4x4 Magazine August 2018

4x4

NEWS • PRODUCTS • TRAIL GUIDES • WORKSHOP • CALENDAR • OFF-ROAD SCENE DRIVEN: The £150,000 Defender Works V8

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

MERCEDES X-CLASS

Full report from the first 4x4 and Pickup Show

It’s the first pick-up from a premium brand – but is Merc’s Nissan-based double-cab different enough to pick out its own place in the market?

Wild off-road buggy built from bits with no compromise

£4.75

Unveiled: Suzuki’s all-new Jimny is still a true off-road machine!

AUG 2018

Trial and, mainly, error as our Cherokee’s lift hits home 4x4 Cover Aug WITH SARAH.indd 1

03/07/2018 13:07

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2018. 4. 13. ě˜¤í›„ 4:14

TERRAFIRMA RECOVERY STRAPS Recovery straps of varying lengths are a vital part of any off roader’s kit. Terrafirma recovery straps will suit all recovery situations involving light to heavy 4x4 vehicles.

Terrafirma snatch straps are constructed from a complex bright orange material designed to stretch up to 20%, which when used to recover a stuck vehicle uses the kinetic energy stored in the strap under tension to help extract the vehicle from its bogged situation. A snatch strap should be used in all vehicle to vehicle recovery and towing situations as the stretch provides a much more forgiving and less jarring connection between the vehicles.

Terrafirma tree straps are wider than other recovery straps, this is important to prevent ring barking or damage to trees when using them as a suitable anchor point when winching. Tree straps are produced in a bright green colour to clearly identify them from other recovery straps.

Terrafirma extension straps can be used for towing but as they do not stretch they give a hard connection between the two vehicles, the most suitable and common use is to extend the length of the winch cable in situations when the recovery vehicle or the only tree in sight is out of reach.

Terrafirma extension straps are made in bright purple to clearly distinguish them from other straps in your kit bag.

Terrafirma recovery straps all come with reinforced eyes and are sleeved to protect the stitching. The capacity and length of each strap should be carefully considered when selecting to suit the weight of the vehicle and circumstances in which they are to be used.

All Terrafirma recovery straps come with reinforced eyes and sliding sleeves to help prevent wear and come in nice bright colours to aid quick identification when rigging and to make them highly visible in the forest.

TFTS5M Bright green polyester tree saver strap, 80mm wide to help protect the bark of the tree, 5m long with a MBS of 12000kg.

TFSS11000 Bright orange snatch strap, made from Nylon to give a 20% stretch. 80mm wide by 9m long with a MBS of 11000kg.

TFES11000 Bright purple polyester winch extension strap for when your winch rope just isn’t quite long enough. 80mm wide by 20m long with a MBS of 11000kg.

ALSO AVAILABLE TF3311 Recovery rope 22mm 30ft 13000kgs

TF3309

TF3310

Extended winch cables (4m) and isolator switch

11mm soft recovery shackle

TF3312L Recovery gloves large

TF3312M Recovery gloves medium

TERRAFIRMA A12000 ELECTRIC WINCH The A12000 incorporates all the features requested by commercial users, as well as recreational and competition off roaders.

The new Terrafirma winch combines 12000lb of pulling performance and modern styling with high quality synthetic rope and wireless remote control as well as the standard cable remote.

A powerful 6hp 12v motor and low noise 3 stage planetary gearbox produces 12000lbs of power pulled through a silvergrey synthetic rope and rated safety hook, of course with the synthetic rope comes a cool black alloy hawse fairlead.

The winch is designed with a modern look and finished in stealthy matt black with matching compact solenoid pack with 2 green LEDs to indicate ‘winch live’ and ready for work.

The solenoid pack has the added benefit of being able to be mounted in multiple mounting positions.

Multiple mounting options for solenoid pack

WHAT’S IN THE BOX...

12000lbs (5443kg) rated line pull Off Road – Utility winch hp series wound motor for high 6 performance and fast line speed 80’ (25m) Dyneema synthetic rope with rock guard and safety hook

Easy to operate free spool control High efficiency low noise 3 stage planetary gearbox Modern ‘stealthy’ design

Alloy hawse fairlead

Heavy duty stylish textured black coating for corrosion resistance

Wireless remote control (cable remote control included)

Double green LED ‘winch live’ illumination feature

Automatic in the drum brake

IP67 Rated

E AND FINALLY, HI-SPEC, AFFORDABL CH! IN W A M O FR E IC RV SE G IN ST LA The Terrafirma A12000 winch is built on the standard frame size of 10x4.5� to allow fitment to most popular mounts and bumpers.

Find your nearest stockist: www.terrafirma4x4.com Shop online at: www.terrafirma4x4store.co.uk

August 2018

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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 10

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New Jimny Suzuki lifts the wraps on its off-road giant-killer

Tested 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 28

Bentley Bentayga V8 Svelte but sensational luxury super-SUV Land Rover Defender Works V8 Driving a 90 worth £150,000 Jeep Renegadee First look at the facelifted model Dacia Duster All-new version of the budget off-roader Mitsubishi Shogun Sport L200-based off-road wagon is back BMW X2 Is this the most hatcback-like SUV yet?

Mercedes X-Class New double-cab is brilliant in base-spec form Ssangyong Rexton ELX Our 4x4 of the Year in mid-range spec

Every Month 4 6 37 96

Alan Kidd It’s great to be part of a new direction in the 4x4 world Gallery UAZ trucks old and new from the depths of Russia Products Some seriously good new kit for a range of 4x4s Next Month The new Wrangler – judged by the experts

Features 32 44 56 64 72

Defender 90 Making the most of it with Masai Jeep Cherokee What happens when you do an 8” lift…?

Off-Road Scene 86 86 87 88 89 92

UK Land Rover Events On-road training for 4x4 drivers Happy Valley GLASS appeals for help to repair a classic lane What3Words Making sense of wild areas, thanks to Land Rover Mac 4x4 Award Richly deserved recognition for Selwyn Kendrick Ian Redway Farewell to a much-loved off-roader and truck builder Odyssey Challenge Tough going in the depths of Deep Scar

Off-Road Calendar 87 89 90

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Traxxas TRX-4 RC Defender is a stunning off-road performer 4x4 and Pickup Show Reviewing the hot new event for all 4x4s The Wild One-Off Astonishing off-road buggy… but what is it?

Mighty Jeep YQ Yes, leaf springs do work on hardcore off-roaders Yorkshire Reopened Our Kodiaq takes on some wild trails

Our 4x4s 78 82

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

‘Good news for British fans of the Jimny of old, and indeed of offroading in general, is that the vehicle is still a proper off-roader’

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Alan Kidd Editor

W

hen I first started writing about 4x4s, I had no idea that my new career would go hand in hand with the strange world of shows. But from day one, it was apparent that everyone in the business seemed to organise their lives around them.

At the time, there seemed to be 4x4-themed shows everywhere.

We put on one of our own, in fact, a huge affair at West Wycombe which was attended by a good variety of 4x4 manufacturers and, for a few bountiful years, pulled in enormous crowds.

Wycombe was probably the poshest event of its era. But something I quickly learned was that you get an awful lot of terrible behaviour at off-road shows. Some of the stories I’ve heard make me wonder about the company I keep – groups of lads turning over the ladies’ portaloos while they’re in use, someone being drunk in charge of an entire show… and that’s without getting into the unbelievable amount of thieving that goes on.

When you talk to people in the business, too, something that comes up time and time again is the way off-road shows attract punters who want to argue over the price of a nut and bolt. Haggling is a fact of life, but the ridiculous one-upmanship so many people seem to insist on, for the sake of a few pennies, makes what should be good shows feel more like third-rate boot sales.

So I’ve got to say that the first Pickup and 4x4 Show at Stoneleigh was a breath of fresh air. I’ve got a vested interest, because it’s organised by the same company that publishes this magazine, but it’s a very different proposition to any other off-road show I’ve been to.

It’s indoors, for starters. And it’s a proper motor show. I spoke to exhibitors who had never before been to a show where the floor was carpeted, and they loved it.

They also seemed to love the fact that the quality of the punters coming through the door was outstanding. One exhibitor after another told me that they were doing great business with people who were willing to spend strong money to get the right kit. It only takes one customer like that to make it a good show.

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It’s good to be part of a new direction in the 4x4 world This was a different kind of show, for a different kind of 4x4 market. During the quarter of a century that’s passed since I started doing this, the off-road world has become a lot more mature. There’s a new and growing niche in which people with real money to spend are willing to invest heavily in new vehicles and premium kit This shouldn’t be any surprise, either.

There are plenty of willing buyers for school-run SUVs costing upstairs of £50,000 – so when someone spends that sort of money on a prepped Ranger or Wrangler instead, all they’re doing is taking the whole SUV image and running with it.

Those are the customers who made the first Pickup and 4x4 show a success. For sure, they’ll only ever be one part of the 4x4 market, but for all of us they’ve got an important role to play.

We all know that the public tend to believe the lies they’re fed. It only takes a few louts to tarnish the reputation of 4x4 drivers in general – so it stands to reason that if the new breed of ‘respectable’ offroaders can play a role as the public face of the hobby, public attitudes towards us will start to change. Image counts – for way more than it should, yes, but it does count and however much the built-not-bought brigade might look down their noses at the new generation in their loadsamoney trucks, if they can help keep our lanes open only a moron would ignore the fact that we’re all on the same side.

Likewise, only a moron would ignore the fact that the off-road world is becoming more diverse. That’s why the old-style shows will always be an integral part of the scene. It feels good to be part of a new direction, though – and so long as everyone is capable of accepting each other, there’ll be room in the 4x4 world for all of us.

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, Gary Noskill, Paul Looe, Dan Fenn, Pip Evans, Ben Langley Photographers Harry Hamm,Vic Peel, Steve Taylor, Richard Hair, Pawel Frackowiak, Jess Wright Group Advertising Manager Ian Argent Tel: 01283 553242 Advertising Manager Colin Ashworth Tel: 01283 553244 Advertising Sales Manager Peter Topley Tel: 01283 553245 Advertising Production Sarah Kidd Tel: 01283 553242 Subscriptions Manager Catherine Martin Subscriptions Assistants Emma Emery, Kay Tunnicliffe, Abi Dutton Publisher and Head of Marketing Sarah Kidd Email: sarah.kidd@assignment-media.co.uk To subscribe to 4x4 incorporating Total Off-Road, or renew your subscription, call 01283 742970. Current 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, 2018

4x4 03/07/2018 16:04

Defender Wheels Available in 16” & 18”

DA6634

LR025862

LR025862MNH

DA6635

DA6548

DA6549

> ET20 > Load 1,000kg > JWL tested > Defender PCD > Standard wheel nuts > Fit Defenders 1994 onwards Special Edition Style Black gloss with diamond cut finish DA6634 NEW 16” x 7 DA6635 NEW 18” x 8 Sawtooth Style LR025862 LR025862MNH DA6548 DA6549

16” x 7 16” x 7 18” x 8 18” x 8

Black Silver Black Silver

GALLERY In pictures: 4x4s from around the world. This month, since the World Cup is currently in full swing, the Russian off-road powerhouse that is UAZ

Above: There’s something quintessentially Russian about this image. According to the guy who took it, ‘it’s fondly said that a UAZ can break down where no other car can go.’ Some of us here in Blighty might permit ourselves a wry smile at that one…

UAZ-452 Parked in front of Dom 20, Village Kuznetsovo, by carlfbagge @ flickr.com, CC BY-SA 2.0

Left: Another chilly looking scene, another wooden house with impressively ornate windows… and yet more proof that if you want to get about in a Russian winter, a UAZ 452 is pretty much the way to do it Tomsk, by Anton Strogonoff @ flickr.com, CC BY 2.0

Below left: WThis 469 looks bang tidy. We don’t know what event it’s been taking part in, but with those tyres and that winch bumper it looks the way a truck should.

The snorkel has got it going on, too, though obviously most of all we’re in it for those air horns…

UAZ car, by Vladimir Kuznetsov @ flickr.com, CC BY 2.0

Below: When they clamp you in Ulyanovsk, they really clamp you…

UAZ, by Yuriy Lapitskiy @ flickr.com, CC BY-SA 2.0

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Above: It might look like this is a UAZ graveyard, but in fact it’s a museum in Hungary.

Not one where they believe in restoring their exhibits, it appears, and some would say all the better for it UAZ-469, by 270862 @ flickr.com, CC BY-ND 2.0

Top right: Now, this one is definitely abandoned. Abandoned and, by the looks of it, still smarting from having been hit up the back by a combine harvester. Never seen a car looking like it’s been physically shredded before.

Nonetheless, this was spotted near the Latvian capital, Riga, providing further evidence of the extent to which these trucks spread out around the lands behind the Iron Curtain during the Soviet era UAZ-469, by peterolthof @ flickr.com, CC BY-ND 2.0

Above right: Not sure if this old stager looks beaten-up, neglected or much-loved. Either way, it has curtains. And let’s face it, who needs door handles when you’ve got curtains?

Buhanka.Tula, by Egor Zhuravlev @ flickr.com, CC BY 2.0

Right: This 2206 may have been restored or just really well looked after. For sure, it’s a lovely looking truck – but those wheels!

Aaaargh, my eyes, my eyes! transmongolie-425, by Vaiz Ha @ flickr.com, CC BY 2.0

Below: This lovely old thing is a UAZ-69, which was made between 1953 and 1972. A classic of the Soviet era, then; this one was snapped in Bulgaria, and it looks like it’s good to go for at least another half century Soviet Jeep, by Klearchos Kapoutsis @ flickr.com, CC BY 2.0

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GALLERY

Above: We know less about this expedition than we’d like to. It appears to be a fleet of UAZ 2206s on a mission to cross the Mongolian Steppe, which is a trip we’d all like to take at some time in our lives. The vehicles are registered in Mongolia itself, and using our surprisingly extensive knowledge of obscure number plates (and Wikipedia) we can say that they appear to come from all around the nation, but who the drivers are and what they were up to is beyond us transmongolie-485, 525 and 562, by Vaiz Ha @ flickr.com, CC BY 2.0

Right: This is that rarest of things, a double-cab that hasn’t actually been imported to Britain yet. Let’s see if we can get a rumour started about the UAZ Patriot being the next big thing in the pick-up market, shall we…?

UAZ Patriot in Gumarino, Karelia, by Petr Magera @ flickr.com, CC BY-SA 2.0

Left: This is one of those pictures that’s chilling in pretty much every way you can think of.

And then some. It looks like this truck has been buried for such a long time, the whole LED revolution has completely passed it by…

UAZ-452, by Aleksander Markin @ flickr.com, CC BY-SA 2.0

Bottom left: If in doubt, turn it into a double-cab. You’ll be able to carry more snow around with you that way Customized UAZ-452 Variant?, by carlfbagge @ flickr.com, CC BY-SA 2.0

Below right: We’ve no idea what this 452 did for a living, but you know that scene on the beach in the Blues Brothers? That’s what we’ve got in mind. Though obviously in this case it would be the Reds Brothers UAZ-452, by Dmitry Terekhov @ flickr.com, CC BY-SA 2.0

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4x4 NEWS

SUZUKI SHOWS FIRST P OF ALL NEW JIMNY Ladder frame and beam axles retained • Much more modern cabin

S

uzuki has shown the first official pictures of its new Jimny off-roader, ahead of a global roll-out due to see the vehicle entering UK showrooms early next year.

And good news for British fans of the Jimny of old, and indeed of off-roading in general, is that the vehicle is still a proper off-roader.

At a time when niche models in the 4x4 market are moving back towards delivering real ability rather than merely looking the part, the Jimny is following suit by sticking with the traditional architecture that served it so well through previous generations.

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The current Jimny, which was launched in the UK a staggering twenty years ago, was the successor to the SJ413 Samurai – the vehicle which, along with the original Vitara, established Suzuki’s reputation for building small but rugged 4x4s with sensational off-road ability. During that time, it has changed very little, with the the move to a more modern 1.3-litre petrol engine a couple of years into production the biggest update in the whole of its history. Although a diesel unit was available in the rest of Europe, this was never introduced to the UK. Prior to the SJ, the first model in the Jimny’s bloodline was the

4x4 03/07/2018 17:36

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treatment • On-sale date TBA smaller LJ – whose appearance has to some extent been revisited by the styling of the new model.

A number of UK commentators have noted the similarity between the new model and the Mercedes G-Wagen, which perhaps says more about them than anything else.

Under the skin, the Jimny sticks with a ladder-frame chassis and live beam axles as well as a part-time, two-speed 4x4 system. Official pictures of the interior don’t show whether this will be operated by a traditional lever or more modern electronic method of engagement, however spy shots which have been published online suggest it will be the latter.

Suzuki is yet to open up as to which of its engines will power the Jimny, however it’s highly unlikely to be a diesel. The company only recently dropped all diesel engines from the rest of its UK range in the wake of tumbling demand – and while the Jimny is the one model it sells whose buyers would be most likely to ask for an oil-burner, the lack of this option even when demand for diesel was at its highest means there’s as good as no chance of this being an option.

Instead, speculation is rife that the Jimny will be powered by the existing 1.2-litre, four-cylinder DualJet engine, with the 1.0-litre BoosterJet three-pot another possibility. The former develops 90bhp and 88lbf.ft elsewhere in Suzuki’s current range, while the latter is good for 112bhp and 125lbf.ft – both of which compare well with the figures on offer from the final version of the 1.3-litre unit in the outgoing Jimny.

Talking of speculation, among the most surreal rumours we’ve seen being repeated by the world’s keyboard warriors is that versions of the Jimny destined for Europe will be available with a 3.9-litre V8. A Jimny powered by such a thing is likely also to come with a hyperspace drive and be delivered in person by Rina Suzuki herself.

Whatever questions remain about the Jimny will be answered in the near future, with the vehicle’s Japanese unveiling planned for early July. Its European debut is likely to come at the Paris motor show in October – and, with the production lines already rolling back home, the UK order book should be opening soon afterwards.

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

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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03/07/2018 17:37

4x4 NEWS FIRST DRIVE Bentley Bentayga V8

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f you still can’t get your head around the idea of an offroader bearing a Bentley badge, this one’s for you. The Bentayga was originally launched with a W12 colossus of an engine, but the latest addition to the range is the V8 model – a comparatively modest entry-level version which retails at a mere £136,200.

