4x4 Magazine - February 2020 with 4x4 of The Year Supplement

4x4

PLUS 4X4 OF THE YEAR FREE SUPPLEMENT WITH THIS ISSUE

DRIVEN Full test of the new Mitsubishi L200

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

NEW JIMNY PICK-UP! KAP has been converting original-shape Jimnys for years. But now they’ve got their hands on one of the new ones – and the results are sensational…

Disco 3: Ready for an off-road project – but is it worth the risk?

£4.99

The best of the Lake District on our green lane Roadbook

FEB 2020

Exploring the ‘Grand Canyon’… that’s only a day from home 4x4 Cover Feb.indd 1

17/12/2019 23:21

THE MULTI-AWARD WINNING ISUZU D-MAX

GAME CHANGER

PICK-UP OF THE YEAR

2019

BEST MODEL

Trade Van Driver 2019 DS AWAR

WINNER Pick-up of the Year

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 *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

1 22693 Untitled-15 Isuzu 4x4 Magazine Ad_1.indd 1

18/12/2019 16:47 12:16 02/12/2019

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February 2020

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2006 NISSAN GRAND DER 2.5 2006 JEEP WK PATHFIN DCI CHEROKEE 5.7 V8 HEMI Auto Parts , Recycled Pit Hill, Thriplow Charlton Centre, Gravel7HZ SG8 Vehicle Recycling Cambridge, 832656 o.uk Tel 01223 arltonautoparts.c RTS.CO.UK Email parts@ch ARLTONAUTOPA WWW.CH PLEASE VISIT JANUARY

2020 | 19

4x4

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“This truck is a future vision of what more and more enthusiasts will be aiming to achieve with their next

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4x4 18/12/2019 13:12

58 12 ISSUES OF 4X4 – FOR JUST £12!

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

4x4 Scene: News, Products and More…

6 6 7 7 7 8 8 10 10 12 16 18 19 20 21

Volkswagen Touareg Trio of new models for our Best Large SUV of 2019 Mercedes-Benz GLA New entry-level SUV has off-road skills built in Range Rover Velar R-Dynamic Black model adds yet more style Suzuki New 48-Volt hybrid engine for Vitara and S-Cross Coming Soon Forthcoming 4x4s due in the next year and beyond Toyota Landcruiser Higher-spec Commercial version on the way Toyota RAV4 Hybrid SUV prepares to go plug-in Pindale Road Vehicle rights confirmed for Derbyshire green lane Sibbertoft Popular playday site moves to pre-booking only Valhalla Challenge Tight at the top on the popular annual winch event ARB New awning-and-light combo is ideal for camping, travel and more Rival New UK importer for Russian-made range of protection products Isuzu Work-focused hard-top joins official D-Max accessory range Machine Mart Clarke range of heaters to stave off workshop frostbite Four-by-Four Driving New edition of the seminal off-roading guidebook

Driven 24 28

Mitsubishi L200 Full test of the new range-topping Barbarian X Maserati Levante New V8 models are as sensational as you’d expect

Every Month 4 14 58 80

Alan Kidd What might the election result mean for 4x4 drivers?

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

Next Month Including a make of modified vehicle we’ve never seen before…

Features 30 34 40 48

Tracked Ranger ACF conversion turns pick-ups into high-mobility vehicles Mighty L200 One of the first new-shapers to get the off-road treatment Jimny Pick-Up First of the new models to become a KAP Landmaster Discovery 3: Worth the Risk? Should you take a punt on the high-tech Landy?

Travel 54 60

of Britain’s off-road project”

68 Roadbook Lake District A meandering route exploring the beautiful and sometimes fearsome landscape of the Southern Lakes – on a set of truly green lanes that will make your jaw drop.

Not one for soft-roaders – but definitely one for people who love the countryside are sharp rock Caution – there as you climb the steps to negotiate hillside

Step

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

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Provence Off-road in the other Grand Canyon – the epic Gorge de Verdon Mongolia Across an unspoilt wilderness en route to the Gobi Desert

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4x4

Tel: 01283 553243

Alan Kidd Editor

M

agazine printing deadlines can have a funny effect at this time of year. You never know when to wish your readers a merry Christmas, and in terms of the date on the cover we’re practically into springtime before New Year has even happened.

This year, I have the slightly peculiar added experience of writing this, knowing it won’t be read until the second week of January, on the day after the general election. By the time this issue of 4x4 is published, Christmas will have been and gone and the events of 12 December will be a thing that happened last year.

I certainly won’t make any party political comments on the results. But in the hours after it became apparent that we’re looking at five years of totally unopposed rule by an ardently Brexiteer government, I found myself wondering about what the consequences might be for 4x4 drivers.

It’s too easy just to say that this government doesn’t care about the environment and so those of us who drive big trucks with high emissions are in for a good time. Too easy, simplistic and cynical.

It’s true, however, that under the Blair government a tax regime was introduced which has proved incredibly punitive towards some of the greenest vehicles in existence. You want to minimise your carbon footprint? Track down the best Land Rover Defender you can find from late in the TD5 era, look after it and use it for everything, forever. You will never need to buy another car as long as you live.

The point is that because they’re built to last, a proper 4x4 is a car for life. The car industry hates this, because it wants to keep on selling you a new car every couple of years, but keeping one forever is the most environmentally sound thing you can possibly do as a driver.

And yet that TD5 Defender will cost you £570 a year in road tax. It’s unlikely that any government will ever do anything about this travesty, but a tax regime that recognises a vehicle’s true potential for reuse, which keeps the energy spent on manufacturing it locked in, would be a huge step forward.

In a far less nebulous way, I also wonder about Brexit. Clearly, it’s going to happen

4 | FEBRUARY 2020

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What does the new government mean for 4x4 drivers? now. And it will be followed by a round of trade talks with the USA in which Donald Trump’s negotiators will lay down a series of conditions we’re going to have to meet if we want a deal.

One of these may well be that we scrap all the environmental safeguards we were forced to introduce as members of the EU. Clearly, a terrible thing – but a positive upshot of it for us would be that all the off-road tyres we used to get from the US and elsewhere, but which became illegal in 2013, would be back on the market.

I feel kind of ashamed to say such a thing. But there was a strong feeling at the time that the EU only introduced these environmental measures as a way of protecting powerful European tyre makers from Chinese competition; once again, we were caught in the crossfire.

And then of course there’s the issue of green lanes. Our new leadership comes from a place of huge wealth and privilege, and it’s easy to assume that the government will instinctively side with landowners in a fight against common people. However the Conservatives have a long-held tendency against banning things, so I think there are reasons to be positive.

It would be really positive if our new masters were to revisit the Great Repeal Bill which was proposed in the early days of the coalition back in 2010. The idea was to scrap all the needless, harmful laws made during the Blair years – and we saw a glimmer of hope that the vile, dishonest NERC legislation may be among them.

History has shown that the promised bonfire of bad laws was quietly dropped.

Perhaps a bolder leadership would see it through? Freeing Britain from the yoke of crap government is, after all, a promise on which Boris Johnson has come to power.

If he were to prove good to his word in this way, I certainly would know it was time to wish you a merry Christmas…

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

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

© Assignment Media Ltd, 2020

4x4 17/12/2019 23:46

Bowler Motorsport Accessories Add that extra special touch to your Defender

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

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

Compatible with XS side steps.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

OFF-ROAD SCENE

jeepspares.com for fast moving service and repair parts

NEW 4X4S

THREE NEW MODELS JOIN TOUAREG RANGE

SE spec brings starting price down to £45,445 • Black Edition goes to top of range

V

olkswagen has introduced several new versions of the Touareg.

The vehicle, which won Best Large SUV in our 2019 4x4 of the Year awards, becomes available from £45,445 with the introduction of a new entry-level SE model, and this is joined in the line-up by SEL Tech and Black Edition variants.

The SE model is equipped with 19” alloys, adaptive cruise control, all-round parking sensors and a 9.2” touch-screen infotainment system with gesture and voice control. It’s available with a choice of 3.0-litre V6 TDI engines producing 231 or 286bhp.

These engines are also available on the rest of the Touareg range, including the new SEL Tech and Black Edition models. Here, however, they’re augmented by the 3.0 V6 TFSI – allowing buyers to choose 340bhp’s worth of petrol power.

Sitting in the middle of the Touareg range, the new SEL Tech model is based on the existing SEL and adds Volkswagen’s sensational Innovision

Cockpit – which combines a 15” integrated control panel with a 12.3” digital dash to create an almost full-with high-definition screen area.

Priced from £50,995, the vehicle also features an electric tailgate, heat-insulating rear privacy glass and its own design of 19” alloys.

The Black Edition, meanwhile, becomes the new range-topper.

Starting at £58,745, this is based on the existing R-Line Tech model and adds 21” alloys, air suspension, panoramic sunroof, matrix beam headlamps and Area View parking assist, in addition to a variety of

black trim styling pieces around the vehicle’s body.

The new models come hot on the heels of Volkswagen’s announcement that potential Touareg customers can now borrow vehicles for 48-hour test drives. All are on sale now.

New GLA adds coupe-like styling to entry-level end of Mercedes’ SUV range MERCEDES-BENZ HAS REVEALED the new GLA. A sportier version of the more family-orientated seven-seat GLB, the company’s entry-level SUV is scheduled to go on sale in the spring.

The vehicle will have four-wheel drive available as an option. Where this is specified, it will come with Mercedes’ Off-Road Engineering Package – including an off-road drive mode, hill descent control and an animated graphic of the terrain designed to provide real-time assistance to the driver.

On vehicles specified with the optional LED headlamps, the off-road pack also includes a tailored lighting programme designed to illuminate the terrain at close quarters.

Mercedes says the GLA will be offered with a range of four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines, including a high-performance AMG model with 306bhp and 295lbf.ft. Full details of the UK range and pricing will be revealed closer to the spring on-sale date.

6 | FEBRUARY 2020

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jeepspares.com for fast moving service and repair parts

COMING SOON Forthcoming 4x4s due later this year and beyond

Limited-edition Velar is any colour you want, so long as it’s…

LAND ROVER HAS ANNOUNCED a new limited-edition version of the Range Rover Velar. Called the R-Dynamic Black, this is based on the topselling D180 R-Dynamic SE model and is fitted with the Black Exterior Pack from Land Rover’s options catalogue.

The vehicle also gets 21” black alloy wheels and dark-tinted privacy glass.

You can have it in a choice of metallic paint colours – Eiger Grey and, no surprises here, Santorini Black.

Further equipment plucked from the options range and fitted as standard on the vehicle includes a fixed panoramic roof, heated steering wheel and Adaptive Dynamics suspension. Inside, the leather seats and headlining are black, black and more black.

The Velar R-Dynamic Black starts at £56,995 and is available to order immediately, with first deliveries expected early in the year.

Suzuki set to launch 48-volt hybrid Vitara and S-Cross

Aiways U5 Alfa Romeo Tonale Aston Martin DBX Audi E-tron 50 Audi RS Q8 BMW X5 M Competition BMW X6 M Competition Bollinger B1 Bollinger B2 DS 3 Crossback E-Tense Ford Mustang Mach-E Ford Ranger INEOS Grenadier Jeep Jeep Cherokee Desert Hawk Jeep Gladiator Jeep Grand Commander Jeep Wagoneer Land Rover Defender 90 Land Rover Defender 110 Land Rover Defender 130 Land Rover Defender PHEV Maserati Mercedes-Benz EQB Mercedes-Benz GLA Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe Rivian R1T Rivian R1s Suzuki S-Cross Hybrid Suzuki Vitara Hybrid Tesla Cybertruck Tesla Model Y Toyota Landcruiser Active Van Toyota RAV4 Hybrid Vauxhall Grandland X Hybrid4 Volkswagen T-Roc R Volkswagen Tarok Volkswagen Amarok Volvo XC40 Twin-Engine

Electric SUV Small SUV Performance SUV Electric SUV Performance SUV Performance SUV Performance SUV Electric off-roader Electric pick-up Small SUV Electric SUV Pick-up Off-roader Small SUV Performance Off-Roader Pick-up Large SUV Luxury SUV Off-roader Off-roader Off-roader Off-roader Medium SUV Electric SUV Small SUV Large SUV Electric pick-up Electric large SUV Crossover SUV Small SUV Electric Pick-Up Medium SUV Commercial Off-Roader Medium SUV Medium SUV Performance SUV Pick-up Pick-up Medium SUV

2020 Late 2020 Spring 2020 Early 2020 Early 2020 April 2020 April 2020 2020 2021 January 2020 Autumn 2020 2022 2021 2021 Spring 2020 Spring 2020 2020 2021 March 2020 Early 2020 August 2020 2020 2021 2021 Spring 2020 Summer 2020 Spring 2022 Summer 2022 March 2020 March 2020 Late 2022 Autumn 2020 March 2020 Autumn 2020 January 2020 Early 2020 2020 2022 February 2020

SUZUKI’S VITARA AND S-CROSS will get a shot in the arm this spring, with the addition of a new 1.4-litre hybrid power train. Replacing the current 1.4-litre petrol engine, this uses a 48-volt self-charging system to help improve fuel efficiency and bring down emissions.

The new K14D Boosterjet petrol engine, as it’s called, offers more torque and a 15% improvement in WLTP-rated fuel consumption. The result of this is 20% less carbon emissions.

Despite including a 48-volt battery, the new hybrid system only adds 15kg to the weight of the vehicles. Charged through regenerative braking, it uses a belt-driven starter-generator, which assists the engine during acceleration by boosting system output to a maximum of 173lbf.ft, and a 48V-12V convertor to power lower-voltage electrical components.

Prices for the new Vitara and S-Cross are expected to be revealed in March, when the vehicles are launched in the UK.

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OFF-ROAD SCENE

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NEW 4X4S

Toyota launches higher-spec Landcruiser Commercial

T

oyota has introduced a new, higher-spec version of the Landcruiser Commercial. Available in three-door and five-door form, the Landcruiser Commercial Active sits above the existing Commercial Utility model, offering a stronger kit list which includes automatic transmission as standard.

This is mated to the existing 2.8 D-4D engine from across the rest of the Landcruiser range. Both short and long-wheelbase models are rated to tow up to 3000kg.

On top of the Utility’s spec list, which includes cruise control, Bluetooth and automatic headlights, the Commercial Active adds 19” alloy wheels, dual-zone climate

control, DAB and Toyota’s Touch 2 multimedia system with an 8.0” screen. You also get rear parking sensors and a reversing camera, as well as Downhill Assist Control – not normally necessary on a proper off-road vehicle, but something which might actually prove useful with the Active’s standard auto box. Options for the vehicle include

sat-nav and a choice of 7-pin and 13-pin towing packs.

As is standard across the Land Cruiser Commercial range, the vehicle is fitted with an edge-to-edge non-slip floor tray. The load area is accessed via a side-hinged tailgate and, on long-wheelbase models, through the rear doors – whose windows are blanked out using an opaque film that matches the vehicle’s body colour. Separating the load area from the cabin is a full-height bulkhead with a mesh upper section and access hatch.

‘The Land Cruiser Commercial Utility was launched in 2018 as a rugged, no-nonsense vehicle aimed at customers who want practicality and the kind of hard-wearing, go-anywhere capability for which the Toyota is renowned worldwide,’ says Toyota. ‘The positive response this generated has helped prompt the introduction of the Active version, which comes with extra equipment features but is no less a redoubtable performer, whatever the conditions.’

The order book is open now, with CVOTR prices starting at £32,969 for the three-door and £33,932 for the five-door and customer deliveries kicking off in March.

TOYOTA’S BRILLIANT NEW RAV4 is about to get better yet. That’s because the company has just launched the RAV4 Plug-In Hybrid.

Using a version of the self-charging hybrid system from the existing RAV4, this adds a higher-capacity battery and a new boost converter within the power control unit to achieve a significant increase in output. Ahead of final homologation, this is currently quoted at 302bhp.

The result is a 0-62 time of 6.2 seconds – or, more importantly, a projected WLTP figure of less than 30g/km. No data for overall fuel consumption has yet been given, however Toyota claims a range of more than 37 miles on electric power alone.

Promising ‘the on and off-road handling capabilities provided by its standard AWD-i intelligent electric all-wheel drive system,’ the RAV4 Plug-In Hybrid will go on sale in the second half of 2020. Expect prices to nudge the £40k threshold at the top of the range.

£72,530 starting price for new GLE Coupe Mercedes-Benz has revealed the prices for its GLE Coupe. The vehicle, which is only available in AMG Line Premium Plus trim, comes with a choice of 3.0-litre straight-six engines – a petrol unit producing 435bhp and a diesel whose 330bhp is backed up by 516lbf.ft of torque. In addition, a plug-in hybrid model is due during the next year.

For now, both models are highly equipped with safety, luxury and high-tech kit. Prices start at £72,530 for the diesel-engined GLE 400 d and £80,615 for the GLE 53; the order book is open now, with deliveries due to commence in the summer.

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RIGHTS OF WAY

Victory for motor vehicle users as planning inspector confirms byway status for Pindale Road

P

indale Road, a popular green lane in Derbyshire, has been saved from extinction at the hands of anti-vehicle fanatics. Following a public inquiry into the status of the lane, a planning inspector confirmed that it should be recorded as a Byway Open to All Traffic – rejecting

spurious claims from the usual hate groups that it should be downgraded to a bridleway.

The right of way owes its life to the Green Lane Association and Trail Riders Fellowship, which argued its case at the inquiry. ‘Thank you to those who provided user evidence and other information, and

to those who attended the inquiry,’ said GLASS Derbyshire rep Chris Mitchell. ‘This shows that a concerted effort by user groups can protect our ancient rights to drive byways and unclassified roads, despite the unfounded claims of bridleway rights and ‘public nuisance’ by anti-motoring pressure groups.’

A SENSITIVE RIGHT OF WAY in Bath and North East Somerset has suffered criminal damage at the hands of rogue 4x4 drivers. Burledge Lane, near Bishop Sutton, is subject to a Traffic Regulation Order, meaning it’s normally closed to motor vehicles – however the closure order contains a clause which opens it to traffic on three weekends a year.

The closure was originally imposed because criminally minded 4x4 drivers were leaving the track and causing damage to gullies on either side of the right of way – land which is both a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Scheduled Ancient Monument. It prohibits driving through the gullies at all times, including open weekends, and signs on the lane itself make this clear.

Evidently, however, the vandals haven’t gone away – because at the last open day, they were back, driving repeatedly through the gullies and causing yet more damage to the ground. Rage, despair, bewilderment… it’s hard to know what to feel most strongly.

‘Aside from causing ecological and archaeological damage, it is a criminal offence to leave the track and drive through the adjacent gullies,’ points out BANES Rights of Way Officer Graeme Stark. The case for covert surveillance at future open weekends, ideally with rocket launchers at the ready, appears clear.

Latest set of anti-vandalism fortifications completed on Wolverns Lane ON THE VEXED TOPIC of tiny-minded morons who get off on doing as much harm as possible, yet more repairs have been carried out on Wolverns Lane.

This sandy-surfaced woodland track in Surrey has become something of a cause celebre among responsible green lane users as the local authority has doggedly refused to be bullied into closing it – despite almost intolerable provocation by vandals.

Most recently, the Green Lane Association donated funds to the Forestry Commission to help with the cost of further groundworks designed to prevent criminal 4x4 drivers from leaving the lane and turning the adjacent land into their own personal play site. This has been a major problem in this part of Surrey for many years, here and on other lanes too, and the council is to be applauded for recognising that responsible motor vehicle users are victims of the criminals as much as anyone else.

