured in these pages coming on for four years ago, and it was what encouraged him to seek Paul out.

How own JK, too, was painted in Jeep’s Rescue Green at the time, sporting one or two modifications but by and large quite standard.

‘I mentioned that one of my favourite movies of all time is Jurassic Park,’ Damien continues. ‘I said I liked the look of the Jeeps that were in the movie, and Paul said “yes, we can do that”.’

Now, the JK is not meant to be a slavish recreation of the vehicles that appeared on the

silver screen. They were 1993 YJs, for one thing, so a long-wheelbase coiler from the modern era is hardly going to do that. But Damien has an interesting take on the way his truck looks: ‘My idea was to imagine that I was doing work experience at Jurassic Park in 2016, and create the Jeep I might have driven there – not identical to the ones in the movie, but updated with the equipment that’s available now like the lights and so on.’

Talking of equipment, as we mentioned the JK found its way to Damien with some bits and pieces already in place. These included a Fox suspension kit which provides enough lift for the vehicle to accommodate the 34.5” height of its 315/70R17 Mickey Thompson Baja ATZ P3s.

You don’t have to look very far to find Wranglers on bigger rubber than that, but Damien says he has no intention of lifting it any further as already finds the ride quite unpleasant enough. If you’re

a hardcore off-roader, this is easier to comprehend in the context of his ultimate plans for the vehicle, which include a two-month overland trip to the Alps with his fiancee in what will be a ‘bedroom on wheels.’

In the meantime, this Wrangler is also his daily drive, so he’s just as focused on keeping it both civilised and presentable as he is on making it fit for purpose. Not that these things are mutually exclusive by any means.

Between now and his big trip, for example, he’ll be checking it back in to PB Customs for the full Dinitrol treatment underneath – something which, we’ve seen from experience, can take a tired old vehicle and turn it into something that looks as good as new. You can’t make solid metal out of deep-seated rot, obviously, but you can eliminate surface crustiness and protect even quite grotty metal from going over the edge – and by the time Paul’s team is finished with it, you can expect this

No eye-catching Jeep build would be complete without a snorkel to finish it off.

Though as it turns out, this one wasn’t complete until it got an eyeball-pleasing Raptor job all over it. Gunmetal alloys hold 33.4” tyres, with an impressive looking Fox suspension system giving it the height it needs. In pub ammo news, JP33 is the serial number for a Wrangler which never actually appeared in Jurassic Park – the five that did were labelled 10, 12, 14, 18 and 29

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There are resprays, and there are resprays. Here you can see the Wrangler as it was when it arrived with PB Customs – and, below, some of the stages as its original Rescue Green paint scheme came to be replaced by the work of Raptor art you see at the bottom of the page. Not the total absence of everything from the body and interior while it was being sprayed – PB’s Paul Brown says they ‘exploded’ the vehicle prior to masking it up, ensuring the sort of finish you associate with a factory paint shop

JK to be just as much of a show-stopper underneath as it is up top.

Also helping it catch the eye are a stubby front bumper with LED spots housed in it and a light bar on top, and a Smittybilt Atlas unit at the rear with a swing-away spare wheel carrier. Those Mickey T’s are wrapped around some extremely cool gunmetal alloys (Damien and Paul are currently debating whether these would look good painted red to match the original YJs from the movie or are better left alone), and there’s the inevitable snorkel as well as rear light guards and all-round recovery points in bright red.

So this is by no means a heavily modified vehicle, but it’s one which demonstrates what you can achieve with a Wrangler by adding a few select accessories alongside a bucketload of creative skill. And Damien is full of praise for Paul on this score, citing not just his technical knowledge but his eye for what works.

‘He knows his stuff,’ says Damien. ‘It was Paul who suggested that we should size up the logos on the doors. We were going to keep it the same size as the ones on the movie vehicles, but with this one being so much bigger we found that that worked much better.’

Again, this was never really intended to be a faithful replica – instead, it’s a contemporary homage to a classic original. Not that Damien is averse to the idea of faithful replicas. In fact, one of these days he plans to buy a YJ and do it up to be just that.

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He also told us that he’s going to rebuild a Toyota SR5 pick-up in the style of the one from Back to the Future. At which point we started getting into the idea and suggested the car from the Blues Brothers, which definitely put a twinkle in his eye too. Let’s just hope no-one ever mentions The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert in his presence, or he’s going to need a bigger driveway.

Not that Damien is only into motors from the movies. He’s also thinking about getting hold of an old XJ Cherokee and turning it into what would be a completely stripped-out off-road pick-up, something which ought to confirm to you that when it comes to 4x4s, we’re definitely talking about a Jeep man here.

Most of all, we’re talking about a man who appreciates what makes a vehicle right – not just to look at, but to drive. Having found PB Customs, Damien will be checking his JK back in there more than once in the coming months, not just for that Dinitrol treatment but for a variety of upgrades and refreshments that will, bit by bit, bring the rest of it up to the standard of its show-stopping paintwork.

There are Spectre 110s everywhere, after all.

But if you see a Jurassic Park JK when you’re out and about, you can be pretty sure it’s this one. It might not have such big tyres as those high-fashion Land Rovers, but it’s definitely got bigger teeth. In fact, you might even say it makes James Bond look like a bit of a dinosaur…

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A WORLD APART

Lamborghini’s first attempt at a 4x4was a V12-engined off-road behemoth that sold less than one unit a week. Exactly a quarter of a century after the LM002 went out of production, the legendary supercar maker was back in the SUV game with the Urus – and this time, the company had a smash hit on its hands. These two Lambos might be made in the same factory – but there’s a world of difference between them Words: Dan Fenn Pictures: Richard Hair

W

hen SUVs were first invented, no-one could have dreamt that one day, the most prestigious brands in the car industry would be building them. More than 25 years have passed since British car buyers were introduced to their first ‘soft-roader’ (the original Toyota RAV4, with no

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low box or beam axles to be seen) – and though luxury 4x4s were already a thing well before that, it seemed entirely inconceivable that one day the likes of Bentley, Maserati, Rolls-Royce and Aston Martin would be looking towards them for much-needed sales volume.

Not Lamborghini, though. Back in the mid-90s, there were other

reasons why it was inconceivable that Lamborghini would ever build an SUV. For one thing, Sant’Agata was known for the uncompromising obstinacy that saw it producing utterly focused, utterly outrageous hairy-chested supercars like the Countach and Diablo. And for another, it had already been there and done that.

Been there, done that… and very nearly totalled itself in the process.

When Lambo first hit on the idea of building an off-roader, the Range Rover was already almost a decade old. At a time when most sports car makers would never have countenanced doing such a thing, it developed a military prototype in a doomed attempt to win the US Army

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contract that eventually yielded the Hummer. Undeterred by the failure of the Cheetah, as the vehicle was originally known, that same obstinacy saw the company press ahead and turn it into the LM002 – a machine which might now be called the first ever super-SUV. As a business proposition, there was nothing super about it. Titanic

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development costs and minuscule sales saw to that (during its seven-year production run, they shifted less than one a week), and the LM002 is now seen as a prime culprit for the financial troubles that dogged Lamborghini for much of the eighties and nineties.

But it exists. An off-roader with a Countach V12 engine was actually

a thing. Unique, fantastical, rare beyond belief… but real.

Which, from a historical perspective, makes it very precious indeed.

The LM002 was produced between 1986 and 1993, when Lamborghini went back to concentrating on what it did best. But following the company’s purchase by the Volkswagen Group in 1998, a new era dawned in

its history – one which, most recently, saw it return to the SUV market in 2018 with the Urus.

There are premium 4x4s which existed before the LM002 and have been evolving ever since. But here we have something unique: a car maker that built an SUV in the eighties, left the market for a quarter of a century then returned. Nowhere else

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Lamborghini LM002 Originally conceived as a prototype built to try and win the US Army contract that eventually yielded the Hummer, the LM002 stretches credulity in every direction. Mainly, it’s just huge, from its 5.2-litre V12 engine to the 345/60R17 tyres that stand more than 33” tall – and help give it the towering ground clearance of a real off-roader.

Inside, this beautifully restored example has more light grey leather than we’ve ever seen in one place before. It’s not actually all that spacious, though, not least because the transmission tunnel is so wide it’s capable of straddling two time zones. And while the seating position is good, the view ahead is compromised horribly by the vast boxes jutting upwards the bonnet.

In the pick-up bed, there’s a huge cargo box which opens to reveal a carpeted interior – housing remote controls for the Vime winch. Yes, the winch. Not only did Lamborghini build the only V12 off-roader of its time, it built the only off-roader to come with a means of self-recovery as standard.

can the comparison between then and now be more stark.

To make things even more intriguing, we’re comparing the most outrageous 4x4 of its era with, well, the most outrageous 4x4 of its era. Both the same, then… however it’s hard to imagine two vehicles being similar but any more different than this.

In truth, that’s clear just by looking at them. The Urus has the snarling

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front end of a modern Lambo and the taut, poised stance of a coupe.

It sits tall on its 22” alloys but its styling and proportions make it look squat. It’s a Lamborghini in the way that makes people take pictures with their phone as you drive by.

The LM002 by contrast is bluff-fronted and slab-sided. There’s visual drama to it, sure, but it’s every inch a truck. Family resemblances to

other Lambos of the time, the Countach, Diablo and Jalpa, are zero, and but for the badge you’d never guess it came from the same stable as the yellow vision parked next to it. The Urus is one of those vehicles that looks like it’s going fast even when it’s stopped: the LM002 looks like it’s parked even when it’s going fast.

The other big difference, aside from the staggering angularity of the

LM002 when viewed from the side, is in the vehicles’ ground clearance.

The Urus has more than you think, but its styling disguises the fact – whereas the LM002 towers over the ground below it. The difference in overall height is actually only about 21cm, but on the LM’s 345/60R17 tyres, which stand at more than 33” tall, you might be forgiven for thinking it’s more like about three feet.

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Look beneath the LM002’s bonnet and you’re confronted with a true wonder of the world.

