4x4 Magazine June 2018

4x4

NEWS • PRODUCTS • TRAIL GUIDES • WORKSHOP • CALENDAR • OFF-ROAD SCENE DRIVEN: The 2.0-litre, 404bhp Range Rover plug-in hybrid

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

Fiat Fullback Cross STONELEIGH, 15-16 JUNE: 4X4 AND PICK- UP SHOW PREVIEW INSIDE

Landy or Suzuki? Or why not build the best of both worlds?

4x4 Cover June AK WITH SARAH ADD SHOW FLASH.indd 1

With full-time four-wheel drive and a locking rear diff, is this the best-specced double-cab for proper off-roading?

Trail Guides: • Cambridgeshire • Mid-Wales • East Yorkshire • Central Wales Every month – unique route books on Britain’s rights of way

£4.75

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DV8 Works’ UK-made mods for the current Ford Ranger 01/05/2018 23:03

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June 2018

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2-3 Contents June.indd 2

01/05/2018 22:37

90 12 ISSUES OF 4X4 – FOR JUST £12!

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

News 10 12 14 16 18 20

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Nissan Navara AT32 Is this the ultimate off-road one-tonner?

Toyota Hilux AT35 Toyota launches Arctic Trucks conversion Mitsubishi Shogun Sport Van L200-based SUV becomes a van Toyota Hilux ew range topper celebrates fiftieth anniversary Isuzu D-Max New edition aimed at work users with style VW Amarok Yet more power from the 3.0 TDI engine

Tested / First Drives 22 24 26 28

SsangYong Musso An early drive of the forthcoming double-cab Jaguar E-Pace Can a sports car become an SUV? Range Rover P400e Petrol hybrid is a technological masterpiece Fiat Fullback Cross High-spec badge-engineered L200

Every Month 4 6 33 112

Alan Kidd Pick-ups are here for the long term Gallery ummers, sorry. Prepare for some horrific sights Products New stuff ready to launch at the 4x4 and Pick-Up Show Next Month Coming up in 4x4 magazine

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Features 38 41 50 54 60 68

Davanti Terratoura A new all-terrain tyre promising big things 4x4 and Pick-Up Show Preview of the hot new motor show A Right Royal Landy Monarch is the latest build from Arkonik DV8 Ranger Profiling the mighty ritish-built Ranger Suzuki or Land Rover? Two off-road brands blended into one Europe on Leaves Classic Landies on a long-range fundraiser

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Our 4x4s 76 78

Skoda Kodiaq A stellar A-to- blast aboard our family V Land Rover 90 p on the ramps now, what have we bought?

Off-Road Scene 82 83 84 86

Two Dales Welcome news as a public inquiry gets the answer right Old Coach Road Green laners donate to repair a Lakeland lane Wolverns Lane Vandals cause damage on Surrey byway Odyssey Challenge The new season kicks off in dramatic style

Off-Road Calendar 83 87 88

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

Green Lane Guides 94 98 102 106

Mid-Wales Varied lanes in the Powys mountains East Riding Chilled out farm tracks, but watch out for ruts Central Wiltshire ummer’s here and the lanes are open again West Cambridgeshire Quiet trails in the heart of England

68 ‘When we pulled into a lay-by, we noticed some locals had shot their own sign…’

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Alan Kidd Editor

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Major brands are seeing a market for enhanced off-roaders

said last month that while many people in the 4x4 market have turned to double-cabs, short and light is still the way to go. I was referring to the difference between trying to tackle something like the Cam Steps in a Land Rover 90 or short-wheelbase Wrangler and something that might be expensively lifted and modified to take on the world but which is, when all is said and done, still five metres long.

Pick-up trucks weren’t designed for extreme terrain. That should be obvious.

When you look at that 90 and Wrangler, they have short wheelbases and the best possible approach and departure angles.

Pick-ups have to have long wheelbases and rear overhangs in order to do what they were made for, and they also have to be massively over-sprung at the back when running unladen. All these facts compromise their suitability for technical off-roading on extreme terrain.

However, pick-ups have ground clearance on their side, as well as a decent degree of traditional off-road engineering (proper chassis, low box and a proper rear axle).

In the context of what’s happened in the rest of the 4x4 market over the last twenty years or so, that trumps every other consideration if you want to drive somewhere more adventuous than the nearest Forestry Commission picnic site.

As we’ve seen, and it’s what I was rambling about last month, off-roaders are certainly making a comeback. The industry seemed to abandon them altogether in the rush to build pavement-princess SUVs (we can all name one manufacturer that’s particularly culpable here, can’t we?) but just recently, it’s becoming clear that in doing so, it forgot about the market’s enduring demand for the real thing.

Will that distract off-roaders away from pick-ups? Well, there are some very tempting vehicles on the way. The Toyota Land Cruiser we get in the UK is a fantastic bit of kit – and so are the ones we don’t, except through unofficial channels. The new Jeep Wrangler promises to be like the old one only even better, which is saying something, and when Ineos Automotive joins the fray with its forthcoming new

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Grenadier, it’ll be the closest thing there is to a genuine continuation of the now-gone Land Rover Defender. Talking of which, etc… and the Merc G-Wagen, too.

As I was saying last month, a few of the vehicles in there are looking like seriously good value for money. Most are very much the opposite – if not bad value, then still way too much for most of us to be able to consider. And that’s one of the main reason why pick-ups are still going to be a big part of the off-road scene for a long time to come. The newly launched Land Cruiser Utility looks like a bargain at not much more than thirty grand at broker prices, but for about two thirds of that you can get a Ford Ranger that’s very well worth having. Pick-ups are still cheap compared to station wagons, and of course they can come with outstanding tax benefits – and as we all know, money talks.

Not that pick-ups look like staying cheap for ever. The market recently broke the , barrier for the first time, thanks to the latest version of Isuzu’s D-Max AT35, and Toyota has just launched a new Hilux conversion in conjunction with Arctic Trucks which costs from £15,780 plus the VAT – on top of the vehicle itself.

It’s promising, though, that major brands are seeing a market for vehicles enhanced for off-road use. Nissan, too, has struck a deal with Arctic Trucks, and the Navara AT32 could be the best of the lot – as it can be specified with a locking front diff.

It remains the case that pick-ups are compomised for technical off-roading. But they remain the most realistic prospect for people who want to do it – and with developments like these, it seems clear that the industry sees the hardcore market as one worth pursuing. About time, 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, Gary Noskill, Paul Looe, Dan Fenn, Pip Evans Photographers Harry Hamm,Vic Peel, Steve Taylor, Richard Hair, Andy Cox, Pawel Frackowiak Group Advertising Manager Ian Argent Tel: 01283 553242 Advertising Manager Colin Ashworth Tel: 01283 553244 Advertising Sales Manager Peter Topley Tel: 01283 553245 Advertising Production Sarah Kidd Tel: 01283 553242 Subscriptions Manager Catherine Martin Subscriptions Assistants Emma Emery, Kay Tunnicliffe, Abi Dutton Publisher and Head of Marketing Sarah Kidd Email: sarah.kidd@assignment-media.co.uk To subscribe to 4x4 incorporating Total Off-Road, or renew your subscription, call 01283 742970. Current prices for 12 issues: UK £42 (24 issues £76); Europe Airmail/ ROW Surface £54; ROW Airmail £78 Distributed by Marketforce; www.marketforce.co.uk Every effort is made to ensure the contents of 4x4 are accurate, but Assignment Media accepts no responsibility for errors or omissions nor the consequences of actions made as a result of these. When responding to any advert in 4x4, you should make appropriate enquiries before sending money or entering into a contract. The publishers take reasonable care to ensure advertisers’ probity, but will not be liable for loss or damage incurred from responding to adverts Where a photo credit includes the note ‘CC BY 2.0’ or similar, the image is made available under that Creative Commons licence: details at www.creativecommons.org 4x4 is published by Assignment Media Ltd, Repton House G11, Bretby Business Park, Ashby Road, Bretby, Derbyshire DE15 0YZ

© Assignment Media Ltd, 2018

4x4 01/05/2018 22:47

Carry that extra load with ease DA3072

These roof racks are manufactured from aluminium with a smart black powder coated finish. Fully welded, they are extremely strong, versatile and easy to use. The floor plank profiles are orientated longitudinally which results in a reduction in wind noise.

There are nut channels on all the extrusions to allow for easy fitment of 3rd party accessories.

DA3072 Defender 90 3 feet per side Weight - 32kg Dimensions - 2,050mm long x 1,500mm wide Vehicle gutter to top of rack - 265mm DA3269 Defender 110 Double cab pickup Defender 130 Double cab pickup 3 feet per side Weight - 27kg Dimensions - 1,600mm long x 1,500m wide Vehicle gutter to top of rack - 265mm DA6529 Discovery 1 & Discovery 2 - without roof rails Low profile 3 feet per side Weight - 26kg Dimensions - 2,050mm long x 1,500mm wide Vehicle gutter to top of rack - 265mm

DA6529

DA3072

DA6629

DA6537

DA6629

DA3070

DA3070 Defender 110 4 feet per side Weight - 38kg Dimensions - 2,750mm long x 1,500mm wide Vehicle gutter to top of rack - 265mm

DA6629 Discovery 1 & Discovery 2 - with roof rails Low profile 3 feet per side Weight - 27kg Dimensions - 2,050mm long x 1,500mm wide Vehicle gutter to top of rack - 340mm

DA6537 Discovery 3 & Discovery 4 4 feet per side Weight - 23kg Dimensions - 2,300mm long x 1,260mm wide Roof to top of rack - 120mm Note - May need roof rail kit (CAB500120PVJ or CAP500090) to be fitted to vehicle prior to roof rack installation.

More images online at www.britpart.com/expedition

GALLERY In pictures: 4x4s and off-road action from around the world. This month, we apologise if some of this offends your eyes – but it’s Hummertime!

Above: Taken by Staff Sgt Brian Ferguson in Afghanistan’s Zabul province, this picture shows a military Humvee operated by international security forces detailed to guard a provincial reconstruction team loading supplies following an air drop. A perfect image of the ugliness of war compared to the beauty of our planet – replace the armour with travellers’ tags and the g n t rret ith a roo tent, and o ’d have a prett ch definitive pict re o ho id llic expedition life can be weene gets a re-su

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Left: Not many things are capable of making a Hummer look small. The sort of chopper it takes to get one off the ground would need to be able to do that, however. This picture was taken at Marine Corps’ 2011 Miramar Airshow in San Diego, California, which every year attracts around 700,000 visitors – every one of whom was no doubt hoping that those straps were done up right com

ikorsk .

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Below left: When you crash a Hummer H2 into the back of a Rolls-Royce Phantom, what you get is a violent reaction in which every last vestige of good taste is completely annihilated out

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Below: Try as we might, we really can’t improve on the author’s own title for this picture. It might seem hard to believe, but as it turns out even the original Hummer H1 is mortal after all… ummer -

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Above left: Well, THAT’S not scary… ummer

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Above right: A Hummer, a Land Cruiser and the Alps. Which would YOU choose…? udo ic

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Right: One of the good things about a vehicle being so ridiculously big is that you can fit ore people in it note the o r abreast seating in the back of this H1. Very handy when you’re converting your truck into an off-road tour bus, which is what this one’s doing in the fabulous scenery of Utah’s Arches National Park. Whoever gets to do this for their job really needs to get a life ummer our

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elo t’s not the first vehicle that o ld come to mind for comp safari, but turn up to a desert race and you just know that sooner or later, someone’s going to come by in a Hummer. This isn’t just anyone, though behind the heel o this Alpha is had Hall, who piloted it to victory in the stock full class of the 2009 Baja 1000 o

ummer

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GALLERY

Above: Not sure what this is saying – something about the transient nature of beauty, perhaps, or about how the image will be destroyed when the vehicle drives off. And quite a lot of litter created, but hey ho ostit o

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Right, above: It’s very, very hard to know what this driver was thinking.

Before he tried this, at least – we can pretty much all guess, down to specific ords, hat he as thin ing b the ti e the pict re as ta en ummer tuck in ie d

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Right, below: The H3 in this picture might only be incidental, but we feel sure you’ll enjoy the way the pothole in a Wal-Mart car park in British Columbia has been addressed. Hilarious, obviously – but a hole lot better (see what we did there?) than the British practice of simply ignoring them ort ern ot o e e air

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Below: We’re no fans of the H2, but while we were digging around for these pictures we came across a website called FU H2 which encouraged people to post pict res o the selves giving the the finger. t o ldn’t be a very big step from here to doing something similar against all 4x4s, so in response here’s an H2 doing what all 4x4s are good at – taking its owner into a part of the world that’s wonderful and beautiful because for the brief time you’re there, you’re not being hassled by stupid people arked

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QUITE CLEARLY, IT JUST WORKS

£199

ISUZU D-MAX EIGER FROM ONLY † PER MONTH +20% VAT

INITIAL RENTAL £1,790.91 +VAT

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

CALL 03303 335126 OR VISIT ISUZU.CO.UK TO BOOK A TEST DRIVE #Over 40 MPG figure applies to manual transmission models. MPG figures are official EU test figures for comparative purposes and may not reflect real driving results. Official fuel figures for the Isuzu D-Max range in MPG (l/100km): Urban 30.4 - 38.7 (9.3 - 7.3). Extra Urban 40.9 - 50.4 (6.9 - 5.6).

Combined 36.2 - 45.6 (7.8 - 6.2). CO2 emissions 163 - 205g/km. For full details please contact your local Isuzu dealer or visit isuzu.co.uk †Important Information. Business users only. Rental amounts shown are for an Isuzu Eiger Double Cab Commercial Vehicle On The Road with manual transmission, excluding special paint finish.

Contract based on 8,000 miles per annum, non-maintained. Vehicle must be returned in a good condition to avoid further charges. Provided by Lex Autolease Ltd trading as Isuzu Contract Hire, Heathside Park, Heathside Park Road, Stockport SK3 0RB. Excludes motability and fleet sales, not available in conjunction with any other offers (including the Work Pack offer) or with BASC or NFU member discounts. Available until 30th June 2018. Finance options available at participating dealers only, subject to status. *3.5 tonne towing applies to all 4x4 models. **125,000 miles/5 year (whichever comes first) warranty applies to all new Isuzu D-Max models. Terms and conditions apply. Visit isuzu.co.uk

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OFFICIAL PARTNER

29/03/2018 14:51

4x4 NEWS

NEW NAVARA AT32 BECOME BRITAIN’S CAPABLE PICK-UP Lifted version of coil-sprung double-cab • Options include locking

N

issan has unveiled the Navara Off-Roader AT32 – a version of its award-winning double-cab which has been enhanced by Arctic Trucks to take the vehicle’s performance to what it calls ‘a new extreme’.

Based on coil-sprung versions of the avara, this marks the first time the company has used a partner brand to develop a pick-up model for multiple European markets.

Whereas Arctic Trucks’ versions of the Toyota Hilux and Isuzu D-Max have been lifted to the

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point of running 35” tyres, the Navara gains just 20mm extra ride height, allowing its 17” alloys to be wrapped in 275/70R17 all-terrain tyres. These stand 32.2” tall: thus equipped, the vehicle runs 243mm of ground clearance and boasts approach and breakover angles of 35 and 24 degrees respectively (up from 30.4 and 22.2 degrees on the standard model).

Further modifications from the Navara’s standard spec include wider wheel arches and heavyduty underbody protection for the engine, transmission, propshafts

4x4 01/05/2018 21:17

COULD MOST TRUCK

4x4 NEWS Ten-off limited edition Arctic Trucks Isuzu D-Max AT35 Stealth takes double-cab sector soaring past the £50,000 mark

front diff • On-sale date TBA

and fuel tank. In addition, optional extras available with the conversion include a snorkel, which boosts wading depth by approximately 35% to a total of 800mm.

Of particular note, the optional extras with the conversion also include a locking front differential to go with the rear locker that’s already standard across the range. This takes the Navara into extremely rare territory, making it one of the very few new vehicles ever offered in the UK in which it’s possible to achieve true fourwheel drive.

As with Arctic Trucks’ other vehicles, the Navara’s extra height is gained through a suspension lift using components which retain its ride and handling on the road as well as adding height and flexibility over rough terrain. The width of the tyres will not be to every offroader’s taste, especially if like most UK drivers your main concerns are mud and wet grass, but this does at least lend itself to being aired down for use over soft surfaces like sand and snow.

Nissan says the AT32 conversion will be available based on a variety of Navaras. It’s not yet clear whether it will be offered as a model in its own right in the same way as the Isuzu D-Max, or as a dealer-supplied option in the same way as the Toyota Hilux – however what’s certain is that it’s fully approved by the company’s UK importer, meaning it retains a fiveyear , mile warranty.

Arctic Trucks guarantees its own new parts for five years, too.

‘The Nissan Navara Off-Roaders AT32 is the most capable Navara we’ve ever sold,’ says Nissan GB boss Alex Smith. ‘We believe the mix of enhanced off-road ability and upgraded exterior features will appeal to a new audience of both professional and recreational pick-up customers.’ Prices for the conversion are yet to be set, as is an arrival date on the UK market, however with Isuzu and Toyota already making hay with their own Arctic Trucks partnerships it’s unlikely that Nissan will be planning to drag its feet.

AS IF THE ISUZU D-MAX AT35 wasn’t already enough of a rarity, the company has taken the covers off a very limited-run version of the truck. It’s called the Stealth – and the entire production run will consist of only ten examples.

As with every AT35, the Stealth is converted after importation to the UK by Arctic Trucks, with body and suspension lifts making space for the 35” tyres that give it its name. It might be said that there’s not a lot in this that could be called stealthy, but this version of the vehicle is altogether harder to spot at night than the chromed-up standard model.

On the outside, said chrome is banished and the roof bars, side steps, radiator grille and all other exterior features get the blackout treatment. Even the badges have been changed to a new colour, and each example gets a unique plaque authenticating its place in the production run.

A black rear sports bar and Mountain Top roll cover have been added helping give the vehicle a level of practicality to go with its image. Un-stealthily, there are LED headlights and two Lazer light bars mounted on the front bumper and the sports bar, allowing you to see and be seen from ve counties away Moving inside, predictably enough the bespoke leather interior is black. The Arctic Trucks logo is embroidered into the headrests, and also features on the home screen of the 9” media monitor set into the dash. The part of this that deals with entertainment has nine speakers to play with, along with a subwoofer and a HDMI port.

The AT35 was by some distance already the most expensive vehicle in the D-Max range, so it’s no surprise that this limited-edition model will be pricier yet. Lost price in manual form is £44,005 plus VAT, meaning private buyers will be billed for comfortably more than £50,000 – with which, the double-cab market strides across another threshold, never to return.

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01/05/2018 21:18

4x4 NEWS

TOYOTA UNVEILS HILUX AT35

One of three new Arctic Trucks pick-up launches at Commercial Vehicle Show • On sale now • Conversion price £15,780 plus VAT

T

oyota has become the second 4x4 manufacturer in the UK to offer Arctic Trucks’ AT35 conversion through its UK dealer network. The AT35 Hilux comes with 35” all-terrain tyres and a 25% increase in ground clearance, and carries the same 5-year/100,000 mile warranty as standard models.