The new barriers are bigger and more extensive than ever, and it’s to be hoped that they finally drive the vandals away – though where they’ll go next is anybody’s guess. At least the law-abiding 4x4 community has done everything it can to protect Wolverns from criminal damage – and the inevitable threat of closure that comes with it.

Sibbertoft playdays now pre-booking only AVALANCHE ADVENTURE, also known simply as Sibbertoft, has introduced a pre-booking system at all its future playday events. This is to prevent overcrowding at the site, which is near Husbands Bosworth on the border of Leicestershire and Northamptonshire.

‘We will be limiting vehicle numbers to just 35 trucks,’ says the organisers. ‘We think this is fair and makes for a better day overall.’

Importantly, these events are no longer available on a first-come, firstserved basis. To book a place on any of the company’s future playdays, email info@avalancheadventure.co.uk and include your name, address and mobile number as well as the type of vehicle you’ll be driving and its registration number.

10 | JANUARY 2020

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COMPETITION

12 | JANUARY 2020

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Tricky tactics and tough terrain to the fore at 2019 Valhalla Chalenge Words and pictures: Pip Evans

T

he annual Valhalla Challenge, for teams of two trucks, was once again held on the Boughton Estate near Kettering and sponsored by Goodwinch. The weather was in a benign mood – but weeks of heavy rain in the run-up to the event meant it was still going to be tough going.

Competitor numbers were down on previous years, however the organising Viking 4x4 Club was pleased to receive plenty of support from its marshals – no small matter, as this is the kind of event that requires a great deal of bodies on the ground.

The event started with 12 closely bunched sections. Each had a 20-minute DNF time and the competitors had three hours in which to drive as many as they could. Space was at a premium, so the crews had to be careful not to crash into each other, but this meant there were plenty of trucks around to help rescue fellow competitors when they rolled – which more or less everyone did at least once during the course of the event.

These sections were tight and technical, with lots of twists and turns requiring non-stop effort from the winchmen to rig never-ending short pulls. They put a lot of stress on the vehicles, too, and it wasn’t long before the first competitors were heading back to the paddock.

As the morning progressed, it became clear that the father and son team of Will and Sam Webster were the class act. They were the only team to complete all 12 of the morning sections, giving them a good lead over Simon Ward and Leigh Jeffries with Johnny Johnson and Scott Haines a very close third.

Normally, the speed element of the Valhalla has been made up of six sections, however this year’s was held a week after the new Lap of the Gods event (see last month’s issue). So it made sense to reuse the lap in question.

The word ‘speed’ is relative; mainly, we’re just talking about terrain that should be drivable without

winching. Speeds averaged around 10mph as the trucks threaded their way through the trees and tight, twisty forest tracks, over a mixture of rock and bogs. It had every kind of obstacle one could imagine and the drivers loved it – especially those with V8 power, who lit up the woods with the soundtrack only these engines can create.

Competitors had four hours in which to do as many laps as they could. However if one of the trucks in a team was out of action, the other could keep going for half the points. Johnny Johnson was the first to take advantage of this, doing two laps while team-mate Scott Haines was fixing his truck – no small matter, as this team was posting the fastest times around.

Simon Ward and Leigh Jeffries were on fire, too. And they were really going for it, as illustrated when Simon decided to go out on his own for one last lap in a bid to gain the strongest possible score – but risking a lateness penalty if he should fail to make it back before the strict four-hour deadline.

Given that most teams were calling it a day some 30-40 minutes before the deadline, it says something that Simon managed to complete this last lap in just 22 minutes. By far the fastest run of the day, and a complete vindication of his decision to go for it.

It was worth it, too, as his efforts helped Team Ward/Jeffries overhaul Will and Sam Webster to lead the event going in to the overnight break. This was a relaxed time for some crews, but for others it was an up-all-night job in order to be able to go again in the morning.

Anthony Waterfield was in the worst shape, having ripped out his rear axle A-frame mount. There were mobile welding facilities available on site, but his team mate Ryan Lawrence had also been having problems so they decided to retire at the end of Day 1. Mat Bain and Kevin Bates were also having problems, but were soldiering on.

Day 2 was a straightforward punch hunt, with the rule being that

both trucks in a team had to collect a punch for the points from it to count. Sadly, team Bains/Bates were still having problems and only managed to collect five punches before they had to call it a day, so that left a dozen trucks battling it out to the end.

The top three teams from Day 1 were all very close in terms of overall scores, so the competition between them was intense with everyone giving it maximum effort in a bid for victory. In conditions like these, six hours can pass very quickly – there was no lunch break, just non-stop pressure on man and machine alike.

The Valhalla operates a handicap scoring system, the idea being that a more standard Class 1 truck has a decent chance of competing on equal terms with the most specced-up fire-breathing monster, and this helped keep the points very close indeed. However Simon

Ward and Leigh Jeffries had both experienced vehicle issues during the day, and this saw them lose their overnight lead to finish in third place on 17,577 points.

Second place went to Will and Sam Webster, who put in a gargantuan effort to end up with 18,958 points. So near and yet so far – just 383 points separated them from the eventual winners. Will and Sam happen to be the proprietors of event sponsor Goodwinch, so they very generously gifted their second-place prize to the last team still running after the weekend’s campaign – another father and son crew, Paul and Rob Curling.

To the winners, then. Johnny Johnson, with his wife Tracey on the winch, and team-mates Scott Haines and James Watts, ended the event with 19,341 points. A narrow victory, but one that was richly deserved after such a tough weekend of intense competition.

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CALENDAR KEY

P Off-Road Playday

G Green Lane Convoy Tour

A Overseas Adventure Travel

S 4x4 Show

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

5 January

26 January

8-9 February

29 February

P Barton-le-Clay, Bedfordshire 4x4 P Frickley Frickley, South Yorkshire Muddy Bottom P Minstead, Hampshire 4x4 P Parkwood Tong, Bradford Wood P Picadilly Bolney, West Sussex

P Bures, Essex Cowm Leisure P Whitworth, Lancashire Devil’s Pit P Barton-le-Clay, Bedfordshire Off Road Centre P Kirton Kirton Lindsey, North Lincs P Protrax Tixover, Northamptonshire Safari P Slindon Slindon, West Sussex Valley 4x4 P Thames Brick Kiln Farm, Hampshire Events G UKPeakLandrover District

Adventure G Onelife Yorkshire G Protrax Wales G Trailmasters Yorkshire

G Protrax East Midlands (night run)

Devil’s Pit

10-24 January

A Morocco

Ardventures

12 January

P Rayleigh, Essex Malvern 4x4 Spares Day S Malvern, Worcestershire Safari P Slindon Slindon, West Sussex UK Landrover Events G Tyne and Wear

Essex, Rochford and District 4x4

Bures Pit

29 January

G Protrax East Midlands (night run)

9 February Pit P Devil’s Barton-le-Clay, Bedfordshire Rochford and District 4x4 P Essex, Rayleigh, Essex P Protrax Tixover, Northamptonshire Safari P Slindon Slindon, West Sussex Landrover Events G UKLincoln and Belvoir

12 February

29 February – 1 March

G Wales Off Road Adventure Travel G Wales Compass Adventures

2-6 March

G Coast to Coast Ardventures

2-11 March Adventure Tours A 4x4 Portugal

4 March

G East Midlands (night run) Protrax

1 February

Landrover Events G UKYorkshire Dales

5-20 March

Events G UKNorthLandrover York Moors

15-22 February

Adventure A Onelife Morocco

18-19 January

1-2 February

7 March

G Protrax Wales

G Ardventures Lake District Adventures G Compass Wales Road Adventure Travel G Off Wales

A Galicia, Spain

19 January

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

2 February

G Shropshire / Welsh Borders Kirton Off Road Centre P Kirton Lindsey, North Lincs

P Frickley, South Yorkshire Muddy Bottom P Minstead, Hampshire Parkwood 4x4 P Tong, Bradford Picadilly Wood P Bolney, West Sussex

25-26 January

7-9 February

Adventure G Onelife Wales

A 7PUtahOverland

25 January Green Adventure Tours

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Frickley 4x4

Ardventures

16 February

G Wales UK Landrover Events G Eden District Protrax

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

7-8 March

22 February

7-26 March

G Shropshire / Welsh Borders Landrover Events G UKDurham Dales

A Protrax Morocco Desert and Mountains

Green Adventure Tours

23 February Expo S 4x4 Stafford, Staffordshire Leisure P Cowm Whitworth, Lancashire Slindon Safari P Slindon, West Sussex

and Tracks G Trails North of England

8 March

G Lake District

UK Landrover Events

9-13 March Off Road G Ardent Coast to Coast

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14 March

4-16 April

Adventure Tours G Green Shropshire / Welsh Borders and Tracks G Trails County Durham

Overland A Atlas Morocco Classic

14-15 March

G Yorkshire Moors and Dales Atlas Overland G Wessex Ardventures

5 April 4x4 Spares Day S Newbury Newbury, Berkshire

19 April British Land Rover Show S Great Newark, Nottinghamshire

20 March

24 April – 10 May

Landrover Events G UKNorthumberland

Adventure A Ardent Morocco

21 March

25-26 April

Landrover Events G UKTynedale

Overland Show S Adventure Stratford Upon Avon, Warwickshire

21-22 March

4-13 May 2020

G Yorkshire Moors and Dales Trailmasters G Lake District

4x4 Adventures A Active Portugal

Trails and Tracks

S

A

16-24 May 2020

Gaydon Land Rover Show Gaydon, Warwickshire

24 March – 6 April

Land Rover Events A UKPyrenees

A Trailmasters Morocco Marrakesh Classic

16-30 May 2020

26-27 March

Overland A Atlas Portugal

Landrover Events G UKCumbria/Yorkshire

20 May – 2 June 2020

28 March

A Morocco (extreme expedition)

G Tyne Valley

27 May – 10 June 2020

28-29 March

A Pyrenees

Trails and Tracks

Adventures G Compass Yorkshire / Lake District G Protrax Wiltshire

Protrax

5-19 June 2020

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

A Pyrenees, Spain

Off Road Adventure Travel

6-21 June 2020

Events G UKDalesLandrover and Eden

A Pyrenees, Spain

30 March – 13 April

8-17 June 2020

4x4 Adventures A Active Morocco

A Pyrenees

3-16 April

8-17 June 2020

A Ardventures Morocco

A Pyrenees

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2015 JEEP WRANGLER JK 2.8CRD

Trailmasters

29 March

4x4

SOME OF THE VEHICLES WE HAVE RECENTLY DISMANTLED:

9-10 May

24 March – 3 April 4x4 Adventure Tours Morocco

SPECIALIST 4X4 VEHICLE DISMANTERS JEEP - LAND ROVER AND MOST MAKES AND MODELS QUALITY GUARANTEED USED PARTS

Ardventures

Active 4x4 Adventures

4x4 Adventure Tours

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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PRODUCTS

It’s always darkest before the awn…

I

f you use your truck as a camping support vehicle, or are planning any sort of major overland travel, or even if you intend to use it as an on-site work station, ARB’s latest awning and lighting combos ought to be up your street. These offer a choice of 2000 x 2500 and 2500 x 2500mm vehicle-mounted awnings as well as an additional lighting kit which mounts a bright LED strip into the roof above your head.

This dishes out up to 1200 lumens, with a choice of either cool white or amber colour modes – the latter being ideal for evenings around the campfire as flying insects are less attracted to it. Its output is dimmable via a waterproof digital switch, too.

‘Just like in your home,’ says ARB, ‘good quality lighting is in the ceiling, not the walls. Therefore placing the light right where it’s needed and not harshly in your eyes is important.’

Now, it won’t have escaped your notice that awnings are designed to fold up. But this is where the slimline design of LED lighting products comes in to its own. ‘The light can be rolled up with the awning roof after use and not removed, keeping everything together for your next adventure,’ continues ARB. The light is powered from a 12-volt socket, and it comes with a four-metre insulated waterproof cable so that the awning can be mounted on either side of the vehicle. ARB promises that it’s easy to assemble, using a sleeve sewn into

the cover sheet, and of course this only needs to be done once as the light then stay there permanantly.

As for the awning itself, by using the correct ARB Quick Release Bracket you can mount it to any double-cab with a roof rack. It’s made using 300gsm roof material, which provides strong UV protection and is treated to prevent mould, and has 25mm o/d aluminium poles with a 1.2mm wall thickness.

‘Building a high-performance light into the roof came with some challenges,’ says ARB. ‘One was making sure we could get the LED strip small enough, as well as making sure we could keep them cool so they would not de-rate and dim prematurely. This has been achieved by using quality LED chips that can

handle more heat than a standard strip light, and also attaching the strip light to an aluminium track for heat dissipation, all sealed in a watertight resin.’

Camping and overlanding might be the obvious uses for this set-up, which is likely to cost you around £300 all-in once the VAT man has had his share. But if, for example, you do marshalling or timekeeping on rallies, it could be ideal for night stages. You could imagine someone sat under one of these rigs checking tickets for a festival or so on, too.

Lots of uses, then, and lots of applications. But just the one web address you need to know, which is www.britpart.com.

Heat covers prevent engine problems caused by overheating fuel injectors You don’t tend to think of your 4x4s fuel injectors as a potential source of grief. But if they’re at risk of getting too hot, whether as a result of being fed hot fuel or baked from the outside by ambient heat, the first you’ll know about it is when you run into vapour lock – resulting in deeply unlovely things like poor starting, incessant stalling or a rough, lumpy idle.

Cooler injectors work better – it really is that simple. So if you’re asking a lot of your engine, DEI’s Fuel Injector Reflective Heat Covers might be a very cheap way of preventing it from telling you what it thinks. Made from glass fibre material bonded to a heat-reflective aluminised material, these are simply wrapped around each individual injector before being secured with a sewn-in hook and loop fastening edge.

The covers are available in packs of two, four, six and eight. They’re brought to the UK by motorsport specialist Demon Tweeks – to find them, head for demon-tweeks.com.

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jeepspares.com for fast moving service and repair parts EVENTS

New curtain-raiser announced for 2020 season as Great British Land Rover Show returns with a new springtime event Newark Showground, 19 April 2020 • £15 on the day, £7.50 when booked in advance FOLLOWING A RECORD-BREAKING TURNOUT at Stoneleigh in November, there is some big news surrounding the Great British Land Rover Show for the 2020 season.

The November event has become known as the big finish to the annual show season – and in 2019 it posted its best ever figures for ticket sales. Encouraged by this, the team behind the Great British Land Rover Show has announced that in addition to November at Stoneleigh, there will also be a new event in April – at an all-new venue!

This is Newark Showground, where the new show will take place on Sunday 19th April. As is now the norm for the GBLRS, it will be a one-day show only.

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

This is a return to the original format of the Great British Land Rover Show, which started out as a spring event before moving to its pre-Christmas slot. Now, visitors and exhibitors are going to get the best of both worlds!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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PRODUCTS

Devon 4x4 becomes official UK importer for Rival products

D

evon 4x4 has been announced as Rival’s new authorised importer and distributor in the UK. The Russian company, which employs a workforce of more than 650 in its 27,000 square metre factory, is one of the world’s largest manufactures of aftermarket protection equipment and winch mounts, with a range available to cover SUVs and pick-ups from a huge variety of car makers.

Rival specialises in aluminium, meaning its products are light in weight and more resistant to corrosion than the steel equivalent.

Its products have been coming to the UK for some years, however Devon 4x4 says its tie-up with the company will add a new level of stock holding and technical support for customers.

At the heart of Rival’s product offering is its range of skid plates, which are laser-cut and deep stamped in steel or aluminium alloy. Installed without any need to drill your vehicle, these offer a lightweight, high-strength way to protect your vehicle from rocks, logs and tree stumps.

Key features of Rival’s skid plates include: • Concealed fittings, for minimum risk of damage • Stiffening and reinforcing ribs for maximum strength

• Corrosion-resistant polymer powder coating • Installed on to OE mounting points – no drilling or modification required • No decrease in ground clearance • Apertures for water and dirt drainage • Vent and airflow apertures

If you’re planning a build which will include underbody protection, there’s a pretty strong chance that Rival will be among the suppliers you’ve already looked at. Whether you have or not, though, this new development makes a difference: a visit to www.devon4x4.com will tell you all you need to know.

MILNER OFF ROAD Est. 1981

check out our new website!

18 | FEBRUARY 2020

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www.milneroffroad.com TEL: 01629 734411

Mon-Fri: 8am - 5:30pm Sat: 8am - 12:30pm

Old Road, Darley Dale, Matlock, Derbyshire, DE4 2ER

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jeepspares.com for fast moving service and repair parts PRODUCTS

Hard-working commercial hard-top joins Isuzu accessory range ISUZU’S OFFICIAL ACCESSORY RANGE has grown to include another hard-top option – the RS-3 from Truckman. A commercial unit, this was designed to provide the largest possible side door apertures that could be achieved without compromising structural strength.

The RS-3 features gull-wing doors which, along with the rear door, provide easy all-round access to tools and equipment stored inside. The rear door is tinted to keep contents from view, and all three doors are plumbed in to the central locking system.

A range of optional racking and drawers is available to fit the canopy, as are various lights, vents, beacons and bespoke wiring solutions. The RS-3 comes as standard in Isuzu’s ‘Splash White’ superior gloss gel-coat, which promises strong chemical and impact resistance and is thicker than a standard paint finish, meaning even deep scratches can be polished out.

THE PHRASE ‘BIG BORE’ can have more than one meaning in the world of Land Rovers. Happily, in this case we’re not talking about that bloke in the corner who wants to tell you about Series IIB part numbers, but about our favourite kind of exhaust: the rude kind.

What you’re looking at here is Britpart’s new stainless steel 3” straightthrough tailpipe for Defender 90s powered by the TD5 and TDCi Puma engines. Amazing what you can achieve with three inches, gents.

Britpart points out that the tailpipe is not suitable for Australian market Defenders. Or shrinking violets, you’d think. And definitely not for that bloke with the Series IIB parts book. Assuming you don’t fall into any of those traps, visit www.britpart.co.uk and prepare to have the naughtiest sounding 90 in town.

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Replacement parts and accessories for all models of Jeeps.

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Clarke heating range aims to keep you warm in your workshop

C

hilly, isn’t it?

This is the time of year when off-road enthusiasts all around Britain are busy working away on their vehicles for the forthcoming season – but how much more efficiently they’re doing it if they’re not freezing to death in the process.

It’s particularly bad if you’re outside working on your driveway, but even the average domestic garage is pretty unwelcoming at this time of year.

That’s why one of the various new Clarke heating solutions from Machine Mart could be the key to getting your project done, or indeed still being alive to enjoy it once you’ve got enough feeling back in your fingers to be able to turn the key.

First off, the Little Devil II is one of Clarke’s range of turbo fan gas heaters.

These burn propane to provide a heat output of up to 131kW, with variable output control on some models and a stainless steel casing across the range. Prices start at £95.98 including VAT. For small to medium work spaces, Clarke’s electric heaters use stainless elements and have adjustable outputs as well as thermostatic control. The range spans outputs from 3-30kW and includes a variety of units to suit everything from a small garage to a decent sized industrial unit, with fan assistance on some models.

Prices start at £59.98, again including the VAT. Finally, if you really don’t want to leave anything to chance you can spring for one of Clarke’s diesel or paraffin fired space heaters. These belt out up to

61.5kW and come with fuel tanks of up to 53 litres, allowing for a running time of as much as 13.5 hours. Featuring a stainless steel combustion chamber and variable thermostatic control, as well as wheels and handles on all but the most basic model, these beasts cost from £226.80. Mind you, if the driveway is your workshop you might consider investing in an infra-red site heater from the very top of the range – if a price of £778.80 doesn’t scare you away.

