4x4 Magazine - July 2019 by Assignment Media Ltd

4x4

NEWS • PRODUCTS • TRAIL GUIDES • WORKSHOP • CALENDAR • OFF-ROAD SCENE DRIVEN New Range Rover Evoque off-roaded

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

BIG BOYS’ TOYOTAS How Arctic Trucks is aiming to set the gold standard in off-road preparation for the Landcruiser and Hilux alike

PLUS Full review of the latest Landcruiser in top-spec Invincible form

Trans-Africa solo in a standard Mk3 Range Rover!

£4.75

Mediterranean landscapes in our Cornish Roadbook

JULY 2019

Jeep’s wild wagon for carrying your bike to the trails… 4x4 Cover July AK WITH SARAH.indd 1

03/06/2019 23:49

Untitled-1 1

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July 2019

T H IS M O N T H 52

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04/06/2019 12:57

80 12 ISSUES OF 4X4 – FOR JUST £12!

This has got to be the best value offer in the history of publishing… subscribe to 4x4 for a year and it’ll only cost a quid an issue! News 14 15 16 16 18 18 20 22 23

Isuzu S-Max XTR New model has real-world off-road intent Isuzu S-Max Saﬁr Latest top-end special edition on 35” tyres Jeep Grand Cherokee 174mph – on sheet ice! Range Rover Astronaut edition only for Virgin Galactic customers Mercedes X-Class New Elemental edition breaks cover Toyota Hilux Extra safety kit becomes standard across range LR Discovery Sport Heavily revised new model unveiled Mitsubishi Shogun Sport Epic looks for SVP concept model Coming soon Trucks, SUVs and off-roaders on the way

Tested 30 36 42

Range Rover Evoque New model is much improved over old one Toyota Landcruiser Invincible is a worthy range-topper Skoda Karoq Scout Small SUV gains further off-road ability

Every Month 4 6 8 24 82 96

Alan Kidd Our editor spouts wisdom.Well, he spouts, at least Gallery People getting stuck – it’s what cameras were made for Destinations The mountain pass at the top of the driveable world Products Parts, accessories, tools and much more Roadbook Heading to Cornwall? Make it a holiday to remember… Next Month Tales from opposite ends of the off-road spectrum

Features 10 46 48 52

4x4 and Pick-up Show Preview of the 4x4 event of the year Jeep Flatbill Britpart’s demo truck does just what it was built for Arkonik Archer A 110 that’s both classy and ﬁt-for-purpose Arctic Trucks AT35 Landcruiser and AT37 Hilux compared

Travel 60

Lilongwe Down Pt1: Just getting to Africa can be a challenge…

Off-Road Scene 70 74 76

Hole in the Wall 4x4 users’ cash gets Monmouthsire lane repaired Ragnarok Challenge Britain’s blue riband team winch challenge Jeepey Jamboree It’s set to be as entertaining as ever…

Off-Road Calendar 71 75 78

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

“Fording glacial meltwaters, climbing rock-by-rock at crawling speeds as your vehicle and your body gasp for oxygen in the thin air… Khardung La claims to be the world’s highest driveable road” 4x4 2-3 Contents IN PROG NEEDS FACTS, QUOTE AND PICS.indd 3

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Alan Kidd Editor

ast month in this column, I talked about the Extinction Rebellion protests and how the very real threat of climate change relates to us as 4x4 drivers. Believe some people, and we’re solely responsible for everything that’s wrong with the world, but sober consideration shows that actually, owning a 4x4 and keeping it for life makes absolutely sound ecological sense. Of course, in the context of mass consumerism the answer industry and government have hit on is electric cars. I’m not decrying them, because anything that improves the air my children breathe is okay in my book, though it worries me that the move away from fossil fuels is more like a way of maintaining the ferocious pace of factories’ output and encouraging the relentless cycle of production and waste when actually, building cars that last would be far better for the planet. Zero-emission motoring is great, after all. But if your squeaky clean new EV has come halfway round the world on a container ship lobbing thousands of tons of diesel fumes into the air all the way, it’s not zero-emission motoring. Similarly, if all the parts for the new vehicle are delivered to the factory in a high-emissions supply chain, if the plastics they come wrapped in end up in the ocean because that’s cheaper than recycling them, if the minerals for the batteries come from a mine that turns a whole region around it into a wasteland… you might not see any emissions, but the planet sure feels the impact. Anyway, I’ve been driven back to talking about this again because one of our other magazines currently has an electric vehicle on test. There’s nothing to be gained by mentioning the model, because I’m not being critical of it as a car (it’s lovely, in actual fact, both to sit in and to drive), but right now I’m sat writing these words when we should be out taking pictures of it, because charging the thing has turned into a complete and utter nightmare. I brought it home yesterday and, having manoeuvred it close enough to my kitchen window, ran the cable in to a plug and switched on. Nothing happened, so I removed the extension the manufacturer

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Life with an electric car has had a shock in store… had supplied, ran it to the plug through a heavy-duty cable reel and tried again. This time… nothing happened. Until one of my children appeared at the front door to point out that I’d tripped the electrics to the entire house. One of my colleagues volunteered to give it a go at his place. He managed not to blow out any circuit breakers, but the meter in the car said it was going to take forever to charge. So this morning he took it to a charging pod outside our local Asda, downloaded the app (there’s always an app), paid some money and plugged it in, then went to do some shopping. e ca e bac to find noth n as happening. I’d have started kicking things at this point, but he’s made of more stoical stuff than me. The pod had two outlets, so he swapped it over to the other one and hey presto, it started charging. Bearing in mind that he was sat in an Asda car park (with the clock running on one of those friendly ANPR payment systems they all use now), he was less than excited when the charge meter in the car told him he’d be there for the next eight hours. Reading his increasingly frustrated texts, I began to yearn for the 12mpg V8 Discovery I used to own. The latest, and this is literally coming in as I write this, is that another of the team has located a fast-charging station and taken the car there, where it has… not worked at all. Bearing in mind that the manufacturer asked for the car to have at least 30% left in its batteries when they collect it (which they’re doing tomorrow), this is turning into a bit of a mission. I don’t know how th s shoc n s tuat on ll be rect fied but this here vehicle clearly doesn’t know how to conduct itself. Our capacity to accept electr c otor n s defin tely encounter n some resistance…

Tel: 01283 553243 Email: enquiries@assignment-media.co.uk Web: www.totaloffroad.co.uk www.4x4i.com Online Shop: www.toronline.co.uk Facebook: www.facebook.com/totaloffroad www.facebook.com/4x4Mag Editor Alan Kidd Assistant Editor George Dove Art Editor Samantha D’Souza Contributors Mike Trott, Dan Fenn, Gary Noskill, Paul Looe, Pip Evans, Kazuyoshi Sasazaki, Raymond and Nareide Greaves Photographers Harry Hamm,Vic Peel, Steve Taylor Group Advertising Manager Ian Argent Tel: 01283 553242 Advertising Manager Colin Ashworth Tel: 01283 553244 Advertising Sales Manager Gary Simpkins Tel: 01283 553245 Advertising and Exhibition Sales Executive Abigail Cooper Tel: 01283 553246 Advertising Production Sarah Lowe Tel: 01283 553242 Subscriptions Manager Catherine Martin Subscriptions Assistants Emma Emery, Kay Tunnicliffe, Abi Dutton Publisher and Head of Marketing Sarah Lowe Email: sarah.lowe@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 G11, Bretby Business Park, Ashby Road, Bretby, Derbyshire DE15 0YZ

4x4 04/06/2019 11:03

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GALLERY

In pictures: 4x4s and off-road stories from around the world

Getting stuck. We dread it, we love it (when we’ve got a way of getting unstuck) and most of all we enjoy gloating about it when it happens to someone else. Some of the best tales off-roaders tell involve lunatic stuck antics or epic recoveries. Two Leyland Martians getting stuck while trying to recover a 434 that got stuck trying to recover the 432 that got stuck while trying to recover the Ferret that got stuck while trying to recover the sergeant-major’s Land Rover, for example, a small part of which you can see on these pages. Talking of stuck Land Rovers, of all the places where you really don’t want to do it, a railway line must be near the top of the list. This happened with tragic consequences some years ago; the photo you see here was from a different incident in which only the Landy was hurt. But it was really hurt. Not that Jeeps are immune, either. And in America, people who don’t know their off-roading seem to take particular delight in laughing about the fact that shock horror, it’s possible to get one stuck. Especially when it’s running completely the wrong tyres, you may have noticed. But by far our favourite picture this month isn’t even of a 4x4. A few winters ago, the city of Toronto had a serious problem with pot holes. So they sent a a on out to ﬁll the n h ch as o n ﬁne unt l t ent and got stuck in a pot hole. Main picture: Even JEEPS get stuck, by Eric.Ray @ flickr.com, CC BY 2.0 Right FV432 -Eschershausen, West Germany-1969/1970, by Kaspar C @ flickr.com, CC BY-SA 2.0 Below: JEEP STUCK LOL by cmonville @ flickr.com, CC BY 2.0 Below right: Smashed Land Rover, by cooldudeandy01 @ flickr.com, CC BY 2.0