The 5.2-litre V12 from the Countach is a bellowing beast of a thing, and with a five-speed manual box whose clutch feels like a visit to the gym you definitely have to work to tame it. Lamborghni’s designers had their work cut out, too, simply to fit a bonnet over the top of it – and the result is a pair of boxes that obscure your view ahead far worse than the picture below makes it appear

There’s also the small matter of one vehicle being a coupe-SUV and the other a double-cab. Not that you’d expect the taxman to let you get away with claiming your VAT back on an LM002, but it did predate the arrival of the four-door Vauxhall Brava by around a decade.

Perhaps we should be comparing it to a Land Rover 127 instead…

And actually, when you clamber aboard the LM002 it probably does have more similarities to a Defender than to the Urus. Its dash panel is big, flat and held down by exposed fixings. Its switchgear looks like the nuclear button out of Dr Strangelove. The transfer case is controlled by two enormous levers beside your leg. The transmission tunnel is bigger than your spare room. It’s just fabulously, fabulously old fashioned, as eighties as Bananarama and as brutally functional as a Deltic.

Yet it’s also tremendously lavish.

That dash panel is finished in deep, rich oak veneer (actually, it looks

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like it might have been routed out of a 12mm plank, it’s so dense).

The floors are trimmed in a deep, soft carpet and the seats, doors and tranny tunnel are clad in swathes and swathes of delicately coloured leather.

Delicately coloured but, in places, applied to panels which are once again held on by exposed fixings.

It’s almost Heath Robinson in places (it took us a while to find the stereo, which is mounted in the roof console) but – and this is the strongest comparison yet to a Defender – that just adds to its charm.

Here, indeed, is an excerpt from our notes on the LM002, transcribed word for word: ’Almost reminiscent of Defenders that have been tarted up. It’s not that you can’t polish a turd, because it wasn’t a turd in the first place, but it’s so obviously a truck not a car. Kitchen sink leather and wood treatment that’s kind of all there was in the 80s, but on such a massive scale that it takes your breath away.

‘There is something delightful about it. Luxury not quite the word but largesse certainly is.’

And here’s an area in which, perhaps surprisingly, the LM002 and Urus hit similar notes. Today’s Lambo is packed full of top-quality materials – but rather than feeling luxurious as such, it’s like being in the world’s best equipped and most comfortable racing car.

The sports-style buckets are beautifully upholstered in leather and alcantara, superbly supportive and exceptionally comfortable, and the quality of the interior is as evident as the attention to detail all around it – some of which carries wonderfully evocative nods to the days of totally analogue racing cars. It’s beautiful to look at and beautiful to touch, from the finish on the steering wheel to the haptic controls on what is a magnificent infotainment package.

Here, in fact, is another word-forword transcription from our notes, this time on the Urus: ‘Falls together

perfectly. As convincing as any interior we’ve seen.’

That’s definitely not something you could say about the LM002.

Charming it may be, but convincing it isn’t. All the leather and wood in the world (which is approximately how much it feels like there is in here) doesn’t change that.

Make no mistake, it is very wonderful, and yes you can forgive it a lot by dint of it being from three and a half decades ago, but even then there’s something almost ironic about it. You climb aboard and start laughing to yourself, partly at the sheer scale of what you’re witnessing but also partly because if you didn’t, you fear you might cry instead. All those exposed fixings, the clack-clack of the plastic switchgear, a cubby box between the two back seats whose lid feels like a sheet of padded hardboard… and most of all, a bonnet made up of gigantic boxes to clear the V12’s rocker cover and monumental air filters which provides easily the

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Lamborghini Urus The Urus is a totally different prospect to the LM002. It might be an outrageously styled super-SUV with a 3.5-second 0-62 time, but it’s remarkably easy to live with as a day-to-day car. And while the LM was excellent at what it was built to do and hard work everywhere else, the Urus excels at almost everything and is still capable of going off-road if you ask it to. In particular, for a 2.2-tonne vehicle on 22” alloys it rides unbelievably smoothly.

It’s the difference between the two Lambos’ cabins that really grabs you, however. Even though it’s a coupe-SUV with a sloping back, the Urus takes a modern approach to practicality with a very usable boot, folding rear seats and various accessories on board to aid cargo management.

Up front, the Urus is full of slick touches and little details that remind you of what it is you’re driving. It’s spacious to sit in and from its steering wheel to the haptics on its infotainment screen it’s an ergonomic delight. You definitely won’t find any exposed fixings in this Lamborghini…

worst visibility of any car we’ve ever driven. It’s epic, wonderful, hilariously absurd. You can’t help but warm to it, almost as if the joke’s on you but so long as you’re laughing too it doesn’t matter.

Honestly, it sounds like we’re panning the LM002 here. And we’re not, really we’re not. But comparing its cabin with that of the Urus really does show you where quarter of a

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century of progress (and Volkswagen’s billions) have gone.

Is it a surprise that they’re very different to drive, too? The LM002 was, in a way, ten years ahead of its time when it went on sale, because it had independent double wishbones front and rear with coil-overs all round. These are twinned at the back, and there’s a single unit up front – albeit with two coils, wound

in opposite directions to each other.

For some reason we’re reminded here of the old motorsport engineer who made a comment to us once about manufacturers who ‘make these pretty cars but never think about the poor sod who has to work on them afterwards’…

There’s also the small matter of a 5.2-litre V12 engine dishing up 445bhp and 369lbf.ft. Impressive

figures, though with no turbo assistance the Countach unit takes until 4500rpm to develop all its heave and a thundering 6800rpm to reach max power. Combine this fact with the presence of a five-speed manual gearbox and you have a recipe for raw, lunatic fun.

First you have to get it to fire up, which takes several unpromising sounding turns of the starter motor.

After that is when you discover another similarity to an old Defender; the clutch feels like trying to push back a glacier. Actually, it’s heavier than any Defender we’ve experienced, save one in which the pedal was actually seized.

After this, it’s a relief to discover that the manual box slips in and out of gear nice and smoothly, perhaps not with the instant precision of a sports car but there’s a nice feeling of mechanical accuracy that lets you operate it with confidence. Just as well, though, because all your concentration will be used up on placing the thing on the road. If you think it looks intimidating from the outside, just try sitting in it…

Of course, we’re talking about a vehicle that was originally conceived for desert warfare then reimagined as a plaything for people who own entire provinces in the Middle East.

Bring it to Britain and inevitably,

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Amid all the wood and leather, the LM002’s cabin features a couple of huge levers which are used to operate the four-wheel drive and high-low functions in the transfer box. There’s something wonderfully analogue about it – you can choose your own adjective to describe the exposed fixings found all around the vehicle, though… you’ll be dealing in urban cliches revolving around the most expensive parts of London – and whether it’s on the King’s Road or the Duke’s Ride, or anything in between save an actual motorway, the LM002 is not really in its natural environment.

The Urus, on the other hand, was made for all of that. And more.

Whether you’re posing around town, cruising across Europe, throwing it through fast corners on a sweeping B-road, hammering it it round a racetrack or even nursing it along a green lane (and yes, we have done that), it’s immensely capable. Its 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 crackles into life at the first push of the button and there’s no messing about with heavy clutches or manual gearsticks – an auto box is standard, and it’s an exceptionally good one, smooth when you want it to be and back-thumpingly assertive when you press the fun button.

The engine may be smaller than the LM’s big old V12 but it’s almost 50% more powerful. The difference in torque is even greater and it comes in at exactly half the revs, so it gains speed with a lack of effort that’s almost mesmerising. And of course, if you want it to add speed with effort, it will do that too – with effort, with a spine-tingling wail and, most of all, with a hoy-hup-holdon-we’re-off effect. People used to marvel at the fact that the LM002 could hit sixty in 7.7 seconds and

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keep going to a fearsome sounding 118mph; those same people, you’d imagine, are similarly agog at the Urus’ 3.6 seconds and 190mph.

There, perhaps, is the real difference between these two vehicles.

The LM002 was a truck built by a supercar maker: the Urus is a supercar.

It goes like one, it sounds like one, it handles like one. You have a palette of drive modes to make it sharper yet, but in truth it’s still a stunning performance vehicle in Strada (road) mode – and a composed, comfortable family vehicle even with the dial set to Corsa (track). You’ll spend a lot of time in the latter, actually, simply because the pops and crackles it gives you from the exhaust are so gloriously intoxicating.

Yet there’s a real similarity, too.

You could say that the LM002 puts function over form whereas the Urus puts form over function – but you’d be completely wrong. Yes, the modern-day Lambo is triumphantly styled to attract attention wherever it goes – but as with its spiritual ancestor, function comes first. It’s just a very different kind of function.

Here’s an irony, though. People, ourselves included, love traditional off-road trucks because they’re good at everything. Supercars tend to be so focused on one purpose that they’re not much cop at anything else. But it’s the Urus that impresses with its sheer breadth of ability. It is, absolutely, a daily driver

– and one which can also be driven like a trackday weapon, a very fast A-to-B car and, within the limits set down by common sense (and 35-profile tyres), an off-roader.

No wonder it’s this stunning new SUV that has turned Lamborghini on its head in modern times. Since launching the Urus, the company’s output has gone through the roof, proving yet again that even at the stratospheric price of a modern supercar, this is what customers really want.

And there’s one final contrast.

Back in Sant’Agata’s darkest days, when Ferruccio Lamborghini’s dream was turning into ever more of a nightmare, the LM002 was the vanity project whose refusal to yield in the face of common sense almost did for the company. This vast, beguiling, wonderful, senseless work of four-wheeled madness came close to being the reason why the Diablo and Jalpa were stopped in their tracks – and all those fantastical beasts that have come since never happened at all.

Thanks heavens, Lamborghini survived. And thank heavens, under Volkswagen’s wing it has gone on

to prosper. Because now it has the Urus – and now it has the Urus, the future of those fantastical beasts is more secure than ever. Lamborghini’s SUV is the most sensible car it has ever produced, and the company will reap the benefits long into the future. But it will forever have a portrait on its wall of that eccentric ancestor who everyone talks about in awe. The Urus is magnificent in spite of its sanity: the LM002 was magnificent despite, or possibly because of, its madness.

