4x4 Magazine - June 2019

4x4

NEWS • PRODUCTS • TRAIL GUIDES • WORKSHOP • CALENDAR • OFF-ROAD SCENE DRIVEN New Honda CR-V Hybrid

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

RANGER OF TALENTS Britpart teams up with ARB for a major assault on the pick-up aftermarket – starting with this sensational Ford Ranger

£4.75

Wayout: concept Jeep Gladiator Get down and dirty built for hardcore overlanding on our Roadbook

JUN 2019

in the East Mids

Could the Discovery 1 still be a substitute for the Defender?

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Untitled-1 1

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FLOOR MATS GI200

Range Rover Sport 2013>

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They’re lightweight, very flexible and they’re custom-made. With a raised outer lip to retain any spills, they’ll do a fantastic job of keeping the interior of your vehicle in the best possible condition, while covering up any existing damage.

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DOG GUARDS From the older 110, 90 and Freelanders to the Range Rover Sport, Discovery and Evoque, Travall have created an extensive range of high quality dog Guards exclusively for these iconic of vehicles.

Each one is made in the UK’s engineering heartland from the best available materials. They laser-cut and precisionweld high grade steel, which is then nylon-powder coated using a unique formula.

GI053 Discovery 3, Discovery 4 04-16

GI055 Range Rover Sport 05-13

This gives their dog guards an attractive and ultra-tough finish which is extremely resistant to scratches and knocks.

They are recognised throughout the world for their strength, dependability, ruggedness and reliability, whether on or off the road. So, if you’re looking for a guard that’s just as tough, and as well-designed, as the Land Rover itself, you’ve found it.

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Please check our website for full fitment details:

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NOW STOCKING INTERIOR PROTECTION FROM TRAVALL Terrafirma have teamed up with Travall, the world’s leading producer of Dog Guards, Floor Mats and Bootliners to introduce their products into our range.

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A DV E RT I S I N G F E AT U R E

NISSAN NAVARA OFF - ROADER BY NAME, OFF - ROADER BY NATURE

I

n recent years pick-up trucks have become much more popular in the world of off-roading. They pose an appealing balance of value and off-road ability – and in the latter aspect they’ve come on leaps and bounds. This can be attributed to many things, but most of them come from the ever-growing aftermarket catalogue of suspension lifts, bigger and more aggressive tyres and plenty more besides.

One problem you’ll find if you turn your own truck into an offroader is that nothing is covered by a warranty that sets your mind at ease. But now Nissan have done it, the Off-Roader is just the answer to this quandary.

Few times have trucks ever been named so aptly. Nissan teamed

2 | JUNE 2019

up with Arctic Trucks – their first collaboration on a truck in Europe – and came up with the Navara Off-Roader AT32. Starting with an already capable base in the Navara, the ride height has been increased by 20mm using a lifted suspension.

This helps to accommodate the new 275/70R17 Nokian Rotiiva AT Plus rubber at each corner, which in turn helps the Off-Roader live up to its name. For when things get a little tougher, there are also heavyduty side-steps and a full set of underbody guards to look after the Navara’s vitals, plus there’s a snorkel on hand to stop it drowning where other trucks would be out of their depth. Alongside the standard rear diff-lock that the Navara possesses, the Off-Roader has the option of a front equivalent, too, which if used

4x4

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OFF-ROADER AT32 properly can only be a good thing.

Throw all of these into action and you’ll soon learn why we named it Best Off-Road in our recent 2019 4x4 of the Year Awards.

Out on the road, be it literally or not, the Off-Roader really comes together.You could expect the taller truck with more aggressive tyres to be lack-lustre when cornering. But believe it or not, we found that it cornered with greater poise – even when more was being asked of the suspension. At speed on the motorway it retains its refinement, too.

The gearing of the Off-Roader’s gearbox has been tweaked, and the slightly higher gearing integrates the additions smoothly and effectively, but it is also useful off-road, too, as it helps you make the most of the rev-happy engine.

A lifted suspension and bigger, higher profile tyres are seldom a bad thing when it comes to offroading, but with a pick-up truck they’re especially valuable and help control the long-wheelbase and

protect the rear overhang. It wasn’t just the added clearance where the Nokians came in useful, but their increased profile add a deftness to the truck’s flexibility and a further element of control to the way the truck goes about its business off-road.

Plainly, that is all that mattered when it came to deciding which truck to give the gong to, but the fact that the Navara’s interior is yet again up there is simply icing on the cake. Based on the high-spec Tekna model, the amenable cabin is well equipped and kitted out with heated leather seats with intelligent NissanConnect integration, too, to keep the multi-media savvy satisfied as well as comfortable. The system allows mobile integration and access to apps, plus it has Europe-wide navigation – for your time spent on the roads, of course. A toy that will be useful both on and off-road, though, is the 360º Around View monitor, which gives you a bird’s eye view of the truck and the parked cars or jagged rocks that may

happen to be nearby.

As a package the Navara Off-Roader AT32 is extremely compelling and in terms of offroading an off-the-shelf pick-up you can’t do better. With its lockable diffs, all of the other accessories and hill descent control it’s a totally unique proposition. Plus, you’ll have a truck that’s covered by warranties from both Nissan and Arctic Trucks.

As it’s available through Nissan’s

regular dealerships, you’ll also have a truck that when seeking insurance, oficially isn’t a modified vehicle – meaning cover will be notably more reasonable than an inferior home-build.

In pairing the usability and performance the Navara already possesses with the expertise of Arctic Trucks, Nissan are onto a winner – clearly, that’s why we’ve named it the Best Off-Road pick-up.

*Connecting to a mobile phone to use NissanConnect should only be done when the car is parked safely. Use of the system should always be in accordance with the rules of the Highway Code. Drivers should only use the system when it is safe to do so. Users should be aware of the potential for hands-free technology to distract attention from the road, which could impact on having full control of the vehicle. For compatible devices, please visit nissan.co.uk/ownership/nissan-infotainment-system/nissanconnect

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June 2019

THIS MONTH 32

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62 12 ISSUES OF 4X4 – FOR JUST £12!

This has got to be the best value offer in the history of publishing… subscribe to 4x4 for a year and it’ll only cost a quid an issue!

News 12 14 15 16 16 18 19

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Easter Jeep Safari Gladiator theme for this year’s crop of concepts Mercedes GLS Luxury 7-seater retains off-road potential Mercedes GLB Small SUV concept looks like an off-roader too Aiways U7 Chinese start-up plans a 4x4 assault on Europe Kia Habaniro Concept off-road buggy is the ‘everything car’ Nissan X-Trail New engines for ever-popular family wagon Coming Soon SUVs, trucks and off-roaders worth waiting for

Tested 28

Honda CR-V Is the family SUV at its best in its new hybrid form?

Every Month 6 8 10 21 82 96

Alan Kidd Keeping your 4x4 forever is the greenest thing you can do Gallery Classic Jeeps doing what classic Jeeps do best Destinations The haven of Outback wackiness that is Silverton Products Parts, accessories, tools and more Roadbook Little-known lanes hidden away in the East Midlands Next Month Toyotas taken to the max by the masters of mighty…

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Features 32 34 42 44 52 56

Jeep Wayout Stunning pick-up with an overland travel theme ARB Ranger Britpart’s demo truck does just what it was built for Discovery 1 Even today, could it be the alternative Defender?

Weekend Warrior Disco 1 built for playday fun Cherished Classic A Discovery that’s one of the family Extreme Disco Going (very) large on what’s still a daily driver

Travel 64 68

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Tibet Crossing the roof of the world in a standard Cherokee Atlantic Rising A major expedition with an important message

Off-Road Scene 74 77 77

BXCC Off-road racing returns to the national calendar Odyssey Challenge Sobering events at Tixover Minninglow Lane Voluntary restraint does the trick in Derbyshire

Off-Road Calendar 75 77 78

Pay-and-Play Events Go in as hard as you want UK Convoy Tours Tag-along runs on public rights of way Overland Travel Long-range adventures in your 4x4

“It wasn’t safe to stay at such a high altitude – we had no choice but to drive through the night to the next town, lower down the valley. Death Valley, as it’s known…”

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Alan Kidd Editor

T

he Extinction Rebellion has been very much in the news recently. Over Easter, cities around the world saw protests by people concerned about what’s happening to the environment – and if Greta Thunberg doesn’t get the Person of the Year award Time magazine dishes out every, er, year, it’ll be an absolute travesty.

I have friends and family members who took part in the protest. I also have friends who described the protesters as ‘smellies’ and sneered at the whole thing. Whatever side you’re on, though, we need to accept that the point is absolutely sound.

The environment has been part of the mainstream news agenda for around thirty years. In that time, it’s become very clear to me that what we hear from government and industry is not about making sure our children still have a planet to live on, but about making sure the people at the top of government and industry remain as rich and powerful as possible.

A simple example. The first Land Rover Discoverys were built thirty years ago.

If you bought one then and have owned it ever since, that’s ten average cycles of new car ownership that you’ve not taken part in. Meaning the environment has been spared all the energy and materials that go into making a car, ten times over.

Some years ago, a US study found that taking into account the environmental cost of building each car, the recyclability of its parts, what comes out of its exhaust pipe and its typical lifespan, the greenest choice you can make is to own a Jeep Wrangler.

Over here, when you look at the way Land Rover Defenders simply go on and on and on, that is borne out to perfection.

Yet here I am paying £555 a year in road tax because I own a late TD5 90. They want to tax older vehicles to a premature death.

Fact is, keeping one vehicle forever is the greenest thing you can do. Fuel-sippers are not designed for life, but for a lifespan, whereas a 4x4 can last for generations.

It’s the cheapest form of motoring, too.

Depreciation is by far the biggest cost of owning a car. Buy one and keep it forever, and over the course of your life you’ll save hundreds of thousands of pounds.

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Keeping your 4x4 is the greenest thing to do The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders recently claimed that ‘fleet renewal is proven to work.’ It certainly works for the motor manufacturers and traders who profit from it. The background to this was data showing that since 2008, average CO2 emissions have gone down by 17.8%.

Another study has found that including the environmental cost of making batteries and generating the power to charge them, electric cars are actually responsible for more CO2 than diesels, not less.

Unless you do vast mileages, it sounds to me like sticking with a tried and trusted vehicle for life is exactly the way to minimise your carbon footprint. Even if Greta Thunberg herself, who I admire enormously, fell into the trap of dropping SUVs as a cheap way of slagging off people who don’t get what she’s saying.

When the truth is inconvenient, us humans are very good at latching on to excuses for ignoring it. When Extinction Rebellion insiders said the movement was made up of environmental campaigners ‘and other anarchist groups,’ it was easy to dismiss them as nothing more than just troublemakers to be ignored.

But don’t let’s hide from the facts. One is that we MUST do something about climate change. Another is that we absolutely cannot trust anyone with a vested interest in lying – by which I mean all politicians and the whole of industry.

So what’s to do? Based on what I’ve read, turn your lawn into a vegetable garden. Cut right down on air travel. Walk and cycle, wherever possible. And for when it’s not, have a vehicle that suits you and was built to last forever, and accept the fact that having a new car every two or three years is the very worst thing you can do for the planet.

If I keep my 90, one day it will pass down to one of my sons and if he chooses, he’ll be able to keep it for life, too. I wonder what the tax on it will be by then…?

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 Assistant Editor George Dove Art Editor Samantha D’Souza Contributors Mike Trott, Dan Fenn, Gary Noskill, Paul Looe, Frank Frogly, Kazuyoshi Sasazaki, Tushar and Pooja Agarwal Photographers Harry Hamm,Vic Peel, Steve Taylor Group Advertising Manager Ian Argent Tel: 01283 553242 Advertising Manager Colin Ashworth Tel: 01283 553244 Advertising Sales Manager Gary Simpkins Tel: 01283 553245 Advertising and Exhibition Sales Executive Abigail Cooper Tel: 01283 553246 Advertising Production Sarah Lowe Tel: 01283 553242 Subscriptions Manager Catherine Martin Subscriptions Assistants Emma Emery, Kay Tunnicliffe, Abi Dutton Publisher and Head of Marketing Sarah Lowe Email: sarah.lowe@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 G11, Bretby Business Park, Ashby Road, Bretby, Derbyshire DE15 0YZ

© Assignment Media Ltd, 2019

4x4 25/04/2019 13:55

XS Lynx Auxiliary Lights > > > > >

70 watts 11,000 lumens 7 x 10W CREE LEDs Shockproof Die cast aluminium housing > UV polyester powder coated - won’t fade in the sun > Unbreakable optical polycarbonate lens > Stainless steel bracket and accessories > IP68 certified completely waterproof & dustproof

LED

> RFI/EMC protected won’t interfere with radio reception > Voltage - 9 - 32V > Deutsch connectors - for easy wiring > Pressure equalizing vent > 50,000 hour lifespan > Over & under voltage protection > Operating temperature -60ºC to 125ºC > CE & RoHs compliant > Supplied as singles

DA6618

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See them in action!

These stills images don’t do justice to what a massive difference having the XS Lynx Spot Lights on makes.

Check out our video showing them in action.

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Wider Arches

Defender +30mm Wheel Arches DA1979 - Front Pair

DA1978 - Rear Pair

Wheel arches shown here with 285 75/R16 tyres on a ZU rim with an 11mm + VE offset

Designed to keep your vehicles legal when fitting wider tyre and wheel combinations whilst maintaining an appearance closer to the standard arch than other wide arches. Using similar material to the OE arches they fix to the vehicle using the normal style clips - supplied.

GALLERY

In pictures: 4x4s and off-road stories from around the world

With this being that time in the year when the guys from Jeep rock up at Moab with a group of trucks that makes the rest of the world go weak at the knees, we thought we’d go back to the source right here and dig out some pictures of the vehicle that started it all. So we searched for images of the Willys Jeep, and here’s a selection of what we turned up.

As you can see, some people’s interpretation of what qualifies as a Willys Jeep is a little avant-garde. But everything here is a bona fide classic, whether it’s restored to perfection (just check out that pick-up), modified and ‘wheeling for its living or out there exploring the deserts of Saudi Arabia – or even still doing service for Uncle Sam after all these years.

And then there are the classics-in-waiting. Abandoned vehicles always look kind of sad, but when it’s an old Jeep you can choose to see either the welding project from hell – or a world of possibilities. Or, maybe, a world of digging just to get at it, but they have mud in America too.

What they also have is Dry States. A phrase that’s very popular in classified ads for used cars. Dry State = No Rust, obviously. New Mexico is a dry state. Which will be why that bulkhead still looks like new…

Main picture: My trip to Desert (Edge of The World), by Maher Najm Right: Willys Jeep, by mark6mauno @ flickr.com, CC BY 2.0 Below right: Willys, by Rafael Vianna Croffi @ flickr.com, CC BY 2.0 Below: Willys Jeep Pick-Up, by Greg Gjerdingen @ flickr.com, CC BY 2.0

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SPECIALIST 4X4 VEHICLE DISMANTERS JEEP - LAND ROVER AND MOST MAKES AND MODELS QUALITY GUARANTEED USED PARTS SOME OF THE VEHICLES WE HAVE RECENTLY DISMANTLED:

2015 JEEP WRANGLER JK 2.8CRD

2007 DODGE NITRO 2.8CRD

2016 RANGE ROVER EVOQUE 2.0 TD4

2014 RANGE 2016 ISUZU 2014 JEEP ROVER SPORT 4.4 D-MAX 2.5 DIESEL CHEROKEE MK5 V8 DIESEL KL 2.0 MULTIJET

Above, descending from top: Willys Jeep, by Jason Trim @ flickr.com, CC BY 2.0 Willys Jeep, by Jay Phagan @ flickr.com, CC BY 2.0 Richard’s Jeep, by Larry Lamsa @ flickr.com, CC BY 2.0 Below: Willys hasta con llanta tipo balón, by Willys Alberto Sevillano @ flickr. com, CC BY 2.0

2010 JEEP 2007 LAND ROVER CHEROKEE MK4 DISCOVERY 3 2.7 KK 2.8 CRD TDV6

2008 HONDA CRV 2.2 CDTI

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

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DESTINATIONS

The world’s greatest 4x4 travel adventures caught on camera. This month, a strange little town en route to the middle of nowhere…

Silverton When you’ve got the entire Outback to choose from for your next destination, why would you pick Silverton? To be honest, this rambling little village a couple of dozen miles from Broken Hill on the border between South Australia and New South Wales is more the sort of place where you might stop off on the way to the Outback proper – but as stop-offs go, you won’t forget it in a hurry.

For one thing, for a place with a population of precisely 88 people it has what must be a record-beating proportion of art galleries per head. It’s also home to the world-famous Silverton Hotel, which has appeared in countless movies and adverts – as well as a weird and wonderful collection of art cars dotted around the place. Many of these are old VW Beetles, but this being the Outback there the odd ute on display too.

The theme continues a couple of hundred yards down the road from the hotel (by ‘road’ we mean a ribbon of red sand), where you’ll find the Mad Max 2 museum. This is the life’s work of one Adrian Bennett, who loved the movies so much he moved from Bradford to Australia to live the dream.

Silverton is definitely worth a stop-off en route to the desert trails further north, or if your Australian travel itinerary takes you through Broken Hill. The town is well worth visiting in its own right, too – whether it’s to see the exhibits, browse the art… or just revel in the womderful nuttiness of it all.

