4x4 Magazine - March 2020

4x4

NEWS • TECH • DEBATE • TRAVEL • MODIFIED VEHICLES • GREEN LANING

DRIVEN New Ford Ranger XLT Super-Cab

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

JIMNY OR DEFENDER?

A new Suzuki Jimny costs the same sort of money as a middle-aged Land Rover 90 Td5. Which makes the smarter choice if you want to build an everyday off-road toy?

£4.99

Stunning full-Raptor Wrangler JL Wet but winterproof lanes on our Derby all-rounder in profile

MAR 2020

Dales Roadbook

Exploring Ethiopia: A land of surprises and an overland gem 4x4 Cover Mar WITH SARAH POSS ROADBOOK PIC CHANGE.indd 1

02/02/2020 23:02

Untitled-4 1

04/02/2020 13:11

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March 2020

om for fast jeepspares.c

SCENE OFF-ROAD CALEN DAR

moving service

A Overseas

and repair

Adventure Travel

CONTENTS

parts

S 4x4 Show

for ahead, and

Convoy Tour three months Green Lane approximately shown up to lane tours are Dates for green Off-Road Playday does not represent on-sale date. in this listing the magazine’s any errors also that inclusion the consequences of the month following for ahead. Note to the end of responsibility it is still going space permitting are shown up but accept no a year ahead, to ensure that Dates for playdays adventure tours up to with the organiser accuracy of this information, overseas first checking care over the shows and event without We take great travel to an Trails and Tracks should never by 4x4 magazine. or organiser Important: You Tyne Valley of the event any endorsement 14-15 March

G

KEY

P

G

2-11 March 16 February

P P Muddy Bottom P Minstead, Hampshire

G East Midlands (night run) Protrax

5-20 March

22 February Green Adventure

Onelife Adventure

A Morocco

Tours

G Shropshire / Welsh Borders Landrover Events G UKDurham Dales

7 March Burnham Off-Roaders

P Tring, Hertfordshire Protrax G Wales Events UK Landrover G Eden District

23 February

S Stafford, Staffordshire Bures Pit P Bures, Essex Cowm Leisure P Whitworth, Lancashire Slindon Safari P Slindon, West Sussex 4x4 Thames Valley P Oxley Shaw, Berkshire 4x4 Expo

7-8 March

7-26 March

G East Midlands (night run) Protrax

– 1 March

Compass Adventures

G Wales Travel Road Adventure G OffWales 2-6 March

G Coast to Coast Ardventures

1 March Frickley 4x4

P Frickley, South Yorkshire Muddy Bottom P Minstead, Hampshire Picadilly Wood P Bolney, West Sussex

21 March

G Tynedale

21-22 March

14 April

Events Landrover Events UK Tyne and Wear

17-19 April

Dales to Coast G Yorkshire Moors andCoast Trailmasters G Lake District 18 April

UK Landrover

13 April

Active 4x4

A Morocco

G Eden District

UK Landrover

2020

A

Ardventures

Trails and Tracks

G North Wales 2-3 May

G Atlas Overland G Wessex Events UK Landrover G Wiltshire Ardventures North/Mid Wales

Active 4x4

A Portugal

31 July – 3

2020

1-15 August

2020

27 May – 10

8-23 August

Ardventures

Off Road Adventure

Onelife Adventure

A Pyrenees

17-23 August

Billing Off-Road

28 June – 16

1-5 July 2020

A French Pyrenees Landtreks

11-24

July 2020

A Balkans

Ardventures

13-19 July

A

2020

Landtreks East Pyrenees

19-20 September

Travel

Overland Show

S Stratford Upon Avon, Warwickshire Adventure

Show

July 2020

Off Road Adventure

A Albania

2020

A Pyrenees

Landtreks

S Billing, NorthamptonLRshireShow Kelmarsh Original S Kelmarsh, Northamptonshire

Travel

Adventures

15-26 August

Rover Show

27-28 June

Protrax

2020

Active 4x4

A Botswana

July 2020

Billing Land

S Billing, Northamptonshore

A Pyrenees A Pyrenees, Spain

2020

Atlas Overland

26-28 June

June 2020

5-19 June 2020

10-29 August

A Corsica

Rally

More shows and off-road events listed than ever before!

2020

A Galicia, Spain

Ardent Adventure

22 June – 7

2020

Atlas Overland

A Italian Alps

July

A Pyrenees

Follow-On

/ Storm Jeeps

Ardventures

A Greece

20-27 June

August 2020

A Marquenterre, France

Protrax Pyrenees

Onelife Adventure

ALRC National

Adventures

Tours

Ardent Adventure

S Bilsington, Kent

August 2020

A Pyrenees Coast to Coast Landtreks

19 June – 3

25-30 May

4-13 May 2020

28 July – 9

A Pyrenees

May

16 New 4x4 Calendar

Spares Day

S Malvern, Worcestershire

Adventures

13-20 June

Events

Trails and Tracks

G Northumberland

16-17 Events A Morocco UK Landrover Onelife Adventure 22 March Yorkshire Dales Burnham Off-Roaders G Yorkshire 4-5 April Safari P Tring, Hertfordshire& District 4x4 Club P Slindon 19 April Sussex Travel 2020 Slindon, West ShowAdventure16-24 May Off Road Essex, Rochford Land Rover Great British G Wales ire Events P Rayleigh, Essex 3 April UK Land Rover 24 March – S Newark, NottinghamshProtrax Parkwood 4x4 A Pyrenees Tours MayG Wales 4x4 Adventure P Tong, Bradford 24 April – 10 2020 A Morocco Trails and Tracks 16-30 May Slindon Safari Ardent Adventure G Cumbria, Eden and Yorks Dales P Slindon, West Sussex 6 April Atlas Overland 24 March – A Morocco Events UK Landrover A Portugal 4-16 April Trailmasters G Lake District Classic April 25 Marrakesh June 2020 A Morocco Atlas Overland 20 May – 2 Trails and Tracks 9-13 March Morocco Classic Trailmasters 26-27 March G North York MoorsA Road (extreme expedition) Ardent Off Morocco A Events 5 April UK Landrover G Coast to Coast Day 4x4 Spares G Cumbria/Yorkshire 25-26 April Overland Newbury 21-25 May Show Berkshire Adventure 14 March S Newbury, Warwickshire Rally ALRC National 28 March S Stratford Upon Avon, Tours Green Adventure S Bilsington, Kent Centre Compass Adventures Kirton Off Road G Shropshire / Welsh Borders Lincs Lake District Yorkshire / P Kirton Lindsey, NorthG 23-24 May Trails and Tracks Protrax G County Durham Protrax G Wiltshire G4x4 Wiltshire

8 March

Malvern 4x4

4x4 Adventure

16

Adventures

19 July

A Pyrenees 10-24 June

2020

Active 4x4

A Alps

8-17 June 2020

10 May

1-3 May

16 | MARCH

Active 4x4

AdventuresMay

3-16 April

13-22 July

Ardventures

8-17 June 2020

A Pyrenees

parts

and repair

A Pyrenees, Spain

Events

P Dales and Eden 30 March –

moving service

6-21 June 2020

8 May

29 March

Road

Trails and Tracks Onelife Adventure

G Morocco Desert and Mountains Protrax

Explore Off

Events t 7-8 April UK Landrover P Silverdale, Stoke-on-Tren Belvoir Bures Pit Onelife Adventure P Bures, Suffolk G Lincoln and Frickley 4x4 G Yorkshire P Frickley, South Yorkshire Cowm Leisure 9 May Bottom P Whitworth, Lancashire UK Landrover Events 12 April P Muddy Minstead, Hampshire Frickley 4x4 G Durham Dales Events Yorkshire UK Landrover P Frickley, South Protrax Centre P Tixover, NorthamptonsGhirePeak District Kirton Off RoadNorth 9-10 May P Kirton Lindsey, LincsGaydon Land Rover Show 13 April 20 March Protrax ShireGaydon, Warwickshire Events Events UK Landrover P Tixover, Northamptons UK Landrover Protrax 4x4 G Northumberland G North York Moors Thames Valley Wales G Hampshire P Broxhead, UK Landrover

Trails and Tracks

G North of England

29 February

29 February

Tours

4 March

om for fast

28-29 March

G Yorkshire Moors and Dales jeepspares.c Compass Adventures AD SCENE G Yorkshire / Lake District Atlas Overland G Wessex OFF-RO Protrax G Wiltshire 15 March Ardventures

4x4 Adventure

A Portugal

Road Explore Off t Silverdale, Stoke-on-Tren Frickley 4x4 Yorkshire Frickley, South

22-30 August

2020

Ardent Adventure

A Alps

24 August –

4 Sept 2020

A Morocco

Trailmasters

26-31 August

2020

Lost World

A Alps

Overland

9-24 September

A

2020

Protrax Ukraine

22 November Great British

Land Rover

S Stoneleigh, Warwickshire

Show

MARCH 2020

| 17

4x4

42

“You might not spec yours exactly the same – but in defines current thinking in the off-road world”

52

64 | JANUARY 2020

2-3 Contents Mar AK DONE AWAITING ANY CONTENT CHANGES.indd 2

46

34

4x4 03/02/2020 20:58

66 12 ISSUES OF 4X4 – FOR JUST £12!

£1 per issue. Yes, really – that’s all it costs to have Britain’s only 4x4 magazine delivered to your door every month! Time to take action…

4x4 Scene: News, Products and More…

6 6 7 8 10 10 12 13 14 18 18 20 21 22 23 24

INEOS Grenadier Magna-Steyr appointed to lead production development Dacia Duster Special edition adds further kit for not much money Nissan Navara Off-Roader AT32 Return of one of our favourite pick-ups Isuzu D-Max AT35 Revisions for big-tyred Arctic Trucks double-cab Suzuki Jimny Deliveries confirmed at least until end of 2020 Mitsubishi L200 Trojan Well known name returns to latest model line-up Bowler Ailing off-road motorsport specialist becomes part of Land Rover Great British Land Rover Show All ready for April’s curtain-raiser in Newark!

GLASS Fundraiser Crowdfunding to help save four iconic Welsh lanes Ironman New winch bumper for current-shape Suzuki Jimny Britpart Cellular Dynamics shocks for leaf-sprung Land Rovers Bilstein High-performance air springs for Discovery 4 GAZ New adjustable shocks promise great things for Ford Ranger Hi-Pro Performance Tuning Flexible, reusable solutions for your 4x4 Thunderpole CB radio rigs to suit all needs and budgets Dakar Rally Old heads triumph over fresh blood yet again

Driven 26 30

Ford Ranger Work-spec crew-cab model makes a strong case for itself VW Tiguan Range-topping petrol engine creates a quicker, smoother SUV

Every Month 4 16 66 80

Alan Kidd Does refinement matter in an off-road vehicle?

Calendar Forthcoming playdays, lane runs, shows and expeditions Subscribe Your monthly fix of 4x4 delivered – for just £1 per copy!

Next Month Get ready for some serious Jeeps…

Features 34 42 46

Jimny v Defender Should you choose a new Suzuki or an old Land Rover?

Raptored JL Storm Jeeps goes to work on a new-gen Wrangler Modded Range Rover Sport Solihull’s gin-palace turned into a farm hack

Our 4x4s 52

Isuzu D-Max Go 2 Time for a very cool new addition to the 4x4 project fleet

Travel 54 60

many ways this Jeep

Alps A family-friendly off-road trail across the summit of Europe Ethiopia Surprises aplenty from one of Africa’s most varied nations

68 Roadbook

26

Peak District

are sharp rock Caution – there as you climb the steps to negotiate hillside

Step

Step 40: Turn left off the main embankment track, dropping then plunging down the straight into a water trough (right)

37

Step

13

Step

12.3 41

Abbey Strata Florida

8.75

track to the left Take the rocky track the main Cat A

Step

14

Step

38 13.1

of

More rock steps, water trough

Step

followed by a long

47

Step

15

There’s a couple of huge water troughs after the junction

13.1 Step

43

11.7 Step

16 11.8 Step

17 12.8 Step

18 12.8 88 | JANUARY 2020

It’s a steep, sharp climb up and over a bigger track – you can’t see ahead over your bonnet to start with

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

15.0

Step

4212.6

10.9

Step

48

Look out for you cross the the waymarker as ford

15.2

13.4 Step

Join the Cat A

track

44

You may find yourself driving a river bed along for a while…

13.65 Step

45

track Drop off the main the gate and immediately before trough water into yet another

14.7 Step

46 14.9 4x4

to clear these axleneed a bit of momentum right is much bigger to the Step 37: You might warned, the drop-off twisters – but be than it looks here

4x4

A route that proves the Peaks are still open for business, with a set of (mainly) easy-going lanes in the western part of the National Park JANUARY

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2020 | 89

MARCH 2020 | 3

04/02/2020 15:39

4x4 Alan Kidd Editor

W

hen my colleague George Dove first proposed doing an article comparing the new Suzuki Jimny with an old Land Rover Defender, I have to confess that to start with, I needed convincing. But actually, the more you think about it, the more this very odd sort of back-to-back test makes perfect sense.

In the car hack game, we’re used to comparing like for like. So putting a new, small, petrol-engined vehicle up against a big old diesel seemed wrong. But of course, in the real world, when you’re choosing what to buy you draw up your shortlist based entirely on one thing: price.

The new Jimny costs £18,749 in SZ5 form. That’s more or less what you’d expect to pay for a late Defender 90 Td5 on low-ish miles and in good all-round nick. So, the obvious thinking goes, which makes the better purchase.

George was also keen to answer a question with his article. Is the Jimny a spiritual successor to the 90? Obviously, the Defender went out of production with no replacement, and the new one that’s starting to appear, painfully slowly, in Land Rover showrooms is a very different beast indeed to the old-school truck whose name it will carry.

I’m not going to bust the conclusions here, of course, because the article itself awaits within these pages. But I’ll certainly say that doing the test was very interesting – and that I didn’t realise just how different these two off-roaders would feel as I jumped between one and the other.

Obviously, one is old and dented, grubby and untidy inside and bearing all the hallmarks of someone’s much loved but well used off-road toy. The other is a brand new vehicle which came to us fully valeted and looking as good as new. But apart from the basic stuff like this, the difference in characteristics caused by their weight, engines, suspension and, in particular, gearing were really apparent.

So too was the fact that, on account of it’s mine, I was going to be driving the 90 home afterwards. Smoking around in Defenders is a very special kind of pleasure which cannot be explained, or understood,

4 | MARCH 2020

4 Edline Mar.indd 4

Driving a 90 is a bit like jumping into bed with a woman who proceeds to beat you up in any kind of rational way, but every mile is special even if the overall experience can be a bit like jumping into bed with a woman who proceeds to beat you up.

All the same, I was quite envious of George for getting to head home in the Jimny. A little refinement can go a long way.

So too can a lot of refinement, as we discovered when we watched James Holt’s Range Rover Sport in action. Obviously, this is a premium SUV rather than an out-andout off-roader, but it was still basically the same vehicle underneath as a Discovery 3.

And with just a few modifications, it taught us a lot about what Land Rover’s more modern engineering can do.

It’s often said that the Disco 3 and 4 will be the next boom vehicles in the world of Landy modding. When I specced my old D2 back in 2010, one of the specialists I spoke to said he reckoned it would be missed out and enthusiasts would go straight from the D1 to the later stuff; that hasn’t quite been what’s happened but, given the still plentiful supply of D2s and in particular P38 Range Rovers, it’s perhaps surprising how many people are choosing the new generation of all-independent Landies instead.

Obviously, both the Disco 2 and P38 have fearsome reputations for being money pits.

But then, so too does the Disco 3.

You might have seen our article last month on whether it’s time to take the risk on one. The upshot was that when they’re working, they’re nothing short of brilliant – and at least there’s now a network of specialists able to put them right when the inevitable happens.

All the same, this is one of those times when it pays to start with the best vehicle you can possibly afford. Well, it’s always that time, but especially so with a D3.

Which could still mean spending enough on one that you could have got a Jimny instead. Maybe we should have done an article on that, too…

Tel: 01283 553243 Email: enquiries@assignment-media.co.uk Web: www.totaloffroad.co.uk www.4x4i.com Online Shop: www.toronline.co.uk Facebook: www.facebook.com/totaloffroad www.facebook.com/4x4Mag Editor Alan Kidd Assistant Editor George Dove Art Editor Samantha D’Souza Contributors Mike Trott, Dan Fenn, Paul Looe, Raymond and Nereide Greaves, Barrie Dunbar, Photographers Harry Hamm, Steve Taylor, Richard Hair, Vic Peel Group Advertising Manager Ian Argent Tel: 01283 553242 Advertising Manager Colin Ashworth Tel: 01283 553244 Advertising and Exhibition Sales Executive Abigail Cooper Tel: 01283 553246 Advertising Production Sarah Moss Tel: 01283 553242 Subscriptions Manager Catherine Martin Subscriptions Assistants Emma Emery, Kay Tunnicliffe, Abi Dutton Publisher and Head of Marketing Sarah Moss Email: sarah.moss@assignment-media.co.uk To subscribe to 4x4, or renew a subscription, call 01283 742970. Prices for 12 issues: UK £42 (24 issues £76); Europe Airmail/ROW Surface £54; ROW Airmail £78 Distributed by Marketforce; www.marketforce.co.uk Every effort is made to ensure the contents of 4x4 are accurate, but Assignment Media accepts no responsibility for errors or omissions nor the consequences of actions made as a result of these.