Thanks to Bell Sport and Classic for handing us the keys to its LM002, which the company restored in full.

Based in Hertfordshire, you’ll find it at www.bellsportandclassic.co.uk.

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HAVE AN ICE DAY… What was the true story behind Top Gear’s legendary off-road expedition to reach the

Words: Bobby Cowling and Gary Noskill Pictures: Toyota

S

ome of us are old enough to remember the days when Top Gear was about cars. There was a time when the BBC’s phenomenally successful jolly jape show was presented by wise, authoritative figures like William Woolard, Tony

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magnetic North Pole?

Mason and Sue Baker – real car people who knew and cared about their subject. In the days before it was even called Top Gear, the broadcasting powerhouse that was Raymond Baxter spent a decade and a half as the BBC’s voice on all things automotive.

Wisdom and authority are far less easy to consume than exploding caravans and chuckling buffoonery, however. And ever since the day when a young lad called Jeremy Clarkson got his first break on the show, the BBC’s approach to cars has been sliding away from what

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Top Gear once was and towards its now very well established format as a sanitised parody of Jackass on four wheels.

That’s the truth about television, of course. And if you get your motoring fix from the small screen and nothing else, you’ll be blissfully

unaware of the real, deep, fascinating stories behind the cars whose role is to be a backdrop to the presenters’ unconvincing banter.

Few of those stories are deeper or more fascinating than that of the Toyota Hilux which, in 2007, featured in Top Gear: Polar Special.

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Above left: Having been built by Arctic Trucks in Reykjavik, the Hiluxes (plus a Landcruiser support vehicle) were transported to Canada on board a friendly Hercules Above right: The town of Resolute has a population of about 240. As you can see, it’s pretty well named; this is the kind of place where you shoot Polar bears that come too close. Then eat them A 300-mile off-road adventure on the frozen sea among the islands of Nunavut in northern Canada, this finished with the vehicle reaching the location at which the Magnetic North Pole had rested just over a decade previously.

Although the expedition never actually ventured beyond Canadian territory and on to the Polar ice cap,

it reached a point within about 800 miles of the actual North Pole. This region is a bona fide Arctic desert, with all the challenges such an environment brings – including a Polar bear which started trying to hunt presenter Richard Hammond, who was ‘racing’ his colleagues Clarkson and James May aboard a traditional dog sled.

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‘A weatherman told them they were five weeks too late. The ice would be too thin and in places there would even be open water. If they persisted with the journey, he warned, they would die’ When it comes to preparing vehicles to function in such extreme locations, there’s an acknowledged specialist in the field. Arctic Trucks started life in 1990, when the Toyota importer in Iceland started modifying 4x4s for use on the snow and ice for which the island is known, and has since become an international business with operations around northern Europe and the Middle East – and its headquarters in the UK. And it was Arctic Trucks that Top Gear’s production company partnered with to create a fleet of vehicles suitable for the wilds of Nunavut. The company has extensive experience of building vehicles which can thrive in these situations, as well as in organising expeditions to the world’s most hostile places, but even then it had unanswered questions about taking on this

challenge. We are, after all, talking about a desolate region at the same sort of latitude as northern Greenland, where average temperatures at the time of year when filming was due to take place are somewhere between –20 and –30°C. ‘The first thing we had to consider was whether it was actually possible to go there in a vehicle,’ said Arctic Trucks’ Emil Grimsson. ‘The second was how to prepare.’ Driving on sea ice was an unknown quantity, too – and those average temperatures were just the beginning. To plan safely, you have to prepare for the worst – which meant being able to operate all the way down to –40°C. That’s going to ask questions of any vehicle – even the famously indefatigable Hilux. This was a time when the previous-generation Mk7 model had not long been introduced,

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and Grimsson’s team also found themselves asking whether its common-rail diesel engine would deal with such extreme cold.

The engine in question was Toyota’s 3.0 D-4D unit, which at the time had just been added to the Hilux range. The same engine was also used in the 120-Series Landcruiser, and one of these was to be part of the expedition line-up alongside not one but two Hiluxes.

The vehicles were prepped in Arctic Trucks’ home facility in the Icelandic capital, Reykjavik. In the end, their engines stayed the same, aside from a few minor enhancements such as thicker, more durable coolant hoses. The build team originally believed that it may be necessary to keep the vehicles’ engines running constantly to prevent them from freezing, however with auxiliary heaters to boost coolant temperature, fuel heaters and much larger heavy-duty batteries, they always fired up first time even in the coldest conditions.

For the same reason, the vehicles ran on a blend of P50 diesel, which is designed to remain in liquid form all the way down to –50°C, and a small-quantity of two-stroke oil.

This was contained in twin tanks, which doubled the vehicles’ capacity to 180 litres – an important factor

when they would be expected to travel some 320 miles in soft, energy-sapping terrain.

There were other reasons for doubling up on diesel capacity, too.

‘We used two tanks to enable the fuel to be kept warm at all times,’ says Arctic Trucks’ Hjalti Hjaltsson.

‘Also, it was far safer – in the event

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of sustaining damage to the larger tank, the vehicle would still be able to run.’

Each truck’s engine drew its air through a raised air intake, and once again there was a logical if not immediately obvious answer for this. Normally, snorkels are fitted to protect engines from damage by sucking in water or dust – but in this

case, lying snow was the big hazard.

An intake that’s clogged up might not end up with a hydraulic engine, but if it can’t get any air past the obstruction it’s not going to do very much running, either.

For driving on glaciers and so on, Arctic Trucks famously builds vehicles on 44” tyres. The rugged ice fields of Nunavut called for a

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different approach, however, with a lower centre of gravity to keep the trucks more stable, and so the Hiluxes wore ‘only’ a 38” fitment. To allow this, their front diffs were dropped by 50mm and their suspension lifted by 40mm. The front axle line was moved forward by 40mm, too, adding further stability by enlarging their wheelbase, and a full set of heavy-duty protection plates was bolted into place underneath.

To compensate for the gearing effect of running such big tyres, the Hiluxes’ standard diffs were converted to a 4.88:1 ring and pinion.

These were installed along with ARB Air-Lockers which, prior to going on, were specially treated to keep on working in the extreme cold. The studded snow tyres, meanwhile, were mounted on Arctic Trucks’ own unique 15” aluminium rims which

contain two valves, allowing them to be aired up and down at the flick of a switch. The intention was to run the tyres at as little as 4psi – something without which it would be hard to make progress in such hostile terrain.

Despite all this, a key part of the engineering and design brief was to keep the build as uncomplicated as possible. ‘You’re travelling in one of the most remote regions in the world,’ remarked Hjalti. ‘It’s important that if something breaks, you’re able to fix it again.’ Thus the simple leaf-sprung set-up was retained at the back, albeit with slightly more pliant springs, uprated shocks and heavy-duty bump stops.

Visually, meanwhile, the Toyotas still looked a lot like Toyotas. Aside from the obvious bigger tyres, along with the wheelarch extensions

4x4 18/12/2020 12:09

required to cover them, they gained heavy-duty tubular front bumpers complete with winch cradles. One was fitted with a rear canopy, while the other gained roof bars and cargo boxes fixed into its load bay – and both carried shotguns for use as a last resort in the event of a Polar bear attack.

In addition, each of the vehicles carried a Garmin GPS system, Iridium telephone and VHF two-way radios, as well as an extensive emergency kit including axes, shovels, chainsaws, crowbars and a high-lift jack. That’s in addition to all the equipment and on-board electrical power required by the crew who were going to be filming the expedition.

Finally, after Arctic Trucks had put in about 240 hours’ work on each vehicle, Hjalti said he felt as though

his team had produced ‘the strongest car in the world.’ Following a brisk flight across the Atlantic from Reykjavik to the Inuit settlement of Resolute, they were about to get the chance to prove that right.

Resolute has a population of around 240, which was more or less doubled with the Top Gear entourage rolled in to town. Talking of things being doubled, daytime temperatures of about –25°C felt more like twice as cold as that thanks to the wind chill factor.

This in spite of the fact that in April, the region was basking in the glow of 24-hour daylight.

It was at Resolute that the team became fully aware of just how much danger they were going to be in from Polar bears. The town has an annual hunting quota of 15 animals that they are allowed to kill – and as well as being crucial to keeping the area safe, this is also an important source of food.

Later in the expedition, all crew members were required to carry a gun for protection whenever they were away from their vehicle. By this point, they had already all been through a rigorous training session on how and when to open fire.

If this doesn’t illustrate that planning never stops, however far in advance you try to nail it all down, before setting out from Resolute the Arctic Trucks team visited a nearby weather station for the most important kind of knowledge there is – the local kind. Here, a weatherman told

Left: As the journey progressed, the relatively smooth surface of the frozen sea gave way to huge blocks of ice and then, further on, outcrops of rock. When you’re having to dig your way through in a wilderness like this, you know you’re in it for the long haul Right: Isachsen weather station, on Ellef Ringnes Island in the Arctic Ocean, was abandoned in 1978 after having been home to a crew of eight meteorologists for some three decades. Its remains, as well as those of its contents, have been preserved by the extremely cold conditions, as have those of a DC-47 aircraft which crash-landed nearby the year after the site became operational. Just imagine happening across this in the middle of a frozen desert – ‘eerie’ barely begins to describe it

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‘On the way back to Resolute the team filmed the Hiluxes being put through the sort of drifts and jumps that no-one on a real expedition would ever dream of inflicting on their vehicle’ them they were five weeks too late.

The ice would be too thin and in places there would even be open water. If they persisted with the journey, he warned, they would die.

Safe to say this was not what they were hoping to hear. And with a cast

of thousands waiting to go, giving up was definitely not an option.

But you know what they say.