Unlike Isuzu, which lists the AT as a specific high-spec model, Toyota is offering the conversion as an accessory package on any new vehicle. ’Customers should contact their local Toyota centre and discuss the various options available with this vehicle,’ it says ‘The AT35 conversion can be specified as a standard package (£15,780 plus VAT and delivery) or enhanced with specialised upgrades at additional cost. Once the full specifications are

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agreed, the centre will price the Hilux AT35 to the customer’s requirements, place an order with Arctic Trucks and advise on its completion and delivery timing.’

With the conversion in place, the Hilux stands a total of 1890mm tall on its 315/70R17 tyres. The Arctic Trucks lift kit includes a bespoke suspension system approved by Toyota; though it’s new to the UK, this is already well proven in the many other countries where the AT35 is already a common sight – including, of course, Arctic Trucks’ home market of Iceland.

Along with its much-improved ground clearance, the vehicle gains approach and departure angles of 37 and 28 degrees respectively. iluxes modified by Arctic Trucks already paint an iconic picture, both among off-roaders and car enthusiasts in general. The vehicle

was made famous ten or so years ago when BBC Top Gear partnered with Arctic Trucks for an expedition to the North Pole – and away from the spotlight, the company’s conversions have long been helping scientists and explorers access some of the world’s remotest and most hostile environments.

‘We’re excited to bring the AT35 version of the legendary Hilux to the UK,’ commented Arctic Trucks Chief Executive Officer Patrik von ydow. ‘The model is already successful in other countries, so it was a natural decision to develop and launch the vehicle for the UK market.’

4x4 01/05/2018 21:17

 

                

     



   



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

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



 

         

                  

   

   

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4x4 NEWS

VAN VARIANT FOR SHOGUN SPORT

L200-based station wagon converted to Commercial model High-spec version only • On sale later this year, prices TBA

T

he Mitsubishi Shogun Sport is still a newcomer to the UK market, but the company has wasted no time in making the vehicle available in Commercial form. Launched at the CV Show in April, this gains a sixinch bulkhead behind the two front seats and a totally flat floor covered with bonded carpet.

Rear side windows are opaque, with steel replacements optional.

The load area is around 1500 litres in capacity, and the vehicle has a towing capacity of 3100kg.

The Shogun Sport is based on the L200, so this van version is a commercial vehicle made into a passenger-carrying one and then

made back into a commercial vehicle. It gets its power from a 2.4-litre, 181bhp turbo-diesel engine which is mated as standard to an eight-speed automatic gearbox. Mitsubishi’s premium Super Select all-wheel drive system is also included, allowing the driver to switch between two and fourwheel drive seamlessly.

Based on the top of the range Shogun Sport 4 spec, the Commercial comes with a host of standard features. Leather upholstery covers the heated seats, while keyless entry, dual-zone climate, LED headlight and tail lamps, privacy glass and automatic headlight washers are all standard, as is a Bluetooth and smartphone

compatible infotainment system with a 510W. The vehicle also gets all the safety features of its station-wagon counterpart, including adaptive cruise, autonomous emergency

braking, blind spot alert, parking sensors and a 360-degree camera.

The Shogun Sport Commercial will go on sale in the second half of this year, with prices to be revealed when the order book opens.

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01/05/2018 21:17

FORD RANGER INTEGRATION KIT

DISCOVERY 4 INTEGRATION KIT

VW AMAROK INTEGRATION KIT

NOT ALL LED LIGHTS ARE BUILT THE SAME. TRUST LAZER. WITH PRODUCTS DESIGNED AND MANUFACTURED IN THE UK, LAZER HIGH PERFORMANCE LIGHTING CONTINUES TO SET THE STANDARD IN ROAD-LEGAL AND OFF-ROAD LIGHTING SOLUTIONS AND WHICH NOW BENEFIT FROM BESPOKE VEHICLE INTEGRATION KITS, FOR TRUE OE QUALITY INSTALLS. Providing for a quick and easy fitting of Lazer High Performance LED Spotlights, our bespoke grille mounting kits are designed to blend seamlessly within the original styling of each vehicle, and the resulting lighting setup remains fully robust and secure. The lighting performance is borne out of development and testing performed at the highest levels of professional motorsport, reassuring to know even for those who prefer to get around at a more leisurely pace.

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4x4 NEWS

NEW TOP MODEL FOR HI-LUX RANGE

I

n celebration of the vehicle’s 50th anniversary, Toyota has introduced a new rangetopping version of its Hilux pick-up truck. The Invincible X is based on the Invincible but receives styling updates at the front, with a new bumper and grille, revised fog lights and a silver steering guard.

There are tweaks at the rear as well, with a new step and silver under-run bar.

Changes inside the double-cab’s interior see it gain an all-black

theme, with a chromed instrument panel trim juxtaposing the black piano inserts on the dashboard, door panels, steering wheel, gear lever and leather upholstery. The instrument panel features new white dials and a central TFT display with a dedicated Invincible X startup animation.

In terms of equipment, the Invincible X matches the spec of the Invincible – meaning that among other things, it comes as standard with Toyota Safety Sense. Lane

i hest spec an er ets the

departure warning and road sign assist are standard, as are cruise control, touch-screen infotainment, a rear-view camera and automatic air conditioning.

Also standard is the same 2.4-litre D-4D diesel engine that’s found in the rest of the range, which produces 148bhp. However this model gets a six-speed automatic gearbox as standard.

The Invincible X will go on sale in the UK in July. Prices for the vehicle start at £28,003 plus VAT.

factor, too

ord has revealed a special version of its fla ship an er pick up, in the form of the ains erformance lue paint for the rst time on this model, alon with a black nish for the grille, sport bar, roof rails, side steps, alloys wheels and ildtrak decals The interior has been given a similar treatment, with black leather seats featuring contrast grey stitching. he ildtrak comes exclusively in dou ble cab form, powered by the popular litre bhp diesel unit backed up by a six speed au tomatic earbox and part time all wheel drive Prices for the new model are not expected to be radically increased over the standard automatic ildtrak double cab, which starts at , plus he order book is open now, with production starting in June and deliveries due to commence in August.

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12 June News AWAITING ADS.indd 16

• Also going on sale at the same time as the Invincible X is the Invincible X Limited Edition. This adds still further to the vehicle’s already pretty tidy eye appeal, with a range of exterior items in black – such as its 18” alloys, side steps and styling bar. The vehicle will also be available in two exclusive colours – Scorched Orange and Nebula Blue, with a total of only 150 examples becoming available when sales begin in July.

ildtrak

ased on the top of the ran e

ildtrak trim, this

4x4 01/05/2018 21:18

Extreme performance and durability on all surfaces

The General Tire X3 delivers outstanding off-road performance and superb road-going capabilities.

Designed with an aggressive tread and sidewall pattern for enhanced traction in mud, dirt, sand, snow and gravel

An efficient self-cleaning tread pattern The complete range has a speed capability of a Q-rating (99mph) – highly unique for this pattern type

Provides a 3-ply construction on all sizes* with a tough compound for durability and ultimate stability (DuraGen™ Technology) General Tire. A brand of Continental.

Visit our website for further technical information and details of your nearest 4X4 stockist

WWW.4SITE4X4TYRES.CO.UK | 0870 112 9401 TESTv2.indd 2

10/01/2018 15:43

4x4 NEWS

NEW D-MAX AIMED AT WORK USERS

Yukon Luxe edition Extended Cab • From £22,495 plus VAT

I

suzu has announced a new, limited-edition version of its ever-popular D-Max pick-up.

The Yukon Luxe Extended Cab, which made its debut at the CV Show, receives upgrades to its exterior and interior while retaining the ever-credible workhorse capabilities for which the Isuzu’s one-tonner is known.

Pro-Lift Tailgate Assist is a new feature on the Yukon Luxe, and adds ease and yet more practicality to

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12 June News AWAITING ADS.indd 18

the mix. The system allows users to operate the tailgate using a single finger. Also adding an anti-slam function, this reduces the risk of injury – protecting both you and your cargo.

Stylish 18-inch Black Blade Shadow alloys enhance the exterior of the limited-run pick-up.

Non-slip side steps are included, too, keeping you as sure footed as the vehicle itself when getting in and out of it and protecting the lower bodywork’s paint from debris across an array of terrains.

Inside, the seats are finished in red and black leather. The dashboard retains the seven-inch multi-function touchscreen found in the standard D-Max, alongside a reversing camera

and cruise control that all go towards making things that bit more convenient.

The Yukon Luxe is just as capable as any D-Max and shares the same engine as the rest of the family.

The 1.9-litre turbo diesel unit produces 161bhp and 266lbf.ft and drives through a six-speed manual transmission, giving the vehicle towing capabilities of up to 3.5 tonnes and a maximum payload of 1126kg. Achieving 40.4mpg combined, the D-Max meets Euro 6 emissions standards without the need for AdBlue – and the Yukon Luxe is no different.

This limited-edition model weighs in at a premium of only £1000 more than the standard Yukon Extended Cab D-Max, with prices starting at £22,499 (excluding VAT). Offering a considerable amount of exterior and interior upgrades for what looks like a reasonably marginal premium, the Luxe comes with the same excellent 125,000-miles, five-year warranty plus five-year UK and European roadside assistance as the rest of the D-Max range. To find out more, visit Isu u’s website or simply drop in to your local dealership.

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4x4 NEWS

YET MORE POWER FOR AMAROK

254bhp, 427lbf.ft • 8-speed auto, full-time 4wd • From £37,000

L

ast year, Volkswagen showed a concept model of the Amarok fitted with a bhp, lbf.ft version of the . -litre V TDI currently powering the range. Well, now

the company has announced that the tuned diesel will be entering production for Amaroks in ighline and Aventura trim.

The newest version of the . TDI posts bhp more than

the previous chart topping example, along with more pounds of torque. It promises to be additionally eager as well as strong, with an overboost function bumping power up to 8bhp and

maximum torque available from through to rpm.

An eight-speed automatic box will be standard with this version of the engine, along with full-time four-wheel drive. As with the rest of the range, however, the auto box means single-range gearing only – if you want an Amarok with low box (and you should), the recently introduced entry-level manual model will be more up your street.

Visual upgrades accompanying high-spec models boasting the newly found grunt include a rooftop liner and pillar trim in a metallic black finish on the Aventura. Other features on this top trim level include graphite wheels and appa upholstery in the cabin, plus aluminium finish bed cover and underbody plating.

Orders for the market will open in the in une, with pricing expected to be in the region of , and , for ighline and Aventura models respectively.

oyota has con rmed pricin for its newly launched and ruiser tility ommercial vailable in short and lon wheelbase uises, this is a standard tility model with the rear windows panelled and body coloured and the rear seats replaced by a flat, ed e to ed e non slip floor tray and full-height mesh bulkhead. he ruiser is powered by a litre four cylinder diesel en ine sendin bhp throu h a six speed manual transmission and offerin or lbf ft in the short and lon wheelbase models respectively. round clearance is mm for the three door and for the ve door, while both can wade in up to 700mm. Payloads are 593kg and 756kg respectively, and a braked trailer limit of 3000kg applies across the board. ein based on the tility version of the passen er carryin and ruiser, the ommercial has a kit list that s frill free but not sparse Even at this base-spec level, you get Bluetooth, cruise control, air-con, auto headlamps, roof rails, traction and stability control and, on lon wheelbase models, aux and connections ll and ruiser ommercials roll off the production line on steel wheels rices for the new ommercial are , for the and , for the LWB, in each case excluding VAT. Orders are open now, with deliveries beginning in July.

Volkswagen has announced R-Line versions of the recently launched T-Roc and Tiguan Allspace. With extended kit lists and sports-inspired styling, four-wheel-drive versions of the two vehicles start at £26,450 and £35,755 respectively.

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Subaru has facelifted the Outback for the new model year, while at the same time equipping the vehicle with a bigger touch-screen and enhanced safety equipment.

Prices remain unchanged, starting at £29,995

4x4 01/05/2018 21:18

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01/05/2018 12:59

4x4 NEWS FIRST DRIVE Ssangyong Musso

S

sangYong is on a roll.

Buoyed by a steady stream of new, modern products to replace the staid vehicles it relied on for way too long, the Korean 4x4 specialist started this year by celebrating overall success in our 4x4 of the Year awards with the new Rexton.

SsangYong is on a roll. Buoyed by a steady stream of new, modern products to replace the staid vehicles it relied on for way too long, the Korean 4x4 specialist started this year with overall success in the internationally recognised 4x4 of the Year awards courtesy of the all-new Rexton.

And now that same vehicle is on its way in pick-up form. Based on the same platform as the Rexton, with the same engine and choice of gearboxes and very similar cabin, the new Musso is a quantum leap forward from the model currently being sold under the same name.

We’ve had an early test, on British roads, of a Korean-spec Musso. Aside from the fact that it’s left-hand drive, the only difference between this and the one coming to Britain is in the details, so this is a good indication of what’s on the way.

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Starting the cabin, the Rexton’s influence is clear. There’s even a strip of leather across the dashboard, complete with contrasting stitching.

Elsewhere, materials remain highquality by pick-up standards, with soft-touch surfaces on much of the dash and excellent leather seats which managed to be both soft and comfy yet impressively supportive.

They put you in a good driving position, too, from which your view all around is particularly fine – even over your shoulder, thanks to a C-post that’s no bigger than it needs to be.

There’s plenty of headroom, too, and enough leg room to let a six-footer drive without needing to move his seat all the way back.

This is handy if there’s another sixfooter say behind him, because the seat-backs have no give in them at all – but the good news is that aside from the Ford Ranger, we think the Musso probably has the most rear knee room in the double-cab market. Certainly, it’s possible for two tall adults to ride in tandem without either of them feeling the squeeze, and there’s not a lot of trucks we can say that about.

Headroom is good all round, too, as it the view out. A low waistline

and high seating position see to that – all-round, few double-cabs can match it for accommodation.

There’s a decent amount of oddment stowage, too, if not anything to get excited about, and overall build quality appears close to that of the Rexton. As does the equipment you get for your money – we’ll leave the specifics out, as models are apt to differ from this one, but there’ll be a range of three trim levels and at the top, you’ll get a truly premium level of kit. As an indication, the vehicle here had stuff like air-conditioned seats and a heated steering wheel.

It also had 20” polished rims, complete with 255/50R20 tyres, which are pretty much exactly the opposite of what we like to see on pick-ups. But if the Musso range is going to mirror that of the

Rexton, this is what top models will come with.

All Rextons sold in the come with a plumbed-in power inverter, which we think is a great idea. The Musso driven here didn’t have one, but here’s hoping.

One definite difference to the Rexton is that whereas that vehicle comes with independent rear suspension (except on manual models, which will represent the minority of sales), all Mussos have a live rear axle. This is coil-sprung, which remains a rarity in the pickup market.

You also get a part-time, dualrange transfer case as standard, mated to a choice of six-speed manual or auto gearboxes. This all goes together to make what looks on paper like a well sorted vehicle for on and off-road use.

4x4 01/05/2018 21:18

4x4 NEWS Starting with the latter, we found that the limits were definitely set by the low-profile, road-pattern tyres. o surprise there – but what was very pleasing to note was that when pushed, the rear axle displays excellent articulation, particularly on the bump stroke. A rather low rear bumper, coupled with the inevitable long overhang, means there’s an element of vulnerability back there, but based on the limited amount we were able to do on this early drive the suspension is unusually good at following the terrain.

What the coil springs can’t do is hide the fact that they’re specced to hold up a tonne. Inevitably, this means the suspension is upset by all but the smoothest roads – though while there certainly is plenty of thumping, even in sharp-edged pot-holes the impacts are never harsh. The body does get jolted around a fair bit at lower speeds on uneven urban roads, but once you get it moving things are a lot more settled. We haven’t yet had the chance to drive the Musso at cruising speeds, but at this stage’s we’d say the results are promising for a composed motorway ride.

We haven’t been able to tow with the vehicle yet, but sang ong advises us that it will be rated to haul kg ( with the manual box) while also carrying kg of cargo. At the time of writing, the testing and approval process was still underway, but the company believes this will give it the highest gross train weight in the market.

It certainly has the brakes for the job, as we found out when a driver in the employ of a very well known courier company lost control of his . -tonner while coming towards

us round a corner. And while an unladen test can only tell you so much, the engine does pull strongly – 8 bhp is backed up by lbf. ft at rpm in manual form, and lbf.ft at rpm in autos. It raises its voice when your foot goes right down, but is quiet enough not to cause a disturbance at higher speeds. Again, though, we can’t yet comment on motorway cruising.

What we can say is that from this first, brief look, the Musso does appear to do a good job of taking the good stuff from the Rexton and applying it to the pick-up market. It’s solid, spacious inside and, without rewriting the rules, represents a quantum leap forward from the truck it will replace, vaulting sang ong from the bottom of the one-tonne pile to a position in which it can compete on a level footing with the rest of the pack.

It also comes with a five-year, unlimited-mileage warranty, and with running costs mattering so much to most poeple that could go a long way to convincing some buyers. o too could prices which sang ong says will start at less than , plus VAT – these are yet to be confirmed, as has the exactly spec of the three-strong range, but it’s clear that value for money will continue to be a key part of the proposition.

Weigh all that up against fuel consumption and emissions of .8mpg and g km ( .8 and auto), and residuals which will likely by on the weak side, and you have a number of questions to ask yourself. y no means are they clear cut, though – and for the first time in the pick-up market, sangyong certainly does have an answer.

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01/05/2018 21:18

4x4 NEWS FIRST DRIVE Jaguar E-Pace

N

ot so very long ago, we lived in a much simpler time. A phone was just a phone, for example, and an SUV was… well, just an SUV. These days, car manufacturers are no longer satisfied with producing vehicles fit only for one purpose. Take the new Jaguar E-Pace, for instance – dubbed as the ‘compact performance SUV with sports car looks’.

Stony-faced traditionalists might argue that if you want a car that looks sporty, you should buy a sports car. Not a family-orientated 4x4 that looks like it’s been swallowed by an F-Type.

But we live in strange times. And like most manufacturers, Jaguar Land Rover realised a number of years ago that the looks of a car is more important to its sales success than whether or not it has the biggest boot in its class.

So, what about those looks then?

Well, the E-Pace is an attractive vehicle, especially when finished in the R-Dynamic trim, with the rear a particular highlight and some F-Type mimicking clear for all to see.

It’s the same inside, too, most noticeably when you look at how the grab handle runs from the side of the transmission tunnel on the passenger side up to the dashboard.

On the whole, the cabin is a welcoming enough environment, although its design is far from ground-breaking. The switchgear

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is fine, apart from the toggle you engage between driving modes, which feels like a cheap spot.

It might well remind you of a Range Rover Evoque inside: functional style, but with a little more added flair. And it’s an important comparison, because these two machines share a whole lot more besides interiors.

While the E-Pace may wear a Gucci tracksuit on the outside, it’s based upon the same platform as the Evoque. No surprise to see it uses the same nine-speed ZF gearbox through much of its range, then, along with a list of engines that’s straight from the JLR stable.

There’s a front-wheel-drive 150bhp diesel available with a manual gearbox and no R-Dynamic pack for under £30,000. But, quite frankly, if you think that’s the one for you then you’re probably reading the wrong magazine.

Thankfully, you can also equip an E-Pace with the same four-pot diesel in either 180bhp or 240bhp tune. Or, should you want to go for the full Jaguar growl, there are 250bhp and 300bhp versions available of JLR’s own 2.0-litre petrol engine.