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

© Assignment Media Ltd, 2020

4x4 02/02/2020 23:00

A breath of fresh air for your Land Rover

“Breathing efficiency for your engine means more power or better fuel mileage” > Easy fit, directly replaces standard air filter. > Ideal for use in hot dusty conditions to reduce engine wear. > No need to replace as easy cleaning means maximum performance guaranteed. > Maximum breathing efficiency for your engine means more power or better fuel mileage. > Compatible with snorkels, ideal for use in conjunction with other performance modifications. > No compromise on quality - the engine gets more air but the dirt particles are trapped by the quality filters. > Filters don’t need pre-oiling and if the filter gets dirty there is no need to use a cleaner to clear the dirt on the filter - just use air, water or detergent.

Corresponds To Series 3 DA3138 4-cylinder - fits Zenith and Weber carbs DA4274 605191 LWB - 3.5 V8 - 2 filters required 1979 - 1982 Defender DA4269 DA4269 DA4270 DA4262 DA4262 DA4260 DA4379 Discovery 1 DA4274 DA4262 DA4262 DA4268 DA4264 DA4261 DA4261 DA4261 Discovery 2 DA4260 DA4260 Discovery 3 DA3139 Discovery 4 DA3139 DA4376 Discovery Sport DA4637 Freelander 1 DA4267 DA4267 DA4263 DA4260 Freelander 2 DA4375 DA4637

NRC9238 NRC9238 NTC6660 NTC1435 ESR2623 ESR4238 PHE500060 605191 NTC1435 ESR2623 RTC4683 ESR1049 ESR1445 ESR1445 ESR1445 ESR4238 ESR4238 PHE000112 PHE000112 LR011593 LR029078 ESR4103 ESR4103 PHE100500L ESR4238 LR005816 LR029078

2.5 petrol 2.5 D & Td 2.5 200Tdi 2.5 300Tdi 2.5 300Tdi Td5 Puma

1983 - 1990 1983 - 1990 1990 - 1993 1994 - 1997 1994 - 1997 1999 - 2007 2007 -

Corresponds To Range Rover Classic DA4274 605191

DA4272

DA4266

3.5 V8 carb - 2 filters required 1972 - 1986 3.5 carb V8 - cone type off-road extreme power filter 2 filters required 3.5 carb V8 - cone type - replaces 605191 2 filters required 3.5i V8 Efi 1985 - 1989 2.4D VM Turbo 1986 - 1992 2.4D VM Turbo 1986 - 1992 2.5D VM Turbo 1986 - 1992 2.5D VM Turbo 1986 - 1992 3.9i 1989 - 1994 4.0i V8 1990 - 1995 4.2i V8 1990 - 1995 4.6i V8 1990 - 1995 2.5 200Tdi 1991 - 1993 2.5 300Tdi 1993 - 1995 3.9i V8 Efi 1992 - 1994

DA4268 RTC4683 DA4262 NTC1435 DA4262 ESR2623 DA4262 NTC1435 DA4262 ESR2623 DA4268 RTC4683 DA4265 ESR341 DA4265 ESR341 3.5 V8 carb - 2 filters required 1989 - 1990 DA4265 ESR341 2.5 200Tdi 1989 - 1992 DA4264 ESR1049 2.5 200Tdi 1989 - 1992 DA4261 ESR1445 3.5i V8 Efi 1990 - 1993 DA4261 ESR1445 2.5 200Tdi 1992 - 1994 Range Rover P38 2.0i Mpi petrol DA4265 ESR341 Diesel up to TA346793 2.5 300Tdi 1994 - 1997 DA4265 ESR341 Petrol up to TA346793 3.9i V8 1994 - 1997 DA4260 ESR4238 Diesel from TA346794 up to VA376579 DA4260 ESR4238 Petrol from VA346794 up to VA376579 Td5 1999 - 2004 DA4260 ESR4238 Diesel from WA376580 4.0i 1999 - 2004 DA4260 ESR4238 Petrol from WA385949 up to WA410481 DA4265 ESR341 Petrol from WA376580 up to WA385948 2.7 V6 diesel, 4.0 V6 petrol & 4.4 V8 petrol DA4260 ESR4238 Petrol from XA410482 Range Rover Sport 2.7 V6 diesel, 3.0 V6 diesel & 4.0 V6 petrol 2.7 V6 diesel, 4.0 V6 petrol DA3139 PHE000112

2005 - 2013 5.0 V8 - nat. asp.

& 4.4 V8 petrol

2010 - 2013 DA4376 LR011593 5.0 V8 nat. asp. & supercharged 2.0 petrol & 2.2 diesel

2014 Range Rover L322 DA4378 PHE000050 4.4 V8 (BMW engine) 2002 - 2005 1.8 16v 1997 - 2000 DA4377 PHE500021 4.4 V8 nat. asp.

2006 - 2009 2.0i Tcie diesel (Rover engine) 1997 - 2000 DA4377 PHE500021 4.2 V8 supercharged 2006 - 2009 2.0 Td4 (BMW engine) 2001 - 2006 DA4377 PHE500021 3.6 Td8 2007 - 2009 V6 petrol DA4259 PHE000040 Td6 2002 - 2009 DA4376 LR011593 4.4 Td8 2010 - 2012 Petrol & diesel DA4376 LR011593 5.0 V8 nat. asp. & supercharged 2010 - 2012 from CH000001 - 2.0 petrol Range Rover Evoque LR029078 2.0 petrol & 2.2 diesel DA4637

Images of each filter go to www.britpart.com/filters

OFF-ROAD SCENE

jeepspares.com for fast moving service and repair parts

NEW 4X4S

MAGNA-STEYR TO LEAD PRODUCTION DEVELOPMENT ON NEW INEOS GRENADIER

Austrian giant behind Pinzgauer, G-Wagen and more appointed as engineering partner

T

he INEOS Grenadier has moved a step closer to production, with the announcement of Magna Steyr as engineering partner for the vehicle’s series development.

The Austrian giant, whose subsidiary Magna Powertrain has already been working with INEOS on chassis and suspension development for the Grenadier, works as a contract manufacturer for most of the world’s top car brands. It was the driving force behind the legendary Haflinger and Pinzgauer off-roaders, produced three generations of Jeep Grand Cherokees and currently builds our reigning 4x4 of the Year, the Mercedes-Benz G-Class.

Magna Steyr’s appointment signals that the Grenadier is moving out of the prototyping phase, as INEOS starts tooling up work for its recently announced manufacturing facility in Bridgend. This suggests a market introduction in late 2022, though the company is a long way from making that public. What it has announced is that the Grenadier will be powered by a range of six-cylinder BMW engines, with both petrol and diesel options available at launch.

Magna-Steyr is the modern version of the company that created the Pinzgauer – one of the most capable off-road vehicles of all time. INEOS Automotive is unusual in that it doesn’t mind referencing other manufacturers’ trucks in its promotional material – at the company’s inception, it was open about wanting to fill the gap left by the old Land Rover Defender. Its aim with the Grenadier is to replace all the utility 4x4s that have been lost over time in the rush towards soft-roaders ‘The transition from concept to series development is a major landmark in the evolution of the Grenadier,’ commented Dirk Heilmann, Chief Executive Officer

of INEOS Automotiv. ‘We are pleased to have Magna, with their long heritage and experience in 4x4 development, with us for the next stage of the journey. With our

production plans recently confirmed, we now move into all-important phase of series development and start to set our sights on the start of production.’

Dacia gets year underway with new special-edition Duster DACIA HAS KICKED OFF the decade by unveiling a new SE Twenty version of the Duster. Based on the existing Comfort model, this has extra equipment as well as its own design touches.

By ‘extra equipment,’ Dacia is talking about 17” diamond-cut alloys, blind spot warning and a multi-view camera. Not exactly the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, though the base model already has cruise, air-con, sat-nav, DAB, Bluetooth and smartphone pairing, so it won’t feel sparse.

In the cabin, there are blue mesh fabric inserts for the seats and matching surrounds for the air vents. Outside, the SE Twenty has gloss black door mirrors and unique side decals along the bottom of its doors, as well as blue centre caps for the wheels.

The vehicle is available with a choice of petrol and diesel engines, though only the latter offers the option of four-wheel drive. Thus equipped, it returns 51.3mpg and lists at £18,645 – a £650 premium over the base model, which is pretty good value for what you get.

6 | MARCH 2020

Scene Mar IN PROGRESS.indd 6

4x4 03/02/2020 20:05

OFF-ROAD SCENE

jeepspares.com for fast moving service and repair parts

Off-Roader AT32 built by Arctic Trucks returns to Nissan Navara range New tyres, suspension and underbody guards • On sale Feb, estimated £37,500 plus VAT

N

issan has reintroduced the Off-Roader AT32 to its Navara line-up – with an improved and more efficient model based on the revised version of our reigning Double-Cab of the Year.

Adapted ahead of registration by Arctic Trucks, the AT32 is offered as a full showroom model – meaning it comes with the same warranty and breakdown cover as the rest of the Navara range and can be insured as a standard vehicle. Though its 32” tyres are less overwhelmingly massive than those on Arctic Trucks’ AT35 conversion, we felt that the previous model’s narrower track meant it was better suited to British off-road conditions – and Nissan says the new one will be better still.

Like the previous model, the AT32 features lifted suspension – now using performance springs and shocks from Bilstein. This makes space for the revised Nokian all-terrains, which are housed beneath bespoke wheelarch extensions.

Nissan says the change of tyres makes for improved emissions and fuel economy, as well as making the new AT32 more responsive on the road – without losing any of the old-model’s prodigious ability in the rough. Another update is the adoption of dual-valve wheels, allowing

4x4 Scene Mar IN PROGRESS.indd 7

quicker and more accurate adjustment when airing tyre pressures up or down to suit the terrain.

As before, the AT32 has heavy-duty underbody protection. However this is now achieved using aluminium plates which are lighter in weight than the steel units of old – and Nissan says the plates themselves have been shaped to provide more comprehensive protection for com-

ponents like the sump, transmission, diffs and fuel tank.

Talking of the diffs, the Navara comes as standard with a locking unit in the back. Should you want even more traction, however, the options list includes an electronic locker for the front. Having tested the previous model on some of Britain’s most technical green lanes, we did manage to find a place in which the front locker did make a difference, even on all-terrain tyres, however if you want to take it this far you’ll surely have fitted a set of mud-terrains as your first port of call.

Also on the options list is a snorkel –

another item which is carried over from the old model. Nissan says this ‘increases the Navara’s wading depth to a massive 800mm,’ which doesn’t sound quite right to us as it positions the engine’s air intake something like a metre higher than this, but for protecting your investment from water and dust alike it’s a sound item to fit. And it looks cool.

As does the AT32 itself, though if the old one is anything to go by ‘investment’ will certainly be the word. It’s based on the range-topping N-Guard model, which comes with a wide range of safety kit, high-tech toys and no small amount of creature comforts and costs from £30,035 plus VAT. Add on the cost of Arctic Trucks’ conversion work and this is likely to leap up to around the £37,500 mark – though that’s just an estimate based on the price of last year’s model. Options like the snorkel and front locker will add a good chunk on top. Nissan says the vehicle will go on sale across Europe during the course of February, with prices to be announced at launch.

MARCH 2020 | 7

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NEW 4X4S

Spec revisions revealed as D-Max AT35 moves upmarket

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suzu’s D-Max AT35, the bigtyred off-roader converted pre-registration by Arctic Trucks and sold as a full showroom vehicle, has gained a series of revisions. These include a variety of interior enhancements – as well as a new suspension system which Isuzu says ‘ensures the D-Max Arctic Trucks can tackle even tougher terrains.’

The suspension, whose extra height compared to standard is among the modifications which

allow the D-Max to run 35” Nokian Rotiiva tyres, now uses Bilstein hardware as a substitute for the Fox Performance springs and shocks found on previous models.

As before, this is augmented by a modest body lift, as well as trimming of the standard bodywork – which gains pronounced wheelarch extensions to cover the width of the big rubber.

In between is a new design of side step with a high-grip tread.

This features Arctic Trucks’ new

logo, which also appears in liberal doses elsewhere on the vehicle.

Inside, the new-look vehicle gains redesigned seat trim with quilted leather moving it further upmarket. And there’s also a new 9” touchscreen media system with sat-nav, Bluetooth, DAB and phone mirroring as well as nine-speaker audio. You now get front and rear USB plugs, too, as well as a wireless charging plate in the glovebox, and when you’re manoeuvring at low speeds the screen doubles up

as both a reversing camera and front blind-spot display. Handy in such a big, high vehicle.

Also handy is the fact that, being converted pre-registration and sold as a standard Isuzu model, the AT35 doesn’t need to be insured as a modified vehicle. Unless you modify it, obviously. Better yet, it retains the same 5-year, 125,000mile warranty as the rest of the D-Max range.

You can get the AT35 in white, silver metallic and black, grey, red or blue micatallic. No prizes for guessing which one will do the best job of hiding the scratches. OTR prices are £39,995 and £40,995 plus VAT for manual and auto models respectively, and the revised vehicle is on sale now.

THE MITSUBISHI L200 used to lord it over the rest of the pick-up market in the UK. That changed many years ago – but could it be changing back? Perhaps – because the L200 has just recorded its strongest sales in a calendar year since 2007.

Back then, the Series 4 version of the L200 was in its first full year on sale.

This was the first model to bring full-time four-wheel drive to the market, and with looks inspired by Mitsubishi’s all-conquering Dakar racers of the time it was a monster hit.

Does this point to 2020 being an even bigger success for the new Series 6 model? Well, this will be ITS first full year on sale – and like the old Series 4, bold styling is very much at the forefront of what it’s about.

And the arrival of the new-look model was very much at the heart of the L200’s success last year. It totalled some 10,125 units in the UK during the course of 2019 – which is a 9.5% increase over 2018. But consider the figures for the month of December alone, when supply of the new model was fully up and running: the 580 units it shifted during this period constitutes a massive 55% improvement over the previous year.

Customers have really responded to the new L200’s striking looks, improved driving experience and even lower running costs,’ said Mitsubishi UK’s sales boss Toby Marshall. ‘We are delighted the new L200 has got off to such a flying start and we are working hard to build on that success into 2020 and beyond.’

8 | MARCH 2020

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4x4 03/02/2020 20:05

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

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

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

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

General Tire. A brand of Continental.

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23/11/2017 11:15

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NEW 4X4S

JIMNY REMAINS ON SALE – BUT FOR HOW LONG?

Length of waiting lists remains unprecedented • EU emissions regulations due in 2021 set to make off-roader unviable • Suzuki aiming to honour existing orders

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uzuki has moved to quash rumours that the Jimny was about to be withdrawn from sale in Europe. The vehicle has been a victim of its own success since launch, attracting enormous interest from buyers – who have ended up in vast waiting lists as a consequence.

Speculation on the Jimny’s future, however, mainly surrounded EU emissions legislation which is currently in the penultimate stage of phasing-in. These rules mean that from the start of 2021, manufacturers must average less than 95g/km across all the new cars they sell – or pay a fine of €95 per g/km, per car.

At present, and until the end of this year, the 95g/km threshold will be applied to the least-emitting 95% of all the cars a manufacturer sells.

This has allowed Suzuki to confirm that the Jimny will remain on sale in the UK throughout 2020 – however only in what it says will be ‘very limited numbers.’

Beyond this, despite the advent of new hybrid powertrains across the rest of Suzuki’s range the company

will have to absorb the Jimny’s 154170g/km emissions if the vehicle is to remain on sale here. What this means is that availability is unlikely ever to reach the levels enjoyed by the old model – indeed Suzuki says

it will ‘make every effort to ensure delivery to its customers who have already placed an order.’

This may or may not be seen as a tacit acknowledgement that the vehicle is on borrowed time. At the

very least, it suggests strongly that for the very many British off-roaders to whom the new Jimny seemed like the answer to their prayers, their chances of every getting hold on one are now more remote than ever.

Mitsubishi adds Trojan model to L200 line-up MITSUBISHI HAS ADDED a new model with a familiar name to its recently relaunched L200 lineup. The Trojan is positioned between the entry-level 4Life and mid-range Warrior models – gaining the looks of the latter thanks to its 18” alloy rims and chromed grille, mirrors and door handles.