Plenty of options there, then. To find out more, and indeed to buy direct, www.machinemart.co.uk is the place to go.

4x4 18/12/2019 15:30

OFF-ROAD SCENE

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Desert Winds publishes new edition of seminal off-roading guide

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IN 1993, Land Rover asked former Royal Air Force test pilot Tom Sheppard to write a book on four-by-four driving: The Land Rover Experience. Seven versions later, the 6th edition of Four-by-four driving, published by Tom’s own company, Desert Winds, is soon to be released.

Drivelines, off-road driving techniques, recovery, expedition basics and a sampling of current 4x4s on the market are covered in detail – complete with tell-it-like-it-is comment.

The series, now used by Special Forces instructors both in the UK and US, draws on Tom’s more than 110,000 miles of desert and overlanding expeditions – mostly solo. These include 17 Sahara expeditions, UK-Gulf and Southern Africa trips, long-range projects around Libya, a challenging 900-mile, off-track journey north from Timbuktu and the first lateral coast-tocoast Sahara crossing, as well as a gravity survey from Dakar to Port Sudan for which he gained a Royal Geographical Society award.

In Tom’s own words: ‘There are many enthusiastic, even expert 4x4 drivers out there. I’m not telling everyone to do things my way but, with an open mind, knowledge is additive.

‘We’re all the same: we never stop learning. I’ll say that again: Knowledge is additive.’

Four-by-four driving – Edition 6 is a 246pp softback publication. It’s available from Desert Winds Publishing – you’ll find it at www.desertwinds.co.uk.

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DRIVEN

MITSUBISHI L200

New model has heavily revised chassis, engine, transmission and suspension – but first you need to see past its deliberately over-the-top styling ON TEST L200 Barbarian X

M

itsubishi has plenty of previous for building 4x4s that look bold as brass from the outside and whose cabins are packed full of bling. You can go back to the days of the Mk2 Shogun for that – and since then, the L200 has

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taken up the mantle with no end of high-spec models boasting huge kit lists and in-your-face styling.

The new L200 goes further than ever down this road. They’ve done plenty of aggressive looking versions before, but this one looks like something out of a Marvel storyline. Its front end is so imposing, it’s almost funny. People glance at it then quickly look away because they’re worried it’ll start on them. Pick-up manufacturers know that if they want a bit of the lifestyle action, they’ve got to make their trucks look gnarly; Mitsubishi has known this for longer than most, but even by its standards the new L200 goes beyond.

But there’s more to the L200 than just its looks. The restyled

model also has a new engine, new gearbox, new brakes and new suspension, as well as an enhanced list of safety equipment. So there’s a lot going on here.

In other ways, things remain familiar. The range, for example, is still divided into models with parttime and full-time four-wheel drive.

The former is reserved for the entry-level 4Life version, and it also comes with a locking rear diff. The rest of the range has Mitsubishi’s Super-Select full-time transfer case, and instead of a locker you get traction control.

The 4Life also has Bluetooth and air-con, and Double-Cab versions get cruise control and 16” alloys on top of that. Quite a long list of musthaves, there – but as you move up

the range, the familiar Warrior and Barbarian models add more on top.

Highlights of the Warrior spec include 18” alloys, touch-screen media, DAB radio and a reversing camera, as well as lane departure warning and autonomous emergency braking. Op top of this, among other things the Barbarian adds leather, seat heaters and an easy-lift tailgate, as well as hill descent control and a palette of offroad drive modes similar.

As we all know, these latter features were invented to give an element of all-terrain credibility to vehicles that were, in effect, soft-roaders. A pick-up truck with high ground clearance, a proper rear axle and, crucially, low-range gears simply shouldn’t

4x4 16/12/2019 23:10

Suede and leather ‘six-pack’ seats, exclusive to the Barbarian X, look very cool and are comfortable to sit in – though there’s a danger that they might seem out of place in what is still a truck at heart. The main dash material is hard, quite brittle plastic, however the controls are well laid out and easy to learn. Among all the equipment, one thing that’s missing is sat-nav – Mitsubishi leaves it to your phone instead need them – though hill descent control is indeed useful on autos.

Nonetheless, Mitsubishi says its Gravel, Mud/Snow, Sand and Rock modes will ‘maximise traction and maintain progress even in the most challenging of situations.’

There’s one other model in the L200 range, and it’s the one tested here. Called Barbarian X, it adds very cool suede and leather seats and a heated steering wheel as well as a load of extra safety kit – including blind-spot warning, auto high beam, all-round parking sensors and a 360-degree surroundview camera system. It comes as standard with a new six-speed automatic gearbox, and only costs

£1500 more than the equivalent Barbarian, so unless you want a manual it looks well worth making the extra stretch..

CABIN AND PRACTICALITY The first thing to say about the Barbarian X is that despite all its extra kit (which also includes mood lighting and illuminated scuff guards), it still feels like a truck inside. The dash presents you with a huge wall of hard plastic, which is good wipe-clean stuff but has a scratchy texture to it that feels a little low-rent next to much of the opposition. Build quality is strong,

however, with only the floor console letting the side down a little by being on the wobbly side.

Mainly, the facia looks showy, with sweeping aluminium-look styling elements and a slightly flashy media display. This disguises the fact that actually, it’s very nicely laid out. There’s a good logic to where everything is placed, and all the controls are easy to make sense of.

It’s pleasingly spacious, too, with plenty of leg and head room. In traditional pick-up style, the floor is set very high, which can seem odd to start with but soon feels completely natural – though you don’t get what we’d call a high-

command seating position, with the bonnet appearing quite high in your line of view.

Visibility is decent nonetheless, though we did find ourselves relying on the reversing camera and surround-view monitor most of the time. On vehicles without these features, you might find that the thick C-posts and kicked-up waistline conspire to make your life a little awkward on the way in to parking spaces.

One thing the media system doesn’t have is sat-nav. A surprise, possibly – however it does offer phone mirroring, and Mitsubishi’s policy these days is to let you find your way using this method instead.

The L200’s cabin has the high floor of a traditional pick-up.

There’s adequate room up front, however the rears are on the cramped side if you’ve got one tall adult riding behind another

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DRIVEN

Displacing 2268cc, the new L200’s engine is a little smaller than the unit it replaces. Its output of 150bhp and 295lbf.ft, the latter from 2000rpm, is hardly the stuff of dreams, but it pulls strongly enoug – albeit with a bit of a clatter when mated to the new six-speed auto box. Beyond this, all but the basespec L200 get the Super Select transmission, giving drivers the choice between full-time and part-time four-wheel drive. Barbarian and Barbarian X models get Off-Road drive modes, too – though whether you should need them in a traditional pick-up is open to question In terms of practicality, the Invincible X is equipped with an easy-lift tailgate whose hydraulic assistance means it doesn’t take a huge heave to close – nor indeed does it drop down like a pile-driver.

That’s the kind of small touch that makes a big difference. Inside, you get a decent range of stowage options in the usual places, without there being anything groundbreaking to it.

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The seats, which have a nicely sophisticated looking ‘six-pack’ stitching design, are extremely comfortable. We’ve seen it before in pick-ups, however, that really cool seats can seem a little out of place – and there’s an element of that here, even with the amount of eye-catching technology on display around the cabin. They feel like they belong in an SUV – and, while there’s little to criticise about the

L200, it doesn’t really come over as one.

Also on the theme of seating, the rear bench continues as before in being on the tight side for tall adults. You can just about get one six-footer behind another, but the one in the back will have his knees pressed hard into the seat-back ahead of him and his head will be more than just touching the roof lining. It’s not cramped enough

to be offensive, but you certainly wouldn’t want to be sat in there for a long journey.

DRIVING The new L200 is powered by an allaluminium engine which displaces 2268cc and delivers 150bhp and 295lbf.ft. Not exactly the most exciting figures in the world, especially as the latter arrives at

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2000rpm – 20%rpm lower than in the old model, but still on the high side for the sort of diesel you want to find in an off-road truck.

Mitsubishi says the new unit is more refined than before, though we still found it quite throaty, even coarse under hard acceleration.

It fades into the background at speed, but around town there’s an ever-present engine note which is strongly accentuated by the need to keep the auto gearbox wound up.

The new six-speeder is smooth enough, however it can be hesitant when shifting on the way up. We found this even when we were trying to control it using the enormous paddles that come as standard – it

5pp Road Tests Feb AK.indd 27

does do what it’s told, but it doesn’t always do it very smartly, and as a result we’d soon be dropping it back into drive and letting it make its own mind up.

The paddles do let you drive it a bit more aggressively at higher speeds. However here, and in town, we found ourselves yearning for a manual. We thought this was by far the more drivable option on the previous model and, improved auto notwithstanding, we’d expect it to be the case again here.

We’ve always liked the L200’s handling, however, and it still has the kind of gung-ho dynamics that can be so appealing in a truck.

The new model has a stiffened

chassis and revised spring and damper rates all round, ‘further adding to its car-like feel’ in Mitsubishi’s own words.

‘Why do you want your truck to feel like a car anyway?’ would be our words. To us, the L200 continues to handle the way a pick-up should, with plenty of heft and body roll that’s present but predictable, not awkwardly suppressed. The leaf-sprung back axle shudders a fair bit over sharp imperfections in the road, however, and a bit of jolting comes through into the body over speed bumps and so on; we thought the vehicle felt heavier than the old one, and sure enough

a glance at their kerb weight data confirms that it is.

Off-road, the drive modes do what they do, as does the vehicle’s traction control. You can’t shake the feeling, however, that none of these things should be necessary.

With a ladder chassis, live rear axle, low range and plenty of ground clearance, the L200 is a traditional off-road truck. It has a huge degree of flexibility and tractability built in – if all 4x4s were still like this, off-road drive modes would never have been invented.

Similarly, if locking diffs didn’t require at least a smidgeon of skill on the part of the driver, traction control would never have been thought of. But here we are.

On paper, the Barbarian and Barbarian X are the best versions of the L200 for going off-road. And in practice, yes, they are very capable.

But would you choose all those electronics, plus 18” rims, instead of the same truck with 16” rubber and a simple, mechanical system with a rear locker?

★★★★✩

Mitsubishi L200 Barbarian X Still a very fine truck – only now with a more commanding presence than ever We thought the old L200 drove with panache, and so too does the new one – though we’d only ever choose a manual model.

That said, if you’re buying auto anyway the top-spec Barbarian X tested here looks like the best bet. Just be aware that the best off-road set-up lurks much further down the range

16/12/2019 23:11

DRIVEN

MASERATI LEVANTE V8 New GTS and Trofeo models move the top of the range a long way upwards while providing more visual drama, a crisper drive and a better soundtrack than ever

IN TYPICAL SUV STYLE, the Levante has become the best-selling Maserati of all time. Safe to say the new GTS and Trofeo models will shift in more modest numbers – but if you’re looking for a Levante with serious performance, and you’re able to spend serious money on it, they’re the ones to have.

These models are powered by a 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8. It’s tuned for 523bhp in the GTS and 572bhp in the Trofeo, along with 524lbf.ft and 538lbf.ft respectively; 0-62 times are 4.3 and 4.1 seconds.

The power goes to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission with a short-shift gear lever that’s unique to these two models.

They get chassis tweaks, too, as well as a limited-slip rear diff, and are the first versions of the Levante with Maserati’s Integrated Vehicle Control.

Looks-wise, the GTS has a styling kit that majors on elegance while the Trofeo comes on stronger. It has the go to match its show, too: as well as its extra power, its drive mode dial has a Corsa setting for racetracks.

Stepping inside either cabin you’ll find a plush, leather-clad environment. The sports seats are welcoming and comfortable, yet plenty supportive. The dash’s lower portions and the central armrest are wrapped in premium leather, in either black, red, tan or beige.

Both front and the outer rear seats are heated, as is the leather steering wheel, and a highres 8.4” infotainment screen can be operated either by touch or using a rotary dial on the floor console. You get DAB, Bluetooth, sat-nav and smartphone mirroring, and Trofeo models feature a 1280-watt, 17-speaker Bowers and Wilkins sound system.

From behind the wheel, both Levantes feel remarkably agile for their size. The revised chassis controls the mass and proportions of a large SUV at more than modest cornering speeds; Maserati says the V8 models have a 50:50 weight distribution between their axles.

A great deal of this dynamic excellence is also to be attributed to Maserati’s tuned air

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suspension which, as well as achieving superb body control, is capable of smoothing out the effects of these vehicles’ huge rims – 21” on the GTS and 22” on the Trofeo. Ride quality is every bit as balanced and smooth as it is pointed and precise – something that doesn’t appear to be compromised by any of the available drive modes.

The Q4 transmission system sends power fully to the rear wheel unless it’s required elsewhere, meaning those at the front are allowed to steer without distractions. The result is a crispness and precision of cornering that’s wholly appropriate to the vehicles’ performance.

It goes without saying that the Ferrari-built V8 is a thing of beauty, but we’ll say it anyway. You get one hell of a soundtrack and, seeing as each cylinder bank has its own twin-scroll turbo, torque delivery is utterly relentless.

The Trofeo feels the tiniest bit more eager in the mid-range, but the margins are so minimal that you’ve got to be looking in order to feel it.

And even then it might be your imagination. Aside from the presence of Corsa mode, there’s very little difference between the two. But are loaded with urge and have juicy soundtracks that will turn as many heads as their styling.

You’d turn even more heads, however, if you took a Levante off-road.

There is an Off-Road drive setting, however, which adjusts the transmission to maximise traction, and you can add up to 40mm to your ground clearance by adjusting the height of the air suspension.

All this ensures that the Levante is sure-footed across uneven, loose and wet surfaces alike. When things get really wet, you’ll not have to back out until the water breaches 500mm, either – but gosh, you’d need to be brave to approach that. You’ve got hill descent control too, which proves an entirely reliable asset.

Talking of assets, the GTS is priced at £104,900 and the Trofeo adds exactly twenty grand to that. Thus it costs more than twice as much as the entry-level diesel model – which means these vehicles are up against some stellar opposition in the luxury SUV market.

This gulf in prices does seem rather steep, even for examples of the Levante with such a delightful engine. As with any luxury item, though, their extreme desirability means that for keen customers, the extra expense will mean nothing.

4x4 16/12/2019 23:11

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21/09/2018 15:49

TRUCKS’ TRACKS

More and more utilty, estate and agricultural operations are turning to one-tonne pick-ups for their mobility needs. And where those needs involve extreme traction and low ground pressure, more and more are turning to Supatracks – whose range of conversions has just grown to include a new high-value option from French-Romanian company ACF Words: Robbie Ronson Pictures: Vic Peel

W

hen you do off-roading, it doesn’t take long before you discover that tyres make all the difference. Every type of terrain demands something different in terms of tread, size and inflation – and the more extreme the terrain is, the more specialised the tyre you need for it tends to be.

In really extreme cases, indeed, sometimes a mere tyre is not enough. Think of the unwieldy but

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effective Bog Cogs that helped Land Rovers scale Ben Nevis, in the days before that was added to the list of things you’re not allowed to do in Britain any more, or inventions as simple as snow chains, tyre studs and sand ladders.

And then there’s caterpillar tracks. Did you know the first car to cross the Sahara wasn’t a Jeep, or a Landy… but a Citroën, converted into a half-track years before four-wheel drive was even a thing?

Bring this up to date and whereas combine harvesters once used huge flotation tyres, now it’s more and more common to see them running on rubber tracks. And where quad bikes and 4x4s need to be used on very soft ground, be it wet and boggy or covered in deep snow, the same technique has long been seen as the most effective way of doing it.

The machinery that makes it possible is not new, then. But being able to afford it might be.

4x4 16/12/2019 23:09

That’s because Supatracks, which has a long history of experience in the field, has recently started importing a new conversion from French-Romanian company ACF. Based in the latter nation but set up and owned by a couple of engineers from just across the Channel, ACF makes rubber track conversions to suit a wide range of vehicles. These include machines as diverse as the Jeep Wrangler, Mercedes Sprinter, VW Crafter and Dacia Duster – as well

4x4 3pp Supatracks ACF AK.indd 31

as just about every one-tonne pick-up you can think of.

These conversions have a variety of benefits.

They raise the vehicle’s ground clearance very significantly, as well as dropping its overall gearing – both of which are just what you want for inching your way over extremely technical terrain.

And most importantly, they allow a very high level of flotation, making it possible to retain traction where even the most aggressive of tyres would simply be digging their way downwards.

Aside from the obvious benefit of keeping you moving, this also means you can do so without tearing lumps out of the ground beneath you.

That’s no small matter, whether or not the ground in question happens to be your property – which is why agricultural estate users and utility companies alike are among the core audiences for the conversion.

The design of the tracks is based around a steel frame carrying a drive sprocket and a series of rocker wheels. The latter allow the track itself, an aramid-reinforced item of typically 350mm in width, to follow the ground – something it does very effectively, whether at speed (by which we mean 20-25mph) on stony trails or inching over the sort of ground that lifts wheels into the air.

The design is simple and, says Supatracks, quite agricultural in nature – in a good way, because it’s very rugged but, by doing without some of the refinements you get on the topend solutions, around £10,000 cheaper per set.

What this means in practical terms is that an ACF conversion is unlikely to be as refined at higher speeds than a Mattracks set-up (which Supatracks also brings to the UK) – but in even more practical terms, it also means you’re more likely to be able to afford it.

FEBRUARY 2020 | 31

16/12/2019 23:09

As you can see in our pictures, Supatracks’ first demo vehicle for the ACF system is a recent Ford Ranger. And the manufacturer’s sales literature shows the tracks on vehicles including the Toyota Hilux, Isuzu D-Max and Mercedes X-Class. Needless to say, in spite of all this the first order the company received from a UK customer was for a Land Rover – however with agricultural users turning more and more towards pick-ups and double-cabs (something that appears to have been accelerated, rather than slowed, by the unveiling of the new Defender), a broad range of one-tonne fitments looks like sound business sense.

So too does servicing the green energy sector – specifically wind farms, whose construction and maintenance is big business throughout the UK. Almost by definition, these are built on the sort of land for which tracked vehicles are perfect.

With the ACF tracks fitted, the vehicle remains largely unchanged in terms of the driving experience. You’re sitting higher, but because the

3pp Supatracks ACF AK.indd 32

tracks are heavier than normal wheels and tyres your centre of gravity is actually lower – despite ground clearance being raised by all of 8”.

Another potentially hidden benefit of the system is that the solid rubber track belts don’t have any ‘bounce’ in them the way wide tyres can when running at low pressures. This is a common cause of instability when a truck set up this way suddenly hits undulating terrain – but as the picture below demonstrates, tracked vehicles are actually more sure-footed than you might think.

Another common myth is that steering becomes much heavier, however we saw nothing to suggest that the Ranger’s standard power assistance wasn’t enough. Quoted turning circles remain the same as on the standard vehicle, too.

Drive-by noise is only moderately increased, too, which some chattering from the track mechanism but none of the screeching din you get on heavy kit with full-length steel tracks.

Supatracks recommends that fitting the conversion is a two-man job. However once the initial

hardware has been installed (this can then be left in place permanently), the tracks can be carried to the operating site in a specially designed trailer before the vehicle’s users swap them in for its road wheels and it’s ready to go.

Our impression of the ACF conversion is that it does exactly what it says it will. The equipment itself passes every visual test of being hight in quality and purpose, and in operation it does its job smoothly and effectively. We didn’t get the chance to experience it on really boggy ground, but that’s just physics: what matters is that the hardware operates correctly, and the way it flexes over uneven ground was spot-on.