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2.5pp Gallery + Destinations July AWAITING AD.indd 6

4x4 04/06/2019 23:23

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4x4 2.5pp Gallery + Destinations July AWAITING AD.indd 7

JULY 2019 | 7

04/06/2019 23:23

DESTINATIONS

The world’s greatest 4x4 travel adventures caught on camera. This month, the literal top of the motoring world…

Khardung La At 18,380 feet, the Khardung La Pass in northern Ladakh claims to be the world’s highest driveable road – and that’s exactly how it feels as you bump along its unmade surface while looking down on snow-capped mountain peaks far below. ou’ll ﬁnd people ll n to tell you that there’s another pass n the alayas that’s actually higher, or even that locals exaggerated its altitude to claim the record, and the science does appear to suggest that it’s not quite as high as the signs would like you to think. But as you look down at the world from the driver’s seat, that will feel a lot like splitting hairs. You need a permit to make the trip, altitude sickness is a real threat and the whole route is closed for half the year, but even the route to base camp is a treat. Fording glacial meltwaters, climbing rock-by-rock at crawling speeds as your vehicle and your body gasp for oxygen in the thin air… the ascent to Khardung La is a real battle. Strictly speaking, you don’t need a 4x4 – but there was never a better reason for having one. The Khardung La, by Steve

icks @ flickr.com, CC BY 2.0

Long winding road, by A ay Panachickal @ flickr.com, CC BY-SA 2.0 Prayer flags lots o them at the Khardung La, by Fulvio Spada @ flickr.com, CC BYSA 2.0 Vyacheslav Argenberg @ flickr.com, CC BY 2.0 Khardung La Panorama, by

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icholas @ flickr.com, CC BY 2.0

4x4 04/06/2019 23:23

2019 4X4 AND PICK-UP SHOW IS READY TO GO!

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4x4 03/06/2019 22:42

Register for your FREE tickets at www.4x4andpickupshow.co.uk THE 4X4 AND PICK-UP SHOW, sponsored by errafir a s bac th s une after a hu ely successful nau ural year n 01 he first sho as so ell regarded by the industry, organisers Assignment Media were delighted to be shortlisted for the Best Launch Show award in the Exhibition News Independent Organisers’ Awards. The UK’s Motor Show for the 4x4 and pick-up market, the 4x4 and Pick-Up Show is the ideal event for anyone who either owns or aspires to own a 4x4 or pick-up, whether for work or as a personal car. With big-name 4x4 brands such as errafir a su u and oodr ch as sponsors and partners the 01 e ent s set to be even bigger and better than last year. The show has dedicated days for professional users and the general public. The o erc al sers ay s held on r day th une and s tors s ply need to register their details in order to attend. The Public Day is on Saturday 29th June and is completely free to all visitors. Uniquely, the event offers a complete showroom experience from leading manufacturers and bespoke builders, allowing visitors both to view and test-drive a range of A-list vehicles including the new Mercedes X-Class and Isuzu D-Max. Visitors to the 4x4 and Pick-Up Show will not only be able to view the best p c -ups and s on the ar et fro the l es of su u ord and ercedes but also take them for a test drive on a variety of on and off-road surfaces around Stoneleigh Park. Isuzu are partners of the show for the second year running, demonstrating their commitment and support for this young event. With exhibitors specialising in tyres, lighting, off-road equipment, accessories, roof racks, performance upgrades, custom vehicle builds, overland equipment, insurance and much more, the 4x4 and Pick-Up Show is the ideal place to get ideas about which vehicle to buy – and how to turn it into the truck of your dreams. ‘The 4x4 and Pick-Up Show is the only exhibition of its kind where both professional users and the general public can not only test drive the latest vehicles on the market but see the latest products and ideas for 4x4s and pick-ups all in one place,’ said Show Organiser Ian Argent. ‘And with free entry this year, there is no reason for visitors not to attend!’ Ironman 4x4 Ironman 4x4 suspension kits and accessories from West Coast Off Road, the UK importer. westcoastoffroad.co.uk/tag/ironman4x4-uk JumpsPower JumpsPower products are high-tech, multi-functional and portable jump starter devices that will jump start your vehicle safely in seconds. Each of our products uses advanced high capacity Lithium Polymer power technology which are safe and durable. With this innovative concept, JumpsPower has become the best hit product among online reviewers in the US, Asia, Australia and New Zealand, also now in Europe. Midlands Truck & Van We are the approved MercedesBenz commercial vehicle dealership representing the West Midlands and Shropshire areas. We are proud to offer New Van and New Truck sales, Used Van and Used Truck sales and Aftersales solutions including 24-hour servicing and parts availability. We are located at Birmingham, Coventry and Wolverhampton. www.midlandstruckvan.com

4x4 2pp Show IN PROGRESS.indd 11

Pedders Pedders is Australia’s Number 1 undercar specialist, now brought to you in Europe. We offer a comprehensive range of suspension, steering and brake parts to suit passenger cars, four-wheel drives, light commercials and high performance vehicles. www.pedders.co.uk Pickup Design Pickup Design derives from Carlex Design, a globally renowned interior and exterior styling kits designer and manufacturer. It is a response to the growing demand for pickup custo sat on ser ces re ect n individual preferences of users. The mission of Pickup Design is to mark characteristic features of pickups, combining perfect performance, unique design, and top quality trim. www.pickupdesign.co.uk Prestige Accessories www.prestige-accessories.co.uk Quick Hitch Quick Hitch Trailer Stop works with all types of Hitch by centering and stopping the towing hitch over the tow ball – ﬁrst t e e ery t e t’s u c efﬁc ent protects the rear of your vehicle and

takes away the physical strain and frustration of hitching. quickhitchtowing.co.uk Storm Xccessories At Storm Xccessories we manufacture and import a wide range of automotive accessories for the 4x4, pickup and commercial van sectors. www.stx4x4.com Superpro SuperPro is an innovative Australian manufacturer of automotive polyurethane suspension bushings and suspension parts based in Brisbane, Australia. These specially formulated, high-quality components are designed to create suspension solutions for better stability, handling and control in on-road, off-road and race track applications. www.superproeurope.com Terrafirma Factory Racing errafir a actory ac n as born in 2016, as a result of the close relationship between the Ultra 4 Moose ffroad ace ea and errafir a Accessories. Having worked closely together for many years developing tuneable suspension systems for off-road Land Rovers, a gap in the market was seen to

bring a new high-end range of bespoke products to users competing in toplevel International competitions – on a club an bud et ou ll find our latest products fitted to our o n co pet t on vehicles, regularly pushing them to their design limits and beyond in truly gruelling conditions. terrafir afactoryrac n co Thornton 4x4 Breakers At Thornton 4x4 Breakers we are specialists in dismantling quality late 4x4s. Our main focus is single and double cab pickup trucks and Land Rover Defenders. www.thorntonbreakers.co.uk Traxx Tyres We offer an exceptional range of quality, well reputed tyre brands from global manufacturers, supported by outstanding customer service and product knowledge. www.traxxtyres.co.uk XS4x4 Parts Excellence in upgrades for your pick-up, truck or van. xs4x4.parts

JULY 2019 | 11

03/06/2019 22:42

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31/01/2019 18:48

4x4 NEWS

NEW D-MAX XTR IS A REAL WORLD OFF-ROADER

Isuzu launches enhanced pick-up for work and play • Prices from £33,999 plus VAT • On sale July

suzu has unleashed a preemptive strike at the soonto-arrive Ford Ranger Raptor, with the unveiling of the D-Max XTR. First shown in prototype form at the recent Commercial Vehicle Show, this striking looking doublecab is aimed at customers who want a truck capable of doing a day’s work while also being a

superior plaything in the mud. In terms of sheer size, it will sit below the existing AT35 model in the D-Max range, but as a realworld off-roader in typical British conditions it looks like an even more promising prospect. The XTR sits on a bespoke Pedders suspension system including new front upper arms, which work in conjunction with

freshly designed dampers to allow greater articulation. The springs lift the vehicle somewhat to give 250mm of ground clearance – something Isuzu says is achieved without compromising the truck’s handling performance on the road. Pedders is also responsible for an uprated braking system featuring fully vented and slotted front discs and Kevlar ceramic pads. This is an often overlooked part of l ft n s and ﬁtt n the with bigger tyres, but once you’ve experienced brake fade you’ll agree that the better heat dissipation and outright performance the new set-up promises will be very well worthwhile. Talking of tyres, the XTR will come as standard on Pirelli’s new Scorpion All-Terrain Plus in a 265/70R17 size. This stands at 31.5” tall – however Isuzu says the

vehicle’s 17x8.5” alloy wheels were selected so as to give customers plenty of choice should they want to ﬁt a ore a ress e pattern The D-Max, which retains its 3.5-tonne towing capacity and 1.1-tonne payload in XTR form, gains a fairly striking set of styling enhancements to highlight its added off-road intent. These include a dramatic looking front bumper guard, wrap-around bonnet protection and headlight frames. Some people say they think this makes it look like an alien predator, others like one of those dragons from Game of Thrones, others like Dame Edna Everidge with her glasses on. Either way, you’re not going to mistake it for anything else. Further enhancements include extended wheelarches, which are ﬁn shed n blac th a brant

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4x4 NEWS green insert to match the theme around the rest of the truck. Around the back, there are spoilers on both the tailgate and the rear bumper, while matching door mirror covers and door handles complete the look. Like the bodykit, the side-steps are Raptor-coated. The green highlights also appear on the brake calipers and selected suspension

parts to add a further ash of colour, while on the inside the XTR a ns a at-botto ed suede and leather steering wheel featuring green stitching, which matches the grey leather and suede seats. Pricing for the D-Max XTR starts at £33,999 before VAT. Isuzu is currently inviting pre-order enquiries for the vehicle, with sales due to commence in July.