When the going gets tough, the tough get a satellite image showing the depth of the ice across the whole landscape.

With this information, the team could plan a safe route that would steer them clear of areas where the ice could no longer be relied upon to support a loaded Hilux. Still, with no cause anywhere for complacency, they also decided to bring filming

forward by 24 hours. With the annual ice-melt now very much underway, there was no time to waste.

Now, even accounting for the smoke and mirrors of TV production, it should be clear that this was not going to be a walk in the park. Nonetheless, here’s where a multi-million pound filming session differs from a real expedition. Each vehicle was carrying enough food and fuel in reserve to keep its occupants alive for several days should the need arise – but even so, a team on snowmobiles went ahead and set up supply dumps to keep everyone well fed.

One of the vehicles did have Jeremy Clarkson on board, after all…

Another difference between normal expeditions and a TV location shoot is that when you’re chasing the clock to avoid death by plunging through the ice and into the murky depths of the Arctic Ocean, you tend not to stop for an hour at a time just to get 10 seconds’ worth of footage.

But that’s the nature of the beast.

As a consequence, lost time had

4x4 ADD ACTIVE 4X4 SPONSORSHIP 8pp Arctic Hilux.indd 64

18/12/2020 12:10

Left: More treasure from Isaschsen. Next time you head up that way, take a trailer Above: When your in-car sat-nav says you’re in the middle of the ocean, you know it’s not an everyday trip to the shops to be made up by putting the foot down – on the smoothest sections of ice, the vehicles were able to bowl along at 60mph, though normally they could only go at less than half this speed.

And then, just over halfway in to the challenge, on the ice north of Helena Island, everything slowed to a crawl. The convoy hit an area strewn with large boulders – and now, any kind of speed was simply not possible.

At least these hazards were visible, though. Emil pointed out that the flatter, faster areas could be even more dangerous – because here, huge blocks of ice could blend into the background due to the

sheer whiteness of everything. ‘In such conditions it’s better to follow your progress on the GPS and not look out the window at all’ was his observation, which doesn’t sound in any way alarming…

Even at crawling speeds, and even with the Toyotas’ tyres containing so little air, the rocks embedded in the ice were a constant source of punctures. Nonetheless, they were still able to maintain their progress – allowing May and Clarkson to make it to the ‘winning post’, set up near an abandoned weather station, ahead of Hammond’s dog sled.

Cynical though it’s easy to be about such an obviously contrived adventure, especially one with such

4x4 ADD ACTIVE 4X4 SPONSORSHIP 8pp Arctic Hilux.indd 65

an epic budget, the fact is that when the Hilux arrived at the North Pole (as they decided to call it on screen), it was the first vehicle ever to have been driven there. Cast of thousands or not, this was still a real driving challenge.

Not that this prevented the Top Gear presenters from putting on their usual trademark display of entertainingly infantile behaviour.

May and Clarkson were later to get into hot water for being filmed appearing to drink gin and tonic while driving across the ice, and on the way back to Resolute the production team filmed the Hiluxes being put through the sort of drifts and jumps that no-one on a real expedition

would ever dream of inflicting on their vehicle.

Not that this appeared to upset the trucks at all. In fact, one of the two Hiluxes was brought back out a few years later when May used it to film an episode in which he drove it up the slopes of an erupting volcano – and since then, both have become popular on the show circuit.

Back in Resolute, meanwhile, the team went off to pay another visit to the meteorologist who had told them they would die if they tried to reach the pole.

‘I knew you’d do it,’ he told them. ‘I always said so.’ There’s a man who knows his Arctic weather. And who clearly knows his Toyotas, too.

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ROADBOOK

SALISBURY PLAIN

Trails without end on the military training area in South Wiltshire USING OUR ROADBOOKS Our roadbooks guide you through the countryside on a mixture of surfaced and unsurfaced roads.

The tracks we use are public rights of way, either Byways Open to All Traffic or Unclassified County Roads, all commonly referred to as green lanes.

NAVIGATION

We’ve deliberately made it as easy as possible to follow the route, using a mixture of instructions, tulip diagrams and grid references. We normally only include junctions at which you have to make a turning or don’t have right of way, so stay on the main road or continue straight ahead unless we tell you otherwise.

You’ll find a guide to using grid references on the legend of any OS map. Our aim is for you to be able to do the route without maps, whether paper or online, but you should certainly take a set with you.

SAFETY

The notes on thee pages advise you of how suitable the route is for your vehicle. These are just guidelines, however. We’ll warn you of any hazards or difficult sections, but the nature of any green lane can change quickly. Wet weather can make a huge difference to the conditions underfoot, and what’s wide open in winter can be tightly enclosed and scratchy in summer.

The responsibility is yours!

Our roadbooks are designed to be safe to drive in a solo vehicle. We do recommend travelling in tandem wherever possible, however. The risk of getting stuck can be greater than it appears – and even the most capable of vehicles can break down miles from anywhere.

RESPONSIBILITY

Irresponsible driving is a big issue on green lanes. In particular, you must always stay on the right of way. Never drive off it to ‘play’ on the verges or surrounding land, even if you can see that someone else has; doing so is illegal and can be tremendously damaging.

This kind of illegal off-roading is a key reason why green lanes get closed. If you see others doing this, they are NOT your friends. They’re criminals, and you are their victim.

If it’s safe to do so, film them in the act and pass it to the police.

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Elsewhere, let common sense and courtesy prevail. Keep your speed down, be ready to pull over for others and show the world that we are decent people just like them.

ANTIS

Anti-4x4 bigotry does exist, but it’s less common than you’d think. By and large, it’s limited to organisations who just want to get the countryside all to themselves.

These organisations are beyond being reasoned with, but it’s rare to encounter real hostility even from their rank-and-file members. If you’re friendly towards the people with whom you share the countryside, the vast majority will respond in kind. There are always bad apples, but no more so than anywhere else.

Likewise, most local residents will accept your presence if you’re driving sensibly. What suspicion you do encounter is likely to be from farmers worried that you’re there to steal from them, so be ready to offer a word of reassurance. Once satisfied that you’re not after their quad bikes, their mood will lighten.

DO…

• Keep your speed right down • Pull over to let walkers, bikers and horse riders pass

• Leave gates as you found them • Scrupulously obey all closure and voluntary restraint notices

• Ensure you have a right to be

there. We research the routes on our roadbooks very carefully, but the status of any route can change without notice Be prepared to turn back if the route is blocked, even illegally If you find an illegal obstruction, notify the local authority Stick absolutely scrupulously to the right of way Always remember that you are an ambassador for all 4x4 drivers

• • • •

DON’T…

• Go in large convoys: instead, split into smaller groups

• Drop litter. Why not carry a bin bag pick up other people’s instead?

• Go back to drive the fun bits, such as mud or fords, again

• Cause a noise nuisance, particularly after dark

• Get riled up if someone challenges you. Be firm but polite, stay calm and don’t let them turn it into a fight

4x4 18/12/2020 00:16

ROADBOOK Salisbury Plain is famous for the sheer number of rights of way criss-crossing it. These are augmented by many permissive byways installed by the MOD to create a network that allows you to drive and drive without ever touching tarmac.There’s a tremendous sense of freedom here – though staying on the rights of way is as important as ever. With range wardens on patrol, these are the most highly monitored lanes in the country, and also some of the busiest – yet despite this, the sense of isolation you get on the Plain is wonderful

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ROUTE GUIDE

is it suitable?

START FINISH HOW LONG? TERRAIN HAZARDS

TYRES

OS MAPS

Tilshead (SU 033 479) North Newnton (SU 132 570) 40.6 miles / 5-6 hours Rolling plains Occasional ruts; surface water; slippery surfaces; military traffic; loads of other users; madly fast traffic on road liaisons Landranger 184 (Salisbury and The Plain)

Step

1

SU 033 479

Start in Tilshead, outside the Rose and Crown on the main A360 through the village. Zero your trip with the pub to your left and set off heading east

0.0 Step

2

WEATHER LOW BOX SOFT-ROADERS SCRATCHING DRIVING DAMAGE

Step

3

Suitable for road tyres when dry, but at least an A/T in the wet Avoid when flooded or foggy May be useful in places Suitable for more rugged models Minimal risk Some technical bits. Mainly, care needed to stay on the right track No reason why it should happen

Stay on the main track

1.0 SU 036 473

Turn right on the main track immediately after the John Deere dealership, opposite the road on the left for Westdown Camp.

There’s a byway sign to set you on the correct track

0.45

Step

4

Follow left then right around the blocked off area, then look for the byway sign – don’t just follow the Cat A track. This is an absolute tangle of tracks, and the byway is the only one you have any right to drive on

1.3

Step 2: Take the first track on the right, immediately after the John Deere garage Step 4 (right): Skirt round the left of the blocked-off area and follow the track signed as a byway

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Step

5

There was no byway sign here at the time of writing – it was lying in the grass!

