ROAD 14: 4X4 Off-Road and Green Lane Special, Part 1

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elcome to the first 4x4, off (& on) road, green lane special of www.roadmagazine.co.uk– this month, binning the tempting track tarmac, or ace A-road asphalt, in favour of nice bit of green lane by-way action.

If you’ve never ventured onto one of Europe’s amazing oldfashioned by-ways – open to ALL traffic, legally – then you need to sort that ASAP: It’s one of the best fun things you can do in your motoring life: Low speed kicks at their best.

Of course, you can’t just take your Porsche off-roading (unless its a Cayenne that is), so you need the right tool for the job... a rugged, tough 4x4, with low ratio differentials, huge ride height and proper boots on - essential green lane tools.

We’ve got three absolutely cracking 4x4’s here for you: Toyota’s big, burly and bionic TD V8 Land Cruiser, Isuzu’s “farmer’s choice” Rodeo & Mitsubishi’s sensational Shogun LWB. Off course, 4x4’s don’t just do off-roading these days, they are comfortable, well mannered and stylish on the road too.

And to prove this, we took Mitsubishi’s Shogun into Buckingham Palace, to meet the queen, for an MBE! No, really, we did! Enjoy our town and country issue folks! What-ho!

WORDS & IMAGES: WWW.ROYLEMEDIA.CO.UK

Land Cruiser V8: “I did it, By-Way”

“King of all roads,” the 60-year-old, £60,600 Toyota Land Cruiser V8 is a master of demolishing a challenging green lane. Road goes off-road and is utterly amazed by this super luxurious 4x4’s phenomenal abilities...

s ation a t u p e r ith its r of all offe a mast over variroading throughout tions a was n r e a r c e n h i t s , w ou des no e could a c e d six thing w -topping e n o y e onl is rang er V8 – h t h t i do w d Cruis and get n a L a t Toyo by-way lane acd l o n find a oper green r lt. some p er its burly be e LC th d tion un pressions of ody First im o-fold: Its blo bly tw edi V8 are , and it’s incr ke a li e massiv t... luxurious, il well-bu

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,300 3 ( e v i s s the ma e ease with g n i t f i h t k too, s th consumma cially after c i u q e i ick and Kg) beast w f torque, esp s just 8.2s), l s , h g wave o k (which take max in no t as tou so...? l s a u j d i d t n a e mar h Va t mor p ver, a h y o e p m b b R 0 m y 3 d 0 e a 1 e 6 g t ts grun i M s e e t . i e g h r g t Ran n o i g n t i r n k e e and as to nsid ing o you’r e-loo h e o l h l , t c b i g b d , a r u a k t d p a l o r l n a u o p c g on-b ensely comfo ulously uess! A f its V8, the b system, n i g I b , m i e l C tim ed, imm ry interior, fab g all) e size o manent 4WD t 27mpg. d h t a , o l s l e y n l lev ful arfi luxu by, a s per w b t d i e a d r e ( h t d o f s n n a m t o r a ’ i choice f move, economy ain o finely c driving posit d for on and, e n n la r l e he the fue ve to the gree gh: None of t it superio e tools need iving: Switch rt), u th o dr The dri onfused thou seemed to s and all tly, off-road sport & comf c d es ke l, an had me pension mod : Comfort ma and import ping (norma ension with a D p s m s W AVS su py back road around madly very able da Variable Sus -high ratio 4 C), w e ve the bum ick, wallowing n so wide at me Adapti ride height, lo control (A-TR ist o s n ru s e justabl Active Tractio , Hill-start As and us car- the front end ainly tamed s or) rt , ks making ort mode ce as bouncy. N ly modes ntrol, diff loc control (TRC ! p w t n o g bend. S dersteer, but t, but seemin crawl c (HAC), Tractio l (VSC). Swee , n s o l re of the u e was the be Contro tability contr hroaty 4.5-lit 8, S d t lV mal mo Vehicle the massive, D turbodiese It’s Fire up 79 lbft (!) D-4 pecial lump. /4 as 281bhp know this is u and yo roadmagazine.co.uk