Isuzu has teamed up with Strongs Plastic Products to adapt 50 D-Maxes into RAC patrol trucks. With the ability to carry the 500 parts and tools required by RAC mechanics, these also feature a new all-wheelsup recovery system. The trucks also carry a charging system for electric cars that fall flat on the road. The trucks’ bodyshell is made from a tough polymer plastic which combines high strength with low weight. It comes with a twenty-year guarantee and is interchangeable between vehicles, the plan being that each shell will be used on several vehicles throughout their lifetime with the RAC.

Arctic Trucks tie-up yields another special edition as Isuzu launches spectacular looking afir range topper The Isuzu D-Max AT35 has proved to be a hit with customers looking to add a bit of monster-truck street cred to their collection. As such, though its ability as a workhorse and high-mobility vehicle are in no doubt, it has become more and more premium since its initial introduction. ence the arri al of the afir limited edition. his is an automatic finished in apphire lue ica paint and embellished with a sil er sports bar, matching Mountain Top roll-cover and branded aluminium underguard. The vehicle also gains Lazer Lights set into its front bumper and also located on a roof-mounted light bar – which is brand new for the D-Max range. ompleting the look are allo s in a new per ark diamond cut finish. espoke leather seating adorns the interior with matching rctic rucks logos embroidered into the headrests not man suppliers get a pri ilege like that…) and an upgraded infotainment set-up featuring a 9” touchscreen and, coincidentally, nine speakers for the sound system. The upper glovebox contains a wireless mobile charging pad, and there’s a bumper-mounted front camera to make parking and manoeuvring even easier than it already is when you’re big enough to just run stuff over. he afir retains the towing and pa load capacities of the rest of the D-Max range, and is co ered b the same fi e ear mile warranty. In our humble opinion, it’s about the best-looking pick-up there’s ever been in the UK, which is both good and bad because only ten of them are going to be made. Not that we could afford one anyway, as the re priced at 4 a pop. nd that s before the VAT man comes along to pull your trousers down. If you’re in the market for a reall premium double cab howe er the afir is emphatically that.

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4x4 NEWS

GRAND CHEROKEE TRACKHAWK SETS NEW WORLD ICE SPEED RECORD

e wrote about the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk a couple of issues back. The 710bhp, 6.2-litre V8-engined monster could tow a Ferrari to Santa Pod then beat it down the strip – but away from the business of being the maddest 4x4 money can buy, it’s just broken a world record you almost certainly didn’t know existed. This was set recently at the Baikal Ice Motor Sports Festival. Yes, ice speed records are a thing. And a Trackhawk has just posted a new one for SUVs. The record attempt was undertaken within the regulations of the Russian Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, which allowed unnecessary items to be removed from and for the Trackhawk to run with just enough fuel (still quite a lot, from what we’ve seen of it). The record runs were timed over a one-kilometre section of a 12-kilometre track, the rest of whose distance was there to leave room for acceleration and

New Range Rover – exclusively for Virgin Galactic customers braking on the slippery surface. Ice is treacherous enough, but in daylight, the frozen lake becomes covered in a very thin layer of surface water – reducing traction even further. Despite this, the combination of Quadra-Trac fourwheel drive and enormous Brembo brakes helped the Trackhawk to find r p hether a n n or los n speed. The unique challenges of driving on ice are starkly illustrated, however, by the fact that from a standing start, it managed to reach 60mph over the course of the measured kilometre – whereas with a roll n start that fi ure aulted upwards to 160mph. Using GPS trackers, the highest momentary speed the Trackhawk achieved was a stunning 174mph. That’s just six short of its quoted top speed on dry tarmac. The Grand Cherokee now takes ts place n the offic al oo of Records in Russia, giving Jeep the right to boast of having the world’s fastest SUV on ice – a record which we suspect might not be beaten for quite some time.

Hyundai has added a new N Line model to its Tucson range. This gains sports styling and chassis mods to sharpen up its steering and handling; it’s available with a choice of 177bhp petrol and 136bhp diesel hybrid engines, priced from £25,995 and £27,495 respectively

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It’s now half a decade since Land Rover launched its partnership with Virgin Galactic. And to celebrate, the company’s Special Vehicle Operations department has created the Range Rover Astronaut Edition. In order to buy one of these Range Rovers, you have to be signed up with irgin alactic to as a uture stronaut aka a fare pa ing passenger). What you’ll get is a vehicle so unique that its cupholders are made from the remains of the wooden landing skid taken from the spacecraft on which ou . ni uel badged on the tailgate and the side profile finishers the Rangey is available in any colour you want so long as it’s blue. Zero ra it lue to be specific which and o er sa s was inspired b the beautiful effects of the night sk . Based on the Range Rover Autobiography, the Astronaut Edition is powered by either the P400e hybrid powertrain or the supercharged 5.0-litre V8 P525 unit. Given that its customers will all be millionaires who’ve paid huge money for an adventure fuelled by hundreds of tons of rocket fuel we suspect we know which is going to be more popular. BMW has revealed a new version of the X1, 4x4 models starting at £32,045. At launch, all-wheel drive is exclusively diesel powered, though it will also be found on a new plug-in hybrid due to be added to the range next spring

4x4 04/06/2019 12:11

The PWD-X5 features an 8-inch subwoofer, amplifier and DSP in a small underseat form. Wired Remote Control The remote control unit is connected with the DSP amplifier by USB. Use the rotary encoder to select input sources (including Bluetooth audio streaming), sound settings and more.

Bluetooth Audio Streaming

-----

May 19 ads.indd 43

If your original car stereo does not feature Bluetooth audio streaming, the PWD-X5 is yet again a great solution for you. With the included Bluetooth dongle that can be plugged in to one of the USB ports on the DSP amp you can stream music from your smartphone to the PWD-X5.

02/04/2019 22:38

4x4 NEWS

ELEMENTAL STYLING FOR MERC’S NEW SPECIAL-EDITION X-CLASS

ercedes-Benz has unveiled the second special-edition version of the X-Class. Based on the standard Progressive trim level, the X 250d 4MATIC Element Edition gains the usual recipe of an enhanced equipment list and set-it-apart styling – in this case, custom graphics along the rear quarter.

The truck comes with painted bumpers, a simulated black underguard, aluminium door sills th erc bad es a s l er ﬁn sh grille and chromed door handles. It’s not all about tarted-up looks, though, as the spec list also includes heated side mirrors and a useful load-securing rail system in the bed. Further added kit includes a blac roo ner Art co upholstery

19” alloys, a bedliner and a sports bar. You also get the Style Pack from Merc’s X-Class options list, which includes roof rails, privacy glass and running boards. Paint options include Chisana White, Diamond Silver and Kabara Black; the latter two are metallic. As with all X-Class models, standard kit includes Active Brake Assist, ane eep n Ass st rafﬁc n

Assist, Hill Start Assist, a reversing camera and stop/start function. That’s a lot of Assists there. Unfortunately they don’t have a Paying For It Assist, though with business users able to get one for a relatively modest £459 per month perhaps that’s not so bad. The X 250d 4MATIC Element Edition is available now through Merc’s network of van centres.

Heightened safety kit and updated range-topper for Hilux Toyota has announced plans to roll out its Toyota Safety Sense package across the entire Hilux range. Due to take effect in August, when the company’s model year is introduced, this will allow buyers to specify a suite of safety features including a Pre-Collision System with pedestrian detection, Adaptive Cruise Control; Road Sign Assist and Lane Departure Alert. Toyota has also unveiled an updated version of the range-topping Hilux, the Invincible X. Available exclusively in double cab form this gains a smoked gre chrome finish for its upper front grille surround, fog lamp bezels, door and tail handles and side mirror casings, as well as the front and rear under-runs and rear bumper corners, too. In addition, the seal is set on both axles by two-tone, machine finished allo s. The cabin in the Invincible X is trimmed in black leather, with the instrument panel featuring a variety of leather, chrome and piano black inserts. There has also been a redesign for the driver’s binnacle, which now features a ilux animation when the ignition is switched on and the ehicle s ke is now model specific. Some pretty very detailed stuff going on there, then. Prices for the Invincible X will be announced nearer to its on-sale date, which is scheduled for later this summer.