Let’s start by acknowledging that we’re a million miles from the real world here as far as almost everyone is concerned. But we’re also not that far above Range Rover territory, and without options the Bentayga is actually cheaper than the limited-edition V8 Defenders with which Land Rover is currently cashing in on its 70th anniversary.

Without options, though. Bentley buyers like options, apparently.

The V8 we tested recently had £81,690’s worth on it, hiking its total value to £217,890. Once more, bye-bye real world: a Bentley technician we spoke to at the time said the Bentayga is brilliant for towing, though – before tailing off

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into a comment about his lottery numbers coming up.

So, the V8. It’s a 4.0-litre twinturbocharged affair dishing out

542bhp and 568lbf.ft, the latter from 1950rpm, and it drives all four wheels via an eight-speed ZF auto and Torsen centre diff. Predictably, it

delivers its power with impeccable smoothness – but also with no shortage at all of punch. Bentley quotes a 0-60 time of 4.4 seconds

4x4 03/07/2018 17:37

4x4 NEWS and a top speed of 180mph, and we have no reason to doubt either, but what’s far more noticeable is how effortlessly this performance is achieved.

The Bentayga is a big vehicle, even by luxury SUV standards, and we’re yet to meet anyone who thinks its styling is elegant. But behind the wheel it feels trim, fit and light on its feet. We drove it straight after a Range Rover Sport SVR, and in comparison it felt as agile as a hot hatch, with sharp, accurate steering and near-perfect body control. You can place it on the road with such precision, it practically defies belief.

It does this without any detriment at all to a ride quality that’s everything you expect from a Bentley. Even on 285/40R22 tyres, almost nothing comes through of the imperfections in a typical British road surface, with even harsh corrugations being soaked up by the air suspension. It’s remarkably civilised, all the more so for also being every bit as remarkably athletic.

Inside, needless to say it sets a standard for luxury that few other 4x4 manufacturers even bother trying to match. Not having driven a Bentley of any kind before however, we didn’t quite know what to expect from it – and truth to tell, it wasn’t as special as we imagined it might have been. In particular, some of the controls, in particular the column stalks, felt on the plasticky side.

Obviously, that sort of thing is in danger of showing up all the more

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evidently because the standard of the equipment, leather, wood trim and so on is so high. It’s as elegantly designed as you’d expect, and build quality is outstanding, with a genuinely carved-from-solid feel to its construction. Performing magic trick with stowage space doesn’t seem to have been a priority, though – there’s a huge glovebox and useful slots in the floor console, but the cubby box and door pockets are too small to be useful the way we’d want.

The seats, though, are glorious, and so is the amount of space they offer in which for you to stretch out. You’d be pretty tall to need the driver’s seat all the way back – and even when it is, legroom behind it is still generous.

The boot, on the other hand, is hard to comment on by normal standards. That’s because it’s fully carpeted, so using it to carry anything other than picnic hampers or exquisite leather suitcases just wouldn’t seem right. Yes, how very cliched, but when you fold the rear seats down and they lie about as long a way from flat as we’ve seen in a modern SUV, you struggle to picture yourself loading it up outside Ikea.

But that’s what the Bentayga is – a vehicle you don’t judge by the same standards as others, not even Range Rovers. We don’t think it’s as good as some vehicles at being an SUV in the traditional sense – but instead it moulds that into what being a Bentley is all about, and the result is the best performance 4x4 we’re yet to experience.

COMING SOON Forthcoming 4x4s due later this year and beyond Abarth 500X Alfa Romeo Alfa Romeo Aston Martin DBX Audi SQ2 Audi Q4 Audi Q6 e-tron Audi Q8 Bentley Bentayga Hybrid BMW X4 BMW X5 BMW X7 Citroen double-cab Cupra Ateca Dacia Duster DS 7 Crossback hybrid Ford Edge facelift Ford Ranger Wildtrak X Honda CR-V Hyundai Kona EV Hyundai Hyundai Santa Fe INEOS Grenadier Infiniti QX50 Jaguar F-Pace SVR Jeep Jeep Cherokee facelift Jeep Cherokee Desert Hawk Jeep Compass Trailhawk Jeep Wrangler Jeep Scrambler Jeep Grand Commander Jeep Wagoneer Lamborghini Urus Land Rover Defender Land Rover Discovery SVX Lexus UX Maserati Mercedes G-Class Mercedes-AMG G-Class Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Mitsubishi Shogun Sport Van Nissan Juke Nissan Navara AT32 Peugeot double-cab Rolls-Royce Cullinan Seat Ateca X-Perience Seat 7-seater Skoda Kodiaq Coupe Ssangyong XAVL Ssangyong Korando Suzuki Jimny Toyota Hilux Invincible X Toyota Land Cruiser Van

Performance SUV Small SUV Large SUV Performance SUV Performance SUV Coupe SUV Large SUV Large SUV Luxury SUV Medium SUV Large SUV Large SUV Pick-up Performance SUV Medium SUV Medium SUV Large SUV Pick-up Medium SUV Small SUV Fuel-call SUV Large SUV Off-roader Large SUV Performance SUV Small SUV Medium SUV Performance Off-Roader Medium SUV Off-roader Pick-up Large SUV Luxury SUV Performance SUV Off-roader Large SUV Small SUV Medium SUV Off-roader Performance off-roader Medium SUV Medium off-roader Small SUV Pick-up Pick-up Luxury SUV Medium SUV Medium SUV Medium SUV Medium SUV Small SUV Off-roader Pick-up Off-Roader

Late 2018 2019 2019 2019 Autumn 2018 2019 Autumn 2018 2018 Autumn 2018 Autumn 2018 Summer 2018 Winter 2018/19 2020 Late 2018 Summer 2018 Spring 2019 Late 2018 August 2018 Autumn 2018 2018 2018 Late 2018 2020 Autumn 2018 Spring 2018 2021 Autumn 2018 Spring 2020 Summer 2018 Autumn 2018 Late 2019 2020 2021 Summer 2018 2019 2018 Early 2019 2019/20 Summer 2018 Summer 2018 Autumn 2018 Summer 2018 Autumn 2018 Summer 2018 2020 Autumn 2018 Late 2018 2018 Autumn 2018 2019 2019 2019 Summer 2018 Summer 2018

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4x4 NEWS FIRST DRIVE Land Rover Defender Works V8

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ack in January, Land Rover kicked off its 70th anniversary year with news that the Defender was alive and well. Sort of.

As part of its corporate celebrations, Solihull decided to ‘re-engineer’ a batch of late 90s and 110s by replacing their 2.2 TDCi engines with 5.0-litre V8 units, thus creating the Defender Works V8.

In this way, it’s only about a quarter of a century or so behind the independent market, which has been putting big engines in 90s and 110s for about as long as there have been 90s and 110s around to put them in. The difference, obviously, is that this time it’s been done by Land Rover itself.

The engine is the one from the Range Rover Sport SVR, albeit without that vehicle’s supercharger.

In this form, the V8 produces 400bhp, allowing Land Rover to say this is the fastest, most powerful Defender they’ve ever made.

Given that it can polish off a 0-60mph sprint in just 5.6 seconds,

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they probably didn’t have to spend too much time reading up in the history books before making that claim. The sprint time is backed up

by a top speed of 106mph, which we’d think every owner will set out to see for themselves once and then never again.

Alongside the newly fitted V8, this Defender gains the eight-speed ZF auto box and a raft of other enhancements, including better

4x4 03/07/2018 17:37

4x4 NEWS brakes and a handling kit of uprated dampers, springs and anti-roll bars.

It’s definitely a street machine, as far it’s possible to create such a thing out of a farmer’s tool.

With this revised, road-biased set-up, does the Works V8 now prefer to find the best line through a series of apexes rather than picking its way through ruts? Well, what do you think?

Sure, this is a Defender with a handling kit. But it’s a Defender. Still.

When you plant your foot on the throttle, there’s a significant pause while the Defender calls a seemingly reluctant box into action. A gear is eventually selected, following which your ears are victimised by an onslaught of thunder and the cabin trembles in a manner we’d imagine is akin to that of a space shuttle launch.

At the same time, you’re being sent hurtling down the road like a tennis ball that’s just been clobbered over the net by a Rafa Nadal volley. That corner is coming your way fast.

Your thoughts quickly turn to the shedding of speed and, bigger

brakes notwithstanding, you wish they were doing more right now.

Finally, assuming you’ve not left it too late, you’ve got the corner itself. It’s like trying to thread the Defender through the eye of a needle, only you seem to have all the precision of a half-canned Jackson Pollock.

It really is quite a spectacular mode of travel. I imagine it’s a similar experience to driving Lamborghinis of old – terrifying, but weirdly addictive.

That’s not too silly an analogy, either. Would you believe, the Works V8 could pretty much wipe the floor with any Lamborghini Miura in a sprint – and even keep pace with an early Countach?

Top speed is a different matter, obviously, but if you don’t see that as a good thing we never, ever want to get in a car with you.

Just like those chest-wig Lambos, the Defender Works V8 has all the subtlety of a burning hammer. But it’s a machine that is capable of stirring the emotions. Good ones, bad ones, ones you didn’t know you had before, it’ll stir them.

In this way, it’s like any other Defender. It doesn’t matter whether your ride is this £150,000 collector’s item, or a beaten-up old TD with a quarter of a million on the clock – every one of them has that unerring ability to get under your skin.

Yes, we really did say £150,000.

And that’s the ‘from’ price, too.

It’s an absolutely ludicrous sum of money to spend on a Defender, even the fastest, most powerful example ever to emerge from the Land Rover factory, but with only

150 being made they’re exactly the sort of vehicle that gets snapped up by collectors and only ever sees the light of day in order to be sold on for a huge profit.

Despite all we’ve said, we think there’s something rather wonderful about the Works V8. It may have the road manners of a JCB in a tracksuit, but you can’t avoid getting sucked into the theatre of it all – and in Land Rover’s 70th year, the sheer stubbornness of the thing has got to be worth a nod.

Jeep Parts and Accessories Jeepey.com Tel: 01482 666491

4x4 11 News Aug AWAITING ADS.indd 15

AUGUST 2018 | 15

03/07/2018 17:37

4x4 NEWS FIRST DRIVE Jeep Renegade

J

eep is currently flourishing as a brand, and the model that’s doing most to help it grow in Europe and the UK

is the Renegade. This is now into its fourth year, hence the midlife facelift Jeep has just revealed.

This gives it a fresh appearance, with an updated front end which has taken its inspiration from the golden child of the Jeep family – the new Wrangler, which we’ll be reviewing next month. The stylish mimicry begins with circular lights either side of the trademark grille, featuring the same horizontal, rectangular LEDs found in the Renegade’s big brother. There are similarities at the back, too, with the square tail lights echoing those on the forthcoming JL Wrangler.

There’s plenty of space inside and the interior is smart – ours was black with grey leather inserts and seats. There isn’t a luxury feel, but there’s a touch-screen infotainment system which dominates the dashboard; its menus can make simple functions over-complicated, but it responds well and display quality is good. At one point, however, the system did freeze and become entirely unresponsive,

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before finally sorting itself out after a period of time.

There is a cost to the eyecatching design, however, as the tall, square cabin is a noisy place on the motorway. Visibility is poor, too, though the vehicle does come with a variety of safety features including a blind spot warning system. Around town, though, we found ourselves musing that to whatever degree it’s possible, it’s better to not have a blind spot at all.

There’s plenty of other safety equipment, too. Alongside the blind spot indicator there’s lane departure warning, speed assist that reads traffic signs and forward collision warning with active emergency braking – all of which are standard on Limited models like the one we drove.

It isn’t just the Renegade’s looks than have been updated, with no less than three new petrol engines on offer. Designed upon newly introduced aluminium blocks, these start with a 1.0-litre three-cylinder unit worth 120bhp and a 1.3-litre four-pot with a choice of 150 and 180bhp outputs. On the diesel front, the 1.6 and 2.0-litre MultiJet II units return unchanged.

The Renegade we drove had the 1.3-litre four-cylinder engine mated to a six-speed dual-clutch auto box and driving all four wheels. At first, it felt somewhat sluggish off the line, as if the gearbox was soaking up much of the engine’s effort, but after a bit of trial and error we found that it simply needed more work with the throttle than we’ve become conditioned to expect.

Certainly, the new engine was fairly peppy and energetic when prodded, so hang in there if you have the same experience as us, as it does turn out to have something to give.

At cruising speeds, too, it pulls just fine. Power delivery can be a little jumpy at times, but again we’d put that down to the gearbox rather than the engine itself. Ride quality, meanwhile, is surprisingly firm, with potholes and impurities in the road surface very noticeable and, at times, not very comfortable to negotiate.

As well as the Limited model in which we spent most of our time, we also got the opportunity for a brief drive of a Trailhawk version.

This is enhanced for off-roading, so it was rather disappointing that the course we were able to drive

it on was less than testing, but we can at least say that with additional off-road modes available, it can deal easily with steep, loose hills. Ride quality on the road remains rather firm, however.

While the Trailhawk gives the Renegade a degree of off-road credibility that sets it apart from the rest of the compact SUV market, it still has to be recognised that this is first and foremost a family car. We’ve found in the past that rear-seat legroom is very limited, so the families in question need to be young ones, and truth to tell we experienced little on the road to convince us that it’s a driver’s car.

For what it is, however, the Renegade is a stylish, well equipped option offering good value for money – and giving you the allimportant Jeep image, which to almost every buyer matters far more than whether it really is capable of doing the Rubicon trail.

Full specs and pricing are yet to be announced, but expect the former to be on a par with the current range – and the latter to start at about £25,000 when the Renegade goes on sale this autumn.

4x4 03/07/2018 17:37

QUITE CLEARLY, IT JUST WORKS

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BUSINESS CONTRACT HIRE 23 MONTHLY RENTALS OF £198.99 +VAT. EXCESS MILEAGE CHARGE OF 9.75p PER MILE AND RETURN CONDITIONS APPLY. PROVIDED BY ISUZU CONTRACT HIRE.

CALL 03303 335126 OR VISIT ISUZU.CO.UK TO BOOK A TEST DRIVE #Over 40 MPG figure applies to manual transmission models. 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. 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 Eiger Double Cab Commercial Vehicle On The Road with manual transmission, excluding special paint finish.

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. Excludes motability and fleet sales, not available in conjunction with any other offers (including the Work Pack offer) or with BASC or NFU member discounts. Available until 30th June 2018. Finance options available at participating dealers only, 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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29/03/2018 14:51

4x4 NEWS FIRST DRIVE Dacia Duster

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acia has come a long way in a short amount of time. The company has carved out a niche for itself in the budget market – led by the UK’s most affordable SUV, the Duster.

This is Europe’s second bestselling C-segment SUV, so it’s not exactly any wonder that it’s become such a common sight on the road.

So what we’re looking at here is a very significant vehicle.

Dacia was keen not to be too radical with its reimagining of the Duster’s styling. But although it does look similar to the previous model, this is no mere makeover – the new Duster is just that, an all new model.

Despite its familiar styling, not one single panel is carried over from the old model. They’ve done a good job of smartening the Duster’s exterior – the new version looks altogether more muscular, while retaining its identity.

The sculpted bonnet, wider headlamps and revised grille all contribute to this, and the raised shoulder line gives a greater sense

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of security while you’re in the vehicle. At the rear, the tail lights are now a chunky square shape and smart alloy wheels, now reaching as big as 17” on the top-spec Prestige derivative, dress the tyres.

The simplicity of the brand is clearly epitomised inside, though. You have everything you need and nothing more. The new dashboard and facia are pleasingly uncluttered, with the focal point being a 7” touchscreen multimedia system that comes as standard on the highest two trim levels, Comfort and Prestige.

It’s a typical black interior, which should help it to age gracefully, while the seating has been improved thanks to new heightadjustment options. There could still be more support under your thighs, though. Look more closely around the cabin, however, and you can start to see how Dacia manages to keep its asking prices so low.

The air vents, for example (of which there are five), are identical, meaning they’ve only had to spend the time and resources in designing one vent. As a result, they can focus on stuff that matters, like improving storage and refinement.

A neat drawer tucked away beneath the passenger’s seat addresses the former, while thicker glass and more liberal use of sound absorption materials installed

behind the scenes tackles the latter.

The Duster is still a long way from being a byword for luxury, and there is an air of cheapness about the cabin, but you can’t argue when you consider its pricing.

You can get behind the wheel of a new Duster for just £9995, albeit one that is basic even by Dacia’s standards and only possessing two-wheel drive. Nevertheless, you could go all-in for the 4x4 Prestige

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4x4 NEWS

model and even then, you’ll only need to part with £16,395. By the standards of today’s new car market, you’ll find that down the back of the sofa.

And for your sofa change, you now get rather a lot. Owners of the old Duster wanted for a few of the extra toys you expect to get with modern cars. Climate control, keyless entry, a rear-view camera and even electric power steering – you can fill your boots with the new Duster. There’s even fancy tech like blind spot detectors, although no lane departure and autonomous braking as of yet.

What about driving, then? Well, the 4x4 variant only comes with the

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1.6-litre SCe 115 petrol motor. It’s a naturally aspirated unit and rather slow. But, in the absence of a turbo, this is an engine that loves to rev and even manages to sound fruity on occasion. So you can thrash it to your heart’s content – though this is of necessity rather than choice.

Thankfully, a turbocharged TCe 130 engine is expected to arrive in March next year, which should help provide some welcome mid-range. The 4x4 Duster also

uses a six-speed manual gearbox than than the alternative five-speed unit, helping to lower the drone on motorways. Shifting gears requires quite a relaxed approach but is certainly no chore, while the lighter steering will prove useful around town. The only place the Duster DOES start to feel out of its depth is on faster roads, where tyre noise, ride quality and that lack of power all become exposed.

Around town, though, the Duster revels in the urban landscape and the suspension setup is actually pretty good at tackling the worst of British roads. But there is another place a Duster will turn into its stomping ground. Off-road, it is a capable and formidable machine with short overhangs, all-new Hill Descent Control and a deep first gear ratio. The rotary 4x4 dial will

be familiar to Nissan owners, which is a useful reminder of the fact that beneath the skin, you’ve got that company’s engineering on your side when you buy a Dacia.

Yes, it’s still more of a soft-roader, with limited articulation and no low-range. But it’s determined in its quest to conquer any obstacles in its way and performs like an SUV as well as looking like one.