This is very much work-focused equipment, and it’s hard to imagine anyone buying it to go on a leisure vehicle – unless perhaps they own a vast country estate, in which case their concept of leisure might be a little peculiar.

By no means is it cheap, either – even at that £10k per set less than its highest-end rivals, there’s still plenty of margin in its price. But what matters is that if they answer a question your 4x4 usage asks, these tracks are probably a solution whose cost-benefit result will tell you just to get out there and buy it. Whether you drive a onetonne pick-up or something else, ACF isn’t just making tracks – it’s making inroads.

17/12/2019 23:37

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•

BLACK TO THE FUTURE There was a time when the Mitsubishi L200 was Britain’s top-selling pick-up truck – and the one you were most likely to see being modified for off-road adventures. Built by PB Customs, this slick looking Series 5 is a throwback to those days – and a pointer to a future when more off-road enthusiasts then ever before will be seeing themselves in vehicles just like this Words: Dan Fenn Pictures: Harry Hamm

O

ver the last few years, the Ford Ranger has become the pick-up you’re most likely to see being prepared for serious off-road use.

But before 2012, the Mitsubishi L200 ruled the roost. Back in the late nineties, it was the truck that started the double-cab revolution in the UK, and a few years after that we started seeing the first modified examples emerging from the nation’s workshops.

To start with, pick-ups seemed big and ungainly. There wasn’t much around in the way of kit for them, either, which didn’t help as being near-standard made them all the more vulnerable.

Yet everyone who used a pick-up off-road seemed very pleased with it. Pleased and, truth be told, often surprised by how capable they were.

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17/12/2019 23:16

A Safari Snorkel is pretty much de rigeur on a build like this. Beyond it, you can see a very cool cargo rack from Rival – which plays host to a hybrid duplex LED bar and strobe lights from Wilderness Lighting

Over time, we started to see more and more L200s being built for off-roading. And as a vehicle it has become better with the passing of time, too. One of the big advances was the move from torsion bars to coil springs – meaning you could at last lift the front suspension and still be able to hit a bump without losing all your teeth.

By the time the current model came out, Mitsubishi had smoothed off the edges and the L200 was a slick, refined vehicle with SUV skills and off-road ability in equal measure. High-spec models have traction control instead of a locking rear diff, which is a bit rubbish, but that’s something we’ve been grumbling about for more than a decade so we don’t suppose it’s going to change.

And you can always get the good stuff by jumping in to the aftermarket, anyway.

4x4 4pp PB L200.indd 35

Talking of which, this here L200 is the first modded example we’ve featured of the current model. When we say ‘current’, we know it’s just been revised in quite a big way, but we’re referring to the model that made its debut in 2015 and which is ultimately the same truck.

The vehicle’s owner had already had it for three years when he decided he wanted to do something to enhance its ability off-road. Not that he had coddled it up to then: ‘I had pretty good experience with it as stock for off-road and towing use,’ he says.

This was real-world stuff, too. ‘My family run a business which requires driving along a shingle beach, often towing,’ he continues. ‘We’ve found the wider tyres float better than the more narrow Land Rover classics, which used to dig in.

‘I also live at the end of really bumpy dirt road, and getting home in anything other than a 4x4 is challenging. I wanted a truck that could tow a horse box comfortably and be suitable for a yearly trek to the French Alps for skiing – so quite a range of functions!’

What he wanted was to enhance the L200’s existing skills so that he could keep on using it without storing up a load of problems for the future. A belt-and-braces job, in other words – and the sort which people tend to trust to the experts.

As experts go, Paul Brown at PB Customs definitely is one. We’ve seen a few of the company’s builds in these pages, and something they have in common is attention to detail.

They’re built to last, too. Which is an easy thing to say when you’re talking about a bumper that

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17/12/2019 23:16

Above: The winch bumper from Rival is incredibly strong and could almost be called discreet. It’s certainly slimline compared to some of the monstrosities you see. There’s a a 20” Wilderness Solo LED bar mounted up top – and beneath it is a Tabor 10s winch from Warn Below: ARB’s Summit rear bumper is quite a discreet looking thing, too – but if you try running into it, you’ll soon learn that it’s nothing if not solid. With such a long overhang, protecting the back bodywork on a pick-up will always be a priority – this thing could ride its way down a rock ledge and the only evidence would be a sadder looking rock ledge

Pick-ups are known for many things, among them a terrible breakover angle. Even with plenty of ground clearance, you don’t need to go far off-road for stuff to start feeling pretty vulnerable under there. The answer is… well, to be careful. First with the way you drive, and second with the way you prep the vehicle. A full set of heavy-duty underbody plates from Rival definitely counts as the latter, protecting the front axle, sump, transmission and fuel tank as well as providing a load-bearing skid that helps the vehicle off-road by preventing it from getting hung up on things like rocks and tree stumps would come out on top in a head-on stack with an incoming meteorite, but how many gnarly off-road weapons do you see that come on strong with all that gear but, a few years down the line, end up looking crustier than a crab’s carapace?

That won’t happen here. Job one was to give the vehicle a comprehensive Dinitrol wax job underneath: there’s not many better ways of stopping old rust in its tracks, not indeed of stopping new rust from happening in the first place.

Sticking with the protection theme, the L200 has also received a full exterior Raptor treatment, using the company’s tintable paint – complete with decals, which go on using a technique Paul developed himself. If you want it to look just like this, you go to PB Customs.

And there’s yet more protection to talk about, though this time it’s made of metal so that’s okay.

Underneath, there’s a full set of Rival bash plates protecting the front axle, sump, transmission and

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4x4 17/12/2019 23:16

Suspension is by Old Man Emu, with extended-length coil-overs at the front and higher-arch leaves at the back. You’re looking at enough lift for the vehicle to rock a set of 33x12.50R18 Radar Renegade R/Ts, with bolt-look wheelarch flares keeping it legal with the wider tyres fuel tank – and as well as being able to take hits from rocks, tree stumps and so on, this provides a long, flat ‘hull’ which can slide over the terrain rather than getting hooked up. No small matter when you’re talking about a wheelbase so long it has two postcodes.

Rival also makes the front bumper, a heavy-duty affair with the sort of tow hooks that could anchor a battleship. If you own a pair of X-ray specs, you’ll see that there’s a Warn Tabor 10s winch squirrelled away in there, too. And of course there’s a light bar mounted on it, as there is on the roof rack – another Rival item, and both the lights are from the same source too. Wilderness Lighting, since you asked.

Moving to the rear of the vehicle, the typical overhanging pick-up bed is protected by a heavy-duty Summit bumper from ARB. This is a very popular choice for pick-up builds, as it looks relatively discreet but is so strong it might as well be part of the chassis. When it comes to subtlety, in any case, there’s something else that you might well have missed altogether – a set of yet more Wilderness LEDs, which are mounted flush in the tailgate.

Something you certainly will have noticed is the L200’s tyres, not least because they’re covered by wheelarch flares with a very boy-racer stylee exposed bolt design. The tyres themselves are 33x12.50 in size, which is pretty familiar in off-roacing circles, but they sit on an 18” rim

which certainly isn’t. The suspension is lifted to make room for the bigger rubber, though not by an excessive amount – the main thing to note here is that Paul is a big believer in Old Man Emu equipment, and seeing the way the L200 handles at speed on loose and rough tracks should be enough to make you one too.

Helping the vehicle ask questions of its suspension is a remap for its 2.4-litre engine – which gets its air via a Safari Snorkel, protecting it from spray and dust as much as the danger of catastrophic water intake.

Talking of catastrophic stuff, high-spec pickups tend to emerge from the factory adorned with enough chrome to rank somewhere between tacky and horrific. So we’ve got to applaud this owner’s taste, because he asked for all the shiny stuff to be specced back to gloss black. Add in a black sports hoop and roller shutter, plus of course the wonderfully understated ruggedness of the Raptor paint finish, and you have a truck that looks as good parked up as it does when it’s chucking mud and water in all directions.

Which of course is one of the reasons why people started turning to pick-ups in the first

place. They’ve always had the right stuff off-road, and now that makes them increasingly rare – so it’s a very happy coincidence that they also look absolutely wicked.

That’s especially true when you mod them up for action – and in particular when your spec sheet includes the Raptor treatment PB Customs does so well. This truck is a throwback to the days when L200s ruled the pick-up roost – and a future vision of what more and more of Britain’s off-road enthusiasts will be aiming to achieve with their next project.

Talking of which, what did this L200’s owner think of it once it came back to him from the workshop? ‘Paul at PB Customs has been amazing,’ is the fairly unequivocal verdict. ‘He nailed the brief and the budget and managed my random thoughts and inspirations as they came up.

‘He made a call on the bigger wheel size which was 100% right on. It took more effort and was a bit of a risk, but I think it really fits the truck.’

Safe to say, we’re looking at a happy customer here. And at an L200 which proves that even if it doesn’t have things all its own way any more, Mitsubishi is still right in the game.

Why are we showing you a chassis rail?

Because the whole vehicle has been treated to Dinitrol wax protection underneath, that’s why. You’re looking at an L200 that’s been prepped to last, however much of a wasting it takes off-road

4x4 4pp PB L200.indd 37

17/12/2019 23:16

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T&C’s apply. Official fuel consumption figures for the Mercedes-Benz Van range in mpg (l/100km): urban 26.9 - 60.1 (10.5 - 4.7), extra urban 31.7 67.3 (8.9 - 4.2), combined 29.7 - 65.7 (9.5 - 4.3). Combined CO₂ emissions: 112 - 249 g/km.

The indicated values were determined according to the prescribed measurement method. These are the “NEDC CO2 values” according to New European Driving Cycle (NEDC). For more information on these values and how they have been calculated please see www.mercedes-benz.co.uk/vans/en/WLTP Official EU-regulated test data are provided for comparison purposes and actual performance will depend on driving style, road conditions, chosen optional extras and other non-technical factors.

Midlands Truck & Van Ltd, Wheler Road, Off Humber Road, Whitley, Coventry, CV3 4LA, Tel: 02476 217266, Birmingham, Coventry, Wolverhampton, www.midlandstruckvan.com, info@midlandstruckvan.com. © Daimler 2019.

NOVEMBER 2019 | 23

4x4 02/10/2019 09:44 18/12/2019 17:09

4x4 4x4 4x4

TOR Folios and classifieds.indd 51

FEBRUARY 2020 | 39

18/12/2019 17:11

LABOUR OF LOVE

KAP is well known for its pick-up conversions to the old-shape Suzuki Jimny.

But when the company set out to do the same for the new model, the job turned out to be much more involved than it first appeared. A true labour of love – but take a look and you’ll fall in love with it yourself, too Words: Paul Looe Pictures: Vic Peel

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4x4 18/12/2019 12:23

I

n the world of Suzuki off-roaders, Keighley-based specialist KAP has a reputation for doing it a bit differently to the rest.

For one thing, the company’s vehicles are never less than beautifully turned out. For another, they’ve got lengthy form for cutting up brand new cars. And most of all, they’re the company that invented the Landmaster – the Jimny pick-up that’s become a smash hit with estate owners and agricultural users the length and breadth of the land.

What you’re looking at here is KAP’s latest demo vehicle. And it definitely ticks all three of the boxes mentioned above. But it’s unique in itself, too: it’s the very first Landmaster to be built from a new-shape Jimny.

This makes it a rarity by definition, because that’s what the new Jimny itself is. The words ‘waiting’ and ‘list’ come to mind. How many of them have had their back bodies chopped up with just 10 miles on the clock? Well, there’s this one…

Given that KAP’s Jimny arrived from the dealer last January, when the vehicle was brand-new to these shores, it would have been very easy for them to rush it in a bid to ride the wave of interest in the vehicle. They already had a pick-up bed in the design cupboard, after all.

But Darren Wilson, who owns the company, wasn’t about to cut any corners. ‘I wanted to change the design from our original Jimny,’ he says. ‘I didn’t want it to look like we’d just nailed on the pick-up bed we use for that.’

So instead, they got to work on an all-new one.

And it was a LOT of work. The back body was CAD designed and fabricated using laser-cut panels, then lined using 2mm chequer plate with a powder-coated satin black base.

Beneath the bed, the factory rear arches were trimmed to fit then colour-coded in pewter metallic to match the grille and bumpers. And talking of bumpers, the rear one was made from scratch

by KAP, again using CAD, to incorporate the tail lights taken from the standard vehicle when it was being cut up. As a result of all this, while KAP offers a dropside option on its original-shape Jimny conversions this one has fixed sides and a simple tailgate.

If all this is sounding like a lot of work, though, take a look at the back of the cab. Looks like it came out of the factory that way, doesn’t it? That

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Left, above: Having been CAD designed, laser-cut and fabricated inhouse, the pick-up bed ought to be good. And it is, from its strong construction and alloy chequer plate to its powder-coasted satin black base Below: You’re looking at the fruits of some serious labour here. In standard form, the Jimny’s rear door and high-level stop light are both off-centre, which works in station wagon form but would look totally out of it ahead of a pick-up bed. All the metal around the back of the vehicle is new, with even the seam having had to be extensively remade; there’s literally nothing here that could be done the easy way

of course is exactly what you’re supposed to think – but in fact, the only thing there left over from the standard Jimny are the window and high-level stop light.

‘A lot of thinking went into it before cutting it up,’ says Darren. ‘And it took a lot of metal work to make it look factory-standard.’

Don’t believe him? Get this. On the standard Jimny, the rear window is offset. So the mounting

5pp KAP Jimny Pick-up.indd 42

frame had to be cut down one side in order to centre it. Having done that, the high-level brake light is off-centre too – so it had to be relocated and frenched in to the new window surround.

That paragraph probably took you about ten seconds to read. Pause to think about how long the jobs it describes must have taken to do, again considering that this is all new metalwork you’re looking at.

Want some more? The Jimny’s roof had to be shortened – but it’s wider at the centre than it is at the back, so you can’t just hacksaw your way down the middle and move it forward as it would no longer fit. Cue many, many hours of rolling new panel work to follow the swage line round the back of the cab.

And then there’s the seam at the top, where the sides of the cab meet the roof. It’s original in the

18/12/2019 12:23

Left: There’s not a look to look at in the Jimny’s cabin – except what you find behind the seats. Here, the carpet has been properly shortened and re-stitched for a professional looking finish. The rear of the cabin is double-skinned, too – Darren wasn’t about to compromise on factory-look quality by lashing up a sub-standard effort using the old back door Right: The original fuel neck is retained, though wth the rear body now missing it’s exposed beneath the pick-up bed. It’s still in its original position, though it’s now mounted using KAP’s own laser-cut bracket corners, but because the Jimny is narrower at the back it had to be remade too.

Remaking a whole seam. You didn’t get into off-roading for this, did you?

Darren was a bodywork specialist before he was an off-roader, but even he mutters kind of darkly about how much effort he had to put in to getting the Jimny looking the way it does.

The rear corners are still there to follow the swage line, but in order to complete it he butted in the sections of seam taken from the sides.

Another ten-second paragraph, another souldestroying labour of love if you’re the poor sod actually doing it.

Not that ‘poor sod’ is in any way an accurate description of Darren, because as a result of all this effort (and skill, don’t let’s forget), he’s now the owner of this liberally sensational Jimny. And

KAP has already received two customer orders as a result, so building it has already proved very good for business.

‘I wanted it to look more professional than if I’d just used the original back door,’ he reflects.

‘The rear cab is double-skinned, so it looks factory-standard inside.’ He even added inspection panels for access to the wiring in the corners, and properly shortened and stitched the carpet rather than just butchering it into shape and ending up with a load of padding in the wrong place as a result.

Elsewhere, the demo vehicle displays a number of other KAP modifications. It’s riding on +2.5” springs, for example, with extended brake hoses and a longer panhard rod to take account of the side-effects. KAP’s own lower shock mounts are in place, too: these relocate the units to agree

with the new suspension height, the alternative being to leave well alone and go through bushes faster than Warren Beatty used to go through, well, bushes.

The Jimny also runs a set of castor-corrected radius arms, though these aren’t KAP’s own. Darren took them from a vehicle he bought intact and stripped for its aftermarket parts, powder-coating them red to match the rest of the equipment he’s added to the new one.

You’ll also notice a twin-run tubular crossmember under the transmission, with a distinctive arch downwards. This is to allow the propshaft to fully cycle on its new, longer max droop – with the standard crossmember still in place, it would go bump before you knew it.

Not that you would need to add any of these adornments if you were ordering a truck like this

‘A lot of thinking went into it before cutting it up,’ says Darren. ‘And it took a lot of metal work to make it look factory-standard’

4x4 5pp KAP Jimny Pick-up.indd 43

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18/12/2019 12:24

The Jimny rides on a +2.5” suspension lift achieved by KAP’s own spring and shock package, augmented by extended panhard rods to prevent it from pulling the vehicle off-centre. Note also the fabricated lower shock mounts – these realign the units to prevent their bushes from getting trashed. Castor-corrected radius arms were stripped from a vehicle Darren bought to plunder for its accessories, while the high-clearance crossmember is KAP’s own – as are the extended brake flexis, which are braided, teflon-coated and equipped with stainless steel fixings from KAP. The Jimny is a willing little thing in standard form, and most people ordering pick-up conversion are looking for something to do a job of work on the land rather than an off-road hero for trials or challenge events. Though one of these would make a pretty wicked base for that kind of build if you wanted to push it all the way…

Talking of pushing it, Darren says he’s thinking about supercharging this one. And fitting bigger brakes, which sounds like a bit of cause and ef-

5pp KAP Jimny Pick-up.indd 44

fect. Our feeling about the new Jimny is that like the old one, you need to do something about the overall gearing in low range if you want to off-road it properly, too, and Darren wouldn’t argue.

Something else he wouldn’t argue about is the fact that the big problem with the new Jimny is that ridiculous waiting time. If Suzuki’s British importer can sort that out (and we have to acknowledge that in the face of galloping demand back home in Japan, there’s only so much they

can do), this is going to be an incredibly popular vehicle among this country’s off-road fans – and the more common they become, the more orders KAP will be getting for its Landmaster builds.

For now, conversions to the old-shape Jimny will continue to be the company’s bread and butter. But its customers tend to have money to spend, and they tend to be people who know exactly what they want. And if you don’t want this truck, you’re not normal.

18/12/2019 12:24

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4x4 18/12/2019 17:07

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02/12/2019 15:56

DISCOVERY 3: WORTH THE RISK?

Land Rover rewrote the rule book when it launched the Discovery 3. But it also created a vehicle which went on to gain a fearsome reputation for costing a fortune to maintain. So how easy is it to find one now that won’t be a money pit – and does its long list of capabilities make it worth taking the risk?

Words: Mike Trott Pictures: Steve Taylor, Alan Kidd and Mike Trott

T

he Land Rover Discovery gets sneered at a lot by people who either want a Defender or nothing, or don’t want a Land Rover at any cost. However it sold in enormous numbers – and as they got older, the live-axled Disco 1 and 2 offered a temptingly high-value

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4.5 Disco 3 AWAITING AD.indd 48

way of getting your hands on a vehicle with Solihull’s best off-road engineering and some actual creature comforts besides.

When the Discovery 3 came along (and this was now a decade and a half ago), it offered something different. Very different – whether it had Land Rover’s best off-road engi-

neering was something people have been arguing about every since, but what was certainly true was that it had the company’s very latest offroad technology.

That’s not really a word you associated with the reassuringly analogue Discovery 1. But in addition to the air suspension that had been

appearing on Land Rover products for more than a decade by then, here we were looking at a Discovery with an electronically actuated handbrake and a set of off-road driving modes called Terrain Response.