6

11

Continue ahead on the grassy track

Step

12

2.55

7.7

Step

Step

3.25

7.85

7

Step

8

13 Extreme caution – this is a fast, busy road and visibility is terrible in both directions as you emerge

Step

14

3.35

8.15

Step

Step

Step

10 6.95

The track splits in three through the bottom of the dip

There’s a byway sign here to keep you right

If you’re following the route on a map, you may find that 1:50,000 and 1:25,000 editions disagree on the right of way here. Either way, the track ahead is blocked off, so follow the byway sign to the left

15

9

4.15

Caution over what is a bigger track

7.5

1.8 Step

Step

Chitterne B390 Warminster (A36)

SU 020 434

Don’t turn too early – this is the second byway crossroads you’ll come to

8.5 Step

16 8.95 Step

17

Caution – this is a busy road

ZERO TRIP

11.2 Step

18

SU 029 436

Turn left at the crossroads then immediately right – look out for the byway sign

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Step

19

The track splits into about 12 at the bottom of the valley. Ironically the route in the middle, which is the correct right of way, is probably the soundest of the lot

20

Another multi-track split – again, straight down the centre is just fine

21

Step

23 3.05

2.45 Step

22

Caution up and over the Cat A track

2.9

2.05 Step

Step

No signpost here – once again, it was lying by the junction at the time of writing

2.7

Step

24

Caution up and over the Cat A track

3.2

Step 25: This is the famous German Village, where troops are trained in urban warfare Step 31 (right): Follow the track signed as a permissive byway

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Step

25

Turn right in front of the entrance to the ‘German Village’ where troops are trained in urban combat. It’s fascinating, but definitely a case of look but don’t touch

Step

29

3.4

4.0

Step

Step

3.5

4.1

26 Step

27

30 The track splits into three or four options on the way through a shallow dip. It’s often flooded here

Step

31

3.6

4.55

Step

Step

3.8

4.65

28 4x4 10pp Feb 21 Tilshead Roadbook.indd 73

Caution up and over the Cat A track – it’s pretty steep. Once on to the other side, don’t stray off the proper track

32

Follow the track signed as a permissive byway

There’s a byway sign pointing to the track on the right (which was closed for repairs when we set out the route), but you just need to continue ahead – this track is also a byway

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Step

Step

4.8

8.8

39

33 Step

34

Caution – there’s a big side slope on the way up the hill, so take care not to end up wedged against the bank to your left. This is followed by an axle twister – the whole track is to be treated with care, especially when wet

4.9 Step

35

Step

40

This is straight after Step 34 – you climb up and over another track

41

Step

Step

5.05

9.4

42

36 Caution – this is a fast, busy road.

It’s very straight, too, so watch out for overtaking traffic coming your way at warp speed on the wrong side

Step

43

5.6

9.85

Step

Step

44

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Stick to the main track, which starts to get bumpier

Step

9.15

37

Immediately after the junction, follow the track as it forks left, not ahead on to the apron in front of the barn

9.05

4.9

Step

SU 000 453

Tilshead

11.7

There’s a fuel station and shop opposite you at the junction

ZERO TRIP

Devizes A360

4x4 18/12/2020 00:16

Step

45

This doesn’t look much like a road to start with, but it is

2.35 Step

46

Ridgeway

SU 024 534

4.2 Step

47 48 4.65

4x4 10pp Feb 21 Tilshead Roadbook.indd 75

49 5.1 Step

50

SU 022 548

5.4 It’s not every day that you see proper give way signs on a gravel track…

4.25 Step

Step

Step

51 5.6

Look out for the byway sign

Step

52

Caution – this is as fast and busy as byways ever get

6.3

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Step

57 8.45 Step

58

The right of way leaves the line of the Cat A track and becomes a set of tyre marks through the grass.

Look for the byway sign off at about 45° – there’s also a bridleway sign at the same point

10.3 Step

Step

7.1

10.5

59

53 Step

54

Fork right on to the grass track with the trees to your left

55

60 10.9

7.15 Step

Step

Move across to the left to join the gravel track

Step

61

7.3

11.5

Step

Step

7.55

1.05

56

62

ZERO TRIP

SU 114 558

There’s no sign, and this is a fast, busy road. The turning is exactly opposite the Charlton Tea Room, so keep it slow and indicate as soon as you see that

Step 58: Fork left at the junction and follow the faint tyre tracks across the grass Step 62 (right): The track is very hard to spot, and this is a fast, busy road. It’s opposite the Charlton Tea Room, so start indicating the moment you see this

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4x4 18/12/2020 00:17

Step 65: Use the MOD warning sign as a landmark – the byway sign is hidden directly behind it Step

63 1.5 Step

Step

2.0

2.75

67

64 Step

65 2.35 Step

66 2.65

This is a faint grassy track – look out for the byway sign, which is hidden behind an MOD warning sign as you approach. There are several sets of ruts here, some of them hidden by the long grass, and the ones right by the sign are the most severe

The track drops into a sharp dip and back up the other side – both sides are steep enough to demand respect

Step

68

Continue ahead on the grassy track

Swing right to meet the Cat A track then follow it left round the back of the vedette hut

3.05 Step

69 4.05 Step

70 4.45 Step

71

Arrive at the Woodbridge Inn in North Newnton for the end of the route

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A decade after Britain’s last proper winter, some fond memories of snow Tested: First time out in the new Land Rover Defender 90 A brute of a winch challenge buggy PLUS The most flexible Frontera we’ve ever seen

ON SALE: 12th Feb Step 40: Tur n left off the main track, embankment dropping dow then plungi n the ng straight into a water trough (right) rock Step n – there are sharp

71 34

Step

ep

13

13.3.1 12

Cautio the iate as you climb steps to negot hillside

Step

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Caution over a steps as you short set of rocky drop down the hill

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4x4 OF THE YEAR 2021 | CONTENTS

CONTENTS | 4x4 OF THE YEAR 2021 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20

Crossover Estates Crossovers Small SUVs Medium SUVs Large SUVs Off-Roaders Performance SUVs Luxury SUVs OVERALL RESULTS

BEING BRAVE is a key element of judging any sort of awards. You know that the people who agree with you will only ever think ‘quite right too,’ while those who don’t will think you’re an idiot.

But when you look at possibly the most respected annual award of all, Time magazine’s Person of the Year title, those behind it could scarcely have been more bold. The idea of the award is to focus on those who have shaped history, without passing any judgement on whether they’re good or bad, and that’s why people like Hitler and Stalin have received it in the past.

No motoring journalist will ever have to make a call as brave as that. But we were brave enough to give our 4x4 of the Year title to the SsangYong Rexton three years ago, and to the Mercedes G-Class last year – and each continues to look justified in its own way.

Even the Suzuki Jimny, though it was almost dead on arrival in the UK, was an apt choice for the 2019 title. Not just because it was a great 4x4, but because no vehicle will ever do a better job of illustrating the difference between what emissions rules are meant to achieve and what they actually do.

But if a vehicle’s symbolic value was all we went on, there would be no need for any of this. The new Land Rover Defender would already have won. In the same way that Hitler was Person of the Year in 1938, even though all right-minded people hated him, you can be one of the Defender’s many nay-sayers but you have to accept that this year, and one suspects for an era to come, nothing else is likely to come close to the way it’s rewriting the course of 4x4 history.

As I say, however, that will not be enough on its own. A vehicle that’s as hateful as Hitler will never win this title, however significant it might be (and you can quote me on that when self-driving electric cars become the norm).

So is the Defender as good as it is significant? That’s the big one this year. The answer lies ahead…

Alan Kidd Editor

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4x4 OF THE YEAR 2021 | CROSSOVER ESTATES

WINNER | SUBARU XV

THE SUBARU XV won this class two years ago, and now it’s back on top – thanks to the arrival of the company’s e-Boxer hybrid engine.

This mates a 2.0-litre petrol unit to an electric motor and a CVT auto box with ‘ratios’ to it to make it feel natural, and has been laid out for optimum weight distribution.

As usual with Subaru, four-wheel drive is standard. And the XV is based on the company’s Global Platform, meaning it’s one of the safest cars there is – as well as having crisp road manners and an astonishing level of off-road ability.

You can still get the XV with a traditional 1.6-litre petrol engine,

however the e-Boxer only costs a little more. It’s also very smooth and quiet; you can drive it on electric power only at slow city speeds, but when the engine cuts in it does so with seamless refinement.

Subaru says the e-Boxer’s weight distribution also makes it handle better than the 1.6; we’ve not found

that, but the vehicle was already outstanding in this way and it still is. It rides sweetly, too, with taut body control and a wonderfully natural feel to its steering.

Off-road, the CVT gearbox can to some extent overcome the lack of low range, allowing you to take on more technical terrain than

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4x4 OF THE YEAR 2021 | CROSSOVER ESTATES

£28,335-£33,655

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED VOLKSWAGEN GOLF ALLTRACK

£35,560

The new eighth-generation Golf is still a newcomer, and at the time of writing the Estate model is in the process of being rolled out in the UK. Thus the Alltrack version is currently the latest word in 4x4 crossovers.

It follows the familiar path, with a slight suspension lift, tougher bumpers and all-wheel drive as standard. At present, Volkswagen is only listing one engine, a 2.0 TDI with 200bhp and an auto box, though other options may be added later.

The Alltrack is designed to be surer-footed than a standard Golf Estate on slippy roads or unmade tracks. Its rear overhang would preclude anything too extreme – however this feature also endows it with a massive interior whose space is matched only by the crafted, ultra-modern design of the new Golf.

In general, the vehicle is exceptionally easy to drive, with remarkable refinement and ease of operation. It’s loaded with high-tech driver aids, too. Price-wise, it’s a big jump from the rest of the range, but by crossover standards it’s a thoroughly classy and very appealing option for middle-of-the-road cash.

VOLVO XC60 CROSS-COUNTRY

you’d ever imagine possible at the sort of speed that makes it safe to do so. Its ability to find grip is pretty jaw-dropping, too, aided by one of the more effective traction management programmes on the market.

Whichever engine or trim you go for, the XV has a smart cabin with good materials and excellent build

quality. It’s ergonomically excellent and very pleasing to sit in, with good all-round visibility and plenty of space.

The XV’s party trick is to be both car-like and SUV-like at the same time. Most of all, however, it’s Subaru-like – and anyone who’s owned one will confirm that that’s the most important thing it could possibly do.

£41,160-£41,660

The V60 Cross-Country won this class last year by offering a compelling blend of all-round premium qualities at prices which look much more sensible those of its executive-brand rivals. And at this position in the market, it remains very compelling.

The cabin is brilliant, with loads of legroom front and rear and a really sumptuous feeling to its materials and design. You’re treated to plenty of standard equipment, all of it of a high quality, and Volvo’s trademark vertical infotainment tablet in the dash continues to look special.

Naturally, this is a very safe vehicle, too, both in its high-tech systems and its excellent driving position – as well of course as four-wheel drive. It’s composed on rough roads and positive to steer and handle – and with a 66mm suspension lift over standard, it’s more than capable of real-world off-tarmac work.