Like Dacia, the Duster sticks to doing what it does best. It’s a plucky SUV that will give you everything you need as you go about your daily life, but it has more than enough ability to turn out a welcome surprise now and again.

It’s a better vehicle than before, then, just as a new model should be.

And the Duster now looks as easy on the eye as it has always been – and crucially still is – on the wallet.

AUGUST 2018 | 19

03/07/2018 17:37

4x4 NEWS FIRST DRIVE Mitsubishi Shogun Sport

T

he Shogun Sport is not an entirely new name to the UK. But it might as well be. The previous model, which was based on the Mk3 L200, went out of production in 2006 – and now, having skipped a generation, we have a new one based on the current Mk5 version of Mitsubishi’s double-cab.

Being based on a pick-up truck, the Sport can present itself as a hardy, practical and off-road-capable SUV in a market full of soft-roaders.

And hurrah for that. In this way, it’s like the Shogun – and, just like the Shogun, it feels really purposeful.

Power comes from the 2.4-litre turbo-diesel engine that’s already familiar from the L200, developing 179bhp and 317lbf.ft. Being built on a ladder chassis, the Sport weighs in at more than two tonnes, so it isn’t quick off the line by any means.

But in classic pick-up style, when

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you’ve got it in 2WD mode you can certainly get its tail to kick out on loose surfaces.

Out on the road, the Sport has a comfortable yet firm ride, with controlled body roll, although on the winding lanes of the Cotswolds the seven-seater felt rather large.

The driver is afforded a princely vantage point, though, and visibility is good. Steering is a tad heavy, but not intrusively so. It just serves as a reminder that deep down, the Shogun Sport is a proper truck.

This it might be, however, but on top it’s available in just two spec

levels, both of them high. They’re called 3 and 4, which we can’t see causing any confusion at all, and both get leather seats on all three rows – the third of which is actually habitable. Piano black plastics cover much of the cabin and, contrary to the vogue in modern interiors,

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4x4 NEWS

almost everything is operated by actual physical buttons.

A smooth, sleek centre console flows into a padded armrest between the front seats, which looks smart. The armrest is hinged to provide access to the cubby box, which is where the USB ports live, and there’s a convenient shelf in here to provide a resting place for your mobile phone while it’s plugged in, but overall oddment stowage is adequate rather than expansive. There are small pockets on either side of the console, but it’s not as practical as it is pretty.

Above it all is a seven-inch touchscreen, and the infotainment system gives access to vehicular information but, bizarrely, there’s no satellite navigation – unless you utilise the Apple CarPlay or Android Auto capability to get it from your phone. This isn’t such a stress as both functions work well – but, really, no sat-nav in a brand-new high-spec SUV? What if you don’t have any mobile data? You expect us to read a map that’s been printed on paper?

Being big, you’d expect the Shogun Sport to be practical. You’d be correct. The boot measures 131 litres with all seven seats upright, but flatten the back row and that grows to 502 litres. There’s a towing capacity of 3100kg for a braked trailer, the roof boasts a load capacity of 80kg and the payload for the boot sits at a handy 600kg.

The eight-speed automatic box, which is standard across the range, offers plenty of low-down revs to get the Sport up and running and is then smooth and faultless at cruise – you’re up in sixth gear doing 40mph before you know it.

Paddles behind the wheel override the automatic selection if you want

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them to, which is convenient once you venture beyond tarmac.

Equipped with Mitsubishi’s Super Select II 4WD system, the Shogun Sport offers you the choice of running in two or four-wheel drive on the road. Off-road, meanwhile, you can lock the centre diff then, when the going requires it, drop into low range – and when things get really gnarly, you can enhance traction further by locking the rear diff too.

Let loose in the Shogun Sport, we were directed to a quarry where an off-road course had been cultivated around the routes taken by busy lorries. It certainly highlighted the vehicle’s truck-bred expertise – and delivered a new perspective on its strengths.

Throughout the course, every aspect of the Sport’s off-road credibility was questioned – and each time it answered confidently.

In simple 4x4 mode, the vehicle’s traction control did its job well, calmly pulling us up twisting tracks, and with the centre diff locked it was able to crawl down steep hills with Hill Descent Control taking the strain.

By the time you’re tackling this kind of terrain, of course, you should already be in low box if you’ve got it available. Not that it always does what it’s meant to when mated to an automatic primary, but the Shogun Sport’s engine braking in low is very effective. It feels like it’s holding back a couple of tonnes, yes, but it doesn’t ever feel like it might fail to do so.

There are various off-road drive modes available for specific terrain types, but you don’t actually need to activate them for the Shogun Sport to cover the ground

confidently. Crawling over rocks, it felt assured and steady-footed, and it was capable of climbing gradients much too steep to walk up without breaking a sweat. Its wading depth of 700mm meant the lake we plunged into was easily crossed – while providing amusement on the 360-degree camera, too. It was here, tackling the challenges in the quarry, that the Shogun Sport really came to life.

Something else the off-roading managed to prove was the inherent strength of the Sport’s ladderframed design. We got it balanced with the rear passenger’s side wheel drooped and airborne, putting as much twisting force through its body as possible – and in this position its rear doors opened and closed without any problem and no sign of even a creak.

Most pick-up manufacturers do make vehicles like the Shogun Sport, but not many of them have ever brought them to the UK. A bit of an oddity, that, when you consider that the previous model was hugely popular, as was the grey-imported version of Toyota’s Hilux Surf. Clearly, demand does exist for vehicles like this – and with Land Rover no longer building the Defender, that demand is likely to be even greater than it was in the days when the previous Sport was on sale.

This modern version is not being positioned as a utility vehicle, however. Standard equipment on the Shogun Sport 3 includes 18” alloys, leather seats, LED head and tail lights, dual-zone climate control, reversing camera and locking rear diff, and it costs from £37,775 on the road.

Move up to the Shogun Sport 4, and you add headlamp washers, heated front seats, adaptive cruise control, 360-degree camera and an upgraded sound system, as well as Blind Spot Warning and Forward Collision Mitigation. Price-wise, you pay from £39,775 OTR. This looks like a lot of money, but compared to some of its more road-biased competitors the Shogun Sport actually looks like decent value. Nonetheless, we’d have liked to see some less extravagantly specced and priced models in the range for the sort of buyers who’ll want it for the offroad ability it undoubtedly has.

Despite this, the Shogun Sport is an interesting addition to the SUV market. It’s much more truck-like than its rivals on the road, which might not appeal to the typical soccer mom, but it really earns its stripes in the rough and tumble.

Instead of massive sophistication, it gives you practicality and robustness – and a hugely impressive performance off-road.

AUGUST 2018 | 21

03/07/2018 17:38

4x4 NEWS FIRST DRIVE BMW X2

B

elieve it or not, it’s a quarter of a century since people started grumbling about how SUVs had started to feel like hatchbacks. Well, they didn’t say ’SUVs’ back then, as the term hadn’t been invented, but when the original Toyota RAV4 came to Britain we said it reminded us more of something like a Golf GTi than a proper 4x4.

Now, the RAV4 feels like a big wagon and there’s a whole slew of vehicles blurring the distinction between hatchback and 4x4 more effectively than ever. The BMW X2 is one of the latest, and it’s one of the most hatch-like yet. It’s a 4x4, but it makes the original X5 look like a tractor.

We’ve got the 20d model here, with all four wheels being driven by an automatic box. We climbed aboard shortly after driving a Jag E-Pace, which itself is not what you’d call an old-school mudplugger, and the feeling of having descended into full-on hatchback territory was immediate and very obvious. Similarities to a traditional 4x4 are incidental at best.

Similarities to the inside of a worrying Dutch brothel, on the other hand… there’s an element of supposition there, he said guardedly, but if you like orange leather, this is the car for you. Tick the Magma Red Dakota Leather option and you’ll get something that looks like the spawn of Judith Chalmers and Phil Brown.

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We found it foul beyond words, but taste is personal and no doubt there are people who find us foul beyond words too. Other than that, the cabin is a nice looking affair in which BMW’s usual slick design is set off by plenty of textured, soft-touch surfaces. Build quality is all-round solid, with no more than a few creaks here and there and an excellent firmness to the controls.

The seats are pretty good, too, with plenty of support and a nice, soft leather finish. Choose a better colour and it would look as classy as it feels. The seat backs are a trifle narrow for our liking, but despite the overall hatch-like atmosphere you’re well positioned with a good view of the road ahead.

The waistline is quite high and the A-posts rather thick, but this doesn’t impede too much on allround visibility – unlike the C-posts, which seem to go on forever.

Head and elbow room are better than you might expect from what is a small vehicle by the standards we’re used to. There’s plenty of space to stretch your legs, too, but a six-footer will need to adjust his seat all the way back. Good news here is that another tall ‘un will still fit into the seat behind him; it’ll be a bit of a squeeze, but deep hollows in the seat-backs mean it’s possible.

Headroom in the back is pretty limited, though, and those huge C-posts mean it feels enclosed and dark, even with that garish leather trying to brighten up the place.

You certainly can carry adults in

the back of an X2, but it’s better suited to kids – which, given the preponderance of yummy mummies one would expect to be buying them, is exactly what will happen.

There’s just about enough stowage provision up front but, with a bin rather than a full cubby, and quite small pockets in the doors, you might find yourself dumping stuff on the passenger’s seat. Bigger items are taken care of the way you’d expect from a hatchback – the tailgate aperture is smaller than we’re used to, and the load space is only as long as the car’s overall proportions will allow, but the seats drop down easily and lie reasonably close to flat.

As an SUV, then, it feels kind of like a hatchback doing its best. But the payoff should come on the road.

First impressions are that the 2.0-litre diesel engine idles quite noisily. But once warmed up and under load, it settles down to a contented hum – and it pulls very eagerly all the way through the rev range.

It’s easy to drive gently, but doesn’t hesitate to thump you in the back when you kick it down; the route on the event at which

we tested the X2 didn’t include and motorway driving, but it’s certainly civilised enough on fast A-roads to suggest it’ll cruise without any grief.

What you might want to do is opt for electronic damper control.

This only adds £150 to the bill, and by allowing you to tune the shocks for a more comfortable ride it draws the sting that hampered BMW’s MSport models of old. We remember driving early X3s that were practically unusable on British roads, but while this X2 was on the firm side it dealt perfectly well with the cracks, lumps and pot holes that are our magnificent lot.

Further options on our test car included MSport steering; the roads we got to drive hardly let us make the most of this, but the vehicle was certainly agile, feeling light on its feet and able to change direction with the nimbleness of… oh, of a hot hatch. Funny, that.

In this form, the X2 is a true crossover in that it’s a bit of a hatchback, a bit of an SUV, a bit sporty, a bit luxurious and a bit premium. What it’s not is a trailblazer in any way, and nor is it cheap – the base vehicle we drove lists at £36,590, and by the time all the various options and OTR costs were taken into account it would have cost £44,185.

None of this made it feel particularly special, either. The options included things like electric seats, front parking sensors and a rear-view camera, which are a common sight on other brands’ standard kit lists at this kind of price and indeed cheaper.

That’s always been the way with the premium German brands, so it’s not a criticism of the X2 per se.

All the same, it did leave us feeling that it’s a lot of money for a vehicle whose main selling point is that it’s a BMW.

4x4 03/07/2018 17:38

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10/01/2018 15:43

DRIVEN

MERCEDES X250 D PURE

It’s been hailed as the first premium pick-up, but does Merc’s new double-cab actually turn out to be at its most convincing in entry-level form?

DRIVEN X250 D Pure

M

uch of the buzz surrounding the arrival of the Mercedes-Benz X-Class in the double-cab market has come from the fact that it’s the first such vehicle to come from a premium manufacturer. But Mercedes has always been more than that – as well as the eyecatching performance and luxury cars the company makes, it’s also a prolific player in the commercial vehicle market – just one that’s never had a one-tonne pick-up in its range before.

The vehicle tested here is an X-Class from the utility end of the range, in base-spec Pure form.

This means steel rims, cloth seats and simple air-con instead of dual-zone climate, all of which are

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things that appeal to a good many off-roading types.

What we’ve got on test is not, however, an everyday example of the X-Class. The current range includes two versions of the same 2.3-litre diesel engine, with outputs of 163 and 190bhp; the

former comes exclusively with a manual box, whereas the latter is exclusively auto. But when our tester arrived, we found that it was powered by the 190bhp unit – mated to a manual box.

Merc explained to us that some customers want the more powerful

engine but don’t want it with an auto box. Hence this particular vehicle, which is classed as a special build. Not that mating the manual gearbox to what Mercedes calls the 250 d engine is anything new – Nissan has been doing it for ages in the Navara.

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The cabin furniture is made from hard plastics, but they’re stout and dense and feel like they’ll last. The media screen is standard on all models, even this base-speccer, which is also the only version not to get nappa leather – and all the better for it, in our opinion. The seats are well shaped and supportive, but after several hours behind the wheel you might start wanting for an adustable lumbar cushion We mention this because, in case you’ve been living on the moon, the X-Class is based on the Navara’s chassis and drivetrain. Merc is keen to stress that the vehicle’s design was re-engineered from scratch, but there are plenty of similarities between them.

While no manufacturer likes to admit to badge-engineering someone else’s work, at any rate, if you’re going to do it the Navara is a pretty good place to start. It’s set apart from the rest of the doublecab A-listers by the fact that it’s coil-sprung at the rear – and while this is by no means a magic wand for ride and dynamics, it presents its own set of opportunities for settling the uncivilised back ends for which trucks are known.

Despite all the hype about Merc’s premium credentials, then, the X-Class is a commercial vehicle from a prolific commercial vehicle maker. And what we have here is not so much a premium pick-up as one which reminds you that Mercedes has plenty of form when it comes to building work trucks.

What we don’t have is a truck whose price reflects its entry-level status. The base-spec Pure model

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costs £29,310 plus VAT in 250 d auto form; with a manual box, this one should cost around a grand or so less but, being a special order, we wouldn’t count on it.

CABIN AND PRACTICALITY The X-Class feels good inside, even though the model tested here is as utilitarian as they come. Its dash is shaped from hard plastics, but they feel dense, stout and tough.

Longevity is unlikely to be an issue, though there was enough creaking from behind the dash to suggest that the odd trim rattle might surface some way down the line.

The trademark bank of air-con vents mounted on the main dash panel could be wobbled up and down, too. But the floor console is absolutely rock solid in its mounting to the chassis – and wherever your fingers roam, the switchgear has a fine, positive feel to it.

The seats are trimmed in a nononsense fabric that feels as if it will last forever, and they’re well shaped to keep you in place under hard

cornering or side-slope action. We did a lot of miles in our X-Class, and after a few hours we’d have welcomed the adjustable lumbar support that comes with higher spec models, but even without this they’re very well above average for the pick-up market.

Oddment stowage is less than generous, though, with a rather small cubby and glovebox backed up only by an average set of door pockets. It’ll do, but in a vehicle designed to be your self-propelled workplace there’s very little about it to get excited about.

The front seats are as roomy as you need, but a tall driver will need to adjust his pew all the way back – making things a bit snug if you’re another six-footer trying to get in behind him. By far the biggest problem in the back, though, is a lack of headroom – – you don’t need to be freakishly tall for your eyes to actually be above the top of the door windows AUGUST 2018 | 25

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Right: The 2.3-litre diesel engine is available with two different outputs. The more powerful 190bhp version in the X250 d is only listed as being available with an auto box, but the vehicle tested here had a six-speed manual unit; Merc explained to us that this is offered as a special build Below: 17” wheels are now the smallest you can get on most pick-ups. Wrapped in 255/65R17s, these steels looked perfectly in keeping

The same can’t be said of the X-Class’ kit list, which even in this base-spec form is extremely good.

Highlights include Bluetooth and DAB, reversing camera, air-con, cruise control and LED loadbay lighting. In particular, the safety equipment is absolutely top-class – every safety item you get on the range-topper is also included in this model.

That means all the airbags plus autonomous emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, traffic sign recognition, ESP, hill-start assist and so on. Great kudos to Mercedes for not treating buyers of lower-spec

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vehicles like second-class citizens the way so many car manufacturers still do.

You might not feel quite so valued if you find yourself travelling in the rear seats, though. With the front seat fully back (which it needs to be to accommodate a six-foot driver), another tall adult can just about squeeze in behind it – but squeeze is the word. The front seats are soft-backed and sculpted to accommodate your knees, but you’re pressed against them rather than just touching – once again, it’ll do, but in this area the Ford Ranger continues to wipe the floor with the rest of the market.

What won’t really do is the headroom in the back, or rather

the lack of it. Again, if you’re a sixfooter you’ll feel like you’re being pressed into the headlining rather than just brushing it. Your eye line will also be above the top of the window next to you, too, which is saying something. The C-post is well behind your head, though, so for smaller adults (and children, to be real about it) the accommodation in the back is just fine.

Another useful practicality point is that the base of the rear bench folds up against the seat backs to create a big space for carrying cargo that can’t be left in the pick-up bed. In this position it can swallow a surprisingly big load, which is useful if you want to park for more than thirty seconds

without the load in question dissolving in the rain or being transformed into stolen goods.

Does it feel premium? Yes and no. Those air-con vents are a Merc signature, and they do put you in mind of the company’s extremely nice SUVs. So too do the rotary controller and mouse-style click button which operate the infotainment system and which, in our view, is head and shoulders above most touch-screen solutions.

The system itself comes as standard with pre-wiring for a sat-nav upgrade, which had been optioned in our test vehicle. It’s a very good system – and, given that this is one of the few extras you can rely on to help you sell a

4x4 03/07/2018 13:04

DRIVING As mentioned above, the 190bhp version of the 2.3-litre engine normally comes with a sevenspeed automatic box as standard.

Here, however, we have it with a six-speed manual – which in our opinion is pretty much ideally suited to the engine.

We’ve also driven an X-Class with the same engine mated to the everyday auto, and while it’s perfectly fine there’s an element of labouring under acceleration which is completely absent here.

The engine pulls like a train as you hustle it through the gears, but really there’s no need to do that – there’s so much in-gear pull available that you can take your time over shifting ratios and gather all the speed you need without ever having to hurry.

Even so, it can be a bit loud at times on the way up the box, with the occasional gust of over-run noise as you open the clutch. The engine’s strength is apparent at all times, though – and at motorway speeds, it settles to a smooth, quiet cruise which is definitely in keeping with the premium status the X-Class claims for itself. Its ride smoothes itself out, too, not quite getting to SUV territory but calming right down from the inevitable jolts and shudders you get on all but the flattest surfaces.