Top: Mad Max Museum, by Chris Fithall @ flickr.com, CC BY 2.0 Inset: Painted Utes !!!, by Nina Matthew Photography @ flickr. com, CC BY 2.0 Above left: Silverton Hotel, by Chris Fithall @ flickr.com, CC BY 2.0 Left: Artist’s ute is his canvas, by Simon Yeo @ flickr.com, CC BY 2.0

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The PWD-X5 features an 8-inch subwoofer, amplifier and DSP in a small underseat form.

Wired Remote Control

The remote control unit is connected with the DSP amplifier by USB. Use the rotary encoder to select input sources (including Bluetooth audio streaming), sound settings and more.

Bluetooth Audio Streaming

-----

May 19 ads.indd 43

If your original car stereo does not feature Bluetooth audio streaming, the PWD-X5 is yet again a great solution for you. With the included Bluetooth dongle that can be plugged in to one of the USB ports on the DSP amp you can stream music from your smartphone to the PWD-X5.

02/04/2019 22:38

4x4 NEWS

NEW GLADIATOR INSPIRES ALL SIX CONCEPTS AT 2019 EASTER JEEP SAFARI Triton Absolute concept • +50mm springs, mud tryres, skid plates • Production model a possibility

A

t the recent Easter Safari event in Moab, Utah, Jeep unveiled no less than six concept vehicles based on the new Gladiator – a double-cab pick-up based on the latest Wrangler.

The Easter Safari, now in its 53rd year, has become recognised as a kind of national rally in the Jeep calendar, and for almost half that time the manufacturer has been creating extravagant concept trucks to display at the event. Six tends to be the magic number – but it’s highly unusual for all of them to showcase the same model.

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This year’s half-dozen can therefore be taken as an indication of the Gladiator’s importance to Jeep.

Due to come to the UK next year, the vehicle will offer something different to the rest of the pick-up market, with live coil-sprung axles front and rear, as well as the availability of locking diffs, giving it the potential for an overwhelming level of off-road performance.

The concepts on show at Moab last month play on this. Built by Jeep in association with parent company FCA’s Mopar division, they demonstrate what can be achieved using the latter’s parts and accessories.

As is often the case, several of the vehicles look to Jeep’s long and extremely rich heritage for their image. The most obvious example of this is the JT Scrambler, which uses the colours and graphics of the distinctively patterned CJ8 Scrambler of the early 1980s – however the J6 single-cab goes back still further to recreate the look of 1978’s Jeep Honcho.

The M-715 Five-Quarter, meanwhile, is a mash-up of a modern Gladiator and a 1968 military Jeep – complete with ultra heavy-duty axles, 40” tyres and a 700bhp supercharged V8 engine.

At the other end of the scale, the Wayout is designed to be an expedition-ready overland truck, with a modest lift and a series of additions including a roof tent, auxiliary fuel tanks and on-board air. The Flatbill and Gravity concepts, meanwhile, are themed around complementary extreme sports – motocross and rock climbing.

‘This year’s Safari will mark the debut of the highly anticipated all-new Jeep Gladiator on Moab’s scenic and demanding trails,’ commented Jeep’s US brand manager Tim Kuniskis. ‘To celebrate, we are showcasing six fun and

4x4 29/04/2019 14:34

4x4 NEWS

ultra-capable new truck-based Jeep concept vehicles that are certain to turn heads and delight the crowd.

‘The Moab Easter Jeep Safari provides the perfect venue to interact with and gather feedback from our most loyal and passionate customers – the diehard off-road enthusiasts who attend the event each year.’

Started in 1967, the Easter Jeep Safari was created by Moab Chamber of Commerce as a way of bringing trade to the town. The original event was a one-day trail ride; since then, it has grown into a nine-day festival which sees thou-

4x4 News June ADD ADS.indd 13

sands of Jeep owners gather in this remote corner of Utah to tackle some of America’s most beautiful and technically challenging slickrock trails. Unlike some 4x4 manufacturers, Jeep sees its diehard fans as an asset and actively encourages them to modify its vehicles – with concepts such as these designed to provide inspiration to those looking to do so.

We’re going to cover one of these six concept in depth each month over the next six issues of 4x4. The first of these is the Wayout, which you’ll find on page 32 of this magazine.

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4x4 NEWS

MERC RETAINS OFF-ROAD ABILITY IN NEW GLS CLASS Flagship SUV becomes longer, wider • Optional dual-range transfer case • On sale early autumn

A

t the very top of its SUV range, MercedesBenz has announced a new GLS. The sevenseater becomes bigger still, gaining 60mm in its wheelbase and 77mm in overall length.

The new model is 22mm wider, too. All of which makes it roomier than ever inside, especially in the

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second row – where, for the first time in a GLS model, customers can specify two individual captain’s chairs rather than the traditional three-seat bench.

As before, all three rows feature electric adjustment, and the rears fold flat to allow a cargo capacity of up to 2400 litres. Mercedes says these seats are suitable for

passengers of up to 6’4” in height, and five-zone climate control is standard on all UK models.

Power will come from the existing 3.0-litre diesel, tuned for 330bhp and 516lbf.ft. This will return 29.8-30.9mpg and emit 201-208g/km; in the current GLS 400 d, it allows a 0-62 time of 6.6 seconds and top speed of 149mph, and these figures are likely to remain unchanged.

There will also be a MercedesAMG model using the 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged petrol V8 whose 585bhp gets the current version from 0-62mph in 4.6 seconds. All have a nine-speed auto box driving all four wheels standard, as well as an optional dual-range transfer case for serious off-road ability. As before, air suspension will allow ride height to be adjusted for increased ground clearance.

Inside, the GLS gains a much more modern looking dash design featuring Mercedes’ latest infotainment system. This combines two 12.3” high-resolution media screens with and links in to control tablets for passengers in the second row of seats, as well as an optional rear-seat entertainment package.

Aside from the electronics, the GLS gains a new level of design and appointment inside. Mercedes describes the vehicle as ‘the S-Class of premium SUVs’, seeing it as the flagship in a range containing a wide variety of sports, luxury, performance and off-road models.

Prices are yet to be announced, however it will be an expensive way of going off-road. With options, it will be easy to find yourself paying a six-figure sum for one when UK sales get underway in the third quarter of 2019.

4x4 29/04/2019 14:34

4x4 NEWS GLB Concept hints at off-road attitude for production model S AV E

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Is Mercedes-Benz getting ready to take on the new-generation Land Rover Defender? Amid the sea of city-life SUVs and crossover concepts on the car show circuit, the German giant has unveiled the GLB – a compact SUV presented with the ruggedness of a real off-roader.

Mercedes has been one of the main players in the lucrative but frequently derided coupe-SUV market, however the GLB is much more of a traditional design with the emphasis on robustness and fitness for purpose. The company says it ‘feels right at home on rough farm tracks’, with short overhangs and raised ground clearance adding a touch of X-Class attitude to its appearance.

The X-Class might serve as a reminder, however, that Mercedes has form for using serious off-road preparation to draw attention to its 4x4s. Prior to that vehicle’s launch, Merc presented a dramatic show model with hardcore modifications including heavily lifted suspension and 35” Simex-pattern tyres – creating a flurry of excitement which turned to disappointment when the real thing arrived.

With the GLB, the rugged treatment is less overt – the tyres, for example, are BFG All-Terrains rather than an extreme mud pattern.

And while Mercedes says it’s ‘equipped for expeditions,’ its justification for this claim is that in addition to those tyres, it has a cargo box and LED lights mounted on its roof.

However this concept is a clear indication that Mercedes does intend to offer a chunkier alternative to vehicles like the Audi Q3 and Land Rover Discovery Sport when the production GLB comes to market later this year. It will be available in five and seven-seater form, despite its compact proportions (2829mm wheelbase and 4634mm overall length), with the promise that the third row will offer ‘comfortable seating for two medium-sized occupants.’

‘We asked ourselves whether there is still space between the GLA and GLC in our successful SUV range,’ says Britta Seeger, Mercedes’ board member with responsibility for car sales. ‘The Concept GLB is the answer to this question.

‘The Concept GLB is a durable and practical SUV with nonetheless compact dimensions. With it we are demonstrating the creative ideas we have for this segment, too.’

The concept GLB is powered by a 224bhp, 258lbf.ft turbocharged petrol engine mated to an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.

Its permanent four-wheel drive system has three settings which vary the amount of torque sent to the rear wheels – 20% in Eco mode, 30% in Sport and 50% in Off-Road. The rear axle contains a diff which Mercedes says will compensate for variations in the paths and rotational speeds of the wheels irrespective of their speeds.

For production, at launch the GLB will be powered by a range of petrol and diesel engines; all-wheel drive is likely to be reserved only for higher-spec versions, as it as on the GLA. Prices are likely to start in the region of £28,000 – though if you want four-wheel drive, you can add the best part of ten grand to that.

4x4 News June ADD ADS.indd 15

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JUNE 2019 | 15

29/04/2019 14:34

4x4 NEWS

AIWAYS SHOWS SECOND CONCEPT AHEAD OF EURO MARKET LAUNCH

C

hinese manufacturer Aiways doesn’t yet have a vehicle in production.

However the company has unveiled its second concept car, the U7 ion, which it says ‘hints at new model to create a range of global all-electric vehicles.’

This is a reference to the U5, the electric SUV which Aiways unveiled at this year’s Geneva show – and which it says is ‘due for delivery to European markets shortly.’ The company was only founded in 2017, however it says the U5 already exists in production-ready form and that the U7 ion ‘shows (its) future design direction.’

With a claimed battery range in excess of 300 miles, a kerb weight of just 1730kg and an expected five-star performance under China’s own safety testing regime, the U5 will be built in Aiways’ £1.5 billion production facility in Shangrao – as will the U7 ion, in whatever form

it may take as a customer model.

Aiways says it intends to launch one new vehicle every year in a product offensive that will see it offer ‘affordable, connected and local zero-emissions family transport’ throughout every level of the SUV market.

Kia invents the ‘Everything Car’ – and it’s an off-roader This is the Kia Habaniro – a futuristic concept off-roader which the Korean company describes as ‘a fully-electric, all-wheel drive, four-seat wonder car.’ With a range of more than 300 miles, it features scissor-opening doors for easy access to its futuristic and very red cabin, twin electric motors providing all-wheel drive and the latest level-five autonomous driving capability.

Kia says the Habaniro has ‘more advanced technology than helped land men on the moon.’ With the high stance and short overhangs of a proper off-road vehicle, it’s styled in the manner of a space-age SUV – but Kia refuses to let it be pigeon-holed that easily. In the company’s own words, it’s ‘essentially an all-electric Everything Car, or ECEV – commuter, crossover, sport utility, state-of-the-art technology workroom and adventure vehicle.’

Describing the Habaniro as ‘a prescient look into the future of mobility,’ Kia says it was designed to be ‘comfortable navigating city streets, carving turns on a coastal road and off-roading with confidence to remote wilderness adventures.’ It also claims that ‘this is no fanciful supercar that will likely never be built’, so get your order in now.

SsangYong is currently running finance promotions on a variety of its vehicles. These include 0% offers on the Tivoli, which is currently available from just £179 per month, and a 5.9% APR PCP scheme on which a Rexton can be had from £349 per month.

16 | JUNE 2019

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MG Motor has launched the ZS Limited Edition. An Excite model with various styling tweaks inside and out, this is limited to 400 units and priced from £14,995 on the road.

4x4 29/04/2019 14:34

ISUZU D-MAX ARCTIC TRUCKS AT35

IT JUST WORKS

EVERYWHERE

£499 FROM ONLY

†

PER MONTH + VAT

INITIAL RENTAL £4,491.00+VAT

BUSINESS CONTRACT HIRE 35 MONTHLY RENTALS OF £499.00 +VAT. EXCESS MILEAGE CHARGE OF 17.68p +VAT PER MILE AND RETURN CONDITIONS APPLY. VAT PAYABLE AT 20%. PROVIDED BY ISUZU CONTRACT HIRE.

CALL 03303 335126 OR VISIT ISUZU.CO.UK FOR MORE INFORMATION MPG figures are official EU test figures for comparative purposes and may not reflect real driving results. Official fuel figures for the Isuzu D-Max range in MPG (l/100km): Urban 30.4 - 38.7 (9.3 - 7.3). Extra Urban 40.9 - 50.4 (6.9 - 5.6). Combined 36.2 - 45.6 (7.8 - 6.2). CO2 emissions 163 - 205g/km. All fuel consumption and emission values are based on a standard Isuzu D-Max. These will differ on the Arctic Trucks version. For full details please contact your local Isuzu dealer or visit isuzu.co.uk †Important Information. Business users only. Rental amounts shown are for an Isuzu D-Max Arctic Trucks AT35 Double Cab Vehicle On The Road with manual transmission, excluding special paint finish.

Excess mileage charge 17.68p + VAT at 20%. Contract based on 8,000 miles per annum, non-maintained. Vehicle must be returned in a good condition to avoid further charges. Provided by Lex Autolease Ltd trading as Isuzu Contract Hire, Heathside Park, Heathside Park Road, Stockport SK3 0RB. Available at participating dealers only. Excludes motability and fleet sales, not available in conjunction with any other offers or with BASC, NGO or NFU member discounts. Available until 30th June 2019. Finance options available at participating dealers, subject to status. *3.5 tonne towing applies to all 4x4 models. **125,000 miles/5 year (whichever comes first) warranty applies to all new Isuzu D-Max models. Terms and conditions apply. Visit isuzu.co.uk

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29/04/2019 09:40

4x4 NEWS

NEW ENGINES FOR X-TRAIL

Four-wheel drive only available with 1.7 dCi diesel • 1.3 DIG-T petrol also available • On sale now

N

issan has announced major revisions to the engine range in the X-Trail. Bringing lower emissions and meeting the latest emissions regulations, the vehicle gains new diesel and petrol units which between them offer customers the choice of manual or automatic transmission and two or four-wheel drive.

The 1.3 DIG-T petrol engine, the smallest yet offered in an X-Trail, is turbocharged to produce 160bhp and 199lbf.ft. It’s available only with front-wheel drive and comes as standard with a new-to-the-range dual-clutch automatic gearbox which, Nissan says, ‘provides a sporty and more direct dynamic experience, improved standing-start performance and smoother power delivery.’ In simple English, it promises to be more fun to drive than a regular auto.

If you want four-wheel drive, however, you’ll need to go for the diesel option, which can be ordered in either 4x2 or 4x4 form. This is also the one to choose if you want a manual gearbox.

The 1.7 dCi engine itself is also new to the range. It develops 150bhp and 251lbf.ft, the latter fig-

18 | JUNE 2019

News June ADD ADS.indd 18

ure meaning it’ll feel a lot stronger than the petrol unit even though it’s not quite as powerful.

There’s no auto option with the diesel. Fuel economy is quoted at 41.5-43.5mpg for the 4x2 model and 39.8-42.2mpg for the 4x4, both on the WLTP scale, while for the petrol unit it’s 33.2-34.9mpg.

Emissions stand at 145-154g/ km for the petrol engine. The diesel puts out 137-143g/km in 4x2 form, or 151-154g/km in models equipped with all-wheel drive.

As before, the X-Trail can be had in five or seven-seat formats, and it can tow up to 2000kg. There are five trim levels in the range, and each of the engine and transmission options is available across all of them. It’s not as truck-like as the first two generations, however in 4x4 form it can tackle enough terrain to keep any reasonable customer happy.

Prices for the revised X-Trail start at £26,590 with the DIG-T 160 engine and £27,095 in 1.7 dCi form; adding four-wheel drive to the latter bumps it up to £28,995.

At the top of the range, you’ll pay £31,190 for the petrol model, £31,695 for the 4x2 diesel and £33,595 for the 4x4.

New Landmark edition celebrates 30 years of Discovery

To celebrate 30 years of the Discovery, Land Rover has introduced a special-edition version of the current model. The latest Disco to bear the Landmark name, this is based on the existing SE model and gains a variety of equipment upgrades to go with its enhanced styling.

Key to the Landmark Edition’s image is the Dynamic Exterior Pack from Land Rover’s options list. This includes a more purposeful front bumper design and black mesh grille, winch vents and badging.

The vehicle also gains fixed front and rear panoramic roofs, front fog lights and signature Hi-Line tail lights, as well as privacy glass and 20” gloss black alloy wheels. Inside, you get a choice of Ebony or Acorn grained leather, an upgraded stereo and a brushed finish to the floor console.

Another choice is between the 240bhp SD4 and 306bhp SD6 diesel engines. These are priced at £57,350 and £59,995 respectively, or from £499 a month on PCP finance.