By executive car standards, too, it’s a lot for your money – in fact, if a full-on SUV is not your thing, it’s a very affordable way of getting yourself into a genuine premium 4x4.

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4x4 OF THE YEAR 2021 | CROSSOVERS

WINNER | FIAT PANDA CROSS

THE PANDA CROSS has been winning its class in these awards for longer than we can remember.

It has rivals which ride better, handle better, cruise better and all that kind of stuff, but it continues to be one of those vehicles which, without you quite knowing how, simply charms your pants off.

First things first. It’s small. That’s part of what makes it so lovable.

It’s more than just part of what makes it too cramped inside for one tell adult to sit comfortably behind another, but what space there is is used well enough to give you a decent driving position and as big a boot as you could ask for.

It’s well laid out in there, as well as being quite generously equipped.

The diesel engine that we used to love is long gone. But under the bonnet there’s an 875cc petrol unit whose eager rasp as you thrash it through the manual gearbox is just fabulous. Its output goes to all four wheels all the time, which is very

confidence inspiring, and there’s a drive dial specifically for engaging off-road modes.

This points to something unique about the Panda. It looks very funky indeed, with its in-your-face SUV styling and graphics, but at heart it’s a deeply practical 4x4.

You see loads of them in regions

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4x4 OF THE YEAR 2021 | CROSSOVERS

£17,405

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED NISSAN JUKE

£18,360-£26,360

The new-generation Juke has big boots to fill. The previous model was a smash hit and became the ‘yummy mummy’ car of the last decade – even though there were ways in which it fell short.

This new one aims to address that. It looks much sharper and more modern, and it’s far better inside too.The dash looks and feels funky and good quality, with slick controls and decent materials – including some eye-catching leather treatments. The back seats, meanwhile, are definitely best for children – but it’s a surprisingly good load-carrier when they’re down. Unlike the old Juke, it’s very spacious and comfortable up front.

Even when it’s fitted with tyres that look like rubber bands, the Juke rides well enough around town and doesn’t fidget too much on the motorway. Taller rubber makes it more civilised without detracting from its steering and handling, both of which feel natural enough to be pleasing. Drivetrain refinement is in short supply, but cool points are off the scale – and for people who buy vehicles like the Juke, that’s what matters.

SSANGYONG KORANDO

with harsh mountain climates, where people buy them simply because they want to be able to get from A to B – though its abilities stretch far beyond mere snowy roads. It’s really sure-footed over rough surfaces and its light weight and neat proportions make it exceptionally manoeuvrable.

Add in a really strong level of traction

and you’ve got an absolute giantkiller on your hands.

Even if you never go off-road, the Panda is one of the most likeable 4x4s of all time. It’s almost reminiscent of an old Land Rover 90 – there are areas in which other 4x4s do it better, but you don’t care. It’s love. It’s love, it’s lust and then it’s love some more.

£19,995-£26,345

The Korando range includes four trim levels – but only the midrange Pioneer has four-wheel drive. This is also the only model with a diesel engine, so it might seem like the obvious choice.

If, however, like most crossover buyers you don’t actually need four-wheel drive, and you don’t mind petrol, the range-topping Ultimate is the model that makes the strongest case for SsangYong’s Qashqai rival. There are two main reasons for this.

The first is that it has a very strong range of good quality kit to go with its slick cabin design. The second is that at £26,345, it’s a commandingly high-value way of getting into a crossover that’s better made and more pleasing to drive than you might expect.

The engine is impressively smooth and refined, as are the steering and suspension, giving you a sense of wellbeing as you drive. Its equipment would easily grace a premium 4x4, too, and for carrying people and cargo it’s as practical as it is comfy.

Add in that purchase price, plus a monster of a warranty, and the Korando is one of the clearest indications yet that SsangYong is well on its way to becoming a mainstream car maker.

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4x4 OF THE YEAR 2021 | SMALL SUVS

WINNER | JEEP RENEGADE

THE RENEGADE HAS done great things for Jeep. But there’s one very clear reason why it wins its class this year.

This is the introduction of the new 4xe model, which takes all the Renegade’s existing qualities and adds a plug-in hybrid powertrain.

Combining a 1.3 petrol engine with

a rear-mounted electric motor, this drives all four wheels – delivering 190bhp in most models but going up to 240bhp for the Trailhawk model, whose extra off-road hardware makes it the one we’d have.

Every 4xe has low range, all the same, so even the base models come with real off-road cred.

The 4xe can cover up to 26 miles in fully electric mode, so many users could drive it all week on no more than a couple of overnight charge-ups of the battery.

Others will simply enjoy having its very ample reserves of power on tap – or discovering that in EV mode, having 184lbf.ft from 0rpm

all going to the rear wheels can be very entertaining.

However you drive it, there’s a pleasing sharpness to the steering and a good blend of comfort and tautness in its suspension. This is the case with all Renegades, not just the 4xe – and similarly, every model will give you a cabin

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4x4 OF THE YEAR 2021 | SMALL SUVS

£23,150-£36,500

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED VOLKSWAGEN T-ROC

£21,440-£40,735

The T-Roc is a vehicle whose stock has risen in the last year. It was already a strong performer in family SUV form – but now Volkswagen has added an R model, whose performance isn’t so much strong as sensational.

Additionally, you can now get a T-Roc Cabriolet. So that’s not one but two near-unique versions of what was already a very fine SUV. Every model is funkily designed and classy inside, with exacting build quality and more space than you might expect as well as a truly SUV-like driving position.

Whichever version you buy, it’ll be a smooth, stable, trustworthy vehicle to drive, with good body control and enjoyable road manners. The R will add a 4.8-second 0-62 time and the Cabrio will give you proper open-air fun, but we wary of versions with the biggest alloys as their looks come at the cost of ride quality.

Even then, the T-Roc is still an agile and very willing SUV whose dynamics live up to its image. It looks groovy – and it is groovy.

And now there are versions that make it groovier than ever.

SUBARU FORESTER

that’s roomy, tidily trimmed and well equipped, with a feeling of quality that’s miles ahead of the Jeeps you used to get just a couple of model cycles ago. The rear seats are better for kids, but they’ll take a couple of adults if asked and they drop down to create a cargo area that’s as usable as you can expect from a small SUV.

The Renegade has always had a level of off-road credibility that sets it apart from its rivals in this class, but the addition of the 4xe model is a game-changer. This is Jeep’s first hybrid – but it’s one of the best thought out examples there’s yet been of how electrification can be more than just a necessary evil.

£36,335-£39,335

The Forester won this class last year, being the first vehicle to combine Subaru’s new platform with the company’s e-Boxer hybrid technology. Its underpinnings make it one of the safest vehicles you can buy, both in terms of preventing accidents and softening their impact – and its drivetrain gives it an enjoyable blend of performance and grip.

The latter is one of Subaru’s prime calling cards, and the Forester builds on the company’s reputation by delivering an astonishing level of agility in corners. Its steering is full of feel, its body well controlled and its suspension as supple as a gymnast.

If you want to have a blast, you’ll find it enormously entertaining: if you just want to get there, it will flow along the road as smoothly as a river flowing downstream.

Inside, its cabin is well laid out and nicely trimmed as well as being as solidly practical as you’d expect. And while it’s well kitted out, it’s not averse to a set of muddy boots – with some real off-road ability to back up its image as a real-world family wagon for the country set.

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4x4 OF THE YEAR 2021 | MEDIUM SUVS

WINNER | LAND ROVER DISCOVERY SPORT

THE DISCOVERY SPORT is still quite a new model, but it has received not one but two major updates in the last year. Even before them, it was already a quantum leap forward from the old model, and now it’s as complete a premium SUV as there’s ever been in this part of the market.

The first updates saw a plug-in hybrid join the range, massively improving its appeal to business users. Called the P300, it uses a 1.5-litre three-cylinder engine as part of a petrol-electric system developing 309bhp while returning official figures of 143.1mpg and 44g.km, with a 0-62mph sprint time

of 6.6 seconds and an EV range of 34 miles.

These are stunning figures, and they help back up the Disco Sport’s credentials as a similarly stunning vehicle. It has also had new diesel engines this year (mild bybrids this time), as well as a new Black model combining performance

with style, as well as updates to its safety and multimedia systems, bringing it right up to date with the rest of Land Rover’s models.

Not that it was off the pace before. The second-generation Disco Sport is worthy of comparison to the bigger vehicle whose name it bears, not just because it’s robustly

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4x4 OF THE YEAR 2021 | MEDIUM SUVS

£31,905-£51,620

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED TOYOTA RAV4

£31,090-£38,505

The RAV4 won this class last year, and it remains an A1 choice.

With a plug-in hybrid model due very soon, we wouldn’t be surprised to see it back on top 12 months from now.

As it is, all RAV4s are hybrids, with a petrol-electric powertrain giving them plenty in reserve. There’s a nice, natural feel to the way it steers and a smooth, quiet performance on the motorway.

The suspension doesn’t fuss and patter on rough roads, either, and around town it soaks up jagged potholes with ease. It’s better than some at running in electric-only mode, too.

Inside, the cabin looks and feels modern, classy and well made, with an excellent multimedia screen mounted in a typically well made dash. Front and seats alike are generously spacious, as is the cargo bay when you fold the latter down.

To a great extent, the RAV4 does everything well. It’s a stylish looking SUV, too, and you get a lot of kit for what is a sensible amount of money. Even before the plug-in model arrives, it’s an incredibly attractive option in a market full of quality.

SKODA KODIAQ

capable in lots of areas but because, like the full-on Disco, it has become a very convinving premium SUV. As well as its high-tech usability, the Disco Sport’s cabin is beautiful to look at and trimmed in some really classy materials. Its seats have the quality of a next-class-up SUV and those in the rear fold to create a

good, big cargo space. Once again, in this area at least it fully deserves to be called a Discovery.

It’s not a widely capable off-road, but for a vehicle of its size it still strong enough here. It’s even quite afforable at the bottom of the range.