Yes, they are inevitable, even with coil springs. And at lower speeds, whether around town or on A or B-roads, ride quality isn’t quite so smooth. Those coils still need to be able to hold up a tonne – which means that when they’re not having to, they’re a tonne too keen for the weight of the unladen vehicle. The inevitable result is a fussy, jiggly ride over urban bumps and corrugations in general, which is no problem at all if you understand pick-ups and are used to them but will come as

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a rude shock if you somehow think that by putting a three-pointed star on the front of a Nissan Navara and calling it premium, it’s going to ride like an S-Class.

As it is, the X-Class steers predictably, grips well under hard cornering and doesn’t loll around all over the place when you throw it from side to side. There’s only so much you can do with the springs in a pick-up, but even on the 255/65R17 tyres that are standard on this model there’s little sign of waywardness in its body control.

Those tyres make this the best X-Class to use off-road, at least in standard spec. If it were our money, we’d be raiding the options list to the tune of £715 plus VAT to add a locking rear diff and +20mm lifted suspension, but as it was supplied our X-Class was totally sure-footed in ruts and over rough ground. Before it was launched, Mercedes exhibited a concept model on Simex-pattern tyres, and while that’s a bit extreme you could certainly picture it being completely at home with a set of Mud-Terrains wrapped around its steel rims.

A rear locker is available, but only as an optional extra.

Without it, anything designed to carry a tonne in the back will always be compromised off-road. Further options include +20mm suspension, which we like the sound of

VERDICT

vehicle on again when it’s time to change, we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it.

We’d be happier if the tabletstyle media screen was mounted in the dash rather than on it, though.

Merc is by no means the only manufacturer to do this, but to us it always looks just a little bit too much like an aftermarket bolt-on.

The screen has a very large border to it, too, so the actual image area is quite small given the size of the unit itself.

★★★★✩

Mercedes-Benz X250 D Pure As good a base-spec one-tonner as you’ll find – if you can justify the price Forget the stuff about it being a premium pick-up.

The X-Class is more than just that – and while it does come with a whole lot of kit, that would count for nothing if the underpinnings weren’t sound. It appeals to us in this low-spec form as being a very good example of what a no-nonsense truck should be – though Merc’s pricing means that whatever else it is, it ain’t basic. If you are in the market for one of these, anyway, we highly recommend this combination of engine and gearbox. You might have to order it specially, but more fool Mercedes for putting its customers through the effort of doing that for what in our view is the X-Class in its most appealing form.

03/07/2018 13:04

4X4 FACTFILE

SSANGYONG Rexton ELX ON TEST Rexton ELX Auto

S

ince its arrival in the UK towards the end of last year, much of the attention lavished on the new SsangYong Rexton has focused on the high-spec Ultimate model. This is lavishly equipped both outside and in, with highlights including polished 20” wheels and a quilted Nappa leather interior that looks and feels as good as the treatments you get in vehicles costing two, even three times as much money.

The Rexton is very, very good, and the Ultimate is completely convincing as a premium 4x4 at budget money – so much so that in the wake of the launch, it became the overall winner in our 2018 4x4 of the Year awards. But when we first drove the vehicle, our feeling was that the lower-spec EX and ELX models could turn out to be even better.

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As it turned out, this was at least in part down to the Ultimate we drove on the vehicle’s UK launch having taken a heavy kerbing at the hands of its previous driver which left one of its wheels badly out of balance. We straightened out our impressions of the vehicle in a subsequent article, but at the time our view was that the ELX, which has 18” rims and concomitantly taller sidewalls between it and the road, was the more pleasant vehicle to drive.

Now, we get the chance to decide if that’s true. Since the launch, we’ve spent a week with an Ultimate, and very good indeed it proved to be. Hot on the heels of that experience, would the ELX indeed prove better?

Well, first things first. In the cabin, you don’t get the sumptuous looking quilted leather – but you do still get Nappa, and it feels a lot

better than more or less any of the alternatives available at this price.

The seats themselves are every bit as comfortable, too, though they’re not ventilated and don’t have a memory function as part of their electric adjustment.

Despite a few details like these being absent, the ELX doesn’t feel much like an inferior vehicle to the Ultimate. You have to do without a few high-tech safety aids, as well as a powered tailgate and all-round 3D image monitoring cameras, but it remains a very well equipped cabin – and it’s just as well put together, with barely a creak or

groan from anywhere around the dash or floor console.

It’s good and roomy, too, and as well as a good range of places to put your wallet, phone, keys and so on there’s ample room in the second row of seats for one tall adult to sit behind another. Spec the vehicle with a third row and it becomes a usable seven-seater; the rearmost two are only really suitable for younger children, but they could be pressed into service for grown-ups over a short journey – they’re roomier than most.

They fold away flush, too, with a simple but effective adjustable

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Nappa leather is standard even on this mid-range model – it’s not quilted, but it’s still good. The cabin is very well put together, and in the back it’s a practicality masterclass boot floor creating a long, flat cargo bay when they’re dropped down. For full cargo-carrying duties, meanwhile, the second row has the sort of fold-and-tumble action you might have thought you’d seen the last of. It might be old-fashioned, but it works to extend the flat floor stiff further – and when you add in a large stowage bin in the right-hand boot wall, a full-width hidden compartment and, on all models, a power inverter providing mains electricity through the back of the centre console, you have a very practical family vehicle and allround work truck indeed.

Talking of work trucks, such things don’t normally come on polished 20” rims. So does the ELX indeed prove to be more credible as a do-it-all motor?

In really grotty, sloppy conditions, we’d certainly be happier with a set of 255/60R18s about us than the

Ultimate’s 255/50R20s. But on the road, where we noted a significant difference at the launch, this time there was little to choose between them. The ELX we drove back then was quiet, smooth and civilised, and so too was this one – the difference being that as it turns out, the Ultimate only fell short because of the damage it was carrying.

As it is, the ELX is an easy vehicle to drive from your lofty driving position, the 2.2-litre diesel engine hauling ti around commandingly with its 310lbf.ft at 1600rpm. That’s the output in automatic form, which is all we’ve had the chance to try thus far; manual models get 295lbf. ft at 1400rpm, which if anything sounds even stronger.

Something else manual models get is a live rear axle, which sounds a bit weird but ought to be in keeping with these vehicles’ more truck-like character. We’ll have to

wait and see what they’re like, and suffice to say we’re optimistic that they’ll prove every but as good in their own way.

For now, in automatic form the ELX is as good to drive as the Ultimate. Not better, as we first felt it would be, but it has the same combination of strength and heft that proper 4x4 fans will appreciate.

If tall sidewalls are your thing, it’ll be worth waiting for the lower-spec EX to arrive in the country, as it’ll

come bearing 235/70R17s, but for now it’s a case of deciding whether it’s better to spend £32,495 on the ELX or £37,995 on the Ultimate.

That gap shrinks to £3500 if you spec the ELX with an auto box (which the Ultimate had as standard). That’s still a good bit of cash – but, given the amount of good stuff you get for it, SsangYong’s dealers shouldn’t have too hard a time selling people up to the full-house model.

VERDICT

HHHHH

4x4 2pp Rexton ELX.indd 29

Sssangyong Rexton ELX Auto Lives up to the standard set by the top model, for a good deal less money The Rexton is an excellent vehicle whichever way you look at it. This model bridges the gap between work and play, and in truth it’s pretty handy at both – though so too is the Ultimate model, and it gives you a long list of wantable kit on top. The ELX saves you several grand over that version, however – and if you manage to resist the allure of quilted leather et al, you’ll find that it doesn’t leave you feeling at all short-changed.

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03/07/2018 16:08

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4x4 03/07/2018 11:41

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MAKING TRAXX

At first glance, did you think this Land Rover 110 was a real one? The Traxxas TRX-4 is detailed enough to look a lot like a scaled-down replica of the original – but when you get under the skin of this radio-controlled off-road marvel, you’ll discover that it’s not just a miniature copy of the Solihull classic. It’s way better than that…

WORDS: GEORGE DOVE PICTURES: GEORGE DOVE AND MIKE TROTT 32 | AUGUST 2018

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4x4 03/07/2018 14:25

TRAXXAS TRX-4 LAND ROVER DEFENDER 110

T

here’s probably many a spouse out there who views the mucky 4x4 on their driveway as no more than a toy. And for many owners, to be honest, that’s exactly what it is.

It’s hard to defend your truck against that accusation when you take it to things called playdays, after all. Better to just accept that yes, you’re a boy and it’s a toy, and hurrah for that.

What’s more, if the 4x4 in question is a Land Rover of a certain age, or a Defender of any age at all, it’s apt to be likened to a giant Meccano set. Especially if it’s the kind of Land Rover that spends most of its time in pieces. Not that Meccano is a toy, of course, as anyone with a long enough beard will sternly advise you.

Something else that’s not a toy is your garden. For many of us, it’s a place of relentless suffering and

backache, especially during this season of weeding and slugs, but even if you’re one of those people who somehow manages to be immune from such concerns, the wondrous blooms you conjure out of the ground are the result of endless hard work.

What if you could combine these two not-a-toy things, however, to create something that IS a toy, and a jolly good one at that? It’s easier than you might think…

First, you need a rockery. The kind of lovesome thing, God wot, that you look at and thing if only it was twenty times bigger, what a wheeze it would be to try and drive up it.

Since that would involve being a landowner with access to large boulders and the sort of plant it takes to shift them around, a more practical solution is to shrink your 4x4. Introducing, then, the Traxxas TRX-4 Defender.

On paper, this is just a remotecontrol Land Rover 110. But when you look deeper it has a lot more in common with the off-roading icon than just its shell.

It has portal axles, for starters.

Not that there are many Defenders as hardcore as that, but we all dream dreams of Unimog heaven.

In the case of the TRX-4, they add an extra inch of ground clearance while protecting the vehicle’s running gear and motor.

The portal axles use gear reduction technology, which reduces torque twist at the wheels to help ensure no energy is wasted and the Defender doesn’t slip up.

The chassis is a 1.5mm steel ladder frame (yes, a steel ladder frame, just like the real thing), so the little 110 is sturdy and rigid as well as being able to take on big obstacles with confidence. By ‘little,’ since you’re asking, we mean a 12.8” wheelbase, so about 1:86 scale.

There’s more, and this is cool. Traxxas has given the TRX-4 a set of locking diffs. In the axles, just like Land Rover itself did with so many real Defenders… oh, hold on.

You can run the vehicle with the front, rear, both or no diffs locked – giving it lighter steering and more agile handling on flatter, faster terrain, or greater traction when crawling over the tough stuff.

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Functioning coilover suspension, locking diffs and perfect symmetry between the drag link and panhard rod – this may be a ‘toy car’, but it’s definitely a toy of the big boy’s variety. Detailing elsewhere is remarkable, all the way down to a hawse fairlead, recovery shackles and a high-lift jack. These might be for show only, but it’s definitely not a case of all show and no go Unlike most Defenders, the TRX4 is actually pretty fast. We didn’t go so far as to work out its actual scale speed, but it can pull wheelies off the line, even in high range (yes, it has high and low box too) and that’s good enough for us.

To talk the RC talk, the vehicle has a new XL-5 HV electronic speed control system, which gets the best from a 3S LiPo battery.

When climbing on loose mud, high and low range make a real difference. We could still get to the top in high – with enough of a runup, you could use its momentum to carry you through the wheelspin.

That only works if the hill is short enough, though – whereas in low box, it’ll plod on for as long as its battery power allows.

The 1.9” Canyon Trail tyres helped here too, their foam-filled rubber absorbing the sort of minor

impacts which, without this sort of give, could break traction by bumping the wheels off the ground.

Just like in real life, then – as is a fully functioning spare.

Favourable approach and departure angles helped with the more technical stuff, too. The aluminium GTS shocks are oil-filled coilovers, designed especially for the TRX-4, and they offer great control and flex. Strength-wise, the axles run steel links and hardened CV-style shafts.

Now bear with us while we talk about the comfort of the TRX-4.

No, we’ve not lost our minds. The ergonomic handle fits comfortably in your hand, as do the trigger and the foam-padded steering rotary.

Bizarrely, there’s also cruise control and adjustable throttle ratios, which we didn’t find necessary but it’s good to know you’ve got it.

To view the full specs of the Traxxas TRX-4 Defender 110, and other vehicles in the range, visit traxxas.com. Or if you fancy winning the actual vehicle in these pictures, it will be given away in a prize draw at this November’s Great British Land Rover Show. To enter, all you’ll need to do is buy your tickets in advance – to find out more, pay a visit to www. greatbritishlrshow.com.

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You’ll constantly discover more and more features on the TRX-4, unless you’re one of those weirdos who read the instructions, and we loved this aspect of it. For instance, when moving forwards, if you pull the trigger to reverse it acts as a brake which needs to be released and re-engaged before you start going backwards.

This thing is wonderful. It has the electric whine and zip of any remote-controlled car, but it also has numerous features that you’ll use every time you hit a green lane in your real 110. It also has loads of details that mirror the real thing, like the jerry can and jack on the back, the roof rack, front-mounted winch, mock diff cover and so on.

Driving the TRX-4 thing is addictive. So much so that we drained the battery several times, testing it for hours at a time. It’s a little top heavy, and we may or may not have rolled it once or twice, but we could imagine a resourceful owner lowering its centre of gravity by bolting underbody protection to that steel chassis.

And so the resemblance to the 4x4 on your chassis gets ever greater. It’s not frugal but it’s incredible off-road… and despite not actually owning one, we’re already dreaming about how we’d enhance it still further. The borderline between the real world and the land of toys and play is getting increasingly blurred.

Articulation from the coil-sprung beam axles is at least as good as on the original, though in this case if anything it’s even better at the front than the back. Something that’s definitely not like the original is the presence of portal drop boxes on the axle ends, which give the TRX-4 around an inch of extra ground clearance. Scale that up and it equates to about 8.6” in real life. That spare tyre, by the way, is fully functioning

4x4 03/07/2018 14:25

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PRODUCTS

TUV APPROVAL ENSURES ROAD - LEGAL STATUS FOR IRONMAN’S SUSPENSION KITS

IRONMAN 4X4 HAS GAINED formal approval for a range of suspension kits designed to fit almost every pick-up truck currently on the market. The Australian off-road specialist says it is the first aftermarket suspension company to be given approval by Germany’s TÜV Nord and Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) for these products.

Ironman, which is imported to the UK by West Coast OffRoad Centre, spent more than 18 months on meeting the German organisations’ testing standards.

Having done so, it now says that the certification covering these products provides conformity with all national and international road laws – meaning they can be legally installed on road-going vehicles wherever you live.

That’s no small matter as Ironman’s kits are sold in more than 160 countries worldwide and used as original equipment by a number of manufacturers.

Ironman’s lift kits typically add 40-45mm (around 1.5”) of suspension height. Unlike many suspension manufacturers, the company offers an extremely wide range of options, giving customers a choice of comfort, performance and constant-load springs and gas, foam cell and foam cell pro shocks.

In addition to one-tonne pick-ups, the kits are also available for the current 150-Series Toyota Land Cruiser, which is the model currently offered by Toyota’s official UK importer. The full applications list is shown in the panel on this page – for further information, go to www.ironman4x4.com, or visit West Coast Off-Road Centre at www.westcoastoffroad.co.uk.

4x4 3-5 Products Aug AWAITING ADS + POSS RUSKIN.indd 37

APPLICATIONS LIST • Toyota Hilux • Toyota Landcruiser 150 • Isuzu D-Max • Mitsubishi L200 • Nissan Navara NP300 • Ford Ranger • VW Amarok • Mercedes X-Class • Fiat Fullback • Renault Alaskan

AUGUST 2018 | 37

03/07/2018 18:56

PRODUCTS

ANTI - ROLL BAR KITS FROM SUPERPRO BRING YOUR PICK- UP’S REAR END UNDER CONTROL YOU DON’T NEED TO spend much time behind the wheel of a pick-up to discover that its back end doesn’t work the same way as a normal 4x4’s. With a long wheelbase and typically leaf-sprung rear axle, not to mention the lack of an anti-roll bar in many cases, they can be less than settled. They’ll roll through corners in the dry, and can be tail-happy in the wet.

Step forward SuperPro. The suspension specialist prides itself on its innovation – and says this is the philosophy behind its range of heavy-duty, three-position rear antiroll bars for pick-ups.

These promise to improve stability, handling and traction – especially when the vehicle is being used on wet roads, towing or carrying heavy loads.

SuperPro itself takes up the story: ’The main benefit of fitting anti-roll bars, particularly on the rear, is to improve roll resistance and vehicle balance and to help limit the amount of understeer and oversteer. For a pick-up with a flat load area at the rear, this change in characteristic is significant and can provide better overall handling and greater driver control.

‘The SuperPro anti-roll bars also reduce the variation in the wheel and tyre camber setting due to chassis roll, otherwise known as “roll camber”.

During cornering, the presence of chassis roll usually results in the outside wheels gaining positive camber. By increasing the suspension stiffness and reducing the roll camber effect, the wheels and tyres stay closer to their optimal settings and, therefore, a larger patch of the tyre maintains contact with the road surface. This means that lateral grip and straight-line traction are improved.’

We know what you’re thinking, though.

Adding an anti-roll

bar means waving bye-bye to all your lovely axle travel. Except it doesn’t. SuperPro says there’s no reduction in suspension articulation or significant change in ground clearance with these bars installed.

Indeed, the company claims actual benefits in terms of a vehicle’s off-road ability. ‘The linking of the rear axle and chassis on both sides results in the suspension reacting in a more synchronised way that in turn provides greater

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traction and stability over uneven terrain,’ it explains.

SuperPro’s rear anti-roll bars are supplied with a durable blue powder-coated finish, in a kit that includes mounting brackets, clamps, fitting instructions and a set of the company’s polyurethane suspension bushes – which, it says, further enhance the operation and longevity of the vehicle’s suspension system. Actually installation the kit requires no modifications to the

chassis and original components, meaning it should prove straightforward to anyone with a bit of skill with the spanners.

SuperPro’s rear anti-roll bars are currently available for pick-up models manufactured by Ford, Isuzu, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Toyota and Volkswagen, and in some cases you can choose between a variety of diameters. To find out more, and to search for your nearest stockist, go to www.superproeurope.com.