Does any of this manage to create a sports car driving experience? Good though it is, the answer to that has to be not quite. Certainly, there’s no denying that for a vehicle with a raised ride height carrying four-wheeldrive technology, the E-Pace is

a very competent performer, with a nimbleness to its handling that makes it feel decidedly and impressively light on its feet.

However, this isn’t some lowslung two-seater sports car in which to carve hundredths off your best time on a stretch of B-road you know like the back of your hand. It’s a 4x4 and, however sporty, there’s no hiding the fact.

What you can do, however, is recognise that the engineering in this vehicle does a very good job indeed, if not of hiding the fact that it’s a 4x4 then of mitigating it. The lightness of touch you get through the steering wheel is a testament to JLR’s engineers, especially when you consider that the E-Pace is actually heavier than the bigger F-Pace (courtesy of its older platform, which still uses steel rather than aluminium).

A quick word on the two petrol variants, which are distinctly performance focused. They’re both lovely to drive, with lively motors and a real verve in the way they go about their business. But it’s hard not to feel that Jaguar has missed a trick by failing to include a ‘sensible’ petrol option; 250bhp is a lot of power in any vehicle, and one can’t help but feel the emergence of a P200 model may just be the peach JLR is looking for.

Even with new car buyers catching a cold about diesel, however, the current pick of the bunch has to be the R-Dynamic SE 180hp oil-burner. With all-wheel drive and an auto box, this provides a solid compromise between performance and economy. The nine-speed box still likes to hold on to revs a little longer than feels necessary, but in everyday situations you’ll be pleased you took it over the manual.

It’s all down to driving style, of course. If you insist on having an E-Pace you want to thrash, go petrol. The diesel is much better for cruising, though, and seeing as you’re likely to buy this vehicle with the view to popping a couple of your kids in the back, they may appreciate the more relaxed approach to the school run.

Jaguar’s new E-Pace offers a decent dose of sports car dynamics for a car that isn’t a sports car. It rides well, whatever the driving mode, has ample performance and doesn’t feel as bloated as its kerb weight suggests. But more importantly, right now it has greater kerb appeal than just about any other SUV out there. Thankfully for Jaguar, the beauty is more than skin deep.

4x4 01/05/2018 21:18

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01/05/2018 13:06

4x4 NEWS FIRST DRIVE Range Rover 2.0 P400e

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Range Rover with a 2.0-litre petrol engine.

Truly, we never thought we’d see the day.

Last time Land Rover put such a small petrol unit in a proper-sized vehicle, it was the first-generation Discovery MPi. And just look how well that worked out.

But there’s no cause for concern.

The P400e is a million miles away from that bad old Disco. Its petrol engine is part of a plug-in hybrid system – which dishes out a total of 404bhp and 472lbf.ft. The latter peaks from 1500rpm and most of it is there from standstill, electric motors being what they are, so the only resemblance between this vehicle and the wheezy, breathless MPi is a small, green, oval one.

Well, there’s also the fact that it’s built to be masterful off-road, albeit thanks now to a cornucopia of electronic sensors rather than any reliance on basic engineering.

That’s just an inevitable by-product of Land Rover’s march to where it is now, however, so there’s no point being rooted in the past – and anyway, there was no off-road part to the brief test drive we had in the vehicle, though a set of back roads rougher than many a green lane proved that even with 21” wheels to cope with, the Range Rover’s air suspension is capable of smoothing out pattery corrugations and crashy pot holes alike.

But what we’re here for is to experience the effects of the hybrid powertrain. It has an EV mode, which allows you to glide around at low speeds with literally no mechanical noise to be heard, though the petrol engine does still kick in under enough load. In theory, you can do 31 miles on battery power, and with plug-in charging this means that under the right circumstances, you can get to and from school, work, Waitrose

and so on without ever using a drop of petrol.

In the real world, where the electric motors simply assist the engine, the results are impressive to the point of being startling. You can build speed smoothly, quietly and with ridiculous ease – the engine doesn’t sound strained, and the electric side is impossible to detect in action.

That’s not the case when you’re pulling out at T-junctions, however.

Twice on our brief drive, as we put out foot down the Range Rover eased out with an initial hesitancy followed by a sudden surge of torque that kicked out the back end and brought the traction control rampaging in to keep us from going into a spin. Definitely not a very Range Roverly state of affairs.

Nonetheless, this is a sublime 4x4 whose smoothness and refinement are backed up by a claimed 101mpg.

And at £95,500 as tested, it almost looks cheap by the standards of today’s luxury SUV market. Turns out a 2.0-litre petrol engine was a welcome addition to the Range Rover raneg after all.

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01/05/2018 21:18

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16/04/2018 12:35

DRIVEN

FIAT FULLBACK CROSS

Range-topping double-cab is the only vehicle in the one-tonne market to combine full-time four-wheel drive with a locking rear diff DRIVEN Fullback 2.4 180 Cross

F

iat raised an eyebrow of two in the pick-up world when it decided to launch a badge-engineered version of the Mitsubishi L200. The Fullback could be described as a me-too model – or, more sensibly, as an expedient way of allowing fleet customers to address all their light commercial vehicle needs in one deal. Either way, though, the new Fullback Cross is more than just someone else’s truck with a Fiat badge on it.

Sitting at the top of the Fullback range, the Cross model is based on the already well equipped LX model. This means it has full-time four-wheel drive as standard, along with a 180bhp version of the nowfamiliar 2.4-litre turbo-diesel engine.

What it also has is a locking rear differential. This is a feature that typically makes all the difference to a pick-up’s performance off-road; by nature they’re light at the tail, and lift wheels very easily, especially

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when unladen, and being able to lock the rear diff to prevent drive being lost this way is an important weapon in the driver’s arsenal.

Many manufacturers use traction control as an alternative to this – some systems work better than others, but in our experience none at all as are effective as the traditional technology.

The L200 is available with a locking rear diff – but only on models with part-time four-wheel drive. Higher-spec models gain the full-time system that’s also used on the Fullback Cross – but lose the locker. This is something that’s been frustrating us since Mitsubishi first launched the full-time system in 2005, so it feels rather as if this new Fullback is a case of Fiat making the L200 into the vehicle we’ve always wished it would be.

To go with the off-road potential this offers, the Cross is lightly ruggedised, if that’s not a contradiction in terms. It gains

toughened wheelarches and side steps with a matt black finish, as well as a satin-effect skid plate, and its 245/65R17 tyres are wrapped around black alloys.

If prepping vehicles for offroad work is your thing, you’ll immediately write all this off as mere styling, all of which would be unbolted and replaced with proper heavy-duty stuff from the aftermarket the moment you got your hands on it. That would be rather a harsh verdict, all the same, as Fiat is honest about the Cross being pitched as an eye-catching lifestyle truck fit for work and play alike, but there is indeed an element of show-not-go to its spec. In particular, the design of the six-spoke alloys means their faces are close to being flush with the tyres’ sidewall, which is a recipe for scratches when you’re churning your way through ruts.

Nonetheless, the Fullback Cross proves very competent off-road.

Even on standard tyres, it deals well with the sort of wet, sloppy conditions so many will encounter frequently in the course of their day-to-day working lives, following the ground confidently without any sign of wanting to go sideways. With 317lbf.ft, there’s plenty of torque for slugging away through mud or heaving itself up hills, though with this version of the engine you pay for the higher output by needing to rev it to 2500rpm before it’ll give you all it’s got – but despite this, it’ll scale very decent climbs at little more than tickover, and the gearing in the six-speed manual box never feels high.

You’d need to put one on more aggressive tyres for the diff-lock to make an appreciable difference in muddy conditions. However at a crawl over uneven terrain, it comes very clearly into its own. The ground does need to be very rough – much more so than most owners will attempt to tackle in their

4x4 01/05/2018 20:51

The cabin has a utility feel to it despite the leather and premium toys, with dash plastics that feel hard and scratchy and seat leather that’s tougher than it is classy. The seats themselves are good and comfortable, though, and the multimedia system does what it’s meant to expensive new trucks – but where two wheels lighten up at once, the locker allows you to keep on taking it gently rather than using extra speed to get through. And that’s good for the vehicle, its passengers, its load and the ground beneath its wheels.

On the road, the Fullback is a fine performer, with a smooth, quiet ride on the motorway which makes it very agreeable indeed. The engine hauls it up to speed without any problem at all and feels as if it has plenty more to give, even when

you’re keeping up with the traffic in the fast lane, and with the cruise control set it’ll rumble along all day without skipping a beat. You don’t need to fidget with the steering to keep it in its lane, either.

On A and B-roads, the steering is more than just docile, too. It’s positively engaging, with plenty of feel and response as you chuck it into corners. Of course, there’ll be body roll, but it’s well controlled and doesn’t prevent you from enjoying yourself. As always with off-road vehicles, the trick is to

drive with its foibles, not against them – accept it for what it is, and it’s a big, cheerful bundle of laughs.

Ride-wise, poorer road surfaces do set up a bit of fuss at the back, at least when there’s not a load of pea shingle in there to damp it down, but even when running unladen you can clobber it into an alloy-trasher of a pot-hole without feeling like the world’s coming to an end.

Refinement is perfectly good by general pick-up standards, though the gearchange from the six-speed manual box is a bit mechanical.

Last time we drove a Fullback, we noted that the clutch had an oddly high biting point. No such trouble this time, however – no-one who drove it on or off-road had any problem, with not even the Editor managing to stall it. It’s as easy to drive as you want it to be, with the option of full-time four-wheel drive adding an extra element of stability in wet conditions – and one which no other pick-up currently offers in combination with a rear locker. omething else we grumbled about last time we drove a Fullback

Above left: As well as offering the usual 4x2, 4x4 and low range positions, the transfer dial allows you to select fourwheel drive with the centre diff open for use on the road. Some other double-cabs do have this feature – but none of them offer it in combination with a locking rear diff Above right: 245/65R17s are wrapped around black six-spoke alloys which look the part but have rather an exposed loo ing ace that sits nearl sh to the t res’ side alls

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imilarly the dash and floor console, though they’re finished in a hard plastic that strays a little too far into scratchy territory, are extremely well made – there’s almost no creaking from any part of them. It feels tough and rugged rather than luxurious, but all the top-spec kit does add something. It can’t work magic on the amount of space in the back, of course, but so long as you’re not carrying either tall adults or very young children in bulky car seats, there’s enough space there to get by.

One other complaint we’d have relates to the pick-up bed. This is dominated by a model-unique textured sports bar, which looks extremely cool and, we found, is capable of protecting the cab roof if you’re carrying very long items, but the bed itself is protected by a liner which, tough though it may be, offers precisely nowhere to lash down your load. We had to run

ratchet straps around the sports bar itself, which we’re pretty sure is not the idea – for the want of a couple of O-rings, a chunk of practicality that could be there isn’t.

This would be a small mod to make alongside the heavy-duty bumpers and bash plates we’d add

to make the most of the Cross’ standard spec, though. In terms of the details, we’d do some of it differently – but when it comes to the big stuff, few double-cab manufacturers have managed to get it closer to perfect than Fiat has with this truck.

HHHHI

VERDICT

was its multimedia system, which defeated our every attempt to pair it with an iPhone and struggled to hold on to a DAB signal. This time, no such problem. We’d still like to know who it was that decided digital radio had to be so complicated to operate, but the sound and reception in the Cross were just fine – and having plugged our iPhone in to the USB port, it registered within seconds.

Elsewhere inside, it’s very similar to the LX, with climate control, heated leather seats and so on giving you the full luxury treatment. The leather feels tough rather than sumptuous – as always, we’d sooner see good fabric than so-so hide – but the seats are perfectly supportive and, having done a lot of miles in the previous Fullback we drove, we know the lack of adjustable lumbar support isn’t to be feared the way it is in some vehicles.

Fiat Fullback 2.4 180 Cross Gives you something no other truck has to offer – if that’s what you want The Fullback Cross is not unique in having full-time four-wheel drive, nor in having a rear diff-lock. But no other truck currently offers both these things in the same package, which gives it genuine off-road potential. It’s a good all-rounder, clearly the best option in the Fullback range, and its styling accessories certainly stand out – though in places we’d like to see a little more practicality to go with the eyeball-pleasing design.

4x4 01/05/2018 20:52

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THE NEW SSANGYONG REXTON A LOT MORE 4x4 FOR YOUR MONEY

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Fuel consumption figures in mpg. Rexton: Urban 27.1-28.8, Extra Urban 40.3-42.8, Combined 34.0-36.2. CO2 emissions in g/km 218-204. Model featured is a Rexton Ultimate priced at £39,095 including optional metallic paint priced at £600. *Rexton EX including VAT, delivery charge, Road Fund Licence & first registration charge. †420Nm torque and 3.5 tonne towing capacity on automatic transmission. Prices are correct at the time of going to print, but may be modified or changed at any time.

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13/04/2018 15:00

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01/05/2018 12:34 12:16

PRODUCTS

RUSKIN READIES A REVELATION

WITH A RUGGED workhorse of a truck, you often get a no-frills, no-nonsense interior. Which is as it should be – but if you’re going to be spending a lot of time on board, a nicer cabin might well be in order.

This is very much the case with the Land Rover Defender, obviously, but there’s no reason why you shouldn’t look at breathing new life into a tough but basic old or Jeep, Land Cruiser or Patrol, too.

Bespoke vehicle upholsterer Ruskin Design is well aware of this, and already has a catalogue of interiors that can transform any vehicle.

And at the 4x4 and Pick-Up Show on 15-16 June it will be revealing a brand new special edition design. The Ruskin Reveal has a distinctive black and gold theme that results in a sophisticated and luxurious aesthetic black Nappa leather complemented by embossed gold leather detailing giving a timeless and tasteful interior.

Ruskin has chosen the 4x4 and Pick-up Show to launch the Reveal as the brand look to expand beyond its established position

as market leader for Land Rover Defenders. Members of the team will appear alongside its new showstopper and will be on hand to offer more information on Ruskin interiors and work.

RHINO LININGS GROWING FAST IN THE UK RHINO LININGS has more than 2000 application centres around the world – including a growing network here in the UK, where the company is continuously expanding.

Suitable for personal, commercial and agricultural vehicles alike, the company’s specialist product is a spray-on lining which can be applied not only on the bed of your pick-up truck, but also on its grille guards, bumpers and rocker panels. The lining is designed to offer increased longevity, with resistance to corrosion and chemicals as well as less likelihood of the treated areas becoming scratched.

When applied on a truck bed, the coating offers improved grip to help prevent cargo from slipping around – as well as impact resistance to stop it from getting damaged. For the driver’s benefit, the lining also deadens noise from vibrations and impacts, improving the truck’s refinement.

Rhino Linings UK works with several associated companies that share a background in high-quality protective coatings. These include surface protection experts Paintseal Direct in the UK and Europe, entral Lotus car and carbon fibre composite experts and of course Rhino Linings USA. The Rhino Linings network continues to grow, and recently announced its first fully authorised Rhino Centre in the UK – Tyntesfield oach Works Ltd covers all Rhino Linings work in the Bristol region.

The lining costs £499 plus VAT – a price which includes all the preparation work on your vehicle before the full application takes place. Whether you’re a 4x4 owner looking to get it protected or a prospective applicator looking to join the company’s UK network, www.rhino-linings.co.uk is the place to go next.

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PRODUCTS

UTILITY DRAWERS EXTEND GEARMATE RANGE INTO ENTHUSIAST MARKET

GEARMATE HAS BECOME synonymous with professional storage solutions in pick-ups and SUVs. If your main need for extra storage was purely in recreational circumstances, however, its new Utility Drawers are the perfect solution for storage and easy access on the road.

Focused on the leisure market, these new drawers fit all pick-ups

THE JEEP WRANGLER JL won’t even arrive in Britain until the second half of the year, but back home in the US the accessories aftermarket is already in full swing.

Enter stage left Rugged Ridge, bearing a wide range of JL kit including the impressively named Spartacus Bumper.

This is a stamped-steel affair which saves weight (remember, the JL is already a lot lighter than the outgoing JK model) while allowing you to keep the factory fog lights and tow hooks. Rugged Ridge describes it as ‘the most advanced styling on the market,’ which sounds a little subjective so you can eyeball the picture above and decide for yourself.

The company has a range of new wheels, too. The 17x9” Jesse Spade has a hub-centric design and a pocket to protect the valve stem from damage when off-roading, and it’s available in black and gunmetal finishes, while the 20x rakon is a lightweight cast alloy job aimed squarely at street machine builders.

Other new accessories for the JL include updated versions of Rugged idge’s Aluminium ood Catches (read ‘bonnet’ there) and lite Antenna Base, both of which promise to make the vehicle that

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on sale in the UK as well as a variety of SUVs. Made in the UK, the steel drawers are lockable and come with a Raptor finish.

They’re compatible with the rest of the Gearmate accessories range, measuring 40cm across, 120cm

bit tougher and more distinctive. The company’s products all come with a five-year warranty, which is more than most accessory (and vehicle) manufacturers can say.

It won’t come as a huge surprise that with the JL still several months away, none of this is going to be cropping up on the shelves of a

deep and 22cm tall, with the whole unit measuring 103x134.9x30cm.

Prices for the Utility Drawers start at £799. The new range will be

on show on the Gearmate stand at the 4x4 and Pick-Up Show, on 15-16 June at Stoneleigh Park near Coventry in Warwickshire.

4x4 accessory store in the UK quite yet. But if you’ve got your eyes on Jeep’s eagerly anticipated new off-roader and you’re intending to start modding it the moment it lands on your drive, well, the time to start your wish list is now.

4x4 01/05/2018 18:24

We develop practical, hard wearing and stylish storage solutions and accessories, for 4x4 vehicles, that helps you and ! www.gearmate.co.uk

1F3

)

Compatible with all pick up trucks and a variety of SUV’s For more information call 01789 595 200 or email us at info@gearmate.co.uk Unit 15, Kinwarton Farm Road, Arden Forest Industrial Estate, Alcester, Warwickshire, B49 6EH

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PRODUCTS

SUPERPRO LAUNCHES EASY- LIFT KITS FOR A NO - HASSLE OFF - ROAD ADVANTAGE RESPONDING TO THE everincreasing demand from pick-up owners to raise their vehicles’ ride heights, SuperPro has introduced a range of easy-to-fit lift kits designed to work in harmony with each vehicle’s OE suspension system.

Comprising rear leaf-spring lift blocks, extended U-bolts and strut-top spacers, the kits are ideal for owners who use their vehicle for on-road or light off-road duties and want a less intrusive, easily reversible, inexpensive, safe and legal option in order to gain a little more ground clearance while, at the same time, retaining the feel of the standard suspension but with the look of a ‘lifted’ pick-up.

Bolt-on aftermarket spacer kits haven’t always had the best reputation, the problem being that not all have been properly developed. As SuperPro says, poor quality equipment of this nature can have an adverse effect on handling, braking and potentially, driver

control – so, the company says, it has ’invested a great deal of time and resources into making sure every kit carefully corresponds with each vehicle’s suspension system and geometry.’

Features of the SuperPro EasyLift kits: • Front and rear rides heights are raised by the same amount, maintaining OE rake and weight distribution and consequently ensuring braking performance remains unaffected • A maximum suspension travel height is set, so that the dampers do not bottom out before striking the bump stops • Every kit’s lift height is unique to specific model applications, with the associated hardware designed, engineered and thoroughly tested to ensure compatibility with each vehicle • Each kit is supplied complete with all required parts as well as comprehensive fitting instructions

For further information on all SuperPro products, and for a list

of stockists, pay a visit to www. superproeurope.com.