It’s the best medium SUV Land Rover has even made.

£26,630-£42,175

Despite being halfway through its life, the Kodiaq still feels new. It won this class in each of the last two years’ awards, and though the range has contracted during 2020 it’s still an absolutely compelling choice. It’s brilliantly made and its cabin is finished in top-quality materials – while offering some of the best media systems in the business.

There’s still a wide range of models and options, making it stunningly good value at the bottom of the range and genuinely luxurious at the top. Models will four-wheel drive can do a great deal off-road, too – and in everyday driving, its smooth drivetrains, agile suspension and responsive steering make it an absolute pleasure. It’s a lot of fun on a winding B-road, and there are few better ways to travel either on the motorway or around town. Ride and refinement are excellent, and the cabin is very easy to settle into.

On top of all this, the Kodiaq is a practicality legend, whether you get it in five or seven-seat form. It’s just very good at everything – which in many ways makes it the definitive SUV.

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4x4 OF THE YEAR 2021 | LARGE SUVS

WINNER | LAND ROVER DISCOVERY

THE DISCOVERY IS a former winner of this class, and a mid-life facelift combined with a range of new engines helps put it back on top. Yes, it’s far more like a Range Rover than Discos used to be, and its price tends to rule out use as a workhorse, but if you’re looking for a large, premium SUV that can do

more than talk the talk off-road, it’s likely to be in a class of one.

The Discovery is also available as a commercial vehicle – and the sales figures tend to suggest that this gives it a massive advantage over the opposition. This, of course, in turn suggests that perhaps more people than you tend

to assume use them as tools rather than family cars.

Either way, the Disco has the right stuff. It’s a very capable offroad performer and a stellar tow truck, as well as being a luxurious form of personal transport.

The most recent updates to the range include an almost all-new set

of engines featuring a trio of 48v mild hybrids.All are mated to a new Intelligent All-Wheel Drive system for optimum dynamics on the road, in addition to an improved version of Land Rover’s Terrain Response programme, and active shock absorbers enhance what was already an exceptional ride.

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4x4 OF THE YEAR 2021 | LARGE SUVS

£53,090-£68,050

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED MERCEDES-BENZ GLE

£56,340-£108,638

The new GLE took the crown in this class last year, its first on sale. Since then, the range has filled out with the addition of various new engine options and trim levels.

It hardly matters which unit you choose, though. Even the entry-level 300 d model is smooth, refined and full of urge; certainly, you’d question the need for going any higher, though once you’ve done so you’re unlikely to want to go back. All models use a seamless auto gearbox and offer a choice of driving modes which add agility or comfort, though it’s never less than quiet and comfortable however you set it up.

It’s also immensely classy inside, where build and material quality is top-drawer and the dash is dominated by a screen that stretches about two feet across its width. This gives you a crisp, bright display that looks absolutely sensational.

The cabin is wonderfully spacious, too, with limo-like rear legroom. And the driving position is that of a true off-roader – which, with low range as standard, is exactly what the GLE is.

Most of all, though, it’s a big, splendid way of getting about.

VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG

Likewise the Discovery’s interior, which was already a very fine place to be, gains a more modern media system with an improved screen.

The second row of seats has been revised, too; the Disco was already one of the most convincing sevenseaters around, and this helps make it better than ever here.

What makes the Discovery so remarkable is that these luxuries are housed in a package whose ride and dynamics on the road are combined with the ability to tackle ground that would leave most other SUVs standing. That may be a well worn cliche – but the latest Disco makes it ring as true as ever.

£45,960-£63,415

Almost three years old already, the Touareg is ageing well. It still feels classy, relaxing and very special indeed to drive, with a cabin that remains at the cutting edge of modernity – not least because Volkswagen’s Innovision Cockpit, which combines two screens to create a more or less full-width virtual facia, remains almost unmatched for its high-tech wow factor.

On a more basic level, both rows of seats are pleasingly roomy and so is the boot, whether the rears are in position or folded flat.

The Touareg range has gained a number of new trim options in the last year. Whichever you go for, it’s just a wonderful place to sit, with classy materials, pin-sharp display screens and topnotch luxury equipment everywhere you look.

It’s equally good to drive, too, smoothing out rough city streets and gliding along the motorway in near-silence. In between, the latest generation of four-wheel steering technology helps deliver a strong degree of agility in corners, giving it a set of abilities few drivers will ever come close to extending.

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4x4 OF THE YEAR 2021 | OFF-ROADERS

WINNER | LAND ROVER DEFENDER

WE ARGUED LONG into the night about whether the Defender should be in the Off-Roaders or Large SUVs class. In the end, we concluded that although it feels more like a successor to the Discovery 3 than to the old Defender, there’s just enough of the truck to it to be considered the real thing.

From what we’ve seen, it’s not as good off-road as a traditional truck like the Wrangler or Landcruiser.

But it wins here because it can do so much else besides.

Its interior is a revelation, with a towering driver’s seat and a level of practicality that’s straight out of the Disco’s book. Oddment stowage

seems never-ending, the rear seats fold to create a huge cargo bay and, in the 110 at least, you can sit one six-footer behind another. The Defender is spacious and comfortable: yes, we really did just say that.

Off-road, it covers the ground with a sure-footed suppleness that sits surprisingly well with

the amount of electronic control there is going on. All Defenders have an auto gearbox which does what you tell it very obediently, and the auto-locking diffs and Terrain Response intervene quickly but discreetly to keep you moving.

It’s very effective and very, very impressive.Whereas with the old

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4x4 OF THE YEAR 2021 | OFF-ROADERS

£42,920-£81,385

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED MERCDEDES-BENZ G-CLASS

£98,525-£168,675

Last year’s overall champion remains a formidable foe in the off-road class.

It’s as formidably priced as ever, too.

You do get a lot for your money, however. This is a phenomenal off-roader; it comes with no end of luxuries and high-tech toys, but even if a stripped back version existed it would still be a real truck through and through.

Yes, the G-Class is a rapper’s delight. But it’s also a truck whose deep engineering is exceptional, and whose off-road skill has been achieved without compromise. On the right tyres, and in the right hands, it’s verging on the unstoppable.

JEEP WRANGLER

£48,350-£50,815

The Wrangler range has lost several models in the last year, meaning its entry-level price has gone up by almost ten grand and you can no longer get it with a diesel engine.

Even so, with a ladder chassis, live axles and a low-range, it’s a real off-roader. It was built both to be used properly and modified to make it better still – and the Rubicon model, which is the most capable turn-key off-roader on the market, is still there at the top of the range in short and long-wheelbase forms.

If you can handle the price, the Wrangler is unique. And there’s probably nothing else that will hold its value as tenaciously.

TOYOTA LANDCRUISER

Defender you had to drive the thing, however, here you’re merely piloting it while the smart stuff does the hard work for you.

Similarly, on the road it’s smooth and refined, with taut body control and positive steering and handling.

It rides quietly on the motorway and draws the sting from the worse pot-

holes while cornering with no need for amateur dramatics.

In other words, it’s a good all-round SUV, just like the Discovery 3. But it’s more than that, too. Maybe it’s just the name, but it feels totally believable as an off-roader. It’s a new kind of truck, but a truck is what it is – and amen to that.

£42,345-£57,490

The Landcruiser has just gained a new 2.8-litre engine, cutting 2.8 seconds off its 0-62 time.

As before, it’s an immensely capable allrounder, and the build quality Toyota puts into the vehicle makes it the pride of the entire car industry. This is, for sure, a 4x4 for life.

The Landcruiser is a refined, sure-footed truck on the road, but it is still a truck – with all the benefits that brings. It has a superb driving position, towering ground clearance and the robustness to take on all terrains. Look after it, too, and you’ll never need to buy another vehicle as long as you live.

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4x4 OF THE YEAR 2021 | PERFORMANCE SUVS

WINNER | LAMBORGHINI URUS

LAST YEAR, we found ourselves having to justify giving the OffRoaders class award to a hundred grand’s worth of G-Class. So forgive us while we crown a vehicle which, with options, is worth twice that.

To start with , we didn’t think the Urus would depose the Alfa Stelvio from the top spot. But Lamborghi-

ni’s super-SUV is so crushingly fast (and all that goes with being fast) that anything else would simply be a cop-out.

But it’s good at being an SUV, too. It will seat four six-footers, or swallow a hefty load of luggage with or without the seats down. It has a superb multimedia system,

housed in a dash whose design is consciously crafted to evoke Lambo’s performance heritage.

Rather than feeling sumptuous, it’s like being in the world’s most comfortable racing car, with a sense of occasion that’s undeniable.

And that’s quite right, because every time you drive it is an oc-

casion to remember. With Strada (road) mode selected and the gearbox in auto, it simply goes where you point it and gets there however quickly you ask it to – around town, it really is remarkable docile and easy to drive.

It rides remarkably well, too. In fact, whatever mode you’ve got

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4x4 OF THE YEAR 2021 | PERFORMANCE SUVS

£172,411

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED ALFA ROMEO STELVIO

£39,620-£73,195

The Stelvio won this class last year, thanks almost entirely to the Quadrifoglio model which sits at the top of the range. This has a 510bhp V6 engine and a drive mode palette including a Race setting in which an already quick, engaging SUV turns into an absolute livewire of a thing.

A 3.8-second sprint time speaks volumes, but there’s much more to it than that. You can cruise along in the Stelvio with just a modest swoosh of road noise in your ears, but when you pin the throttle and start attacking corners, its steering and handling become the stuff of dreams.

It takes commitment to use Race mode, because traction control is disabled and so it’s much more willing to start going sideways. In the right situation, though, this turns a good, sound, quick SUV into an absolute monster. And even with the dial left alone, its still agile enough to makes your eyes pop.

Best of all, when you look at the sort of money other really fast SUVs cost, the Stelvio is a bit of a bargain. Certainly, you’ll look long and hard to match its thrills-per-pound ratio.