4x4 03/07/2018 18:56

SuperPro_PickUpAd_ARB_June2018_Layout 1 29/06/2018 11:39 Page 1

UPGRADE YOUR PICK-UP WITH SUPERPRO HIGH PERFORMANCE SUSPENSION PRODUCTS REAR ANTI ROLL BARS FOR PICK-UPS Calling on its extensive experience in the 4x4 and SUV markets, SuperPro offers a range of high performance suspension products for the UK’s most popular pick-ups that will enhance handling, comfort, drivability and stability, as well as increase component longevity.

One example of SuperPro’s innovation in this area is its range of rear anti roll bars for pick-ups. For vehicles that do not already have one fitted, they provide a more stable and less ‘lively’ rear end and therefore, handling and traction are improved, especially when towing or carrying heavy loads and when cornering on slippery surfaces.

BENEFITS OF FITTING A SUPERPRO REAR ARB Increased stability especially when carrying loads or towing Less ’lively' rear-end Improved cornering and traction Articulation remains uneffected No modifications to OE suspension or chassis Supplied ready-to-fit with brackets and SuperPro bushes

Applications available for: • Fiat • Ford • Isuzu • Mazda

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For further information on all SuperPro products and a list of stockists please visit our website or contact SuperPro Europe: Tel: +44 (0)1823 690281 | Fax: +44 (0)1823 698109 | Email: info@superpro.eu.com SuperPro Europe Ltd | Thorngrove Barn | Main Road | Middlezoy | Somerset | TA7 0PD | UK

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PRODUCTS

BFGOODRICH LAUNCHES THIRD - GENERATION MUD -TERRAIN AS KM3 COMES TO BRITAIN MUD-TERRAINS COME AND MUD-TERRAINS GO, but for almost four decades BFGoodrich has been the name behind THE Mud-Terrain. And now the company has launched its new Mud-Terrain T/A KM3 – the third-generation version of a tyre which has become a ‘Hoover’ brand in the world of off-roading.

With the arrival of the KM3, BFG says it has ‘introduced technologies that further improve climbing, traction and toughness in the mud and over rock.’ The company promises a five percent overall improvement in traction on soft ground compared to the old KM2, thanks to ‘mudphobic’ bars on the tyre’s shoulders which aid self-cleaning by ejecting compacted material.

They’re aided in this by the tyre’s ‘Terrain-Attack’ tread pattern, whose large blocks are designed to grip on to hard ground, or bite into softer surfaces, whatever the angle of approach. BFG says the tyre’s compound makes it eight percent more effective than the KM2 over rocks, with a ‘Linear Flex Zone’ designed to wrap around hard surfaces when running at low pressures.

Performance over muddy and rocky surfaces alike is aided by notches in the tyre’s shoulders, which flow down into a ‘Traction-Armor Sidewall Sculpture’ whose reinforced structure helps prevent damage to the most vulnerable part of the carcase. The sidewalls themselves are now an astonishing 27% tougher than the previous model’s, thanks to BFG’s CoreGard Max technology – as used on its Baja T/A KR3 desert-racing tyres – which helps prevent splitting or puncturing, with increased thickness to protect the ‘critical sidewall failure zone.’

BFGoodrich says the KM3 ‘was designed to conquer the toughest offroad challenges with extreme sidewall protection, pinch shock resistance and chip-and-tear resistance on gravel.’ But just as importantly, it also offers ‘solid street performance and acceptable on-road noise levels for the drives to and from the trail.’

‘The KM3 tyre is designed for extreme toughness and traction and is essential equipment for serious off-road enthusiasts,’ says BFG general manager Harold Phillips.

‘Whether simply driving for off-road fun, or the extreme capability to access outdoor activities, this tyre was made to take drivers anywhere they want to go.’

The KM3 is currently in the middle of a phased launch which will ultimately see a total of 42 sizes available, 21 of them new, by January 2019.

Not all will be available in the UK, however at the time of writing there are ten listed on the company’s UK website. To stay abreast of developments, the website in question is waiting for you at www.bfgoodrich.co.uk.

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AUGUST 2018 | 41

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PRODUCTS

MAJOR EXPANSION FOR POWERBRAKE RANGE THE POWERBRAKE RANGE of performance brake kits has just grown dramatically, with the addition of several new fitments. These include two different sizes – 330x32mm and 350x34mm – either of which ought to make short work of bringing your truck to a halt even if you’ve gone similarly large with its suspension and tyres.

At the time of writing, UK importer XS4x4 is yet to list the full set of options on its website, so new are these additions to the range. The guys there will be very happy to keep you right, however, if you get in touch.

These aren’t cheap brakes, but you definitely get what you pay for – as do the very many Dakar Rally competitors who race on Powerbrake.

Want to find out more? Pay a visit to xs4x4.parts.

VEHICLE YEAR Ford Ranger Mk3III Ford Ranger T6 Jeep Wrangler JK Lexus GX470 / Toyota Landcruiser Mitsubishi Pajero / Shogun Mk III Nissan Navara Nissan Pathfinder Toyota Hilux Mk7 Toyota Hilux Mk8 Toyota FJ Cruiser Toyota Landcruiser 76/78/79 Series VW Amarok

REPLACEMENT DISCO 3 AND 4 SUSPENSION COMPRESSORS FROM BEARMACH IF YOU OWN A LAND ROVER Discovery 3 or 4, you’ve either spent a small fortune on putting the air suspension right or you’re dreading the day when you have to spend a small fortune putting the air suspension right. Many have had to replace the compressors on their Discos, and they may well have turned to Bearmach to get what they needed.

The company’s catalogue has recently gained two options in this department, which also fit the first-generation Range Rover Sport.

These offer replacement compressor kits in two styles, Hitachi and AMK – Solihull originally used the former, but later moved over to AMK. Whichever you’ve got, both styles offered by Bearmach come with a three-year warranty.

You can find them at www. bearmach.com.

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LED GRILLE MOUNTS FOR DISCOVERY 4 LAZER LAMPS has announced a duo of LED spotlight kits for the Land Rover Discovery 4. Available for models from both the 2009 and 2014 eras, these grille mounts ensure a secure auxiliary light installation that fit around the original grille to keep the vehicle looking as smart as ever.

Weather and chemical resistant, the light kits will retain the enhanced image of your Discovery’s front end – as well of course as allowing you to fit Lazer’s fully road-legal LED spots, which can be wired in to work with the vehicle’s standard full beam setting. More light is shone on the specs and pricing at lazerlamps.com.

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AUGUST 2018 | 43

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A NEW ERA IN 4X4 SHOWS!

The inaugural 4x4 & Pick-Up Show took over the NAEC at Stoneleigh Park on 15-16 June, giving both trade and public visitors the opportunity to surround themselves with the best vehicles there are. The show brought manufacturers and custom workshops, plus a world of accessories from tyres, performance and styling upgrades and trailers to soundproofing and truck-bed storage solutions.

Test drives were also a feature of the show, with Isuzu and Subaru utilising Stoneleigh’s impressive off-road course along with a road route that was also used by Ford, SuperPro and Deranged.

With a range of vehicle manufacturers represented at the show, as well as so many A-list names from throughout the rest of the 4x4 business, the turnout represented a huge vote of confidence in this first ever motor show for the 4x4 industry. In turn, the organisers would like to offer a massive vote of thanks to all those who made it such a success – in particular headline sponsors Terrafirma and show partners Isuzu, Subaru and BFGoodrich, without whom it could never have become such a stellar event!

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Headline sponsors Terrafirma’s stand showcased the company’s OE parts and their accessories for Land Rovers and AllMakes4x4’s ever-increasing range of products for Jeeps. From suspension upgrades to door handle protectors, they had it all. In addition to this, Terrafirma is developing its own range of products for the pick-up truck market – ensuring its expertise will continue to spread across ever sector of off-roading and utility vehicles Left: Front Runner displayed a range of adventure equipment including the roof racks and tents for which the company is famous Left, below: Ford Rangers were massively popular at the show, but DV8’s subtly enhanced examples of Ford’s smash-git double-cab stood out from the crowd. Showcasing its own designs alongside pick-ups for clients, the Warwickshire-based workshop caught more than a few people’s eye with its arsenal of Rangers as well as an extremely tidy Nissan Navara

Left: Fresh from Europe, Pick-Up Design turned up with some eye-catching styling accessories – showing their individualistic vision for the Toyota Hilux, Nissan Navara and, pictured here VW Amarok Right: Gearmate’s British-made canopies and truck-bed accessories are right at the top of the market. At Stoneleigh, they were on display with the help of a Volkswagen Amarok, an Isuzu D-Max and a Mitsubishi L200

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Greeting visitors as they entered the show halls was a line-up of extremely special vehicles including not one but two stunning Hiluxes built by Arctic Trucks. These took their place alongside a Ford EcoSport, a smart Range Rover Classic restored by Twenty-Ten Engineering and, seen here, an RNLI Land Rover 110 and the stunning Ford F100 from Deranged Vehicles Left: One of the many superbly presented Ford Rangers at the show was exhibited by Lazer Lamps, a company whose LED lighting is recognised as being among the best in the market Below: One look at the Hobsons stand and if you didn’t already get why some people will never stop using their Defenders, it would soon become clear…

Right: Tuff Trek showed off the strength and depth of its off-road and adventure equipment at the show, with everything from bed-organisers, hydraulic jacks and its signature tents and awnings. But the highlight of its stand?

That would have to be a Mercedes X-Class fitted with an Alu-Cab Khaya Camper – an adventure wagon par excellence!

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Show partner BFGoodrich’s tyres were very well spread across the show – and not just on the company’s own stand, either. BFG showcased its range of off-road tyres, giving many show visitors their first look at the all-new KM3 Mud-Terrain – whose cutting-edge technologies make it tougher, more tractable and better at climbing than ever before

Arctic Trucks was at the show in force, with its AT35 conversions to the Isuzu D-Max, Toyota Hilux and Nissan Navara!

An undoubted star of the show, however, was a vehicle the company built a decade ago – one of the two Hiluxes which were driven to the North Pole by the team from Top Gear. Our own stand also featured a Hilux with the Arctic Trucks treatment… which we were very unhappy about having to give back afterwards

Above: Ironman 4x4 is a leading manufacturer of off-road products in its home country of Australia – which bodes very well for how its kit will fare in the UK. Sure enough, the only Ironman customers we’ve ever met have been happy ones Westway Nissan has 15 dealerships around the country, and it did a truly brilliant job of representing the brand – it was on the company’s stand that we saw an AT35 Navara in the flesh!

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It felt as if there were literally millions of D-Maxes at the show. They were obviously on the Isuzu stand, but were also popular with the aftermarket for showcase all sorts of products. Best of all, there was a fleet of D-Maxes demonstrating their skills outside on test drives, not to mention in their natural habitat – the off-road course

Left: Proving that rugged performance and street appeal can go hand in hand, Deranged Vehicles did what they do best. With test drives and a host of pick-ups on their stand, plus that stunning F100 on the entrance line-up, the company’s definitely made its presence felt. There was even a live reveal of a customer’s bespoke Ranger, complete with a stunning chrome-finish wrap!

Below: XS 4x4 carries an enormous range of products from some of the world’s leading manufacturers. Whether it’s wheels, bumpers, suspension, protection or almost anything else, if you see a top-quality accessorised pick-up it probably has at least some XS kit on it

Not only did SuperPro display the extent of its product range on its stand, it also offered test drives in an Isuzu D-Max to demonstrate the effect its suspension bushes can have on a double-cab’s ride and handling

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Subaru’s new XV was out in force, as were the Forester and Outback – both in their pop-up showroom and outside on the test drive and the bespoke off-road course. With safety, reliability and capability all core values for the brand, Subaru made the show, to quote, Better Where It Matters – and until you’ve seen what the company’s 4x4s can do off-road, you’d never believe how good they are in the mud

Above: Soundproofing specialist Dynamat displayed its expertise by installing its product on a Defender live at the show Right: 4Site 4x4 Tyres showed up with a mouthwatering array of rubber solutions for pick-ups and 4x4 of every shape, size and intent, including the legendary General Grabber and, for hardcore off-roaders, Insa Turbo’s range of top-quality retreads Below: Fifth-wheel camping trailers are still quite rare in the UK, but they’ve long been enormously popular in America. UK importer Niche Marketing is looking to bring the magic over here – and with the relentless growth of the pick-up market, you wouldn’t bet against them to succeed

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SsangYong is currently in the process of launching back into the pick-up market with the all-new Musso – which we were among the first in the UK to drive, albeit in Korean-spec form. Show-goers were given an early look at what’s set to become one of the best-value trucks on the market – and of course SsangYong was also showing the Rexton, this magazine’s reigning 4x4 of The Year Left: The newest 4x4 show meets the oldest 4x4 brand… Jeepey has timed its rise perfectly to coincide with that of Jeep itself in the UK. With the Land Rover Defender gone, the Wrangler has become a red-hot property – and those built by Jeepey’s modding arm, Storm Jeeps, are among the hottest of the lot Below left: Australian suspension expert Pedders has become one of the most respected names in the 4x4 market – its springs and shocks are even used as original equipment on the Isuzu D-Max, which is a vote of confidence from the very top Below: High Beam Solutions specialises in LED lighting and conversion kits, and the brands it carries makes it a bit of a one-stop shop for anybody looking to enlighten their vehicle

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The Ranger has come from nowhere to dominate the current pick-up market, and it was a measure of the show’s standing that Ford was represented officially at Stoneleigh. The company also exhibited its EcoSport, Edge and Kuga SUVs, as well as running test drives around the showground

Above left: APB Trading showed off its extensive range of Land Rover parts and accessories, as well as one of the country’s best-honed repertoires of top-quality adventure and camping equipment Above: Venter Trailers displayed one of the coolest camping rigs you’ll ever see behind a 4x4 Left: Allybacks and Pick-Up Tents showed off what they’re best at, with a range of products designed to get more from your truck whether it’s for work or play Below: Davanti used the show to give a public debut to the brand new Terratoura, it’s first venture into the all-terrain market

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03/07/2018 14:31

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MUD MAX

Some vehicle builds seem to make a point of using parts from sources most of us have never heard of. But here’s proof that you can start with the sort of bits most workshops have piled up in the corner – and use them to create a vehicle that looks as if it belongs on the set of a Hollywood blockbuster WORDS: GEORGE DOVE PICTURES: RICHARD HAIR

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I

f you work in forestry, you will have to cover difficult terrain. That’s more or less a given.

Having worked in the industry for many years, Alex Ward has pretty much lived offroad. He has also spent many an hour rectifying mechanical issues experienced by the various working vehicles he served beside. This means that when he decided he wanted to start a project, he was perfectly prepared to do so.

‘I was employed by a large estate in the Lothians,’ said Alex. ‘I was based in a forestry workshop, but often worked out in the surrounding area in the Scottish Borders attending machinery breakdowns.’

But Alex’s work wasn’t limited to maintenance.

One day, his employers asked him to take on something a little bigger.

‘I used to use the estate’s E-reg Land Rover station wagon. And then they requested that I restored their Series III. It was a project that I was more than happy to undertake!’

The restoration saw Alex use a new galvanised chassis as the basis for a full ground-up renovation. It only served to further his desire to start a project of his own.

‘Doing a project had been something of a pipe dream for many years, and it didn’t start until I happened to have the time and a collection of parts. I just began to build, with an end goal of creating a serious off-road vehicle that was fun to use around the hills and forestry tracks I had access to.’

Handy, that. When you’ve got thousands of acres of sensational wild terrain to use as your playground, you can afford to cut loose on your build plans. You don’t need to worry about it being the right size to fit down a green lane, for example, and with all that private ground at your beck and call you can afford not to concern yourself with what the MOT man is going to say.

Having said that, Alex’s creation would cut a dash on any high street. You could roll up in any

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Above left: The original pile of parts included a set of Discovery axles, but these were lobbed into another pile of parts to be replaced by a pair of Range Rover units. From another pile of parts, presumably. Alex plans to fit them with a set of Detroit Lockers (it would be Truetrac here at the front), which are a lot less likely to come from any kind of pile Above right: The chassis started life beneath a Discovery. It hasn’t had its wheelbase altered at all, though the front and rear overhangs have both been pared back as far as things like the axle mounts and steering box will permit loadsamoney SUV and with this parked next to you, you’d be anonymous. It might have been conceived for a pure off-road purpose, but if Hollywood ever wants to make a movie called Mud Max, the star of the show is already waiting.

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But believe if or not, what you’re looking at is… a Land Rover. That collection of parts Alex mentioned was harvested from a variety of Solihull motors and pulled together into something that took shape over a long period of

time. And deep down, as deep as it gets, it’s not even a Defender.

‘When I started,’ reminisces Alex, ‘I had a Discovery chassis and axles. ‘Then I bought a 200Tdi engine, gearbox and transfer box and

03/07/2018 14:39

put together a rolling chassis. I began to build on that, working on it when I could over the next three years.’

The chassis was shortened both front and rear and then strengthened with heavy-duty box sections. Upgraded axles came in Range Rover Classic guise, and reinforced mounts for the engine and winches were welded on to the frame. The engine now sits about eight inches further back than standard, which is good for pitch balance and helpfully means the gear lever sits in the right place in the cabin.

Further custom fabrication saw brackets for a spare wheel carrier and a new battery box added to the plot, along with a fuel tank box and its fittings. No changes were made to the 200Tdi engine, other than a K&N air filter to help it breathe a little easier.

Wherever you look on the vehicle, you see one of two things – Land Rover parts. whether standard or adapted, and entirely bespoke work made by Alex’s own hand. ‘The brake discs are standard, but I’ve had to modify the hoses and the handbrake,’ he continues. ‘I uprated the coil springs and added gas shocks, but did nothing else to the suspension.

‘The original power steering is fitted in the original configuration on the chassis, but from the steering box back it had to be made so it would fit the new bulkhead and dashboard frame.

This also included two universal joints and a quick release steering wheel.’

Now, moving on to the bodywork – it certainly isn’t Land Rover. You don’t need to be on the ALRC Scrutineering Committee to work that one out. And if might not look shapely the way a Discovery or Evoque is. Hell, it might not look shapely the way a Defender is. But don’t be fooled – creating it wasn’t easy, either.

‘Designing the tubular frame was the most difficult part of the build,’ reveals Alex. ’Many of the angles were just too tight to use machinery on. So, in the end I had to weld all of the angles into the tubing.’