BRITPART BREATHES NEW LIFE INTO OLD TDI ENGINES WITH ALLISPORT CATCH TANK TURBO-DIESEL ENGINES are the lifeblood of Land Rover Defenders and comfortably split opinion in the world of restification – meaning the most common complaint thrown at them is the fact that they’ve ruined a classic Series truck by turning it into something you can drive without losing the will to live.

But a drawback that applies to the 200Tdi and 300Tdi, whatever vehicle they’re in, is the need to breathe. The original plastic oil catch tank uses a gauze and mesh filter design which can clog over time, diminishing the ability to release crankcase pressure and allowing oil vapour into the intake system. Not exactly ideal.

Available through the Britpart network, AlliSport new uprated engine breather oil catch tank separator eliminates the problem. The machined aluminium replacement is designed to reduce pressure build-up on Tdi engines by utilising an internal baffle rather than a traditional gauze design. And besides, it looks cool. Pick one up at your local Britpart stockist – you’ll find it via www.britpart.com

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WHAT’S THAT COMING OVER THE HILL? IT’S A DAVANTI.

DAVANTI TYRES WILL BE UNVEILING ITS NEW ALLTERRAIN TYRE - TERRATOURA - AT THE 4X4 & PICKUP SHOW, STONELEIGH PARK IN COVENTRY ON JUNE 15 & 16.

SEE IT FOR YOURSELF AT STAND 2A19.

TO FIND A DAVANTI DEALER IN YOUR AREA, PLEASE VISIT WWW.DAVANTI-TYRES.COM

N EW T ER A D S ON T H E B L OCK

Davanti’s new Terratoura aims to be a premium all-terrain at a budget price. And it looks like it’s going to have a lot to offer…

WORDS: GEORGE DOVE PICTURES: DAVANTI

T

he Terratoura is Davanti’s first all-terrain tyre, and the company is aiming high with it. This is a global product – in explaining its purpose, Davanti explains that allterrains make up a third of tyre sales in outh Africa and a quarter of those in Australia.

It’s an ever-popular market in the , too.

Davanti product manager Gary Cross says the ritish brand is looking to offer an all-terrain tyre with more bang for your buck. ‘ ntil now choice has been limited to a few premium priced brands. ut by applying our research team to the problem, we have developed an all-terrain tyre that is almost unstoppable and offers great value.

‘Terratoura doesn’t just make extreme terrain accessible. It reduces the cost of running vehicles which some remote communities rely on and reduces the likelihood they will use unsafe partworn or worn tyres.’

The Terratoura features a five-rib tread for grip and longitudinal grooves that run the circumference of the tyre, dispelling water and aiding grip in wet conditions. Wide shoulder grooves, meanwhile, are designed to do the same with mud, sand, dust and loose surfaces like gravel. upport bars are worked into the design to help the tread and limit road noise, while the carcass construction consists of reinforced polyester cords that enable a higher load capacity and, sitting beneath the tread, improve shock resistance.

During development, the aim was to create a tyre without compromise which out-performed its competitors. o, with premium brand road, off-road and winter tyres to act as testing benchmarks, the Terratoura was independently tested at three of the world’s leading test sites.

At the IDIADA facility near arcelona in pain, the Terratoura was put through its paces with wet and dry runs of on-road handling and breaking tests. Then in Finland it was put through the same tests on ice and snow at Test World, where it was only the seventh all-terrain tyre to gain three-peak mountain snowflake certification for sub- ero performance. Finally, at Millbrook proving ground back here in the

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, gravel braking and off-road competency were assessed.

The testing was carried out using a . -litre Volkswagen Amarok with an eight-speed automatic gearbox. To ensure the tyres weren’t given an easy time, the trucks electronics were recoded so that they could be completely turned off, placing more stress on the tyres.

Over varying terrains designed to catch out vehicles – and, naturally, their tyres – Davanti says the Terratouras coped faultlessly. We weren’t allowed behind the wheel to see for ourselves, but a passenger ride gave us the opportunity to experience them in action, and based on this the results do appear impressive. p an inclined gravel path, there was traction under acceleration and poise in the turns – the tyres weren’t firing a barrage of stones into the chassis, either, so it was pleasingly quiet. On muddy trails, they gripped well and plugged their way through, with mud visibly flicking out of the tyres’ tread after exit. Then, braking on gravel was very, very efficient, almost jarring – and thanks to the Terratouras’ strength, there was no steering deviation under the strain.

On a damp field, there was a handling course which came closest to unnerving the tyres, the empty pick-up bed feeling light and threatening to lose that ever-present grip. One of the most famous obstacles at Millbrook is the -degree concrete slope used to test braking – and after rampantly climbing up and over the sandy bank to the summit, the Amarok caught itself effortlessly on the slope with the Terratouras completely resisting all the physical forces trying to make them skid. Over a short track paved with uneven logs, the ride was bumpy yet remained sure-footed. ut you’d expect an all-terrain to be commendable on each of those surfaces.

Where it was most impressive was on the road, however. On tarmac the ride was very quiet, and the steering was very precise. Around Millbrook’s alpine circuit the tyres were called upon to keep the Amarok in check far from its comfort one.

The Terratouras held well through both tight and sweeping corners, and helped the pick-up handle

more like a car than what it actually was – a tall, unladen workhorse.

This is a feature that increases the appeal of living with a tyre, and it was always part of the plan to handle like the brand’s line of road tyres.

At first sight, the Terratoura does what it set out to do. Obviously, what it’s like to live with we can’t say – but so far so good.

4x4 01/05/2018 22:45

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

2015 JEEP WRANGLER JK 2.8CRD

2007 DODGE NITRO 2.8CRD

2016 RANGE ROVER EVOQUE 2.0 TD4

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

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

2008 HONDA CRV 2.2 CDTI

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

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MILNER EST. 1981

Roll Bars:

Body Lifts: Winches & Compressors:

Fuel Saver Kits:

Load Liner Sprays:

Snorkels:

Skid Plates:

Suspension Air Assist Kits:

Tyres:

-Call-Click-Collect-

www.milneroffroad.com Old Road, Darley Dale, Matlock Derbyshire, DE4 2ER

TEL: 01629 734411 Untitled-12 1

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READY FOR ACTION – THE UK’S FIRST 4X4 MOTOR SHOW!

4x4 and Pick-Up Show • 15-16 June Trade and Public Days • NAEC Stoneleigh

B

ritain’s first motor show for x s and pick-ups trucks will take place at toneleigh Park, oventry on and une.

A major event featuring several vehicle manufacturers as well as a wide cross-section of the aftermarket, the x and Pick- p how is the only event of its kind in ritain aimed at enthusiasts and professional x users alike. oused in two halls at the ational Agricultural and Exhibition entre, the event is in effect two shows in one. Friday une is Trade Day – ideal if you work in farming and agriculture, utilities, the building industry or any of any of the many other sectors in which x s and pick-ups are used as working vehicles.

Delegates at this part of the event will also include vehicle buyers from across the private and public sectors.

The following day, aturday une, is fully open to the public, with tickets costing in advance or on the door. Whether you’re

looking to buy a x or pick-up for the first time. replace your existing vehicle or shop for parts and accessories to make the most of it for work or play, the x and Pick- p how is for you oth days will feature a variety of seminars presented by industry

experts, as well as the opportunity to test drive the latest trucks from a range of manufacturers on toneleigh’s dedicated off-road facility. In addition, of course, there’ll be a wide range of exhibitors displaying their latest and best products.

A full exhibitor listing, correct at the time of going to press, is featured over the following pages. ou can keep abreast of who’s attending – as well as registering for trade passes or buying advance tickets for the public day – at x andpickupshow.co.uk.

The organisers of the 4x4 and Pick-Up Show are working with Event Express to provide discounted hotel accommodation for visitors and exhibitors.

The team has negotiated discounted rates at hotels around Stoneleigh Park, exclusively for event attendees.

If you are unsure of your exact requirements, Event Express offers flexible cancellation policies which allow you to make amendments and cancellations at no charge until closer to the event. Event Express does advise that you book now and amend later in order to guarantee your preferred hotel.

The Event Express service is completely free to you to use with no hidden charges and no booking or transaction fees, and the friendly reservations team will liaise directly with the hotels on your behalf. For further information, please contact Event Express directly by calling 01905 732737 or emailing reservations@eventexpressuk.com, or visit www.eventexpressuk.co.uk/4x4-and-pick-up-show-2018 to book online.

Get your tickets now – at 4x4andpickupshow.co.uk 4x4 1p Show Preview IN PROGRESS.indd 41

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EXHIBITOR LISTING HEADLINE SPONSOR

TERRAFIRMA www.terrafirma4 4.com

entra

onsor tand

Accessories and upgrades for Land Rover vehicles.

The Terrafirma range of Land Rover accessories has been created to meet the exceptional demands of Land Rover enthusiasts and is distributed Worldwide through Allmakes authori ed parts and accessory dealers. Terrafirma offers choice, clear product identification and application, making sure the correct product can be selected from the extensive range of accessories.

SHOW PARTNER

BFGOODRICH F oodrich, take control The best performing winter tyres for cars and utility vehicles.

summer

www. fgoodric .co.uk a tand

SHOW PARTNER

ISUZU At Isu u, we focus on proper pick-ups which means we’re much better at meeting specific pick-up needs. The AwardWinning Isu u D-Max is made to work. The turbo diesel engine produces P and m of torque whilst meeting Euro emission standards without the need for Ad lue plus it delivers . tonne towing, . tonne payload and over MP combined (all manual models), making the Isu u D-Max a true workhorse not a show pony.

6

www.isu u.co.uk a

tand

SHOW PARTNER

SUBARU ubaru. The All-Wheel Drive Experts. On road, off road, and in any weather, our vehicles are built to perform. ubaru’s always-on ymmetrical All-Wheel Drive provides unbeatable traction and control, no matter the conditions. Try it for yourself now at our onsite off-road course – just visit the ubaru stand to book. www.su aru.co.uk a tand 4

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EXHIBITOR LISTING APB TRADING 4SITE 4X4 TYRES Searching for high quality 4×4 tyres? Buy 4×4 tyres from 4SITE, the UK’s only dedicated network of 4×4 tyre specialists. www.4site4x4tyres.co.uk 0870 112 9401 Hall 1 Stand F1

Established over 40 years ago, APB specialises in Land Rover and 4x4s as well as vehicle accessories and outdoor equipment. www.apbtrading.co.uk 01299 250174 Hall 2 Stand A17

DAVANTI TYRES Whatever the conditions, whatever the drive, lead the way with Davanti tyres. www.davanti-tyres.com 0330 303 1499 Hall 2 Stand A19

APOLLO MOTORHOMES

4X4 MAGAZINE The original and still the best! 4×4 Magazine is the market leader in automotive off-roading. Still with its heart and soul invested in the seasoned off-road enthusiast, 4×4 Magazine aims to cover the latest models, bring you the hot news from around the world, essential buying and practical information on the most popular 4x4s, saving owners time and money in the process, while also inspiring and informing readers about the joys of off-roading.

Apollo are the leading UK manufacturers of demountable motorhomes. We at Apollo believe this is the most versatile option for motorcaravaners today. Half our production is devoted to building and updating the demountables as we believe they are the future of motorcaravaning. www.apollomotorhomes.com 01706 378045 Hall 1 Stand H30

DYNAMAT The automotive soundproofing heat control brand in the world. As the pioneers of in car soundproofing Dynamat is recognised by consumers around the world as a quality product for solutions to unwanted noise, vibration and heat. dynamateurope.com 01202 664 390 Hall 2 Stand A3-4

www.4x4i.com

ARCTIC TRUCKS

4X4 OVERLANDER 4x4overlander are UK distributors for Nakatanenga, Nolden Cars and Concepts GmbH and MadMan engine management systems – suppliers of quality lights and products for the 4×4 and Pickup market. We also stock a wide range of camping and over-landing equipment. www.4x4overlander.com 01422 243 966 Hall 2 Stand A15

We create vehicles designed to stretch horizons, to access the most remote environments on earth and work in the most hostile conditions.

Arctic Trucks have engineered specialist 4×4 vehicles for professionals who require the ultimate mobility. Arctic Trucks engineer specialist vehicles for rescue services, mining projects, utilities and telecoms providers and NGO’s across the globe. arctictrucks.com Hall 2 Stand C32

DERANGED Deranged disrupts the normality and creates a timeless experience for the individual. Add personalisation with attitude to stand out from the crowd or add capability to suit an individual lifestyle. We offer our clients the ability to tailor a vehicle without any limitations. www.derangedvehicles.com 02084 547 547 Hall 2 Stand A14

ANGLIA VEHICLES Universally regarded as the vehicle of choice in Asia, Australasia and Africa where extreme off road ability, rugged build and reliability are critical, Anglia Vehicles sell the Toyota Land Cruiser 70 Series right here in the UK. www.angliavehicles.co.uk 01780 757080 Hall 1 Stand G14

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C&C HYDRAULICS Our skilled team has a wealth of experience in hydraulics and related fields and can advise on the correct choice of equipment for your needs. www.cchydraulics.co.uk 01535 617880 Hall 1 Stand G9

DIGITAL SPEEDOS ’s leading supplier of speedos gauges.

Motorcycle car gauges, headlights, indicators available. www.digital-speedos.co.uk 01564 775522 Hall 2 Stand A111

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EXHIBITOR LISTING LAZER LAMPS GEARMATE Gearmate are British manufacturers and suppliers of pick up accessories and truck bed organisers. Our truck bed sliding trays and sliding drawers are designed to be sleek and stylish while offering secure storage and easy access to all of your tools and equipment. www.gearmate.co.uk 01789 595 200 Hall 1 Stand F3

HOBSON INDUSTRIES Few companies can match Hobson Industries’ ability to offer through life support for the Land Rover Defender platform in both armoured and soft skin variants.

Lazer Lamps Ltd is a leading UK manufacturer of auxiliary automotive driving lights founded on the principles of bringing world class technology to its customers meeting the needs of the global market, with customer service and product quality at the core of its business. www.lazerlamps.com 01992 677374 Hall 2 Stand B32

www.hobsonindustries.co.uk Hall 2 Stand A18

NORTHSTAR CAMPERS DV8 WORKS Nestled in the Warwickshire countryside is the bespoke world of DV8 Works. Here our specialists develop limited edition customs and enhance clients’ vehicles to reflect their personal desire. Your one-of-a-kind awaits. dv8works.com 01789 774880 Hall 1 Stand G4

FRONT RUNNER OUTFITTERS Our roof racks, water tanks, tents, awnings, drawer systems and camping accessories are enjoyed, used and abused around the world by casual campers, the U.N., overlanders, NGOs, outdoor enthusiasts and extreme athletes. www.frontrunneroutfitters.com/en Hall 1 Stand G11

IRONMAN 4X4 Ironman 4×4 suspension kits and accessories from West Coast Off Road, the UK importer. westcoastoffroad.co.uk/tag/ironman4×4-uk 01704 229014 Hall 2 Stand D38

Versatile, well designed and fits most Pick up Trucks. The ultimate camper for freedom and convenience, Northstar demountable campers have been building high quality, innovately designed units for fifty years. The perfect way to experience the great outdoors for you and your family. www.northstarcampers.co.uk 01507 327172 Hall 1 Stand K34

OTS TRUCK SYSTEMS K2 K2 Offroad Caravan Specialist is focused on its ability to supply adventure. We have unique designs, modern interiors coupled with a go anywhere approach. If you love the great outdoors; walking or kayaking, cycling or mountaineering, or travelling on expeditions to far-flung places, then this rugged yet luxurious vehicle is what you need. The UK’s only full offroad caravan manufacturer.

Manufacturers of racking systems for pickup trucks. pecifically ladder racks. www.otstruck.com 01733 602749 Hall 1 Stand G12

PEDDERS HIGH BEAM SOLUTIONS High quality, high-powered automotive lighting soutions. Integrated packages using advanced LED technology installed within the vehicles’ design and existing dash lighting controls. www.highbeamsolutions.com 01905 937268 Hall 1 Stand H24

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THE LANDY The UK’s only free-distribution Land Rover newspaper. Make sure you pick up the latest copy free from our stand! www.thelandy.co.uk

Pedders is Australia’s umber under-car specialist, now brought to you in Europe. We offer a comprehensive range of suspension, steering and brake parts to suit passenger cars, four-wheel drives, light commercials and high performance vehicles. www.pedders.co.uk 01296 711044 Hall 2 Stand B30

4x4 01/05/2018 14:26

EXHIBITOR LISTING PICKUP & 4X4 PRO We distribute Pickup & 4×4 Pro every other month to anyone who registers to receive it. If you work in farming or conservation, building, plumbing or game keeping, emergency services, utilities or for a local authority, or you’re an electrician, mechanic or in some other line of work that makes a 4×4 or pick-up the ideal working vehicle, ensure you register your details and we’ll pop each copy in the post to you for free.

RAPTOR 4X4 RALLY FOR HEROES Rally for Heroes organises charity driving events across the UK and mainland Europe. Our signature event is the biennial Rally for Heroes road trip, the next one launching in August 2018.

Raptor 4×4 are one of Europe’s leading 4×4 accessories supplier. Stocking over 2000 product lines we are sure to have the item you need. www.raptor4x4.co.uk 01568 799004 Hall 1 Stand H22

www.rallyforheroes.com 0782 3331011 Hall 2 Stand A108

pickupand4x4pro.co.uk

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EXHIBITOR LISTING RHINO LININGS

SPEEDLINER

High Level Corrosion Coating For Flat Beds & Trucks.

The most successful and longest established versatile spray liner in the United Kingdom.

Speedliner® Europe currently has over 140 independent Authorised Dealers/Application Centres across 12 countries. Contact us now to find your nearest Dealer Application entre.

www.rhino-linings.co.uk 01283 703777 Hall 2 Stand B30

RUSKIN DESIGN Car Interior Specialists – When you choose a Ruskin Inside™ you are guaranteed a truly bespoke interior as all our creations are made to measure. We offer a wide range of trim related services for Land Rover Defenders in particular, but can cater for almost all other makes of vehicles too.

www.speedlinereuro.com 0800 083 4525 Hall 1 Stand G13

ruskindesign.co.uk 0116 277 3701 Hall 2 Stand D40

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EXHIBITOR LISTING SVTECH SSANGYONG SsangYong has been making 4×4 vehicles since 1954. Whether you’re caravanning, towing or after a family vehicle, SsangYong has it covered. www.ssangyonggb.co.uk 0333 444 1954 Hall 2 Stand A24

SvTech offers a range of technical support services to vehicle manufacturers, converters, bodybuilders, dealers and end-users across Europe. Our services are all DVSA-recognised and backed by leading vehicle manufacturers, so if you are looking to modify your vehicle, look no further!

VITAL HYDROGRAPHIC Vital Hydrographic is a leading Hydro Dipping and Carbon Dipping specialist based in Staffordshire, covering Stoke-on-Trent, Birmingham and Wolverhampton. vitalhydrographic.co.uk Hall 2 Stand A5

www.svtech.co.uk 01772 621800 Hall 2 Stand A6

XS 4X4 PARTS Excellence in upgrades for your pick-up, truck or van.