4x4 29/04/2019 14:34

4x4 NEWS

COMING SOON

ENHANCE ENHANCE

THE PERFORMANCE OF YOUR 4X4 YOUR ISUZU D-MAX

Forthcoming 4x4s due later this year and beyond Aiways U5 Alfa Romeo Alfa Romeo Aston Martin DBX Audi SQ2 Audi Q4 Bentley Bentayga Hybrid BMW X7 Bollinger B1 Bollinger B2 DS3 Crossback DS 7 Crossback E-Tense Ford Ranger facelift Ford Ranger Raptor Ford Ranger Hyundai INEOS Grenadier Infiniti QX50 Jeep Jeep Cherokee Desert Hawk Jeep Gladiator Jeep Grand Commander Jeep Wagoneer Land Rover Defender Land Rover Discovery SVX Maserati Mercedes EQB Mercedes GLB Mercedes GLE Mercedes GLS Mercedes G-Class Mercedes-AMG G-Class Mitsubishi L200 Nissan Juke Porsche Cayenne Coupe Renault Alaskan Rivian R1T Rivian R1s Seat Ateca X-Perience Skoda Kamiq Skoda Kodiaq Coupe Ssangyong XAVL Ssangyong Korando Subaru XV e-Boxer Subaru Forester e-Boxer Suzuki Vitara facelift Tesla Model Y Volkswagen T-Roc R Volkswagen Tarok Volkswagen Amarok

4x4 News June ADD ADS.indd 19

Electric SUV Small SUV Large SUV Performance SUV Performance SUV Coupe SUV Luxury SUV Large SUV Electric off-roader Electric pick-up Small SUV Medium SUV Pick-up Pick-up Pick-up Fuel-call SUV Off-roader Large SUV Small SUV Performance Off-Roader Pick-up Large SUV Luxury SUV Off-roader Large SUV Medium SUV Electric SUV Small SUV Large SUV Luxury SUV Off-roader Performance off-roader Pick-up Small SUV Sports SUV Pick-up Electric pick-up Electric large SUV Medium SUV Crossover Medium SUV Medium SUV Small SUV Small SUV Medium SUV Small SUV Medium SUV Performance SUV Pick-up Pick-up

2020 2019 2019 Late 2019 Spring 2019 2019 2019 Spring 2019 2020 2021 2019 Spring 2019 Mid-2019 Mid-2019 2022 2019 2020 2019 2021 Spring 2020 Spring 2020 2020 2021 2019 2019 2019/20 2019 Late 2019 Spring 2019 Autumn 2019 Early 2019 Early 2019 August 2019 Summer 2019 May 2019 2019 Spring 2022 Summer 2022 2019 Mid-2019 Spring 2019 2019 Summer 2019 Autumn 2019 Autumn 2019 Spring 2019 Autumn 2020 Autumn 2019 2020 2022

Pedders TrakRyder Suspension Lift Kit makes the workhorse D-Max

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JUNE 2019 | 19

29/04/2019 14:34

Up to 50% more power Up to 50% more torque

Dimsport’s Rapid plug&play modules are a solid solution for the optimisation of turbo-diesel and turbo-petrol engines, embracing a very diverse range of needs, from the need for increased torque-power to fuel consumption optimisation in cars, trucks, tractors and boats.

Redline Performance are one of the UK’s leading mobile Remapping & Chip Tuning specialists and are the UK suppliers of Dimsport’s Rapid plug&play modules.

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02/04/2019 13:48

PRODUCTS

HEAVY- DUTY DEFENDER AXLES FROM BRITPART MODIFYING LAND ROVER DEFENDERS to make the most of their hardcore off-road ability is still very much a thing. That’s the message from Britpart, which has just introduced a new range of heavy-duty axles for the vehicle.

These are made from 6mm steel – with critical areas kicking that thickness up to 10mm. An exact replacement for the original, they’re CNC cut and come complete with heavy-duty mounts and a powdercoated finish.

The range includes a front axle, which is universal across all Defenders, and short and long-nose rears to swap in directly to vehicles originally fitted with Land Rover and Salisbury units respectively.

What the axles don’t come with are internals. Not that we think you’ll mind that, because if you’re investing in a set of these things it’s because you’ve got some equally sexy hardware to stuff them with.

To find your nearest stockist, pay a visit to www.britpart.com.

4X4 OBSESSION ADDS HIGH-PERFORMANCE HYBRID SPOTLIGHT FROM LIGHTFORCE LED LIGHTING. Everyone’s into it these days, as evidenced by the massive number of the full-width bars you’ve seen appearing on prepped-up trucks over the last few years. But if you’re an arch-traditionalist and you long for simpler times when auxiliary lights were all big and round… well, the good news is that there’s an LED for you, too.

Enter stage right the Lightforce HTX. This funky looking thing is a hybrid lighting solution comprising a 70W HID bulb within a 170mm reflector, along with 20 genuine Lumileds LEDs to provide a flood beam pattern. Pairing LED and HID light sources means the HTX provides an instant flood pattern in addition to a very long-range beam.

With both sources pumping it out, the HTX kicks out 1 lux at a distance of 1768 metres. That’s more than a mile, don’t you know.

Lob four of these things on top of your roll cage and you’ll be able to see things that don’t even exist. As well of course as having ye olde traditional spots-up-top look you love so much.

The HTX is a tough customer, too. Its nylon composite housing is filled with lightweight glass and its body is made from 6063 aluminium, extruded to maximise heat dissipation.

The light comes with a high-current waterproof connector and a waterproof membrane with a mechanical seal. So it’s made not just to enhance your adventures, but to survive them. HTX stands for Hybrid Technology Xtreme, by the way, and you can get them from 4x4 Obsession – for more on which company, paying a visit to www.4x4obsession.co.uk will prove (ahem) illuminating.

4x4 3pp Products June ADD ADS.indd 21

JUNE 2019 | 21

29/04/2019 14:38

PRODUCTS

IRONMAN’S FORGED ALLOY CONTROL ARMS ARE IDEAL FOR LIFTED TOYOTAS

Est. 1981

IRONMAN HAS INTRODUCED a range of new Pro-Forge Upper Control Arms for various models of 4x4 from Toyota. These high-strength forged alloy items are designed to optimise wheel alignment, improve ball joint angles and increase clearance on vehicles with a raised suspension height.

Ironman says they even add further lift, giving you yet more clearance for bigger tyres.

They come with a three-year, 60,000-kilometre warranty, too.

The arms are available for a wide variety of Toyota available globally. In terms of those you’re likely to see in the UK, you’re looking at the 2005-on Hilux and 120 and 150-Series Landcruiser, as well as any FJ Cruisers that have found their way here. To get your hands on a set, contact Ironman’s UK importer West Coast Off Road at www.westcoastoffroad.co.uk.

MILNER

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EST. 1981

M.O.T & Service Parts Suspension Lift Kits Snorkels & Winches Wheels &Tyres Air Suspension Skid Plates Roll Bars Heavy Duty Clutches

** GENUINE & NON-GENUINE PARTS ** Mon-Fri: 8am - 5:30pm Sat: 8am - 12:30pm Old Road, Darley Dale, Matlock, Derbyshire, DE4 2ER 22 | JUNE 2019

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4x4 29/04/2019 14:38

PRODUCTS

NEW CANOPY SET TO JOIN TUFF -TREK RANGE COMING SOON to the Tuff-Trek range of accessories for pick-up trucks that work for their living is the RSI Smartcanopy EVO. Due for worldwide release in June, this combines high-strength stainless steel construction with RSI’s Smart-Tray and SmartCanopy features – to provide what the company calls ‘class-leading flexibility for work environments.’

The Smartcanopy EVO will initially be available for the Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux, though the range is scheduled to expand soon afterwards and will eventually cover ‘all major new pick-up trucks including Mercedes X-Class.’

Orders are being taken now for the new canopy, and Tuff-Trek says it would welcome enquiries from fleet operators. To find out more, visit tuff-trek.com.

Storage solutions to suit your requirements Extra storage | Extra security | Maximum load utilisation Compatible with all pick up trucks and a variety of SUV’s info@gearmate.co.uk | gearmate.co.uk | 01789595200 Partner with: Unit 15, Kinwarton Farm Road, Arden Forest Industrial Estate, Alcester, Warwickshire, B49 6EH

4x4 3pp Products June ADD ADS.indd 23

JUNE 2019 | 23

29/04/2019 14:38

PRODUCTS

TRUSTED ON ALL SEVEN CONTINENTS

MUD-UK’S RAM MOUNT BASE FOR DEFENDER DASHBOARDS IS THE VERY PICTURE OF SIMPLICITY

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Driving Lights > LED > Halogen > HID LED Light bars from 6”– 50” Single & Dual row Enhanced night driving • Reduce eye fatigue Genuine Gore® Breathers rated TRUSTED ON ALL SEVENIP67/68/69 CONTINENTS. 8-pin harness connector suitable for Ford

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NEW FROM MUD-UK is the Ram Defender Dash Mount. This is simplicity itself – you just remove one of the exposed screws holding the dash panel in place and replace it with a longer one which, as well as continuing to look after the dash, also provides a base on to which to fix your Ram Mount of choice.

The kit contains everything you need to complete the job, apart from tools and a brain, and can be used with any of the dash fixings on any model of Defender. You do still need to invest in the actual Ram Mount you’re going to put on it, but with the base costing a mere £14.00 including VAT you’ll still have plenty left for that.

Makes sense to us. At least if you’ve got a Defender it does, and if you’ve not then you never read this so you don’t know what you’re missing. You did, though, so what you need to know now is that www. mudstuff.co.uk is the place to go next.

Main supplier of and all major 4x4 tyres

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www.rlgtyres.co.uk

24 | JUNE 2019

3pp Products June ADD ADS.indd 24

4x4 29/04/2019 14:38

PRODUCTS

HEAVY- DUTY RATCHET DRIVERS THAT REALLY TORQUE THE TORQUE… Everything electrical for your 4x4 project at great prices. 1000’s of parts in stock for immediate despatch with fast delivery.

• • • • • • THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS in life that you can do without. Sleep, food, one of your kidneys when it’s time to tax a late TD5 Defender… but definitely not a good quality ratchet driver.

The Z90 Reversible Ratchet from Matador is therefore a prime example of the sort of thing you can’t do without. It has a 90-tooth ratchet mechanism and is available in three different socket sizes, all of which will convert your wrist action into serious torque on your chosen nut or bolt.

Torque? Let’s torque about that. The quarter-inch diver is rated to 69lbf. ft, while next up the scale, the 3/8” hikes that massively to 223lbf.ft. As for the half-inch daddy of the set, if you can somehow bring 568lbf.ft of persuasion upon a recalcitrant fixing, at least you’ll know your driver won’t flinch. You yourself might expire in a puff of smoke, but the metalwork will live on.

The drivers’ mechanism is designed for easy changes of direction, and they come with a rubberised grip. One which will presumably have your fingerprints ingrained in it permanently if you manage to heave on it enough to generate the above levels of force.

For this and many other tools from Matador and beyond, specialist supplier Damar is the place to look. You’ll find them at damar.biz, but be warned – browsing their range of tools and equipment is a bit like being let loose in a sweet shop…

IF YOUR TOW CAR or daily driver is a BMW SUV, it’s almost certainly diesel engined. And you quite possibly wish it wasn’t.

Well, most oil-burning Beemers these days can show your average petrol-powered V8 perormance saloon a clean pair of heels, but what they can’t do is make the right noise. Can they?

Yes, it would appear, they can.

With a little help from MStyle’s Active Sound Booster Kit. This consists of a module and speaker unit which mount on to the vehicle’s existing exhaust system and is controlled via an Active Sound Gateway app on your smartphone. The result, promises MStyle, is ‘a

4x4 3pp Products June ADD ADS.indd 25

Cables, fuseboxes, terminals, connectors, switch panels Battery-to-battery chargers for Euro 5/6 vehicles Made-to-measure split charge kits Multi-stage leisure battery chargers Power distribution components LED lighting

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performance petrol engine sound from your diesel’s exhaust.’

You can even customise the sound and pitch of the speaker’s output, as well as other features, then save your favourite noise profiles and select them using your phone or in-car buttons.

How much? £1295 including VAT but plus £360 fitting. You could buy a lot of diesel for that, but if you’re tempted all you need to do is go to www.mstyle.co.uk.

JUNE 2019 | 25

29/04/2019 14:39

01978 644 316

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Japanese 4x4 & Truck Parts SUSPENSION KITS

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26 | JUNE 2019

TOR Folios and classifieds.indd 48

4x4 30/04/2019 11:30

PERFORMS EXCEPTIONALLY ON ALL-TERRAINS The Grabber AT3 combines superior on-road performance, with exceptional off-road capabilities. It’s a tyre developed to enhance the potential of your 4x4 driving experience.

• Features an aggressive pattern to work on multiple surfaces with enhanced grip.

• Provides a robust compound for improved tread life on rugged terrain.

• Designed for a smoother, confident and quieter drive • Safe handling in all-seasons, indicated by the M+S mark and the snowflake symbol.

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23/11/2017 11:15

FIRST DRIVE

HONDA CR-V

New 2.0-litre hybrid powertrain arrives to boost the fifth-generation version of Honda’s long-running family SUV. But is it as space-age as it looks?

ON TEST CR-V 2.0 Hybrid EX

T

he Honda CR-V has been around since before the Land Rover Freelander.

During that time, it’s gone from being a rather dowdy looking me-too SUV to one of the defining

28 | JUNE 2019

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vehicles in its segment – gaining along the way a strong foothold at the forefront of hybridisation in the 4x4 market, and a level of practicality that helped it win the overall title of 4x4 of 2013.

We’re on to the fifth generation now, and it’s tested here in 2.0 Hybrid EX form. That’s the fourth grade up in a range of five, along with the petrol-electric engine that joined the range earlier this year.

This is very much the Big Thing in the CR-V range right now. Driving all four wheels via a continuously variable automatic gearbox, the hybrid unit develops 184bhp and 232lbf.ft, with a good chunk of the latter coming from standstill.

The result is a 0-62 time of 9.2 seconds, but the real result is 126g/ km of CO2, combined with a fuel consumption figure of 38.2mpg.

The former was achieved using the NEDC test, which has pretty much come to be regarded as fiction, but the latter comes from the much more realistic WLTP regime.

Another result is that the CR-V in these pictures has a list price

of £38,280 on the road. Modern technology doesn’t come cheap.

It could be worth it, though, if the CR-V lives up to expectations.

This is a 4x4 that already has a strong heritage, and it’s been getting better with every iteration. If the hybrid system, and the vehicle itself, continue that trend, we could be looking at a rival to the sort of premium brands you get into for not that much more money.

CABIN AND PRACTICALITY First off, it’s lovely to sit in. The seating position is good, not as high as some but still quite commanding, and visibility to the front and sides is excellent. The seats are supportive and the leather on this

4x4 28/04/2019 22:45

CR-V’s cabin at first looks pleasingly uncomplicated, thanks to the lack of clutter on the facia around the gear selector buttons. But the amount of controls on the steering wheel, and in front of the driver’s right knee, means it actually takes a lot of learning your way into. Legroom and headroom are excellent front and rear, however – you can easily fit one six-footer behind another – and another form of space comes in the shape of a truly enormous cubby box at the back of the floor console model is up to scratch, if not what you’d call sumptuous.

The cabin is good and spacious, too, with loads of headroom and plenty of space in which to stretch out. Best of all, one six-footer can sit behind another without any problem at all – even with the front seat all the way back, your knees will barely touch the back of it.

Headroom in the back is excellent too, so the CR-V is absolutely usable for more than just a parents-and-kids day out.

You can load it just as effectively with luggage, too – the boot has

4x4 3pp CR-V.indd 29

no lip at all and the powered tailgate opens to reveal a good, big aperture. If you go beyond the point at which luggage becomes cargo, the rear seats fold down to leave a completely flat and exceedingly long floor, making this one of the best in its class. Its rated capacity is 1638 litres, but we’ve come across plenty of vehicles with higher than that which are less capable of being loaded up in real life.

For the other kind of stuff that needs carrying, there’s a modest glovebox and door pockets that are long but not deep. The absolute

star of the show here is a vast floor console featuring two oddment bins, a pair of cupholders and a truly epic cubby box that’s long, deep and totally enormous. If you’ve driven a Land Rover Defender, you’ll know the sort of cavernous space we’re talking about, and the CR-V’s also has a removable tray in it for even greater convenience.

Thus this is a much more practical SUV than you might expect. What it’s not, however, is as uncomplicated as you’d think a car should be in this day and age – especially one with a digital dash

and a big touch screen waiting to simplify its cabin.

That dash looks nice, but there’s a lot of info on there and it’s not always obvious what it all means.

Similarly the amount of controls on the steering wheel is overwhelming.

There’s a load of buttons in front of your right knee, too, which aren’t easy either to see or get at, whereas the central facia has little else on it other than the buttons for the hybrid system and auto box.

The latter takes a bit of getting used to as there’s no lever – you just press buttons for drive, reverse

JUNE 2019 | 29

28/04/2019 22:45

A low boot floor with no lip to load over, a large tailgate aperture and totally flat-folding rear seats combine to make the CR-V one of the very best SUVs you can buy for cargo-carrying

DRIVING Getting around in the other sense of the phrase is by and large a pretty easy affair. In particular, the CR-V feels very natural to steer – there’s plenty of feel and weight to

30 | JUNE 2019

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the wheel, but it’s never hard work at lower speeds.

The same can’t be said for keeping it moving, however. In Eco mode, the gas pedal over-laden with resistance and requires you to push ridiculously hard just to keep up with traffic around town. Press the Sport button in the middle of this, and you can physically feel the whole car leaping forward.

The suspension deals well with rubbish road surfaces, however, so urban driving is otherwise no problem. Pot holes and speed bumps don’t upset it, and the cabin remains quiet enough at this kind of pace to pass muster.

It’s not as refined at higher speeds, however. Body control is good on A and B-roads, and there’s no shortage of grip, but it doesn’t take that poor a surface to get it fidgeting. It’s not crashy, but it does become pattery too easily – something that’s replicated on the motorway, where you feel the surface through the wheels.