18 | JULY 2019

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PERFORMS EXCEPTIONALLY ON ALL-TERRAINS The Grabber AT3 combines superior on-road performance, with exceptional off-road capabilities. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a tyre developed to enhance the potential of your 4x4 driving experience. Features an aggressive pattern to work on multiple surfaces with enhanced grip. Provides a robust compound for improved tread life on rugged terrain. Designed for a smoother, confident and quieter drive Safe handling in all-seasons, indicated by the M+S mark and the snowflake symbol. General Tire. A brand of Continental.

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23/11/2017 11:15

4x4 NEWS

LAND ROVER UNVEILS BIG CHANGES TO DISCO SPORT New platform and powertrains • Major cabin updates • Prices from £31,575 • Orders open now

and Rover has unveiled what is to all intents and purposes a new Discovery Sport. The vehicle is ofﬁc ally presented as a re a p rather than a hole ne odel ho e er th a ne platfor and revised powertrains including the addition of hybrid propulsion, as ell as a a or freshen up ns de t’s about as d fferent fro the

pre ous ers on as a facel ft ob can be. The cabin retains the original sco port’s ﬁ e-plus-t o seat n arran e ent th a fold n ddle row planted on runners and two pop-up seats beh nd t dd ent sto a e has pro ed th b er door bins and an enlarged cubby box creating 48 litres of space, and a ne oor console features a

re o able tray a pa r of cupholders and a net to keep any cables fro tan l n the sel es around everything. The console’s base is also a reless char n pad a ﬁrst n and o er products he ed a syste a ns Apple ar lay and Andro d Auto too as ell as a bigger 10.75” screen, and there’s a - hotspot on board

n the boot there’s roo for 11 l tres of lu a e hen n ﬁ eseater ode old n the second ro at affords you an e tra 615 litres on top, and standard e u p ent ncludes a car o net to stop te s roll n about At launch the sco port offers a quartet of powertrains – one petrol option and three diesels. The 150bhp version of the latter is the ost econo cal capable of up to 1 p h le send n 0 bhp to the front a le a a anual s speed box. At the top of the ran e a 0bhp petrol en ne th lbf ft s the zestiest. Driving all four wheels as standard th s sees off the 0- 0 spr nt n ust 1 seconds A - olt hybr d opt on a a lable at launch harvests energy usually lost under braking and stores it in an under oor battery call n on t

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4x4 NEWS

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

when needed to assist the engine in pulling away and acceleration. At speeds below 11mph, the engine will also shut off to minimise emissions, with the unit able to reach 40.9mpg. Before the year is out, there will be a plug-in hybrid option using a new three-cylinder Ingenium engine. The other options are the D180 unit, producing 180bhp and 317lbf. ft, and the 240bhp, 369lbf.ft D240. An updated version of the existing ZF nine-speed automatic gearbox has been adopted; it’s a little more effic ent than the last and and Rover says it’s responsible for a 2% increase in fuel economy. Promising to be a true Land Rover, the new Discovery Sport has a towing capacity of 2500kg in addition to superior off-road ability in its class. All things are relative, but 212mm ground clearance and approach, departure and breakover angles of 25, 30 and 20 degrees respectively mean business in this part of the market. Four-wheel drive models are fitted as standard th and o er’s Terrain Response 2 off-road system, offering Comfort, Sand, Grass-Gravel-Snow and Mud and Ruts modes to try and keep the Discovery Sport sure-footed on all surfaces. It also features Hill Descent Control and All-Terrain Progress Control (on 4x4 models only and t can also be fitted with the ClearSight Ground View

4x4 News July ALL PDFS DONE EXCEPT P21.indd 21

technology debuted in the all-new Evoque, which effectively makes the bonnet transparent. For a safer time on the road, equipment includes Adaptive Cruise Control and Steering Assist, and the seats boast three ISOFIX ﬁtt n s ther standard safety features include front and rear parking sensors, a rear camera, Driver Condition Monitor, Lane Keep Assist and Autonomous Emergency Braking. There will be twelve exterior paint options for the Disco Sport’s newly sculpted bodywork, while the interior features fully redesigned seating and the dash now incorporates the aforementioned 10.25” Touch Pro Infotainment screen. There’s a mix of rotary dials and buttons, too, set into the gloss black interface. The three-spoke steering wheel features capacitive switches that integrate with the multimedia system and the driver has a clean and crisp digital instrument cluster. There are many responsible material options for the revolutionised interior, such as non-leather Luxtec – which is made fro recycled polyester croﬁbre The extensively revised Discovery Sport is available to order now, with pricing starting at £31,575 on the road for the twowheel drive model and rising to £50,000. Deliveries are expected in the late summer.

2015 JEEP WRANGLER JK 2.8CRD

2007 DODGE NITRO 2.8CRD

2016 RANGE ROVER EVOQUE 2.0 TD4

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

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

2008 HONDA CRV 2.2 CDTI

2006 JEEP GRAND 2006 NISSAN CHEROKEE WK PATHFINDER 2.5 5.7 V8 HEMI DCI Charlton Recycled Auto Parts Vehicle Recycling Centre, Gravel Pit Hill, Thriplow, Cambridge, SG8 7HZ Tel 01223 832656 Email parts@charltonautoparts.co.uk PLEASE VISIT WWW.CHARLTONAUTOPARTS.CO.UK JULY 2019 | 21

04/06/2019 22:57

4x4 NEWS

SHOGUN SPORT SVP CONCEPT PAVES WAY FOR NEW OPTION PACK

itsubishi has lifted the wraps on the latest concept to come out of its Special Vehicle Projects workshop. The Shogun Sport SVP is an eye-catching take on the company’s rugged mid-sized SUV which draws attention to the vehicle’s off-road ability with a 40mm wider track and BFGoodrich All-Terrain tyres on 18” fauxbeadlock alloys. The vehicle runs on a Koni suspension package developed by Walkinshaw Performance, the company which previously worked with Mitsubishi to convert the old-shape L200 to coil-sprung rear suspension. Rather than trying to enhance the Shogun Sport’s already prodigious capabilities by lifting it for extra ground clearance, the new system offers ‘both additional off-road comfort and improved onroad dynamics’.

No off-road concept would be complete without an LED light bar, and sure enough there’s one of these mounted on the Shogun Sport’s roof. Further down, its grille is also home to a pair of rally-style PIAA driving lamps. The grille itself is a new design featuring black and red accents which mirror the colour of the alloy wheels. The headlamp and taillight surrounds are black, too, and the vehicle also gains a rear spoiler for a meaner on-road stance. Said stance is also enhanced by highclearance side steps. Inside, the Shogun Sport SVP gets special front and rear seats with additional side bolstering and a distinctive pattern decorating its upholstery. There’s an LED mood lighting package in the cabin, too – though this is exclusively red to match the details on the wheels and body, which may say something

about the prevailing mood of whoever specced it. As with the rest of the Shogun Sport range, the SVP is powered by a 2.4-litre turbo-diesel engine developing 181bhp and 317lbf. ft. This is mated as standard on all UK vehicles to an eight-speed automatic gearbox and Mitsubishi’s

Super Select 4WD system, which allows you to run in two or fourwheel drive on the road and high or low range off it. Hill descent control and four-setting Off-Road Mode are both standard, too – as are centre and rear diff locks, which make more difference than everything else put together.

Mercedes-Benz’ new GLC is available to order now, with prices starting at £39,420 for the SUV-bodied model and £44,045 for the Coupé. At launch, all models are powered by a 2.0-litre diesel engine developing 194bhp in 220 d versions and 245bhp in the 300 d. There are six trim levels in the SUV range and one less for the Coupé; at the top of the range, list prices are £54,795 and £57,670 respectively

22 | JULY 2019

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4x4 NEWS

C O M IN G S O O N Forthcoming 4x4s due later this year and beyond

You’ll be able to buy a Shogun Sport SVP later this year, but it’s not yet clear whether it’ll be exactly like the one in these pictures. Mitsubishi says it is currently gauging customers’ opinion on the various accessories

ﬁtted to the prototype before ﬁnal s n the content of the ac h ch ll o on sale to ards the end of the su er ull deta ls of the pac ’s contents as ell as hat t ll cost ll be re ealed near launch.