STORM JEEPS

TBR UK

We are a small and hard-working team of enthusiasts, with the experience and expertise to deliver truly awesome custom Jeep builds. Our clients have the freedom to build a completely unique Jeep that suits them and their lifestyle, or alternatively choose from one of our previous builds to base your conversion.

4×4 Accessories by TBR including OME and Koni suspension, IBS battery systems, ARB drawer systems, TruckVault, skid plates, snow ploughs, snow chains, suspensions kits, dual battery systems, green workshop supplies.

stormjeeps.com 01482 666 491 Hall 2 Stand A20

xs4x4.parts Hall 2 Stand D41

www.tbruk.com 0800 16 999 47 Hall 2 Stand D39

VENTER TRAILERS We supply a full range of leisure trailers. They are ideal for camping, gardening and many other house hold and leisure uses.

SUPERPRO SuperPro is an innovative Australian manufacturer of automotive polyurethane suspension bushings and suspension parts based in Brisbane, Australia. These specially formulated, high-quality components are designed to create suspension solutions for better stability, handling and control in on-road, off-road and race track applications. www.superproeurope.com 01823 690 281 Hall 2 Stand D49

www.ventertrailersuk.com 01454 325109 Hall 2 Stand A21

VISION X Since 1997, Vision X has been providing the lighting solutions demanded by the market as well as innovating the next step for lighting. www.visionxeurope.com Hall 2 Stand C32

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HEADLINE SPONSOR

AND

PICK-UP SHOW

Saturday 16th June 2018 The UK Motor Show for the 4x4 and Pick-up Market www.4x4andpickupshow.co.uk

SHOW PARTNERS

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

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LONG LIVE THE KING

The latest restified Land Rover to come out of the Arkonik factory of dreams has a right royal title. Either that or it’s named after the Monarch butterfly…

WORDS: GEORGE DOVE PICTURES: ARKONIK

I

t seems that today we live in a world of extremes. Everyone is trying to be bigger and better than whoever is sat next to them on the bus. We seem to be in a global state of playground-esque ‘my dad is bigger than

your dad’. Dear Mr President, yes that’s you I’m looking at.

In among all of the madness, it’s sometimes nice to just appreciate something that’s unassuming and done to a high standard.

Exporter of Defenders, Arkonik, injects a dose of British sophistication into transatlantic soil, proving that you don’t always have to be the biggest and the loudest, or the strongest and the fastest on the block, to gather plaudits.

As you can see, this 110 lives up to its name.

The Monarch rises above the boisterous rabble, squabbling gluttonously over horsepower, LEDs and who has the best smartphone app and suavely strolls by, waving regally as it goes.

Like all of Arkonik’s Defenders, the Java Black Monarch has been reworked meticulously with infinite attention paid to each and every component. This 1992 Station Wagon has had all its parts scrupulously stripped and remastered,

Like everything else on the vehicle, the 200Tdi engine has been refurbished and refreshed to the point where it basically looks like new

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Above left: The Monarch’s interior is suitably regal – by which we mean classy, elegant and understated, not showy and crass, so you can decide for yourself whether that makes it regal at all. The familiar Defender cabin architecture is all there, but the seats are trimmed in black leather, the stereo is a contemporary Alpine unit and a factory-spec air-con unit has been installed Top right: A NAS rear step is always a good thing, but on a vehicle destined for a customer in America it seems more appropriate than ever Above right: Front Runner roof rack means the vehicle will be all ready for those royal camping trips. You can almost hear the chorus of ‘we are not amused,’ can’t you? ensuring that it runs smoothly and as new – all with its original 200Tdi engine and chassis, as is of course necessary for acceptance on to American roads.

The Monarch is subtly kitted out, but by no means is it ordinary. The big BFGoodrich AllTerrain tyres encasing its 15” Mach 5 alloys are a sophisticated nod to the prowess of the Land Rover once the tarmac ends. Of course, having been polished and reassembled just as it was before, that prowess will still be on tap should it be needed Stateside.

Quietly adding depth to the classically rugged image of the long-wheelbase Defender – or any Defender for that matter – is a wealth of subtle tweaks to the exterior. The stock grille sits alongside the light surrounds (all black, naturally), emphasising the classic look of the Defender’s front end. The black bulkhead vents and ‘Arkonik’ lettering across the bonnet, plus a set of Fire and Ice side steps, add more tonal empahsis to the exterior of this Landy.

A North American spec rear step sits beneath the fold-out spare tyre in fortifying the rear end; both appear below a Front Runner roof rack with accompanying rear ladder. This addition opens up the possibility of the activity that least reflects this Defender’s given name – camping.

The roof rack is ideal for a tent, though even the highest grade of glamping isn’t something in which Kings and Queens are given to indulging, whatever the eventuality.

Little George might camp on the grounds of Kensington Palace, although I doubt you’re allowed to drive on the grass there.

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You’d have to hark back to Henry VIII’s visit to the Field of Cloth of Gold in 1520 to catch a monarch huddling under canvas – but that was strictly business.

Back in the present, the Monarch D110’s interior sticks to the same brief of modernising the Defender without losing the classic feel of the vehicle. The seating has been retreated in (you guessed it) black leather. This goes for the modular front two and the high-backs that make up the second row, along even with the folddowns in the loadspace. Well, one’s servants are to be shown the same respect as one’s peers.

Further civilising the cab is an Alpine stereo system enabled with Bluetooth and hands-free, as well as a stitched leather gear gaiter and an air conditioning system. It doesn’t do to arrive at the Guards Polo Club sweatier than the horses, does it?

In true Arkonik style, the Monarch D110 is a proudly British take on what is a quintessentially ritish vehicle. It will fit in coasting through Hollywood or Vegas, on the highway or in the mountains, and all the while it will be calmly deploying envy into the driver’s seat of every Yank-tank in sight. Tally-ho!

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01/05/2018 12:37

PIECES

DV8 Works offers a high-end customisation programme with its Armoured Plus Ford Ranger. This eyeball-grabbing double-cab mixes off-road ability with work-truck practicality and street-machine styling – to create one of the most appealing variations there is on our recently crowned Pick-Up of the Year WORDS: DAN FENN PICTURES: DV8 WORKS

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ord Rangers are all the rage at the top of the bespoke pick-up business. With its size and in-your-face styling, not to mention a 3.2-litre engine, the vehicle has surged to the top of the truck market in the UK – and a thriving industry has grown up around the demand for modified examples.

As always, you can just throw a few accessories at a vehicle and hope they work.

While you’re at it, you might also have to hope they don’t make it illegal, or dangerous, or impossible to sell on when you’re done with it.

But a specialist worthy of the name won’t lead you down that road – whether you want your truck prepared for off-roading or turned into an eyeball-grabbing street machine.

DV8 Works is one of the newer names on the scene, and the Rangers it builds are a bit of both.

Rather than being prepped for extreme off-road use at the expense of everything else, they’re enhanced with the ability to perform beyond standard whether for work or play – while also standing out in a crowd.

That’s unless it’s a crowd of other DV8-built Rangers, obviously. Because while each is unique, all the vehicles in these pictures are produced to the company’s Armoured Plus spec – which includes an extremely tasty range of mods to make the most of what is already the best truck on the market.

For starters, Armoured Plus models run on +1.75” medium-load suspension. This uses a Pedders spring and shock package which was developed in consultation with DV8, whose

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customers had asked for a system that would keep on working even with a heavy trailer on the back – something almost all these vehicles will be used for. Bigger suspension lifts than this are certainly available, but this strikes the right balance while allowing an upgrade to 305/50R20 tyres – whose 32” height and 12” width gives the truck a suitably purposeful appearance.

This is aided by a +10 offset on DV8’s own 20” alloys, which are rated to 1100kg each – giving them the strength to cope with the Ranger’s heavy-duty capacities. This isn’t a throwon fitting – the company says it was thoroughly

though. ’It generates a 4.88% increase in rolling circumference and so a speedo reading of 60mph would generate an actual speed of 62.93 mph. In addition, we found anything larger than this was a struggle for the gearbox to work with.’

Said gearbox is the six-speed automatic unit that comes as an option with the 3.2 TDCi engine. And on the subject of options, the engine itself can be pushed usefully beyond its standard power output.

DV8 uses a tuning box remap which it says has been tested on more than five vehicles and gives a consistent 20% increase in power and

torque alike over the standard vehicle. On top of this, you can opt for a Stage 2 Performance Pack consisting of a PWR Intercooler, ITG Air Filter and straight-through cat-back exhaust; this can be tailored to each customer’s requirements, but DV8 quotes 240bhp and 450lbf.ft as a comfortably achievable figure.

Also optional is a 20” Discreet Light Bar, which has the benefit of being E approved – meaning it can be wired in to the headlamps to operate with the vehicle’s main beam for use on the road . This sits behind DV8’s custom grille, which it describes as a ‘labour of love’.

Above left: Suspension is by Pedders, but it’s not an off-the-shelf solution – DV8 worked in consultation with the UK importer to get a 1.75” lift that maintains the Ranger’s body control when towing Above right: The taller springs and shocks make room for a set of 305/50/20 Maxxis Bighorn MT764 on 20” DV8 Armoured Plus alloys. These have a 1100kg load rating – so once again, they’re about more than just lobbing on something pretty and hoping for the best

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The grille is DV8’s own work, which the company describes as ‘a labour of love.’ A discreet light bar can be fitted behind the grille as an option, and as well as the additional LED spots seen here you get colour-coded guards for the front lights and smoked rear LEDs with separate fog lights

The company removes the original grille and surround, flattens out the ‘Ranger’ logo then fits its own hexagonal mesh grille to create its signature aggressive appearance.

This is enhanced by a lower nudge bar, which was lowered not only to look better but to avoid rubbing on the bumper. The vehicle also then gets colour-coded DRLs and light guards, as well as smoked rear LEDs with separate fog lights – something DV8 says is necessary to comply with MOT requirements. ‘We run a standalone fog light mounting,’ it says,’ on to either the rear bumper or tow bar, depending on the vehicle.’

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Further features of the Armoured Plus model include privacy glass on the rear doors and bulkhead window, and a detailed paint programme which DV8 describes as one of the ‘finer details’ you get from its level of service.

‘We strip and repaint the complete front end, DRLs, light guards, grille, door handles, roof bars, wing mirrors (the complete unit, not just the caps), rear sports hoop and rear bumper. And finally, we wrap the side steps as, being chrome, paint would only be a short-term solution.

The results? Well, you can see them for yourself. The Armoured Plus double-cab is a

seriously purposeful truck, even by the Ranger’s normal standards – and while it’s not been pushed to the limit for off-roading, it’s every bit as capable as it looks.

If you ask the experts, they’ll always tell you that if you’re going to modify a vehicle, you should start with the best standard one you can afford. It’s a bit of a twist on that advice, but starting with what is the best truck on the market in showroom-spec form puts you in pole position to build one of the best modified vehicles – and sure enough, they don’t come much better than this.

01/05/2018 20:54

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WHEN SOLIHULL For many years, the great debate in British off-roading came down to one thing – Land Rover versus Suzuki. The waters are muddier these days, but a few pioneering folk decided the best way to answer the big question was to ask another one: how about you blend together the best of both?

WORDS: GARY NOSKILL PICTURES: STEVE TAYLOR

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MEETS SAMURAI

T

he off-road scene in Britain has traditionally been divvied up between Land Rover and The Rest. To a great extent, it still is – it’s just that Land Rover doesn’t make vehicles anyone in the off-road scene wants to buy (or can afford) any more, and The Rest is now comprised mainly of Jeep Wranglers and Ford Rangers.

You don’t need to go back many years, though, and it was a simple case of Defender v Suzuki.

First the Samurai, then later the Jimny, but that was the big divide among UK off-roaders. There were always a few individualists who’d do it in Land Cruisers, or Jeeps, or L200s, but in the main it all boiled down to Land Rover and Suzuki.

Here’s another kind of individualist, though.

Coming on for a decade and a half ago, Andrew Hadley bought his Samurai from a mate for £350.

It was, he says, ‘completely standard, including rotted sills and other problems.’

At this point, he didn’t have much experience of 4x4s, except for a Frontera Sport which he didn’t use for off-roading as it was his daily transport and cost a lot to repair. However, after an off-road camping trip where he met some people who are still mates today, he decided to do something serious with his little 4x4.

Perhaps the most serious thing is that he’s added an awful lot of weight to the vehicle. Why on earth would you want to do that, when Land Rover owners seem to be forever grinding bits off their vehicles to try and make them lighter?

The answer is simple, really. Andrew added the weight by taking out components with ‘Suzuki’ stamped on them and replacing them with others stamped with ‘Land Rover’. There were other manufacturers in the mixer too, including Austin, Vauxhall, Rover and Citroën, but fundamentally what you’re looking at is a

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Above left: Here’s the front end, looking a touch different to stock. It’s higher and has more articulation, better damping, stronger steering, better springing and is generally superior in so many ways to the standard Samurai. Not that the standard Samurai was bad, but this is, well, better Below left: Under the rugged home-made rock sliders sit Land Rover radius arms with an altered angle to the axle to compensate for the lift and, at the other end, rose joints to the chassis Below right: That’ll be the chassis mounts, then. Andrew worked out the suspension geometry himself while building the coil-sprung conversion; with the front and rear links starting from as close together as possible so the system is well set up to provide plenty of movement. Finishing isn’t to WRC standards, but the fun factor is far higher Above right: The days of modding Samurais are in the past, but back when it was common most people who gave one this much suspension height would have done it via a SPOA conversion. Not here. Where once there were leaves is now this fine collection o ainl and over bits. ear ach springs are proper and over spec, and so it’s not s rprising that the front ones, which are for a 110, are proving to be a bit on the stiff side, even with the extra weight of the turbo-diesel engine and winch. Between the Rough Country shocks and home-made dislocation cones you can also see, however, 30” of articulation is a lot in anyone’s book

Left: Here’s the rose-jointed four-link rear, as seen by the back bumper or someone Andrew has just run over.

The outer trailing arms are Land Rover units, while those in the centre arms were custom-made by the man himself. Note the position of the upper links, close together on the top of the diff housing – this mimics the effect of an A-frame by providing a pivot point for the suspension as the axle crosses rough ground, but with two mounts rather than one it frees up the axle to move more naturally with less concern for binding. The results are there for all to see – just take a look at the picture on the opposite page

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Whoever thought you’d get that in?

An Austin Montego 2.0-litre turbodiesel was not exactly a boy racer’s dream back in the day, but here’s one doing sterling work in the Suzuki. It doesn’t look pretty – not helped by the extra winch cabling and stuff – but it does pump out enough power and torque to keep Andrew happy, even when it’s feeding through a Borg Warner auto box which used to do service in the ver fine over .

Note that there are two batteries, which are powered by two alternators and reduce the likelihood of major electrical failure by half

Samurai with a whole load of Land Rover stuff chucked at it.

As a maintenance engineer, Andrew was well placed to have a go at most of it himself, though he did call in some help for the coil-spring conversion. Did we mention that? We’ll get to it in a minute.

First, let’s kick off with what lies under that standard-looking bonnet. Who would guess that an Austin Montego 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel would lurk under there? And what gearbox would you mate that to? That’s right, a Borg-Warner auto from a 2.6-litre Rover SD1.

Well, that all seems quite normal and fairly commonplace. Andrew actually complains that

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‘I had to have the torque plate for the gearbox laser cut as I couldn’t find one to fit from the bits I had.’ Like most people would have one of those lying about.

Not content with this random collection, Andrew turned up the fuel pump and the turbo boost. e then fitted a transfer box and of course that wasn’t from Suzuki either, at least not directly. It was a Rock Lobster job, but even that wasn’t enough and Andrew made his own heavy-duty casing for it.

The extra torque and twist of the heavy turbo-diesel also meant that the mounts for the transfer box, including the casing brackets, had to be made to a heavier-duty design. The

propshafts further down were made by Dave Mac Propshafts in Coventry and all get a big thumbs-up. Yes, ‘all,’ because there are three of them when you include the 98mm unit between the gearbox and transfer case.

The axles… you’re thinking Land Rover, right? Extraordinarily, they’re not. Both look like standard Samurai units, but naturally all isn’t what it seems. The casings are Suzuki’s own, but Andrew has strengthened them by adding gussets to stop any bending – which seems to have worked as they’re still straight.

Inside, the rear axle has a KAM Locker and heavy-duty halfshafts. At the front, there’s a KAM cover but also a 26-spline ARB diff and more

01/05/2018 20:56

Above left: The very strong and very, very heavy scaffold-tube cage covers the whole vehicle and also serves as the mount for four of the six X-lights which illuminate the way ahead at night. Andrew’s a big fan of these as he reckons he gets very little bonnet glare Above right: There are brake discs front and rear thanks to an Andrew conversion. Braided hoses are tucked out of the harm’s way, with the front lines running down the radius arms. The steering arms are Sumo bars, which were custom made since he wanted rose joints and there are no stock units for this Suzuki heavy-duty shafts. The CVs have travelled all the way from JT Differentials, over in Washington State, USA. The rear axle also hosts a disc conversion.

This was from another Samurai which Andrew broke for parts. Amazingly, the front brakes are stock, with braided lines all round, tucked out of the way for safety. Given the extra weight and power, the increase in braking is probably a sound investment.

As well as stopping, one needs some steering too, and fortunately Andrew had thought of that. Suzuki’s own set-up is pleasantly light and quite accurate, but of course Andrew took his own route. Back in the day, when the truck still had a u uki engine, he’d fitted a Vauxhall Carlton PAS pump – but when he changed the engine to the bigger turbo-diesel, there was nowhere for this to live. There is still a Carlton PAS box on board, but it now has a Citroën Saxo VTR electric pump supplying it instead.

All of this of course lives under the bodywork. At least it looks like a Suzuki. And a genuine Suzuki rear door from a hard top has been added just behind the front seats to turn it into a truck cab. The body panels are in fact u uki, so what else genuine can we find?

The wheelarches? Errr, no, they’re from a Land Rover and they’re the flexible kind, so close personal contact with trees won’t faze them.

That’s about it then.

Over the bodywork you can see the full roll cage, which is made from scaffold bar (ideal for weight gain) and connects up to the home-made 3” tubular bumpers and rock sliders. Andrew had to make the cage himself on his driveway, which wasn’t ideal, but at least there was room for the 15-ton bender he’d borrowed.

Under the bodywork lie some more treasures. The vehicles has gone through more

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Above le t he ront inch is a arn fitted ith las a rope and an prated otor. he b per asse bl it sits on is ho e ade ro t be and does a good ob o protecting the inch, as ell as connecting to the roll cage or all ro nd peri eter de ence Above right he rear inch is a cheap e a , lb inch ith steel cable. t doesn’t get sed ver o ten, b t it’s still good to have.’ e challenge o to thin o three things o co ld describe that a itho t sniggering dirtil procedures than Dolly Parton, including a springover conversion – but having done that, Andrew found that the combination of extra weight and torque from the engine was simply too much and he kept on breaking springs.

There was only one thing to do, and that was make a conversion to coils. Here, he once again went his own route – which once again featured Land Rover rather prominently. He made up a coil-sprung rear with four links using Solihull’s own trailing arms, with rose joints to the chassis for good measure (and good articulation, obviously). The two centre arms are also custom made and they too have rose joints.

At the front, there are matching Land Rover radius arms, again with rose joints to the chassis. Rough Country shocks went on, with a whopping 30” of travel, while the springs are from Bearmach.