There’s a bit of road noise here, too – as well as buffeting from around the door mirrors. Worst of all, though, the engine regularly raises its voice with a strained, frantic note which makes it very hard to feel relaxed – even when it’s not doing it, you’re on edge waiting for the next time it pipes up.

And that’s with the cruise control set to a don’t-want-to-get-pulledover sort of speed, not mashing the loud pedal into the carpet.

To us, this is the CR-V’s weakest suit. And it’s a big flaw, because an SUV is a vehicle you should be able to turn to for everything from the school run to the foreign holiday.

We accept that it’s not really an offroader (Honda says it is designed to be able to go off-tarmac, and within reason it can, but if you want to get muddy you’ll find they’ve got a very good range of ATVs for that), but it really does need to be right on the money as a motorway cruiser.

HHHII

VERDICT

and park. It feels strange to start with, but the controls make sense and soon feel perfectly natural.

So too does using the reversing camera to see behind you, which is a good thing as visibility over your shoulder is pretty dreadful thanks to the presence of a big, complicated C/D post. The window in the rear hatch is on the small side, too, so you need the camera and sensors to keep you right.

When you’re not reversing, the screen will spend most of its time displaying the sat-nav. Its graphics aren’t fantastic – to us, they’re a bit dark – but the system responds quickly to inputs and navigating your way around it makes sense.

Honda CR-V 2.0 Hybrid EX A winner for practicality, but not at its best in this form The CR-V’s interior space, and the way this is used, puts it at the top of its class for practicality, and there are areas in which it’s excellent to drive. But there are also those in which, for us, it’s disappointing. Instead of the Hybrid, we’d go for the 1.6i petrol – whose fuel economy is better by a long way – and stick at a lower-spec model, thus still getting all the things that make the CR-V so good while saving a useful five-figure sum.

4x4 28/04/2019 22:45

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Jeep’s Wayout concept turns the new Gladiator double-cab into a truck built for conquering WORDS: KAZUYOSHI SASAZAKI PICTURES: JEEP

P

eople only really started taking Jeep seriously as a manufacturer of vehicles for overland travel when the long-wheelbase Wrangler Unlimited came out. That was as recently as 2006 – but since then, the company has built a number of concept vehicles exploring the theme of vehicle-dependant travel.

Unveiled at this year’s Moab Easter Safari, the Wayout is the latest of them. Ironically, it’s less way-out than some of the trucks Jeep has built for Moab down the

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the world

years, but despite being very much a show car at heart it’s still laden with capability.

Based on the new Gladiator double-cab, the Wayout is driven

by Jeep’s 3.6-litre V6 engine. It’s mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox, which turns a standard drivetrain ending in 17” steel wheels wrapped with 37” Falken Wildpeak Mud-Terrains.

Making space for the big rubber is a +2” Jeep Performance Parts suspension lift. This is designed more for enhanced everyday off-

4x4 2pp Jeep Wayout.indd 33

road ability rather than making the most of the Gladiator’s potential for being taken to extremes – just as it should be on a truck designed for expedition work, where the more standard you can keep it, the better. Should the extra height and bigger tyres not be enough (or, much more likely, should you happen upon someone in a lesser truck who needs your help), the front bumper is home to a 12,000lb Warn winch.

There’s a snorkel in place, too, also from Jeep Performance Parts. And as well as that winch bumper, the whole of the lower body – complete with Gator Green paintwork, which is set to be introduced to the Jeep range as a colour option on production Gladiators – is protected by heavyduty steel armour.

In the back, a custom rack complete with its own integrated ladder supports a two-berth Maggiolina Extreme pop-up roof tent. On what would be the driver’s side, if this was a British model, is a pull-out 270-degree awning with its own amber LED work lighting.

Sharing space up top with the camping hardware is an integrated roof-rack system for carrying bulky kit, while down below in the truck bed is a drawer set-up providing

lockable dry stowage. You don’t need to be going on an overland expedition to appreciate what that can do for you – and the same is true for the custom-fit auxiliary fuel tanks integrated into sides of the pick-up bed. Plenty of people have been very happy that they fitted an ARB on-board air system without needing to venture round the world to prove the point, too.

Inside, it’s an overland vehicle but, as they say, not as we know it. The passenger’s-side airbag cover is adorned in a surfer-style arrangement of souvenir stickers (all of them from American national parks, which you can make of what you will), while the brown leather seats feature laser-etched inserts

of topographical maps – ideal when you’re trying to clean out a hundred million grains of fesh-fesh after battling your way across the Sahara.

Still, the floor’s covered in bedliner, so muddy boots won’t scare it.

Jeep describes the Wayout as ‘a functional concept’ and ‘a true overlanding vehicle’ which carries a retro image harking back to the days of the original Willys MB. We’re not sure that the people we’ve met who own expeditionprepped Wranglers would want to swap – but even if there’s a whiff of form over function here and there about it, there’s no denying the job it does of demonstrating the potential the new Gladiator offers for imaginative conversions.

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built and b

‘Built not bought’ is the proud boast of 4x4 owners whose trucks are all their own work.

But in 1975, Anthony Ronald Brown started building accessories for 4x4s – which people have been buying ever since. And today, ARB is set to become bigger than ever in the UK WORD AND PICTURES: DAN FENN 34 | JUNE 2019

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ought

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H

ere are two things you can be pretty sure of. One is that if you own a Land Rover, there are bits on it that came from Britpart. The second is that if you own anything else, there aren’t.

Based in Craven Arms, the company has been going for some 35 years – during which time it has grown into a giant operation distributing parts and accessories via a global network of more than 1000 retailers. Big, it is.

And that’s all been based solely on servicing the Land Rover market. Until now. Because while Britpart continues to expand based on its core market (you wouldn’t believe the scale of the building work the company has got going on at the moment), it has recently branched out in a very significant way. Because if you’re looking to build a high-end off-road vehicle in the UK, Britpart is now importing the full range of products from Australian 4x4 legend ARB. ARB’s origins go back even further than Britpart’s, to a trip Tony Brown took through the Outback in a Land Rover of his own. Actually (anoraks at the ready), make that a Land-Rover of his own, as it was a Series I. It broke a lot, because it wasn’t prepared for the business of carrying a heavy load of expedition kit over endless rock-hard corrugated roads in searing temperatures… so he resolved to start building accessories for it that would be able to cope.

As it turned out, lots of other 4x4 owners in Australia were having the same problems. The difference was that they didn’t go home and do something about it. Actually, that’s not true, they did do something about it – they went to Tony Brown and bought accessories from him.

And so the name (well, the initials) of Anthony Ronald Brown became part of off-roading folklore. Today, ARB exports to more than 100 countries – and, while we don’t want this to sound like a load of old advertising guff, it has

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Above: Old Man Emu is ARB’s suspension brand, and its BP-51 remotereservoir dampers are the latest addition to the very top of its range. These are adjustable for compression and rebound damping, allowing the vehicle to be set up for road, trail or off-road driving while carrying whatever weight might be on board. The springs give the Ranger a 40-50mm lift; ARB says it supplies suspension upgrades rather than lift kits, as it wants to remain positioned firmly in the sensible-and-fit-for-purpose end of the market Right: No need for the rubber to be ridiculous, either. A set of 265/70R17 BFG All-Terrains is sensibly restrained in terms of both size and pattern, standing around an inch taller than the 2654/60R18s that are standard on this version of the Ranger. They’re fitted on eight-spoke Mamba alloys whose faux beadlock design scores a whole lot of cool points

You get what you pay for – which means kit designed to deal with the worst Australia can throw at it. And Australia can throw worse at it than you can

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Made from pressed and folded 3mm steel, ARB’s underbody protection plates are designed to shield the vehicle’s steering, sump, gearbox and transfer case from impacts on rocks and tree stumps. They help keep it moving off-road, too, by providing a smooth surface capable of sliding over obstacles – particularly useful on long-wheelbase vehicles like double-cabs. Secured to the chassis, the plates are removable for servicing, but that’s about all they’ll shift for

a reputation for quality that’s second to none.

Every manufacturer of every product in the world will shout about how good its products and customer service are, and to back them up there are entire fake-it factories full of people

employed to write phony testimonials for those oh-so-trustworthy online review sites (oh yes there are). But just try finding someone (a real person, in a real conversation) with anything bad to say about ARB kit. They might grumble about

how much it costs, but then they’ll follow that up by grunting and saying something like ‘spend it once, spend it right, though.’

And yes, ARB kit is at the top end. You get what you pay for, though – which in this case

Above left: Here in Britain, we’ve always got a classic image in our heads of Aussie trucks with vast bull-bars capable of taking down a ‘roo on a mission. And ARB does make those – but it also now offers this Stealth Bar, which provides the same level of protection without coming on like a weapon of combat. ARB says its polymer skin is no less robust than the plate steel you see on traditional bars, and its subframe comprises a mounting suitable for a 9500lb winch Above right: The Summit rear bumper has become a common sight on high-end pick-up builds. It’s based around a subframe made from heavy-duty tube, which supports side elements made from pressed steel plate. As well as carrying an integrated tow hitch, it can be supplied ready to accommodate the vehicle’s original reversing sensors

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Above: ARB offers a range of canopies with a wide variety of features including central locking, interior lighting and opening side windows. They’re made from tough ABS plastic rather than GRP, and they can be optioned with internal bracing which allows them to carry up to 100kg on the move – and far more when static. Thus the roof rack, tent and awning you see here need present no problems, even when they’re augmented by a couple of sleeping beauties, as the weight is channeled down to the sides of the pick-up bed Below: ARB’s drawer system is an absolute work of art. The fridge up top is mounted on its own sliding frame, there’s a compartment to the right containing the hardware for a twin-battery set-up and to the left is an on-board air system with outlets for running tools and regulating the pressure in your tyres. The same source would power the company’s famous Air-Lockers, though this Ranger doesn’t have one of these in either of its axles. Operating the system can be done via ARB’s Linx interface, which turns your phone into a multi-purpose control and data display

Safari 4x4 Engineering is a littleknown company in the UK, but one of its products has become a global go-to for 4x4 owners. The Safari Snorkel is utterly ubiquitous – so much so that if you go to ARB looking for a raised air intake, that’s what they’ll sell you

38 | JUNE 2019

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means you’re paying for equipment designed to deal with the worst Australia can throw at it. And Australia can throw worse at it than you can.

At present, Britpart has a network of around 100 dealers specialising in supplying ARB kit.

Some are newcomers, while others are existing Land Rover customers who have joined the company in looking to open up new markets. The range it offers is basically everything ARB makes, for vehicles including Land Rovers (obviously), Patrols, Jeeps, Landcruisers and, as you’ll have figured out from the pictures on these pages, the double-cab pick-ups that have come to dominate the built-from-new corner of the 4x4 market.

It’s still not been long since seeing a Hilux, Ranger or L200 modded up for off-road action was quite the rarity. It’s also not been long since people in Britain would tell you that the big problem with building one of these vehicles was that you can’t get the accessories with which to do it. Changed days all round.

Accessories for off-road pick-up builds are no longer an impossibility to come by. There’s

some very good kit available, much of it indeed made by ARB. What Britpart is adding to this is a supply line that’s widespread, efficient and, crucially, well stocked. Many of us know the frustration of trying to order parts for vehicles and being told either that they’ll take three months to arrive or that while, yes, there is one in the UK, it’s going to cost more than your truck is worth.

As it is, to build a Ranger – even a topoption Wildtrak like this one – into a replica of Britpart’s demo truck, you’d do at least as much again on accessories as you spent on the vehicle itself. But what you’d end up with is easily more than twice the vehicle – if an all-singing, all-dancing expedition machine is what you want, you’re looking at it. Or you could get a midrange Audi Q7 or BMW X5 for the same sort of money, so long as you didn’t want to add too many options.

The difference is that in five or ten years’ time, you’ll still have an all-singing, all-dancing expedition truck, and if you’ve looked after it

4x4 29/04/2019 00:02

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When you’re not using it to air your tyres up and down, the Linx interface sits handily in your cabin to let you monitor everything from battery condition to your heading on the compass. It even has an inclinometer screen, and we know how much everybody enjoys putting those to the test…

it’ll still be worth a good chunk of money. Not that you’ll ever want to sell it. The premium SUV sitting on your drive looking dated and now worth a fifth of what you paid for it, though…

Anyway, that’s not really the point. The point is that you’re unlikely to want the full works as seen on this Ranger. Customers will pick and choose depending on what they intend to do with their vehicle – if you want a laning wagon, for example, you might go for the suspension, bumpers, snorkel and underbody protection, but the roof rack, tent and awning would be a terrible idea. Whether you’d feel you need the remote-reservoir shocks this particular Ranger has is open to question, too (though if you can stretch to them, you’re unlikely to regret doing so), but you can still get the same lift with one of ARB’s more traditional systems.

On that subject, ARB prefers to describe its spring and shock packages as suspension

6pp Britpart ARB Ranger.indd 41

enhancements rather than lift kits. Yes, they add height, but not to the extent that they remove drivability or start lining all the vehicle’s drivetrain components up against a wall and putting them to death one by one. A little more height goes a long way, and a lot more height can pretty much stop you going any way at all… we say this from bitter experience.

Something else we’d say from experience is that if you plan to use a pick-up as an off-roader, you’ll need a locking rear diff. Most have these available as factory kit, but ARB’s famous AirLocker is the gold standard in this area, with a level of robustness that means it’ll cope with much bigger, more aggressive tyres. Britpart’s Ranger doesn’t actually have one (you can get them for the front, too, if you really want to go for it), but ours would.

Whether or not pick-ups are your bag, then, this demo truck represents something exciting in the world of high-end vehicle preparation.

Britpart told us that its Land Rover lines continue to move as well as ever, and that includes off-road equipment for Defenders – but with more and more people turning their back on Solihull’s old faithful and opening their minds to pick-ups and other foreign-built 4x4s instead, the UK is going to be seeing a lot more ARB kit getting used in the modding game. It’s part of a move upmarket for what off-roading stands for in this country – and one which means high-end builds are set to become the norm to a greater than ever degree.

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time to discover the discovery?

Land Rover Defenders have come to be worth so much money that owners have stopped using them off-road. But if you want one, but a 90 or 110 just doesn’t make sense, is there an alternative Landy still waiting to be discovered…?

‘We needed to something with the Defender. So we did. We called it the Discovery’ 42 | JUNE 2019

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e needed to do something with the Defender,’ said the man from Land Rover. ‘So we did. We called it the Discovery.’

The year was 1994. The Discovery was five years old, the original Range Rover was on its last knockings and Land Rover had just become the property of BMW. A small group of 4x4 hacks were driving across the Tunisian desert with Land Rover’s PR manager – and naturally enough, we were trying to grill him about what on earth was going to happen to the Defender.

If you’d told any of us that the Defender still had another two decades ahead of it, we’d have laughed. Mind you, if you’d said that by the time it finally went out of production, the Discovery would have turned into an all-independent luxury car with a seventy grand price tag and more electronics than a teenager’s bedroom, we’d have shaken our heads in disbelief. Then possibly gone a bit quiet.

None of us would have believed the way Defender prices have gone, either. Back then, people were still building hybrids left, right and centre, because 90s and 110s were still too new to have come down far enough in value. Now, those same Defenders are probably worth more than they were then.

When it comes to used values, the Defender doesn’t behave like other vehicles. There’s a reason for that, of course: you can keep renewing them, over and over again, in a way that’s simply not possible with normal cars. In that way, they resemble houses rather than cars and, all else being equal, like houses their value keeps on going up.

The Discovery is not the same – yet in the case of the original model, it’s basically just a

4x4 2pp Disco intro.indd 43

100” Defender with a different shaped body on and a much more modern cabin.

So, has the time come to look upon the Discovery 1 as a surrogate Defender? People have long been using them for the same basic purpose, of course. But beyond that, how strong is the case for turning away from 90s and 110s altogether and deciding that the Disco is simply a better idea instead?

Of course, more than two decades have passed since the last of those Mk1 Discos left the factory. And, far more than the Defender, a vast proportion of them have either been scrapped or tumbled down the condition scale into full-on shed status. It’s well known that a key reason for this is their terrible propensity for rusting out underneath, and another is that an awful lot of old Landies suffer horribly at the hands of DIY mechanics whose lack of skill is matched only by their complete refusal to accept that they’re anything less than world-class with the spanners.

What the original Discovery has on its side, however, is a chassis that can last and last – and, whether it’s a 200 or 300Tdi, an engine which, if it’s looked after right, is capable of going round the clock half a dozen times. It also has the parts backup that makes the Defender so easy to own.

Unlike the Defender, it’s affordable to buy. You see time-warp examples advertised for prices that sound insane… but then you realise that the same money would buy you a fair-to-middling 90 or 110 with a series of expensive jobs on the horizon. At the other end of the scale, most of the Disco 1s you see for sale are rough old stinkers – but they cost the sort of money you’ll do on a year’s tax for a late Defender. Even the sort of 90 or 110 you basically buy only for its

identity, and maybe a panel or two, is worth as much as a Discovery with a fighting chance of passing its next MOT. You can also park a Disco on your drive for more than 15 minutes without it being stolen.

And it’s more comfortable than any Defender.

Safer, too, especially in the back.