The vehicle is available with a choice of manual or automatic gearboxes, each mated to Mitsubishi’s Super-Select transfer case which offers both fulltime and part-time four-wheel drive options. Unlike previous models to have worn the Trojan badge, however, it’s fitted with traction control rather than the far superior locking rear diff found on the 4Life.

Further equipment includes Stability Control, Forward Collision Mitigation and Lane Departure Warning, as well as climate control and an infotainment system with Bluetooth and DAB. The Trojan is on sale now, priced from £24,699 plus VAT on the road.

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Bowler Motorsport Accessories Add that extra special touch to your Defender

Lightweight Steering Guards Used in the Defender Challenge, the lightweight steering guard will offer protection to steering arms and linkages, but also offers access for maintenance. It uses existing mounting points and comes with 2 x red towing eyes for recovery work.

Lightweight Sill Protectors Made from lightweight aluminium and available in black and graphite, these sill protectors are used in the Defender Challenge. Supplied with a fitting kit, they bolt onto existing mounting points and do not require welding.

Compatible with XS side steps.

Lightweight Front Bumpers – Road & Race Both lightweight and high strength, the aluminium bumpers are handmade at Bowler. They use the existing bumper mounting points and are available in black and graphite. Note - Excludes spotlights shown.

A selection of great looking, high quality accessories from Bowler Motorsport.

Bowler is a market leader in the production of racing and high performance all terrain vehicles, and has been since 1985. Based in Derbyshire in the UK, they use both technology and craftsmanship to deliver vehicles and accessories with style, strength, performance and an unrivalled spirit of adventure.

Spectre’ Wheel Arches Produced in the UK and inspired by the JLR Special Vehicles produced Defenders for the film Spectre, these arches are identical in terms of size and shape, are finished in gloss black and come complete with fitting templates.

16” & 18” Lightweight Wheels Made in the UK exclusively for Bowler, these lightweight, high strength wheels are TÜV tested and are used in the Defender Challenge. They have a manufacturers guarantee and are used extensively in motorsport.

Maximum load rating 1,250kg. Black & anthracite available.

Rear Step Bumpers Designed to be practical, robust and stylish, this is the Bowler version of the popular NAS rear bumper. Available in black and graphite. The original tow bar and electrics are kept in the same place, and the step, with durable rear treads, conveniently attaches to the rear cross member.

Find more images and part numbers online at www.britpart.com/bowler

OFF-ROAD SCENE

jeepspares.com for fast moving service and repair parts EVENTS

Great British Land Rover Show gets heads to Newark to kick off 2020 season with springtime curtain-raiser Newark Showground, 19 April 2020 • £15 on the day, £7.50 when booked in advance AS WE ANNOUNCED LAST MONTH, there will be a springtime version of the Great British Land Rover Show at Newark Showground this year.

The new event complements the November Great British Land Rover Show at Stoneleigh, which has come to be known as the big finish to the annual season. In 2019, indeed, the organisers were delighted to see it post its best ever figures for ticket sales – hence the addition of a new date and venue for 2020.

Like the November event, the springtime running of the Great British Land Rover Show will be for one day only. This is Sunday 19th April – when Newark Showground will be transformed into a festival of all things Land Rover!

This is additional to the winter show, which will once again be held at Stoneleigh. The date for this show in 2020 is 22nd November.

This is a return to the original format of the Great British Land Rover Show, which started out as a spring event before moving to its pre-Christmas slot.

Now, visitors and exhibitors are going to get the best of both worlds!

Both events are being supported once more by headline sponsors BFGoodrich. And to celebrate the arrival of a new show, tickets are already on sale at half-price – with further savings being offered when you book for both shows at the same time.

The new location won’t see the show move to an entirely outdoor format, however, as organisers are keen to keep this part of the show’s identity intact.

Newark offers plenty of flexibility, so exhibitors will be spread across a variety of stands located both indoors and outdoors.

As with the November show, the April edition of the Great British Land Rover Show will also be sponsored by Terrafirma, Paddocks and the All Wheel Drive Club – who will still be stewarding an on-site off-road course. The show will obviously also bring the best in Land Rover equipment, parts and accessories, along with discounts and special show offers.

Advance tickets are on sale now for £7.50 each, with tickets on the day priced at £15.

Book now for both shows next year, however, and it will cost just £12.50 per person to attend the show in both April and December. Spaces for the off-road course, meanwhile, are limited and are priced at £10 in advance.

This promises to be a great new event, in a venue that hasn’t seen any proper Land Rover action for several years. Want a piece of the action? Head to greatbritishlrshow.com for full details and to book your tickets.

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RIGHTS OF WAY

Green Lane Association launches £30,000 fundraising appeal to help save four of Britain’s best remaining rights of way

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he Green Lane Association has launched a major appeal for funds to help pay for repairs to a quartet of Britain’s most iconic rights of way. The lanes, which are situated in Wrexham, Gwynedd and Denbighshire, have been damaged by harsh weather, water erosion and irresponsible use – meaning their future will be in jeopardy unless the necessary remedial work in done.

The lanes are Happy Valley and Carn March Arthur, between Tywyn and Machynlleth; Bastard Lane, north of Machynlleth; and The Wayfarer, between Llandrillo and Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog. Of these, Bastard Lane is voluntarily restricted to being driven only in the downhill direction; the others are subject to full voluntary restraint.

GLASS has been hard at work over the winter months, taking part in discussions and planning meetings with Denbigh, Wrexham and Gwynedd County Councils, Snowdonia National Park Authority and local landowners. The result is a schedule

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of works that has been agreed for each of the four lanes.

Happy Valley: Significant stone filling is required on saturated land which has been damaged over time by repeated heavy storms combined with irresponsible use by rogue drivers when the ground has been too wet to sustain motor vehicle use.

Approximately 100 tons of stone will be helicoptered in by Snowdonia National Park Authority. GLASS, which is to provide the funding, says the project will ensure that the work is carried out to a standard that will be sustainable in poor weather and with continued usage.

Carn March Arthur: Once again as a consequence of irresponsible motor vehicle use combined with prolonged very wet conditions, this lane just south of Happy Valley is now punctuated by waterholes big enough to swallow a vehicle.

Working with Snowdonia National Park, GLASS will fund works to fill these holes with local stone in order to repair the surface and improve water drainage.

The Wayfarer: This lane is sustainable along most of its length but contains a short boggy section where sleepers carry the right of way over the wet ground. These have been disturbed over time and need to be replaced. Working with Denbighshire and Wrexham county councils, as well as Natural Resources Wales (the latter because some of the land has SSSI status), GLASS will help fund a programme of works including drainage improvements, bridge repairs, signage and barriers to prevent off-piste driving, as well as remedial work to the sleepers.

Bastard Lane: Drainage problems on this lane have been highlighted

by Natural Resources Wales – as, shamefully, has an issue with littering around a set of rock steps.

Work will be carried out to improve surface drainage, preventing further water erosion, and a clean-up day will be organised to clear the area of litter. Signage will be installed by Snowdonia National Park Authority, formalising the current request for downhill use only.

In order to pay for this work, GLASS is hoping to raise £30,000 through crowdfunding donations via Just Giving. ‘We have numerous projects all over the UK,’ says the organisation. ‘We’ll be digging into our fighting fund to complete each project, but the shortfall needs to be covered by donations. These are the big ones and we can’t do it without your help!’

GLASS says it’s highly unlikely that surplus funds will be left over following completion of the work.

If there is still any money left in the kitty, however, it will be ring-fenced for future maintenance on these four rights of way.

‘With your help,’ the organisation says, ‘we can ensure that some of the most well-known lanes in the UK are preserved for us all to drive for years to come.’ You can play your part by visiting www.justgiving.com/ crowdfunding/greenlaneassociation – and by making sure everyone you know who drives a 4x4 or enjoys visiting the countryside is also aware of this major initiative.

4x4 03/02/2020 20:05

PB CUSTOMS 4x4

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•

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CALENDAR KEY

P Off-Road Playday

G Green Lane Convoy Tour

A Overseas Adventure Travel

S 4x4 Show

Dates for playdays are shown up to the end of the month following the magazine’s on-sale date. Dates for green lane tours are shown up to approximately three months ahead, and for shows and overseas adventure tours up to a year ahead, space permitting Important: You should never travel to an event without first checking with the organiser to ensure that it is still going ahead. Note also that inclusion in this listing does not represent any endorsement of the event or organiser by 4x4 magazine. We take great care over the accuracy of this information, but accept no responsibility for the consequences of any errors

16 February

2-11 March

14-15 March

Off Road P Explore Silverdale, Stoke-on-Trent 4x4 P Frickley Frickley, South Yorkshire Bottom P Muddy Minstead, Hampshire

Adventure Tours A 4x4 Portugal

4 March

G Ardventures Yorkshire Moors and Dales Overland G Atlas Wessex

22 February

5-20 March

Adventure Tours G Green Shropshire / Welsh Borders Landrover Events G UKDurham Dales

Adventure A Onelife Morocco

G Protrax East Midlands (night run)

7 March

15 March Off Road P Explore Silverdale, Stoke-on-Trent 4x4 P Frickley Frickley, South Yorkshire Bottom P Muddy Minstead, Hampshire P Protrax Tixover, Northamptonshire

Off-Roaders P Burnham Tring, Hertfordshire G Protrax Wales Events G UKEdenLandrover District

20 March

7-8 March

21 March

and Tracks G Trails North of England

Landrover Events G UKTynedale

7-26 March

21-22 March

29 February

G Protrax Morocco Desert and Mountains

G Protrax East Midlands (night run)

8 March

and Tracks G Trails Yorkshire Moors and Dales G Trailmasters Lake District

23 February Expo S 4x4 Stafford, Staffordshire Pit P Bures Bures, Essex Leisure P Cowm Whitworth, Lancashire Safari P Slindon Slindon, West Sussex Valley 4x4 P Thames Oxley Shaw, Berkshire

29 February – 1 March Adventures G Compass Wales Road Adventure Travel G Off Wales

2-6 March

G Ardventures Coast to Coast 1 March 4x4 P Frickley Frickley, South Yorkshire Bottom P Muddy Minstead, Hampshire Wood P Picadilly Bolney, West Sussex

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Landrover Events G UKNorthumberland

Off-Roaders 22 March P Burnham Tring, Hertfordshire Rochford & District 4x4 Club Safari P Essex, P Slindon Rayleigh, Essex Slindon, West Sussex 4x4 24 March – 3 April P Parkwood Tong, Bradford Safari Adventure Tours P Slindon A 4x4 Slindon, West Sussex Morocco Events 24 March – 6 April G UKLakeLandrover District 9-13 March A Trailmasters Morocco Marrakesh Classic Off Road 26-27 March G Ardent Coast to Coast Landrover Events 14 March G UKCumbria/Yorkshire Adventure Tours 28 March G Green Shropshire / Welsh Borders and Tracks Off Road Centre G Trails P Kirton County Durham Kirton Lindsey, North Lincs

and Tracks G Trails Tyne Valley

28-29 March Adventures G Compass Yorkshire / Lake District G Protrax Wiltshire

29 March Pit P Bures Bures, Suffolk Leisure P Cowm Whitworth, Lancashire 4x4 P Frickley Frickley, South Yorkshire Off Road Centre P Kirton Kirton Lindsey, North Lincs P Protrax Tixover, Northamptonshire Valley 4x4 P Thames Broxhead, Hampshire Events P UKDalesLandrover and Eden

30 March – 13 April 4x4 Adventures A Active Morocco

3-16 April

A Ardventures Morocco 4-5 April Road Adventure Travel G Off Wales G Protrax Wales and Tracks G Trails Cumbria, Eden and Yorks Dales

4-16 April Overland A Atlas Morocco Classic

5 April

S Newbury, Berkshire

Newbury 4x4 Spares Day

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7-8 April

8 May

6-21 June 2020

13-22 July 2020

Adventure G Onelife Yorkshire

Landrover Events G UKLincoln and Belvoir

A Ardventures Pyrenees, Spain

4x4 Adventures A Active Alps

12 April

9 May

8-17 June 2020

19 July

Events G UKPeakLandrover District

Landrover Events G UKDurham Dales

4x4 Adventures A Active Pyrenees

13 April

9-10 May

8-17 June 2020

28 July – 9 August 2020

G North York Moors

Land Rover Show S Gaydon Gaydon, Warwickshire G Protrax Wales

Adventure Tours A 4x4 Pyrenees

A Landtreks Pyrenees Coast to Coast

10-24 June 2020

31 July – 3 August 2020

A Protrax Pyrenees

/ Storm Jeeps A Ardventures Marquenterre, France

UK Landrover Events

14 April

4x4 Spares Day S Malvern Malvern, Worcestershire

UK Landrover Events Tyne and Wear

10 May

17-19 April

Events G UKEdenLandrover District

13-20 June 2020

1-15 August 2020

Onelife Adventure Coast to Coast

16 May

Overland A Atlas Italian Alps

18 April

and Tracks G Trails Northumberland

Adventure A Ardent Pyrenees

19 June – 3 July

8-23 August 2020

UK Landrover Events Yorkshire Dales

16-17 May

A Ardventures Galicia, Spain

19 April

Adventure G Onelife Yorkshire

Adventure A Onelife Greece

20-27 June 2020

10-29 August 2020

S Newark, Nottinghamshire

16-24 May 2020

Adventure A Ardent Pyrenees

4x4 Adventures A Active Botswana

24 April – 10 May

A Pyrenees

22 June – 7 July 2020

15-26 August

Overland A Atlas Corsica

Adventure A Onelife Pyrenees

26-28 June

17-23 August 2020

Great British Land Rover Show

Adventure A Ardent Morocco

UK Land Rover Events

16-30 May 2020

25 April

Overland A Atlas Portugal

and Tracks G Trails North York Moors

20 May – 2 June 2020

25-26 April

S Stratford Upon Avon, Warwickshire Adventures G Compass Yorkshire / Lake District G Protrax Wiltshire

A Trailmasters Morocco (extreme expedition)

Land Rover Show S Billing Billing, Northamptonshore

27-28 June

A Landtreks Pyrenees 19-20 September Overland Show S Adventure Stratford Upon Avon, Warwickshire

S Bilsington, Kent

S Billing, Northamptonshire Original LR Show S Kelmarsh Kelmarsh, Northamptonshire

23-24 May

28 June – 16 July 2020

1-3 May

G Protrax Wiltshire

Adventure A Ardent Alps

24 August – 4 Sept 2020

and Tracks G Trails North Wales

Road Adventure Travel A Off Albania

25-30 May

1-5 July 2020

National Follow-On Rally S ALRC Bilsington, Kent

A Trailmasters Morocco

A Landtreks French Pyrenees

26-31 August 2020

27 May – 10 June 2020

11-24 July 2020

World Overland A Lost Alps

A Protrax Pyrenees

A Ardventures Balkans

9-24 September 2020

5-19 June 2020

13-19 July 2020

Road Adventure Travel A Off Pyrenees, Spain

A Protrax Ukraine

A East Pyrenees

22 November

Adventure Overland Show

2-3 May

G Ardventures North/Mid Wales Atlas Overland G Wessex Landrover Events G UKWiltshire 4-13 May 2020 4x4 Adventures A Active Portugal

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21-25 May ALRC National Rally

Billing Off-Road Show

Landtreks

22-30 August 2020

British Land Rover Show S Great Stoneleigh, Warwickshire

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PRODUCTS

Stylish looking new Jimny winch bumper from Ironman

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f you’re prepping a new-shape Suzuki Jimny in readiness for off-road use, you’re probably wondering what to do about its front bumper. First you want heavy metal, and then you want somewhere to put a winch.

The new Special Bull Bar from Ironman answers both these questions. Made from high-strength, rust-resistant pickled steel, using 360-degree robotic welds, this is a proper premium-grade product – and its design is every bit as good as its material spec.

As you’ll already have noticed, it looks very cool. It could be argued that you could throw up your breakfast on a new Jimny and it would still look cool, but you get what we mean. It’s airbag-compatible, of course, and features a unique winch cradle designed to provide maximum strength without adding any unnecessary weight.

Also on the subject of recovery, the bar has an integrated high-lift jacking point. It also comes with mounts suitable for a wide range of driving lights, including the LED bars

you now see absolutely everywhere, as well as a discreet single loop featuring more of the same.

And since we’re talking about lights, the bar is supplied with LED indicators and comes with cut-outs to accommodate the vehicle’s own factory-standard fog lamps and DRLs. All light mounts are recessed to avoid damage from off-road knocks and scrapes.

The bar is finished in a textured matt black powder coat, giving it a final layer or protection against

all the gnarly stuff you’re going to throw at it. Safe to say it’s going to cost more than getting your mate Stick-Weld Sid to knock something together for you, but then it’s going to be an investment (as opposed to a disaster that ends up with you in prison and your mate in hiding).