Rather confusingly, Land Rover 90 +2” front springs are fitted on the rear, while on the front go Land Rover 110 units.

Perhaps not surprisingly, having done this Andy discovered the front end was a bit stiff and started planning on replacing the 110 jobs with something from a lighter vehicle.

There was no shortage of articulation on display when Andrew took his Samurai out to play for our photos, at any rate. It’s all polybushed, which helps it flex, and so does his own design of dislocation cones.

So there we have it – a Land Rover with Suzuki bits, or a Suzuki with Land Rover bits. It’s a wonder he didn’t give it one of those zebra-style paint jobs so people could idly wonder whether it’s black with white stripes or white with black stripes.

Either way, there’s no guessing how die-hard Land Rover enthusiasts would view the vehicle. Is there? Well, having finished the build he took it into the bear pit of the Billing Land Rover Show

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and got stuck right in to the off-road course. All too literally, as it turned out.

‘I did everything everyone else was doing,’ he says, ‘including having a go at the very deepest bit. I didn’t make it through – but I don’t think anyone else did either. But it got a very good clap and cheer from everyone.’

So, applause for his Suzuki from one of the toughest audiences a Japanese 4x4 can have. The applause was definitely well-earned, though, as this really is a different take on two marques.

It’s an amazing collection of parts – and a truck that’s more than the sum of them.

So which of those parts works best, the Land Rover ones or the Suzuki ones? The Andrew Hadley ones, actually.

‘I’m not sure which was the better change,’ he says. ’The engine to a turbo-diesel and the gearbox to an auto, or when I converted it to coil springs. Maybe they just go hand in hand and complement each other.’

And his next plan? ‘Maybe make it a 100” chassis!’ Just to make it more Land Rover than ever before. Or less. Whatever else, it would mean more of this particular truck – and when was more of a good thing ever bad?

01/05/2018 20:56

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A TRIP BACK

If you could pick any 4x4 for a week on Europe’s highways, chances are you’d take a big SUV. Doing it in a pair of Land Rovers from the days of leaf springs, on the other hand, means a lot less comfort and a lot more noise – but it’s the perfect way to turn a road trip into the adventure of a lifetime WORDS: GEORGE DOVE PICTURES: SUPPLIED BY ANDY COX

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IN TIME

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A

road trip across Europe sounds like a bit of a holiday. But when you’re doing it in a classic Land Rover, it could be more like a challenge.

Where there’s a challenge, of course, there’s a charity. And that explains why Andy and Richard Cox, Dave Emery and Kieran Baker set out to pass through as many countries as possible in one week aboard a Series II 88” and a Series III 109”.

Raising money for Help for Heroes, the target was simple. Start at the war cemetery in Arnhem, finish at the war memorial in Normandy and hit as many countries as they could along the way. All in seven days.

The two Landies were tailored towards life on the road during their restorations. But extra preparations were still needed for the adventure. ‘ oth cars are modified to do what they need to do in terms of daily driving,’ explains Andy.

‘They’ve both got Defender engines. The Series II has got a 200Tdi and the standard high-ratio transfer box. It’s also got Range Rover diffs and is fairly high-geared for cruising. The Series III has a 300Tdi and an R380 gearbox. It’s also got a 1:1 transfer box from a Range Rover Classic. We did change the seats in both with rear benches from an Octavia vRS. To be honest, it was amazing having something comfortable with cup holders and armrests!’

After taking the ferry from Harwich to Hook of Holland, the challenge started proper at the cemetery in Arnhem early the next morning – once, of course, the guys had paused to pay their respects to the fallen. Day one saw them pass through Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg and then across the border into Germany; having started at sunrise, the day came to a close at sunset, 525 miles later in Nuremburg.

‘The first day was a fairly good one,’ says Andy. ‘We had to find out if we could hack that mileage in a Series, and whether the cars could hack working hard for that length of time.’

‘We wanted to push hard,’ adds Dave.

‘We knew that on the first few days we’d be on the best roads.

Particularly as we hit Germany and the autobahn – which was so, so easy.’

After a successful first day in relative comfort, the second day followed a different script.

From Nuremburg, the route headed to Bratislava, weaving into the Czech Republic and then Austria, skirting Vienna before hitting the first bump in the road, just over the Slovakian border.

‘We were supposed to camp in Slovakia, but when we pulled into a lay-by just over the border to get our bearings and decide on a plan of action, we noticed that some locals had shot their own sign,’ explains Dave.

‘We quickly decided we were not stopping!’

So, the snap decision was made that day two would become day three on the road. Setting off again at sunset, the overnight push saw the country count rise from seven to eleven.

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‘We dropped into Hungary, then into Croatia, to Slovenia and into northern Italy overnight.

We had breakfast just outside of Venice,’ recalls Kieran of this mammoth day-into-night stint behind the wheel.

Merging the two days, and stopping only for fuel and caffeine. took its toll. Dave drove for eighteen hours straight, and Kieran had to tap out after his clutch leg fell asleep during his stint of the 860-mile run.

A drowsy day three entailed crossing northern Italy in preparation for something everyone was looking forward to the day after: the Stelvio Pass.

With a stopover in mind and a good night’s sleep now unquestionably deserved, day three looked set to draw to an uneventful close.

‘We were aiming for a particular camp site at the start of the Stelvio Pass,’ says Andy. ‘But when

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we got there we found that it wasn’t open, and hadn’t been for a long time.’

After looking around for the best part of an hour for anywhere to camp, at the end of a two-day drive, the guys found that the only place with its gates open was already full to capacity.

So four tents were pitched on a patch of gravel.

Ideal after a marathon stint behind the wheel.

Still, the day of the Stelvio dawned and things could only get better. And they did.

Eventually.

Our travellers awoke from their much-needed sleep, feeling thoroughly intrepid and ready to conquer what is possibly the most famous mountain pass in the world. As, however, were the competitors in the Giro d’Italia.

‘It was the day we were all really looking forward to,’ recalls Andy. ‘Doing the Stelvio, up

into Switzerland and then messing around up in the Alps. But because of the race, it was closed all day.’

Deflated, but aware they had to keep moving, they stopped and found a way around it. And as is often the case, the alternative turned out to be even better.

‘We found a different way, called the Flüela Pass,’ says Keiran. ‘It was incredible. Driving it took a while because we kept stopping and taking pictures. Even on the way to the pass, going around every corner we were wowed.’

‘We stopped in a lay-by with a cracking view of the mountains,’ continues Dave. ‘It turned out that we were on top of a valley looking over a bluey-green lake. It was absolutely gorgeous.’

The scenery lifted spirits and brought a burst of life to the troops. Dave goes on: ‘There looked like there was a bit of road down there, and next thing you know Andy jumps into the car, then two minutes later we see the 88” bundling down the bottom of the valley along the river.

He radioed up and told us to take a picture, then bring the other one down!’

From here, the two Land Rovers continued up the pass to the summit and into Switzerland.

After doing some snow angels at twice the height of Snowdon, the convoy passed border control (a little wooden hut like something from a postcard) into Leichtenstein before coming back through Switzerland and down to Lake Locarno, via the San Bernardino Pass. The day finished at Lake Locarno with pi a and beer while watching the sun set over the water. Well earned, you might say.

Even though the fourth day had been fairly short in comparison to the others, at just 215 miles, climbing up and down the mountains was difficult for both vehicles. It was particularly hard

4x4 01/05/2018 20:49

for the elder of the two, which lost its brakes just before the Alps.

‘It was the first problem of the trip, really,’ says Andy. ‘We pulled over and realised that what had happened was one of the rear hub seals had split and dumped half the contents of the rear axle into the brake drum. o we rebuilt it at the roadside, in -degree heat – it was grim.’

Aside from that hiccup, the cars coped well with the Alps. p high, the lower temperatures really helped the Landies run smoothly on the demanding roads. This meant that both were in good shape for the trip around Lake Locarno – the start of the leg that was destined to conclude with the glit of Monaco.

The plan was to drop down in to Monaco, if it proved sensible to do so, to check it off the to-do list and leave again. ut like most things in Monaco, the notion of sensible didn’t even come into the equation.

‘The traffic was unbelievable,’ Andy remembers. ‘We’d only gone around the top of Monaco, but I couldn’t bring myself to drive away and not see the main landmarks.’

There was a reason that the roads were so busy – it was the day before practice began for the Monaco rand Prix. With the influx of tourists and race teams flocking into the centre, along with the tunnels being closed for painting, traffic flowed like treacle. o, with the brothers in the 88 and ieran and Dave in the , the

party split. The only thing that had been agreed was a rende vous outside of ice after they had fought their way through. attling through the traffic, the two cars did manage to cover the whole grand prix circuit between them. ieran, Dave and the eries III came from the harbour, did the straight and went up the hill to corners three and four, while Andy, Richard and the 88 covered the straight, the tunnel and the chicanes before leaving for ice.

It wasn’t a brief excursion, but for Andy it was a highlight of the trip.

‘We wasted a lot of time doing it, but it was cool When we drove down the straight, we stopped on pole and Rich jumped out and took a photo. It was definitely worth it ’ ext on the agenda was more surprise sightseeing. ‘The challenge was to do as many countries as we could, but there were still things we wanted to see while we were on the road,’ confesses Dave. ‘Monaco was one of them, but another was the Millau viaduct. Even though it was out of the way, we left Monaco and headed for a campsite in the valley underneath the bridge.’

The traffic in Monaco ate up much of the buffer created by merging days two and three, and so the cavalcade changed plans and headed for a campsite in the town of Trets. A day that had seen the likes of Monaco harbour and the otel de Paris ended with a hammock and a tray of Pot oodles.

The following day was tough for the Landies. It didn’t go to plan, but it did involve the Pyrenees.

If they had fared better, the route would have led from Millau, down to pain and then back through Andorra. owever, on the initial climb up the Pyrenees, things got a little heated.

‘The gearbox in the 88 started slipping,’ muses ieran. ‘We got the radar gun out and it was hotter than the exhaust manifold. It was so hot up there that the wing top was degrees.’ ot wanting to break the Landies with just two days left, the decision was made to give

It’s not every day you get to see a Series II sat on the starting line on the Monaco Grand Prix circuit. But then, it’s not every day that the Loughborough Land Rover Club are in town

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The Viaduc de Millau is a masterpiece of architecture and civil engineering alike. The Land Rovers crossing it here are masterpieces of… well, DIY spannering, mainly, as both were lovingly restored in readiness for the adventure them an easier ride. To counteract the high temperatures of that day, the next leg was another overnight stretch. However, this attempt to nurture the vehicles was in vain. At six in the morning, a wheel bearing melted. This really looked like it could be game over.

‘We did think we might not come back from this,’ admits Andy. ‘I was sat at the side of the motorway at sunrise with a junior hacksaw, and just cut the bearing off the stub axle. We filed it to as close to round as we could and put a new bearing on it.’

This was the point where it dawned on them just how old these Land Rovers were – and that if they didn’t work to preserve the vehicles, then they might not make it home. Under cautious stewardship, though, both vehicles held up and made it to Normandy, and the trip finished as planned.

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With fourteen hours until the ferry, they paid their respects at the war memorial before taking the scenic route to the port.

‘We were going to try and add Wales to the list if we had time, but we decided to go straight home,’ Kieran tells us. ‘The Loughborough Land Rover club, that we’re in, were having a 15th birthday party up in Rutland, so we aimed to finish there.’

Following a pit stop for showers and to fit a brand new stub axle, the cars set off on the final leg of the grand adventure and headed for their club’s birthday bash. When they arrived, the club had set up a finish line, complete with ribbon, to welcome the travellers home.

‘Before the trip I was seriously considering selling the Series III,’ admits Andy. ‘But I came back absolutely loving it again. They were both great and did everything we wanted them to. On

the ferry on the way back, we were talking about taking them to Nordkapp!’

After amassing 3500 miles across sixteen countries and raising £1000 for charity, these much loved old Land Rovers had proven that retirement and an easy life isn’t for every pensioner. The boys could have done the same trip in newer vehicles – but would they have had the same experience? It might have been easier, quieter and more comfortable, but no way would the sense of bonding have been the same.

Ask most people what they’d choose for a long-range driving adventure on Europe’s roads, and they’d either want a big Merc or Range Rover, or else a cool sports car like a Porsche or Ferrari. But if you were to ask Andy and Richard Cox, Dave Emery and Kieran Baker, you can be pretty sure they wouldn’t swap their old Landies for anything.

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28/11/2017 15:34 13:56 22/12/2017 29/01/2018 16:06 27/02/2018 01/05/2018 11:44 12:53

OUR 4X4S: SKODA KODIAQ

All-Road Hero

We’ve got a Skoda Kodiaq Scout on long-term test because it’s enhanced for off-roading. But it’s turning out to be a pretty outstanding companion on tarmac, too – whether we’re having fun on roads or tolerating inner city traffic ams…

B

eing the bloke wot does most of the vehicle testing means you’re constantly going from one unfamiliar motor to another – while others on the staff get used to day-to-day life aboard the 4x4s that are with us for the long term.

Recently, though, I got my hands on the keys to our Kodiaq for a cross-country jaunt to a press event at Goodwood, where during the course of about four hours I drove around half a million quid’s worth of vehicles made by Land Rover, BMW, Porsche, Jag and Bentley. Enough to give a person quite high expectations, then.

And afterwards, I climbed into the Skoda for the journey home.

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I don’t worship Goodwood the way some car hacks seem to, but one very good thing about the place is that the journey home starts with a good, long session on some really nice B-roads. Obviously there’s the awful truth of Britain’s grindingly tedious motorways lying in wait, but at least the first bit puts a smile on your face. ow, I drove the odiaq when it first came to us, and have put a few miles on it since, but this was my first proper drive in a while. I’m not including the lengthy late-night motorway cruise down to Sussex there, though this was carried off with strong refinement and the company of what is an excellent infotainment system to keep me going in the right direction and listening to

the right music on the way. I know that sounds facile, but you’d be amazed how many cars think they know what I want to listen to better than I do. When you ask for Awanai Tsumori no Genki de ne and get Kimi to Mirai to Kanzen Douki instead, well, these are the little things that can make a big difference.

Anyway. That was the motorway on a bleak Tuesday night (pausing only for Swindon Town’s latest footballing failure, which was similarly bleak). But for a good set of B-roads it’s stereo off and get the engine playing a tune instead.

That’s the sort of thing most Goodwood fetishists would snort at when what we’re talking about is a 2.0-litre diesel, but people who know 4x4s won’t

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flinch at it – and even after a morning of big-money performance Vs, the odiaq is absolutely loaded with usable, drivable pace.

I fully appreciate that this is going to sound ridiculous. ut among the expensive metal lined up for us sad hacks was a Range Rover port VR. All bhp of it. Faster than the odiaq, obviously – but which would I choose for a brisk but relaxing point-to-point blast? It’s an awful lot closer than you might expect.

For one thing, our odiaq has a manual gearbox – and it’s a delight. It’s quick, smooth and precise people whose judgement I trust tend to rave about the D autos you get across the range of VW roup companies, and yes that’s a very good unit too, but as far as I’m concerned you can’t beat the control and involvement you get from doing it properly – nor the tactile pleasure that comes from operating a really good manual shift.

That . TDI engine, too. Is it seriously only bhp? It feels so much stronger, with torque absolutely everywhere. It responds wonderfully well to being stirred and pulls like a train in gear.

The odiaq is not meant to be a fast car, but it’s very good at it.

I can’t blame it, nor its sat-nav, for what happened later in that journey home from oodwood. aving cruised up the A (always painful as you cross the Ridgeway and remember those happier days before the na is arrived), then queued for an only averagely absurd length of time in the traditional grinding-to-a-halt area, I got to the M and yikes, it’s not moving. ue a nifty swerve and a series of proper back roads (even including a couple of green lanes), which took me out of the frying pan – and straight into the fire, courtesy of rush hour in oventry. ow, here was a time when the port VR, or certainly the 8, entley entayga I’d piloted round oodwood earlier in the day, would have been preferable to the odiaq. ot that it was at all bad, but since it was basically my living room for a couple of hours, naturally enough if you gave me the choice I’d have gone for the biggest, most sumptuous living room on offer. This

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is something I remember Rowan Atkinson writing about in a reader’s letter to ar maga ine in the days when readers’ letters were still a thing – cars are for driving, not sitting in doing nothing, and since he spent most of his time doing the latter, ‘cos London, he found that replacing his Aston or whatever it was with a entley made his journey that much more pleasurable.

As a penniless student in a ticky-tacky howff on the edge of t Andrews waiting nervously for Ronald Reagan to start a nuclear war, I could totally relate to that.

Anyway, the odiaq. It’s not a entley, but much more to the point it’s not a koda in the sense I’d have recognised back in those days of lash posters and no sex ever. omething I particularly like about the cout model, apart from the fact that it’s enhanced for off-tarmac forays, is that its seats are trimmed in alcantara rather than leather – making it, to me at least, much more comfortable in the long run. And trying to get across the middle of ov at rush hour is a very long run indeed, I can tell you.

A couple of weeks later, having handed the back the keys and returned to everyday test cars, I borrowed the odiaq again for an airport run. ow much luggage can you fit in the back of this thing?

There’s so much space, it almost disappeared – and that was with the seats up. Watch out for the inevitable my-friend-asked-me-to-help-her-movehouse story in a future issue aving handed over the visiting family to the tender mercies of the departure lounge, I set off for home and, almost by instinct, turned away from the motorway route and went cross-country instead. And if anything, I’d say the odiaq was even better. Running-in isn’t really meant to be a thing with modern engines, but coming back to it every few weeks while it’s being used every day by my colleagues in between times is really demonstrating how much it still matters. The engine and gearbox are feeling fabulous now, and with a splendidly balanced chassis giving the odiaq a very fine blend of ride and handling, it was a beautifully smooth, flowing ride home. ot a fast one this time, as I had my six year old son on board. ut still thoroughly enjoyable and engaging – you can appreciate the odiaq’s dynamics at any speed, as it turns out. ou can also make six-year-olds get car sick at any speed, as it turns out. ut, being a good sport, idd Minor sat quietly in his seat all the way home and didn’t throw up until we were out of the koda. uch judgement in one so young.

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ood vibrations Time for our to ay its first visit to a orksho so e can see hat e really took on hen e bought someone else’s modified off roader

W

hich should come first when you buy someone else’s already modified x – a session on the lanes, or a session in the workshop? uite right, yes how do you know what needs looking at if you don’t find out by going off to have some fun? aving bought our from a close friend who never cut corners in looking after it, that wasn’t as foolhardy as it would be if we had picked up a battle-weary old motor from a stranger. Or indeed from a supposedly reputable motor trader, if the issan Patrol we looked at with a brand new MOT that same morning and bald tyres is anything to go by, but that’s another story. Anyway, that first session was a relatively gentle one on a few lanes in the otswolds, which the took at an absolute stroll, but for us that meant a couple of lengthy stints on the

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road which are what we thought would be what showed up any issues.

There wasn’t a lot to report, to be honest. ut a harsh vibration under load at about mph seemed to point to a with a bad attitude, and there was also the problem with the central locking which I mentioned last time out. As far as I’m concerned, whoever in Land Rover decided it was a good idea to put such a thing on the Defender ought to be tarred and feathered, but when did a lifetime of woe for future owners ever stop a car maker from doing whatever it takes to shift units in the here and now?