Both these features have become staple parts of the company’s engineering language since then.

4x4 18/12/2019 13:22

Off-roading accessories have been available for the Discovery 3 for several years, but the market is growing all the time. This heavyduty winch bumper, which joined the Britpart range last month, is among the most recent items to have come on the market

But they were just two ways in which the Discovery 3 reached unheard-of levels of complexity.

People were wary about this even when the Disco 3 was brand new and attracting rave reviews from a doting media. This was a vehicle whose entire viability was at the mercy of electronics created by the

4x4 4.5 Disco 3 AWAITING AD.indd 49

company that brought us the Disco 2 and its infamous Three Amigos, after all. And sure enough, in the 15 years that have passed it has come to be feared, dreaded, shunned and referred to almost ubiquitously as a money pit.

But it has also come to be cheap.

Even a well looked after Discovery

3 with the right mileage, spec and history won’t cost you a fortune, unless you’re that guy who the dealer hopes is out there when he places his ad; there are loads of leggy ones around for less than £6000 and, unless you’re after an original G4 Challenge model, even the best low-milers shouldn’t cost you more than twice that.

Stretch your budget further, and good examples of the similar but improved (and even more complex) Discovery 4 will be on your radar.

Even this starts at around five grand for an early one on huge miles.

But let’s stick with the Discovery 3 for now. It’s plentiful, it’s capable off-road, it’s a lot of truck for your money, you can get kit for modding it and there’s a huge network of independents who can sort all those problems with their eyes closed by now – and who’ll do it without having your trousers down. But it still has that reputation for being a money pit.

So. Should you? Is the Disco 3 worth the risk?

To answer that question, we got hold of a few of those independents – the sort of people who know the Discovery 3 inside out and have to deal with their quirks on a daily basis. People like Chris Osborn of Keith Gott Land Rovers.

‘These Disco 3s make for a great work hack,’ he says. ‘They’re a good size and practical, particularly with the seven seats, and they have a great towing capacity. The 2.7-litre TDV6 is very popular as well and the auto box is smooth too.

‘On the down side, the maintenance bills can be pretty high. Some

of the problems involve the wheel bearings, the suspension components and the air compressor. They’ve since released a modified compressor from AMK, though, which replaces the original Hitachi ones.

‘I have seen major blow-ups from the TDV6, but often it’s not through any fault of their own. A lack of servicing and maintenance is often to blame, but if you look after them properly they’ll hold their own and you can get more than 200,000 miles from them. Off-road, it’s a good all-round vehicle – no Defender, of course, but the Disco 3 is a vast improvement on the Disco 2 and has actually got a sensible-sized engine.’

Chris isn’t the only one to argue that the vehicle is far from perfect.

‘There is a list of problems you’re likely to encounter,’ says Terry Fones, owner of Ultimate 4x4 Specialists.

‘The low arms will start knocking, anti-roll bar bushes disintegrate, handbrakes are a pain and tyre wear is bad. When you change the cam belt, you’re likely to have to change the oil pump with it, otherwise you’ll have more problems.’

Changing the cam belts on a TDV6 is already an infamous business as it is. There’s a popular myth that it’s a body-off job – it’s not, not necessarily, but many choose to do it this way as they find it quickest and easiest. Which says a lot about the alternatives.

For years now, it’s been common to see TDV6-engined Discovery 3s up for sale on just below the 100,000 miles, mark. This is because the cam belts are due just

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18/12/2019 13:22

Being all-independently sprung, the Disco 3 made an instant enemy of every Land Rover traditionalist who clapped eyes on it. But although it did rely to a great extent on electronic trickery for its off-road ability, its front and rear wheels had more vertical travel than you would once have believed possible on a vehicle without beam axles afterwards – and people would rather get rid than spring for the job.

Having said all that, anyway, Terry would still recommend the Disco 3. ‘At the end of the day, it’s a three tonne plus car and big cars mean big maintenance. But they are comfortable, good off-road and, provided you drive sensibly like one of my customers did, you can get up to 45mpg if you’re on the motorway cruising at 65mph.’

On a vehicle that’s basically a Range Rover Sport on dress-down Friday, having to lumber along in the slow lane just to keep your fuel use tolerable might not be seen as acceptable. But you don’t need to look far to find other people queuing up to praise the Disco 3.

‘I think the Discovery is the best model Land Rover has ever made,’ says Stuart Oakden, owner of LR Servicing in Nottingham. A bold statement, but then if anyone should have a valuable opinion on the Discovery through the ages, it’d be Stuart. He thinks the Disco 3 is a ‘marvellous piece of kit’ – and that’s having owned an example of every Discovery Land Rover has made.

‘I thought it looked like a Transit when it came out,’ he continues, ‘but it has grown on me. I bought a Discovery 3 five years ago and ran it for three years. I spent a bit on getting it right but after that it was fine, aside from pads and tyres, and I sold it for only £1000 less than I bought it for.

‘It’s a very comfortable vehicle, much quieter and quicker than the Td5, and has great pulling power. It’s a cracking engine. We offer a remapping service, too, which boosts power from 190bhp to 240bhp and improves fuel economy!

‘Don’t get me wrong, it’s not for the DIY man. You need some kit to set the servicing lights right and they can be expensive to run. But I’ve always said you don’t service Land Rovers, you maintain them.

I’ve had that same view for 28 years.

Even so, I’ve only replaced a dozen air suspension bags and I’ve done a few turbos as well. Generally, it’s a great all-round vehicle.’

Bob Jackson is the owner of Metal Monster Junk, which breaks

Disco 3s for parts. He’s also a member of the Disco 3 Owners Club and is no stranger to using them as a daily drive.

‘The way Land Rover moved forward from the D2 to D3 is great,’ says Bob. ‘It has a lot more in common with a Range Rover P38 than a D2.’ Bob has concerns about the TDV6 engine and suspension, though. He reckons this is because Land Rover, at the time, was using components not developed by the now thriving JLR group. The engine, for example, also cropped up in the Citroen C5 and Peugeot 407.

Like Chris, Bob is another fan of the AMK compressor. ‘It’s a far better design and more reliable. We sell a lot of conversion kits and strongly advise customers to upgrade for the extra £150 to the “fit and forget” AMK model.

‘The TDV6 engine is prone to oil pump failure,’ Bob continues.

‘People replace the pumps thinking they’ll be safe, but don’t replace the pulleys or bearings at the same time. The problem then is that these go and the crank or bearings die – which will end up costing you around £3500-4000 for a reliable, reputable garage to supply and fit a replacement engine.’

But Bob needn’t worry about that.

Because while everyone is fixated on the TDV6, he has always run Discovery 3s with the other engine Land Rover offered: the 4.4 V8.

There are far, far fewer of these around – which means it’s that much harder to find one whose mileage doesn’t read like a book of the Old Testament. But the engine was reserved for high-spec HSE models, and none of these will ever have been the choice of anyone wanting a truck to mod, abuse or put to hard work.

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The Discovery 3’s interior was astonishing when it was new, and it still feels special now. It’s stylishly designed and, in high-spec models, extremely well appointed – and both the rear two rows of seats could accommodate fully grown adults or fold flat to create an almost van-like loading area

Obviously, the petrol V8 engine was a gas-guzzling beast. But Bob has the solution. ‘You can fit a Prins LPG system for around £1800,’ he says. ‘You’ll recoup that within around six to eight months if you do enough miles – then after that they’re pretty damn cheap to run.’

So, could this be the answer? Find a cosseted V8 with the right mileage and history, then invest early in an LPG kit and an AMK compressor (or replace the air suspension

altogether with coil-overs, as many have done on V8s and TDV6s alike), and maybe you’ll have a truck that’s set to last a lifetime the way a Land Rover should.

No, it won’t be without its problems. Those lower arms will start to knock anyway, the anti-roll bar bushes will let go and the handbrake will see you coming. But you’ll be spared some of the major headaches that come with TDV6 ownership, and all else being equal

a V8 will cost you significantly less to buy than a diesel.

It could be, then, that yes, choosing a V8 is the way to make the Disco 3 worth the risk. But this will never be a cheap vehicle to run, however you look at it. None of our experts try to suggest otherwise – instead, they point out how much it gives you for your money.

And for a final word, we’ll turn to not a Land Rover Specialist but a professional overlander. Russ Dykes

of ARD 4x4 Adventures has used many different Land Rovers as well as a Jeep Wrangler in his line of work, and he describes his current Discovery 4 as ‘the best vehicle for the job I have ever driven.’

Okay, so that’s the D4 rather than the D3, but once again these are vehicles defined by their similarities rather than their differences. As if to prove that point, Russ continues: ‘On my recent Balkans trek there were more prepped up D3/4s about

Above left: The 2.7 TDV6 engine was lovely, and it suited the Disco 3 down to the ground. Changing its cam belts wasn’t very lovely at all, on the other hand, and other catastrophic failures are not unheard of Above right: The petrol-powered 4.4 TDV8 only ever sold in low numbers, thanks to a thirst for fuel that made people shudder even back in the days before the economy crashed. Those you’ll find today will be under the bonnet of high-spec models with all the kit – and they’re far less likely than the equivalent TDV6 to have been worked hard. It tends to be a more dependable engine, too – find a good one and invest in an LPG conversion, and you might have found the answer to the big question…

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There’s plenty here to make Discovery 3 owners break out in a cold sweat. For one, you can clearly see an air spring behind the wheel – and while the springs themselves know what they’re doing, the original compressors are infamous. Upgraded replacements are now commonly offered by the aftermarket – and you can even get complete kits with which to convert the whole vehicle back to steel coil springs.

Another scary sight here is that of the Disco 3’s parking brakes.

Chucking the tried and trusted mechanical unit the company had always used and replacing it with something so high-tech and modern was sure to result in trouble some way down the line, and so it turned out when electronic actuators started to let go. Once again, the aftermarket has found ways of dulling the pain than any other overland truck. I am talking seeing seven on one day!’

So people are discovering the Discovery, and with the increased availability of equipment with which to modify the vehicle, that appears set to continue. And all those people clearly do think it was worth the risk.

Find a good one, and you might join their ranks. Shop around, choose with care and even then, accept that the bills will be hefty, and at least owning a Disco 3

shouldn’t bring with it too many nasty surprises.

But what might surprise you is just how good a vehicle it actually is. Many off-roaders who could comfortably afford a Discovery 3 have never even sat in one, simply because they’ve assumed it’s not the truck they want.

So maybe it’s not the vehicle that needs to be worth the risk. Maybe it’s opening your own mind to what that vehicle can actually do…

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THE OTHER GRAND CANYON Just a day’s drive from the UK, the Gorge du Verdon is a true wonder of the natural world.

Words: Barrie Dunbar Pictures: Barrie and Louis Dunbar

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.

And there’s a new adventure tour available to help 4x4 owners see it at its best…

H

ow does an overland trip to the Grand Canyon sound?

Amazing, but with quite a large ocean in the way if you want to do it in your own vehicle.

But there’s another grand canyon.

And you can take your truck there and back in a week, with nothing more inconvenient than a Channel crossing to slow you down.

When you first looked at the photos on this page, where did you think they were taken? Somewhere in the US heartland, the Middle East or deep inside Russia, perhaps?

Well, they’re not from Surrey – but this stunning landscape is to be found much closer to home than any of those places.

I started exploring the Gorge du Verdon in response to increasing client requests for an overseas tour of shorter duration than the customary two or three weeks.

Looking for somewhere suitable for British-based 4x4 drivers with just a week’s holiday to spare, I focused on the south of France – and soon found myself convinced that this magnificent part of Provence would be perfect.

The upshot is that my company, Active 4x4 Adventures, is now offering a fabulous new five-day tour in the heart of Provence.

Fully catered, as is usual for us, it concentrates on two natural wonders – the Gorge du Verdon and the enticing Lac du Sainte-Croix.

On the north side of the Gorge du Verdon, the Route des Gorges snakes westward from the vibrant town of Castellane, via the aptly named Point Sublime lookout at the entrance to the canyon, through the charming Provencal village of La Palud sur Verdon. Here, if you have the time, the way to make the most of the route is to turn south onto the D71 to include the Route des Crêtes circuit via Chalet de la Maline. The route runs as far as Moustiers Sainte-Marie, bypassing and overlooking the top end of the turquoise Lac du Sainte- Croix on its winding way.

These are stunning roads. But our customers will get something more besides – a kayaking adventure

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The colours of Provence take many forms, all of them beautiful – its towns are full of gentle pastel shades, its farmland is a rich carpet of honeyed hues and the endless fields of lavender are as soothing on the eye as they are fragrant on the nose. Among the many species of exotic wildlife you might see around the Gorge du Verdon, the Griffin Vulture is one of the most common. These birds were reintroduced to the region in 1999 and have gone on to become a shining success for local rewilding programmes from Lac du Sainte-Croix up into the Gorge du Verdon itself. It’s an absolutely exceptional experience.

The equally impressive Route de la Corniche Sublime on the south side of the gorge can be reached from the Route des Gorges by turning south off the D952 on to the D957, a few kilometres before Moustiers Sainte-Marie. Crossing the Pont de Galetas bridge over the Verdon river en route, one turns east on to the D71 at the town of Aiguines – base for the annual Var Verdon Canyon Challenge, a brilliant 60-kilometre adventure running race through some of the most demanding terrain imaginable.

Proceeding eastward along the Route de la Corniche Sublime, one is rewarded with wonderful lookout points at Col d’Illoire, Roc du Maillet, Margès Vaumale and Belvedere des Bauchers, before passing through the imposing Tunnels du Fayet approaching the Canyon de l’Artuby.

The bridge over the Artuby river,

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the Pont de l’Artuby, is the highest in Europe at 182 metres – 600 feet in old money, and high enough to make your head spin however you look at it. If you really do want to add a serious thrill to your trip, however, you can take a bungee jump off the bridge – it costs €130 (a bit less per person for groups) and you’ll need to be prepared for a strenuous hike back up again, but if you thirst for a world-class adrenaline hit that’ll be a small price to pay.

On to the actual 4x4 adventure tour, then! This features plentiful spectacular off-road driving through diverse and varied terrain. The warm and wonderful Mediterranean countryside, blanketed with sunflower and lavender fields, provides numerous opportunities for swimming in rivers and rock pools – it’s spectacular and awe-inspiring, but equally it’s beautiful, bucolic and, with short days of driving, a wonderfully chilled experience for the whole family, young and old alike.

It’s all about enjoying the splendour of the natural environment as you immerse yourself in the most beautiful region of the south of France. Here’s a brief synopsis of the tour, hurriedly jotted down during the course of my recce…

Day 1: We meet at a lovely campsite in the Gorge du Verdon, with its own beach on the river bank. A veritable paradise, it’s just a few miles down the river from Castellane.

Setting off on quiet, narrow roads which take us up the mountain, we’re soon leaving the tarmac and heading on to excellent gravel tracks through fragrant pine forests with splendid views of the Provencal mountains and valleys. An outstanding first day culminates at an authentic rural campsite, located on the river Asse. This is a fabulous place for young kids to play, and it has its own swimming pool – itself something to behold, as it’s more like a natural lake!

Day 2: More outstanding gravel track take us further through the pine forests, while others lure us across open land with seemingly endless fields of lavender to either side. The fragrance is almost intoxicating, quite literally perfuming the air. If you don’t mind a little dust in your car, you would be missing out by not keeping the windows open.

We pass sprawling commercial fruit growing operations towards the end of the day – Provence is home to some of Europe’s largest apple orchards – before finishing at another lovely rustic campsite.

This one’s pool area even includes a massive waterslide to enjoy!

Day 3: Today we pass through Sisteron. Beautifully sited on the bank of the river Durance (France’s longest – bet you didn’t know that…), the town is known as the Gateway to Provence because of its position in a gap between two mountain ridges.

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Later on we enjoy yet more fabulous driving conditions – including tracking a lengthy river gorge, which reminded me of those in the Anti-Atlas of Morocco.

Olives, sunflowers and lavender are prominent throughout, as are multitudes of beehives – their occupants busily producing copious quantities of the delicious, sweet Provencal lavender honey that’s available at the numerous roadside farm stalls.

The days concludes with some moderately challenging, steep mountain tracks which deliver us to another perfect campsite – this time a peaceful little natural wilderness, tucked away in a secluded valley shaded by ancient European hardwoods. For those who treasure nature, you won’t find a better appointed campsite than this.

Day 4: Yet more great off-road driving takes us up hill and down dale, through the balmy, heat- hazed countryside. There are some slightly challenging, stony sections of mountain track on this part of the route; a heavily laden vehicle might thank you for dropping it into low range, but the tour is 100% suitable for all standard 4x4s provided they are not weighted down with unnecessary paraphernalia. Whether or not you travel with Active 4x4 Adventures, that’s good advice – take what you need, of course, but remember that travelling light is

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always easier on your vehicle.

Following a day of blissful exploration, we relax and unwind at another select campsite. This is another area in which it pays to be part of a previously recced-out tour – choosing the right campsites is paramount, considering how much time is actually spent there, and we’ve gone to great lengths to get this just right.

Day 5: This is a day of mostly agricultural terrain, generously sprinkled with lavender and sunflowers, and one which provides an interesting insight into the agronomy of the region – not least the clearly significant investment in irrigation infrastructure. The availability of water is visibly not a problem, with the profusion of rivers, lakes, dams and the like – but it is the transportation and distribution of the water which is so impressive, overcoming the many challenges of the arid conditions.

Shortly after lunch, we reach the azure waters of Lac du Sainte-Croix.

This is where it’s time to swap 4x4s for kayaks (or pedalos, if you prefer) for a different kind of adventure on the lake, and up-river into the Gorge du Verdon.

The splendour of the landscape viewed from on the water is just incredible. To view the canyon from above, as he have done earlier in the tour, is awe-inspiring: to see it from the river below is just phenomenal.

What a way to finish our adventure. As if the driving wasn’t already first class, this really is the cherry on top!

I had a truly wonderful time doing the recce for this tour.

And if you enjoy exploring the beauty of unspoilt nature in your 4x4 but want to do more than just be driving all day every day, you and your family will find it perfect. There are loads of options for additional activities – and as previously mentioned, it’s suitable for all standard 4x4s.

Want to know more about our 5-day Fully Catered 4x4 Provence Adventure Tours? Come to active4x4adventures.com and you’ll find out everything you need to know. It’s already proving popular, though, so you’re advised to book early – I very much hope to welcome you along!

Active 4x4 Adventures’ Fully Catered 5-day 4x4 Adventure Tours to Provence run on 25-29 May and 27-31 July 2020. These are Monday-Friday dates, allowing you to spend the weekends travelling to and from the area – meaning working parents can treat their families to an exhilarating 4x4 adventure requiring only a week off.

Having said that, if you’ve going all that way we’d highly recommend taking a bit more time so you can explore the area further as well. In particular, there are two outstanding road routes either side of the Gorge du Verdon; the Route des Gorges (D952) on the northern side, with its circuitous Route des Crêtes (D23), and the Route de la Corniche Sublime (D71) on the southern side. Both provide absolutely breathtaking views of Europe’s limestone ‘Grand Canyon’ from above, each as spectacular as the other.

Active 4x4 Adventures provides unique, fully catered 4x4 tours, all of which include exciting adventure activities such as rafting, kayaking, zip-lines and quad biking at no additional cost. The prices it quotes are all-inclusive. To find out more, visit active4x4adventures.com.