Another new concept from Mitsubishi is the recent L200 eSports. Designed by Joanne Tulloch of Mitsubishi dealer Livery Dole in Exeter, who won an online competition to create a new truck, this has an 800mm chassis extension to create room for a bespoke gaming pod housing twin race game simulator set-ups. Down below, the truck has been modi ed to r n . tt ro rail lade mud-terrain tyres on rose gold alloy rims.

The Jaguar E-Pace has gained a new special edition. Called Chequered Flag, this gains various kit items and styling tweaks and is available in an exclusive Photon Red paint scheme. There are two petrol and two diesel engines in the line-up, with prices starting at £40,050

4x4 News July.indd 23

Aiways U5 Alfa Romeo Alfa Romeo Aston Martin DBX Audi SQ2 Audi Q4 Bentley Bentayga Hybrid BMW X7 Bollinger B1 Bollinger B2 DS3 Crossback DS 7 Crossback E-Tense Ford Ranger facelift Ford Ranger Raptor Ford Ranger Hyundai INEOS Grenadier nﬁniti Isuzu D-Max XTR Jeep Jeep Cherokee Desert Hawk Jeep Gladiator Jeep Grand Commander Jeep Wagoneer Land Rover Defender Land Rover Discovery Sport Land Rover Discovery SVX Maserati Mercedes EQB Mercedes GLB Mercedes GLE Mercedes GLS Mercedes G-Class Mercedes-AMG G-Class Mitsubishi L200 Mitsubishi Shogun Sport SVP Nissan Juke Porsche Cayenne Coupe Renault Alaskan Rivian R1T Rivian R1s Seat Ateca X-Perience Skoda Kamiq Skoda Kodiaq Coupe Ssangyong XAVL Ssangyong Korando Subaru XV e-Boxer Subaru Forester e-Boxer Suzuki Vitara facelift Tesla Model Y Volkswagen T-Roc R Volkswagen Tarok Volkswagen Amarok

Electric SUV Small SUV Large SUV Performance SUV Performance SUV Coupe SUV Luxury SUV Large SUV Electric off-roader Electric pick-up Small SUV Medium SUV Pick-up Pick-up Pick-up Fuel-call SUV Off-roader arge Pick-up Small SUV Performance Off-Roader Pick-up Large SUV Luxury SUV Off-roader Medium SUV Large SUV Medium SUV Electric SUV Small SUV Large SUV Luxury SUV Off-roader Performance off-roader Pick-up Off-Roader Small SUV Sports SUV Pick-up Electric pick-up Electric large SUV Medium SUV Crossover Medium SUV Medium SUV Small SUV Small SUV Medium SUV Small SUV Medium SUV Performance SUV Pick-up Pick-up

2020 2019 2019 Late 2019 Spring 2019 2019 2019 Spring 2019 2020 2021 2019 Spring 2019 Mid-2019 Mid-2019 2022 2019 2020 July 2019 2021 Spring 2020 Spring 2020 2020 2021 2019 August 2019 2019 2019/20 2019 Late 2019 Spring 2019 Autumn 2019 Early 2019 Early 2019 August 2019 Late 2019 Summer 2019 May 2019 2019 Spring 2022 Summer 2022 2019 Mid-2019 Spring 2019 2019 Summer 2019 Autumn 2019 Autumn 2019 Spring 2019 Autumn 2020 Autumn 2019 2020 2022

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PRODUCTS

BET TER RED THAN TREAD… RAISED WHITE LETTERING? That’s so passe. The hot new thing in 4x4 tyre fashion is Smooth Red Lettering, and you can have it right now thanks to the latest General Grabber X3. The X3 is the mud-terrain in the Grabber line-up. General says it has an 80-20 off-road bias, which you can interpret however you wish, but either way it has a deep, self-cleaning tread pattern with a combination of features which, the company promises, ‘makes for high levels of grip on sand, mud and gravel.’ The X3 features tread blocks which have chamfered edges, along with a combination of wider voids and narrow grooves in the tread base. This pattern is designed to prevent stones from lodging in between them when driving on gravel – something e all find rr tat n hen t happens A multi-directional pattern of grip edges is designed to cling on to roc s h le de ect on r bs protect the s de alls a a nst damage. Further robustness comes in the shape of a threeply carcass structure which provides additional strength and puncture resistance. GENERAL GRABBER X3: General SRL SIZES says that the tyre’s 33x10.50R15 performance on 265/75R16 sand and loose gravel has been 265/70R17 improved by 5% over 285/70R17 the previous Grabber 295/70R17 ud-terra n and th s fi ure 33x12.50R17 rises to 10% on rocks. It’s quieter 35x12.50R17 on the road, too, as well as gripping better 33x12.50R18 in the wet, and all sizes are rated to speeds of up to 100mph. In Britain, the Grabber X3 range covers no less than 37 different sizes, load ratings and so on. Ten 305/55R20 of these are available with the new Smooth Red Lettering, covering a range from 15” to 20” rim sizes 35x12.50R20 as sho n on the left to find out ore head for eneralt re co u

SMART SAND LADDER BRACKETS FROM MUD - UK THESE HINGING SAND LADDER BRACKETS from Mud-UK offer a handy way of stowing a set of sand ladders on the side of a Land Rover Defender. Not only that, their design allows them to drop down when you’re parked up, creating a quick-todeploy table for your mug of tea and bacon sandwich. The brackets can be mounted directly to the side of your Land Rover via a pair of internal spreader plates, or to a cargo rack using the opt onal u c -release ount n t hey and all the r ﬁ n s are made from 100% stainless steel, and as well as traditional sand ladders they can be used to mount Maxtrax recovery boards. The brackets are supplied as a pair and come complete with a ﬁ n t for ett n the on board u table for a ar ety of Defenders, they’re priced at £155 including VAT, and can be found at www. mudstuff. co.uk.

24 | MARCH 2019

3pp Products July.indd 24

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Jeep Parts and Accessories Tel: 01482 666491

Jeepey Jamboree Oﬀ road weekend for Jeep Owners 28th-‐30th June 2019, Held at Carlton Towers DN14 9LZ – Visit Jeepey.com for more details and to book.

4x4 3pp Products July.indd 25

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PRODUCTS

LAZER LAMPS LAUNCHES NEW RANGE OF SLIMLINE ROOF LIGHTS

Est. 1981

LAZER LAMPS HAS LAUNCHED a new range of slimline high-performance LED light bars. Designed, engineered, and manufactured in the UK, the Linear-36, Linear-42, and Linear-48 measure just 40mm in height – making them, in Lazer’s own words, a on the ost sl l ne lo -profile auxiliary high-beam lighting solution available today.’ Measuring from 982mm (39”) to 1282mm (51”) in length, the bars are des ned spec fically to be roofmounted while retaining a discreet appearance he r lo -profile hous n s are as aerodynamic as they are stylish, too, meaning wind noise is kept to the bare minimum, and the Linear-36 and near- are both - ar cert fied Lazer says the lights’ performance is on the upper limit of ECE regulations, meaning they’re about as bright as a driving light is allowed to get. They

MILNER

www.milneroffroad.com TEL: 01629 734411

EST. 1981

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PRODUCTS

pro de e cept onal d stance llu nat on but with an incredible spread of light’, and their rear-facing LED arrangement is designed to eliminate light bleed and glare on to the vehicle’s bonnet. Having driven vehicles in which this made n ht-t e s b l ty orse not better hen the r rooftop LEDs were switched on, we know how s n ficant th s s urab l ty s pretty portant too so you’ll be happy to hear that the l hts are protected against water ingress and come with ‘unbreakable’ polycarbonate lenses co ered by a l fet e uarantee hey’re pre- red th ale and fe ale connectors and ha e ant -theft secur ty fi n s suppl ed as standard and a er says they have automotive-grade corrosion resistance. he bars’ launch ll be s ftly follo ed by a ran e of un ersal roof ount n ts to su t all nds of eh cles hey co e th a co prehens e fi e-year arranty and are pr ced at 0 for the near00 for the nearand for the nearo find out ore s t www.lazerlamps.com.

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04/06/2019 23:18

PRODUCTS

LED FOGS FOR IRONMAN BULL BARS Everything electrical for your 4x4 project at great prices. 1000’s of parts in stock for immediate despatch with fast delivery. • • • • • •

Cables, fuseboxes, terminals, connectors, switch panels Battery-to-battery chargers for Euro 5/6 vehicles Made-to-measure split charge kits Multi-stage leisure battery chargers Power distribution components LED lighting

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IF YOU’VE GOT AN IRONMAN BULL BAR, you can now make more people than ever aware of the fact, thanks to the company’s new LED Fog Lights. These dish out more light while drawing less current than the conventional halogen equivalent, and are designed for on and off-road conditions – with IP69 protection against dust and water ingress, even if the latter comes at them from the business end of a pressure washer. The lights are supplied in pairs, along with dedicated brackets for mounting them in your bull bar. They’re part of an ever-growing Ironman range which is imported to the UK by West Coast Off-Road; they’re at www.westcoastoffroad.co.uk.