Anyway, before we set off on any further laning missions, this time we reckoned a couple of hours in the workshop ought to be in order. o we booked the in at Alldrive, a proper Land Rover specialist we know of old, to get her up on the ramps and see what we were dealing with.

4x4 01/05/2018 22:41

Above: This is what greeted us when we peered under the 90’s front end. The bolt-on diff guard had trapped a layer of wet mud against the axle case, and we all know how that’s going to end in the long term. We’ve always said that unless you’re involved in competitive off-roading or your actual life depends on it, looking where you’re going is worth all the armour in the world – obviously the belt-and-braces approach is to have armour and still pay attention, assuming you don’t mind the extra weight, and we might add more as time goes on. But for now, our priority was to protect the diff case from rusting out offered a new one anyway and if nothing else, it’ll look a lot less scabby…

Which is where the fun starts. The main ramp in the workshop had a Discovery 3 on it, as so many ramps in so many workshops so often do, so they popped it on to their second one. Which lifted the truck, but didn’t think much of being asked to do so. Not normally a problem with 90s,

the guys assured us, in a ‘how heavy is this thing?’ kind of a way.

The obvious answers are bumper, winch, roll cage and secondary fuel tank (which is always full, to the point where it leaked a little back out through its filler cap during the hot weather we

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had towards the end of April). None of these are what you’d call freakish items to have bolted on, which goes to show that it only takes a bit of modding to make a lot of a difference.

One other item which wouldn’t have made too much difference in the grand scheme of things

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OUR 4X4S: PROJECT OFF-ROAD 90

Above: An initial examination of the props didn’t show anything amiss with the UJs, so off they came for a proper check – which also didn’t show anything. Back on they went with nothing more than a grease-up required Below: The nearside swivel was a bit loose, so out came three shims and it tightened up a treat was a bolt-on diff pan protector which looked like bad news the moment the was finally in the air.

Not because we object to protecting our trucks’ soft bits (though in our view, all the metal in the world comes a distant second to actually paying attention to where you’re going), but because there was a layer of wet mud trapped between it and the axle case which no amount of pressure washing was ever going to shift fully. o bolt-on became bolt-off.

Which brings us to the s. Off came both props for a proper check – which revealed that there was nothing wrong with them at all. The same went for the sliding joints, so all that was required was a grease-up and back on they went.

The hub bearings were fine too, however one of the swivels was a little loose, so out came three shims and that was it nice and snug again.

Would that be enough to cure the vibration? ‘It might be’ was the promising answer.

At some point during all this, the Editor had the genius idea of looking on his phone to see when the ’s MOT was due. ecause after all, we’ve only had it for five months now. Remarkably, it had exactly eleven days to run – and even more remarkably, the MOT station across the yard from Alldrive had a free slot there and then. o now it really was time to learn the truth.

And the truth, we’re very happy to report, is that boom, back she came with a fresh ticket

bearing just the one advisory for a slight nick on one of the seatbelts. On a Defender with a do en years under its belt and a history of off-road, you’ve got to be happy with that.

In fact, a quick check on the DVLA’s website shows that this has never failed an MOT in its life, and this year’s advisory is only the second it’s ever had (or third, if you count both drag link ball joints as separate items). Which, even though it’s a low-miles, is pretty damn good for a Defender

used mainly as an off-road toy. We’ve definitely got a good ‘un here.

A good ‘un, all the same, which still vibrates under load at around mph. We’re wondering about the engine now, which has an unknown chip in it (not the Twisted original, for better or worse) and, we suspect, is delivering a little more power up top at the expense of a lot less torque down below. A session on the rollers awaits after, us being us, some more sessions on the lanes.

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01/05/2018 22:41

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COMMON SENSE PREVAILS AS PUBLIC INQUIRY SAVES DERBYSHIRE RIGHT OF WAY IN A WELCOME deviation from the norm, a public inquiry on the status of a green lane in Derbyshire has determined that the route should remain classified as a right of way for motor vehicles.

Back Lane, near the village of Two Dales, has long been legally drivable as it is an unclassified county road – but in the wake of the discredited 2006 NERC legislation, its longterm future had to be decided by a claim for Byway status – which was duly submitted by the Trail Riders Fellowship (TRF).

To no-one’s surprise, Derbyshire County Council responded to the claim for Byway status by deciding instead that the lane should be stripped of its right as a through route for motor vehicles.

At the public inquiry, various local residents, supported by the usual cabal of anti-vehicle hate groups, demanded that the lane should be downgraded to Bridleway for its entire length; the local authority stopped short of this, but did propose to infer this status on part of the lane – thus condemning it to become a dead end.

Arguing the case for maintaining the lane’s correct status, the Green Lane Association (GLASS), TRF a nd Peak District Vehicle Users’ Group, supported by the Land Access Recreation Association, presented evidence of the lane’s historical status and many decades of motor vehicle use, as well as rebutting the inevitable allegations of nuisance caused by drivers and trail bike riders.

The facts in this case appear very similar to others in which other Derbyshire lanes have been closed, however the planning inspector found in favour of maintaining the route as a right of way for motor vehicles. At present, the inquiry’s finding is considered ‘interim’, meaning that as it contradicts the local authority’s original proposals, a period of time exists during which

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OFF-ROAD SCENE

it’s open to objections – however the signs are now very positive for Back Lane avoiding the same fate as rushfield, Peak Pasture, Roych lough, hapel ate, tanage Edge and many other lanes lost to Derbyshire and the Peak District’s relentless campaign to cleanse their territory of anyone whose face doesn’t fit.

This bloodbath of rights of way was facilitated by the ER legislation, which forces green lane users to ‘claim’ a route or ultimately face losing it by default – while at the same time sabotaging the process of doing so. The legislation was contrived so as to require evidence which is often impossible to provide – allowing public authorities with an antifreedom agenda to close lanes which every last vestige of common sense says should remain open as vehicular rights of way.

This kind of bureaucratic atch- has been in the news

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recently in the context of similarly disgraceful issues confronting the Windrush generation of migrants to the . In the face of a wholly justifiable media storm, the overnment acted very swiftly indeed to right the wrongs of past and/or present administrations in that case – but the same belated fairness and decency are yet to be extended to ritain’s rights of way network, and few have any confidence that they will be.

Even amid the anti-vehicle fanaticism of those governing Derbyshire and Peak District, however, more than half of the claims made for yway status are successful. This could still be seen as a shockingly low number, given the fact that all of them were vehicular rights of way in the first place. ut as LA notes, the ack Lane result shows that while it can be easy to feel as if resistance is futile, Derbyshire’s rights of way are still worth fighting for.

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Trailmasters Yorkshire

Compass Adventures Wales

Trails and Tracks Northumberland

Protrax Wales

20 May

24 June

Ardent Adventures Westmorland

Protrax East Midlands

26-27 May Protrax Wales

27 May 4x4 Adventure Tours Salisbury Plain Motor vehicle users have once again put their hands in their pockets to fund repairs on rights of way in the Cumbria. Following the donations which paid for emergency repairs to an unstable wall adjoining the lane at Tilberthwaite in 2014, the Green Lane Association and Trail Riders Fellowship have each paid £5000 towards the estimated £20,000 it will take to repair the damage caused by water runoff on the Old Coach Road between St John’s in the Vale and Dockray.

The Old Coach Road is a long and in the main quite straightforward unsurfaced road which, prior to the savage rainfall that affected Cumbria in the winter of 2016, had one slightly rutted section – our picture shows it in the preceding autumn. The erosion that was caused during that episode of extreme weather is the subject of the necessary repairs – the lane currently remains open and passable with care in suitably equipped vehicles, but returning it to a good overall condition is seen as a priority.

The local authority is seeking donations from other interested parties, however any 4x4 clubs willing to help fund the repairs are encouraged to do so. GLASS is coordinating the effort on behalf of four-wheeled users – to contact the association, send an email to cumbria.rep@glass-uk.org.

4x4 6pp Scene June AK.indd 83

30 June – 1 July Trailmasters Yorkshire

1 July UK Landrover Events Lincoln and Belvoir

2 June

7 July

UK Landrover Events Tyne and Wear

UK Landrover Events Dales and Eden

3 June

7-8 July

Protrax East Midlands

4x4 Adventure Tours South Wales

une UK Landrover Events Cumbria/Yorkshire

9-10 June

Compass Adventures Yorkshire/Lake District

8 July Protrax East Midlands

4x4 Adventure Tours South Devon

JUNE 2018 | 83

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OFF-ROAD SCENE

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GREEN LANE ASSOCIATION RALLIES ROUND AFTER VANDALS DAMAGE SURREY BYWAY

CRIMINAL DAMAGE to the woodlands surrounding public rights of way has been a persistent problem in Surrey, where a small number of extremely determined vandals have long been the scourge of landowners and the law-abiding 4x4 community alike. This has led to a mercifully small number of lane closures, and the local authority’s response has been praiseworthy – with physically defined boundaries placed on many rights of way in preference to restrictions on their use.

How have the vandals responded? With what local Green Lane Association (GLASS) rep Stuart Boreham describes as ‘the most egregious case of deliberate trespass I think I have ever seen or read about.’

During the winter just gone, a number of criminal 4x4 drivers have caused enormous damage on land adjoining Wolverns Lane, west of Dorking – where for many years permanent signs erected by Surrey County Council have asked drivers to keep to the track. These signs were placed in response to earlier

incidences of off-piste driving, dating back more than a decade and a half, and were backed up by the use of posts and rocks to try and deter people from leaving the right of way – however the drivers responsible for the damage still managed to destroy the lane borders in several places, tear up a forest track and turn a neighbouring tree plantation into a sea of mud.

Understandably, the land owners and nearby residents were left furious by the criminals’ rampage – and, as is always the case, their anger was directed at 4x4 drivers as a whole. However GLASS’ intervention, via the local Access Forum, may have helped show them that the majority share their disgust. Writing in GLASS’ February Bulletin, Stuart reported that ‘there was measurable surprise in the committee meeting when I pointed out that I barely knew of a single

person on social media and in the 4x4 community who would not be incensed by what had been done to that lane. The moral support that I was able to offer via GLASS, including financial help with barriers and preventative work, brought an element of hope within the meeting that not everyone in a 4x4 is like that and perhaps something could be done.’

Most 4x4 drivers will agree that anything that can be done to stop this kind of behaviour is a good thing.

The chance of prosecutions

for those behind this latest spree of criminal damage is of course slim – but they would be met with celebrations by all decent green lane users.

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01/05/2018 21:32

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BIG TURNOUT AT WEEKLEY WOODS AS 2018 ODYSSEY CHALLENGE KICKS OFF

THE ODYSSEY BATTERY WINCH CHALLENGE series has grown in popularity over the years. But organisers were still surprised, and no doubt delighted, to find that for the first event of the 2018 season, they had the maximum entry of trucks, plus a reserve, for Round at Weekley Woods near ettering.

Things were slow to start, though.

A week before the event, just twelve trucks were booked in – not what you’d call a traffic jam in the making, so the set-up crew laid out the punches in a tightly confined area ehind the scenes, however, competitors were frantically trying to finish their trucks – and didn’t

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want to pay an entry fee if they weren’t going to be ready. As they got the work done, though, the lastminute entries came flooding in.

The Odyssey Challenge Facebook page was alight with a bu of excitement as event day approached. adly, some competitors failed to make the cut. Perhaps the cruellest example of this was hot favourite Duncan mith, whose truck blew a turbo when loading up for the event.

It is great to have such a big entry, but it can prove to be a logistical nightmare, with teams of tow trucks, trailers and race vehicles, plus officials, marshals and spectators all requiring space.

Fortunately, the Weekly Woods site has a wide, mile-long metalled road which lends itself ideally to accommodating this type of crowd.

The organisers have many years of experience running these

events, too, and the formalities of scrutineering and signing on ran like a well oiled machine.

With the punches having been set out with only trucks in mind, the organisers had arrived

4x4 01/05/2018 21:32

OFF-ROAD SCENE

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OFF-ROAD CALENDAR

Pay-and-play events 13 May 4x4 Without a Club Harbour Hill,West Berkshire

Devil’s Pit Barton-le-Clay, Bedfordshire

Frickley 4x4 on site early and moved a handful of them in order to spread the field throughout the event. This worked a treat, and the action went smoothly. aving so many trucks in such a confined area made it a real treat for marshals and spectators alike, as one could watch four or five teams at the same time from a single vantage point.

Winch challenge events are by their very nature extremely tough on both competitors and machines, therefore mechanical breakdowns are part and parcel of these events.

Poor athan rown was plagued by clutch problems last year, and his woes continued when his steering failed en route to the first punch.

This event was particularly tough on winchmen, as incessant rain over the preceding weeks had made the steep slopes as slippery as a bucket of eels. With hardly any grip, even for big challenge tyres, drivetrain issues were few and far between, although his ooth’s truck suffered a broken auto box which left him with reverse only.

The rock crawl section caused a few steering issues as the weight of the trucks crushed drag links and tie rods against the rocks. Long, hard pulls put massive strains on the winches, too, which caused a couple of trucks to cook their motors – Dave Adams reported that his winch brake was on fire at one point, and a couple of others ran out of power to run them.

It was great to see that the friendliness and generosity that has always been part of the series was still very evident, with competitors helping each other out all over the place. One such example was Tom irons, a hot favourite for an overall win, who took quite some

4x4 6pp Scene June AK.indd 87

time out to help rival Simon Ward out of one of the worst places to conk out. is motor had stalled halfway up a sheer two-metre rock face. It was a tough and timeconsuming pull out, but Tom stuck with it until imon’s truck was free. owever, the outstanding act of assistance on the day – and one which bagged the pirit of the Event award – came courtesy of Neil ranger. ot only did he winch a fellow competitor out from a sticky situation, but he also recovered him all the way back to his tow truck.

At the end of six hours’ tough competition, everyone looked absolutely knackered. Wearily, the teams gathered around to see if they had managed to get their hands on a Viking trophy and a share of the pri es.

Despite taking time out to help others, top spot in lass did indeed go to Tom irons with winchman Tom Wilson, who finished on points. am Watts and Dan Butler were second on 8748 points and third were Matt Bain and Dave urton on . lass honours went to en Mark with winchman hris uttlicffe, who are clearly carrying on where they left off last year with 88 points. They were a long way ahead of second placed Johnny ohnson and Tracey tafford, who ended the day on points.

It was great to see iobhan ook take the final podium position with points. er winchman Paddy Burman is usually a driver, and a successful one at that – but with no truck available, was helping iobhan get some rewards after a couple of years’ trying. Full results can be seen on the Odyssey attery Winch hallenge Facebook page.

Parkwood 4x4 Tong, Bradford Picadilly Wood Bolney,West Sussex Whaddon 4x4 Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire

Frickley, South Yorkshire

9-10 June

Essex, Rochford and District 4x4 Club

Burnham Off-Roaders

Rayleigh, Essex

Tring, Hertfordshire

Hill N Ditch

10 June

Mouldsworth, Cheshire

Slindon Safari Fontwell,West Sussex

20 May Explore Off Road Silverdale, Stoke-on-Trent

Muddy Bottom Minstead, Hampshire

Mud Monsters East Grinstead,West Sussex

26 May Kirton Off Road Centre Kirton Lindsey, North Lincs

27 May Cowm Leisure Whitworth, Lancashire

Frickley 4x4 Frickley, South Yorkshire Kirton Off Road Centre Kirton Lindsey, North Lincs

Protrax Yarwell, Northamptonshire

Slindon Safari

4x4 Without a Club Harbour Hill,West Berkshire

Devil’s Pit Barton-le-Clay, Bedfordshire

Essex, Rochford and District 4x4 Club Rayleigh, Essex

Frickley 4x4 Frickley, South Yorkshire

Slindon Safari Fontwell,West Sussex

17 June Explore Off Road Silverdale, Stoke-on-Trent Hilll N Ditch Mouldsworth, Cheshire

Muddy Bottom Minstead, Hampshire

Mud Monsters East Grinstead,West Sussex Whaddon 4x4 Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire

24 June

Fontwell,West Sussex

Cowm Leisure Whitworth, Lancashire

28 May

Frickley 4x4

Hill N Ditch

Frickley, South Yorkshire

Mouldsworth, Cheshire

Protrax

3 June

Slindon Safari

Muddy Bottom

Yarwell, Northamptonshire Fontwell,West Sussex

Minstead, Hampshire

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OFF-ROAD SCENE

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Overland Travel

OFF-ROAD CALENDAR

5 May

16 June

27 July – 10 August

8-29 September

Compass Adventures Spain

Compass Adventures Corsica

Venture 4x4 Iceland

Protrax Iceland

7-18 May

25 June – 7 July

30 July – 5 August

9-15 September

Onelife Adventure Portugal

Landtreks Pyrenees

Landtreks Pyrenees

Landtreks Pyrenees

9 May

29 June – 15 July

2-16 August

15-26 September

Peru Safari Peru

Atlas Overland Sacndinavia

Venture 4x4 Iceland

Onelife Adventure Bulgaria

19-27 May

5-19 July

4-18 August

16-29 September

UK Landrover Events Pyrenees

Venture 4x4 Iceland

Atlas Overland Italian Alps

Trailmasters Morocco Marrakesh Classic

24 May – 2 June

13-27 July

16-27 August

16-30 September

Atlas Overland Corsica

Venture 4x4 Iceland

Onelife Adventure Spain

Atlas Overland Morocco

26 May

14 July

18-29 August

17 September

Peru Safari Peru

Compass Adventures Corsica

Landtreks Portugal

Peru Safari Peru

27 May – 2 June

14-29 July

24 August – 4 Sept

24-30 September

Landtreks Pyrenees

Onelife Adventure Iceland

Trailmasters Morocco

Landtreks Pyrenees

28 May – 2 June

17 July – 31 August

25 August

1-14 October

Venture 4x4 Iceland

Venture 4x4 Iceland

Compass Adventures Corsica

Atlas Overland Morocco

4-14 June

19 July – 2 August

25 Aug – 8 Sept

2-7 October

Atlas Overland Corsica

Venture 4x4 Iceland

Atlas Overland Portugal

Landtreks Pyrenees

10-16 June

22 July

2-15 September

3-16 October

Landtreks East Pyrenees

Peru Safari Peru

Atlas Overland Morocco

Trailmasters Morocco Draa Valley

12 June

22-28 July

8-16 September

11 October

Peru Safari Peru

Landtreks Pyrenees

UK Landrover Events Pyrenees

Peru Safari Peru

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28/07/2017 14:34

EVERY MONTH IN 4x4

7004

GREEN LANE G Step-by-step routes on Britain’s unsurfaced rights of way • Four a

USING THESE GUIDES Our routes use a mixture of surfaced and unsurfaced roads. The tracks we use are public rights of way, either Byways Open to All Traffic or nclassified ounty Roads, all of them commonly referred to as green lanes.

NAVIGATION We’ve tried to keep our notes as clear as possible. It may be that they sound confusing at first, but when you’re out on the trails with the junctions coming and going, they should all make sense.

We try to include instructions only where you need them. That means junctions at which you have to make a turning or don’t have right of way. So just stay on the main road/track or take the most straight-ahead option unless we tell you otherwise.

Our notes include six-figure grid references. ou’ll find a guide to using these inany OS map. Our aim is for you to be able to do the route without maps, but we do recommend having them.