The resulting monocoque cab construction is welded to the chassis and is made from the same 2mm thick steel as the floor and the fabrication beneath it. The steel has been strengthened with sections of heavy-duty box, and extra steel reinforces the anchor mounts for the harnesses. For added impact protection, tubular steel sections running along the sides have been welded to the chassis for rigidity.

‘When it was ready, I took the vehicle out for a quick test drive,’ recalls Alex. ‘I was heading over a wet grassy field about a mile out from the workshop when I saw some boggy ground up ahead. I stopped at the edge and remember thinking “I can get through that with my newly built all singing and dancing, go anywhere buggy.”

I shot forward about three or four yards and down she went.’

Sunken to the bottom of the cab, Alex had to abandon the buggy and head back to the workshop for reinforcements. Having pulled his project from the mire using a forklift, two things were clear. One, gravity still applies a mile from the workshop. And two, some means of selfrecovery would be a good plan.

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Aside from the addition of gas shocks and uprated springs, the suspension is still standard. No three-link tricks up front, then, nor swan-necks at the back – which, to be fair, would be pretty inexplicable in a vehicle like this

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The bodywork might have an agri-spec vibe to it, but don’t be fooled. A great deal of work went into creating it – including painstaking hours of welding where the bends required by the cage design were just too tight to put in to the tube. There’s nothing lightweight about this vehicle – its strength is absolutely massive. And while its styling, if you can call it that, is resolutely purposeful, you’d like to think that Alex had a wry smile on his face when he formed its brutal looking nose and mounted the spare wheel between those jerry cans…

Not being one to mess about, Alex gave the vehicle 26,500lbs of winching power. Which really is quite some means of self-recovery.

‘I fitted the vehicle with two Winchmax 13,500lb 12-volt remote-controlled winches,’ he says, ‘bolted on to heavy frames attached to the

crossmembers. They’ve got the standard stainless fairleads still fitted, and the controls are stored in a waterproof stainless steel container mounted to the side of the vehicle.’

Power for the winches comes from a dedicated 12-volt battery, just like the other one

Alex installed for the ignition and light circuits.

And this meant a lot of wiring, which would be a nightmare for most people. How many offroaders do you know who can weld and spanner in their sleep but turn into a quivering wreck of lime jelly when confronted with electric string?

Below left: There’s no such thing as a car that can’t be improved by adding suicide doors. Except one that’s already got them, obviously. You can see what these started off as (hint: it rhymes with Gand Gover), and it doesn’t take much imagination to figure out the amount of work it took to convert them to suit Alex’s design Below right: Not having to be worried about staying road-legal means being able to use agri tyres. Which these 31x15.50x15s certainly are.That’ll be a flotation size, though there’s only so much floating even a tyre like this can do when confronted by a deep bog. Anyway, if you happen to have a used set of 33” or 35” Creepy Crawlers for sale, let us know, because you’ve just found a buyer…

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The 200Tdi engine is standard but for a K&N air filter, but beneath the enormously long bonnet it’s mounted around eight inches further back than standard. This helps the vehicle’s front-to-rear balance, and also has the advantage of meaning the gear lever is in the right place in the cabin Alex is not one of them. ‘The strange thing is, I enjoy wiring – it’s a real challenge!’ Bet a lot of his friends have his number on speed dial…

After he had custom-made most of the loom, there were seven switches plus the ignition starter to be wired into the cab, as well as the dash-mounted gauges (ammeter, fuel gauge, fuel and oil temperature) and the oil and ignition warning lights. Then came six roof-mounted spotlights, and all the wiring was fed through relays and fuse boxes.

Finally, when all the sparky work was done and the vehicle was ready to go, Alex could pull the Series Land Rover handle, open the lowslung custom fabricated door and climb into his

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creation. Sat in the leather seats – previously of a Rover 400 – and strapped in by five-point harnesses, it was time for action.

‘I can only speak for myself, but it is a real joy to drive,’ he says. ‘It’s great out on the trails, but the thing I enjoy most about it is the sense of achievement it gives me and the pride I feel knowing that I’m driving something that I built!’

That he built, or that he’s still building? No such thing as a finished project, and all that, though we’re talking details now. ‘I’d still like to fit Detroit Truetracks to both axles, plus a windscreen, side windows and more storage containers to improve the vehicle in general.’ A windscreen. Told you we were talking details.

A certified head-turner, this vehicle is an achievement Alex is rightly delighted with. It may have taken a long time, and there were plenty of ups and down along the way, but he brought it to life – from, let’s not forget, no more than a pile of parts. ‘I have to thank Rupert at Leng LR in Walkerburn,’ he says. ‘Also my daughter Tanya, who first brought my buggy to 4x4’s attention.

Would he do it again? Sounds like it, yes.

‘Building the vehicle has been a great experience.

I’d offer encouragement to anybody thinking about a project of their own!’ There you go then, time to get the spanners out and see if you can create something as outlandish as this from the sort of everyday parts we all know inside out.

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CANNIBAL The early Jeep Wrangler was a very fine vehicle, but it needed to be modified to get the best from it. Not many have been treated to quite as extensive a set of new bits as the one Kev Hartshorne built a few years ago, though – which started when he decided to cannibalise the monstrous old Chevy Blazer that went before it WORDS: GARY NOSKILL PICTURES: STEVE TAYLOR

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ver since the Land Rover Defender went out of production, people have been flocking towards the Jeep Wrangler for their next off-road project. But the Wrangler had already been around for a long time before Solihull pulled the plug on its own old warhorse – and while it’s only ever been a minority choice since its arrival here in 1992, most of the vehicles that made their way to the UK back then have long since been turned into hardcore off-road playthings.

The latest Defender, a limited-edition continuation model announced earlier this year at a cost of £150,000, is powered by a hefty great V8 engine. Back in the 1980s, of course, Defenders were available as standard with V8s – something you were never able to say about the Wrangler, which has always come with four and six-pot units.

Ironically, then, the number of V8-engined Wranglers in the world probably dwarfs all those Defenders still packing Rover V8 power. That’s because America’s off-road terrain demands seriously big tyres – which in turn demand bags of lazy, low-down torque to keep them turning at typical rock-crawling speeds.

But putting V8s into Wranglers is definitely not just an American thing. Some years ago, we came across Kev Hartshorne, a man who it’s safe to say likes his 4x4s a bit more radical than most.

Prior to the YJ Wrangler you see in these pictures, Kev used to own a Chevy Blazer. It was huge, massively lifted and shod with 38” tyres, and while its presence on the road was roughly comparable to Hulk Hogan turning up in your local corner shop, it was far too wide for most green lanes. Or most garages, come to that.

Hence this Jeep. It’s from the second year of UK imports, back when Wranglers arrived at the docks with their steering wheels on the wrong side and were converted to RHD before delivery to Jeep’s UK dealers. When Kev bought it, it was more or less standard – but it didn’t stay that way for long.

Prior to the Wrangler, Kev ran this Chevy Blazer – whose sheer size made it more or less unusable in the UK. When he decided to build a Wrangler instead, he harvested as many parts as possible from the old truck before weighing it in

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Above: The 5.7-litre small-block Chevy V8, complete with headers and high-lift cam, nestles comfortably in the Wrangler’s cavernous engine bay. A 15” K&N filter feeds an Impco 425 LPG carb, and its housing has the looks to cause a commotion in any car nut’s trousers Right: Exhaust gases are routed away from the engine via a home-made wide-bore system whose single exit is protected by a tubular rear bumper. See if you can guess how many baffles there are in it

At this point, we say goodbye to the Blazer.

But we don’t say goodbye to many of its parts, which were stripped off to be reused on the Wrangler before what was left of the big old Chevy found itself being weighed in.

Needless to say, one of the parts Kev retained was the 5.7-litre V8 engine. Despite its small footprint, the Wrangler’s engine bay has plenty of space in it for much more than the standard

4.0-litre straight six, so this was an easy swap-in.

Kev did have to fabricate new engine mounts, and there’s a custom radiator in there now, but the biggest job was probably removing the supercharger he’d bolted on to help it shift the Blazer around. He did retain its high-lift cam and header conversion, however, meaning is was dishing out something like 300bhp, and that’s enough to be going on with.

Something else he retained was LPG fuelling, using an Impco 425 carburettor and a 120-litre fuel tank for storage. He reckoned this was good for a range of more than 300 miles while, only costing around half as much as petrol, without any noticeable drop in performance – which is good, because rather than going bi-fuel he binned off unleaded altogether and ran the engine on gas alone.

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Above left, top-centre: The electrical system, powered by twin Optima Yellow-Tops, is charged by not one but two heavy-duty alternators – which Kev told us have proved very reliable indeed Above right, bottom-centre: The MSD ignition system includes a pro-race billet distributor, 6AL control box and timing retarder, as well as the company’s Blaster 2 coil Beyond the engine was a TH400 automatic gearbox fitted with a B&M shifter upgrade for precision changes and an auxiliary oil cooler, and this in turn spun a custom-built Atlas II transfer case. That lot makes up a very popular combination among US rock crawlers, and what’s good on the trails of Moab is pretty much sure to be good on anything you can find over here.

Moving on down the drivetrain, the propshafts are HGV-spec GKN units and the axles are Dana 60s – something else the Blazer donated when it laid down its life. When you’ve got that much power going out through a set of ultragrippy 37x13.00R16 Super Swamper Boggers and a driver who’s cheerfully willing to admit that he likes a bit of a go on the loud pedal, your transmission needs some serious strength to cope with the shock loadings that are sure to be coming its way.

This is especially the case as the YJ-era Wrangler rode on leaf springs – which, while

Opposite page, left: The auxiliary oil cooler is very necessary to keep the temperature in the TH400 auto box under control when it’s working hard Opposite page, right: The Atlas II transfer case, a legend among rock-crawlers, contains reduced-ratio low-range gears. Props are heavy-duty units from GKN Left: Twin transfer levers are standard with the Atlas box, allowing the vehicle to be driven in any combination of two or four-wheel drive and high or low box. Kev says he only ever uses it in 4x2 high on tarmac and 4x4 low offroad, but for extremely tight turns on high-traction rocks the extra options can help take the strain off your transmission AUGUST 2018 | 67

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Above left: Dana 60 axles are renowned for their massive strength. Check out those front knuckles, and you’ll appreciate that they’re pretty massive in every other way, too Above centre: Teraflex shackles bring great flexibility to the YJ’s Skyjacker springs, which have been mounted over the axles to add further ground clearance Above right: Pro-Comp ES9000 shocks are famous for the levels of flexibility they offer. The SPOA leaf mountings can also be seen in this picture they can be made to flex very capably, are still more prone to lifting wheels than a more coil-sprung set-up. Still, a Detroit Locker in the rear axle helps prevent any traction losses this might cause – as of course does a suspension set up which, as you can see, provides as much articulation as it does height.

On the subject of height, the overall lift is about nine inches. This comes from a combination of taller Skyjacker leaf springs and the fact that Kev mounted them on top of the axles rather than underslung.

The springs themselves were another handme-down from the Blazer, which might get you pondering on the ride quality they provide. If they can hold up all that metal, after all…

Kev did admit to us that if money had been no issue, he’d have preferred to convert the YJ to coils. But with about a metre of travel at each corner, he’s not exactly doing badly.

The articulation comes from a combination of Teraflex extending and twisting shackles and long-travel Pro-Comp ES9000 shocks, as well as polyurethane bushes all-round. ‘The shackles are

very trick,’ Kev told us, ‘and bring a great deal of flexibility to the leaf-sprung configuration.’ In Britain, we tend to equate cart springs with stiff travel and a bone-shaking ride, but the Americans were still developing technology in this area long after we’d all started chopping up old Range Rovers instead – and, on Jeeps like this, it shows.

Going back to the tyres, they ride on ProComp rims and are fitted with heavy-duty inner tubes from a tractor. Nothing wrong with a big of overkill in this area, and the same can certainly be said of braking – where the Dana 60s have

Left: Single Land Rover radius arms, fitted at the front and rear, operate as anti-tramp bars, preventing the combination of power and weight from causing axle wrap Below: A Britpart DB 12000i winch, wound with synthetic rope, is mounted on a Warn winch bumper

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Far left: 37x13.00R16 Super Swamper Boggers provide epic grip in serious mud and can be aired right down to cling on to rocks. Not much fun on the road, though – but that doesn’t stop Kev from using them there Left: The on-board air compressor delivers 120psi to a pair of train horn trumpets. And this is the car Kev built because he wanted something less lairy than his old Bronco…

plenty in reserve beneath such a light truck as the Wrangler.

Naturally, the brakes are fed by extended hoses, and it won’t come as a surprise to hear that the standard steering set-up wasn’t about to work with all that extra height either. Kev retained the standard drag link and track rod but had to turn them round and relocate them above the springs – something he says took a lot of trial and error (and therefore patience).

Shoving them this way and that, the Wrangler’s standard PAS box is retained, albeit with a stronger chassis brace.

Other strong things Kev put on the Wrangler include a diff guard on the front axle, along with

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heavy-duty bumpers all-round. The front one, a Warn unit, is home to a Britpart DB12000i winch, while the rear is a tubular steel job with an integral spare wheel carrier.

Something Kev didn’t bother with, on the other hand, was waterproofing, whether for the engine or the electrics. His rationale was simple: with so much height under the vehicle, its vulnerable bits should be well out of the reach of water. And to be fair, if he did get in deep enough to drown the engine, the vehicle would be the least of his concerns.

Elsewhere, it’s all good, standard everyday common sense. There’s a pair of Optima YellowTop batteries, which are fed by a twin alternator

set-up, better seats, a rally-spec digital speedo and on-board air – which, in continued commonsense news, powers a 120psi train horn as well as the more prosaic tyre inflator.

Well, there nothing quite like the sound of a Union Pacific coming across the Prairies to warn you that there’s an all-American four-wheeler on the way. Unless, that is, it’s the sound of the allAmerican V8 engine propelling the four-wheeler in question. Talking of which, was Kev happy with his choice of Chevy motor? Almost. When we spoke to him, he told us he was planning to replace it with something more sensible. A 7.4-litre big-block, obviously. Ain’t nobody brings anything small into a bar around here…

03/07/2018 14:38

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OPEN ARMS

No longer does the Peak District welcome 4x4 drivers with open arms. But at the park’s northernmost edge, a glorious corner of West Yorkshire is replete with rights of way that are perfect for family SUVs like our Skoda Kodiaq – and the biggest and best of them has just been reopened…

WORDS: GEORGE DOVE PICTURES: SUPPLIED BY ANDY COX 72 | AUGUST 2018

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OPEN ARMS

No longer does the Peak District welcome 4x4 drivers with open arms. But at the park’s northernmost edge, a glorious corner of West Yorkshire is replete with rights of way that are perfect for family SUVs like our Skoda Kodiaq – and the biggest and best of them has just been reopened…

WORDS: BEN LANGLEY PICTURES: JESS WRIGHT 72 | AUGUST 2018

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4x4 03/07/2018 16:03

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ne of the longest unsurfaced rights of way in the country reopened recently, after being blocked for an entire year by a construction project which turned it into a dead end. Kiln Bent Road, near Holmfirth, winds its way around a valley taking it past the foot of one reservoir, across the top of a second and over the dam holding back a third – and a major programme of works on the latter was what caused it to be closed until earlier this year.

When a right of way reopens, obviously, there’s only one way to celebrate. So we jumped in to the Skoda Kodiaq that’s spending a year with us on long-term test and set a course for West Yorkshire.

For us, being based near Derby, this means taking a scenic route cross-country through the Peak District. And it really is a beautiful place, even if the National Park Authority’s behaviour towards 4x4 drivers has become distinctly ugly during the last decade. By an accident of geography, in fact, Kiln Bent Road is actually within the Peaks national park by a few hundred yards, so it’s a minor miracle it hasn’t been closed the way so many of the region’s best, most popular and most sustainable routes have. Either way, the rangers in the area have always had a reputation for understanding and supporting what law-abiding 4x4 users are all about, which is a pleasing contrast to the bigotry of their political masters.

Anyway, after a scenic waltz through the Peaks, here we are in West Yorkshire. Obviously, there’s no such thing as a single-trail outing in the UK, at least not unless something goes badly wrong, so instead of heading straight for Kiln Bent Road we get started by pointing the Kodiaq up a track which climbs westward out of Penistone.

Penistone itself, which dates from before the Norman Conquest and is mentioned in the

Domesday Book, is a surprisingly handsome market town that’s worth visiting if you’re nearby – something almost no-one does, as it stands close to the junction of two major trunk roads that route traffic past it and away as quickly as possible. The right of way actually starts as a residential street bearing off up the hill from one of them, before turning into an unsurfaced road which is basically a viewpoint for almost its entire length.

As you climb, one of the views you get is a particularly unusual one. We’re all used to seeing wind farms everywhere we go in the countryside, but the one ahead of you on Spicer Hill is positioned so that as you approach it, you’re looking directly along the line of about half a dozen turbines – cue a whole gamut of optical illusions.

There’s a series of lanes north of here and east of Holmfirth which are ideal for vehicles like the Kodiaq – that is, those which are built to be capable on and off-road but don’t have the ultimate all-terrain ability of a traditional 4x4. The traction and ground clearance of our Kodiaq Scout are enough to deal with the vast majority of green lanes; you wouldn’t always want to take liberties with its paintwork on them, but with its tough bumpers and lower cladding, not to mention a set of under-body guards that’s standard with this version of the

Kodiaq, it’s better equipped than most SUVs for shrugging off the knocks and scrapes of life on the lanes.

As it was, one of these rights of way brought with it a challenge we hadn’t experienced before when a guy on a mountain bike decided to race us. He won, obviously – that’s what happens when you take on a responsible green lane user in what you fancy is a speed event. All the same, despite the comedy of the situation, you can see how it could have ended nastily.

When you’re bumping your way along a rough trail at 15-20mph and trying to keep out of the harsh bits, you’re likely to be veering from side to side rather a lot. But you’re not likely to be using your mirrors. If someone comes hooning up the side of you, well, you know what could end up happening.

Whose fault? Who gets the blame? Two questions which could have different answers.

A little reminder of the need to keep your wits about you, anyway.

We didn’t need any great level of instinct for self-preservation further on at Meal Hill, at any rate. Here, what’s shown on the OS map as an unclassified county road (these are normally unsurfaced) turns out to be a ribbon of tarmac serving a straggle of cottages and, finally, a farm.