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The Smart Tray, meanwhile, will start at around £3500. Again, this comes with a wide range of accessories as standard, including folding sides and under-body side and rear drawers and lockers. uff- re says t e pects a full art ray ﬁt-out nclud n canopy to cost around £7500. Though even then there are options, such as single and double spare wheel carriers. Initially available for the Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux, the Smartcanopy EVO range will shortly expand to cover ‘all major new pick-up trucks including Mercedes X-Class.’ Tuff-Trek is keen to hear from clients of all s es nclud n eet operators to ﬁnd out ore and ndeed to et n touch with them, visit tuff-trek.com.

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FIRST DRIVE

RANGE ROVER EVOQUE

Second-generation version of the fastest-selling Land Rover of all time looks much the same as before – but is very different under the skin

hen the Range Rover Evoque emerged in 2011, few could ha e foreseen ho n uent al th s compact SUV would be – including Land Rover itself. The Evoque became the fastest-selling Landy of all time – a level of success the company will no doubt be hoping to replicate with this new one. So what exactly is new? Well, the Mk2 Evoque uses Land Rover’s new PTA platform (it stands for Premium Transverse Architecture, though no doubt plenty of owners will be on a Parent Teacher Association too), the reason

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being that it was designed with electr ﬁcat on n nd All but the entry-level front-wheel drive 148bhp diesel model will be mild hybrids, using 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engines along with a 48-volt electric motor to aid acceleration and reduce emissions. The front-wheel drive diesel comes with a manual box, whereas all other versions have a nine-speed ZF auto driving all four wheels. There’s a range of three diesel and three petrol versions: D150, D180 and D240, and P200, P250 and P300, all of them named for their power output. A plug-in hybrid will also be available later this year.

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Interior is a step up from the old model’s, with more than a hint of the Velar to it. Materials are premium all round, and the quality of build is very good. It’s more spacious, too, for people and cargo alike, and as well as alternative materials to the usual seat leather you get Land Rover’s latest Touch Pro Duo infotainment set-up On the outside, the Evoque’s exterior mimics the larger Range Rover Velar. In fact, whereas the old model had more of a Freelander-come-over-all-tarty vibe, if you think of this one as a more compact, scaled-down Velar, you’ve got the gist of it. To my eye, the design seems to suit the Evoque’s proportions even better, too. The body itself is 13% stiffer than before and, even with the introduction of hybrid technology, has only grown 1mm in length. There’s been some clever packaging work going on at Land Rover, as the wheelbase has grown by 21mm, yielding 20mm more legroom in the back and a 10% improvement in luggage capacity.

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It all sounds like intelligent progress and that’s because this is a worthy evolution of the old car rather than a wholesale revolution. Open up the Evoque, using the Velar-inspired retractable door handles, and you’ll step inside a spacious cabin that has a premium feel and ﬁn sh here’s the usual abundance of leather around the interior, but this can now be substituted for sustainable textiles, including suedecloth, wool blends and even eucalyptus. The latest infotainment from JLR has been installed, with the Touch Pro Duo set-up donning neat graphics. it’s not the fastest system on the market, but no options are more than a couple of touches

away. The steering wheel controls have a satisfying operation and the seats can be adjusted electrically in up to 16 different ways. There’s no doubt the interior is a step up over the outgoing model. Once on the move, too, an pro e ent n refine ent is clear to behold, with minimal interruptions from wind and tyre noise. The highest compliment I can award the Evoque is that it now feels like a proper Range Rover. he refine ent doesn’t ust stop with the cabin environment, either. The Evoque’s ride is well damped and in corners there’s only a hint of body roll. We tried the 00 ers on fin shed n tr it’s the entry-level petrol model

and is likely to be one of the topselling versions. While the engine was quiet and worked well in the background with the auto box, however, it never felt as quick as its on-paper stats would have you believe. I was disappointed with its economy, too, especially as this is meant to be the most frugal petrol unit in the range, blending a state-of-the-art Ingenium engine with JLR’s latest hybrid technology. A return of 27mpg is just not acceptable in what’s supposed to be a usable co pact My advice would therefore be to stick with either the D180 or D240 models, which will certainly return better fuel economy while also delivering some additional

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low-range shove. If you do, you’ll be getting a fantastic car. The Evoque is a wonderfully comfortable vessel, reminding me of how easily the Discovery 5 covers ground. It always remains composed, no matter what stretch of road lies ahead – and it manages to retain its heritage when you leave the tarmac, too. With a revised version of Land Rover’s Terrain Response 2 technology, indeed, the baby Range Rover is incredibly capable off-road. Traction is never in doubt as the four-wheel drive system just works

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out what to do and pulls the car forward. And even if things get tricky, there are plenty of features to help the Evoque out. Hill Descent Control gives conﬁdence on steep slopes h le All Terrain Progress Control acts as a form of cruise control for rough ground. There’s a maximum wading depth of 600mm, too, while new gizmos such as Ground e technolo y a e the r ﬁrst appearance on the Evoque. The latter uses cameras to project the illusion of an invisible bonnet on the touchscreen, so drivers can see

clearly what lies next to their front wheels and in front of the bulkhead. Other neat new touches include the ClearSight rear-view mirror. This can be activated by toggling the traditional rear-view mirror into a HD video screen featuring a wide-angle picture from a camera on the rear of the car, meaning you can always have good visibility even if you’re carrying large items or have a tall passenger in the middle rear seat. The ClearSight mirror is a £315 option on our SE-spec test car, which brings us nicely on to kit

levels. Prices for the new Evoque start from £31,600 and even the basic S models come with LED headlights, heated windscreen, rear sofi ount n s front and rear parking sensors, a rear camera, DAB radio, Bluetooth, cruise control and Lane Keep Assist. SE versions have a powered tailgate, navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto added into the mix, alongside 20” alloys, the Touch Pro Duo upgrade from the entrylevel 10” screen and a wealth of safety features such as raffic n eco n t on ear raffic on tor and a 360-degree parking aid. Finally, HSE models gain keyless entry, Windsor leather, an interactive display and Connect Pro, turning your Evoque into a Wi-Fi hotspot – and a saint for keeping children amused. An R-Dynamic option is available across all versions for an additional £1500, which adds more stylish elements to the Evoque’s already handsome exterior. Whatever version you pick, there’s no reason to go beyond a list price of £45,000. The Evoque has been awarded the full fi e-star safety rat n fro EuroNCAP and residuals are expected to lead the class. Now, at last, it feels like its bigger siblings, carrying over the Velar’s looks and interior while maintaining the impressive on and off-road manners its heritage demands. The baby Range Rover is a baby no more.

4x4 03/06/2019 22:52

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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.

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DRIVEN

TOYOTA LAND CRUISER

Facelifted off-road icon remains as majestic as ever on and off-road – but with a base-spec model now available, is the range-topper still worth all that money? DRIVEN Land Cruiser Invincible

ince the facelifted version of the Land Cruiser came to Britain at the start of last year, all our attention has been focused on the new base-spec Utility model – a vehicle which answers a question British off-roaders have been asking of Toyota for around a quarter of a century. At long last, UK buyers can get a vehicle carrying the world’s favourite offroad nameplate in a form specced with off-road work in mind. We reviewed the Land Cruiser Utility a few months ago, and now we want one. But lest anyone forget, this is still a vehicle that’s been presented to generations of British buyers as a premium purchase – and while new lower-spec version ou ht to l ht a ﬁre under ts sales

ﬁ ures espec ally th the and Rover Defender long gone, the Suzuki Jimny sold out and the Jeep Wrangler starting at around ten grand more), Toyota’s banker is still what we have here – the full-house Invincible model, tested with an OTR price of £52,855. This has been at or near the top of the Land Cruiser range since before even the current model arrived in 2009. Revisions have been modest in the time that’s passed since then, and this latest facelift once again concerns itself primarily with details. To be fair, there’s nothing much that needs changing at a deep-down level, but Toyota has worked hard to put together a convincing case for saying this new ers on s s n ﬁcantly better both on an off-road.

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So what’s changed? There’s a new-look body, whose bonnet and wings are shaped for better visibility hen off-road n the bonnet dips down to let you see over it more easily, while the wings have higher points to mark the vehicle’s extremities). Inside, the dash has been revised around a bigger media screen and the already extensive list of comforts has grown to include automatic climate control, ventilation for the front seats and heating for the rears. There’s a stronger range of safety features, too. The model tested here gains adaptive cruise control, lanedeparture alert, automatic main beam, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-trafﬁc alert and a pre-coll s on system with an autonomous braking function. Of course, a really good,

commanding view of the road ahead is the best safety feature a vehicle can have, and the Cruiser certainly delivers there too, but the more the merrier. Whether that phrase can also be applied to the number of inches in the wheels is open to debate. The new Invincible gets an extra one, at any rate, with 265/55R19s replac n the 0-proﬁle 1 - nchers on the old model.