Anyway, you’ve got the Jimny, lucky you, and now you want one of these. Time to pay a visit to West Coast Off Road, which imports Ironman kit into the UK – they’re at westcoastoffroad.co.uk.

Cellular Dynamics shocks from Britpart promise long travel and a no-fade ride for leaf-sprung Land Rovers Britpart’s Cellular Dynamic shock absorbers have been around for a while, as have leaf-sprung Land Rovers.

Stands to reason that you should be able to get one to fit the other, then, doesn’t it?

These shocks have a cellular foam insert instead of the more typical nitrogen gas. This is to stop the oil in the shock from boiling. The foam takes up less room, meaning there’s as much as 50% more capacity for oil. The result is better heat dispersion, which in turn gives the vehicle ‘a very subtle but controlled ride that will not fade no matter how hard you push them.’

Yes, this really is leafers we’re talking about. The latest addition to the range offers a long-travel option for long and short-wheelbase Series Landies. Yes, there are still some that haven’t been restored into hundred-grand classics, apparently. The front shocks measure in at 460mm open and 305mm closed, while at the back it’s 580mm/360mm for short-wheelbase vehicles and 570mm/355mm for long ‘uns.

Sounds like something worth investigating, right? Finally, there’s something that’s not a shock. Visit www. britpart.com and you’ll find out all you need to know.

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EXPERIENCED DRIVER DEPICTED

WHAT AR E YO U BU I LD I NG FOR ?

B U I LT T H R O U G H E X P E R I E N C E … E AR N E D O N T H E T R A I L BFGO ODRICH.CO.UK

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PRODUCTS

High-performance Bilstein air suspension modules for Discovery 4 promise improved responses in every situation

S

hould you want to have the comfiest of journeys, ideally you’d like to feel like you’re floating on air, not potholes the size of craters. And with Bilstein’s expertise channelled into an air suspension unit, that’s exactly what you’ll be doing.

Bilstein’s Airmatic unit is OEM quality and the set-up is a direct replacement for all Discovery 4 models – at a price that’s more appealing than those you’ll encounter at a dealership.

The original development of this new Land Rover fitment came as Bilstein’s response to the increasing market popularity

of models utilising air springs.

The high performance B4 air suspension module is now also available to the independent aftermarket, thanks to Bilstein applying itself to finding a solution.

In addition to offering original equipment quality, the suspension module promises a quick reaction to road and vehicle conditions. The result is increased comfort and benign driving characteristics, with high power reserves for maximum safety.

Bilstein says its gas pressure technology provides consistent damping under any axle load.

Air suspension systems adjust to different vehicle height

positions by varying the air pressure in the bellows – which is advantageous when levelling heavy loads or towing. Various aerodynamic and terrain-tackling positions are also possible with this system and the B4 unit integrates seamlessly with all factory electronics for genuine ‘plug and play’ operation. No dealer re-coding is required when fitting these parts.

Fully TUV certified and complete with a 12-month warranty, the units retail at £254 plus VAT apiece. Not what you’d call cheap, but definitely an investment: you’ll find a dealer by visiting www.bilstein.de.

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20 | MARCH 2020

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OFF-ROAD SCENE

PRODUCTS

Shock in store for Ranger owners as GAZ introduces fully adjustable GT dampers MODIFYING THE FORD RANGER is a serious business now, but even if all you want to do is use it in standard form there are still some great products out there to make it better then ever at what it does best. Products like these GT shocks from GAZ, for example.

Featuring a zinc plated body and protective plastic sleeve to keep them looking good and working well as time goes on, these premium dampers leave the factory set up for general road use, cargo carrying and trailer hauling. But they don’t need to stay that way.

That’s because the GT is fully adjustable, using an easily accessible knob on the side of the shock’s body. Its bump and rebound rates can be adjusted to suit the prevailing conditions, load and driving style – GAZ says that if you want to, you could even set it up for off-road racing, though we’re not sure you’d be wanting to do this in a Ranger…

Actually, given that the shocks are available to suit all models stretching back to 1988, maybe you do have an avant-garde race truck itch to scratch after all.

However you want to use them, anyway, they’re individually tested before leaving the factory and are covered by a two-year warranty.

Given the sort of money you can find yourself spending on shocks absorbers, it may be comforting to know that the GTs are priced at £67.28 each up front and £75.04 for the rear. That’s plus VAT in each case, but even then a full set will cost you far less than it’s possible to do on one corner. To find out more, visit www.gazshocks.com.

IF YOU DON’T have the luxury of a permanent workbench, or of always being at home when your vehicle needs maintenance, B-G Racing’s Large Folding Table could be for you. This has a sturdy six-foot work surface – and when you don’t need it, or are stashing it for travel to wherever you’re going to be taking your truck to play, it folds down into a nice compact space.

The table, which includes an optional shelf, has weight-rated levelling feet on the bottom of each leg so you can get it nice and steady even at a rough site. It’s made from high-grade mild steel with a durable silver-grey powder coated finish, and its price has just been reduced… to £359.99 including the VAT. Find out more at www.bg-racing.co.uk.

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OFF-ROAD SCENE

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PRODUCTS

Flexible and reusable engine enhancement options from Hi-Pro Performance Tuning

The Hi-Pro Performance Tuning range of products provide a quick and reliable tuning solution, unleashing your vehicle’s full potential.

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

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uning your 4x4’s engine is about a lot more than just making it faster. Efficiency is the key to everything worth having in life – and it’s the perfect starting point for every kind of tuning solution.

‘At Hi-Pro Performance Tuning,’ say the guys from, er, Hi-Pro Performance Tuning, ‘we are focused on providing the best possible solution to meet our customer’s requirements – be that better performance, economy, more pulling power or a good mix of everything.

‘We are proud to be able to offer a range of products to tune your 4x4,’ says

the company – which also has products for cars, tractors and commercial vehicles. ‘To achieve this, we have developed probably the world’s largest application list, with the option of Hi-Pro Performance Single-Channel and Dual-Channel tuning systems.’

Whichever of these you choose, Hi-Pro’s products are fully adjustable and can be reprogrammed to suit another vehicle at a later date. So having bought one, you’ll never need to do so again.

Sounds good and honest – to take the next steps, tune in (boom boom) at www.hiprotuning.co.uk.

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22 | MARCH 2020

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New to Britpart’s range for the Defender are these Fast Rings from Stinger Roadkill. These are foam rings designed to enhance the output of aftermarket speakers fitted in the 5-5.25” factory door openings.

The rings reduce panel vibration. minimise destructive wave interference and help prevent front and rear wave cancellation. This allows improved The Hi-Pro Performance Tuning area. range of products audio output efficiency, in particular in the mid-bass provide a quick and reliable tuning solution, The kits include three rings and Britpart says unleashing your vehicle’s full potential. they’re easy to fit. You shouldn’t need to spend more than about twenty quid on a set, so they should be easy Suite to buy,42, The i Centre, Ingleton, Carnforth, LA6 3BT too. You’ll find them at www.britpart.com.

4x4 04/02/2020 15:36

OFF-ROAD SCENE

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PRODUCTS

No shortage of options in Thunderpole’s something-for-everyone CB range

1

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ENHANCE ENHANCE

THE PERFORMANCE OF YOUR 4X4

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WHETHER YOU’RE OUT green laning, overlanding or even just driving convoy, a CB radio is a handy bit of kit to have on board. And when you think CB radios, it’s normally not long before you’re thinking Thunderpole.

The company has a wide range of CB equipment, among which are the T-800 and T-3000. The former is a compact 80-channel rig with a 4-Watt RF output that’s powered from your vehicle’s 12-volt socket. Its LED display lets you know what channel you’re on and there’s also a signal meter and a button to switch between AM and FM. Auto-squeich functionality is included, too, and the multi-function microphone is included alongside an extension speaker socket.

As for the T-3000, this is a high-speccer with 80 channels, European bands, both 12 and 24-volt inputs, a 4-Watt RF output, a seven-colour LCD display, both AM/FM modes, key lock, auto and manual squelch capabilities and loads more features besides. With a speaker on the front, it’s a unique model that promises to make you king (or queen) of the airwaves just about anywhere in Europe.

All its buttons are backlit, you can switch band with one touch of a button and it comes fitted with a cigarette lighter plug which you can simply whack into your truck’s 12-volt socket and away you go.

The T-3000 costs £99.99, or an extra twenty quid as part of a Pro Pack including an antenna, mount and all the cables, brackets and connectors you’ll need to fit it. In the case of the T-800, the base cost is £59.99 and for another twenty sheets you’ll get exactly the same stuff, only this time it’s called a Starter Pack.

Either way, it’s a lot of radio power for the price of half a day’s worth of diesel. To find out more about either of these CBs, or indeed to order one up, visit www. thunderpole. co.uk.

4x4 NEEDS HI-PRO STORY Scene Mar IN PROGRESS.indd 23

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MARCH 2020 | 23

04/02/2020 15:36

OFF-ROAD SCENE

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COMPETITION

Sainz completes hat-trick as Dakar Rally makes its debut in Saudi Arabia Words: Kazuyoshi Sasazaki Pictures: Red Bull Racing

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arlos Sainz has joined the highest echelons of Dakar Rally legends following his victory in the 2020 edition of the famous rally raid. Success in Saudi Arabia saw the 57 year old Spaniard complete a Dakar hat-trick – a feat only previously achieved by René Metge, Ari Vatanen, Pierre Lartigue, Stéphane Peterhansel and Nasser Al-Attiyah.

With the event taking place in the Middle East for the first time, Qatar’s Al-Attiyah was hotly tipped to add to his own trio of past victories. However the Toyota Hilux driver finished a short way behind Sainz’ works Mini – giving the former WRC champion the distinction of winning the Dakar with three different manufacturers, following his wins with Volkswagen in 2010 and Peugeot in 2018.

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This year’s Dakar was also notable for the presence of former F1 champion Fernando Alonso alongside Al-Attiyah in the Toyota works team. As is often the case on the Dakar, and indeed in rallying in general, reputations forged elsewhere count for little, and Alonso’s best result was second place on Stage 9 – behind France’s Mathieu Serradori, who became the first true amateur to win a stage in more than thirty years.

This stage was not contested by competitors on bikes and quads following the death the previous day of Hero Motorsports rider Paulo Conçalves. The 40 year old Portuguese racer died following a crash near Layla, as he fought to regain ground after major engine problems had left him stranded in the desert on a previous stage.

Serradori’s triumph was a rare interruption to what quickly became a Mini lockout, with Sainz and teammate Peterhansel trading stage wins as the days went by. Vaidotas Žala, in yet another Mini, had already made history on the opening day of the event by becoming the first Lithuanian ever to win a stage on the Dakar, and 2009 champion Giniel de Villiers was fastest on day two in his Toyota Hilux, but thereafter the die was cast.

It was more than just a two-horse race, however. Al-Attiyah showed that consistency counts for more than just outright speed as he held on to second place overall – and after a couple of slower stages by Sainz, the Qatari’s Hilux had closed the gap to just 24 seconds. Two stages previously, Sainz had led by 10 minutes flat.

With three stages to go, the stage appeared to be set for one of the closest finishes in the history of the race. However Stage 10, from Haradh to Shubaytah, saw both Peterhansel and Al-Attiyah losing time after getting lost in the desert – and suddenly the gap was back up to 18 minutes.

Sainz was now able to nurse his lead over the final stages as the rally progressed towards its conclusion in Qiddiya, where he took his place on the top step of the podium with Al-Attiyah in second and Peterhansel third.

‘We were expecting a tough race and it was indeed a tough race!’ he reflected after securing victory.

‘It was a difficult race but the car worked well and we did a good job.

We had tough competition from Nasser Al-Attiyah and Stéphane

4x4 03/02/2020 20:06

OFF-ROAD SCENE

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Nasser Al-Attiyah finished second in his Hilux and has now won at least one stage in each of the last 13 Dakars – a record. Andrei Karginov continued Russia’s tradition of dominance in the trucks category Peterhansel and it was very close all the way to the end.’

In the Quads category, another hat-trick was completed as Chile’s Ignacio Casale reprised his 2014 and 2018 victories. His success also maintains a 100% Dakar record for Yamaha, whose bikes have won ever edition since the quad class was introduced in 2009.

Side-by-sides have only been involved for four years, having made their Dakar debut in 2017. In that time, drivers from eight different

4x4 Scene Mar IN PROGRESS.indd 25

nations have stood on the podium – and 2020 saw Casey Currie become one of two competitors sharing the honour of giving the USA its first Dakar titles. The other, Ricky Brabec, won the Bikes category on his Honda – the first time since 2000 that the winner here has been astride anything other than a KTM. The Trucks category is traditionally dominated by teams from Eastern Europe, and sure enough it was the Kamaz Master of Andrei Karginov that waltzed home with a lead of

more than three quarters of an hour over fellow Russian Anton Shibalov.

The Dakar has always seen a significant amount of competitors crossing over from two wheels to four, however Cyril Despres managed to become the first person ever to take stage wins in three different categories. The five-time bike winner finished third on four wheels aboard a Peugeot 3008 DKR in 2017, and this year he won a stage in his OT3 side-by-side – only to slip out of contention due to engine failure.

With Saudi Arabia hosting the Dakar for at least the next five years, the third chapter in the story of the world’s most famous off-road event is well and truly open. As the dominance shown by Sainz, Al-Attiyah and Peterhansel shows, experience counts in desert racing – whether in the Middle East, South America or North Africa, as Fernando Alonso and many others before him have demonstrated, no amount of success in other motorsport disciplines can prepare you for the Dakar.

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DRIVEN

FORD RANGER

Revised version of our former Pick-Up of the Year has big boots to fill – especially in no-nonsense XLT Super-Cab form ON TEST Ranger XLT 2.0 EcoBlue 170 Super-Cab

W

hen Ford revised the Ranger in the middle of last year, much of the attention was, inevitably, focused on the new highspec, high-performance Raptor. But every model in the range has a new engine, new styling and various new spec items – and that includes the hard-working models on which the vehicle’s reputation is built.

In a world that’s mad for lifestyle trucks, for example, it’s not often that we manage to get our hands on a Super-Cab model. But here we are with just that, in XLT trim and powered by the 170bhp version of the new 2.0 EcoBlue engine.

The XLT is the second up in a line of four trim levels (not including the Raptor). On top of the cruise, aircon, DAB and Bluetooth that come

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on all models, it gains 16” alloys, auto headlamps and wipers, various bits of chrome and mobile phone pairing via an upgraded media system and 4.2” screen.

There’s also a much improved suite of safety measures on board – after the new engine, this is the biggest story about the revised Ranger. The Ranger now has autonomous emergency braking, intelligent speed assist with road sign recognition, lane-keeping assist, stability control, speed limiter and pre-collision assist with pedestrian detection – and, very pleasingly, these are all standard on every model, from the basic XL single-cab to the lofty Raptor.

The Ranger gets revised suspension, too, as well as some very modest styling tweaks – mainly, the front grille doesn’t

extend as far down into the bumper as the old one used to, which makes the vehicle look a little less aggressive. Basic retail prices start at £21,656 plus the VAT, with the Raptor more or less doubling that (and then some for most buyers, as the taxman doesn’t consider it a commercial vehicle); the XLT SuperCab tested here lists at £24,056 on the road, again before VAT.

CABIN AND PRACTICALITY We rated the XLT’s cabin very highly last time we drove one. So it’s no surprise that we’re big fans of the revised version, too, as the interior is basically unchanged.

From the moment you step inside, it feels very sorted,

4x4 03/02/2020 20:08

The XLT-spec Ranger is a work truck, and its no-nonsense interior reflects that – however it’s very well made and the seats are excellent, with loads of support in the back and base alike. All Rangers come with a generous kit list – there are loads of options on offer too, but they tend to be very good value for money, so speccing it up the way you want it needn’t break the bank unpretentious and ready to go to work. Some of the plastics on the dash are silver in colour rather than black, which perhaps livens it up compared to the base-spec XL, and the steering wheel is leather wrapped, but they’re not trying to blind you with trinkets. It’s all stout construction and robust fabrics on the seats – it’s built to take life’s everyday knocks, scrapes and stains, and in our mind it will actually look all the better for them.

Those seats are a definite highlight. You’re well supported in the base and back alike, and the fabric feels as grippy and secure as it does tough and long-lasting. Ford

gets a load of sales from high-spec models with leather and electric adjustment, and there’s nothing wrong with that, but the seats in the XLT show that a good basic design is all you need. We spent a fairly monumental day in the driver’s seat, covering hundreds of miles in all kinds of road conditions on one of the wettest days in recent memory, all the while towing a heavy load, and by the end of it we were still feeling fresh.

An excellent seating position helps there, as does a thoroughly commanding view all around you.

This includes over your shoulder; the XLT doesn’t have reversing

sensors as standard, but by the general standards of today’s double-cabs you can pretty much do without one. A canopy on your load bay would change that, however.