And besides, what it is that people are always saying about the 100” Defender being the best vehicle Land Rover never made? Well, don’t forget what our friendly PR man said back in 1994: they DID make a 100” Defender – they just called it the Discovery, that’s all.

Fact is, an old Discovery is just as rebuildable as an old Defender. It’s less likely to have spent its life being off-roaded, and to all intents and purposes it’s just as good off-road.

Does it have the same cachet? No. Will it ever be worth as much as a comparable 90 or 110?

Absolutely not. But Defenders’ sky-high values have started making people turn their backs on them for off-roading – and if what you’re after is a good truck that’ll do everything you want without forcing you into any compromises, in many ways an early Disco is a better bet anyway.

No, there aren’t so many left. And yes, a lot are in a dire state. But whether you rebuild one the way people rebuild Defenders, or you stretch to the best example you can find, could it be that the Discovery 1 has come to make better sense than its more illustrious sibling? Over the pages that follow, we’ve looked at a pampered classic, a playday warrior and an extreme modded build – three examples that show how sound a truck it can be, and which should certainly get you thinking about whether having a Defender as the off-road wagon in your life is the only course of action you can take after all…

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adult meccano

Finding a good Discovery at the right price is the tricky part.

But once you’ve done so, you’ll be able to turn it into whatever level of big-boy’s toy you want it to be – and the Mk1’s simplicity means it’s no harder to work on than a Defender of the same age WORDS: FRANK FROGLY PICTURES: STEVE TAYLOR 44 | JUNE 2019

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big problem in the world of Land Rover Defenders now is that since Solihull stopped making them, they’ve shot up in value. Defenders were already well on the way to becoming classic cars before production came to an end, but nowadays people have stopped doing off-road builds on them and started turning them back into factorystandard or street-machine spec instead, simply because that’s the way to make the most of their resale value.

Where does that leave you if what you want is a simple, traditional Land Rover you can modify, use off-road and enjoy without fear of death by electronics? Mainly, it leaves you either even more skint than ever and constantly wondering when your Defender will become the one that got stolen last night, or jacking in the green oval and buying a Ford Ranger or Jeep Wrangler instead.

Maybe, though, just maybe, it might leave you looking at the Mk1 Discovery. This was basically a 100” Defender with a different body on it.

There aren’t many around now, and most that do survive are on high mileages, but compared to the Defender very few will have been off-roaded or used for work – and they’ll be priced at between a half and a quarter of what you’d pay for a 90 or 110 in comparable condition.

There is of course the big Disco 1 issue of body rot, and we’re not blind to the fact that most, by now, will be riddled with it. But sound ones do exist – and even if you plan to do an off-road build on one, if you start by getting it properly, professionally treated under there (something you’d think Land Rover would have thought about back in the day), it should stay solid for many years.

Thus a good, low-mileage Disco 1 could, in theory at least, still be a totally viable alternative to either abandoning Land Rover (which for many people is still something they can’t bring themselves to do) or bankrupting yourself by sticking with Defenders. The good news is that there’s still a huge aftermarket ready to look after you if you take that route – and if you do, a

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Discovery should still be just as simple and easy to work on.

That’s what Mark Wilson found when he bought a completely standard 1996 five-door with the much-loved 300Tdi engine and the lowest possible level of kit. It was his first 4x4, so he skipped the whole Defender thing – and got straight down to the business of speccing it up with the sort of equipment you now see less and less of on ‘real’ Land Rovers.

The first modification the Discovery received was a Safari Snorkel – and this was also the only thing on the truck that Mark didn’t fit himself.

At that stage, in his own words, he ‘struggled to tell the difference between a spanner and a screwdriver.’ In the intervening period, however, he’s thrown himself into it with zeal: ‘When you’re buying a car that’s tantamount to adult Meccano,’ he remarks, ‘it’s very much time to learn quickly!’

The same can be said of a hobby that involves paying other people to do the work for you, obviously. Because while that might be fine for everyday repairs and maintenance, hundreds of hours spent bolting on off-road goodies is going to add up to more than your truck is worth.

This is especially the case when you’ve got a bad habit of buying equipment then deciding you want to fit something else instead. Mark told us he had a garage and a loft packed full of bits to

There’s plenty going on with the Disco’s suspension. Mark fitted +2” Britpart springs, using rears all round to compensate for the weight of the front winch, and augmented them with DeCarbon shocks, 2” dropped mounts, dislocation cones and cranked trailing arms. Nothing you’d call pioneering, then, but a combination that works like a charm to let the Disco cover ground smoothly and flex its way beautifully over the terrain

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go on the Disco – some of which he admitted almost certainly never would. Rather than being a carefully executed programme of modifications, it’s been a series of mini-projects on the same vehicle; as well as learning how to do the work as he goes along, that’s also how he learned what work to do.

All the same, there are elements of the vehicle’s build that are fundamental to its character. The suspension is foremost among these; Mark and his son Joshua fitted the whole lot in one day, and he found that the system made a massive difference to the vehicle’s offroad performance.

At the heart of the lift are +2” Britpart springs and DeCarbon shocks; Mark decided to fit rear springs all round, which left the front sitting a little high. In addition, the front turrets and rear shock mounts are lowered by 2”, meaning there’s that much more travel available when the suspension drops out.

The kit Mark used included shock mounts, dislocation cones and cranked trailing arms. The whole lot was fitted using Polybushes, and an adjustable panhard rod meant the axle could be kept central. At the front, too, he installed a set of 60-degree castor-corrected radius arms.

Hardly surprisingly, a lift of this magnitude meant steering and transmission mods were in order. The track rod and drag link have been changed to Defender-style solid units, while the former also has armour plate underneath it. The steering damper has been relocated to the front, also a la Defender, while Mark took the need for longer flexi hoses as his cue to fit the braided variety. He covered these in plastic shrouds to help prevent mud from sticking to them.

As for the transmission, that only got modified after announcing that it wasn’t happy about what Mark had been up to. ‘Unfortunately, after we’d fitted the suspension, the front propshaft wouldn’t turn. That was at about half past nine in the morning after we’d worked through to get it ready for an off-road day at Kirton. Subsequently, two wide-yoke props later, the front one a double-cardon, and she drives better than when she came out of the factory. And that’s with the anti-roll bars removed.’

One surprise is that with all this suspension, when we met Mark the Discovery was still sporting a set of 235/85R16 Greenway Atacamas.

He had plans, though, involving flared arches,

trimmed panels and 35” rubber… followed in short order by a Td5 transfer box to keep the gearing more or less right.

We mentioned armour a moment ago, and as well as the steering guard Mark fitted North Off-Road rock sliders with integral nerf bars, protection under the fuel tank and chequer plate on the lower doors and bonnet. ‘Exposed roots can’t half do some damage to your panels, so that seemed like a sensible solution. And if I’m lashing down on the roofrack, I can stand on the bonnet and don’t have to struggle to lean over.’

Both bumpers were of the heavy-duty variety, too, with the front one playing home to a Superwinch EPi9 which Mark chose for its topmounted solenoid.

Interestingly, the winch runs a webbing strap: ‘It’s the price of wire with the safety aspect of Plasma. It’s been used in anger a few times, and it did snap once, but the beauty of it is that you can put a couple of granny knots in it and you’re off again. No finesse needed in tying knots on a web strap; it seems to pull itself as tight as you like.’

Up top, the Discovery proudly sports one of the last Expedition Racks made by Safety Devices. This is actually for a Td5, meaning it overhangs slightly at the back. ‘I prefer that look,’ says Mark. ‘I’ve got it to carry camping gear for family holidays… and because it looks the dog’s!’

Which, as every one of us knows full well, is all the justification you need.

But does it justify running a Disco 1 instead of a Defender? After all, that classic Land Rover

image is a huge part of what makes 90s and 110s so desirable now.

That answer is down to personal taste… but maybe with a small amount of peer pressure thrown in. If you’ve ever seen a line of Defenders on a lane run with a single Disco in the middle of them, after all, it just looks a bit wrong.

But times change, and these days the typical lane run convoy is likely to include a much wider variety of vehicles than it once did. At which point, that lone Disco is unlikely to look so much like a sore thumb any more. In fact, if people keep on abandoning Defenders at the current rate, before long you might find that the original Discovery is the closest thing you see to one in recreational off-road circles.

The best of both worlds? You decide. But we suspect that having built himself the Discovery you see here, Mark Wilson wasn’t in the least bit bothered about never having started with the ‘real thing’…

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double bass

Monique Bass owns two Mk1 Discoverys. One is a 300,000-miler that proves how long-lived they can be – while the other is one of the best left on the road, and certainly one of the most special WORDS AND PICTURES: MIKE TROTT 52 | JUNE 2019

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I

t’s a fact of life that most of us will never own a car from new. Generally, most of us purchase vehicles with a few miles already on them – especially if the vehicle in question is a Land Rover built during the last decade and a half or so.

Back in the early 1990s, though, Land Rover’s prices were more… realistic, shall we say? The most expensive Range Rover, the Vogue LSE, cost about the same then as you’ll do on a mid-range Discovery Sport now.

Talking of Discoverys, though, back then Land Rover had just launched the first vehicle to bear this now-familiar name. Mechanically, it was just a 100” Defender with a more family-friendly body – but as it turned out, that was exactly what the 4x4-buying British public wanted. The Discovery’s reign at the top of the sales charts lasted so long it made that terrible old Bryan Adams song look like it wasn’t even trying.

Hard as it is to believe now, when it first came out the Discovery was only available as a threedoor. It didn’t take long, though, for Land Rover to realise that a five-door model was going to suit the needs of the many. Maybe the experience they’d had with a thing called the Range Rover could have tipped them off.

‘The many’ in this case includes Monique Bass, who took a definite shine to the Discovery when it first emerged. ‘I remember seeing the thennew Discovery on the transporters and thinking “aren’t they a lovely vehicle!” But the three-door was not practical enough for me.’

One person who was well aware of Monique’s fascination with Land Rovers and her admiration for the new Discovery was her father. As any father would, he took his daughter’s interests very seriously. Unfortunately, though, this is where the story becomes a little difficult to hear.

You see, previous to this Monique’s dad lost his sight during an operation and, as a result, he never had the chance to gaze upon the shape of the new Discovery.

Sadder still, he passed away not long afterwards. But before doing so, he asked Monique’s mother to buy her the Discovery she wanted. Clearly, Monique’s father always had her best interests at heart.

And so, in 1991, with the five-door Discovery still very new to the world, Monique’s mum made good on her promise and bought her what is now one of the finest first-generation Discoverys you’re ever likely to see.

At the time, dealers were still busy trying to promote the new five-door, and in doing so many would look at exploring different avenues to

help their offerings stand out from the crowd.

The Discovery that ended up with Monique is no ordinary D1, and that comes down to the coachwork done by Smacks of Chelmsford.

‘They were trying to make the Discovery more luxurious, so this one had all the leather and wood put in,’ explains Monique. Inside you can see the additional touches, typical of 1990s extravagance with strips of veneer along the dash and doors, while leather covers the seats in a tone synonymous with the early models of the Discovery.

‘I’d never owned a brand new car before, so I was not holding back – most of the options were ticked on the Discovery,’ smiles Monique.

There’s a whole raft of extras here, some coming from the showroom and others just tasteful

‘I remember seeing the then-new Discovery on the transporters and thinking “aren’t they a lovely vehicle!” But the three-door was not practical enough for me’

The Discovery dates from a time when dealers were commissioning one-off builds to draw attention to themselves.

Hence the wood trim around the cabin, and the exceptionally cool leather seats which, even today, still look like new

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accompaniments that a very proud owner has sourced herself.

The spotlights, deflectors, side steps and huge chrome bull bar are all add-ons, while a curious red switch located behind the diff lock lever engages an audible warning bleeper when the vehicle is reversing. Just ahead of it, the gearstick has a locker on it that keeps it pinned into reverse – an ingenious security device to deter marauding thieves.

All of this is the icing on the cake. But without a cake to ice in the first place, you’d just have a sugary mess. And with this being a five-door

Disco, it was exactly the car Monique had been looking for.

‘With it being more practical,’ she says, ‘it was ideal for transporting the kids, towing the caravan and heading over to France in. It’s the ultimate tow vehicle – if you want a car to do everything and to not get stuck, this is it.’

That makes it sound as if the the Discovery must have put in a substantial shift over the last 27 years. But truth be told, it has actually been used very sparingly. First, with just 43,000 miles on the clock, it must be one of the lowest mileage D1s around.

This will have helped contribute to keeping the vehicle in top condition, naturally – as we know how little can be left of a Mk1 Discovery if it’s on the receiving end of neglect. Monique says hers has never seen salt or snow, and it has certainly never been off-road to any extreme level. She’s also into her classic cars, see – so it’s no wonder she’s chosen to preserve this exclusive and pristine example of what is now a classic Land Rover.

‘What I love most is the shape – it’s so distinctive, with that stepped roof. When I ordered it, I was given the choice of black or red,

Ever seen a Tdi engine looking this clean? If you have, it was probably while you were installing it into a vehicle in the Land Rover factory

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Above left: The red switch you see here operates an alarm to warn bystanders that the vehicle is reversing. You can just about see the gearstick lock to the right of this picture, too Above right: Monique was offered the choice of black or red when he ordered her Disco. Her reasoning was that black doesn’t go off with age… and black doesn’t date.’ See, these are the things that matter to people who don’t spend their lives with one hand on the transfer lever.

All the same, Monique does admit that back in the early 90s, her head could quite easily have been turned by a Range Rover. But the only diesel option at that point was the old VM unit Land Rover used to use, and ‘the petrol was a bit too juicy.’

As it is, Monique is well versed in the Tdi engine. Not just because this spotless Discovery boasts one of the cleanest 200Tdi units we’ve ever seen, but because she also has another Disco 1 that’s more of a workhorse. This one has recently passed the 300,000-mile mark, all of them on its original engine – if you service them properly, they really will go on forever.

On that subject, Monique’s husband has always been into Land Rovers – and, very conveniently, he runs a business servicing and restoring Green Oval machines.

4pp Bass.indd 55

‘When I first met my husband, back in 1978, he was always busy on a Land Rover,’ says Monique.

‘We got married and had a Series II shortly after.

Then when it came to having the Discovery, it felt like a natural progression. In those days it was like driving a Rolls-Royce after getting out of the Series II, though!’

She might keep it for special occasions these days, but you can bet that every time Monique steps into her Discovery, the memories come flooding back. So, is it a much-loved member of the family – or has it now crossed the line into being part of her classic car collection?

‘People are just starting to see the Discovery in a different light,’ is her opinion. ‘I’ve been showing my Disco for a while and that’s what I bring her out for more than anything now. I just don’t think there’s another car like it.

‘I will continue to show the Discovery, but if a museum came up and wanted to buy it from me, then I might consider it. Otherwise this

Discovery is going nowhere!’ Don’t go along with a wad of cash and tell her you want to turn it into a green laner, then…

Now we’re into an era where people are taking their Defenders back to original condition to cash in on their value as classics, the question we’re asking is whether the Discovery 1, rare though they now are in any sort of usable condition, could make a viable alternative as a project. What this one shows is that while that may be the case, the very best early Discos have already gone beyond the point Defenders are reaching now.

Make no mistake, this is a fine and exclusive vehicle. A Discovery 1 in this condition is a real rarity – because, of course, so is an owner willing to look after it this well. Monique’s truck demonstrates that if you treat these vehicles properly, they will continue to look as spectacular as ever – and keep on turning heads, just as it turned Monique’s back in 1991.

28/04/2019 22:38

living it large

The Discovery was conceived as an adventure wagon, but people soon started buying them for work… then realising what great adventure wagons they were. That was when the modding started – and before long, the best Discos were showing even the Defender where to get off…

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T

he Discovery was conceived as a family vehicle for people with a sense of adventure – the forerunner of modernday SUVs, you could say. The difference is that being based on the Defender, you could actually have adventures in it.

Being based on the Defender meant the Disco 1 was also ideal as a workhorse – a fact that didn’t go unnoticed at Lode Lane, where the Special Vehicles department turned it into, among other things, a commercial van.

So how beautifully ironic that the people who bought them as workhorses started discovering (‘Discoverying’, should that be?) that their vans were also brilliant vehicles for going out in and having adventures.

Kevin Jukes already had a taste for off-roading when he bought his 1995 Discovery 300Tdi Commercial, thanks to the lifted, 33”-tyred Series IIA his dad ran at the time. But as a selfemployed builder, he intended to use it mainly as a work truck. ‘I thought I’d do the odd playday in it,’ he told us. ‘But I did more and more to it as time went on.’

His starting point was the Disco’s suspension, which he treated to a 2.5” lift using +2” DeCarbon shocks. This made room for a set of 33” tyres, and already he had himself a truck to

reckon with. ‘But I got bored after a couple of months. And then it went bigger, and I’ve just added and added.’

What did add? Well, height, mainly. As well as the +2.5” springs, the Disco now sports +2” spacers and a 1.25” body lift. So that puts it close to six inches taller than standard – before you take into account the extra lift provided by

the 37” tyres for which all this made room. Toss those into the mix, and you’ve got about ten. By anyone’s standards, this is one big Disco.