CABIN AND PRACTICALITY Even in Invincible form, the Land ru ser doesn’t atter you the ay a similarly priced premium softroader would. Its cabin may be full

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The cabin has a quality feel to it without being particularly special in its ambience. Some of the plastics are quite hard and scratchy, but the seat leather is good and build quality is as you’d expect. There’s just enough about its design and equipment to put you in mind of Mercedes’ SUVs, though it doesn’t feel anything like as premium as those vehicles of leather and premium equipment, but the workaday nature of its underlying design can’t be hidden – and hurrah for that, you might well say. The new kit adds still further to a cabin that was already very relaxing. We found the multimedia system quite hard to get to grips with, however, and far less user-friendly than those that come loaded with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto – plugging an iPhone into a USB socket and simply listening to music on it really shouldn’t need to be a process that makes you give up and listen to the radio instead, but with no time to read the handbook prior to a long journey that’s what happened to us. Looks-wise, there are SUVs out there for this sort of money whose cabins look absolutely sensational, and in comparison the Land Cruiser’s has much more of a functional design. The majority of controls and functions are housed in a fairly simple centre stack, though this has been reworked with a less upright shape than in the old model. There’s not so much of the grim fake wood, too, which s deﬁn tely a step for ard the combination of dark leather and

pol shed etal effect ﬁn shes that have replaced it still doesn’t have what you’d call a sumptuous air, but it’s certainly more modern. As you’d expect of a Land Cruiser, too, build quality in the cabin is absolutely outstanding. There are virtually no creaks or groans from behind the dash when you prod t and the oor console feels like part of the chassis it’s so stoutly mounted. All the controls

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are strong and positive in operation, and everything about it feels ready to live forever. Having owned an old, high-mileage example of a previousgeneration Land Cruiser, too, we know this is no false boast. As mentioned above, the Land Cruiser also gives you the excellent driving position which all SUVs seek to achieve but only a true off-road machine can really deliver. The view you enjoy is absolutely

ﬁrst-class t’s a b t ore cluttered over your shoulder, but needless to say this model has a reversing camera), and there’s plenty of space in which to stretch out in any direction you care to choose. Most vehicles, clearly, are set up with road handling more to the forefront than the Land Cruiser, but few can give you anything like the sa e feel n of conﬁdence as you drive.

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The rear seats have just about enough legroom for a tall adult to squeeze in behind a driver of a similar stature. Headroom is poor, however, and a six-footer’s eye line will be above the top of the side window

The seats themselves are lavishly comfortable, too, with electric adjustment in every direction you can think of. They’re heated and cooled, too, and trimmed in a nice leather fin sh h ch ht not be ultra-lu ury nappa but s defin tely better than most. The leather is perforated thou h so n est n a set of fitted co ers f you’re plann n to dr e ear n uddy clothes In the back, the second row of seats sl des bac and forth creat n ust enou h nee roo for one pa r of tall adults to sit behind another.

eadroo here lea es you ant n for noth n and once a a n the he ht of your perch eans there’s a ood e of the orld around you There’s also a third row, which is standard on the Invincible. Made up of two individual seats which both fold ush nto the oor th s s deﬁn tely best left to the ds – and small ones at that, unless the second row is slid some way for ard ou could conﬁ ure t to carry four adults and three children thout anyone ha n to suffer too much, but to call it a full seven-

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seater for a full complement of ro n-ups ould be stretch n the truth somewhat. or car o-carry n dut es the second ro drops near- at th an easy one-shot act on lea n ust a ery s all step n the oor h ch s ell enou h shaped to let loads slide up and over it. The boot space s lon enou h thout be n anyth n spec al ho e er t’s ery de and h h n the and ru ser an press e car o olu e h ch as ell as be n b is usefully square in shape. There’s a

pretty h h l p to load o er as you ht e pect fro a true off-road ach ne but a b de ta l ate aperture means you can do some ery ser ous load-lu n ndeed with one of these.

DRIVING The Land Cruiser is a proper truck, of the kind which most anufacturers ha e lon s nce abandoned s oyota try n to turn bac the t de by st c n th

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proper off-road equipment like low box and a beam axle at the rear? There are those who’d say yes, and plenty of them are driving BMW X5s and Audi Q7s instead, but if you know what you’re looking at you’ll understand exactly what this vehicle is about. It’s the way it is because Toyota sells them by the boatload to people who really will use them for what they were built to do; you might not need that level of ruggedness or off-road skill in your life, but if you want to have it on call (or simply appreciate the value of longevity and monumental over-engineering in a vehicle), you’ll be willing to make a few compromises on things like ride quality and steering feel. Not that ride quality is by any means bad. The Land Cruiser does a very decent job of drawing the sting from bad roads, in fact, soaking up small imperfections and taking the harshness out of sharp pot holes rather than trying to make the bumps disappear altogether. The move to 19” tyres hasn’t compromised this, thankfully. Nor does it make the vehicle noticeably sharper to handle, on the other hand – though to be fair, it was already better in this area than you’ve any right to expect, with body control that’s very good given its height and weight. Steering, meanwhile, feels natural enough, though there’s precious little to it in terms of feel and feedback. It’s weighted adequately and the vehicle does what you tell it without harbouring any nasty surprises, but the aforementioned X5 will entertain you more if that’s where you like to get your kicks. You can push it quite hard, all the same, and it won’t lose its

composure – it certainly won’t react playfully, but it won’t get loose and sloppy either. What matters much more, at any rate, is that the steering is effortless around town – and well settled on the motorway, with no need for you to be continually making small adjustments to your line. There’s not a lot of noise, here, either; a standard auto box means the engine barks a bit on the way up, but once at cruising speed it settles to a contented rumble with just the occasional muted thump from the back to remind you that you’re driving a proper off-roader. Again, the lo er-proﬁle tyres ha en’t added any fussiness compared to the old model.

Even with the box left in automatic mode, the 2.8 D-4D pulls strongly. Its output of 177bhp at 3400rpm hardly sounds inspiring, but 332lbf.ft at 1600rpm says it all – it just pulls and pulls and pulls, for as long as you want to keep asking it. You don’t get a feeling of sparkling pace, but what it lacks in instant urge it more than makes up for with mid-range torque – this is one of those vehicles in which you start off thinking it’s making heavy weather of getting moving, then you look at the speedo and realise where all that effort has gone. We’d expect it hardly to be slowed at all by a trailer, too. Though sales to business users in sectors like farming certainly will

be, because its braked trailer limit is 3000kg rather than 3500 – which will be an instant deal-breaker to many of the people who would otherwise have considered a Utility model as a replacement for their ageing Defender. That’s a shame because with a proper chassis, low-range gears and a live rear axle, the Cruiser has what most of us recognise as the right stuff to do just that. Toyota has probably sold more proper off-road vehicles than anyone else over the last half a century or so, and it certainly knows what it’s doing here – the result being that the Land Cruiser makes it just amazingly easy, and very comfortable indeed, to cover rough terrain.

If you’re of the view that little things can make a big difference, this will be right up your street. The Land Cruiser’s bonnet has been reshaped with an indentation in the middle to aid forward visibility, while its wing fronts have a more pronounced shoulder to help the driver identify the corners of the vehicle. Or you could just watch what’s going on ahead in the front-view monitor that comes on when you’re driving in low box…

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that the media screen near the top of the centre stack becomes a forward-view monitor. This is handy as it shows you what’s directly in front of the bonnet, and in combination with a graphic illustrating where your front wheels are pointing it’s the next best thing to having a spotter. You could of course strip all this away and the Land Cruiser would remain one of the very best off-roaders there is. When Toyota says it has reshaped the vehicle’s wings and bonnet to provide better visibility, after all, you can’t help but interpret it as a reminder that the vast majority of these vehicles don’t have all this clever stuff. And the enormous poise with which it follows the ground, and maintains traction, is down entirely to the underlying off-road design that makes it what it is. or th s reason e ﬁnd t exasperating that the Utility model does without a locking rear diff. However much the high-tech features work for their living (and they do), as far as we’re concerned that one item would be worth more than all of them put together. At least the Invincible does get the full works, however, making it as much of an off-road titan as it is a premium wagon.