There’s plenty of stowage space around the cabin, with a good, big glovebox and cubby backed up by handy bins in the floor console and the top of the dash. There’s the usual USB sockets up front, too, as well as a power inverter providing mains electricity in the back. The latter is only optional on the XLT, but it’s not expensive and is well worth the extra few quid.

Staying in the back, the big difference between this vehicle

and most Rangers is that it’s a Super-Cab. Say bye-bye to the class-leading rear seat space that helps make the Double-Cab such a winner – the pews in the back are for occasional use at best, and certainly not for transporting anyone on a long journey.

Nonetheless, they do give the vehicle an added degree of flexibility – as do the suicide doors (car makers love it so much when we use that phrase) which open wide to let you manhandle large, bulky items on board. Between this and the loadspace out back, which is 234mm longer than that of a Double-Cab, you could certainly

Super-Cab models have suicide doors at the back, allowing a huge pillarless aperture through which bulky items can be loaded. The media system in this vehicle is an optional extra, though even as standard it has a 4.2” TFT screen supporting DAB, Bluetooth and mobile phone mirroring

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DRIVEN hold down the argument that this is the most practical model in the Ranger line-up.

DRIVING The 170bhp version of the 2.0 EcoBlue engine is as close as you’ll get to a direct replacement for the old 2.2 TDCi. We were big fans of that engine, however when Ford says the 2.0-litre unit has been configured to deliver a greater feeling of urgency by liberating more output lower down the rev range, we actually do see where they’re coming from.

Those 170 horses are backed up by 310lbf.ft, and it’s all delivered with a smooth, free-revving character to the engine which makes it easy to drive – even, we found, with two and a half tonnes on the back. Another big change to the new Ranger is the adoption of a 10-speed automatic gearbox, but lovely though this might be we’ve got nothing but praise for the XLT’s 6-speed manual – it’s smooth and precise in operation, and its ratios are perfectly matched to the engine.

We’re struggling to say much about the Ranger’s revised suspension, however. Ford says it was retuned to deliver a more refined ride, and sure enough it’s very smooth, settled and compliant.

Thing is, it already was. Last time we drove an XLT, we said that ‘without having them to compare side-by-side, we’d say it rides as well on rear leaf-springs as the

Nissan Navara does on coils,’ and that’s praise indeed. So they may perhaps have done a job of fixing what ain’t broke, but they certainly haven’t messed it up – whether it’s as good as the new Navara, which came out at almost exactly the same time as the Ranger, is open to questions, but we certainly wouldn’t hesitate to climb aboard an XLT for more long journeys.

If you do see a difference between the revised Ranger and its predecessor, it would be around town. The old one did shudder a little over speed bumps and broken road surfaces; our feeling was that this one was a little more settled here, though we’re talking in terms of pretty marginal details.

As with the old model, the Ranger handles positively for a truck and steers with a composure that

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verges on the agile. So long as you don’t wish you were driving a GTi instead and just accept the fact that body roll is going to be part of the experience, it can actually be rather entertaining – and the manual box lets you pin it down in corners the way an auto never would, so if you want to take it for a thrash you’ll find it involving enough to put a smile on your face.

Previous experience has shown that the Ranger is very capable offroad, and indeed it has become one of the most popular choices among people looking to base a project on a late-letter vehicle. The new one is unlikely to change that: it’s as surefooted as ever in the rough, with a level of tractability which if anything is enhanced by the new engine’s lower torque band.

★★★★★

Ford Ranger XLT 2.0 170 Super-Cab One of the best trucks on the market is reinvented… as one of the best trucks on the market The Ranger was already good, and though it’s the high-spec versions that get all the attention we’ve always been fans of the XLT. So we’re very pleased to say that with its new engine and other revisions, Ford’s real-world truck is now better than ever.

And if you don’t need a full five-seater, the Super-Cab model will do almost anything you ask of it

4x4 03/02/2020 20:08

Halo9 now with Navi

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DRIVEN

VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN 2.0 TSI 230 R-LINE TECH High-performance range-topper adds a dash of zest to VW’s popular medium SUV – along with an extra layer of refinement

JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT powerful petrol engines had gone for good from the SUV world, Volkswagen is bringing them back. It’s not alone in this, but outside of the premium brands there’s not a lot to compare to the Tiguan 2.0 TSI 230.

Tested here in range-topping R-Line Tech trim, this has a version of the company’s turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol unit which develops 230bhp and 258lbf.ft, the latter from a very handy 1500rpm. The official figures give it a 0-62 time of 6.3 seconds, so this is a GTI among SUVs.

The engine is mated as standard to a seven-speed auto gearbox, which to us is a bit of a shame. This is a very slick, polished vehicle, but a manual would give it the immediacy and engagement we think its engine deserves.

Still, the entire SUV-buying world seems to want autos and nothing but, so we’re the ones who’re out of step.

As it is, the auto unit can be controlled manually using paddles on the steering wheel, and that’s what you need to do to get anywhere near the excitement those figures promise. Leave it in auto, and in fact it feels surprisingly pedestrian – not slow by any means, but the sparkle of a GTI isn’t there.

What certainly is there is a truly world-class level of refinement. The Tiguan is smooth and quiet at all speeds, which helps make it very, very easy to drive in every situation. Its steering and suspension do a good job of drawing the sting from rubbish urban roads and it cruises beautifully on the motorway – and when you’re in the mood to cut loose, its chassis has more than enough agility to keep up with the performance you can unlock by going for it with the driving modes and getting your fingers going on those paddles.

Volkswagen’s cabins are never less than classy and well made, and the Tiguan’s exemplifies those qualities and more. All models equipped with the 2.0 TSI 230 engine are high-speccers, so expect plenty of kit – in particular, multimedia systems are a great strength across the whole VW Group

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4x4 04/02/2020 12:50

It’s not long ago that the idea of a medium SUV with a powerful petrol engine seemed to have become a thing of the past. But the 2.0 TSI 230 proves that diesel no longer has everything its own way – it’s sublimely refined, as well as being strong enough to put a smile on your face when you start encouraging it with the gearbox paddles The driving position is very good and there’s no shortage of space in any direction – even with the panoramic roof that’s standard on this model, headroom up front is plentiful.

It’s not as good in the rear, however you can still get four tall adults on board so long as everyone’s willing to give a little. And when those seats go down, you’ll be presented with a big and near-flat boot space in which to carry cargo.

Volkswagen reserves this engine for higher-spec versions of the Tiguan, so you won’t get it with anything other than a long list of equipment. Build quality is strong as an ox throughout, wherever in the range you look, and there’s still not a lot that can touch VW for its infotainment systems.

You get a range of drive modes, too, which help you make the most of both the engine and the excellent dynamics offered by VW’s latest chassis. They also include a number of off-road options – though the R-Line Tech model tested here has lowered sports suspension, which is the last thing you want if you intend to go down that trail.

Actually, it’s probably equal last with 20” wheels and low-profile tyres.

These do look good, though, and more to the point they don’t wreck the Tiguan’s composure on the road.

And this Tiguan is very composed indeed. It’s not very cheap indeed, at £39,375, and combined fuel consumption of 30.1mpg is hardly stellar (we averaged 30.6, for what it’s worth), but in each case you can very easily do a lot worse.

The very fact that you’ve picked up this magazine means you’d probably choose any other Tiguan ahead of this one. But if you’re looking for a slick, refined SUV that can cruise like a premium exec, cut loose when you’re in the mood and look after your family every step of the way, the 2.0 TSI 230 has got to be on your list.

Harris-Mayes Open Day 4th April 2020 10:00 - 14:00

All Land Rover, Classic Car Owners and Enthusiasts are welcome to bring your cars along.

All models are welcome at this event which is set to provide a great opportunity to admire some stunning vehicles and to connect with fellow enthusiasts.

Food and Drink Available Unit 2, Woodcock Hill Industrial Estate, Harefield Road, Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, WD3 1PQ : 01923 711800

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HEIR APPARENT?

If you’ve got £15-20,000 to spend on an off-road vehicle, you’re almost certainly looking a a Suzuki Jimny. But the same sort of cash will get you a decent example of a Land Rover Defender from the TD5 era. Each is a very analogue 4x4 with all the right traditional engineering – but does the Jimny deserve to be seen as heir apparent now the old Defender has gone? And which of these popular 4x4s is the best place for you to put your money?

Words: George Dove Pictures: Alan Kidd and George Dove

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he original Land Rover Defender is not just an icon of the off-roading world – it’s an icon of the entire motoring world. In fact, it’s just an icon full stop.

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During its ridiculously long production run, the Defender started with the agricultural genetics that had run in the Series family since 1948 and ended up as a modern classic. When the old 88 and 109

were replaced by the 90 and 110, we were listening to bands like Bucks Fizz, The Stranglers and Duran Duran, weighing up whether to vote for Margaret Thatcher or Michael Foot and wondering whether this

new chap Lineker was going to get anywhere as a footballer. And way back then, in the days of curly perms and three TV stations, the vehicle had just enough era-appropriate mod cons to be appealing.

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The Jimny’s light weight and tidy proportions make it very agile over rough terrain. But as was the case with the previous model, low range isn’t low enough for this kind of extremely slow, precise work – it won’t be long before there’s a call for Rock Lobster conversions for the new-shape model

It gained things like leather seats, alloy wheels and air-conditioning along the way. But as we all know, those agricultural genetics stayed with the Defender to the end. As did its iconic status.

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Now there’s a new one. And as we all knew it would be, it’s a lot more Range Rover than Series Land Rover.

If you’re after a new vehicle with the same no-nonsense, workaholic off-road character that made the

original Defender an icon (that word again), along with a charmingly uncomplicated equipment list and a price you can actually afford, the latest Suzuki Jimny might be the only answer.

No, the Jimny is not a like-for-like alternative to the Defender. It isn’t as big or brawny as a 90 or 110. It won’t tow anything like as great a weight, nor will you be able to get as much in the back. But in many ways, they are cut from the same cloth.

The Jimny is one of the very few remaining vehicles with a proper chassis, proper axles and a proper dual-range transfer case. The latter is operated by a lever, not a button, as is the handbrake, and you fire it up by turning a key: like the old Defender, it’s all good an anaolgue, just the way an off-roader ought to be.

An off-roader ought not to be a thing you can only afford if you earn a hundred grand a year, too. Which is why we’re comparing the new Jimny with an old Defender. These are kindred spirits in terms of more than just their mechanical make-up: the Jimny costs from £16,249, or £18,749 in the SZ5 form seen here, and that’s towards the upper end of what you’d expect to pay for a good, sorted TD5 Defender 90.

By ‘good’ and ‘sorted’, we’re not talking about the many Defenders you see that have been rebuilt into gleaming pose-wagons with chrome and leather all over the place. Those can make way more money. Equally, we’re not talking about an abused off-road lash-up.

The Defender we’ve put alongside the Jimny here is our very own

Project 90. It was professionally modified when it was six months old, has only covered about 70,000 miles and, while it has certainly been used, hasn’t been either abused or neglected. It’s the sort of vehicle you’d expect to get for Jimny money, perhaps with a bit left over (just enough to bear the hefty tax and insurance costs that come with running a late TD5).

Buy one like this, and you don’t have to worry about modding it.

There’s plenty more that you could do, but it’s a turn-key off-roader. The Jimny would need a load of extra money spent on kit if you want to make the most of it.

On the flip-side, with the Jimny you get a brand new truck. The 90 has been used, and of course it’s unlikely to be a known quantity.

But then, Defenders are famously depreciation-proof, and Jimnys are most certainly not. In fact, the most famous thing about the current Jimny is the year-long waiting list you’ve got to endure if you want to buy one.

Let’s leave all that to one side, though. Let’s stop talking and go laning. What differences, and indeed similarities, do you notice when you actually get behind the wheel?

First off, the Defender’s TD5 engine was a 2.5-litre unit and it was as dieselly as diesels get. Which is just what people wanted of it, of course. It was ECU-controlled in a way that wasn’t popular with fans of the simpler old Tdi units, and this particular one has been chipped to get a bit more power out of it, but it’s still a proper old slugger of a thing.

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Land Rover Defender 90 Td5 XS (2006) The Defender of old was an uncompromising off-road machine which morphed into a sort-of lifestyle truck. This one is an XS model, meaning it has air-conditioning and heated half-leather seats. It would have had alloy wheels when it was new, too, though this example has been gently modified and now runs mud-terrain tyres on steel modulars in addition to its winch bumper, snorkel, rock sliders, roll cage and suspension lift.

As this illustrates, you’re not getting a known quantity when you buy an old Defender. It’s rare to find one that hasn’t been used, abused and/or taken away from standard. What you do get, however, is a vehicle that you can turn into anything you want – including taking it back to its original condition if you want to make the most of its resale value.

As it is, the interior is cramped, equipment levels are pitiful and refinement is basically absent. But the TD5 engine is perfectly suited to off-roading – the Defender is completely in its element in conditions like these.

In the Jimny, you’ve got a 1.5-litre petrol engine with 100bhp and 96lbf. ft. It would struggle to shift the Defender’s weight – but the Jimny is 23” shorter, almost 6” narrower and about a foot less tall, and it never feels under-powered.

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Like the Defender, the Jimny has great visibility through its rather upright windows. A boxy back end, also much like the Defender’s, favours departure angle. Both are vehicles which, on the face of it, aren’t great driver’s cars – but many have

found great joy behind the wheel of each, even in mundane situations.

The agricultural experience has a harmless personality, rather than a no-nonsense one.

Prior to our lane run, we rendezvoused at a nearby petrol station

near the lanes, where we both needed to fill up – how unpredictable, as one has a tiny fuel tank and the other is a Land Rover. I dare say that I’d had the more comfortable journey up to this point, thanks to the Jimny’s Apple CarPlay, heated

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seats and cruise control, than Editor Kidd in the 90 – though being an XS model, it has heated seats too.

Both also have air-con – though the Jimny has heating, whereas the Defender has, well, that thing Defenders used to have.

This stuff matters in anything you’re going to use as a day-to-day car. But getting down to the serious business of leaving the tarmac behind, I wasn’t expecting to stay ahead in the comfort stakes.

Driving the Jimny in convoy behind the 90, indeed, it did feel somewhat like a younger sibling being led around a playground. From the outset, we knew the Land Rover would be comfortable on these lanes, having tackled them them numerous times, which made it a great yardstick against which to test the Jimny.

The first thing that became apparent is that the Jimny has notably less torque. You can compare the vehicles’ outputs and kerb weights all you want, but ultimately it’s a small petrol engine against a bigger diesel tuned for low-down heave, so there’s only going to be one winner.

And sure enough, the Td5 pulls the Land Rover up and over the rocks and ruts before it at tickover, while in the Jimny it takes more revs to conquer those same challenges.

Gearing has a big part to play here, obviously. And here, the Defender has it absolutely spot-on.

In low first, it will crawl steadily down the steepest of hills, while in second you can drop it into a set of ruts then get out and stroll casually along beside it. Not that we recommend doing that, but you get what we mean.

The Jimny is different. It’s more at home on faster off-road terrain, cruising along in third or fourth

low where the Defender would be asking you to stop and shift into high box. But the old model’s low range wasn’t low enough, and that’s the case again in the new one – in very technical areas that need to be taken at crawling speed, you’re either slipping the clutch or edging it forward on the brakes. This suits the character of its engine well enough for all but the slowest work, but means it’s ill-suited to precision driving on really uneven terrain.

Yes, the aftermarket soon developed answers to this problem on the old one, such as the massively popular Rock Lobster transfer case.

No doubt the same will happen with this one, turning it into an absolute weapon in the process. But the 90 is already set up for this kind of work in standard form, and when we hit the really rough stuff on our laning route it was streets ahead.

The Defender feels more stable and planted on rough terrain, too.

You can feel its axles move more naturally, and they feel more capable of flexing to keep their wheels on the ground. It has a greater feeling of heft and substance, as well as better ground clearance.

All the same, you can’t over-estimate the importance of light weight – the Jimny will skip over certain obstacles that make the 90 feel big and lumbering.

As always, a difference in wheelbases can be magnified enormously by the terrain. Just as the Jimny waltzed over obstacles that had the 90 struggling, there were others that left it waving wheels in the air while Land Rover’s suspension made the ground look as good as flat.

Nonetheless, manning the smaller truck is as easy and light as you could wish for – even over the trickier sections we faced. And

The Defender may be crushingly competent, but this just makes the Jimny more engaging to drive. You have to work for it, and that makes the results all the more satisfying

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www.astwood4x4.co.uk MARCH 2020 | 37

03/02/2020 20:09

Suzuki Jimny 1.5 SZ5 (2019) For the same sort of money that’ll get you a Defender 90 like the one on these pages, plus a very substantial spell on a waiting list, you can buy a brand-new Jimny. The benefits of doing this are obvious – everything should work, and keep on working, and if something doesn’t you’ve got a warranty to fall back on.