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THE MARVELS OF MONGOLIA Bigger than any European nation but with a population of just 2.5 million, Mongolia is as

Words and pictures: Betty van Breukelen and Gerard van Vliet

W

e’ve been lucky enough to explore many different countries during the lifetime we’ve spent on the road aboard our Toyota Landcruiser. Some of them are seldom seen by overland

travellers – and Mongolia is certainly among them.

Yet this is one of the most evocative, beautiful and welcoming lands you could ever visit. We covered some 4000 miles there during the course of two and a half months in 2010 – and for

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close as you can get to seeing what the world looked like before mankind came along

The authors’ first and last ovoo ritual: The idea is to walk around the cairn in a certain pattern then add a stone of your own to the top, and as a traveller it will bring you luck. Clearly, it worked, because the road was very kind to them during their time in Mongolia

overland expedition travel, it’s almost uniquely attractive.

This is because Mongolia is a big place. And the roads are almost always unsurfaced. Most are simply there because that’s the route people have taken for centuries; away from the larger towns and

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a few major routes, planned road building is almost unheard of.

It’s this, and the special landscape, that make Mongolia so attractive. A branch of the TransSiberian Railway runs through it en route from Irkutsk to Beijing, and towns and larger villages are

connected to the mobile phone network via satellite, but in rural areas life is very much as it always has been.

We hadn’t long crossed the border from Russia when we started seeing traditional yurts, the tents which have remained almost unchanged in use since the days of Ghengis Khan, and ovoos – huge cairns topped with prayer flags which are revered as sacred by Mongolian people.

Practically, they also serve as waymarkers in a country where road signs are rare!

Our plan was to head for the Gobi Desert in the south of the country.

But first, we had one of the most perfect camping experiences of our entire lives, sitting by a crackling wood fire next to a lake overlooked by snow-capped mountains. As the wind rustled through beautiful larch trees around us, a group of nomads on horseback came to visit. Friendly and curious, they saw our camera and offered to pose for pictures, even turning around on their horses to get the best angle in the setting sun, and expecting nothing in return.

And this was just our second night in Mongolia. The first full day’s driving had seen us climb high into the mountains, across barren steppes and up to a height of 2800 metres, from where we had a sweeping view of the white peaks around us and deep green valleys far below.

National parks are a very big deal indeed in Mongolia. The country has been at risk of being torn to shreds by western industry since the fall of the Iron Curtain, and much to their credit its leaders understand how important it is to balance development with conservation.

They’re not national parks in the European sense, though: they’re totally natural environments.

We entered our first, Altai Tavan Bogd National Park, via what can best be described as what was left of a bridge over a river which has clearly seen some violent times.

Parking in front of a closed gate, we were ushered into a yurt and given grain buttermilk to drink by the park warden’s family while he sorted out our tickets. The park is close to the Chinese frontier, so we needed border passes too.

Something else we needed was our Toyota’s snorkel. Everywhere, water was pouring down from the mountains and seeking a way to Lake Khoton on the plain below.

Where the tracks meet the many rivers, often there are wooden bridges – which, when they’re still intact, can lull you into a sense of false security – but rather than risking them in our heavy vehicle, we would usually find a fording point instead.

Normally, the water reached no higher than tyre height. The tricky part lay in avoiding large boulders

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The nomadic lifestyle is still common in rural Mongolia, though these days people often use motorbikes and UAZ 469s rather than horses. Yurts are still incredibly common, though – and on the inside, they’re far bigger and more homely than you might expect hidden beneath the surface – and, having scaled the bank on the far side, finding our way back to the track we’d been on.

The end of the lake is only four miles from China, and here a pair of border guards told us very strictly that when we got to the next junction, we must not turn left.

Understood… except where exactly was this junction? We ended up among some yurts, whose owners looked at our map and pointed back the way we’d come. Finding a faint trace in the right direction, we followed it and next thing we knew we’d come to a huge, ferocious and fast-flowing river.

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No way were we fording this, so we followed the bank until we found a long, narrow bridge made of tree branches. Would it hold a 3.5-ton Landcruiser? We’re very fortunate to have a bit of civil engineering knowledge on our side, and having examined the structure we were confident that we could cross. Correctly, we’re happy to say – this would be no place for miscalculations!

There was a bigger river ahead, this time with a much more permanent looking bridge… guarded by a large herd of goats who didn’t seem to understand that they need to get out of the way. These are the

hazards they don’t teach you about at off-roading school…

They do teach you about rock, mud, sand and water, all of which we had to drive across, or through, as our route went on. And that’s Mongolia: a delightful combination of scenic beauty, navigation and technical driving.

You can add regular vehicle checks to that list, too. One of them showed that a bolt securing the long-range fuel tank had sheared off. Not for the first time, either; we’d need to find a better solution next time we were home, but for now a trail fix was in order and the remaining three bolts were shored

up by ratchet straps lashing it to the chassis rails.

Back out of Altai Tavan Bogd, we found ourselves encountering traffic. Actual traffic! These days, Mongolian nomads use Russian-built UAZ 469s; you see them packed with families and, remarkably frequently, carrying a carpet on their bonnet. A guide we met told us that our arrival had coincided with an annual migration.

Following a lot of time bumping along in backed-dry ruts, our auxiliary fuel tank was holding firm.

But one of our shock absorbers had absorbed its last shock – the top mounting eye was no longer an eye

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but a question mark. We knew it could happen, and of course we had spares, so the next morning was dedicated to changing them.

As we were finishing up, a man appeared on horseback, greeted us then simply sat on his haunches and did nothing. He only comes to life when the spare wheel needed to be hoisted to the roof, whereupon he immediately jumped up to help.

Then we shook hands and went our separate ways.

Heading south-eat from Ölgii, we encountered some horrendous corrugations on the rough track.

The landscape was beautiful but

the going was very rough, and here and there there were steep, partially eroded climbs. And up ahead, we could see dark clouds emptying themselves on to the land…

Soon, we were ploughing through a big, muddy mess of huge puddles and murky pools. It had obviously been raining here for a good while, and soon the road disappeared into a muddy lake. Detours were not possible – and there was no way of knowing whether deep ruts dug by commercial vehicles were hidden under the water.

It was a little alarming but, to be honest, a lot of fun. Muddy but

undaunted, we finally reached a visible path once again – then after another mountain pass we dropped from 2500m down to 1700m in less than ten miles en route to the town of Khovd.

Beyond here, hours of rattling on more corrugations (this was the main road to the capital, Ulaanbaatar) worked one of our anti-roll bars loose. We made an impromptu camp while fixing the problem – after which all our troubles melted away to the sight of a beautiful rainbow and sunset.

We stopped for provisions in Darvi, a proper one-street town full

of men in long coats and boots.

The resemblance to a Wild West town was remarkable! And after that, the trail finally started making the transition into the Gobi Desert.

And guess what? We hit a beautiful, smooth road, one on which we could easily cruise at a steady 50mph through the parched, barren desert. This took us all the way to Altai, a town of some 16,000 people and the capital of the Gobi province, where we broke with our habit of always camping and checked in to the Hotel Altai. This isn’t what you’d call modern, but we fell in love with our room’s

Left: Mongolian bridges can look disarmingly rickety, and every so often you'll come across one that's been washed away in the middle.

But they're surprisingly strong – enough to take a 3.5-ton Landcruiser in many cases, though where there's the option of fording a river it's usually safest to do that instead

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'Let's go on a city break to Ulaanbaatar' is one of those 'said nobody ever' things. If you want to eyeball a giant mountainside carving of Ghengis Khan, though, it's on a shortlist of one. Elsewhere, the village architecture is a lot more rustic – and proves that there’s more to Mongolia than just yurts colourful rugs, curtains and, best of all, hot water!

If you were to describe Altai in one word, it would probably be ‘dusty.’ It’s not a pretty place. But as we progressed towards the Gobi Desert proper, Chandmanie and Bayantsagaan were wonderful, clustered around traditional stone buildings in village centres where there are shops selling everything from clothing, engine parts and satellite dishes to bicycles, soaps and food. All that was missing was chilled food, because the people look after that themselves with their animals; no problem, we’d do without that for a while.

Something else we found was that the people were much friendlier and more cheerful than in the west. Their yurts are smaller, too, with nicely decorated doors, and whereas everyone on that side of Mongolia drives UAZ 469s, here it’s all light trucks from China.

Well, light trucks and mopeds: we happened upon a father and son who were trying to get theirs to start, and made friends by helping them fire it up.

The next day: sand dunes! At last, real desert terrain! And it was wonderful to drive on after the relentless bumpy track that took us there. The sand was hard-packed, too, making it easy to drive on. And even easier to get lost in, as it turns out. Oops. Not to worry, power lines in the distance gave us a target and soon we were back on the track, after which the sand became gravel and we found ourselves first in a

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6pp Mongolia AKBVBGVV.indd 64

landscape of rolling mountains then winding for miles between the imposing dark brown and jet black rock walls of a deep gorge.

Pulling over to make camp for the night, a man on a motorbike stopped to warn us about animals that bite. That’s what we understood from his gestures, anyway. Did he mean scorpions? Snakes? The fabled Mongolian death worm? We were on our guard…

You tend to think of deserts as very uniform places, but we found that the Gobi is extremely varied. It’s a mixture of sand and rock, plains and mountains… and it’s not entirely deserted, either. In Gurvantes, we filled up at a strikingly modern fuel station en route to our next national park, Gurvansaikhan, whose wavelike sand dunes we could soon see in the distance.

As we progressed through a landscape of steppe, mountains and wonderful sand dunes, the wind started to pick up and storms approached from the south. Next thing we knew, it was dark all around us and the Landcruiser was being pelted by rain. The dry, red dust started to turn into mud, and watercourses started springing up before our eyes. It was aweinspiring, beautiful, a little scary… just like every desert in the world, really, only this time with some freak weather thrown in!

Earlier on, we spoke about how difficult it can be to find the correct route when following tracks in the Mongolian steppe. Interestingly, after a few weeks in the country

we found that we were always taking the right route first time, as if by instinct. We must have learned the ways of the desert!

That wasn’t enough to keep our front shocks alive, however. They had finally given up the ghost, which meant it was going to be a very bouncy ride to Ulaanbaatar – the

only place in Mongolia where we could get a new set.

That didn’t stop us from meeting more wonderful people, both Mongolians and fellow overlanders alike, seeing beautiful sights and enjoying idyllic camping spots. Well, some were more idyllic than others – the one where we had to move

4x4 16/12/2019 23:08

halfway through the evening after discovering how close we were to the carcass of a dead calf won’t go down as a classic…

The last few miles in to Ulaanbaatar were on tarmac, which came as a sort of relief – though we’d still been enjoying the copious surface water on the road up to then, even with duff shocks. The city itself is a sprawling metropolis, a mish-mash of modern buildings and traditional architecture – including, of course, the ubiquitous yurts.

Believe it or not, around half the nation’s entire population live in the city – and at times it seems like every single one of them is trying to

4x4 6pp Mongolia AKBVBGVV.indd 65

drive on the staggeringly congested roads all at the same time.

Having stopped at the airport to renew our visas, we headed for the Bayangol Hotel – which had been recommended by a tour guide we met along the way. We were given a lovely spacious room on the twelfth floor, with a splendid view of a vast hillside carving of Genghis Khan overlooking the city. We love overlanding, we love camping and we love being self-sufficient, but a hot shower and dinner in one of the country’s best restaurants was definitely a welcome pleasure!

Still, better not get used to the life of luxury… The following morning,

we drove to a camp site where we’d wait for our new shocks to arrive, and soon we were making friends with various other overlanders. One couple told us they had just been robbed on their way back from the market, in the process losing a camera with seven weeks’ worth of photos on it. Ouch.

Talking of things that make you go ouch, Gerard needed a dentist for some emergency work to replace a broken crown. We found one – a

German one, would you believe – and before long our team was sporting fully restored teeth and shock absorbers. All ready to round off our adventure in this unique nation with another meandering journey, this time through towering mountains, en route back to the Russian border.

In total we covered 6160 kilometres (3828 miles) in Mongolia, by far the majority of them offtarmac. And we lost count of the water crossings! The country is a paradise for overlanders, with driving, navigation and landscapes of the very highest order – as well as fabled hospitality of its rural people. We were less taken with those we met in the urban areas – but no-one ever went off to see the world’s cities in a 4x4, did they? For incredible, unspoilt landscapes and a traditional way of life that remains as unharmed as possible by contact with the modern day, Mongolia really is in a class of its own.

The authors must be among the best-travelled 4x4 drivers of all time.

Since 2002, they’ve been exploring almost non-stop, aboard a variety of vehicles and on every continent in the world. Their website tells a whole world of tales which will make you yearn to pack your life into your truck and head off in search of adventure – you can find it by visiting www.exploringtheworld.nl.

FEBRUARY 2020 | 65

16/12/2019 23:08

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OR

ROADBOOK

THE LAKE DISTRICT

Superb rights of way amid a peaceful and glorious rural landscape

68 | FEBRUARY 2020

10pp Roadbook Feb.indd 68

4x4 16/12/2019 23:02

ROADBOOK Some of the Lake District’s most popular rights of way have been ‘repaired’ recently – a rather dubious description for the process of replacing their rocky surface with one that’s smooth, flat and devoid of character. The driving challenge may have been diminished where this has happened, however, but this is still a wonderful place to come green laning. The rights of way remain technical in places – and they give you access to some of the most spectacular scenery anywhere in Britain

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

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

NAVIGATION

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

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

SAFETY

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

The responsibility is yours!

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

RESPONSIBILITY

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

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

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

4x4 10pp Roadbook Feb.indd 69

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

ANTIS

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

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

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

DO…

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

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

• Ensure you have a right to be

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

• • • •

DON’T…

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

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

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

• Cause a noise nuisance, particularly after dark

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

FEBRUARY 2020 | 69

16/12/2019 23:02

ROUTE GUIDE

is it suitable?

START FINISH HOW LONG? TERRAIN HAZARDS

TYRES

OS MAPS

Little Langdale (NY 316 034) Beulah (SD 293 865) 47.85 miles / 7-8 hours Rocky, hilly moorland and forests Isolation; Rocky terrain; Steep drop-offs; Other users Landranger 90 (Penrith and Keswick) Landranger 97 (Kendal and Morecambe)

Step

1

NY 316 034

Start by the Three Shires Inn, on Side Gates in Little Langdale. Zero your trip with the pub on your right and set off heading west

0.0 Step

2

WEATHER LOW BOX SOFT-ROADERS SCRATCHING DRIVING DAMAGE

Step

5

NY 313 035

Step

6

2.65

Step

Step

0.45

3.0

Step

Step

1.15

3.95

4

70 | FEBRUARY 2020

10pp Roadbook Feb.indd 70

Caution – it’s a tight turn, with poor visibility over your shoulder as you emerge

1.3

0.2

3

Tall profile necessary, at least an all-terrain tread strongly advised Avoid when foggy or icy Essential Totally unsuitable No significant risk to paintwork Regular technical sections needing precise car control Low sills, bumpers and diffs at risk from grounding on rocks

7

8

Coniston

NY 329 022

Turn right at the wooden Skelwith Parish Council notice board, then continue round to the right

NY 318 028

4x4 16/12/2019 23:03

Step

9

Caution over the rocks – they drop you straight into a left-hand corner with a sheer drop on its outside as you approach the gate

4.15 Step

10 11

Immediately after the gate, as the track ahead turns into a road, swing left up the hill on another track

12 4.9

4x4 10pp Roadbook Feb.indd 71

Step

14 5.4

Soon after Step 10, turn left through the gate

4.55 Step

13 5.05

4.5 Step

Step

Step

15

Public Way A593 34 m

Don’t take the track on the right – even if it’s a right of way (which is unclear) the turning at the main road is completely blind and very dangerous. The zero point is at the start of the junction – after this, take the tarmac road ahead and turn right at the main road

ZERO TRIP NY 328 017

0.3 Caution between the buildings

Step

16 0.4

JANUARY 2020 | 85

16/12/2019 23:03

Step

17

There’s a lot of rock steps on this trail – you’ll come to the biggest here. We used our rear diff-lock to get over it without any excess wheelspin

Step

22

1.35

6.0

Step

Step

2.15

7.5

Step

Step

18

23

19 2.2

24 Coniston Tarn Hows

Ambleside 712

SD 312 996

Tilberthwaite

Caution past the National Trust car park. You’ll see signs here saying it’s unsuitable for vehicles beyond this point and so on; don’t worry, you’re still on the right road

8.6

Step

20 2.75 Step

21 4.7 72 | FEBRUARY 2020

10pp Roadbook Feb.indd 72

Tarn Hows

Caution – it’s a steep climb up on to the main road, and visibility is poor as you emerge

Coniston

4x4 16/12/2019 23:03

Step 25: Open both gates in advance so you can roll through quickly and not sit in the farmyard with your engine running

Step

29

Another narrow bridge, this one with a surprise step down as you get to the junction

ZERO TRIP

10.5 Step

30

It’s a tight turning over your shoulder – you might well need a shunt

0.15 Step

25

When you get to the farm, stop before the first gate. Your navigator should open it then, before you move, go on ahead to open the second too so you don’t sit in the yard with your engine running

Step

31

8.85

2.6

Step

Step

9.9

3.3

32

26 Step

27

Stay on the main track

28

NY 295 063

Turn into Langdale Car Park then follow ahead on to the track, watching out for walkers, kids, dogs and so on as you do so

Step

33 4.35

9.95 Step

Blea Tarn Great Langdale

Caution – it’s very tight past the house and over the bridge. Keep your speed to a crawl

10.25

Step

34 7.4

ZERO TRIP

Coniston A593

5

Step 28: It’s incredibly tight and narrow as you pass the house – and even more so over the bridge just after it

4x4 10pp Roadbook Feb.indd 73

FEBRUARY 2020 | 73

16/12/2019 23:03

Step

35

A sign warns of oncoming vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians

Step

38

0.1

1.0

Step

Step

39

36 0.55

Hawkshead

Take the road head for Hawkshead.