Big… and flexible, too. With tubular shock turrets and 6° caster-corrected lightweight radius arms up front, plus 2” drop shock mounts, dislocation cones and cranked trailing arms at the back, it’s definitely got the smarts to go with

When you’ve built a truck of this quality, you want to look after it. That’s what the heavy-duty steering guard and tubular winch bumper are doing. And so, in its own way, is the winch mounted on the latter. An awful lot of the Discovery 1s that have been turned into off-roaders were done so very roughly, and most have been scrapped as a result. But this one is proof that an extreme build needn’t be the end of a Disco’s life as a daily driver to be proud of

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Between them, the springs and spacers you see here lift the Discovery by 4.5”. There’s another 1.25” in the body mounts, too. But it’s not just about height. The +2” shocks are mounted using tubular turrets up front and +2” drop brackets at the back, and there are 6° caster-corrected lightweight radius arms, cranked trailing arms, dislocation cones and extended bump stops all there to help the system articulate. Which it does, very effectively – to the point where Kevin told us he’s only ever had a wheel off the ground once

its size. Kevin told us he had only once ever lifted a wheel in it, though as that was on top of a hill with no trees anywhere nearby to break his fall if he rolled, it was ‘quite hairy.’ No wonder, with the vehicle’s centre of gravity hiked to the max and no roll cage. ‘It gets a bit scary on side slopes. But I’ve never been over…’

This is a good thing. ‘I don’t want to trash it,’ he told us. ‘I’ve got to use it. And I like my car.

I’ve spent a lot of time on it, so I don’t want to trash it.’

Now, if you’re the kind of person who thinks an old vehicle should be preserved forever the way it left the factory tracks, you’d think that taking a good Disco these days and building a similar project to this one qualifies as trashing it good and proper. And there are indeed many

projects that have taken sound old trucks and turned them into battered sheds. But if this one demonstrates anything, it’s that whatever you do, the important thing is to do it right.

It does of course help when you used to work as a mechanic, and it’s this background that allowed Kevin to do such a thorough and well presented job

‘I don’t want to trash it. I’ve got to use it. And I like my car. I’ve spent a lot of time on it, so I don’t want to trash it’ 58 | JUNE 2019

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4x4 28/04/2019 22:40

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Left: One of the reasons why the Discovery 1 is still a great prospect is that a well maintained Tdi engine will go on forever. This 300Tdi unit has had a bigger intercooler, EGR delete and its turbo and fuel pump turned up, and it drives through a 1.4:1 transfer case and 4.11:1 diffs to make up for the gearing effect of the 37” tyres

on the vehicle. It didn’t sound like he was finished when we took these pictures, either: ‘I’ve been itching to put some Unimog axles on it, and 44” tyres.’

Or he could just buy a Unimog? ‘Land Rovers are simple enough,’ is his very definite view. ‘If something goes wrong, they’re pretty easy to fix, and they’re easy to tinker away with. And I like Discoverys – if I were going to change it I’d get another Discovery for my next project. It’s more comfortable than a 90, and you can get more in the back as well.’

4pp Jukes.indd 61

Now, when we spoke to Kevin about this vehicle, Defenders were still being made. In fact, Td5 Defenders were still just about being made, which shows you how long ago it was. Yet even then, with prices still a long way from rocketing to the level they’re at today, he had already spotted that a Disco can simply be a better idea.

So, could it be that a Discovery is simply a better idea than a Defender, quite apart from the ludicrous prices and absurdly high theft rates that make it such a bind to own the latter? Well, all things being equal a Disco might not be quite

as able in the most extreme situations, but it’ll be nicer in almost every other way. And if you’re still not sure, just consider the fact that people are forever going on about how the 100” Defender is the best vehicle Land Rover never made.

Food for thought? Maybe. But either way, this Disco is proof that if you want to build a really big off-roader with a Land Rover badge on it, the Defender isn’t the be-all and end-all. It might be the extreme one among the examples we’ve looked at here, but it’s still a very achievable truck – and a daily driver we’d all be proud of.

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hen you’re planning an expedition, you spend ages poring over maps of your route and imagining yourself travelling through the landscapes you’re looking at.

Certain places are bound to stand out as highlights, others as major waypoints on your journey.

Sary-Tash was very much the latter for us. To be honest, it

64 | JUNE 2019

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looked scary. But although it’s no more than a small village in southern Kyrgyzstan, this is a major crossroads on the Pamir Highway – a modern part of the fabled Silk Road, and a stop-off of massive significance on our journey from London to Delhi.

We had crossed Europe and headed towards China via Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, having the travel

4x4 28/04/2019 22:36

OE-style 130 load area cover from Tembo 4x4

in equal measure

Left: This is the road to Mazar. Someone must have thought Mazar was really worth getting to…

Above: Actually, as it turns out Mazar is little more than a collection of shacks occupied by road workers. It was here that, when the authors asked where the toilet was, the answer was ‘anywhere’

experience of our lives while also enduring critical fuel shortages, civil unrest and, on the last leg of the route across the Taldyk Pass from Osh, blizzard conditions and a road that turned as if by magic into slippery, freezing mud. Our Jeep Cherokee had coped, but it had been a struggle; arriving in Sary-Tash felt like putting in to port, and we were grateful to be there safe and sound.

4x4 8pp Travel June.indd 65

The following morning, we left at six o’clock for the 50-mile run to the Chinese border. We drove through the Pamir mountain range, which was completely covered with permanent snow and glaciers. The views were just spectacular.

The road was spectacular, too.

Spectacularly bad. The surface was completely broken and whatever was left was covered in snow. The only hint was the tyre tracks left by trucks. Slowly and steadily we moved forward, but the terrain got tougher by the minute.

All around us was nothing but snow. No cars or trucks. Just us. The Jeep started sliding and couldn’t find any grip on the road. And then it happened. Our nightmare came true. We got stuck in snow.

We were trying to drive on a track left by a truck, but there was very thick snow under it and our tyres just sank in and wouldn’t come out. To make matters worse, for some reason the Jeep didn’t seem to want to engage four-wheel drive. We couldn’t move forward or backward. It was minus five degrees, but we were almost sweating.

We needed a miracle. And, just as we had back in the Uzbek desert when our fuel tank was down to fumes and we stumbled on the only filling station for hundreds of miles, we got one. A truck approached from the opposite direction, the driver helped us move the Jeep out of the snow and we were back on track. The relief was enormous.

But we weren’t out of it yet. The road ahead didn’t get any simpler.

We were constantly driving into potholes, sliding, skidding and secretly saying our prayers.

Pooja went a step further. She put our passports, a bottle of water and some food in a bag, tightly held on to it and said: ‘In case the car gets out of control and falls down the mountain, just jump as soon as you can. I will jump with this bag so that we have some food and our passports with us to get back home… if we survive.’

Well, we’re here to tell the tale.

But forgive us for not stopping to take pictures! We were very happy just to have made it to the border safe and sound, having travelled the whole way from Sary-Tash at an average of just over 10mph.

And then there it was, in front of us: China. The border crossing at Irkeshtam stands at 3200 metres, and to get there we had crossed five time zones, covered 5000 miles and spent 34 days of our lives aboard our faithful Jeep.

Arriving at the border, it wouldn’t have felt like any less of an achievement if all we’d done was drive through the morning from Sary-Tash. But looking at the map, we felt tremendously proud of our progress so far.

So we didn’t mind at all when it took six hours to cross the Chinese border – we were just grateful to have got there!

As well as entering a new country here, we met a new travelling companion. According to the rules, anyone driving their own vehicle in China has to be accompanied by an official guide; ours was FeiFei, a very jovial, helpful and sweet 26-year-old girl who seemed even more excited than us about our adventure. And we were really excited.

IF YOU OWN a Land Rover 130, you’re probably used to having some gear in its pick-up bed. Which means you’re also used to having it stolen.

The Tembo 4x4 Hardtop from FD4x4 Centre is designed to offer is a more robust and secure way to carry all that kit. It could be just what you need if all you want to chuck in there is a chainsaw and helmet, but if you want to do a full-on expedition build you’re looking at one of life’s essentials right here.

Made specifically for the 130 Hi-Cap, the Tembo top is designed to look like OE kit and constructed from aluminium for a tight, safe fit. You can get it in a variety of styles, with windows in the rear, side-sliding windows or none at all – the choice is yours, as these tops are handmade to order. The rear doors have stainless steel hinges and handles for extra security and are fitted with gas struts to keep them where they’re meant to be.

This is a serious looking bit of kit, and at 3590 Euros its price is not what you’d call frivolous either. Obviously that price depends on the exchange rate when you buy it; at the time of writing, it equates to about £3100.

You get some choices when ordering, such as what colour you want or whether to spray it yourself. With paint, obviously. You’ll find out more by visiting www.fd4x4centre.nl.

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you e’d

Plopped on a dusty plain surrounded by towering peaks, Tielongtan is a literal one-street town. Said street is made of concrete, but then there’s an imposing exit gate and after that, bang, you’re into the wilderness Below: More other-worldliness from Tielongtan, where pool is regarded as an outdoor sport. There’s not a whole lot of rain up here… or oxygen, as it turned out when Pooja suffered a sudden attack of altitude sickness

FeiFei had arrived at the border with all our paperwork, and by knowing what was going on she made the whole process a bit simpler. Not that we hadn’t become old hands at the frontier game ourselves by this stage, having been through England, France, Belgium, Germany, the Czech Republic, Poland, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan en route to China. Funny to think that with

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a third of our mammoth distance still to be covered, all we had to do now was cross in and out of Nepal and we’d have reached India, our ultimate destination.

That of course is because China is big. Very big, and in every direction, including up. No more flat deserts now: it was only mountains and more mountains. For the best part of a week, we lived at an average altitude of 13,500 feet.

At least our Cherokee’s 4x4 mode was now working again. We needed it, too: having completed our journey east at Kashgar and turned south towards Tibet, we found that 90% of the driving was on mud and gravel tracks, often wet and sometimes snow-covered. More than once, our visibility was blighted by sandstorms, then at the other end of the scale the ‘road’ would disappear into unpredictable fords.

Tough going (often, we’d cover just a couple of hundred miles in twelve non-stop hours), and definitely the sort of conditions for which fourwheel drive was made!

Beyond Kashgar, we reached the highest point in our journey at an altitude of 16,600 feet. That’s about four Ben Nevises perched on top of one another! We drove on to Mazar, a ‘village’ which turned out to be just a few shacks occupied by road workers, where we got laughed at for asking where the toilet was. ‘Anywhere you want!’ came the reply…

On the way to Tielongtan, in the equally mountainous Aksai Chin

region, we were brought to a halt by a huge broken hole in the road ahead. The only way round it was on a dried-up riverbed, but as we inched on to it we started sinking – it wasn’t as dry as it looked.

Quickly, we reversed out and stopped. We weren’t stuck, but we were in the wilderness at 16,000 feet and the road ahead was impassable. A couple of cars were parked on the other side, wanting to come our way. Now everyone was waiting to see who would make the first move.

Then the stalemate was broken, as a big army truck appeared from the opposite direction. It paused for a few seconds, then just geared up and went for it – and blasted through. The driver parked next to us and FeiFei asked if we’d be able to do the same. ‘No,’ he said, ‘not in that car. It won’t make it.’

But what choice did we have? We said our prayers, kissed, stopped thinking about everything, engaged four-wheel drive and went for it.

The Cherokee ploughed into the wet mud and started going down.

4x4 28/04/2019 22:36

Double your truck’s USB charging power

Top left: When the road has turned to mud, visibility has come right down and it’s started snowing, this definitely counts as putting a brave face on it Above left: A feature of the mountains of Aksai Chin is that the wind rarely stops blasting away. Note the way the drips from the hand-painted altitude sign go off to one side Above right: Welcome to Sary-Tash. Note the extremely appealing looking outside wash stand – just what you want in whiteout conditions

Turning the wheel got us out of the mud. Now we were going sideways and once again started sinking.

Another turn of the wheel, this time the other way, and we inched forward again. Just. Keep. Moving.

With the engine roaring, we slid into a ditch, mud flying across our windscreen and the tyres fought for grip. And then, finally, our front wheels clawed their way on to the tarmac and moments later we were there, surrounded by silence and breathing huge sighs of relief. We had made it: thank you, Jeep!

Unfortunately, our stay in Aksai Chin was short-lived. Reaching Tielongtan after a twelve-hour drive, we quickly had dinner and went to bed – blissfully unaware of what was about to happen.

The town is at 15,300 feet, and altitude sickness can strike fast.

Pooja woke at midnight, struggling

4x4 8pp Travel June.indd 67

to breathe – and her condition was getting worse by the minute.

We woke FeiFei and she called the owner of the lodge where we were staying. Fortunately, he had bottled oxygen: we don’t want to try and imagine what would have happened if he’d been as unprepared as us.

That averted the immediate crisis, but he advised us that it wouldn’t be safe for Pooja to stay at such a high altitude and suggested we drive on straightaway towards Duma, lower down the valley.

Death Valley, as it’s known in China, which was no great comfort as we rushed through the night, still on treacherous, unmade roads, with Pooja holding the oxygen mask to her face. It was a huge relief to reach town, at six the following morning, more yet once Pooja was returned to health.

Even after that, though, the driving wasn’t much fun. The roads remained terrible, and wherever we stopped we found that hygiene was very low on the list of priorities.

If it weren’t for the unparalleled natural beauty of China and Tibet, and the fact that we were now so close to India, our spirits really would have been in the doldrums.

My own mood got a real lift, though, when after 600 miles of non-stop mud and gravel the road surface suddenly turned into tarmac. No warning, no reason, just an abrupt end to the bumping and shaking. Once again, relief washed over us. We stopped the Jeep and just admired the beauty of the smooth new surface. I got out and literally kissed the tarmac, then lay down flat on my back in the middle of the highway. The things we take for granted in our everyday lives!

ALMOST EVERYONE HAS encountered the dreaded moment when you’re out and about, miles away from home, and your phone hits 1% battery. This is often followed by a mad panic to power down anything and everything that could possibly be using up unnecessary battery life.

Not that a flat phone will be anything more than an inconvenience (or possibly a blessed relief ) on the average day in Blighty. But look inside any full-house expedition truck and you’ll see that it’s bristling with power sources for all manner of electrical items. No danger of these guys’ kids not being able to watch YouTube while Mum and Dad are parked up on the lip of the Great African Rift Valley marvelling at the landscape and wildlife.

Mud-UK is now stocking Ram Mount’s GDS Dual USB charger, which allows you to charge not one but two different devices at the same time via one of your vehicle’s in-built 12v socket. The charger itself is unassuming and blends in well with the rest of your dashboard, while also not obstructing any other vehicle controls. It is capable of charging Apple and Samsung devices, right up to the latest generation, and with a 2.4A output you should be able to rely on it to charge quickly and efficiently. This GDS Dual USB Charger comes in at £15.00 and can be purchased from www.mudstuff.co.uk

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RISING TO THE CHALLENGE

An overland mission undertaken a decade ago in a bid to draw attention to the threat

and day -

n-

WORDS: MIKE TROT T PICTURES: ATLANTIC RISING

C

limate change has been in the news in a big way recently. But global warming was a serious issue long before the phrase ‘Extinction Rebellion’ was ever

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coined – it’s just that less people took it seriously.

We’ve been taking steps to reduce our carbon footprint for decades, of course. Whatever brand of 4x4 you drive, its manufacturer

has been cleaning up its act for decades – whether by choice, or because it has been forced to by ever-stricter legislation designed to cut down on the amount of carbon dioxide for which the motor industry is responsible.

Land Rover is one such manufacturer. And ten years ago, a group of three friends chose a Land Rover in which to undertake an expedition with a very serious purpose. Atlantic Rising was the name of their undertaking – to travel around the entire Atlantic coast, all four continents’ worth of it, staying as close as possible to the one-metre contour line.

Why one metre? Because that’s the level by which scientists have

projected the ocean level is going to have risen by the year 2100.

The adventure was destined to become a 15-month overlanding tour. You need a sound vehicle for a gig like that – and when we say the trio behind Atlantic Rising chose a Land Rover, what we should maybe have said is that the Land Rover chose them. A brand new Defender 110, it was loaned to them as a reward for winning the Royal Geographical Society’s 2009 ‘Go Beyond’ Bursary.

‘They’ refers to a trio of friends who met at Cambridge University.

First, there’s Tom Bromfield, a Geography graduate who had previously led humanitarian projects in Uganda and overseen

4x4 28/04/2019 22:36

Kampsa Geyser provides an on-board source of warm water

of rising ocean levels

a variety of fundraising campaigns for organisations like the African Medical and Research Foundation.

Second, you have Will Lorimer.

Having left Cambridge with a degree in Social Anthropology, he worked as a cameraman in a range of locations from Palestine to Poland and on a host of productions for the BBC, Channel 4, National Geographic and the Discovery Channel. Also from the world of media was Lynn Morris, who worked as a reporter over three different continents before becoming a video journalist for the Press Association.

Now, it takes a special kind of person to put the brakes on a promising career and set off to

4x4 8pp Travel June.indd 69

spend more than a year living out of a Land Rover. But that’s what these three did – and they travelled some 28,000 miles along the way.

‘We wanted to highlight the awareness of what can happen to these areas,’ explains Lynn. ‘And the best way to do it was by going to these places and learning what was happening.

‘The idea came about in 2009.

Climate change was a particularly hot topic at the time but, while people were constantly debating the level of the sea rise, they weren’t really understanding what that could mean.’