That warranty might not be worth much if you modify the vehicle, though – which, if you want to take it off-roading, is something you’ll need to do. In particular, while its engine is very willing, its overall gearing is too high for very precise work, where you need to either slip the clutch or inch it along on the brakes.

Also worth considering is that while running costs won’t be as high as a Defender’s, even the best of Jimnys will depreciate. So if you plan to keep your vehicle for many years, a 90 or 110 will have far lower whole-life costs.

For a daily driver, though, despite its small size the Jimny is more spacious inside – and far better equipped, as well as being a proper four-seater.

while, yes, the Defender is crushingly competent, to me this makes the Jimny more engaging to drive. You have to work for it, and that makes the results all the more satisfying.

Don’t get me wrong; I have the utmost respect for the Defender.

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But when I drive one, I don’t always feel involved, or even completely in control. I’ve never felt fully natural with letting the vehicle do so much of the work itself and simply trusting it. The results are there and I can’t argue with them, but there’s a seat-

of-the-pants dynamic to the Jimny that makes me warm to it. It’s a little reminiscent of driving an old, leafsprung Landy, actually, and to me that makes it more rewarding.

But that answers a question adjacent to the ones we’re working on

here. There are two, perhaps: is the Jimny in any way an heir apparent to the Defender, and is this sort of money better spent on the new pretender or the old warhorse?

To answer the first of those questions, the new Jimny is perfectly

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happy to be the heir apparent to the old Jimny, thank you. There are evident similarities between them, yet the model you see here still manages to be better in almost every way – which is why people are falling over themselves to buy one.

It’s too different to the Defender to be a logical heir. However there are ways in which it feels more like it than even the new Defender itself.

However capable it might be, the new Defender is still a premium product. Given the way the market has gone, this does make it a successor to trucks like our old 90, in a manner of speaking at least. But the Jimny is more of an heir to the old 90 in ways which, arguably, matter more. It has a proper chassis and proper axles, and it errs on the side of simplicity. You’ll need to lift its suspension and sort out its gearing to get anywhere near its potential, but the point is that you can do those things.

In strictly like-for-like terms, the Jeep Wrangler is probably closer to the old 90, and you’ve got to assume the Ineos Grenadier will be closer still when it comes out. As an affordable off-roader that’s big enough to be more than a toy, the current Toyota Landcruiser nails it. But if you simply want maximum off-road

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grins per pound from a new vehicle, then yes, the Jimny is the Defender’s heir apparent.

So, should you add your name to that huge waiting list? Well, if you want a born off-roader with modern toys and more comfort for the day-to-day, the Jimny is the better option. There are other alternatives in the current market place, but the Toyota and Jeep models that are comparable in off-road ability are in the ballpark of double, even triple the price. So if you want to keep value in the equation, the Jimny is the only way to go.

Or is it? A new vehicle for the same money as a (loosely) comparable decade-and-a-half-old one with 70,000 miles on the clock sounds like a no-brainer. But there’s a reason why even an old Defender will still fetch so much money – which is that their values behave more like those in the housing market, not the car market.

Put simply, the 90 is an investment. It’ll probably still be worth about as much money in ten years’ time – and if you do a resto on it you could potentially double that.

By then, the Jimny will be worth a couple of grand.

Besides, if you want to modify a vehicle for off-roading, nothing

else in Britain comes close to the Defender for the availability and affordability of parts. It only takes a little to create a very capable 90 or 110 – but if you want to do a lot, you can turn it into something almost unstoppable.

Then, once you’ve had your fun, you can strip it down, rebuild it as a standard vehicle and sell it for more than you paid.

It’s pointing towards the Defender in a lot of ways, then. But if you don’t want to go in hard, to be honest the Jimny fulfils the brief – an off-road plaything you actually forward to taking out. To be honest, I’d happily have one even if it wasn’t an off-road toy. It’s really nimble and manoeuvrable, thanks to its small footprint and light weight, obviously it’s better equipped than an old 90 and it’s far more civilised on the motorway.

If you simply want maximum off-road grins per pound from a new vehicle, too, then yes, the Jimny is the Defender’s heir apparent. But if off-roading is what it’s all about, the Defender is unbeatable.

You can put together a cogent case for either of these vehicles, to be honest. And each deserves respect from owners of the other, because both are very good. Whether the Jimny is a true heir to the Defender is harder to carry off, though – it’s a true heir to the old Jimny, and to be honest an old Defender is the true heir to the old Defender.

What it comes down to is taste.

I respect the Defender but like the involvement of driving the Jimny: the Editor adores the Jimny but would always take the mechanical prowess of the 90. And we both know there are many like us.

Which to choose? The one your heart desires – and then make the most of it. We’ll take one each and share, thanks.

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The first modified Jeep Wrangler JLs are starting to appear in Britain – and it’s no surprise that Yorkshire specialist Storm Jeeps is behind some of the best. This 2.0 GME long-wheelbase might not have been built to be the last word in off-roading, but it’ll still show most other 4x4s how it’s done – as well as putting on a mighty show of attitude on the road…

Words: Dan Fenn Pictures: Storm Jeeps

I

t’s been more than a year now since the Jeep Wrangler JL arrived in Britain, and twice that since it went on sale back home in the USA. Even Jeep itself acknowledges that this is a vehicle whose owners tend to keep it standard for an average of about ten minutes after getting it home – and the giant American aftermarket is famous for developing new products in less time than it takes Donald Trump to fire a press secretary.

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02/02/2020 22:53

ATTITUDE

Nothing says ‘stance’ like a set of 35” tyres – especially in this case when they’re Atturo Trail Blade X/Ts wrapped around 20” faux-beadlock rims. And what would a modern 4x4 be without an LED bar up front – particularly one that’s perched on top of a stubby bumper from Rugged Ridge?

So it stands to reason that there should already be some tasty modified JLs out there. Needless to say, you can’t move for them in America – but even here, the first examples are starting to emerge. And they’re very varied in nature.

The JL in these pictures, for example, doesn’t exactly fit the typical template for a British offroad build. But it does combine a long list of the mods you’d be looking to make if getting muddy was your goal – including an eye-catching and

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almost indestructibly tough coat of matt black Raptor paint.

Raptor will be well known to regular readers of this magazine. Basically, it’s a way of making your vehicle scratch-proof – but as well as that, it creates a moody-broody appearance that more and more off-roaders are turning to. You can tint it, write logos into it, all sorts, if you have the know-how (getting the best finish is a job for the pros and no mistake), but here it’s used in a sim-

ple matt black that gives this 2.0-litre JL Unlimited a suitably mean look to go with its 35” Atturo Trail Blade X/T tyres and 20” Mamba M16 wheels.

The Wrangler was built by Storm Jeeps, the East Yorkshire based outfit whose know-how and creativity have made it one of the country’s best known Jeep specialists. The company was commissioned to build a JL that would look outstanding, rather than one that would be the ultimate in off-roaders (though any Wrangler is going to be

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04/02/2020 13:07

What do Raptor paint and Alcantara cloth have in common? They both manage to look incredibly cool while also being far tougher than you might expect, that’s what. Just make sure you don’t get them mixed up and put the wrong one on your seats at or near the top of the tree in this area), hence those huge alloys and 35x12.50R20 tyres.

Many of the modded Wranglers you see are based on the Rubicon, which comes as standard with lower gearing, locking diffs and so on, but for this project the guys at Storm used a less specialised Sahara model. This is pretty well equipped as standard, with cruise and climate control, reversing sensors, a parking camera, LED lighting and an 8.4” media system featuring Bluetooth, voice control and smartphone pairing – but the cabin was to be a major part of the project, and safe to say it’s been transformed.

Key to this was a retrimming job on the seats, which are now resplendent in a new coat of black leather and Alcantara, complete with contrasting

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white stitching. Alcantara does look and feel like suede, which sounds like an accident waiting to happen in an off-road vehicle, but in fact it’s much harder-wearing. The seats are a subtle addition to the Jeep’s cabin, but they add an air of class while still looking as if they’ve always been there.

It’s definitely not as subtle from the outside. As if anything with 35” tyres and a full-body Raptor treatment ever could be. A 3” suspension lift using Koni shocks creates room for the big rubber – definitely something you’d approve of if you were building it for off-roading, as are the Spartacus stubby front bumper and Spartan heavy-duty nerf bars and side steps from Rugged Ridge.

By ‘heavy-duty,’ we’re talking about 3” OD tube.

You could sit the vehicle’s whole weight on one

of these things and it wouldn’t flinch. The bumper is similarly hefty, too, being made from 11-gauge stamped steel; it can be specced to carry a winch, but instead this one is home to a couple of recovery hooks and, between them, a 20” LED bar from Wilderness Lighting. And who doesn’t love a good light bar these days?

It all goes together to create a JL that’s absolutely dripping with attitude. And even if it’s mainly about the looks, Storm’s enhancements mean it will be even better than a standard one off-road.

You might not spec yours exactly the same way – but between its suspension, bumper, side steps and especially that Raptor body coating, in many ways this Wrangler defines current thinking in the off-road world.

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A QUESTION OF SPORT You don’t often see Range Rover Sports being used off-road. But with the same underpinnings as the Discovery 3, Land Rover’s original premium soft-roader was actually a very capable vehicle – and with a few well chosen mods thrown in, it makes a particularly nice green lane wagon Words: Paul Looe Pictures: Harry Hamm

W

e’ve been writing about modified vehicles for a lot of years in this magazine, and in that time we’ve seen all sorts of different makes and models. So it’s rare to come across something for the first time.

But here we are. The original first-generation Range Rover Sport was not what you’d call a vehicle built with hardcore off-roading in mind, but it was based on the then-new Discovery 3 –

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02/02/2020 22:54

which, despite everything, Is very capable indeed if you give it the chance. Not that the Sport was made with modding in mind, either – but a certain amount of kit does exist for the vehicle, and it only takes a few well chosen improvements to liberate a remarkable amount of the off-road potential that’s built in to it.

That’s what James Holt has found since buying his 2.7 TDV6 HSE. It’s one from the 2007 model year, and he’s the second owner; the first had the

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vehicle for half a decade, during which time he put 92,000 miles on it. Often with smelly labradors in the back, says James. Ripe for off-roading in every sense, then…

James, who describes himself as a ‘part-time farmer’, says the Sport was his first proper offroad vehicle. He had previously owned a Volvo XC70 (‘for what they are,’ he says, ‘fitted with M&S tyres they will go down most lanes’) and he must have liked it as he now has another one which he

uses mainly for motorway miles – but the Rangey is very much his workhorse.

‘Being a farmer means I have to do a lot of towing,’ he points out. ‘As it also involves driving off-road in muddy fields, I set my Range Rover up to be as practical as possible for what I need it to do.

‘I’ve since joined Bonkas 4x4, so that I could truly understand its capabilities with a fun group of experienced off-roaders. I’ve done pay’n’play

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02/02/2020 22:54

The Easy Lift suspension module takes control of the vehicle’s air springs, offering a range of seven programmable height settings from -35 to +75mm. Made in Italy, it’s available for most Land Rovers with air suspension and can be controlled either by its own buttons or via an app on your phone

‘I do a lot of towing and driving in muddy fields, so I set my Range Rover up to be as practical as possible for what I need it to do’ and some lanes – plus obviously also plenty of driving around boggy fields.’

So how do you prep a Range Rover Sport for this? We’re talking about a high-spec luxury SUV built for motorway cruising and one-upmanship on the school run, after all.

The first answer, and one which Land Rover would be extremely keen to give you, is that the vehicle does have some pretty stunning ability in standard form. However it also has big alloys wrapped in wide, low-profile tyres – which isn’t so bad if you’re talking about sand or even what passes for rocks in the UK, but definitely wasn’t a combination chosen with mud in mind.

The good news is that the tyre industry has caught up with the SUV boom, and these days you can get a set of all-terrains or mud-terrains to go around those alloys. James’ Sport, for example, rolls on 19” rims – and he’s got not one but two

sets of rubber for them. He uses 255/55R19 General Grabber AT3 all-terrains for lighter work and, when the going’s set to be gnarlier, Technic MTs from Beartown Tyres.

As these choices illustrate, we’re looking at a general-use off-road vehicle from the real world, here, not some sort of death-and-hell extreme machine. You’d struggle more than a little to turn a Range Rover Sport into the latter, to be fair – and anyway, it’s not what James was trying to achieve in the first place. For a combination of playdays, laning and an all-round job of work down on the farm, these tyres are more than enough – and they stop well short of being silly, too, which is no small thing.

Obviously, lifting a vehicle with all-independent air suspension isn’t as straightforward a business as it is on a less complex Land Rover, but it can still be done. One very popular answer indeed is

to replace the often-troublesome air springs with coils, but James has been more adventurous and fitted an Easy Lift kit.

This is a clever little electronic module which takes control of the vehicle’s air suspension, allowing it to be cycled through a range of seven programmable heights from -35 to +75mm. Made in Italy, the kit also offers a self-levelling function, allowing owners with a roof tent to sleep in it even when they’re parked on uneven ground, and it can be operated using its own controller or a smartphone app.

Up front, the engine is standard but for an EGR delete. Ahead of it is a low-line Warn winch mounted using an original-equipment Land Rover cradle – not something you see every day, but with the Range Rover Sport’s history as a G4 Challenge vehicle this is the sort of kit that had to be developed for it.

Left: 255/55R19 tyres weren’t created with off-roading in mind, but since they started appearing on vehicles like the Range Rover Sport the industry has started making them in off-road patterns. These are General Grabber AT3 all-terrains; James also has a set of Technic muds for when he expects life to get haggard Below: Heavy-duty Wildbear tree sliders are part of a range of off-road equipment being developed for the Range Rover Sport

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It might not look much like it, but the front bumper is the one with which the vehicle left the factory. What makes the difference is that behind it is an original-equipment Land Rover winch mount, home to a slimline winch from Warn. The view you get while James is running you over, meanwhile, reveals an extremely comprehensive aluminium sump guard – which certainly looks like it was designed to protect more than just the sump There’s also an aluminium sump guard up front, as well as a Trust AL1 towbar at the back.

In between, one of the most vulnerable areas on a vehicle like this will inevitably be its sills – hence the appearance of a set of heavy-duty tree sliders from Wildbear, recently launched as part of a new

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range of off-road equipment being developed for the Range Rover Sport.

All this has happened slowly over a period of time as James has gained more and more of an understanding of the vehicle, what it can do and what else it needs to get the best from it. He says he does some of his own spannering, but that he also has ‘a great local mechanic’ who looks after the vehicle – and given the way it’s set up, you’d be inclined

to acknowledge that he appears to look after it very well.

As the original Range Rover Sport gets older and more affordable, will we see a flood of them starting to be used as off-road toys? Unlikely, you’d have to say, though if we don’t see a flood then at least the drip might turn in to a trickle. The fact that there are also loads of Discovery 3s out there is likely to mean that what you’re looking at here will always remain a rarity.

Maybe it’s not just the vehicle that’s rare, though. Maybe it’s an owner who recognises the limits of what he wants or needs to do off-road and is happy to stay within them, building a vehicle that makes the right compromises to do all its various jobs really well. Which, you could say, has always been the Range Rover way. A Defender with 37” tyres will always make it further into an old quarry – but next time you’re setting off on a six-hour motorway journey for a weekend on the lanes, just think about James’ vehicle and ask yourself who’s going to have the best time…

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OUR 4X4S Vehicle: Isuzu D-Max GO2 Year: 2018 Run by: Alan Kidd Last update: On the fleet since: January 2020

Ready, Steady, GO2...

THE MOMENT WHEN a new 4x4 arrives in your life is always a sweet one. Especially when you’ve been waiting for a while for it to happen.

So the latest addition to our fleet of project vehicles is a very sweet one indeed. It was back in 2012 that Isuzu introduced the D-Max to the UK, and at the media launch event we found ourselves chatting to someone high up in the company who asked us what we reckoned they should do to create a bit of an off-road buzz around the vehicle.

Naturally, our answer was that they should give us one to build as a project truck. And boom, seven and a half short years later, here it is!

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The D-Max has evolved a bit since that early conversation, with a new 1.9-litre engine replacing the 2.5 with which it was launched.

The range has gained some very cool new special-edition models, too – the AT35 is the eye-catcher among them, we’re huge fans of the fit-for-purpose Countryman and the recently launched XTR is a startlingly capable off-roader, albeit you might say a bit of a showy one.

Something else that’s changed is that the range of accessories and modifications available for the D-Max is now much greater than it was back then. This applies to Isuzu’s own approved equipment

and the stuff the aftermarket has on offer. And this project is going to make the most of that.

In particular, Isuzu has a strong working relationship with Australian suspension

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specialist Pedders. We’ve used the company’s lift kits a couple of times before, first on a Nissan Patrol and then on a Toyota Landcruiser, and in each case we were very impressed.