impres s a g n anythi othing, and I d e c n e i er .N g, ver exp Toyota offers tty challengin e n is pre p and awkas the ch was h i t e h v n i w s o , t g s l: n ee stering the bea er up a cana mean nothi , banked, st u e fl m o t a t ldn’t close l tank rutted still cou piloting a fue for its environ ng. heavily way ever got soaked every i e It pa ya bit lik some, too big mildly terrify ling ward b and Cruiser. roppingly ca e m e r d L nd he big and was jaw- denly, the na Cumbe w to react a as was the fe y. t d lo , n rit hing up pressive. Su oes cruise, i ment, s ig V8 is a joy lime superio e t d b im b th e, over le and fect sense. It s But the he wheel – su ane, I flicked b a e e lim l t er ot behind at the green (with a simple he made p fort, with sub V8 LC has g is d up t It really tal com ff-road, this Arriving nto low ratio e : o k t 4 r x a 4 b em ury dy xi dd. O gearbo switch), and ly rutted, san he any lan very best lux ering outstan d t p e ff e fa click o nt of the dee nd, suddenly lute to be th all roads” – o abilities, mix nca o f d u ce first as dy by-way... d making abs lad “King o rtless off-roa s, practical, f d u c n e fo and mu Cruiser start this leather- ur- ingly ef notch luxurio enal TD V8 e nt d m iro nd pV8 Lan inally, I’d fou t: Serious ven with to eriors, pheno joy, in its env f.

F a nal int al motoring e stuf v o i i sense. natural habit green lane. t s s e r re my mp h ’s ine and ast. Deeply i animal ad on a toug off-roading in s g ro p f t le ing off- ne a fair bit o odern pick-u ment a I’ve do d bangers, m LC, but I’ve ol the time, in ry 4x4’s like u and lux roadmagazine.co.uk

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WORDS & IMAGES: WWW.ROYLEMEDIA.CO.UK

Royle meets royal at the palace Mitsubishi’s superb £35K Shogun LWB Elegance provides the perfect regal transport for a seriously auspicious day for Road Magazine, as the Editor’s mum, Sheila Royle, is given an MBE for services to the country. All rise please!

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roud doesn’t even come close to covering it. My mum, Sheila Royle, has been awarded an MBE for her services to the Prison Board at HMP Altcourse. So, unbelievably, we’re off inside Buckingham Palace, to one of the ballrooms no less, to watch her majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, present my mum with her MBE. Wowzers! This calls for a palatial vehicle – especially as we get to drive right into the inner sanctum courtyard, and feel like royalty ourselves for the day.

The vehicle we chose was Mitsubishi’s aptly-named, Elegance-spec long-wheel-

base Shogun: Spacious, smooth, refined, stylish, comfortable, luxuriously lined with leather and loaded with London-essential Sat Nav. Heck, the 2011 Shogun’s even got 4x4 green credentials, being the lowest CO2 producer of any large 4x4 – despite being 18% more powerful (197bhp) and torquey (325lbft) in new 3.2-litre diesel form. And, even though its a true thoroughbred offroader, the Shogun LWB is a breeze to float effortlessly through the big smoke in... and brings us all to Buckingham Palace with real panache; looking just as good as the Jags, Bentleys and Mercs parked in the courtyard.

The palace is breathtaking. The ceremony is amazing. The queen is, well, utterly majestic and the Shogun was just superb. But, there was no denying the star of the show... my mum. What an achievement Ma! roadmagazine.co.uk

WORDS & IMAGES: WWW.ROYLEMEDIA.CO.UK

Isuzu: The pick-up professionals

If you’ve never tried an Isuzu Rodeo and you like pick-ups... you need your head examining! Brilliant in every area, they define the C21st pick-up genre, as Road discovered...