The building on the right here is the Drunken Duck Inn, which has a very fine reputation as a good place to stop for lunch. Mind you, it’s been described as a ‘ramblers’ pub,’ so be ready for some healthy debate…

1.8 Step

Step

40

37 0.85

Hawkshead

Hawkshead Coniston via Tarns

2.8

Hawkshead

Step

41 4.15

Grizedale Newby Bridge

3 8

Step

42 Step 46: Fork left when you see a huge sculpture of a fox to your left, then continue more or less straight ahead

74 | FEBRUARY 2020

10pp Roadbook Feb.indd 74

4.45

Grizedale Satterthwaite

4x4 16/12/2019 23:03

Step

43 7.05

SD 335 944

The turning is opposite Grizedale visitor centre – it’s far too sharp to do in a oner, and reversing back into the road would be very hazardous, so you’re best to turn around up ahead. The café in the visitor centre was closed when we set out the route, but when it’s open it’s worth the trip on its own

Step

44 7.45 Step

Step

7.65

8.65

48

45 Step

46

Fork left off the main track where you see a big sculpture of a fox to your left, then follow the track more or less straight ahead

7.85 Step

47 8.4

4x4 10pp Roadbook Feb.indd 75

ZERO TRIP

Step

49 2.8

The track splits in two coming down the hill. It’s not clear which option is the correct path of the right of way; the one on the left is more direct, but definitely don’t take it without having a good look on foot first – the rocks are very serious indeed

Step

50

SD 340 910

You’re turning instantly on to the track after emerging on to the road

3.25

JANUARY 2020 | 89

16/12/2019 23:03

Step

56

Dead slow past the house – watch for children and animals

6.45 Step

57 7.7 Step

58 Step 65: There are several rocky areas on this lane. It’s been ‘repaired’ recently, but you still need your wits about you

Step

4.1

7.95

Step

Step

59

52 4.35

This is almost immediately after Step 58 – your gate-opener might as well walk along the road, it’s so close

7.75

Step

51

SD 323 894

60 Oxen Park Colton Ulverston 7 34

9.05

Step

53 4.65 Step

54

The road markings are almost completely gone – you’re following what’s pretty obviously the main road, though

5.45 Step

55

Colton Ulverston

SD 319 874

The turning is immediately after the Oxen Park sign

6.25 76 | FEBRUARY 2020

10pp Roadbook Feb.indd 76

4x4 16/12/2019 23:03

Step

Step

61

66

9.15 Step

62

2.45 ZERO TRIP

9.9 Step

63 1.0 Step

64 65 2.05

4x4 10pp Roadbook Feb.indd 77

67 2.6

SD 294 897

Dead slow as you turn right up a tiny road between houses then follow through the gate on to the track. Obey any signs you see here advising you of seasonal closures or voluntary restraint. The track ahead gets pretty rocky – it’s a fantastic drive, but you and your vehicle need to be up to it The track swings right then left into your first rocky climb. Further on, it gets very narrow between a pair of stone walls

1.35 Step

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As you come over a small crest, the view to your left opens out into the most fantastic vista over Coniston Water. There’s plenty of space to pull over, too – this would make a brilliant place for a picnic Sadly, this track is no longer a through route. So once you’re ready to move on, it’s time to retrace your steps back down the hill

As you come down the steepest of the rock faces from Step 65, don’t trust low 1st to keep you slow enough – you’ll lurch forward at the wrong moment and your front axle will be very vulnerable. Cover the brake as you ease forward to prevent any momentum from building up

Once again, dead slow between the buildings

3.9 Step

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The rock crawls come thick and fast for the next quarter of a mile or so. They’re variously uneven and in places quite steep

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Continue ahead for Gawthwaite and Grizebeck, then immediately arrive at the Red Lion on the right for the end of the route

5.95

FEBRUARY 2020 | 77

16/12/2019 23:03

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£18,499: Enough for a new Jimny – or better spent on an old Defender?

Tested: New Ford Ranger, latest Volkswagen Tiguan, hottest BMW X3 Ever seen a Range Rover Sport modified and used as a lane truck before? PLUS Across Ethiopia on Africa’s first ever overland expedition in an L322 Rangey…

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8 CLASS WINNERS • 1 OVERALL CHAMPION

1 4x4otY Cover ak.indd 1

18/12/2019 16:04

ALL-NEW SUBARU FORESTER E-BOXER. 4x4 Magazine’s Small SUV of the Year.

We’re delighted to introduce the all-new Subaru Forester e-BOXER, the first self-charging hybrid from Subaru. You can expect the same 5-star safety, goanywhere capability and rugged reliability that Subaru SUVs are renowned for; with the added benefits of battery-based power. And all without the need to plug in to recharge. We’ve merged Subaru’s core DNA with hybrid technology, so you have the best of both worlds.

“The all-new Forester has a roomier cabin than ever, as well as being almost unbelievably entertaining to drive — and one of the safest family vehicles in the world. That’s a hat-trick to be proud of!”

— Alan Kidd, Editor of 4x4 Magazine

(BETTER where it MATTERS) Find out more at subaru.co.uk

27778 Subaru 4x4 Award Ad_3.indd 1

13/12/2019 17:06

4x4 OF THE YEAR 2020 | CONTENTS

CONTENTS | 4x4 OF THE YEAR 2020 4 6 8 10 12 16 18 20 22

Crossover Estates Crossovers Small SUVs Medium SUVs Large SUVs Off-Roaders Performance SUVs Luxury SUVs OVERALL RESULTS

For the last couple of years, new vehicles have been along like buses. We’ve had to choose between the Skoda Kodiaq and SsangYong Rexton for the title of 4x4 of the Year in 2018, and then twelve months ago between the Suzuki Jimny and Jeep Wrangler.

This year, it’s a little different.

There are several good new vehicles in the market, but not so many of them are in direct competition with one another. And several of them all seem to be from one manufacturer – wherever you turn, there seems to be a new Mercedes SUV waiting for you.

Land Rover has been busy, too, with new versions of the Evoque and Discovery Sport. There’s also the new Defender on the way, however this hasn’t quite arrived on the market in time to be considered. We need to have driven a vehicle for it to be in contention, and we’re yet to have that pleasure.

New vehicles that look like the old one seems to be the theme this year. The Subaru Forester and Merc G-Class both cut familiar shapes, as do the aforementioned Evoque and Disco Sport. But all have made major advances under the skin.

Another theme over the last couple of years has been value for money, and this remains as big an issue as ever. We’ve never been ones to get star-struck by big price tags, as the Rexton’s overall victory two years ago demonstrates – though by the same token, we’re not scared to favour a big-ticket vehicle if it delivers the goods.

That’s why we think 4x4 of the Year is such an important award.

It’s impartial, and it’s not influenced by prestige – in either direction.

For this year, too, we’ve added a new trophy. The Sustainability Award will recognise vehicles that do their bit for the environment – from an intelligent point of view, not just in terms of the usual green data. If you know what sustainability really involves, you may be able to guess what this means. Either way, don’t expect us to be anything other than fearless…

Alan Kidd Editor

4x4 OF THE YEAR 2020 | 3

3 4x4otY Contents AK.indd 3

18/12/2019 16:05

4x4 OF THE YEAR 2020 | CROSSOVER ESTATES

WINNER | VOLVO XC60 CROSS COUNTRY

THE CURRENT V60 has been around since 2018, but it only arrived in the UK in Cross-Country form a little less than a year ago.

It’s a very elegant addition to a class that’s already full of premium options, and it strikes an excellent balance between executive-car quality and affordable pricing.

Not that you tend to notice any signs of cost management when you sit in it. The cabin is nothing short of brilliant, with loads of legroom front and rear and a really sumptuous feeling to its materials and design.

Equipment levels are high, as is the quality of the equipment itself.

In particular, we like the tablet-style infotainment system, whose graphics match the calming ambience of the interior’s design.

Another reason to be calm is the assured knowledge that you’re in a very safe environment. The V60 gives you the latest in high-tech collision avoidance and mitigtation

systems, and with a good driving position and the reassurance of four-wheel drive you should be able to glide along happily without getting into trouble in the first place.

Even with its raised ground clearance, the Cross-Country is composed on rough road surfaces and positive to steer and handle.

4 | 4x4 OF THE YEAR 2020

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4x4 OF THE YEAR 2020 | CROSSOVER ESTATES

£40,285-£40,785

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED SUBARU XV

£25,325-£30,995

Last year’s class winner remains a very good vehicle. And since the arrival of Subaru’s E-Boxer drivetrain, you’ve been able to get it in hybrid form too.

The XV was the first SUV to be built on Subaru’s new Global Platform, which helps make it one of the safest cars you can buy.

At the time of its launch, indeed, it was EuroNCAP’s highest-scoring vehicle of all time for child occupant protection.

It’s spacious and well made inside, with good materials and a flexible rear cabin that can seat adults in comfort or open up to take a decent load of luggage. And in addition to its safety smarts, the new platform delivers fine driving dynamics. Grip and body control are excellent, and it’s a pleasure to steer.

Ride and refinement are exceptional, too, even on pot-holed roads. And it’s unbelievably capable off-road, with a remarkable ability to find traction in deep, wet mud and rough terrain. These things actually matter to a lot of Subaru buyers – and with its latest generation of 4x4s, there should be more of those than ever.

VAUXHALL INSIGNIA COUNTRY TOURER

It comes with a choice of petrol and diesel engines, neither of which is slow, though their power is best used lazily through the standard auto box.

What’s most impressive is that this suave premium estate can also mix it off-road. Its 66mm suspension lift allows it to tackle remarkably deep ruts, and it’s capable of finding

traction on slippy enough terrain to raise an eyebrow. For everyday real-world off-tarmac work, it has more to offer than you’d believe possible.

It’s still not cheap, at north of £40k, but the V60 is much more sensibly priced than other premium crossover estates. And it gives you a fine blend of skills and class for your money.

£28,495-£30,120

The big, elegant Country Tourer won this class two years ago. It remains one of the best crossover estates you can choose, with brilliant all-round skills and a price that forces you to wonder why you’d bother spending any more on a premium brand.

Inside, the cabin is beautifully designed and carried off with genuine panache and excellent build quality. The media system is bang up to date, oddment stowage reveals excellent use of space and the seats are fantastically supportive. Accommodation in the rear is almost freakishly good, and boot space is epic.

The Country Tourer is as good to drive as it is to sit in, too.

Even the entry level 170bhp engine is strong (and it comes with a lovely manual box), while the 210bhp auto is better still. It rides, steers and handles with real sophistication, whether in town, on A and B-roads or on the motorway.

There are better off-roaders in this class, it’s true. But the Country Tourer can still cut it here to a reasonable degree – part of an overall set of skills which mark it out as a superb all-rounder and a commanding choice at such a good price.

4x4 OF THE YEAR 2020 | 5

4-5 Crossover Estates AK.indd 5

18/12/2019 16:06

4x4 OF THE YEAR 2020 | CROSSOVERS

WINNER | FIAT PANDA CROSS

WE MAKE NO APOLOGIES for the Panda winning this title yet again.

The Crossovers class has more variety within it than any other, and it includes some very impressive vehicles indeed. But there’s almost nothing, anywhere in the entire 4x4 market, that does its job as competently as Fiat’s groovy little

giant-killer – nor indeed with as much charm.

The Panda wins people over with its character. But it’s also a genuinely capable, all-weather, allterrain 4x4 of the kind that people in harsher climates than ours choose instead of a big off-roader for the simple business of getting

about. It’s an ordinary car – but one which can go extraordinary places.

It doesn’t have low range, and ground clearance is always going to be limited. But it’s so light in weight that it almost skips across the ground, and in both this and its amazing manoeuvrability it’s reminiscent of driving an ATV.

This feeling is enhanced by the 875cc two-cylinder petrol engine, now the only one in the range. It’s great fun, with a rorty note to go with its really gutsy performance.

A six-speed manual gearbox is standard, as are full-time fourwheel drive and, praise be, a locking rear differential.

6 | 4x4 OF THE YEAR 2020

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18/12/2019 16:49

4x4 OF THE YEAR 2020 | CROSSOVERS

£16,580

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED SKODA KAROQ

£21,945-£34,575

Skoda is very good at getting things right. We think it should have stuck with the Yeti name for its small crossover, however – and another dose of that vehicle’s brave styling wouldn’t have gone amiss. But what do we know?

What we know of the Karoq is that the vehicle itself is absolutely spot-on. It’s brilliantly put together, as we’ve come to expect from Skoda, and its interior is as pleasing as it is functional. It’s packed with safety features and fun kit, too – including multimedia that continues to show everyone else how it’s done – and the rear seats can be folded, tumbled or removed altogether in whatever combination you want.

The list of engine, output and transmission options seems more or less endless – and the range includes a Scout model with enhanced tractability and better protection against off-road knocks and scuffs. Whichever Karoq you drive, though, it will handle beautifully, with great dynamics and refinement alike from what is a world-class platform.

MINI COUNTRYMAN

The result is utterly wonderful on the road, where the Cross never fails to live up to its funky styling. And off-road, it has traction to spare – you need to keep out of deep ruts, of course, but in really tight terrain its tiny size and tight turning circle (not to mention its light weight) count for more than you might expect.

If you want a practical family mileeater, yes there are better crossovers.

But the Panda is great as personal transport – and as well as being cool, it has the fun factor written all over it.

You might never even take it offroad. But the Panda will put a smile on your face the way almost nothing else here can manage.

£23,350-£36,660

The Countryman is not a vehicle you look at and think of mud, but it’s surprisingly capable off-tarmac for such a sporty, urban little number. And the surprises don’t stop there, either, because it’s far more practical than you might expect as a family SUV. Of course, its interior is highly style-led, with a funky dash design and cool looking switchgear. You expect all that, along with a healthy dose of quality, and you get it. But you also get rear seats which, as well as being roomier than looks possible from the outside, drop down to create a genuinely usable boot space with an enormous hidden compartment below the floor.

It’s not van-like, nor is it limo-like, but all round it’s very handy for a vehicle of this size. And when you drive it, the Countryman is really entertaining, with crisp handling, responsive steering and, in top-spec JCW form, here-comes-the-horizon acceleration.

Something else the Countryman is not is cheap. It might only be a small crossover, but it’s a small crossover with the heart of a BMW and the soul of a much-loved icon, and you pay for both these things. You do, however, get something well worth having.

4x4 OF THE YEAR 2020 | 7

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18/12/2019 16:49

4x4 OF THE YEAR 2020 | SMALL SUVS

WINNER | SUBARU FORESTER

THE ALL-NEW FORESTER might look like the old one, but don’t be fooled.It’s a very different kettle of fish – all the way down to its chassis, which makes it the latest SUV to reap the benefits of Subaru’s Global Platform.

This means it immediately scores top marks for safety, with

a wide range of technologies designed to prevent accidents from happening and minimise the damage they cause if they do.

The Global Platform is also relevant as it’s engineered to be used with hybrid powertrains. And that’s what the Forester has, with the 2.0-litre E-Boxer petrol engine

mated to a CVT auto box and driving all four wheels as standard.

This in turn means grip is high.

And that’s always been a Subaru hallmark. But what makes the Forester stand out from previous vehicles to have borne its name is how extraordinarily agile it is.In corners, its streering is full of feel,

its body well controlled and its suspension in complete charge. It turns in really positively and hardly rolls at all, making it tremendous fun if you’re the kind of driver who like the occasional blast.

For everyday SUV duties, the cabin is well laid out and finished nicely using quality materials. The

8 | 4x4 OF THE YEAR 2020

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18/12/2019 16:08

4x4 OF THE YEAR 2020 | SMALL SUVS

£33,995-£36,995

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED VOLKSWAGEN T-ROC

£20,040-£38,450

You might look at the T-Roc and expect it to be no more than a style wagon. But scratch beneath the surface and you’ll find a practical family SUV with a classy, well made interior that’s right up to the same standard as the Tiguan and even the Touareg.

It’s more spacious inside than you might dare hope, especially in the rear seats. And the seats themselves are extremely comfortable, with a driving position that’s properly SUV-like.

You can drop the seats to create a very handy boot, too. So no, this is not just a style wagon. We’d suggest avoiding the R-Line model, though, as its 19” alloys do nothing for ride quality – though as the time of writing, Volkswagen has just introduced a new T-Roc R model, whose 300bhp and 4.8-second 0-62 time promise to write a new set of rules for performance SUVs. As it is, the T-Roc is a smooth, stable, trustworthy vehicle to drive, with good body control and enjoyable road manners.

There’s more to it than just its funky appearance – it’s genuinely good, and it looks funky. It’s an SUV that appeals on every level.

VOLVO XC40

switchgear makes sense, as does the infotainment system, and you sit with an excellent view of the road ahead.

Most Foresters are used as family wagons, and they’re excellent in that role, though you can carry adults in the back too – there’s ample room, so long as no-one’s too tall or greedy.

And when the back seats go down,

there’s room for a moving-house sized load of luggage.

On top of it all, the Forester has genuine off-road skills. The X-Mode button will always sound like a gimmick, but aside from the name it works as well as these things ever do – and deep down, this is a vehicle that’s very well suited to its job.

£24,965-£42,305

Something very appealing about the XC40 that’s often overlooked is that it dares to be different in terms of styling. An awful lot of small SUVs just look like shrunken versions of their bigger stablemates, but the XC40 is really distinctive – and that makes it stand out in more ways than one.

It’s a bit special on the inside, too, with a classy, well made cabin whose styling and equipment put it firmly in premium territory. And it’s also a practical family wagon, with spacious rear seats and a boot that makes the most of all the room on offer.

Further family appeal comes from its safety credentials, which are right up there with the best. And on the road, it’s as quiet and composed as you’ll get in this segment of the market, with a lovely smooth ride quality to go with the hush.

The breadth of the range on offer means the XC40 will look after keen drivers, too, though in the main it’s designed for comfort rather than speed. Mainly, it’s a classy, cool SUV for all the family. You need to dare to be different, and also to take your place in a long waiting list – but in each case, it’s worth it.

4x4 OF THE YEAR 2020 | 9

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18/12/2019 16:08

4x4 OF THE YEAR 2020 | MEDIUM SUVS

WINNER | TOYOTA RAV4

IT’S BEEN A LONG TIME since the RAV4 went from being a GTI to a family SUV. But even then, the new model is remarkably grown-up.

It’s remarkably striking, too. Our view is that it’s the slickest of all the current crop of medium SUVs, and this is carried over into its cabin. It looks and feels modern,

classy and well made, and it has a really distinctive appearance.

There’s an excellent multimedia screen mounted on the top of the dash, with crisp graphics and a system that’s responsive and pretty easy to use. Around it, the dash is well made and attractively laid out, and the switchgear is big,

stout and chunky. There’s plenty of places around the cabin to stow your bits and pieces, and the seats are comfortable, supportive and particularly spacious.

The rears are roomy, too, with plenty of legroom and even more headroom than the front. They fold near-flat, and the boot floor is nice

and low so it’s among the easiest to load of any SUV. The RAV4 is easy to drive, too.

All models are hybrids, with a petrol engine mated to either one or two electric motors (4x2 and 4x4 models respectively). It has plenty in reserve without being a car for speed freaks, but more to the point

10 | 4x4 OF THE YEAR 2020

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18/12/2019 16:09

4x4 OF THE YEAR 2020 | MEDIUM SUVS

£30,485-£37,490

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED RANGE ROVER EVOQUE

£31,395-£50,425

The old Evoque reeked of style over substance, but this all-new model puts that right. It still looks stylish – but now at last it feels worthy of being called a Range Rover.

The cabin has a tidy, classy design that’s carried off using high-quality materials and slick looking touch-screen panels.

The controls are universally excellent to operate and the seating position is excellent – including in the back, where the old model was such a let-down.

On the road, it’s smooth and beautifully composed, whether at speed in corners or drawing the sting of jagged pot holes. In particular, the balance of ride and handling is excellent. It’s smooth and fluid in low-speed corners, then at speed it becomes taut and agile – and it settles beautifully on the motorway.

You do need to choose your engine with care, though. Almost all models are hybrids, but even then some of the petrol units can be fearsomely thirsty. Get a diesel, however, and this is not just an excellent new Evoque – it’s an excellent new Range Rover.

SKODA KODIAQ

it has a lovely natural feel to its steering and a smooth, quiet performance on the motorway. The suspension doesn’t fuss and patter on rough roads, either, and around town it doesn’t crash or jolt in pot holes.

Things are nice and quiet at lower speeds, too, as it’ll run on electric power alone whenever it can. As a

consequence, you can expect very close to 50mpg.

Best of all, this is not a greedy vehicle. The RAV4 is not expensive to buy, and you get a lot of kit for your money – as well as a very good SUV indeed. If you’re in the market for a 4x4 of this nature, you simply can’t afford to overlook it.

£26,140-£44,065

The Kodiaq won this class in each of the last two years, and it’s still an absolutely compelling choice. It’s brilliantly made and its cabin is finished in top-quality materials – it feels in absolutely no way at all like the work of a budget brand.

There’s a very wide range of models and options, with loads of engines and transmissions to ensure you can get exactly the model you’re after. You don’t need to order it with four-wheel drive – but if you do, you can make the most of its with the offroad prepped Scout model.