SAFETY We’ve included notes with each route on how suitable it is, and areas where you need to take care. These are just guidelines, however. We’ll warn you of any ha ards or difficult sections, but the nature of any green lane can change quickly. Wet weather can make a huge difference to the

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conditions, and what’s wide open in winter can be tightly enclosed and scratchy in summer. The responsibility is yours!

The routes are designed to be safe to drive in a solo vehicle, and most are suitable for standard 4x4s on road tyres. We do recommend travelling in tandem wherever possible, however (though long convoys should be avoided as they can make life hard for other users). The risk of getting stuck can be greater than it appears – and if you break down, having help at hand can make the difference between it being inconvenient and dangerous.

Where our notes mention the routes’ suitability for soft-roaders, we’re referring to vehicles like the Freelander and -Trail. rossovers and car-derived vehicles are excellent on smoother tracks but will ground out too easily to be of real use for green laning.

RESPONSIBILITY Irresponsible driving is a massive problem on green lanes. In particular, you must always stay on the right of way. Never drive off it to ‘play’ on the verges or surrounding land, even if you can see that someone else has; it’s both illegal and tremendously damaging, both to the land and to 4x4 drivers’ reputation.

The fact that you can see where it’s happened shows how much harm it does. It’s no excuse to say you’re just following where another driver has already been.

Most green laners have taken to confronting anyone they see behaving like this, or videoing them and passing the evidence to the police, which shows how much anger there is towards the criminal element. If you want to ‘play,’ go to a playday site.

Elsewhere, simple common sense and courtesy should be your watchword. The do-and-don’t list below should always be in your mind, but keep your speed down, be ready to pull over for others and make it your aim to show the world that 4x4 drivers aren’t the hooligans they think we are.

ANTIS Anti-4x4 bigotry is less common than you’d think. By and large, it’s limited to organisations who want 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 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 people worried that you’re there to steal from them, so be ready to offer some reassurance.

This is particularly true if yours is a standard-looking Japanese vehicle.

It only takes one vandal to tarnish a person’s view of all 4x4

drivers, and once the damage is done it tends to be permanent.

But if enough of us resolve to be ambassadors for the hobby we love, it might make a difference to the way we’re perceived by society in general.

DO’S & DON’TS • Keep your speed right down • Pull over to let walkers, bikers and horse riders pass • Don’t travel in large convoys: split into smaller groups to avoid hassling others • Leave gates as you found them • Don’t drop litter • Don’t go back to drive the fun bits, such as mud or fords, again • Scrupulously obey all closure and voluntary restraint notices • Don’t cause a noise nuisance, particularly after dark • Ensure you have a right to be there. We research our routes very carefully, but the status of any lane can change without notice • Be prepared to turn back if the route is blocked, even illegally • If you find an illegal obstruction, notify the local authority • If someone challenges you, be firm but polite. tay calm and don’t get into a slagging match • Stick absolutely scrupulously to the right of way • You have as much of a right to be there as everyone else. Which of course means they have as much right as you • Harrassing a legitimate right of way user is a criminal offence. Just so’s you know…

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E GUIDES

our a month, helping you explore the whole country in your 4x4

THIS MONTH 92

Mid-Wales

96

East Riding of Yorkshire

Rhayader to Llandrindod Wells Bishop Wilton to Weaverthorpe

102 Central Wiltshire Coate to Wroughton

106 West Cambridgeshire Kimbolton to Polebrook

4x4 14pp Lane Guides June.indd 93

36.95 miles

4-5 hours

23.4 miles

2-3 hours

19.25 miles

2-3 hours

29.8 miles

3-4 hours JUNE 2018 | 93

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MID-WALES You might have been green laning in Wales a dozen times or more without ever driving the rights of way in this route

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1

28/07/2017 0.0 SN 973 682 tart at the Texaco filling station on the main A in Rhayader. ero your trip with the station to your right and follow the road westwards into the town centre. Turn right on orth treet at . miles, at the crossroads with the memorial clock, then right for ant armon at .

2

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4.2 Turn right on to a single-track road. There’s nothing much in the way of landmarks as you approach, but it’s about . miles after you’ve passed the road on the left for Marteg ridge, and directly opposite a house on the left

3

4.45 SN 990 738 As the road swings hard left, carry on straight ahead on to a track. eep on ahead through the gate at . as another track comes in from the left, then follow the main track as it swings left at . . traight ahead again as a bigger track comes in from the right at . , then turn right at the T-junction with the road at .

4

7.25 SO 029 745 As the road starts to swing gently left, fork out to the right on to a track signed lyndwrs Way. Follow the main track as it swings hard left then hard right up the hill just after the gate at 8. miles, then at . it turns back into a road. ontinue ahead at the road junction at . miles – it’s basically a T-junction, but it’s not obvious on the ground who has right of way

5

10.0 Turn left for Abbey-cwm-hir. Dog-leg right to stay on the main road on the way through the village at . miles, then keep going all the way to . and turn right at the T-junction with the main road for Llandrindod Wells

6

ROUTE GUIDE ROUTE OS MAPS NOTES

14pp Lane Guides June.indd 95

23.35 SO 160 673 Immediately after the angled crossroads with a sign to the left for Llanbister Road railway station, turn right on the road in front of urgins x ’s forecourt. This ends at . and splits into three tracks – take the one to the right, then at .8 fork right as the main one goes off up the hill

Rhayader to Llandrindod Wells 36.95 miles; 4-5 hours Landranger (Elan Valley and uilth Wells) Landranger 8 (Presteigne and ay on Wye)

This route is mainly quite easy to drive, with rights of way which are mainly wide and well surfaced.There are a few scratchy sections, however, as well as occasional ruts – and potentially lots and lots of surface water.Where holes do exist, too, they tend to be big. A softroader could potentially tackle the route, but we’d suggest all-terrain tyres and certainly a means of recovery. Steer clear in heavy fog.

• Before driving this route, or using any public rights of way in your 4x4, please read and pay attention to the notes on page 90

4x4

7

18.55 Turn left at the roundabout for Leominster and ereford. There’s an excellent cafe on the left at the fuel station just after this, should you need a break Either way, follow the road to . miles and turn left in the village for nighton

8

25.6 Dog-left left around the barn you see in front of you to continue more or less straight ahead. It’s a bit sloppy underfoot here, but there’s a red waymarker to keep you on the right track. At .8 miles, turn left across a bigger track – not back over your shoulder, but about degrees, as it the junction was a strangely shaped crossroads

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MID-WALES

Left: The rights of way are mainly well surfaced – but where holes do exist, they tend to be big ones Centre: The long track after Step 7 mainly skirts a steep hillside – the right of way is good and wide, but there’s precious little margin of error ight

he final trac is glorio s, b t lo

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clo d or og

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28/07/2017 26.3 SO 154 662 Caution as you cross a road to continue ahead on to another track – and be prepared for some scratching up ahead. At 26.8 miles, turn left at the T-junction with the road

14:34

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27.4 Follow the main road as it swings round to the right, ignoring the roads left and ahead into the farm. Follow this road to the T-junction at 29.05 and turn left on the major road

1 1

30.7 SO 147 605 Turn right on a road with a no-throughroad sign as well as a ‘public footpath’ one at the junction. When the tarmac ends, by a big house on the left at 31.05 miles, follow the road as it swings right and becomes a track

1 2

31.5 Follow the main track as it swings round to the left, ignoring the one going out to the right. At the T-junction with the road at 33.05 miles (it’s on the outside of a sharp corner), follow the tarmac more or less straight ahead

1 3

33.25 SO 110 596 Take the track directly ahead as the road swings hard left – there’s a bigger track swinging off to the right at the same junction, but yours is the one that goes through the gate in front of you and starts off as a grassy field road. It gets clearer as you go on – and at 33.6 miles it starts dropping down quite a steep descent, so keep your wits about you. The surface finally turns to tarmac at about 33.85

1 4

34.45 Turn left at the T-junction, then at 35.05 miles follow the road as it swings round to the right. It’s pretty narrow up ahead, and the surface at times floats between road and track

1 5

36.95 When you reach the T-junction, turn right following the one-way signs – it’s quite tight back over your shoulder. Almost immediately, you’ll come to another T-junction, this time with a major road; turn right here and continue on to about 38.5 miles, where you arrive in the centre of Llandrindod Wells for the end of the route

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EAST RIDING OF YORKSHIRE Quiet farm tracks abound in the rolling scenery of the Yorkshire Wolds, though here and there you need to be ready for ruts

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ROUTE GUIDE ROUTE OS MAPS NOTES

Bishop Wilton to Weaverthorpe 23.4 miles; 2-3 hours Landranger 101 (Scarborough) Landranger 106 (Market Weighton)

First and foremost, this route is only open between 1 May and 30 September as almost all the tracks are closed the rest of the year.

Do NOT drive them when they’re closed; it’s a criminal offence.

The rights of way are very varied – some are firmly surfaced and well drained, while others tend to be rutted.The route is suitable for any x with decent tyres and ground clearance, but should be avoided in very wet conditions. ost of all, there are several unctions with ma or roads • Before driving this route, or using any public rights of way in your 4x4, please read and pay attention to the notes on page 90

1

0.0 SE 797 551 28/07/2017 Start outside the Fleece Inn, on Pocklington Lane in Bishop Wilton. Zero your trip with the pub on your left and the church spire ahead of you to the right, then set off heading north. At 0.1 miles, turn right for Fridaythorpe

2

1.4 SE 809 567 Continue ahead over the major road and on to a track. Ignore two tracks forking out to the left at 1.8 and 2.0 miles; at the second, continue ahead through the gate and down a long hill. At 2.7 miles, turn right at the T-junction in the village

3

4.0 Turn right for Pocklington at the T-junction.

At 4.9, turn left for Bridlington at the T-junction with a major road

4

8.2 SE 869 583 After a lengthy stint on the A166, turn halfright on to a track at the start of a break in the hedge line. You’ll only it at the last minute, and this is a fast, busy road, so take great care as you approach. Follow the main track round to the left at 8.6 miles; it becomes a road at 8.8, then at 8.9 turn right at the T-junction with the main road

5

11.1 SE 909 591 Turn left on the track into Green Lane Farm.

The first section after the farm buildings is likely to be very uneven, so you may need to cross some ruts as the right of way goes into the woods. At 11.9 miles, continue ahead over the road and on to another track – this one is popular with dog walkers and may also be a bit rutted

6

12.9 Continue across another road and straight on to a track. Again, some rutting is possible.

At the next crossroads, at 14.7 miles, continue ahead on to a road; this becomes a track at 15.5.

The track splits in two at 15.8 miles – either fork is fine, as they rejoin a little way further on

7

15.9 Turn left at the T-junction with the road. At 18.4 miles, continue ahead at the crossroads

8 9

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19.3 SE 951 674 Just after passing Belle Vue Farm, turn right, slightly back over your shoulder, on to a track. At 20.9, turn left at the T-junction with the road 23.0 Turn right at the T-junction. At 23.4, the route ends at the the Star Inn in Weaverthorpe

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CENTRAL WILTSHIRE Wide-open rights of way amid a beautifully gentle rolling landscape – but watch out for some unexpected awkward bits

ROUTE GUIDE ROUTE OS MAPS NOTES

Coate to Wroughton 19.25 miles; 2-3 hours Landranger 173 (Swindon and Devizes)

First and foremost, this route is only open between 1 May and 30 September as almost all the tracks are closed the rest of the year.

Do NOT drive them when they’re closed; it’s a criminal offence.

The route is a combination of easy tracks with smooth gravel surfaces and others which are rutted in places. It takes in portions of the Ridgeway, where you will be sharing it with lots of walkers, horse riders and mountain bikers – as well as children and dogs. Soft-roaders will struggle with the uneven surface in places; any proper 4x4 on decent tyres should be fine, but all should steer clear when it’s wet enough for the ground to cut up.

• Before driving this route, or using any public rights of way in your 4x4, please read and pay attention to the notes on page 90

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1

0.0 SU 040 616 28/07/2017 Start at the New Inn, in the village of Coate – which, it may be useful to know, has a camping site in its grounds. The car park, which is just round the corner from the pub itself, exits on to Etchilhampton Road; zero your trip here and turn right, then immediately right again on Townsend. Shortly after you’ve passed the New Inn itself on the right, the road swings hard right – continue ahead here, on a heading of about 11 o’clock, on to a track

2

14:34

0.85 Turn right at the crossroads with another track. There’s a mild risk of scratching as you drop down the hill at 1.3 miles, then at 1.35 turn left at the T-junction with a road

3

1.8 Turn right on Windsor Drive at the T-junction. At 1.85 miles, turn left at the roundabout for Devizes, then at 1.95 turn right on Folly Road, swinging round back on yourself at about 5 o’clock. This is in a busy, built-up area – you’ll see a Travelodge in front of you as you turn

4

2.55 SU 014 632 As the main road swings hard left, continue ahead on a smaller one with a no through road sign. Fork right at 2.95, where you see a sign for Leipzig Plantation

5

3.2 Watch out for walkers as you pass the car park, at which point the road becomes a track.

At 4.4 miles, turn right at the crossroads with another track. You’re very, very likely to see walkers on the way down here, and the surface is prone to kicking up clouds of dust – which, from a distance, will look alarming enough even when you’re travelling slowly

6

7

4.8 Turn left then immediately right to cross the road on to another track – caution as you emerge, as it’s a busy one with fast-moving traffic.

A short way up here, follow the main track as it kinks right, ignoring the gated one directly ahead.

After another track comes in from the right at 5.1 miles, the one you’re following dead ahead becomes a little grassier

8

6.4 Turn left on the track through a galvanised double gate which heads towards a clump of trees in the distance. You’ll see the one ahead of you becomes much less well defined here. Don’t turn too early – there’s another one on the left with a ‘private farm road’ sign some way before the one you need to take.

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6 .9 5 Turn right at the T-junction with another track. At 7.65 miles, take the track dead ahead up the hill – it’ll be tricky in the wet, but do your level best to avoid wheelspin

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CENTRAL WILTSHIRE

Left: The tracks at Step 5 are very smooth and wide – but take it easy, as they’re popular with dog walkers Centre: Take care to avoid wheelspin on the way up the hill at Step 9 – it’s steeper than it looks here Right: The signs will leave you in no doubt, but that doesn’t stop us from saying it too – almost all the rights of way in this route are closed to motor vehicles outside of the period from May to September

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9

28/07/2017 8.65 The shallow ruts you’ve been in for a while get deeper and wetter for a couple of car lengths as you reach the road junction and turn left. Caution here – for one thing, it’s a fast, busy A-road on which overtaking traffic could be coming your way on the wrong side, and for another there’s a steel gate and bollards used for closing the lane in the winter which are partially hidden by undergrowth

14:34

1 0

9.15 SU 082 687 Turn left on the track at the end of the gallops you can see as you approach the junction (look out for the white railings). Caution over the crossroads with another track at 9.25, then at 9.35 turn right at the T-junction with a road

1 1

9.8 Take the first exit at the roundabout, for windon and Wroughton on the A . From about 10.8, be alert for walkers and children as you pass through the Avebury heritage site

1 2

11.0 SU 102 699 In the centre of Avebury, the road swings hard right in front of the Red Lion then immediately left again for windon as it swings left, turn right to continue straight ahead on a smaller road with a chapel to your right. At . miles, the road becomes a track – be aware that up ahead, it’s very, very popular with walkers and mountain bikers

1 3

12.55 Turn left at the T-junction with another track. It’s quite rutted and bumpy – at . miles, the surface gets noticeably rougher for a short section, then as you start to climb at about . it becomes much smoother

1 4

15.1 Continue straight ahead on to another track at the crossroads with a road. The track starts in a car park – once again, watch out for walkers and cyclists. At the next crossroads, at . miles, turn left on to the road

1 5

19.25 Having dropped all the way down the hill into the village, arrive at the Brown Jack pub for the end of the route

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WEST CAMBRIDGESHIRE An easy-going route on rights of way which are mainly non-damaging and easy to drive – though almost all are closed throughout the winter

ROUTE GUIDE ROUTE OS MAPS NOTES

Kimbolton to Polebrook 29.8 miles; 3-4 hours Landranger 142 (Peterborough) Landranger 153 (Bedford and Huntingdon)

First and foremost, this route is only open between 1 May and 30 September as almost all the tracks are closed the rest of the year.

Do NOT drive them when they’re closed; it’s a criminal offence.

The driving is mainly easy, with just a few ruts here and there and no more than mild scratching – though enough to be off-putting for shinies.

The biggest hazard by a long way is road traffic, especially as there are a couple of very nasty junctions to negotiate.You’re likely to encounter farm traffic, but other users are few and far between. ith a suitable vehicle this is a nice gentle drive in the country – do steer clear in very wet conditions, though.

• Before driving this route, or using any public rights of way in your 4x4, please read and pay attention to the notes on page 90

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1

0.0 TL 099 677 28/07/2017 Start in Kimbolton, outside the New Sun Inn on the main B645 through the village. Zero your trip with the pub to your right, then set off north-west to start the route. Turn right on the B660 for Catworth and Stow Longa at 0.4, then right again for Stow Longa and Spaldwick at 0.6

2

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2.5 TL 108 709 At the right-hander in the village, turn left on to Church Lane. This becomes a track at 2.6, then at 3.25 follow the track that forks out to the left

3

3.5 Turn right at the T-junction with a track. Take the right fork when the track splits at 3.7 miles

4

3.8 Turn right at the T-junction with a track.

Cross a larger track at 4.35 and continue ahead on to a smaller one, then at 4.75 it becomes a road. Turn left at the T-junction at 4.8, then at 5.05 turn left at the T-junction in the village

5

5.7 TL 128 736 As you climb the hill, turn left on the track into the trees. Caution over a larger track at 6.5 miles, then at 6.95 the track turns into a road.

Turn right at the T-junction at 7.1 miles

6

9.0 Turn left at the T-junction for Old Weston and Oundle, then right at the next T-junction, at 10.4, for Clopton, Winwick and The Giddings

7

11.8 TL 083 793 Turn right on the track immediately after the road on the left for RAF Molesworth. Turn right at the T-junction with a track at 12.65, then right again at the crossroads at 13.75. Turn left at the T-junction in the village at 14.5 miles, then immediately right again on Hamerton Road. Follow this to 18.0 miles then turn left for Coppingford

8

9

19.2 TL 168 804 Turn left immediately before the farm building on a track signed ‘Bullock Road’. Turn right at the T-junction with the road at 21.0 miles, then as it swings right at 21.5 miles (TL 144 830) carry on ahead on to a track. Follow this to the T-junction with a road at 22.35 miles and turn right 22.95 Turn left at the staggered crossroads, then at 24.65 turn right for Luddington and Hemington at the crossroads in the village

1 0

28.35 TL 072 860 Immediately before a sharp right hander by a solitary tree, take the grassy track left through the gates and along the field edge.

Where it swings left at 28.55, continue ahead through the gate on to a very wide, grassy track.

Turn right at the T-junction at 28.9 miles, then left at the T-junction with a bigger road at 29.5.

Left for Ashton at the T-junction at 29.7, then at 29.8 arrive at the Kings Arms to end of the route

4x4 14pp Lane Guides June.indd 107

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NEXT MONTH IN 4x4

DOUBLE-CABS SPECIAL ISSUE On test: Utility-spec Hilux and D-Max Land Cruiser turned into a six-wheel ute Work and play in Defender 130s TRAIL GUIDES: Cotswolds, Mid-Wales North-East Hants, Yorkshire Dales

ON SALE: 8 June

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

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