Pedders’ suspension is also fitted on the D-Max XTR, as well as being available on the Huntsman, and we’ve spent enough time in both to know that it works well.

So we were delighted by the news that Pedders was up for fitting one of its kits on our D-Max. Not just any old kit, either – we’ve got the company’s Extreme set-up, which mates taller springs with adjustable remote-reservoir shocks front and rear. This is an evolved version of the system used on the XTR – and Pedders is also supplying forged upper wishbones for the front and a disc brake conversion at the back, with ceramic material used all round, to go with the lift.

The idea is that all this lovely stuff will allow us to use yet more lovely stuff, in the shape of 285/75R16 General Grabber X3 mud-terrains. As ideas go, it’s a good one, but at this point the project goes beyond the realms of just bolting things on. Because while the D-Max AT35 uses 35”

tyres, it caters for them with a body lift and modified wheelarches. Noone we’re aware of has successfully employed 33” tyres on one of these vehicles using suspension alone – so there’s a real question as to whether they’ll fit.

If they don’t, General’s UK importer has said that so long as they’re still in new condition, we can swap them for another size that will. Nice to have that as a fall-back, though obviously we don’t want to have to use it – and we’ve got a body shop at the ready to ensure the D-Max sees it our way.

We’ve also got a very cool set of goodies to add courtesy of Britpart, which a year or so back became a UK importer for ARB. These include heavy-duty front and rear bumpers, a set of rock sliders and a locking rear diff. The D-Max has an open diff as standard, and it’s so good off-road even in this form that we’re very excited about how much better it will become with an Air-Locker to help it on its way.

Britpart is also supplying a Safari Snorkel to help protect the engine from dust and water, and one of its own-brand winches to help protect us from ourselves.

This won’t be a challenge-spec vehicle – as if you’d do such a thing with a late-letter double-cab – but a high-quality ‘adventure’ build of the kind for which more and more people are turning towards one-tonners. We intend to use it for green laning (look out for it making regular appearances in our monthly roadbooks) and, hopefully, some of the randonnées that attract people across the Channel to France. Some sort of overland travel might be on the cards, too. And, since the base vehicle is a Utah model, we’re dreaming about shipping it across the Atlantic for a bash at Moab.

Accent on the word ‘dreaming,’ there, obviously.

Which brings us to the name we’ve given our new truck. It’s called ’GO2’ because it can go to more places. And also because G and O are the initials of the Editor’s sons, who’ve been looking forward to getting aboard ‘Daddy’s new muddy truck’ ever since our old Landcruiser Colorado went off to its new home.

If you’re the sort of person who always scores more on PopMaster than the guy who actually made it on to the radio, you might recognise that the name is also a reference to

an early album by Swindon’s finest, XTC. Because, you know, these are the things that really matter…

And going back to the subject of stuff that matters, in addition to all the cool gear we’ve gathered together from Britpart, Pedders and General Tire, we’re fitting a variety of accessories from Isuzu’s own catalogue. There’ll be plenty more about these in later issues, but it’s all proper kit designed to make the vehicle better, and better protected, when we take it off-road – which we’ll be doing more or less every time we fire it up. More on the subject of what happens when we do that at a later date, too.

For now, Project D-Max GO2 is a low-mileage example of a mid-range truck with rock-solid credentials as a capable, reliable off-roader that’s ripe for improvement. How much we’re going to improve it will become apparent as the months roll by, and if you want to see it for yourself you can rest assured the truck will be making appearances at a variety of shows and events this coming year. Watch this space for a whole lot more on what’s going to be a truck to inspire a new generation of off-road builds…

Left: One set of 285/75R16 General Grabber X3 mud-terrains makes its big entrance. And then it’s time for a test-fit to see whether the entrance in question is a little too big. The answer will be revealed soon, so watch this space Below: Watch this space, too. The D-Max’s pick-up bed will soon become home to some of the best storage units on the market, but for now it’s a very handy place to chuck the wheelarch liners and brake and suspension components that were fetched off during part one of the build

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ON THE ROOF OF EUROPE Adventure-seeking 4x4 drivers often look further aďŹ eld than they need to. Just a day from Words and pictures: Barrie Dunbar

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Britain, for example, the Alps are the perfect destination for a breathtaking off-road tour

I

n last month’s issue, I wrote about a new tour I’ve created for my company, Active 4x4 Adventures, around the Gorge de Verdon in the south of France.

If you’re one of Britain’s very many 4x4 owners who love adventure, however, you’re more likely to think of our nearest neighbour in terms of its mountain ranges.

The Pyrenees are well known as an overlanding destination.

The Alps, however, are perhaps a little less so. Maybe it’s because a large part of the range is in Switzerland, where the rules on access to unsurfaced trails is rather more, well, Swiss, but these are the nearest proper mountains to the UK – yet British 4x4 drivers tend to look beyond them.

I’ve been running 4x4 tours in the Alps for many years, however – and they make for a very special destination. Our itinerary is based on an anti-clockwise circuit of the French and Italian sides, between the magnificent Val-d’Isère in the north and Nice in the south.

Along the way, you can expect to experience wild camping, a mixture of adventure activities and access to the Vanoise, Ècrins and Mercantour national parks.

It all starts at a charming campsite situated on the banks of the River Arc in Lanslebourg. I always encourage my clients to arrive here in good time the day before we set off; something that sets Active 4x4 Adventures apart is that our tours are fully catered,

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and what better introductory briefing could you ask for than one accompanied by a barbecue?

The great thing about this campsite is that when the tour departs, we’re only minutes away from our first ascent. This leads up through pine forests and on to the first of many mountain passes, where magnificent views wait in store above the turquoise Lac du Mont-Cenis.

Gravel tracks then lead us on towards an ancient Roman road, where you can follow in the footsteps taken by Hannibal when he crossed the Alps, supported by a convoy of African elephants, in order to declare war on Italy more than 2000 years ago.

Following a leisurely picnic lunch in the shade of wild chestnut trees, it’s time for the Colle delle Finistre – one of Europe’s most majestic off-tarmac driving routes. Then it’s on to the Strada dell’Assietta, which provides the location for the first wild camp of the tour – and, of course, another restaurant-quality fully catered dinner.

The ski resort of Sestriere and the beautiful

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A feature of Active 4x4 Adventures’ tours is that there’s more to them than just wall-to-wall off-road driving. The scooters-cum-mountain-bikes at Parpaillon are a unique experience, for example, and you can’t beat a spot of white water rafting – especially as it’s suitable for kids aged six and over, and there’s a stop midway down the river to toast marshmallows over an open fire

Lago Nero await your arrival on day two. The latter is accessed only by unsurfaced road – but it’s not until after lunch that the trails start getting more technical. If you haven’t used low range yet, you definitely will now – and that night, you’ll get your fix of grilled delights South African style, from one of the

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traditional charcoal braais that are so popular in Barrie’s home country.

Another feature of Active 4x4 Adventures’ tours is that there are other activities throughout the trek for you to participate in.

There’s a spot of river rafting on day three – and because they’re only minor rapids, the rafting is

suitable for those as young as six years old. If you don’t emerge wet enough, further trails take us to another beautiful campsite, located in picturesque hardwood forests, which has its own swimming pool.

The landscape gets more rugged on day four, as our route takes us to a viewpoint that’s guaranteed

to make your jaw drop. Imagine standing on a rocky precipice, gazing down at a glacial valley spread out thousands of feet before you… it really is the natural world in all its splendour, and a panorama to match anything you’ll find however far around the world you travel.

It’s a landscape full of contrasts, too. The following day, we travel to Lac de Serre-Ponçon, a reservoir with sweeping pebble beaches and water warm enough for us to spend the afternoon swimming and sunbathing – probably not what you associated with the Alps, but so much better than sizzling by a pool on a dreary costa!

And the contrasts keep coming – as does the off-roading. In fact, day

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If you assume rubbish food is an inevitable part of an overland expedition, take a look at this pictures and prepare yourself to think again. Active 4x4 Adventures’ tours are all fully catered, and that doesn’t mean you get a box chucked at you containing a sad sandwich bearing down on its sell-by date. Barrie has all the training and certificates he needs to do a proper job of looking after his clients, often using a traditional braai from his native South Africa

six is the big one. From our camp site, we pick our way up nine miles of rocky terrain towards the Tunnel du Parpaillon – definitely the most extreme track you’ll tackle on this route. And when you get to the top, there’s another kind of off-roader waiting for you – a fleet of specially designed all-terrain scooters, whose mountain bike sized wheels help them skip over the ground as you pilot them downhill.

After lunch, it’s back on to four wheels for a further session on the technical rocky trails that characterise this area. These lead you to our second night of wild camping – and there’s plenty more to keep you busy on day seven, too, as we follow the river Ubaye through the Mercantour National Park to the Lac des Sagnes. We take a break here for some hiking (yes, on two feet…) to a scenic waterfall views a little way from the track.

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After what could turn into quite a convivial evening in the town of Jausiers, it’s on to the Col de la Bonette – the highest road in Europe. It’s surfaced, sorry – but at more than 2700 metres above sea level, the views (and possibly the altitude) will leave you breathless.

The River Tinée is our guide en route to St Etienne, where we’ll stop for lunch prior to further exploration of the area’s waterfalls. Then it’s on to Val Cavera for one last night of camping out in the wild. Old military forts loom over proceedings, and if you’re still hungry for adventure you can take a hike up to the nearby mountain ridge.

San Damiano Macra is the next waypoint after heading through Zona di Pascolo. You can probably tell from the names that we’re on to the Italian side of the border here…

The town gives us an ideal chance to restock on fuel and supplies, in

readiness for another bout of offroad action.

This comes in the shape of a tricky, technical trail, lined with bilberry bushes, which provides sensational views of Mont Blanc – the highest peak in all of Europe.

Once at the campsite, preparations get underway for the trip home – but not before one more farewell braai.

The great thing about all this is that if you live anywhere south of about Manchester, it’s only a day’s drive from home. A long day, for sure, and I’d always recommend taking it easy and enjoying the trip there and back, but if you don’t mind

a marathon session behind the wheel you can set off from the Alps and be home for bedtime.

And get Brits still tend to think of the Pyrenees, the Atlas or even the Carpathians instead. All very fine destinations, those – but as our tour demonstrates, the Alps has plenty to offer. The scenery has to be seen to be believed, the driving is wonderful and, with Active 4x4 Adventures as your guide, you can relax and enjoy it without having to worry about anything. You’ll hit some amazing heights on this tour – and it might be a long time before you’ve come back down to earth.

This year, Active 4x4 Adventures’ Fully Catered 10-day 4x4 Adventure Tour to the Alps runs on 13-22 July. The company specialises in unique, fully catered 4x4 tours, all of which include exciting adventure activities such as rafting, kayaking, zip-lines and quad biking at no additional cost. The prices the company quotes are all-inclusive. To find out more, visit active4x4adventures.com.

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ENCHANTING ETHIOPIA If you believe what the guide books say, you might not fancy the sound of Ethiopia. But

Words and pictures: Raymond and Nereide Greaves

E

thiopia always seems to be a highlight of any overland traveller’s tales from Africa. So we were looking forward to the country with great anticipation as we approached it after a nonetoo-enjoyable spell in Khartoum

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followed by a featureless transit through south-eastern Sudan.

Things started well at the border.

Immigration was situated in a mud hut painted in cheerful colours, which felt unusually relaxed for a place of office – and the landscape changed, too, as the unrelenting

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this mountainous land welcomes overland travellers with plenty of surprises

The interior of Debre Birhan Selassie church is a sight to behold, with the story of Christianity depicted using a traditional Ethopian style of painting. The bright colours may look cartoon-like to western eyes, but in many ways this is Africa’s equivalent to the roof of the Sistine Chapel

flatness of Sudan gave way to the towering Ethiopian Highlands.

To our amazement, there were lush green trees lining the roads, verdant fields of grass and hilly arable land. In places, Ethiopia looked rather like Tuscany – the only difference being the African women

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walking by the roadside carrying loads on their heads.

Something else we noticed about Ethiopia was its tidiness. There is virtually no litter along the roadside, neat stone walls mark property boundaries and larger towns have kerbs and road drainage. All of this

is utterly extraordinary compared to everything else we saw in Africa.

Driving standards are some of the best we saw throughout our expedition from London to Cape Town, too, and the food was a welcome improvement over what we’d found in Sudan.

We did meet very variable road conditions, though. From the border to Gonder and down to Addis Ababa, via Bahir Dar, it’s virtually all good tarmac. Off this main route, however, standards quickly plummet to decent gravel or, more likely, lots of big, sharp stones looking to claim their next puncture.

Not that that was going to stop us. Our L322 Range Rover had made it this far unperturbed, despite being what we believe to be the first of its kind ever to attempt the journey, and our confidence in its ability was growing all the time.

Gonder was our first destination in Ethiopia – and it’s an easy place to like, full of vibrantly coloured houses and outdoor cafes serving chilled beer. Contrary to the notes in our guide book about children constantly hassling you for money, we found everyone here to be easy going and helpful. Our room in the Goha Hotel had a real boutique feel to it, too – and the dining room was also a welcome sight after some dreadful meals on the road!

There are many attractions here, including Fasil Ghebbi, also known as the Royal Enclosure – a cluster of six castles, in varying states of disrepair, right in the middle of town.

Established around 1640, it was heavily influenced by Portuguese Jesuits and feels bizarrely European.

Also quite bizarre, but fascinating at the same time, is Debre Birhan Selassie church. Built in the 1960s, it’s nothing special from the outside, but the paintings on the walls and ceilings are very vivid indeed.

Traditional Ethiopian drawings are close to cartoon images in many respects – people with big heads, huge bulging eyes and comical gestures all in garish colours depicting the story of Christianity.

Then there’s the Simien Mountains, sixty miles or so north of Gonder. This is one of Africa’s largest mountain ranges, with 4200-metre peaks, steep gorges and troupes of Gelada baboons, and its dramatic vistas make it a major tourist pull on the overland trail. A definite must-do.

We set off early in order to collect fuel and food en route, only to find that all five fuel stations in town had run dry. Locals offered us some ‘black market’ diesel, which we weren’t about to risk in a modern engine, then an audacious manoeuvre to try and slide in behind

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Situated right in the middle of Gonder, Fasil Ghebbi is an enclosure containing six castles. Established around 1640, its architecture was heavily influenced by Portuguese Jesuits – meaning it feels bizarrely European a truck we could see filling up resulted in us having a bump with another car.

It sounded bad, but incredibly only a rear light lens on the other car was damaged. Even more incredibly (we were still feeling pretty cynical about the world after Egypt), the driver was really reasonable and, when we offered some cash as compensation, only wanted a fair price for a new part!

We finally happened upon a fuel station with a queue outside, which could only mean one thing. We joined the back and after a while, a diesel tanker pulled in. After half an hour, we were second in the queue… when a power cut struck and the fuel pumps stopped!

In Europe, this is the point at which our tempers would have boiled over and we started shouting.

But this is Africa, and there’s just no point in getting stressed… so we started laughing instead, and that was much better.

Finally fuelled up, we set off.

The tarred road disappeared immediately and was replaced with a gravel track, which in turn deteriorated into an off-road nightmare with awful corrugations and large, sharp rocks everywhere.

Averaging less than 15mph, no way were we going to make it to base camp in daylight.

We had already found that driving at night in Africa is a definite death wish. Many drivers believe that putting their headlights on will drain their car’s battery, so they do without, while animals and people cross the roads randomly. So we decided it would be best to give up and return to Gonder.

Happily, we had at least gone far enough along the road to get some first glimpses of the Simiens – and the views were incredible. The stunning rolling landscape on one side, blending into the jagged outline of the mountains further away, was just fabulous.

We stopped to walk along to a viewpoint and from nowhere, a handful of curious children dashed up over the rocks to join us. We quickly realised that they were not looking for handouts or money and were genuinely fascinated by the two of us, following everywhere we went with reverential hushed discussions going on as though we were being observed carefully.

We took a few photos with digital cameras and played back the images to the children. It seemed as though none of them had ever seen a camera, or an image of

themselves – judging from their hysterical reactions, they could not believe their eyes. They gathered round us in a tight circle laughing and pointing each other out on the camera screen. We laughed along with them, too – such a wonderfully innocent encounter was all the consolation we needed for not having made it to the Simiens as we’d hoped.

We stayed another night in Gonder and then travelled south towards Bahir Dar, marvelling at the scenery en route: lofty volcanic rock formations, wide open plains,

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There are many abandoned tanks littering the Ethiopian countryside, a grim reminder of the civil war that racked the country for many years. A more surprising and much more pleasant sight was a British-registered Series IIA coming the other way… steep hills, gorges and stepped fields. We crossed the source of the Blue Nile at Lake Tana just before entering Bahir Dar itself – which is a very relaxed, civilised and pretty town with tree-lined streets and cafes selling coffee, cake and fresh fruit juice.