In every case, it’s a delight to drive, with smooth drivetrains, agile suspension and responsive steering. It’s a lot of fun on a winding B-road, and there are few better ways to travel either on the motorway or around town. Ride and refinement are excellent, and the cabin is very easy to settle into.

We’re not huge fans of the range-topping vRS performance model. But you don’t need to go anywhere near there to get the best from the Kodiaq. It’s practical, convenient, enjoyable and up for adventures. It’s everything an SUV ought to be.

4x4 OF THE YEAR 2020 | 11

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18/12/2019 16:09

4x4 OF THE YEAR 2020 | LARGE SUVS

WINNER | MERCEDES-BENZ GLE

THE ORIGINAL M-CLASS was a nasty thing, and we said as much.

But Mercedes sorted it right out with the second-generation model, and since then it’s been getting better and better.

Merc’s big family SUV is known as the GLE these days, and the all-new model launched this year

takes it to a new level. It’s the first one to have seven seats, but the third row is only any use for small children: what really matters is that the second row has so much legroom, even behind a tall driver, that it’s almost like being in a limo.

The feeling of peerless luxury continues up front, where the dash

is dominated by a screen that stretches about two feet across its width. This gives you a crisp, bright display that looks absolutely sensational in all its high-res glory.

The latest version of Merc’s media system is a hybrid, with a touch screen as well as a finger pad on the floor console. It takes

some learning, as do the rest of the controls, but once you’re there it’s a joy to use.

Overall practicality is good, too, with plenty of stowage up front and a huge, near-flat cargo bay which reveals itself when the back seats go down. Even in five-seat mode, the boot is enormous.

12 | 4x4 OF THE YEAR 2020

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18/12/2019 15:58

4x4 OF THE YEAR 2020 | LARGE SUVS

£55,690-£72,415

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG

£45,445-£62,355

Last year’s class winner is still one of the slickest, most modern premium SUVs you can buy. It’s classy, comfy and extremely spacious, its back seats and boot have plenty of room in them and VW’s Innovision Cockpit, which combines two screens to create a more or less full-width virtual facia, remains almost unmatched for its high-tech wow factor.

The Touareg range has gained new engine options in this last year, including a high-powered petrol unit which makes it smoother than ever. But it doesn’t matter which you go for – any Touareg is going to be a delight both around town and on the motorway.

It’ll handle pretty sharply on a twisty road, too, thanks to the latest generation of four-wheel steering technology. However what you really get from the Touareg is just how utterly sublime it is to sit in. You’re surrounded by classy materials, pin-sharp display screens and top-notch luxury equipment – and that applies across the range, though even at the very top it’s not as expensive as most other premium SUVs considering what you get.

LAND ROVER DISCOVERY

As for driving it, the GLE is never less than sweet. Even the entry level 300 d, a 2.0-litre diesel engine, is smooth, refined and full of willing power, and at the top of the range the 3.0-litre 400 d is sublime. All models use a seamless auto gearbox and offer a choice of driving modes which add agility or compliance as

you wish, though it’s never less than supremely quiet and comfortable however you set it up.

It’s still a far better off-roader than you’d expect, too, with low-range as standard. That gives it real credibility in our eyes – for sure, it comes at a premium price, but the GLE is a new benchmark for large SUVs.

£47,745-£70,760

If you can somehow afford to buy a large, premium SUV and use it seriously off-road, the Discovery is likely to be in a class of one. The Merc GLE can be optioned with a suite of kit for this purpose, but the Disco has that level of ability built in to its DNA. However it’s also a sensational premium seven-seater whose skills as a family car are astronomical. Those seven seats are proper ones, too – shuffle them back and forth a bit and you can get a full set of tall adults on board.

The Disco’s cabin is classy looking, packed with kit and carried off to a very high standard in premium materials. And that matches the way it drives. A huge level of complexity has gone into achieving this, but it’s taut and agile when you need it to be and smooth, serene and whisper-quiet the rest of the time. From a mighty seating position, it’s one of the most calming vehicles you could possibly choose to drive.

It’s a monster of a towcar, too, and of course it off-road ability leaves everything else standing. The Discovery remains one of the most capable all-rounders ever to have been built.

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LAND ROVER CLUBS: Book a free stand and receive 4 staff passes and half price advance and on the day ticket prices for all your members.

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4x4 OF THE YEAR 2020 | OFF-ROADERS

WINNER | MERCEDES-BENZ G-CLASS

IT’S EASY TO WIN when you cost a hundred grand, right? Well, sneer all you want but last year’s outright victory for the Suzuki Jimny showed that we don’t get hung up on expensive 4x4s.

Yet here we are giving the title to the new version of a vehicle that’s come to symbolise rap-star excess.

The G-Wagen, as everybody still calls it, is synonymous with celebs and up-yours wealth. So what business do we have with it?

Just this. It has always been a phenomenal off-road truck – and the new model hasn’t lost any of that. It’s built to go further off-road than any buyer is ever likely to ask

of it – and, knowing what people with this much money can be like, some of them will ask a lot.

Yet the new G-Class is also a much different propostion to the old one. In particular, its cabin is far, far more spacious; it still has an upright feel to it that comes with a high-command seating

position, but no longer do you feel as if you’re being squashed into the dash. Now, indeed, it looks like a modern unit that has been properly designed around Mercedes’ latest tech, as opposed to one from many years ago that’s had in-car media and so on uncomfortably forced on to it.

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4x4 OF THE YEAR 2020 | OFF-ROADERS

£93,990-£119,600

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED JEEP WRANGLER

£39,955-£49,455

The Wrangler has a spec list that reads like an off-roader’s dream. It has a ladder chassis, live axles and a dual-range transfer case, and it was built both to be used properly and modified to make it better still.

You can also get it with locking diffs, heavy-duty suspension, mud-terrain tyres and so on by choosing the specialised Rubicon model – which is the most capable turn-key off-road machine on the market. This, like the rest of the range, is available with a choice of petrol and diesel engines, and in short and long-wheelbase form, though every Wrangler is now automatic.

Inside, the Wrangler is a truck – albeit a well presented one with a fun, slightly retro vibe to its cabin. And it drives like a truck, too – it’s very upright and direct in corners, and predictably heavy in the way it rides.

Our big concern remains the Wrangler’s high price. However in comparison to the other off-road options, perhaps it’s not so bad really – and depreciation certainly won’t be a concern.

TOYOTA LANDCRUISER

Of course, the G-Class is a very high-spec vehicle with no end of luxuries and conveniences. But it’s also a truck whose deep-down engineering is exceptional, and whose off-road ability has been achieved without compromise. It has three locking diffs as standard – and with them, it can put on a stunningly

sure-footed show. Replace the tyres with mud-terrains and it would be borderline unstoppable.

Last year’s winner, the Jimny, has dropped out because demand has overwhelmed supply. The G-Class won’t have that problem, but it will be similarly rare on the road. Rare and, more than ever, very special.

£35,295-£54,645

The Landcruiser has always been one of our very favorite vehicles. But a couple of years ago, the Utility model arrived – and for us it went from being lust to love.

All Landcruisers are immensely capable, of course, and the build quality Toyota puts into the vehicle makes it the pride of the entire car industry. This is, for sure, a vehicle you can buy and keep for life.

What the Utility adds is a layer of stripped-back honesty that’s incredibly refreshing to see. So many car makers force you into buying unwanted extras you don’t need, so it’s to Toyota’s eternal credit that you can get the Landcruiser with steel wheels, cloth seats, basic air-con and so on.

Of course there are still plenty of higher-spec models, and all of these deliver a similar level of quality. As well as being a masterful off-roader, the Landcruiser has a huge cabin and a towering driving position to go with its lovely truck-like dynamics.

If you’re stuck on modern SUVs, you just won’t get it – but if you know your 4x4s, you know you’re looking at a modern legend.

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4x4 OF THE YEAR 2020 | PERFORMANCE SUVS

WINNER | ALFA ROMEO STELVIO

THE STELVIO RANGE includes a variety of engine and drivetrain choices. And some of these are pretty feisty. But this award is all about one model: the 510bhp Stelvio Quadrifoglio.

There are more powerful SUVs, of course. And if you want to spend twice as much money on a Lambo

Urus, you can even shave a couple of tenths off the Stelvio’s 0-62 time.

But the latter is 3.8 seconds, and there’s not a lot else that can put that kind of smile on your face.

Yes, it’s a lot of money. But in today’s performance SUV market, it’s actually middle-of-the-road territory. The vehicle itself, however,

is middle of the road in precisely no way at all.

Even when you’re not using its mighty performance, there’s a wonderful brooding presence in the background. But there’s a presence in the cabin, too – that of a drive mode dial which, at the end of its travel, contains the word ‘race’.

Turn the dial and it grows horns.

The chassis tautens up, the revs squirt urgently as the gearbox leaps to attention and where there was a lovely muted snarl from the exhaust, suddenly all hell is let loose. It bellows, it rasps, it pops and crackles… The entertainment factor is off the scale.

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4x4 OF THE YEAR 2020 | PERFORMANCE SUVS

£37,745-£70,900

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED PORSCHE CAYENNE COUPE

£62,129-£125,946

It’s surprising that Porsche took so long to come up with the Cayenne Coupe. But it was worth waiting for.

Another surprise is that this is actually a very practical vehicle.

One six-footer can sit behind another in comfort, for example, and when the rear seats go down they do so to leave a long, nearflat load area that’s very usable indeed.

So this is a proper SUV. And it’s a proper performance vehicle, too. Even the base-spec model has bags of power and torque, and up at the top of the range you can smash the 0-62 sprint in less than four seconds.

It’s a very fine driving tool at all speeds, too. It retains its athletic poise over shocking road surfaces and continues to grip in the very worst of weathers, and it’s an absolute pleasure to steer.

There’s no impression at all of a high-up weight fighting to break free, just perfectly controlled body movements as you guide it through the corners. The Cayenne Coupe is everything a Porsche should be – and everything an SUV should be, too.

MASERATI LEVANTE

It’s also one of, if not the most agile, athletic and supple SUVs ever made. It’s electrifying in corners, with a wonderful alertness in its steering and superbly controlled body movements which implore you to make the most of its enormous potential for speed. It goads you, encourages you, almost commands you to enjoy

each mile. This car is fun: visceral, emotional, beguiling, immersive fun It’s also like every other Stelvio in that it’s a usable four-seater with a big boot. But whereas an awful lot of SUVs give you no more for this kind of money apart from just being very nice, the Quadrifoglio makes it feel good just to be alive.

£59,800-£124,900

The Levante was highly recommended in the Luxury SUVs class last year. This says something about the nature of vehicles around the top end of the 4x4 market, and Maserati is definitely still a luxury specialist. But the arrival of a new V8 engine puts performance back to the fore in the Levante range.

With as much as 580bhp, the new engine is available in the new GTS and Trofeo models – both of which cost into six figures.

It’s the one you need if you want a truly fast Levante, because the rest of the range sits some way behind in terms of both cost and speed – though all will be very pleasing indeed to drive.

The Levante is a very elegant SUV, too, with the great kerbside appeal Maserati does so well. And whether you get the entrylevel Diesel model or the Trofeo, which costs more than twice as much, it’s a smooth, capable vehicle to drive, sure-footed in corners and entertaining when pushed.

The point of the V8 is of course that you can now push it further. And when you do , it gets more entertaining than ever.

Which is very much the point of a performance vehicle…

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4x4 OF THE YEAR 2020 | LUXURY SUVS

WINNER | RANGE ROVER

SO OFTEN, LUXURY comes in the form of leather on seats or heating elements in a steering wheel. But in the Range Rover, it’s built in. Luxury is the beating heart of what makes the vehicle what it is.

That’s why we’re here again, for however many years it is in a row now, praising the Range Rover as

we award it the title of Best Luxury SUV. It may represent something about Land Rover that makes us feel uneasy, but while (to us) others now build better off-roaders, the company has an unmatched ability to make SUVs feel special inside.

It’s very, very hard not to deal in cliches. But it’s harder still to

put your finger on what makes the vehicle feel so elevated next to all its rivals – even those costing yet more money.

It’s not just the classy layout, nor the slickly modern high-tech items, nor indeed the sublime materials in which the cabin is trimmed. It’s not the perfectly refined ride, effortless

performance or masterful seating position. It’s, well, everything. The whole is greater than the sum of the parts. And the sum of the parts is enormous.

The controls in the cabin do take a lot of learning, if only because there are so many of them. But the Range Rover is actually a very

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4x4 OF THE YEAR 2020 | LUXURY SUVS

£83,655-£179,675

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED MERCEDES-BENZ GLS

£72,965-£89,465

Mercedes seems to have renewed its entire SUV range in the last year or so. And while the GLS still looks much the way it used to, it’s now more modern – and more luxurious than ever.

Whereas the old model felt a little too similar to the GLE and GLC below it, and had a whiff of the executive-car class as a result, now it’s the other way round. The latest GLC and GLE bask in the glory of being related to the GLS – and glorious it is.

The vehicle’s cabin is dominated by Mercedes’ MBUX media system, which combines a mouse-style controller with an almost full-width screen whose crispness of definition sets the standard for the rest of the experience. As before, there are three rows of seats, making the GLS the most practical luxury SUV. All models currently have a 3.0-litre, 335bhp diesel engine with 516lbf.ft of torque from just 1200rpm. This makes it utterly irresistible both on and off-road – and there’s also an option pack available to turn it into a truly stellar performer in the latter environment. This is do-it-all motoring at a very high level indeed.

BENTLEY BENTAYGA

easy car to drive, thanks to that epic seating position, and its drive mode palette allows it to show some real athleticism for its size on surprisingly small roads.

Notwithstanding what we’ve said above, the Range Rover is also a magnificent vehicle off-road. People won’t use it the way they once used

old Classics, but it can get you to remarkable places – and back.

It’s not just these skills that make the Rangey so very special, though. Its breadth of abilities is truly remarkable – however what’s most remarkable of all is how it makes you feel like the king of the world without even knowing why.

£130,500-£182,200

Last year the big Bentley won the Performance SUV class. Here it is in the Luxury class instead, which may seem like its natural environment. This just shows that there’s no such thing as a Bentayga that doesn’t do performance, or indeed luxury. And what it does, it does very well.

Whereas with the Range Rover there’s something indefinable about its air of class, with the Bentayga you can put your finger on what makes it so special. This is the evident craftsmanship you see everywhere you look. Whether it’s in the wood trims on the facia, the quality of the switchgear or the material on the seats, everything about it has been arrived at through the pursuit of perfection.

This carries on through to the driving experience, which is marvellously soothing. To say it takes refinement to the next level would seem almost asinine: however if learning exists in the field of in-car civility, you can rest assured the results are to be found in a Bentley. You pay for all this skill and knowledge, of course, but that’s just part of the fun.

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4x4 OF THE YEAR 2020 | RESULTS

THE WINNER | MERCEDES-BENZ G-CLASS

SPECIAL AWARDS

As we keep saying, we don’t let a big-ticket price tag impress us.

Yet here we are giving the ultimate accolade to a vehicle with one of the biggest tickets of them all.

The reason is simple. We didn’t give this award to the Suzuki Jimny last year because it was cheap: it was because it was good. And the point is that the all-new MercedesBenz G-Class is good. Brilliant, actually. So we’re not going to let its high price prevent us from recognising that.

We’ll only ever mourn the passing of a live axle, and in some ways it’s sad that the G-Class now has an independent front end.

But that’s a small price to pay in a vehicle whose interior is light years ahead of the old one.

Its road manners are much better, too, albeit still those of a truck rather than an SUV. But what matters most to us is that the G-Class is still an off-roader at heart – and with low range and three locking diffs, it certainly is.

We’ve made the point elsewhere here that the Toyota Landcruiser is a car for life. So too is the G-Class. It has higher running costs, of course, but the point is sound – if you can afford the initial investment, this is a vehicle that will keep on looking after you as long as you live.

It’s luxurious and expensive, yes.

And it has a kind of road presence that can make you feel a little silly.

But the G-Class has truly epic levels of all-round ability – and that’s why, high price notwithstanding, it’s the 4x4 of the Year for 2020.

BEST VALUE SSANGYONG REXTON

OFF-ROAD AWARD JEEP WRANGLER

No, we’ve not forgotten to update this box from last year’s layout… is what we said last year. Yes, it’s three years in a row for the Rexton.

SsangYong’s big wagon is more than just cheap. It’s a fine all-rounder with an exceptional interior and strong abilities both on and off-road. It’s a practical work truck and a remarkably convincing luxury vehicle, and as well as a low price it comes with a 7-year, 150,000-mile warranty. It was, and still is, an astonishing amount of 4x4 for your money.

If you want the best out-of-the-box off-roader money can buy, there are several candidates – but only one option. Every version of the Wrangler is immensely capable – and the Rubicon model adds further equipment that sets it head and shoulders above the competition.

In addition, the Wrangler was built to be modified – which is crucial for a good off-roader.

It’s pricey – but if you want to give your project the best possible starting point, it’s definitely an investment.

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4x4 OF THE YEAR 2020 | RESULTS

SUSTAINABILITY AWARD TOYOTA LANDCRUISER

MANUFACTURER OF THE YEAR MERCEDES-BENZ

The Landcruiser is the vehicle you’d choose for an overland expedition. That’s because it’s built to last forever – which in turn is what makes it the soundest, most sustainable 4x4 you can buy.

Forget emissions. You can buy one of these and, if you look after it, never have to buy another new car again. The Landcruiser makes this genuinely feasible as it’s a car that can do absolutely everything.

If you like trucks, that’s a good move. And as a consumer, it’s the best thing you could ever do for the planet.

Everywhere we’ve turned this year, we seem to have been seeing new 4x4s from Mercedes-Benz. And they’ve been almost universally good ones.

The G-Class leads the way, naturally. And it proves that Merc knows how to make a proper truck (albeit an expensive one). But the GLC, GLE and GLS are all superb options in their respective SUV classes – and you can also get them with off-road option packs that add genuine ability.

Merc’s new EQC is the most convincing electric SUV we’ve driven, too. No, it doesn’t build cheap cars – but the company is knocking it out of the park in all directions right now.

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A DOUBLE TOP FROM SSANGYONG BEST VALUE PICK-UP FOR MUSSO THIRD-TIME BEST VALUE 4X4 WIN FOR REXTON

REXTON FROM

£29,995* 3.5 tonne maximum towing capacity† Selectable 4x4 with low range 2.2L engine 420Nm torque† Year warranty

2 tonne maximum towing capacity‡ Intelligent 4x4 2.2L diesel or 2.0L petrol engines Year warranty

KORANDO MUSSO £18,995* FROM

FROM

£21,995EX VAT

**

Over 1 tonne payload 3.5 tonne towing capacity‡ Only pick-up with a 7-year warranty Selectable 4x4 with low range 9.2” touchscreen

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: 204 – 218. Musso: Urban 25.9-29.1, Extra Urban 39.2-40.9, Combined 32.8-35.8. CO2 emissions in g/km 226-211. Models featured are a Rexton Ultimate at £40,095 and Musso Saracen priced at £27,545 ex VAT, both including optional metallic paint.

*Rexton EX including VAT, delivery charge, Road Fund Licence & first registration charge. †420Nm torque and 3.5 tonne towing capacity on automatic transmission. **Musso EX including delivery charge, road licence & first registration charge, excluding VAT. ‡3.5 tonne towing capacity only with automatic transmission. Musso wheels shown are not available in the UK, please see website for further information.

Warranty covers 7 years or 150,000 miles. Prices are correct at the time of going to print but may be modified or changed at any time.

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