At this point, it carries on – and immediately becomes extremely rough. The first corner, which is visible from where the tarmac ends, features a sheer step up followed by an erosion gulley that would have a challenge truck waving its wheels in the air.

We’ve little doubt that with Off-Road mode engaged, the Kodiaq’s traction management systems would allow it to stroll up the gulley, albeit with a front wheel climbing several feet off the ground. But it’s that sheer step that’s the problem; if it doesn’t take out our front spoiler, it’ll get a sill instead, so there’s no way we’re going to be tackling this one. Sometimes, discretion is the better part of valour.

This is what a cyclist winning a race with a car looks like.

Guess who'd have got the blame if he'd stacked into the side of us while we were picking a route around the side of a hole, though…

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This erosion gulley has been there for as long as we can remember, but it’s become far deeper and wider in the last couple of years – during one of which, the full length of the lane was closed as a through route, highlighting the fact that it was caused by water rather than tyres. Even though the Kodiaq might have been able to make it through, no way were we risking the potential consequences There are plenty of other rights of way to take round here instead, anyway, some of them in a surprisingly built-up setting. It’s not uncommon to find yourself waiting for someone to move out of the way on a green lane; they’re so lightly used, people don’t think twice about stopping on them. But in the village of Scholes, which is to all intents and purposes part of Holmfirth, we found ourselves pausing while a farrier finished shoeing a horse. Only time that’s ever happened to us…

There’s another lane round the back of Cartwoth village which starts off looking like someone’s driveway but ends up as a field road with lovely views north-west over the Holme Valley. Further south, it leads to another very simple, wide-open dirt track – which in turn takes you to the eastern end of Kiln Bent Road.

Actually, what it leads you to is called Ramsden Road – it’s a byway which winds its way around a hillside and down through a section of woodland to Kiln Bent itself. Either way, though, we’re on to the main event now.

With the sun shining gloriously and the landscape spread out like a model on the valley floor below, it’s one of those moments when it just feels good to be alive. The track beneath our wheels is rough, and every now and then there’ll be a run of crests and dips of the sort that turns into a series of watersplashes by winter, but the Kodiaq is gobbling it up. We pull over next to what looks like the world’s smallest quarry, cut into the bank by the side of the track; here, huge boulders have been positioned so as to stop people getting in and using it for impromptu off-road play.

Whoever put the boulders there is in the right, of course. Deviating from a public right of way by even a few yards is illegal, and can be enormously damaging. There’s a debating point here, though. When the land has already been carved into by quarrying (the same might be said of other forms of primary industry, too, but this is the obvious one), would it not be better to allow access so as to provide a bit of ground for people who want somewhere to play?

Yes, it’s someone’s private land, even if they have abandoned it, and there’s the old chestnut about lawyers coming after them if people go on there and hurt themselves. But you know what?

We put a man on the moon. Go figure…

Back on board the Kodiaq, we’re descending quite steeply now, the hill descent control doing its thing to make up for the lack of low box.

Steep hills can mean water erosion, and there’s been a bit of it on the drop towards Ramsden Clough, but then we get towards the T-junction with another track and boom. Suddenly, we can

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see where all the erosion has happened since the last time we drove this lane.

We get out to take a look. Basically, the surface has been worn into what would be a massive axle-twister followed by an even more massive side slope. Looking at it, with gravity on our side we can see how the Kodiaq could actually make it though. But as you must always do when you’re out laning, we ask ourselves the big question: what if?

What if we don’t make it? It’s a long walk home. That’s easy. What if we’re reading the ground wrong? That’s tougher. But the possible outcomes include rolling our Skoda on to its side, ripping out its exhaust and heaven knows what else, and battering its roof line along several car lengths’ worth of the bank to our left. And when you’ve got thoughts like that going round in your head, they stop feeling like possibilities and start turning into the inevitable.

There’s another one, too. We might make it down – but what if the track further on is even worse? Even if we were to get through with gravity on our side, if we then encounter

something that forces us to turn back there’s no way we’d get back up again. Even in a hardcore off-roader with locking diffs, we’d still be expecting to get the winch out for that one.

So it’s a no-brainer. Literally two car lengths on from where we’ve stopped, the Kodiaq would be in probably the most extreme wheel-off-theground position any Kodiaq in the world has ever been in, and what a photo it would make.

But there would be no backing out, and the potential consequences of pressing on would be unthinkable. So we’re going to do Ramsden Road again, this time going back up the hill.

Once again, the Kodiaq’s Off-Road mode makes light work of the terrain. We manage to stall a couple of times, as a consequence of using just a thread of gas while deliberately taking the worst possible line over the terrain just to see if we can provoke Skoda’s technology into throwing a hissy fit, but the answer comes back that if we want to wind it up, we’re going to have to try harder.

Don’t worry, we will… But for now, even when it’s lifting wheels on the steepest part of

4x4 03/07/2018 14:35

Spicer Hill wind farm dishes up an impressive optical illusion as you climb out of Penistone on the aptly named High Bank. The view from on top of the dam holding back Riding Wood Reservoir is pretty nice, too, especially as you can now look at it again following the re-opening of the right of way across the top of it the climb it still moves steadfastly forward. More and more, we’re left feeling that yes, it probably would have coped with that big erosion gulley back there – but even if a vehicle can do it, as always you have to weigh up the damage it might suffer in the process.

So rather than joining Kiln Bent Road via Ramsden, we took the long way round and drove it in its entirety. No great hardship, that, even if it’s surfaced almost the whole way to where our original route would have brought us in. It’s a long, meandering drive, easy underneath and pleasant on the eye without being spectacular the way some of the previous lanes have been.

Still, it’s nice to note that with the work at Riding Wood Reservoir now complete, the section of the trail running across the top of the dam is now absolutely shipshape. Not that it wasn’t already – it was previously closed in 2011 for the construction of a new spillway, which changed the character of the view a bit but left if in excellent shape – but when you think of the state some lanes have been left in by forestry operations (if you use the byways in Surrey or North Yorkshire, you’ll be nodding along right now), this has definitely been an example of considerate construction.

Kiln Bent Road ends on the outside of a corner on the A6024, a road which is very popular with keen drivers and riders of all persuasions. Hit it at the end of a day on the lanes, though, and you’ll have it all to yourself – which is great, because while the road itself is a beauty, the views are even better. Neither is as good as what you’ll find at The Fleece in Holme, though – if it’s time for lunch, or dinner, turn right at the end of Kiln Bent Road and it’s half a mile away.

As with every shop, pub, restaurant, B&B and fuel station you visit on your adventures, don’t be shy of letting them know they’ve got your business because of the green lanes that brought you to their manor. Several millions of pounds’ worth of trade has been drained from local businesses in the Peak District thanks to the unnecessary closure of so many much-loved rights of way, and the more than can be done to save those that remain, the better.

The good news is that in spite of everything, Britain still has a marvellous network of rights of way upon which you can explore the countryside around you. Most are eminently suitable for vehicles like the Kodiaq, too.

If you’re in the market for a family SUV and you’re wondering whether to bother spending

the extra money it takes to get one with fourwheel drive, adventures like this are all the evidence you should ever need. Yes, people buy SUVs for their outdoorsy image – but there really is so much more to them than that. Put your trust in your vehicle, and in Britain, and you’ll end up loving both more than ever before.

We can certainly say that about our Kodiaq, which continues to impress us every time we go out in it. It’s good on the trails and brilliant on the road – a five-star family wagon which, without pretending to be a hardcore off-roader, really does mean you can keep going after the tarmac ends. We might have had to back out a couple of times to keep its bodywork intact – but this kind of beyond-the-limits adventure is exactly what it was made for.

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01/05/2018 12:39

OUR 4X4S: PROJECT 90

Black is the new silver…

The little things can make a big difference. And even when you’re talking about the details of a project build, you can stray into areas with plenty of relevance to even the most dedicated off-roaders

T

here are some things that seem obvious to change on a Defender… and then there are those that are not.

Replacing the original headlights with a more powerful set, for example, may seem pret-

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ty much a given, in this era of LED luminosity.

Regular readers may recall that we’ve already done that. We’re all for driving around in Land Rovers which have an old-age musk about them but, when we’re using them after dark, we quite like to be able to see what’s about to happen when travelling at more than about 50mph.

The point is, anyway, that there are some changes which don’t come to you straight away. Take our project Defender, for instance (the shiny one, not the off-road one; it’ll be back next month). It’s a great vehicle and even came with various

Genuine accessories such already installed, such as a pair of chequer plate wing-tops.

To some eyes, silver wing-tops contrast nicely with the factory green hue of our 90. But to others, they would look better in black. As it happens one of the latter pairs of eyes belongs to Colin, who happens to own the vehicle, so you know what’s coming.

There’s the sort of Land Rover owner whose answer to such an issue is to get down to work with a can of Hammerite. And then there’s Colin, whose answer was to go looking for accessory suppliers.

Do this and it won’t be long before you come across Masai, based handily close to our office in the Midlands, which makes and supplies all sorts of good kit for making Defenders better, cooler and more usable. One phone call later, we were on our way, and as it turned out we came home with more than just a new set of wing-tops.

As you can see on these pages, Masai fitting

4x4 03/07/2018 14:33

Above: Off come the existing vent covers, followed by the old chequer plate Below right: With the old plates off, rub the wings down with some panel wipes to remove the inevitable dust and builtup grime before fitting the new ones us a set of its 3mm chequer plate wing-tops – in black, of course. The guys didn’t stop there, though. In addition, on went one of the company’s own air intake covers, as well as a set of 30mm wheel spacers to give the Defender a slightly more purposeful stance.

You can decide for yourself which of these items are details and which are serious mods.

But while the purpose here is entirely cosmetic, people have been putting wing-tops on Defenders for as long as there have been Defenders – the purpose, of course, being to beef them up so you can climb on them.

Wheel spacers, too, are a mod of old. Normally, they’re used to counteract the raised centre of

gravity that comes from lifting a vehicle, but don’t let’s pretend that we all like the four-square look they give a vehicle too. Obviously, a lot of lifted 90s and 110s have ended up on steel eight-spokes with the right offset to make spacers unnecessary, but in this era of swanky alloys that’s becoming less common.

Even the intake cover can be seen to have a serious purpose, as it prevents heavy snow from making its way into the air duct for the heater and blocking it up when you most need it. Again, though, more people who fit one of these do so because it looks cool.

Our 90 already looked cool, of course. Now it looks cooler still – and Colin no longer has to

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try and tell himself that silver is the new black.

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4x4 2.5pp Our 4x4s Aug Colin's 90.indd 79

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AUGUST 2018 | 79

03/07/2018 14:33

OUR 4X4S: PROJECT 90

Above: The new chequer plate is secured by allen screws. Apply a touch of copper grease to the thread to ensure they don’t seize up and become stubborn over time Below left: Masai’s chequer plate is 3mm thick, which makes it good and strong, and as well as being finished in a smart black powder-coat it has a chamfered edge to give a smoother finish along the sides Below right: Having secured the chequer plate, you can then either refit your existing air intake cover or opt for one of these: a fibreglass cover incorporating an aluminium grille and stainless steel badge. Tidy

Above: Whether you’re just looking for an image that says you don’t want to be messed with, or you want to give your truck a wider track to counteract a suspension lift, a set of 30mm spacers will do the job. Make sure they’re properly seated when you fit them, though, and take the time to torque them up correctly – there’s no such thing as a short cut when it might end up with one of your wheels taking the long way round Right: Stanced, as they say. Though normally they’re talking about something altogether less dignified…

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OUR 4X4S: PROJECT CHEROKEE

An out of body experience Something the new Cherokee was missing was an engine. Always a problem, we find. Happily, the 4.0-litre unit from the old one had never missed a beat – the straight-six Jeep unit rarely does, to be fair – so hooking it out and swapping it into its new home was a no-brainer

B Our Cherokee started life as one vehicle then, when that one got a bit wrecked, transformed into another. That meant moving a variety of accessories from car to car – just a few little things like bumpers, snorkel and an engine…

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3pp Our 4x4s Cherokee May.indd 82

ack in April, we looked in some depth at the +8” Skyjacker Rock Ready suspension that took Project Cherokee from mild to wild in one feel swoop. This, if you’re new to the story, went on at a watershed moment in the build – when the original vehicle, complete with terminal chassis damaged, was stripped of parts and the kit we’d put on it was transferred over to another, slightly newer and a lot less knackered example.

This month, we’ll touch on some of that kit.

This included not just the cool accessories that had gone on, but little things like the engine and axles. The latter are home to a pair of ARB Air-Lockers, so it was much quicker to fetch them over complete, but this did mean giving them a thorough all-round refurb as they had become more than a little crusty.

The old Cherokee also had an ARB front bumper, which carried a Warn X9000 winch until this was nicked one night while the vehicle was parked in the yard behind the local garage that used to look after the vehicle. The night before we were due to pick it up, too. Nice. So it was swapped over without a winch in place, which is how things still stand now, but for obvious reasons (and less obvious ones, like complying with the law on projecting equipment), we’ll be

4x4 03/07/2018 16:11

Look in an engine bay without an engine, and what’s there to see? Engine mounts, in this case, a steering column, axle control arms and part of a very open-mouthed bell-housing remedying that before it goes back on the road.

Or off one, indeed.

Anyway, lobbing in a new Optima Yellow-Top seemed like a much better idea than soldiering on with a random battery of unknown age and condition. The Yellow-Top in question has since magically turned itself back into a random battery of unknown age and condition, again while the Cherokee was parked round the back of a garage.

We also swapped over the Kaymar rear bumper, complete with its swing-away spare wheel carrier (which, we’ve found, will take a 33-inch tyre, though with so little to spare that something

as trivial as pressure or tread pattern could make all the difference). If you’re used to working on Land Rovers, mounting a bumper is about as simple a job as they come, but on the Cherokee it’s much more involved, thanks to the lack of a separate chassis. The Kaymar unit has two long angle arms which slide along the main rails of the monocoque structure, providing sufficient contact to be bolted up stoutly enough for off-road recovery action, so there’s a certain amount of prep to be done before it goes on.

Closer to home, you’ll look long and hard to find anyone with a bad thing to say about the

Propshaft Clinic. The Bradford company makes wide-angle and double-cardon shafts with up to 200mm of travel, fitted with greasable heavy-duty UJs as standard, and it also made up a custom union for the back prop it supplied.

Interestingly, when we first got the Skyjacker kit all those years ago, someone who called himself a Jeep specialist used the immortal words ‘it can’t be done,’ his reasoning being that no off-the-shelf conversion existed for the rear prop on UK-model Cherokees. As I hope the pictures on these pages prove, yes it can be done: you just have to get beyond the mind-set

Below: Transferring the good kit from the old Jeep to its replacement meant, among many other things, unbolting its front and rear bumpers and prepping the new vehicle to receive them. A bigger job than you might expect, thanks to the Cherokee’s monocoque construction. Still, at least the front one wasn’t as heavy as it used to be, back in the days before some poxy little glue-sniffer stole the winch Right: A new Optima Yellow-Top future-proofed the Cherokee against its crummy old battery not having enough guts to power a winch. What it didn’t future-proof the Cherokee against was having its new Optima Yellow-Top spirited away by persons unknown and replaced with a crummy old battery that probably didn’t have enough guts to power a winch. We’re fairly sure Alanis Morrissette has written a song about this

4x4 3pp Our 4x4s Cherokee May.indd 83

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03/07/2018 16:11

OUR 4X4S: PROJECT CHEROKEE The old Cherokee was off-roaded mercilessly for years then left in a yard, also for years, receiving attention only from the people who stole its winch. No wonder, then, that the axles were crustier than the back end of a crab – and just check out the plight of that shock absorber…

that the only way of doing things is to bolt on the sort of accessories you can get off the shelf without enlisting the help of people who are actually capable of thinking about how to address the problem. The Clinic’s shaft works perfectly off-road, and there’s no vibration at all on tarmac.

Job done.

Finally this month, talking of jobs done, here’s one that definitely hadn’t been when the vehicle first went back on the road, and to be honest still hasn’t. Fitting the 8” lift messed up the Cherokee’s steering something chronic, with truly epic levels of bump-steer and about half a turn required before you actually get any response on the ground.

The original set-up used a drag link made by a third-party engineering supplier (which has long since stopped trading, as indeed as the company we tasked with doing the conversion work in the first place). It worked about as well as a concrete parachute, so on went a replacement which dealt with the giant amounts of slop in the system but if anything made the bump-steer even worse.

That was where things stood when the Cherokee was mothballed some years ago. The next instalment in the tale will look at what we uncovered when we took the vehicle elsewhere for a second opinion; and then, we’ll be getting towards the rebirth of this extremely long-running saga, which is currently taking shape courtesy of the experts at Jeepey. These guys are proper Jeep specialists, and what they don’t know about Cherokees ain’t worth knowing. This time, we’re confident, our long-suffering old XJ is going to come back the way it always should have been in the first place.

Above: Having received the attention of a wire brush and enough Hammerite to refloat the Titanic, the axles are ready to go again. Just as well, because that gorgeous new suspension kit would have showed them up very badly indeed in the condition they’d got into Right, below: With the new and much taller suspension in place, the Cherokee’s rear prop had to be binned for a new one. Step forward the Propshaft Clinic, with a bespoke unit designed to work through a much wider arc of travel than the original. Despite its colour, the external output flange on the transfer case came from the Clinic, not suspension provider Skyjacker

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THE EXPERTS IN AUTOMOTIVE LIGHTING

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OFF-ROAD SCENE

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OFF-ROAD SPECIALIST ADDS ON-ROAD 4X4 TRAINING TO REPERTOIRE

FOR THE LAST SIXTEEN YEARS, ukLANDROVERevents has provided off-road driver training using vehicles from the Solihull marque. But the company has now branched out into another form of tuition – teaching people how to drive a 4x4 on the road.

‘Parents in particular have been concerned that their children qualify as new drivers in small hatchbacks, only to then want to drive larger, more powerful family 4x4s,’ explains ukLANDROVERevents founder Colin Bell. ‘This requires quite a different attitude and skill set in order to stay safe on the roads.’

Based in North Yorkshire, the firm is responding to its clients’ demands by offering a variety

of courses. These cover a range of skills and topics, but each will be bespoke for the pupil in question – who will first be put through a specially designed practical driving assessment to allow the instructor to fully understand their needs.

The expansion of the business has also spawned a new website – onroadtraining.co.uk – where both private and business drivers can get in touch regarding a session.