Not so civilised is the practice of inflating prices for faranji (‘white man’). We had been hoping to take a papyrus boat ride, for which the local price is 10 Birr (about 50p), but the boatman wanted ten times as much for a two-minute voyage across to the opposite shore.

The boats looked like hysterical fun; essentially floating reed mats with space for three people and a few bags being punted over the top of the lake’s crocodiles. It would

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have made a good video but, even though it was still not a big sum of cash, we were not happy about being fleeced. Bartering doesn’t happen in Ethiopia, either, the result being that everyone loses.

Nonetheless, we liked Bahir Dar and stayed one or two days longer than planned to chill out and enjoy the relaxed atmosphere. We even managed to find somewhere nice for a Valentine’s Day dinner – we certainly never expected to find facilities such as this in Ethiopia!

Moving from Bahir Dar towards Addis Ababa, we stopped at Lake Zengena. Formed in a volcanic crater and shaded by the vast cypress forests which surround it, this turned out to be a beautifully quiet, scenic picnic spot. Normally

you could not even contemplate doing something like this in Ethiopia, as you would immediately be surrounded by onlookers and insistent children, so we really appreciated the tranquillity of the area. We were also lucky enough to see a few Colobus Monkeys dashing around in the treetops.

To reach Addis, we had to pass through the Blue Nile gorge. This is comparable in scale to the Grand Canyon, and the road trip through it is awesome. The scenery is spectacular, and so is the road engineering. The whole 20-mile route in and out was gravel-surfaced until shortly before our visit, but it has now been upgraded to tarmac and furnished with a new bridge over the Nile itself.

From the north, you start the descent from 2600 metres and twist and turn your way down into the gorge, trying not to overheat your brakes, until reaching the bridge at 1200 metres. After this, there is a severe climb back on to the plateau at the far side, which peaks at more than 3000 metres. A stern test for any vehicle; it generally takes a bus two hours to complete and a laden truck three hours.

As we crossed the Nile, the view was so good that we could not resist stopping to grab a couple of photos off the bridge. The pictures turned out well, be we also earned ourselves a reprimand from the army – who, it turned out, were staked out all over the place ensuring that no-one took photos of

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Two great African traditions: women doing hard manual work, and men crashing lorries

this ‘strategic’ infrastructure. What utter nonsense.

We blagged our way out of that one easily enough, and our luck was in again at the top of the gorge where we found ourselves a truly amazing place to stop for lunch with a vast, panoramic view of the entire gorge. We had a few cows and herdsmen for company, but no screaming kids.

Approaching Addis Ababa, we clocked up our 6000th mile since leaving London. We were definitely a long way from home now! In keeping with so much about Ethiopia, we discovered that the capital city was nothing like the hell-hole our guide book suggested – there are cinemas there, spa centres, more tree-lined streets and even supermarkets (the first we had seen since Turkey!)

There’s an excellent National Museum here, too. Many of the world’s most important fossil finds have been in Ethiopia, and the museum is a world centre for research into hominid evolution.

One of its star attractions is Lucy, who’s 3.5 million years old; when discovered, she proved that hominids evolved much earlier than had previously been assumed. Her skeleton shows evidence of a small skull capacity akin to that of apes and of a bipedal upright walk akin to that of humans, showing that bipedalism preceded an increase in brain size in evolution and filling in one of the ‘missing links’ between apes and humans.

4x4 5pp Ethiopia.indd 65

As we left the museum, the heavens opened. Our first rain since Turkey – we dashed over to the closest taxi rank and jumped in. Now, every traveller has a story about taxis…

It may sounds patronising from a westerner, but taxis in developing countries can often be amusingly dilapidated. It’s just one of those areas where our cultures are miles apart. At any rate, this particular one took things to a new level.

First of all, the driver had to hotwire the car to get the ignition on. Even then, though, the starter motor wasn’t working. So he had strategically positioned the car

or a gentle incline to provide the necessary bump start. But once rolling, he couldn’t see a thing as the wipers were broken. All part of the comedy, we thought. But then the driver spun the steering wheel round and round and nothing happened to our direction of travel, and ‘comedy’ had turned into ‘danger of death.’

We demanded the driver stop, and jumped out in the nick of time.

The next taxi was a lot better, though at the end of the journey the driver turned out not to have change for a 100 Birr note. He jumped with our cash to get change – then disappeared, leaving us by the car.

So we were being hustled, then.

We were about to give up, but then we hit on the idea of removing an ignition lead from the taxi which we would ‘fix’ in exchange for our money. Surprise, surprise, the driver was watching all along – as soon as we lifted the bonnet, he suddenly appeared with the change. Hustler hustled: how sweet it must be…

Despite this, and the bitter taste left by the greedy boatman on Lake Tana, we found that we were falling in love with Ethiopia. It was hugely different from our preconceptions and much more enjoyable than we had been expecting, especially after Egypt and Sudan.

For sure, Ethiopia was the surprise of our expedition down through Africa. Such amazing scenery and landscapes, such incredibly friendly people – it’s a wonderful country, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

Raymond and Nereide drove their Range Rover from London to Cape Town in the first half of 2010. You can read the full story of their expedition at www.lilongwedown.com

MARCH 2020 | 65

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ROADBOOK

THE PEAK DISTRICT

An easy going route in the western part of the national park

68 | MARCH 2020

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4x4 02/02/2020 22:48

ROADBOOK The beautiful landscape of the Peak District have in recent years been blighted by the unprincipled bigotry with which the national park has come to be governed, leaving it littered with the corpses of the countless wonderful, sustainable rights of way that have been closed for no good reason. All is not lost, though; there are still many green lanes which remain open to motor vehicles, and this roadbook stitches together a variety of them to create a route that’s very varied, suitable for all competent 4x4s and, of course, very scenic indeed

USING OUR ROADBOOKS Our roadbooks guide you through the countryside on a mixture of surfaced and unsurfaced roads.

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

NAVIGATION

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

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

SAFETY

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

The responsibility is yours!

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

RESPONSIBILITY

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

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

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

4x4 10pp Roadbook Mar.indd 69

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

ANTIS

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

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

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

DO…

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

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

• Ensure you have a right to be

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

• • • •

DON’T…

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

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

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

• Cause a noise nuisance, particularly after dark

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

MARCH 2020 | 69

02/02/2020 22:49

ROUTE GUIDE

is it suitable?

START FINISH HOW LONG? TERRAIN HAZARDS

TYRES

OS MAPS

Rainow (SJ 952 762) Castleton (SK 150 829) 44.2 miles / 4-5 hours Hilly farmland Stony ground, slippery when wet; steep hills; awkward road junctions; other users Landranger 110 (Sheffield and Huddersfield) Landranger 118 (Stoke and Macclesfield) Landranger 119 (Buxton and Matlock)

Step

1

0.0

SJ 952 762

Start at the Robin Hood Inn, in the village of Rainow, which would make a good place to stay the night before. Zero your trip as you turn left out of the car park, then immediately turn right at the T-junction with the B5470

Step

Step

3

4

1.8 70 | MARCH 2020

10pp Roadbook Mar.indd 70

Step

5

SJ 942 733

2.1

6 MOUNT PLEASANT

Caution – you’re turning right on the infamous Cat and Fiddle road here

1.3 Step

DAMAGE

Step

2

0.7

WEATHER LOW BOX SOFT-ROADERS SCRATCHING DRIVING

All-terrains recommended. Very low profiles will struggle Avoid when foggy or icy Much better with it More rugged ones will be okay Occasional slight risk A few technical sections. Care required in general No reason it should happen if you drive with reasonable caution

2.2 Step

7

2.65 It’s a tiny little lane and is hard to spot as you approach, so keep your speed down and be ready to indicate as early as you can

BACK EDDISBURY ROAD

Step

8

Watch out as you emerge – this is the Cat and Fiddle road again, and drivers coming down the hill towards you from the right will probably be going too fast

3.05 4x4 02/02/2020 22:49

Step

9

3.15 Step

10 3.7 Step

11

The turning is opposite the big millstone signposting the entrance to the Peak District National Park

Step 11: This track is bumpy enough to keep you slow, but even then there are a couple of sudden axle-twisters waiting to take you by surprise

CHARITY WAY

If you’re following the route on a Landranger map, it’s easy to be misled here. The turning isn’t on to the track ahead of you as you come into the corner – you go all the way round it then turn hard left on to the track Forest Bridleways

You should already be going nice and slow, because the surface has been pretty bumpy to here, but even so there’s a sudden axle-twister than could take you by surprise

Step

15

4.3

5.25

Step

Step

4.65

5.35

Step

Step

4.7

1.05

Step

Step

12

16

13

17 18

14 4.95

4x4 10pp Roadbook Mar.indd 71

Macclesfield Buxton

1.85

Macclesfield Buxton

ZERO TRIP

Buxton

Watch out – it’s the Cat and Fiddle again…

The turning is shortly after you’ve passed the Cat and Fiddle pub on the left, and immediately after the speed cameras

Derbyshire Bridge (only)

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Step 25: As you turn left for Goyt Valley, the entrance to the lane is hidden behind the national speed limit sign

Step

19

SK 033 752

Where the road goes into a car park on the right, continue ahead on to the track. Look out for walkers and cyclists along here – in addition to some sharp drainage humps

2.85 Step

20 4.25 Step

21

The junction is controlled by the world’s slowest traffic lights

4.75 Step

22 5.25

Step

25

The turning is just after the bridge

CARLISLE ROAD

Step

26

5.65

9.75

Step

Step

23

27

24

10pp Roadbook Mar.indd 72

Extreme caution as you join the road – it’s a big, fast one and traffic from the right will be coming at you round a blind corner

7.85 Step

72 | MARCH 2020

The road to the left is signed for Goyt Valley. You won’t be able to see the track at first, but don’t panic – it’s just hidden behind the national speed limit sign

7.15

Step

5.7

SK 032 752

28 MANCHESTER ROAD

ELNOR LANE

It’s a tight turn, back over your shoulder, immediately before the 30mph signs as you enter the village

10.45 4x4 02/02/2020 22:49

Step 31: The track steps up slightly through the gate. It looks more like a field entrance as you approach

Step

29

SK 018 793

Make sure you get the right track here. There’s another one just before your turning – you need to take the one that doesn’t have a gate

30

SK 032 788

Take the road with the no through road sign

11.85 Step

31 12.05

4x4 10pp Roadbook Mar.indd 73

32

ZERO TRIP

12.65

10.75 Step

Step

Step

33 0.85

The track looks more like a field entrance as you approach. It steps up slightly on the way through the gate

Step

34

SK 032 764

This ‘road’ is a fine example of what happens when you stop looking after them. We don’t know how long it’s been left to rot, but the amount of the surface that’s disappeared is remarkable

As you go over the crest, the surface deteriorates into a proper track

1.6

MARCH 2020 | 73

02/02/2020 22:49

Step 40: You’re turning right to leave a major A-road and take a byway across the middle of a golf course. Safe to say you want to be looking in all directions here…

Step 51-52 (right): This track is forever being rerouted to take it around the edge of the quarry

Step

Step

1.85

4.05

35 Step

36

39 Caution – this is a major road

37 3.1 Step

38 3.5

74 | MARCH 2020

10pp Roadbook Mar.indd 74

40 4.45

2.15 Step

Step

This is in Buxton, just after the hospital on the left. The next section runs through a residential area, so keep your speed right down and be on the lookout for pedestrians, especially kids

CORBAR ROAD

This road must be one of the very few places in the world where you go under three separate bridges at the same time

LIGHTWOOD RR

Caution – this is a very busy main road, and the turning is so tight that you’re apt to swing out on to the wrong side of the road. If you’re in a convoy, safer to go for it one by one then regroup somewhere before the next step

SK 068 741

The byway is just after the road for Wormhill on the right. You’ll see the right of way sign pointing dead ahead as you approach. Look out for oncoming traffic as you turn – again, this is a very busy trunk road.

The byway itself runs across a golf course, so it’s not a good place for an open ragtop!

Step

41 5.0 Step

42

SK 080 750

5.45

4x4 02/02/2020 22:49

Step

Step

5.65

7.75

43 Step

44

48 SK 080 744

Step

49

5.85

8.85

Step

Step

6.4

9.7

Step

Step

6.75

10.4

Step

Step

6.95

11.8

45 46 47 4x4 10pp Roadbook Mar.indd 75

50 51

Caution – this doesn’t look like a busy road, but it is. To make matters worse, the junction is blind to the left as you emerge, and there’s a sharp crest to the right which you can be sure people will come flying over without paying any attention to the warning signs

Caution, again – this is a main road, and it’s likely to be packed with HGVs. The junction is just before a set of traffic lights, so you might well have to queue before you can emerge. Again, if you’re in convoy you might need to take it one by one and regroup prior to the next step

SK 077 792

Yet more caution as you approach the turning – traffic behind you won’t know what you’re doing.

Even though you’re signalling right, assume the guy in your mirror will think you’re slowing to turn left and that he’ll pull out to overtake you at the very worst moment

The track ahead is forever being re-routed to take you around the quarry workings behind the embankment. This means its length is liable to change – there’s a zero point at Step 53, so don’t worry if Step 52 makes no sense

52 MARCH 2020 | 75

02/02/2020 22:49

Step 69: The surface has been eroded by water run-off as you turn – be prepared to have your wheels lifted

Step

59 3.1 Step

60 3.4 Step

53

Step

ZERO TRIP

61

12.7

3.8

Step

Step

0.1

6.05

54 Step

55

62 Step

SK 112 773

0.7

63 Pennine Bridleway Wormhill 4

Step

1.8

1.85

Step

64

57

SK 134 766

Step

Step

3.0

2.75

10pp Roadbook Mar.indd 76

Perryfoot

ZERO TRIP

SK126 826

The turning is hard to spot as you approach. It’s shortly after a stone barn on the left, and immediately after a brown tourist sign. If the gate is shut, you can sit on the left while someone opens it, or if you’re in convoy sit in line and hold the traffic behind you. But be warned – this is a surprisingly busy road

65 2.25

76 | MARCH 2020

Just after the Devonshire Arms on the right, turn right at the traffic lights

Step

2.7

58

Stockport Manchester A623 (A6)

7.75

Step

56

Caution – this is a fast, busy road

66

Follow the main track as it swings round to the left, then continue straight ahead through two sets of gates, ignoring all the various tracks off to either side

4x4 02/02/2020 22:49

Step

67

Don’t turn too early. There’s a couple of short tracks off to the right which link up to the road that runs parallel to your track, but ignore them and just keep going until you finally meet it at a T-junction

68

SK 155 821

4.3 Step

69 70

As you turn down the hill, the crest has been eroded by water run-off into a potentially quite dramatic axle-twister

71 4.85

4x4 10pp Roadbook Mar.indd 77

73 Step

74

Follow round to the left at the triangular junction as you come into Castleton, then back round to the right on what’s obviously the main road

5.65 Stick to the main track on the way down the hill

4.75 Step

Step

5.35

4.4 Step

72 4.9

4.15 Step

Step

Step

75 5.7

Keep your speed right down as you pass the houses on the left

Step

76

Turn right at the mini roundabout then pull in to the pay-and-display car park on the left for the end of the route

5.75

MARCH 2020 | 77

02/02/2020 22:49

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4x4

NEXT MONTH IN…

THE JEEP FILES: FREE supplement on the 4x4 that started it all Tested: Ford Ranger Raptor and Range Rover Sport HST

The story of Terrafirma’s stunning new Defender 110 demo truck – and how you could build one just like it PLUS Expedition travel in Canada and the Pacific Northwest

ON SALE: 13 March

Step 40: Tur n left off the main track, embankment dropping dow then plungi n the ng straight into a water trough (right) are sharp rock Step Caution – there you climb the

71 34

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13

13.1

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steps to negot hillside

Step

12.3 ROADBOOK: Scratchy going on the hidden byways of the old Kent coalfield 8.75 a Abbey Strata Florid

track to the left Take the rocky track the main Cat A

Step

14

Ste p Step

4328

of

15

It’s a steep, sharp climb up over a bigg er track – you and can’t see ahead over your bonnet to start with

15.0 Step

48 15.2

13.4

11.7

Step

Step

16 17

There’s a coup le of huge wate troughs afte r r the junction

Step

43

Step

Step

followed by a long

1312 .1 .6

10.9

11.8

More rock steps, water trough

47

44 Join the Cat A

track

You may find yourself drivi a river bed ng along for a while…

13.65 Step

45

12.8 Fill in your name and address and give this form to your newsagent Step

●

14.7

track Drop off the main the gate and immediately before trough water into yet another

of momentu h bigger might need a bit Please order 4x4 Magazine the right is muc Step 37: Youmonth 18 and reserve/deliver Stemep a copy every the drop-off to but be warned,

Name Address

12.8 88 | JAN UARY 2020

46

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twisters – than it looks here

4x4

14.9 4x4

J

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