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here is a plethora of modern Japanese single and double cab pick-ups to choose from these days, to enjoy practicality, comfort and economical RWD/4WD road missions, and fabulous off-road fun in: There’s Mitsubishi’s L200, Toyota’s Hilux (both to be reviewed in Road soon), Nissan’s Navara and, perhaps less obviously (to those not already sold on the brand), Isuzu’s Rodeo.

The massively under-rated and oft-overlooked Isuzu Rodeo range starts from an unreal £12,699, for a single cab model, designed as a workhorse. It comes with

the 300Nm, 136PS 2.5-litre commonrail turbodiesel engine – capable of over 40mpg – and with a classleading towing capacity of 2,500Kg. Reflecting its working roots, it comes with a set of practical 15-inch steel rims, and a cloth interior, with CD player.

Then there’s the double cab range – starting with the Denver, from £16,049, coming with either the 2.5-litre TD engine, with five-speed manual gearbox, or the 163PS, 350Nm 3.0-litre commonrail TD engine, with four-speed auto box – and a 3,000kg towing capacity, 16-inch alloys and a

cloth and Moquette interior and CD player.

Next up is the Denver Max 2.5-litre manual, priced at £17,049, also with 16-inch alloys and a cloth and Moquette interior, but loaded with a front bumper guard with stainless-steel insert, 3” stainless-steel side steps, over or under rail bed liner, chrome finish rear lamp protectors, stainlesssteel door entry guards and a double DIN CD audio unit with iPod control and Bluetooth handsfree.

Then there’s the Denver Max Plus, from £19,299, coming with the more powerful variable vane turbo-

charger and intercooled 3.0-litre engine (manual or auto box options) and cruise control, a two-tone leather interior, touchscreen colour SatNav with DVD playback, CD/MP3/ WMA compatibility FM/AM tuner, iPod/ iPhone/USB

control, auxiliary input and Bluetooth – for those with more luxurious tastes.

And, as tested here, there’s the range-topping Denver Max LE, priced from £21,549, coming with cruise control, a VATfriendly 1,015kg payload,

18” ‘Shadow chrome’ alloy wheels, full leather interior trim, body-coloured hardtop with locking tailgate, under-rail bed liner, stainless-steel mesh front grille and a chrome finish bonnet garnish. It also has a Clarion touch-screen colour SatNav

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with DVD playback, CD/ MP3 compatibility, FM/AM tuner, aux/iPod® input and high clarity Bluetooth.

It’s a mighty impressive range, offering class-leading prices, economy and power, easy switch low-high ratio gearbox modes (RWD high, 4WD high and 4WD low ratio, at the touch of a button, see left) and, as with all modern pick-ups, there’s a bewildering array of personalisation accessories, including: Reversing camera, twin rear DVD’s, clinometers (roll, pitch and voltage meters in a pod), wood effect

interiors, tool boxes, sump guards, mud flaps, rear bed liners, headlamp protectors, stainless steel style bars, chrome/stainless steel exterior touches, rear bed extenders, tow bars, 12V plug-ins, roof racks, fishing road/ski/canoe/cycle carriers, Tonneau covers and a wide range of ARB and Truckman hard cover tops, like the painted Alpha Top fitted on the Denver Max LE we tested here. You can “spec-up” to tailor your Rodeo to your needs perfectly and to your heart’s content.

This incredibly wide range

of accessories hints at key features of the Rodeo – flexibility to meet the practical needs of the lifestyle you intend to use it for.

This is an immensely practical vehicle, capable of carrying five adults with total comfort and space, on and off-road, with a cargo load and roof loaded with whatever your chosen lifestyle choice demands: Fishing trips, camping holidays, farming, moving house, packing the kids off to university... whatever, the Rodeo meets whatever mission you throw at it.

We took our Rodeo offroad, and it was amazing – wading through deep mud and up and down dale, no bother. And we loaded a huge soapbox into its cargo hold and went downhill gravity racing, with all the gear we needed stowed away neatly, and four adults in tow too.

The Rodeo is comfortable, quick, economical and, best of all, big, big fun to drive... especially in 2WD mode, for some slowly sideways shenanigans. An ace vehicle!

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