Other benefits of these courses include a Pass Plus certificate for new drivers, offering the potential for insurance discounts after completion of a Newly Qualified Driver Safety Course.

As well as this new range of advanced and defensive driving

courses, ukLANDROVERevents will continue to offer its traditional off-road expertise, both through driver training and the tag-along reen lane adventures for which

it’s become known. To enquire about any of these courses or events, you can contact Colin by dropping him an email at colin@ uklandroverevents.com.

GLASS seeks help in repairing iconic rights of way THE GREEN LANE ASSOCIATION has committed itself to playing a leading role in repairing two of Britain’s very best vehicular rights of way – but still needs help from the green laning community to get the work over the line.

The lanes include Happy Valley, one of the most popular rights of way in Wales, whose surface has deteriorated in two areas. The local authorities have approved GLASS as the party to carry out repairs, preparations for which are at an advanced stage, however the association needs more in the way of donations to make this possible. Earlier this year, North Somerset Land Rover Club donated £500 to GLASS funds – a heroic example set by a club which has supported the association more than once in this way – but more organisations and individuals need to follow suit.

GLASS is also involved in fundraising for repairs to the Old Coach Road in Cumbria, which suffered badly from water erosion during the torrential rains that struck the area a couple of winters ago. The association has donated £5000 towards the cost of the work, a sum which has been matched by the Trail Riders Federation, however the same amount again is expected to be necessary to cover the costs of the full works.

These lanes are two of just many which GLASS fights to protect. To join up, or to donate, start by paying a visit to www.glass-uk.org.

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OFF-ROAD SCENE

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Land Rover partners up with what3words to deliver a new era of healthcare efficiency in remote regions of the world

Dividing the entire world into 57 trillion blocks of about ten square feet, then giving each one its own unique three-word ‘postcode’, might at first glance seem like a bit of a waste of time. But that’s what what3words has done – and Land Rover has teamed up with the organisation in a move which promises to help emergency services respond more quickly in a remote part of Britain.

This is the Isle of Mull, off the west coast of Scotland, where each official postcode can cover a huge area – and, to make matters worse, not every road has a formally recognised name. This can make it as good as impossible to explain your location to an emergency operator (or just a courier who can’t find his way to you), and is every bit as likely to leave your sat-nav in a cold sweat too.

To start with, a fleet of Land Rovers will deliver bespoke address plaques to two thousand properties on Mull. Bearing the unique three-word identifier for their location, these will allow the island’s doctor to find patients more easily – and therefore deliver quicker, more efficient medical attention.

The scheme was contrived after Dr Brian Prendergast asked for help in give every home and business on the island a precise address that could save valuable time in emergencies. Speaking of the project, he said: ‘We believe it will not only help us deliver a better routine healthcare service, but will also save vital minutes in emergency call-outs that could literally save a life. The island is really grateful to what3words and Land Rover for putting Mull on the map.’

First Mull, then the world. Once this pilot scheme has been completed, Land Rover proposes to extend its partnership with what3words in a bid to enhance the accessibility of remote communities around the globe.

So that’s how you turn what sounds like a waste of time into what’s actually a very good way of saving time. But you’re not interested in that, are you? You’re already firing up your browser and heading for what3words.com to see what three-word ‘address’ they’ve come up with for your house, garden, mate’s jacuzzi, boss’ parking space and so on. Once the comedy stuff is over, however, this does look like that rarest of things, an online project that could actually be a good idea.

Pretty much the opposite of the internet in general, then.

4x4 Scene Aug.indd 87

OFF-ROAD CALENDAR

UK Convoy Tours 14 July

18 August

Trails and Tracks North York Moors

Trails and Tracks Yorkshire

15 July

18-19 August

UK Landrover Events Durham Dales

Protrax Wales

21 July

19 August

Ardent Adventures Yorkshire Dales

Protrax East Midlands

21-22 July

UK Landrover Events Peak District

4x4 Adventure Tours Yorkshire

25 August

Protrax Wales

Ardent Adventures The Lake District

22 July

26 August

Protrax East Midlands

Ardent Adventures The Lake District

28-29 July

2 September

Trailmasters Wales

UK Landrover Events Eden District

4 August

8-9 September

UK Landrover Events Tynedale

4x4 Adventure Tours Welsh Borders

5 August

Atlas Overland Wessex

Protrax East Midlands

15 September

UK Landrover Events North York Moors

Trails and Tracks Northumberland

11-12 August

21 September

UK Landrover Events Wiltshire

UK Landrover Events Yorkshire Dales

14-16 August

23 September

UK Landrover Events Coast to Coast

UK Landrover Events Northumberland

AUGUST 2017 | 87

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MAC 4X4 ORGANISER RECOGNISED BY AWARD FOR CHARITY WORK SELWYN KENDRICK, the organiser of the popular Mac 4x4 charity event, has been honoured with a regional volunteer award for his work with Macmillan Cancer Support.

The award celebrates those going above and beyond the call of duty to support people living with a cancer diagnosis in their local area.

Based in Herefordshire, Selwyn has used his knowledge and experience of both motorsport and off-road training to put on the event, demonstrating his passion and dedication to supporting Macmillan. He used the event five years ago to speak publicly about his own diagnosis, and has turned his personal experience into an opportunity to network with professionals and explore how services and treatments can be improved for his fellow patients.

‘I’m very pleased to have received this award from Macmillan,’ said a beaming Selwyn. ‘I have always been a great supporter of Macmillan and enjoy supporting people living with cancer, like myself.

Living with cancer can be very difficult at times, but I keep telling myself that cancer is not going to kill me. I tell myself it is more likely to be a London bus so I just stay out of London!’

Peter Rowland is a fellow volunteer and friend of Selwyn’s, who personally nominated him for the award. ‘Selwyn originally proposed a one-off Millennium event when I started as the Macmillan Fundraiser for Hereford,’ he commented. ‘But the foot and

mouth outbreak, along with a fuel tanker driver’s strike, thwarted him.

‘Being Selwyn, he was not to be put off and the first event took place in 2001. He has put a massive amount of time and energy into making the event a great success.

His personal cancer diagnosis, rather than diminishing his efforts,

has actually made him more determined. Having worked with him over the past nineteen years, I felt honoured to recommend him for this Macmillan award and am so pleased his efforts have been recognised.’

Mac 4x4 has averaged sixty teams of two over the last eighteen

years and, thanks to Selwyn’s guidance and energy, has raised approximately £1.5 million. With a predominantly male audience, the event also helps Macmillan communicate with a section of society that’s difficult to reach in terms of prevention, pre-diagnosis and awareness.

Ridgeway reopens after extended winter break The Wiltshire Ridgeway, which closes to motor vehicles every winter to prevent surface damage, has reopened after this year’s break was extended in the wake of the severe weather Britain suffered in the first part of spring. The summer season, which normally starts on 1 May, was delayed for 21 days after Wiltshire County Council imposed a temporary prohibition order to allow the lane to recover from ruts and standing water left over from the winter. The reopening applies only to portions of the Ridegway correctly classified as byways open to all traffic.

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OFF-ROAD SCENE

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Ian Redway

6 May 1970 – 31 May 2018

OFF-ROAD CALENDAR

Pay-and-play events 15 July Explore Off Road Silverdale, Stoke-on-Trent

12 August

Hilll N Ditch Mouldsworth, Cheshire

4x4 Without a Club

Muddy Bottom Minstead, Hampshire

Essex, Rochford and District 4x4 Club

Mud Monsters

Rayleigh, Essex

East Grinstead,West Sussex

Hilll N Ditch Mouldsworth, Cheshire

Whaddon 4x4 Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire

21 July Burnham Off Roaders Tring, Hertfordshire

22 July All of us at 4x4 have been saddened to learn of the death of Ian Redway, who passed away on 31 May at the young age of 48.

It was in 2009 that Ian contacted Total Off-Road magazine to ask if we would be interested in featuring a Range Rover he had built. We receive many such messages, and the vehicles we find ourselves looking at as a result vary enormously in quality, but it’s fair to say that Ian’s was one of the very best ever to appear in the magazine which went on to take over 4x4 last year.

‘Ian was a real character who loved the outdoors, his Minis, off-roading, blowing things up, getting close to nature and making the most of his life in every way,’ says his friend James McCloud. ‘Always sociable and willing to help anyone with anything and let them share in his adventures.’

Ian’s friends have created a YouTube video in his memory, which you can find by searching the site for his name. ‘Thank you to everyone that contributed media,’ continues James, ‘and especially to Ian for creating so many moments that were worthy of being photographed or filmed.’

Ian is survived by his daughter Lacey and brother Kevin. ‘He will be greatly missed,’ says James. ’It was a privilege to know him. RIP mate.’

Picadilly Wood Bolney,West Sussex

Burnham Off Roaders Tring, Hertfordshire

Frickley 4x4 Frickley, South Yorkshire

Protrax Yarwell, Northamptonshire

Slindon Safari Fontwell,West Sussex

28 July Kirton Off Road Centre Kirton Lindsey, North Lincs

29 July Cowm Leisure Whitworth, Lancashire Kirton Off Road Centre Kirton Lindsey, North Lincs Whaddon 4x4 Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire

5 August Frickley 4x4 Frickley, South Yorkshire

Muddy Bottom Minstead, Hampshire

Harbour Hill,West Berkshire

Slindon Safari Fontwell,West Sussex Whaddon 4x4 Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire

19 August Explore Off Road Silverdale, Stoke-on-Trent

Frickley 4x4 Frickley, South Yorkshire

Muddy Bottom Minstead, Hampshire

Mud Monsters East Grinstead,West Sussex

25 August Kirton Off Road Centre Kirton Lindsey, North Lincs

26 August Cowm Leisure Whitworth, Lancashire Kirton Off Road Centre Kirton Lindsey, North Lincs

Slindon Safari Fontwell,West Sussex Whaddon 4x4 Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire

27 August Hilll N Ditch Mouldsworth, Cheshire

Parkwood 4x4 Tong, Bradford

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OFF-ROAD SCENE

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Overland Travel

OFF-ROAD CALENDAR

14 July

18-29 August

17 September

17 Nov – 2 Dec

Compass Adventures Corsica

Landtreks Portugal

Peru Safari Peru

Onelife Adventure Morocco

14-29 July

24 August – 4 Sept

24-30 September

3 December

Onelife Adventure Iceland

Trailmasters Morocco

Landtreks Pyrenees

Peru Safari Peru

17 July – 31 August

25 August

1-14 October

April 2019

Venture 4x4 Iceland

Compass Adventures Corsica

Atlas Overland Morocco

Venture 4x4 Iceland

19 July – 2 August

25 Aug – 8 Sept

2-7 October

19 April – 3 May 2019

Venture 4x4 Iceland

Atlas Overland Portugal

Landtreks Pyrenees

Trailmasters Morocco Marrakesh Classic

22 July

2-15 September

3-16 October

20 April 2019

Peru Safari Peru

Atlas Overland Morocco

Trailmasters Morocco Draa Valley

Peru Safari Peru

22-28 July

8-16 September

11 October

April-May 2019 (6wks)

Landtreks Pyrenees

UK Landrover Events Pyrenees

Peru Safari Peru

Onelife Adventure Namibia/Botswana

27 July – 10 August

8-29 September

14 October –1 Nov

May 2019

Venture 4x4 Iceland

Protrax Iceland

Protrax Morocco

Venture 4x4 Iceland

30 July – 5 August

9-15 September

25 Oct – 7 Nov

9 May 2019

Landtreks Pyrenees

Landtreks Pyrenees

Trailmasters Morocco Atlantic Sahara

Peru Safari Peru

2-16 August

15-26 September

27 October

26 May 2019

Venture 4x4 Iceland

Onelife Adventure Bulgaria

Peru Safari Peru

Peru Safari Northern Peru

4-18 August

16-29 September

28 October –15 Nov

12 June 2019

Atlas Overland Italian Alps

Trailmasters Morocco Marrakesh Classic

Protrax Morocco

Peru Safari Peruvian Steppes

16-27 August

16-30 September

15 November

18 July – 1 August 2019

Onelife Adventure Spain

Atlas Overland Morocco

Peru Safari Peru

Venture 4x4 Iceland

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4x4 TOR Folios and classifieds.indd 51

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AUGUST 2018 | 91

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OFF-ROAD SCENE

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ODYSSEY CHALLENGE TEAMS SHOW THEIR METTLE IN ANNUAL DEEP SCAR BATTLE

Words: Pip Evans Pics: Pawel Frackowiak

FOR THE THIRD ROUND of its 2018 series, the Odyssey Challenge returned to Deep Scar, near Kettering, for its annual plunge into the depths of this fearsome off-road site.

Despite a long spell of warm, dry weather, the centre section of the Scar still hadn’t dried out after the winter rains. So the set-up crew had to avoid the deeper sections – though having said this,

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it would have been rude not to let the competitors experience some of the wet stuff!

WKD Off-Road was the sponsor for this event. The company has been in the fabrication business for more than twenty years and, as well as being general steel work, its manufactures bespoke roll cages and spaceframe buggies for off-road competition – and with a proven track record, too. With their

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OFF-ROAD SCENE

specialist tube bending equipment, the guys there can create any kind of protection to suit any specific need or customer request.

After the usual formalities, the event got underway right on time and the competitors set off to drop into the depths of the Scar.

Thanks to some recent digger work, site access has improved considerably, meaning that while the punch locations remained as tough as ever, access between them was much improved.

During the twelve years for which this series has been running, truck technology has evolved considerably. So punches that used to be almost impossible to attain – with much huffing and puffing – are now much easier.

This means the set-up crew constantly have to try and find new ways of putting competitors to the test. There is a two-metrehigh vertical rock shelf running along much of the site which used to form a formidable barrier – but with most competitors now running 37” Maxxis Trepador tyres and pushing 24 volts through twin 12-volt motors on both the front and rear (not to forget those running hydraulic winches), popping up on to the shelf is relatively straightforward.

It’s hard to give your normal 4x4 truck owner an impression of what a feat this is. But get a tall person to stand in front of your vehicle, then imagine having to get your truck up and over them.

Believe it or not, there are even tougher obstacles in Deep Scar than the vertical shelf. There are massive rocks and boulders to contend with, as well as the 45-degree slopes of the quarry sides, plus deep mud and a dip in the water.

With this kind of terrain to contend with, breakages are inevitable. But challenge crews are made of extremely tough stuff and usually manage to fix things in situ – or at least bodge it enough to be able to get back to the pits for a proper repair.

Charlie Harper, for instance, christened his new Whitbread buggy by rolling it – and even managed to snap off his steering wheel in the process. Fortunately, full hydraulic steering is so easy to operate that he was able to

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steer his way back to the pits by twiddling the centre boss!

Nathan Brown, meanwhile, managed to break off an entire rear hub assembly, which left him on three wheels. But this wasn’t going to stop him. He carried on by winching his way around the site, dragging his axle tube along the ground but still collecting punches on the way. Zak Dambrauskas had a few issues, too, until finally a broken trailing arm ended his day early.

Stu McClurg had allowed his usual winchman to drive his powerful V8 truck on this one, but Dominic O’Reagan showed it no mercy and managed to snap a 60mm thick Dana axle halfshaft –

that takes some doing! The savagery of the Scar produced countless rolls, but challenge crews are so used to this they just self-recover and get on with it. The only injuries suffered were those inflicted by the savage horse flies who wreaked havoc despite liberal application of industrial quantities of jungle formula mozzie spray.

An emerging pattern has been forming in Class 3 for the 2018 series, with Tom Hirons and Tom Wilson’s WKD prepared truck dominating proceedings thanks to a combination of excellent reliability and teamwork. This team are being closely pursued by Mat Bain and David Burton, however, with Steve

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OFF-ROAD SCENE

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Grant and Joe Hood also nipping at their heels.

On this particular event, the two Toms actually managed to do the near-impossible and completed their punch card, albeit only just before the deadline time, to accrue 7703 points. Mat and David were not far behind on 6124 points, while Simon Ward and Austin James collected 5759 to push Steve and Joe back to 4th.

In Class 2, Ben Mark with winchman Tom Jolliffe again

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dominated proceedings – though their score was a great deal lower than usual due to some issues with which they had to contend during the day. Ben ended the day with 4602 points. Johnny Johnson and Tracey Stafford have consistently placed themselves on the podium so far this year, and their sterling efforts were rewarded with another second spot on 3474 points. Neil Granger and Jake Chappell, who have been steadily improving, took 3rd place on 1701 points.

Class 1 is the toughest to compete in, as these vehicles are only allowed one winch and no axle diff lockers. So it was a truly astonishing result for Rhys Hutchinson and Dan Mann to collect 4650 points – the 5th highest score overall, and higher than the winners in Class 2. Theirs is yet another WKD-built truck.

Some way behind were Hugh Gascoyne and Brad Johnson on 2101 points, with Zak Dambrauskas and Marc Johnson trailing behind in

3rd. Their early retirement meant that they only collected 501 points.

WKD trucks regularly occupy top podium positions at the major off-road events and this was no exception, which is testament to the quality of the company’s products, and proprietor Matt Dillon was on hand to give out the goodies at the awards presentation.

For full results, and loads of photos and comments, go to Facebook and take a look at the Odyssey Batteries Winch Challenge page.

4x4 03/07/2018 14:06

25TH

ANNIVERSARY

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4x4 TOR Folios and classifieds.indd 49

AUGUST 2018 | 95

03/07/2018 11:25

NEXT MONTH IN 4x4 Tested at last! Jeep finally lets us behind the wheel of the all-new Wrangler JL Two stunning resto-mods – a glorious Chevy V8 Defender and a sublime Suzuki LJ Driven: First test of the SsangYong Musso double-cab in final production form

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TAL OFF-R OA D Newsagent This magazine is available to your wholesaler through Comag Magazine Marketing, Tavistock Rd, West Drayton, Middlesex UB7 7QE. Tel: 01895 444055 Fax: 01895 433602 TO

96 | AUGUST 2018

112 Next Month Aug.indd 96

SAFETY

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t always stay on the right of way. Never drive off it to play on 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.

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4x4 26/06/2018 19:20

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road licence & first registration charge. Model shown is not SsangYong UK specification and shows metallic paint priced at £430 ex VAT. 3.5 tonne towing capacity only with automatic transmission. Warranty covers 7 years or 150,000 miles. Prices are correct at the time of going to print but may be modified or changed at any time.

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