With the Defender 110 at their disposal and a hunger for knowledge, the trio plotted a rough

route of interesting places along the one-metre contour line – and negotiated the rest of the way in a very Land Rover kind of a fashion. As always when it comes to overlanding, even the best laid plans sometimes end up thrown in the trash. Originally, Lynn, Tom and Will only set out for eight months – but they ended up being out there for almost double that time.

Not that travelling around an endless series of strange, vibrant foreign cultures for 15 months while doing something good for those communities is even going to feel like a chore. Life on the road isn’t always easy – any overlander will tell you that – but few things can put you in such a deeply happy place.

That’s even more the case when you consider that the team’s focus was primarily on the children living in these threatened regions. Just like overland travel, yYoung people will always be able to bring a smile to your face.

Some of the team’s destinations included Mauritania, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Brazil, Mexico and the southern states of the USA, like Louisiana. Quite an array of cultures there, it has to be said – and ones that the trio were eager to investigate.

‘It was a dream rather than a plan,’ admits Lynn. Only once we won the bursary did we think “now we need to put some sort of plan together.”

‘The Defender was brilliant. It wasn’t just our transport, but our home, wardrobe… everything.’

Big, bright and orange, the Defender was almost as vivacious

GETTING AWAY FROM it all can be deeply enjoyable: the clean air, the wonderful views, the peace and stillness.

The lack of sanitation and hot water…

Let’s be honest, roughing it is fun for a bit but then you realise you’d really, really like a hot shower… or even just some hot water for washing your hands.

Watching the sun set over the desert is even more enjoyable if you’re not scratching all the time and smelling like a camel’s armpit while drinking warm water that stinks of purifying tabs.

The answer: make space for a Kampa Geyser hot water system. It’s a mobile system that just needs a gas cylinder.

The system uses a 12-volt power socket to pump water for its shower attachment.

Otherwise there’s a fold-out tap for you to pour out the hot water, which can be heated to anywhere from 30 to 55 degrees C. Carry handles and a strong carry case make it as practical as it is handy.

The Kampa Geyser retails for £155 and is available from APB Trading – they’re at www. expedition-equipment.com.

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28/04/2019 22:37

Pop-up roof kit from Alu-Cab adds stand-up space to the back of Land Rover Defender 110s

ALU-CAB’S POP-UP ROOF KIT for the Land Rover Defender 110 provides extra protection and freedom while you’re travelling – and gives you some additional space in which to stand up when you’re doing whatever it is you need to do on board.

The whole thing comes as one structure, so you don’t use your own roof panel. This means if you want to sell the vehicle you can easily restore it to original condition while taking your roof tent with you for the next one. There’s always a next one. The new roof only adds 18cm to the vehicle’s height, too.

When you’re making camp, you do need to pop outside for a few seconds just to flip the roof up. If you’re in lion country and this causes you concern, time it for when someone else has gone off for a call of nature in the dark. Once back inside, you’re safe, as you can get to the sleeping compartment above you from within the vehicle.

The sleeping area is made of tough, rip-stop waterproof canvas, and it’s all insulated. There are even two lights up there for reading, as well as four other LEDs. As an added bonus, you can flip up the sleeping base – allowing you to stand virtually upright in your vehicle. This means that, after your romantic torch-lit dinner, you can get undressed with your usual feline grace instead of being bent double like a caveman with a problem.

These conversions aren’t cheap – think £7495’s worth of not cheap.

But that money gets you a really well made bit of kit from a company with a strong reputation for quality. The kit is available from Tuff-Trek, which can also look after the fitting for you – as well as kitting it out with an extensive collection of useful accessories. Check them out at www.tuff-trek.com.

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as the civilisations it travelled through, even acting as an advertisement for the positive work the group was trying to carry out.

Some of this involved setting up links for educational purposes between different schools, forming a network with those in Africa and others back here in the UK. While the team knew it wasn’t possible to visit every school they’d pass along the way, they did create a few important connections that are still going strong today.

‘We were going to very remote places, traversing all kinds of terrain too,’ continues Lynn. ‘But there was always a Landy lover willing to help us.

‘To be fair, there were very few mechanical issues with the Defender – which was good really as we didn’t have a clue!’

Naturally, a few punctures needed to be sorted along the long and winding road, but the Defender itself proved utterly dependable.

It had to contend with everything from sand to snow along the way, but took everything in its stride – as did its drivers, thanks in no small part to the off-road training they received from the Land Rover Experience at Eastnor as part of the bursary award.

There were lots of good times on the journey, with wide smiles and bellies aching from laughter. But there were tough experiences, too.

‘We visited Kroo Bay and witnessed the slums perched in the estuary,’ remembers Lynn. ‘There had been bad flooding there in the last year. Climate change is not caused by Sierra Leone, but the western world.’

4x4 28/04/2019 22:37

A tidy solution to a mess in the back of your 4x4

It’s not like the western world hasn’t had warning signs of its own, either. Miami, for example, already has issues with sea water coming back up through some of its drains.

Not the sort of problem you may associate with one of America’s wealthiest cities.

Some of the sights would have been moments of sheer realisation for the trio. Some bad – but others a breath of fresh air.

‘Sierra Leone stands out for me,’ says Lynn. ‘It has a bad reputation internationally – which wasn’t helped by the Ebola outbreak. But it is the most beautiful country in Africa… maybe the world. Its people are so optimistic and friendly.’

Lynn, Tom and Will would have needed that optimism when waiting for their Land Rover to come through customs in Sao Paulo after

departing from West Africa. It ended up taking six weeks to get the thing out of its container and through all the hoops the Brazilian authorities made them jump through.

But face the elements the team did. The loaned Land Rover saw them through to the end of their mission, and it will be something they’ll never forget.

And global warming is something none of us should forget. In the ten years since Atlantic Rising, cars’ emissions have dropped and, thanks in part to people like Lynn, Tom and Will who care enough to play their part in educating the world about the threat from climate change, more of us than ever are aware of the crisis we face.

But the last decade has also seen a climate change denier become the world’s most powerful man,

and scientists are warning us more stridently than ever that the clock continues to tick on the urgent need for action. That one-metre contour line remains under threat: Atlantic Rising may simply have been the name of an expedition, but it’s a thing that’s still happening today. The point these three travellers set out to make is as valid today as it was when their Land Rover was still new.

Lynn, Tom and Will’s Atlantic adventure has all been collected and put into one place, and that is the Atlantic Rising website. It’s an everlasting legacy of the work these three set out to do a decade ago and serves as a constant educational tool for students from all around the globe. To see and read more about their journey, visit atlanticrising.org.

THE BOOT BASKET is a basket that fits in your boot, not a cosy basket for your boots. The idea is a good one, as I’m sure many people can attest – usually at that moment when you go round a roundabout as you’re leaving the Tesco car park and all your shopping bags fall over, sending loose, round vegetables rolling in one direction and eggs in the other.

Will you make the scrambled eggs joke, or shall I? Anyway, the smart people at Overland Adventure Products have come up with an answer.

Designed for the Discovery 3 and 4, the Boot Basket is a basket (insert the ‘Sherlock’ comment here) shaped a bit like a shallow cage. It fits up above the floor of the boot, and so you now have two layers on which to secure things.

The rim of the basket keeps things in and, due to its mesh construction, you can hook bags into it or bungee things down or whatever. It comes with a cargo net anyway.

This also leaves the floor of the boot free for proper expedition gear. The tray can hinge up, too, so if you have dogs they can still fit in there.

Although if you’re taking your dog on expedition with you, you can look forward to going down in history as the person who spent more time at border crossing points than anyone else on the planet.

It’s a neat solution to an irritating situation, this. It also has the advantage of meaning you don’t have to jack-knife yourself over the bottom bit of the boot to reach stuff, which means you don’t get covered in whatever road grime is plastered all over the back of your Disco. To find out more, go to www.overlandadventureproducts.co.uk.

JUNE 2019 | 71

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28/04/2019 22:37

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MARFELL WINS AT WALTERS AS BRITISH CROSS-COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIP ROARS BACK INTO ACTION

IT’S BEEN AWAY for some time. But at last the Britpart British Cross Country Championship (BXCC) is back. And the country’s premier off-road racing event returned in style, with an opening round at Walters Arena which was won by Adrian Marfell and Paul Bartleman in their Fouquet-Nissan.

The organisers laid on a very tough course of almost nine miles and, after rain for most of Friday, it was very slippery as the crews headed out on the opening run.

Justin Birchall and Jonny Koonja set the early pace in their Lofthouse Freelander, being the only crew to

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break the 14-minute barrier on the first run. Marfell took the lead after run three, however, as Birchall’s car had electrical issues which resulted in a time of around two minutes slower than his first two runs.

Mark Jacques and Adam Nicholson held third place after the opening three runs, with Andy Degiulio and Paul Foley in fourth in their Milner R5 despite a first run puncture which removed part of the bodywork.

The initial runs proved troublesome for several crews.

Jason Rowlands stopped with a broken drivebelt on his Can-Am

X3, Ryan Cooke’s Milner LRM-1 had water pump issues and Mike Wilson suffered a broken driveshaft on his Freelander.

With his car restored to full health, Birchall was quickest on the remaining three runs of the opening day, reducing Marfell’s lead to 22 seconds. Degiulio was third overnight ahead of Jacques, with Richard Wynne-Williams and Matthew Lowe making it three Lofthouse cars in the top five.

The rest of the competitors continued to keep Rabbit Recovery busy, too, with a variety of mechanical issues and accidents

including Oisin Riley rolling his Polaris and Mike Moran losing an argument with a tree in his Lofthouse Evo. The crews did another five runs on day two and it was Birchall who was again quickest on the first of the day, bringing Marfell’s lead down to 11 seconds. His hopes of victory were dashed on the second run, however, thanks to a puncture which cost him around 30 seconds.

Marfell too had three punctures during the event. But four fastest times on the last four runs helped give him a winning margin of more than a minute from Birchall.

4x4 28/04/2019 22:48

OFF-ROAD SCENE

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OFF-ROAD CALENDAR

Pay-and-play events 12 May 4x4 Without a Club Harbour Hill,West Berkshire

9 June

Devil’s Pit

4x4 Without a Club

Barton-le-Clay, Bedfordshire

Essex, Rochford and District 4x4 Club Rayleigh, Essex

Frickley 4x4 Frickley, South Yorkshire

Slindon Safari Fontwell,West Sussex

Thames Valley 4x4 Broxhead, Hampshire

19 May ‘It was a very enjoyable course to drive, the second half was very fast and flowing,’ said Marfell.

‘We had a few problems with punctures – it’s a venue where you need a little bit of luck, I think.

The event was very well organised and it’s great to see the British championship back on the map.

Thanks to the That’s Motorsport team for all their hard work.’

Birchall commented: ‘It’s a good start to the season. We had a great

battle with Adrian and hats off to him for the win. We had a couple of electrical problems on the first day but we managed to pull things back on the later runs. We’d hoped to push hard for the win early on day two, but the puncture put paid to that. The course was very challenging – a real off-road event.

It’s been a fantastic weekend.’

Jacques was promoted to third after Degiulio crashed on run nine – but this was only after some late

Picadilly Wood Bolney,West Sussex

Avalanche Adventure Sibbertoft, Northamptonshire Explore Off Road Silverdale, Stoke-on-Trent

Harbour Hill,West Berkshire

Devil’s Pit Barton-le-Clay, Bedfordshire

Essex, Rochford and District 4x4 Club Rayleigh, Essex

Frickley 4x4 Frickley, South Yorkshire

Protrax Tixover, Northamptonshire

Slindon Safari Fontwell,West Sussex

15 June Burnham Off-Roaders Tring, Hertfordshire

Muddy Bottom

16 June

Minstead, Hampshire

Burnham Off-Roaders Tring, Hertfordshire

Mud Monsters East Grinstead,West Sussex

Protrax

Explore Off Road Silverdale, Stoke-on-Trent

Tixover, Northamptonshire

Muddy Bottom

26 May

Minstead, Hampshire

Cowm Leisure Whitworth, Lancashire

Tixover, Northamptonshire

Protrax

Frickley 4x4

23 June

Frickley, South Yorkshire

Devil’s Pit

Slindon Valley

Barton-le-Clay, Bedfordshire

Fontwell,West Sussex

Frickley 4x4

27 May Hilll N Ditch Mouldsworth, Cheshire

2 June Muddy Bottom

Frickley, South Yorkshire

Mud Monsters East Grinstead,West Sussex

Protrax Tixover, Northamptonshire

Slindon Valley Fontwell,West Sussex

Minstead, Hampshire

Thames Valley 4x4

Parkwood 4x4

Harbour Hill,West Berkshire

Tong, Bradford

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OFF-ROAD SCENE

jeepspares.com for fast moving service and repair parts

night servicing. ‘We were checking the car over after the first day and found a problem with the diff,’ he said. ‘Thanks to Ian Gregg, who lent us his welding gear, we were able to get it sorted after working on it all of Saturday evening.

‘I’m happy with third. We were pushing hard and our run times kept dropping – until the last couple of laps, when the car had some sort of issue. We’re not sure exactly what yet!’

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A final run puncture dropped Wynne-Williams to fifth, so it was Andy Powell and Mason Kershaw who finished fourth in their Caze Peugeot 306.

Richard Keasey took his Rakeway Ridgeback, resplendent in its eyecatching new livery, to sixth. With engine problems on their GSR 206, Martin and Aston Cox purchased a Can-Am X3 for the event and, partnered by Josh Thomas, they finished seventh.

In eighth were Phil Ibbotson and Karina James in their BMW M3-engined Metro 6R4 – with Ibbotson finding that he’s even quicker now that he can see where he’s going with his new glasses! ’It’s been a really good event,’ he commented. ‘It was a tough course, but we had no problems and no punctures. We’ve had a fun weekend.’

Steve Smith and John Griffiths were ninth in their Clio V8.

Rounding off the top 10 were Ryan and Darren Cooke, who battled to the finish after several issues with their car.

Outside of the top ten, Paul Rowlands finished 11th despite suffering a broken balljoint when he rolled his Polaris – obligingly, right in front of the TV cameraman!

Chloe Jones, meanwhile, had travelled straight from competing in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge to race at the slightly less hot and sandy Walters Arena. She was rewarded for her efforts with a class win and 14th place overall.

Mike Wilson piloted his Freelander in his usual committed manner to finish 20th overall and first in class – though by the end his service area resembled a scrapyard with assorted pieces of broken suspension and transmission lying around!

Thanks go to all the sponsors of the BXCC: Britpart, Voxcloud, Staffordshire Signs, Par Homes, OFG Land Rover Specialists, Birchall Foodservice, Nicky Grist Motorsports and Bowler. The championship will resume on 15-16 June in South-West Scotland – for more information, visit crosscountryuk.org.

4x4 28/04/2019 22:48

OFF-ROAD SCENE

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Odyssey Challenge opener abandoned following serious injury to competitor ROUND 1 OF THE 2019 Odyssey Batteries Winch Challenge Series was abandoned after approximately an hour, following an incident in which a driver was seriously injured. Emergency services were called to the site following the accident that befell Neil Granger when his vehicle was exiting a section, leaving the organisers with no choice but to terminate the event – a decision that was met with 100% support by the rest of the competitors.

The event, which saw a strong field of 23 trucks line up for the start of the season, marked the first time the Odyssey Challenge had used Tixover Quarry – a change to usual opening venue of Weekley Woods. However competitors were soon diverting

their attention from the task of collecting punches to that of helping with the critical situation following Granger’s accident – one in which his crash helmet assuredly saved his life.

‘Other competitors at the event demonstrated their absolute brilliance in doing their utmost to preserve life and did everything humanly possible to bring the incident to the best possible conclusion,’ commented Viking 4x4 Club’s Pip Evans.

‘The organisers want to thank the emergency services for their sterling work, the competitors who helped the injured party and to all the other competitors who were very supportive and understanding at having their event terminated.’

OFF-ROAD CALENDAR

UK Convoy Tours 11-12 May

15 June

Protrax Wales

Tracks and Trails Yorkshire

Tracks and Trails North of England

16 June

UK Landrover Events Wiltshire

UK Landrover Events North Yorkshire

12 May 4x4 Adventure Tours Salisbury Plain

18-19 May 4x4 Adventure Tours Lake District

25 May

Voluntary restraint proves successful on Derbyshire lane A CALL FOR VOLUNTARY RESTRAINT on Minninglow Lane in the Derby Dales has succeeded in bringing down the number of vehicles using the right of way during the winter months – helping strengthen the case against closing it to motor vehicles.

The lane, which is near the village of Longcliffe, contains a section which runs across open fields on an exposed moor top. The ground here is prone to cutting up and becoming rutted when wet – a problem which prompted the Green Lane Association (GLASS), working together with the Peak District Vehicle Users’ Group, to ask users to stay off the lane from 1 November last year until the end of April.

These requests are not statutory, however they are normally adhered to scrupulously by responsible 4x4 drivers. To test the efficacy of the notices placed at either end of Minninglow Lane, traffic counters were put in place – and these showed a dramatic reduction in the number of vehicles using it after the voluntary restraint scheme was implemented.

The Peak District National Park Authority has been infamously zealous in its campaign against the rights of motor vehicle users over the last few years, so it’s extremely heartening that following a meeting with the organisation, GLASS officials reported that the people there are pleased with the results of the voluntary scheme. If this is a sign of a new willingness to be reasonable towards 4x4 users, it comes too late to save many of the region’s iconic lanes, however one promising piece of news reported

by GLASS is that the PDNPA has no plans to target any more lanes for closure in the coming year.