PORSCHE CAYENNE COUPE

it in, it’s always supple and never harsh. This is world-class suspension in action.

Sport mode tautens it up a little and makes some lovely crackling noises come out of the exhaust, but for the full effect Corsa (racetrack) delivers thunderous acceleration backed up by brutal slaps in the back

every time the box changes up a gear. This is when you know you’re in a proper Lamborghini.

You’ll know that from the amount of blokes who want to be your best mate, too. This is definitely not for shrinking violets – but even if you don’t actually want to do 190mph, it’s magnificent in every way.

£64,090-£129,290

The Cayenne Coupe looks like it will be superb to drive but a pain to live with. It scotches the latter assumption almost as quickly as it confirms the former – it’s actually very practical, with room for four tall adults and a huge cargo bay in the back.

In the last year, the range has gained a new GTS model – a Porsche staple designed to appeal to posers and purists alike.

This is powered by a version of the 4.0-litre V8 engine which, in the range-topping Turbo S E-Hybrid, allows the vehicle to smash the 0-62 sprint in 3.8 seconds.

It’s not just about speed, though. The Cayenne is a poised, balanced driving tool which remains supple and composed even over the worst surfaces. It never runs out of grip, either, and is a genuine pleasure to steer, with perfectly controlled body movements as you guide it through the corners.

With the GTS model in the line up, the Cayenne Coupe is a more complete performance SUV than ever. Purists look away: this is the very essence of a modern Porsche.

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4x4 OF THE YEAR 2021 | LUXURY SUVS

WINNER | BENTLEY BENTAYGA

THE ORIGINAL BENTAYGA won its class in these awards two years ago – but it was a different class.

Back then, Bentley’s SUV felt more about performance (and, in particular, dynamics) than luxury – but the new model, which arrived a few month ago, corrects the latter without having lost any of the former.

Styled using Bentley’s new design language, the Bentayga finally looks comfortable in its own skin.

It was never less than scintillating on the road, though – and again, it’s utterly engaging to drive. Its 4.0-litre V8 engine makes it hugely fast, but what matters is its agility – in corners, it feels more like a GTI

than an SUV, such is the alacrity of its steering and suspension. Every movement it makes feels entirely natural, dismissing the vehicle’s size and weight with polite ease.

The Bentayga can also be had with All-Terrain Specification, adding four off-road positions to the drive mode dial. The results are

extraordinary, allowing it to tackle surfaces and obstacles you would scarcely believe possible – and all in almost absurd comfort.

Talking of comfort, the cabin is superb. The front and rear seats alike have been improved, with the latter gaining more legroom, and you can also specify a seven-seat

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4x4 OF THE YEAR 2021 | LUXURY SUVS

£146,700

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED MERCEDES-BENZ GLS

£74,465-£158,025

The current GLS was new last year, and Mercedes has added more models in the last 12 months as the range grows towards maturity. Specifically, there’s now a high-performance AMG 63 version powered by a 4.0-litre V8, as well as an ultra-luxurious Maybach model full of the highest-quality kit and materials.

These compete with Land Rover’s SVR models and the Bentley Bentayga respectively, and both do a very good job of it. But we’d struggle to see past the entry-level 400 d version, whose 516lbf.ft of torque comes on stream from just 1200rpm. This turns it into am absolute force of nature both on and off-road.

All models are superb to drive, with immense performance and refinement alike, and there’s no such thing as a GLS whose cabin is less than magnificent. It comes with seven seats as standard, and you’d be happy to ride in any of them – but it’s best of all up front, where the almost full-width screen of Merc’s MBUX media system sets the tone for an experience that makes you feel special every time you climb on board.

LAND ROVER RANGE ROVER

layout or, in lieu of a traditional second row, two individual chairs.

Up front, a new facia houses a superb infotainment system which operates as crisply as it looks. In addition to the 10.9” high-resolution touch screen on the dash, there’s a tablet-style interface for those in the back – though in truth, discussing

multimedia seems vulgar in the company of such a supreme vehicle.

The average Bentayga buyer will option their vehicle up to around a quarter of a million pounds, but at a list price of £146,700 it almost feels like a bargain. It’s a lot of money, of course, but you get a lot of SUV for it – and an awful lot of luxury.

£83,465-£179,715

In its 50th year of production, the fourth-generation Range Rover is on the glidepath towards being replaced by an all-new model.

That’s due by the end of 2021 – but for now, the current model remains a benchmark for 4x4 luxury.

Of course, it’s full of high-quality, high-tech equipment. But it’s more than that: the Range Rover has luxury built in. It feels very, very special inside – and it feels as if it still would, even if you were to take away all the wood, leather and fancy toys.

It’s not just the classy layout, nor the sublime trim materials, nor the mighty seating position. It’s not the composed ride, the effortless performance or the astonishing off-road ability. It’s more than that. The whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

And the sum of the parts is enormous.

The Range Rover is amazingly easy to drive for such a big vehicle, and it’s surprisingly agile too. It’s like the world’s best butler, crossed with James Bond – it knows things you’ll never realise, but most of all you know you’re being looked after.

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4x4 OF THE YEAR 2021 | RESULTS

SPECIAL AWARDS Crossover Estate Subaru XV Crossover Fiat Panda Small SUV Jeep Renegade Medium SUV Land Rover Discovery Sport Large SUV Land Rover Discovery Off-Roader Land Rover Defender Performance SUV Lamborghini Urus Luxury SUV Bentley Bentayga

BEST VALUE SSANGYONG REXTON

OFF-ROAD AWARD JEEP WRANGLER

The Rexton completed a hat-tick of Best Value awards last year. And now here it is again – and if anything, it’s even better value than ever.

We say that because SsangYong’s big wagon has only put on a couple of grand during this time. And its warranty has gone up from five to seven years, too.

The Rexton is luxurious, practical and good both on and off-road. It’s a work truck and a classy SUV rolled in to one. It’s more than just a cheap motor: it’s a brilliant 4x4 for your money.

The Wrangler’s entry-level price went up by almost ten grand this year, and the diesel engine has disappeared from its UK line-up. But at the top of the range, the Rubicon model continues to fly the flag for what Jeep does best.

With a range of enhanced off-road kit as standard, on top of the knowhow already built into the Wrangler’s DNA, this is the best off-the-peg offroader you can buy. And all Wranglers are built to be modified, too.

It’s a lot of money, yes. But it will hold its value in a vice-like grip, making it a sound investment – and a sensational off-road toy.

SUSTAINABILITY AWARD TOYOTA LANDCRUISER

MANUFACTURER OF THE YEAR LAND ROVER

If you buy one vehicle, use it for everything and keep it forever, the car industry will hate you. But as a driver, there’s no better way of bringing down the impact you have on the planet.

And if there’s one vehicle in the world that’s built to last, it’s the Landcruiser. It’s an old-school truck with rugged off-road engineering, and its longevity is legendary.

You can buy one of these and, if you look after it, never have to buy another new car again. That’s good for your wallet – and great for the planet.

The new Defender has been the star attraction in the year Land Rover has just had. But everywhere you look in the manufacturer’s range, you’ll find models which have been updated significantly in the last 12 months.

Even the Range Rover, which is soon to be replaced, got in on the act in its 50th year. The Discovery is right back on form, too, and the Evoque and Disco Sport have become plug-in hybrids.

Best of all, the old-shape Defender is about to come back. As a £200,000 spaceframe special. It’s a good time to be Land Rover right now.

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THE SUBARU XV. 4X4 MAGAZINE’S CROSSOVER ESTATE OF THE YEAR. Effortlessly impressive and reassuringly safe to drive, XV boasts incredible all-round performance. On and off road, you can expect superior road-holding and handling, accompanied by a reassuring and refined ride – whatever the weather or terrain.

“It’s one of the safest cars there is – as well as having crisp road manners and an astonishing level of off-road ability.”

— Alan Kidd, Editor of 4x4 Magazine

Find out more at subaru.co.uk

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4x4 OF THE YEAR 2021 | RESULTS

THE WINNER | LAND ROVER DEFENDER The Defender may well be the most controversial new car of all time. Surely no other vehicle has ever been the subject of so much anger before it was even launched?

Yet if there had never been a thing called the Defender before it, we would all be welcoming it with open arms. Here’s this company that builds premium SUVs, and suddenly it has decided to create a new model whose ruggedness and off-road ability go beyond anything its customers have ever asked for. Genius!

Where do I sign?

And there certainly is a whiff of genius about the Defender. Its cabin feels totally authentic, but it’s not trying to pull the wool over your eyes – it’s very functional, very practical and yes, very comfortable too. It has nods to its heritage, but it’s not retro. It is, frankly, brilliant.

Similarly, the single biggest thing about driving the old Defender is still there. The new one has an imperious driving position, making it wonderful to sit in. And that one thing is worth more than most people seem to realise Beyond that, it’s quiet and refined on every kind of road. It steers and handles, it pulls well and when you take it off-road, it tackles the terrain with confidence. You’re in the hands of electronics, it has to be said, but they work better than any other such system we’ve yet seen.

None of this will win over the haters. But if you can judge the new Defender on its own merits, you’re apt to find that it’s actually an extraordinarily good 4x4.

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4x4x4 YEARS IN A ROW!

REXTON. BEST VALUE 4x4, FOR THE 4TH YEAR RUNNING

4X4 OF THE YEAR 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 AWARDED BY 4X4 MAGAZINE

3.5 tonne towing capacity†

9 airbags

Selectable 4x4 with low range

9.2” screen with Apple CarPlay & Android Auto

2.2L engine 420Nm torque†

FROM

£29,995*

Fuel consumption figures in mpg: Combined 34.0-36.2. CO2 emissions in g/km 218-204. Model featured is a Rexton Ultimate priced at £40,585 including optional metallic paint priced at £690. *Rexton EX including VAT, delivery charge, Road Fund Licence & first registration charge. †420Nm torque and 3.5 tonne towing capacity on automatic transmission. Prices are correct at the time of going to print, but may be modified or changed at any time.

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