Instead, the Authority is running a Keep on Track campaign encouraging rights of way users of all kinds to stay away from adjoining land – which is often a habitat for wildlife. GLASS has offered to sponsor signage on a number of green lanes in the Peak park in a bid to cut the amount of off-piste activity that goes on – and which gives all 4x4 users a bad name.

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Tracks and Trails North Pennines

25-26 May Protrax Wiltshire

22 June UK Landrover Events Lake District

22-23 June 4x4 Adventure Tours North Wales Trailmasters Yorkshire

23 June UK Landrover Events Eden District

27-28 June

26 May

UK Landrover Events Eden/Tynedale

Tracks and Trails Durham

28-30 June

3-4 June

Low Range Adventure Yorkshire to the Lakes

UK Landrover Events Cumbria/Yorkshire

7 June

29-30 June Tracks and Trails Lake District

UK Landrover Events Yorkshire Dales

JUNE 2019 | 77

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OFF-ROAD SCENE

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Overland Travel

OFF-ROAD CALENDAR

18-26 May

6-21 July

16-30 August

22-28 September

UK Landrover Events Pyrenees

Onelife Adventure Iceland

Venture 4x4 Iceland

Tracks and Trails Pyrenees

20 May –2 June

13-28 July

24 August – 4 Sept

29 Sept – 17 Oct

Trailmasters Morocco (extreme expedition)

Ardent Adventure Balkans

Trailmasters Morocco

Protrax Morocco

26 May

12-26 July

24 August – 7 September

30 Sept – 13 Oct

Peru Safari Northern Peru

Venture 4x4 Iceland

Atlas Overland Portugal

Atlas Overland Morocco

27 May

18 July – 1 August

1-15 September

October

Low-Range Adventure Portugal

Venture 4x4 Iceland

Ardent Adventure Pyrenees

Venture 4x4 Iceland

1-16 June

22 July

7-15 September

12-26 October

Ardent Adventure Pyrenees (1 or 2 week)

Peru Safari Peru

UK Landrover Events Pyrenees

Low-Range Adventure Moroccan Sahara

3-13 June

26 July – 9 August

11-25 September

12-27 October

Atlas Overland Corsica

Venture 4x4 Iceland

Protrax Pyrenees

4x4 Adventure Tours Morocco

5-19 June

1-15 August

15-29 September

13-31 October

Protrax Pyrenees

Venture 4x4 Iceland

Tracks and Trails Pyrenees

Protrax Morocco

9-18 June

3-17 August

16-21 September

19 Oct – 3 Nov

4x4 Adventure Tours Pyrenees

Atlas Overland Italy

7P Overland Utah and Colorado

Ardent Adventure Morocco

12 June

10 August

16-27 September

22-30 September

Peru Safari Peruvian Steppes

Peru Safari Peru

Low-Range Adventure Portugal

Trails and Tracks Pyrenees

12-17 June

10-18 August

16-29 September

29 Sept – 17 Oct

Protrax North France D-Day tour

Ardent Adventure Alps

Trailmasters Morocco Marrakesh Classic

Protrax Morocco

22 June – 7 July

12-23 August

17 September

3-16 October

Atlas Overland Scandinavia

Low-Range Adventure Pyrenees Coast to Coast

Peru Safari Peru

Trailmasters Morocco Atlantic Sahara

78 | JUNE 2019

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4x4 28/04/2019 22:48

Drive is a free monthly newspaper covering the whole of the new and used car market.

Drive includes no-nonsense road test reviews from across the new car market, with everything you need to know when choosing your next car.

For second-hand buyers, it includes essential information on what to buy, what to look for and what to avoid.

For enthusiasts, each issue also includes sections on classic cars, local motorsport, tuning and modifying.

Read each issue for FREE online at www.drive-uk.co.uk

Find us on Facebook @driveuk Drive_A4_Ad.indd 1

www.drive-uk.co.uk 29/04/2019 18:50

HEADLINE SPONSOR

Saturday 29th June 2019 AND

PICK-UP SHOW

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Whether your interest is personal or professional, this is the 4×4 and pick-up show for you, with dedicated days for both trade and public. Complete show room experience from leading manufacturers and bespoke builders, allowing you to both view and test drive vehicles.

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EXHIBITORS INCLUDE 4X4 MANUFACTURERS | PICK-UP MANUFACTURERS | 4X4 CAR DEALERSHIPS | PICK-UP TRUCK DEALERSHIPS | HARD TOP MANUFACTURERS AND WHOLESALERS | SUSPENSION MANUFACTURERS / WHOLESALERS | SUSPENSION BUSHES | WHEEL MANUFACTURERS AND WHOLESALERS | TYRE MANUFACTURERS AND WHOLESALERS | TOOLS | LIGHTING | UNDERBODY PROTECTION | WINCHES | BRAKES | OFF ROAD EQUIPMENT | TOWING AND TRAILER MANUFACTURERS | ONBOARD STORAGE SOLUTIONS | ROOF RACKS | ROLL CAGES | SEATS AND TRIM UPGRADES | PERFORMANCE EQUIPMENT | SOUND PROOFING | ENGINE OILS AND LUBRICANTS | SERVICING | GARAGE UPGRADES | CUSTOM VEHICLE BUILDERS | OVERLAND EQUIPMENT | COMMERCIAL AND PERSONAL INSURANCE

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M40

National Agricultural and Exhibition Centre, Warwickshire, CV8 2LG 10am to 4pm

Friday 28th June 2019 Register your details at www.4x4andpickupshow.co.uk to receive your tickets

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31/01/2019 18:48

ROADBOOK

THE EAST MIDLANDS Little-known lanes in the heart of England

The three-counties junction where Leicestershire meets Staffordshire and Warwickshire isn’t normally seen as a destination for green laning. But there are some interesting rights of way here, giving you a mixture of ruts, firm surfaces and some heavy-duty fords. This route winds its way around this littleknown region, mixing up a few tricky bits of driving with some gentle scenery in the heart of England – and all of it within a few miles of some of Britain’s busiest motorways. It’s a hidden gem indeed…

ROUTE GUIDE

IS IT SUITABLE?

START FINISH HOW LONG? TERRAIN HAZARDS

TYRES WEATHER LOW BOX SOFT-ROADERS SCRATCHING DRIVING

OS MAPS

Heather (SK 390 109) Gilmorton (SP 573 878) 54.75 miles / 4-5 hours Gently rolling woods and farmland Ruts and uneven ground, Deep water; Fast-moving road traffic; Farm vehicles Landranger 128 (Derby and Burton) Landranger 129 (Nott’m and Loughboro’) Landranger 140 (Leicester)

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DAMAGE

Mud-terrains needed when wet Avoid when ground is saturated Highly desirable in places Not suitable Infrequent but significant risk Good rut discipline required.

Traction at a premium when wet Low bumpers may foul in places.

Wide arches could catch in ruts

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1

0.0

2

0.95

SK 390 109

Start outside the Queen’s Head in the village of Heather. Zero your trip as you turn right out of the pub car park (or with it to your right as you pass), then pull forward to the roundabout and take the road ahead for Ravenstone

SK 396 122

The turning is as you climb back up the hill out of a dip. There is a sign, but you won’t spot it – and much more important is to be looking out for oncoming traffic coming your way over a blind crest

7

3.4

8

3.75 Odstone Newton Burgoland

3

1.75

Yes, this really is a zero point already…

ZERO TRIP

9

1 234

SK 393 078

4.8 HALL LANE

4

10

2.0

4.9

Follow ahead through the gate, if the piece of wreckage standing in your way can be described as one, and on to the track with the hedge line to your right. It soon gets quite rutted, then after about half a mile you run through a tightly enclosed section that will scratch at your paintwork

Odstone Shackerstone

5

SK 404 083

2.25

6

2.8

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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

11 5.5

12

The left-hand rut gets very deep for a short spell. It’s possible to skirt around it, though it’s not as bad as it first looks – either way, what you definitely don’t want to do is fall sideways into it

Dead slow through the farmyard

6.05

13 6.2

14 6.4

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 just stay on the main road or take the most straight-ahead option unless we tell you otherwise.

If you’re unfamiliar with six-figure grid references, you’ll find a guide to using them on the legend of any OS map. Our aim is for you to be able to do the route without maps, but we do recommend having them.

SAFETY

The notes on the first page of the roadbook advise you of how suitable it 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, and are largely suitable for standard 4x4s on road tyres. We do recommend travelling in tandem wherever possible, however.The risk of getting stuck can be greater than it appears – and if you break down, having help at hand can make the difference between it being inconvenient and downright dangerous.

RESPONSIBILITY

Irresponsible driving is a massive problem 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, both to the land and to 4x4 drivers’ reputation.

The fact that you can see where it’s happened shows how much harm it does. It’s no excuse to say you’re just following where another driver has already been. Most green laners have taken to videoing anyone they see behaving like this and passing the evidence to the police.

Elsewhere, simple common sense and courtesy should be your watchword.The do-and-don’t list

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below should always be in your mind, but keep your speed down, be ready to pull over for others and show the world that 4x4 drivers aren’t the hooligans some of them think we are.

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.

It only takes one vandal to tarnish a person’s view of all 4x4 drivers, and once the damage is done it tends to be permanent. But if enough of us resolve to be ambassadors, it might make a difference to the way we’re perceived by society in general.

DO AND DON’T

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

horse riders pass • Don’t go in large convoys: split into small groups to avoid hassling others • Leave gates as you found them • Don’t drop litter. Do carry a bin bag and a pair of stout gloves so you can pick up other people’s, though • Don’t go back to drive the fun bits, such as mud or fords, again • Scrupulously obey all closure and voluntary restraint notices • Don’t cause a noise nuisance, particularly after dark • 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 • If someone challenges you, be firm but polite. Stay calm and don’t let them turn it into a fight • Stick absolutely scrupulously to the right of way • You have as much of a right to be there as everyone else.Which means they have as much right as you

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16

Caution as you cross the canal bridge – there’s a car park on the left that’s popular with dog walkers

8.95

15 8.25

SK 354 090

The turning is shortly after the entrance to Beanfield Farm and immediately after a house on your left. It’s signed ‘unsuitable for motors’

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17

ZERO TRIP

9.2

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18

SK 337 065

1.05

The turning is hard to spot as you approach. It’s just after a farm road on the left, and there’s a 7.5T weight limit sign which you might just about be able to see as you close in on it

19

Take it easy – you’re straight into a village here, via the car park for what looks like a miniature industrial estate

1.7

20

23 3.2

24 3.25

25

ZERO TRIP

3.55

1.9

SK 302 078

Don’t turn too early – it’s not the track by the huge radio tower, but a couple of hundred yards after that

Follow ahead on to a grassy track between the houses. It looks like someone’s garden to start with, but you’ll soon see a gate with the track ahead. If you’re in convoy, someone should go ahead to open the gate so you don’t all sit with your engines running. Also, don’t drive this one at night, especially if you’ve got a loud exhaust

Follow the track hard right when you reach the gate in front of you.

You’re crossing the LeicestershireWarwickshire border here – note how the surface beneath you changes as you do so

MAIN STREET

21

26

0.4

4.3

(M42) Burton A444 Appleby Parva

27

22

Turn left at the T-junction then immediately left again for Ortonon-the-Hill

4.4

2.4

Austrey 2 Polesworth 6

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33

28

11.05

6.45

Sheepy Magna

Bilstone 3 Congerstone 4

234

34

29

11.4

6.8

Sheepy Magna 212 Sheepy Parva 212

30 7.15

SK 311 034

There’s no signpost –the lane is just after a bridge over a tiny stream.

Further ahead, it gets quite rutted in places

35 11.5

31

36

32

37

8.25

9.15

This ford is normally no problem, but it’s a monster when the river’s full. There’s no depth gauge to go by, and the current beneath the surface can be very strong. Note also that if you’ve got passengers who’re getting out to watch, someone local seems to regard the road at the ford’s exit as their own private dog toilet

ZERO TRIP

11.55

1.3

Nuneaton Sibson A444

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41

38

4.85

3.6

Sutton Cheney 3 Mkt Bosworth 5

Upton

39

SP 355 986

3.7

42

There’s a fuel station on the right just after the junction

9.4

Stapleton Hinckley A447

40 4.75

134 5

43 9.7

Kirkby Mallory

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44 11.2

SK 453 008

You’ll see a brown sign saying ‘competitors only’ pointing down the road you need to take

45

12.4

12.7

49

11.9

46

48 SP 436 993

The turning is just after the ‘farm traffic’ road sign

12.9

After the second gate, the track winds its way uphill across an open field. It’s soft going when wet – use a thread of throttle, especially if you’re on aggressive tyres, and you’ll be fine. This is a lane that could be trashed very easily by thoughtless driving, so treat it like the delicate public treasure it is

47 12.6

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50 13.2

51

ZERO TRIP

13.9

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57

52

5.05

0.95

Croft Huncote

Peckleton 1

53

0.75

Earl Shilton Hinckley

2 5

Caution – this is a main road

2.7

1 2 Croft Stoney Stanton 214

59 1.45

Earl Shilton

55

The turning is immediately after the 30 signs as you enter Earl Shilton

2.85

STATION ROAD

60 1.6

Narborough 212 Cosby 234

CHURCH STREET

56

112 112

58

1.05

54

ZERO TRIP

Don’t be complacent just because you’re on tarmac – this ford is deeper than it looks!

4.55

61 2.2

Narborough Cosby Enderby Braunstone

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B4114 214 212 5

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67 7.3

Peatling Magna 1 Bruntingthorpe 3

62

There’s a fuel station on the right at the junction

2.75

68

SP 586 922

7.95

Cosby Countesthorpe

69

63

8.5

4.3

Cosby Golf Course Broughton Astley 2 Frolesworth 4

64

70

4.6

9.15

Stay on the track – there’s been some off-piste trouble here, so stick to the right of way and be ready to shop anyone you see using the countryside illegally as their own personal playground

SHUTTLEWORTH LANE

65

Extreme caution – this is a busy main road

5.8

66 6.9

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71 9.25

72 9.65

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79

73

12.45

10.3

74 10.6

SP 579 898

Follow the track through the gate opposite the house – it’s signed ‘unsuitable for motors’

75

11.0

80 13.2

81

10.9

76

Quite abruptly, the track becomes bumpier and more enclosed

Arrive at the Crown Inn in Gilmorton for the end of the route

13.3

Emerge from the woods to follow the track ahead through the gate and along the field edge towards another gate in the distance

77 11.5

78

SP 576 899

12.0

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JUNE 2019 | 93

28/04/2019 21:38

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JUNE 2019 | 95

30/04/2019 11:09

04/09/2 0

NEXT MONTH IN 4x4 Arctic Trucks’ Landcruiser AT35 and Hilux AT37. How high do you need to go?

On test: New Range Rover Evoque, Toyota Landcruiser Invincible and Skoda Karoq Scout Gorgeous restified Land Rover 110 gets ready for a new life in America

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96 | JUNE 2019

96 Next Month June.indd 96

SAFETY

The symbols on the first the roadboo k advise you suitable it is for your vehi are just guidelin es, howev warn you of 112 any hazards o Field Road Slaw ston sect 214 ions Glooston , ton but Halla2 1 the nature of 4 lane can chan ge quickly.We can make a hug e difference Your track is Inn opposite the Fox the left obvi conditions und Turnless two as you appr ous of the erfoot, and w oach wide open in winter can be enclosed and scratchy in sum responsibility is yours!

Our roadboo ks are design be safe to driv e in a solo veh D larg NORTH ENare ely suitable for standa on road tyre s. We do reco mm trav elling in tand em wherever h for this ford to If it’s wet enoug pos the sible, how It’s not a big ever have any water over have ly ford, but .

The actual risk bly there’s ae, you’ll proba stuck of g sharpish drop surfac us can be greater than into itroad previo the in as d daway it app roun the corner washe – and if you brea beenyou k down, having two by now at hand can mak e the differenc e between it bein g inconvenient a downright dan gerous.

RESPONSIB

When did you sign like this last see a road at unsurfaced righ a junction on an t of way?

Name Address

NAVIGATIO

We’ve delibera tely possible to follo wt mixture of inst ructi and grid refe rences. only include junction have to make a turni right of way, so just s road or take the mos option unless we tell If you’re unfa miliar grid referenc es, you’ll using them on the lege map. Our aim is for yo do the route without m do recommend having t

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t always stay on the right of way. Never drive off it to play o the verges or surrounding land, eve if you can see that someon e else has; doing so is illegal and can be tremendously dam land and to 4x4 aging, both to the drivers’ repu tation.

The fact that you can see whe it’s happened shows how muc re h harm it does. It’s no excuse to say you’re just following where another driver has already bee n. Most green laners have taken to videoing anyo ne they see behaving like this and passing the evidence to the police, which shows how much ange r there is tow ards the criminal elem ent.

Elsewhere, simp le common sense and cou rtesy should be your

4x4 30/04/2019 10:23

Look after your tyres and they’ll look after you.

As the only point of contact with the road, tyres should be correctly inflated for; Safety – Optimum grip on the road

Carbon Footprint – Reduce CO2 emissions

Ring Tyre Inflators, part of the family

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Money Saving – Improved fuel efficiency and reduced wear and tear of tyres M o d el

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