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VERDICT

In Invincible form, it has adaptive shocks. These are primarily there to aid on-road handling, but they also respond to off-road use by allowing the wheels to follow the terrain with the minimum of interference. It’s not just the shocks, either. This is one of those trucks that starts performing tricks when you get ready to go off-road. The antiroll bars, for example, disconnect to aid articulation when you engage low box. And at the same time, a valve between the rear air springs opens up, allowing the axle to move as freely as possible. In addition even to all this, in Invincible form the Land Cruiser comes with an extraordinary range of high-tech driver aids. The lower facia houses an enormous rotary dial for setting the speed of the crawl control system, and even something as basic as high and low box is operated by a huge toggle switch rather than the traditional transfer lever. There are buttons for the centre and rear diff locks, for raising the height of the air suspension and for choosing a drive mode from the multi-terrain select menu – allowing you to trim the vehicle for tackling sand, rocks, mud, snow and so on. Something else that happens when you go into low box is

★★★★★

Toyota Land Cruiser Invincible Loaded with clever kit, but it’s what it is underneath that makes it special The Land Cruiser is a traditional off-road truck at heart, built to prosper and survive in the world’s harshest terrains and environments. Toyota has a long history of turning such vehicles into incredibly highly specced luxury 4x4s, however, and the Invincible is the latest example of that. It was alread a trul magniﬁcent machine whose combination of old-style engineering and new technology was by far the most convincing we’ve experienced, and with this facelift it’s that bit better than ever. If it’s the Utility model that really excites you, the Invincible won’t change that – but whichever Cruiser you buy, you’re getting a bona ﬁde off road legend and a truck for life.

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Untitled-1 1

30/04/2019 10:40

FIRST DRIVE

SKODA KAROQ SCOUT

The vehicle that replaced the award-winning Yeti gets the off-road treatment but remains first and foremost a slick family SUV ON TEST Karoq Scout 2.0 TDI 150

hen Skoda launches a new 4x4, you can be sure that after a few months it’ll also launch a Scout version of the vehicle. And sure enough, following on from last year’s introduction of the Karoq to replace the smash-hit Yeti, here’s the Karoq Scout. The Yeti was famed for the brave styling that made it so distinctive,

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and looking that way didn’t seem to cost it anything in terms of popularity. Nonetheless, Skoda has gone a lot more conservative this time, with a design that looks much more like a modestly scaled-down Kodiaq. Still, if you’re going to be a scaled-down anything, you might as well be a scaled-down Kodiaq, what with that being one of the very best vehicles on the entire market. And the extra underbody cladding that

comes with the Scout treatment does work well enough with the Karoq’s image, adding a touch of attitude without making it look as if it’s trying to be something it’s not. We’ve got the Scout here in 2.0 TDI 150 form, which is one of four engine and gearbox combos available in this trim. You can get it with a 1.5-litre petrol unit or a version of the same 2.0 TDI tuned for 190bhp, both of which come as standard with DSG auto gearboxes; the engine tested here can be specced that way as an option, but we’ve got it with what is the only manual in the Scout line-up. Thus equipped, the Scout lists at £31,290. We’re seeing a pretty consistent £4500-£5000 discount being offered by online brokers, however, so don’t be too quick to let that put you off. It’s still a lot more expensive than the most basic Karoq, but of course you get a lot more kit in Scout form. This includes four-wheel drive, as well as that protective

lower body cladding and an OffRoad mode which, without turning it into anything that’ll trouble a Landcruiser, gives it more ability than almost any owner will ever believe, let alone need..

CABIN AND PRACTICALITY Typically of anything that comes out of the Volkswagen Group, the Karoq is tidily designed and beautifully put together inside. So many car makers try to come over all cleverclever and end up looking fussy and clumsy instead, but what we have here is an object lesson in doing the simple things right. The facia is designed around a really slick media screen whose graphics and operation shows how far in-car infotainment has come. Its resolution is top-drawer and it responds instantaneously to inputs, with a clarity to its interface that

4x4 03/06/2019 22:50

The Karoq’s cabin is a masterpiece of doing the simple things well. It’s laid out unfussily and very well put together using excellent materials and the controls are easy to ﬁnd and use The media screen is outstanding with pin-sharp graphics and fast responses, and its menus are simple to navigate around. Oddment stowage is generous enough, as is space in the front seats – however the rears are painfully short on legroom, meaning they’re only really suitable for children and very modestly proportioned adults makes it as easy to use as it is satisfying. It feels classy in a way that would have been totally appropriate in a car costing twice as much, if only Volkswagen hadn’t gone and raised the bar the way it did with the new Touareg. Our Karoq was also optioned with a virtual dashboard, whose screen resolution was every bit as good. Once again, it puts you in mind of motoring at a far more elevated level. As you’d expect from Skoda, the dashboard itself is very well made. It’s made from good quality

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materials and feels rock solid, with no creaking at all when it’s anhandled and the oor console is so well mounted it might as well be part of the chassis. The driving position is a good one, too, with an excellent view to the front and sides. The A-posts are quite thick but don’t obscure your ﬁeld of s on unduly and nor does the high-ish waistline. Overthe-shoulder visibility, meanwhile, is well above average, with a good bit of glass between what are quite narrow C and D pillars, and when you look in the rear view mirror

all you see is the tailgate window. You could easily get away without any form of reversing aid, though naturally you get plenty. You survey all this from a seat that’s good and comfortable, with plenty of support in the base and a manual lever for adjusting the lumbar cushion. It’s okeasingly spacious up front, too – but the same can’t be said for the rear seats, which we didn’t consider suitable for carrying adults. We say this because with the front seat set for a six-footer, even with the rears slid fully back there

asn’t enou h roo for us to ﬁt another six-footer to sit behind it. There’s no give in the seat backs, especially when they’ve got picnic trays mounted on them, and not enough room to get your knees in behind them. Headroom is okay in the back, however, as is the view over a waistline which only tapers very slightly upwards. So if we’re talking about smaller adults, or more likely a couple of kids in the back, it’ll be ﬁne ore than that n fact as the 40:20:40 rear seats can be slid and reclined individually – or the centre

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one removed to create a four-seat layout with vastly improved elbow room for those in the stern. h s e b l ty s the aro ’s party piece when it comes to carrying large loads, too. The rear seats can be folded, tumbled or removed altogether, giving you a choice of compromises between length, height and a potentially enormous volume – though one th n you can’t do s s ply pop the do n and et a lon at boot oor th no step n t Whether this makes it more or less practical than a more traditional layout is largely down to the way you use your vehicle. t’s certa nly a useful tr c f you do need t but don’t underest ate the weight of the seats, the

awkwardness of removing them or the amount of space you need to store them in when not in use. A a n the e b l ty s un atched f that’s hat you ant but you do have to work for it.

DRIVING he nference fro oda’s ran e l ne-up s that ost aro cout buyers are e pected to ant automatics. If you prefer manuals, however, the good news is that the s -speeder bolted to the bac of the 2.0 TDI 150 engine tested here s absolutely or eous t’s l ht and precise, short of throw and thoroughly pleasing to use, whether you’re eas n your ay around

town or giving it some on your favourite B-road. The engine is perfectly matched to its ratios, too, pulling smoothly all the way from a standing start. ou u c ly learn to short-sh ft nto action on take-off, but from then

on t’s as natural as t s effortless here’s plenty of feel ho e er so you never become disengaged from the vehicle. The steering does have a slight tendency to feel unnaturally light at times in Standard mode, however.

oot exibility is the Karoq s big party piece The 40 20 40 rear seats are mounted on a rail meaning the centre one can be removed to create a more spacious four-seater and they fold down to leave a long cargo bay – albeit one with a hefty step over which to load your luggage They can also be tumbled for more space or removed altogether for the ultimate in volume – though you needn t under-estimate the effort that goes into doing this

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The 2.0 TDI 150 engine is an absolute gem, and suits the Karoq down to the ground. It’s the only one available in the Scout range with a manual gearbox – and that’s more reason than ever to choose it, because thus equipped it s light exible and thoroughly rewarding to drive in all situations

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On the motorway, the Karoq rides with plenty of composure and no sign of pattering from beneath its wheels. There’s a touch of booming from the engine when you work it hard, and we experienced a certain amount of buffeting, but body control remains good and you don’t ﬁnd yourself constantly ﬁd et n th the steer n heel to keep it on line. Take it off-road, meanwhile, and the Karoq is bound to surprise you. It almost doesn’t matter what assumptions you make of it – if it can’t far exceed your expectations, they must be ridiculous. It’s amazingly tractable over ground that’s slippery and/or uneven enough to ask questions of its traction management software, and

while ground clearance is hardly epic there’s enough there to see you over rougher terrain than you have any right to try and tackle. It’s particularly stable on higherspeed off-road terrain, too, such as the loose, gravelly tracks that

will likely be the extent of what even the most adventurous of owners will risk taking on. With its relatively short suspension stroke and ever-attentive traction control, the Karoq will gobble up trails like these with sure-footed stability.

★★★★

VERDICT

We found it much more pleasing to drive in Sport; normally, we tend just to leave cars in their default drive mode setting, but we found that the Karoq was very clearly at its best when set up with a little more alacrity. Changing drive modes doesn’t do anything to the vehicle’s suspension (note that the default setting is called ‘normal’, not ‘comfort’). However there’s no real need for any clever tricks here – the Scout rides tidily enough around town, albeit not quite like a magic carpet, and handles with admirable stability at high and low speeds alike. Its steering does what you expect it to in fast corners, too, though even in Sport mode it’s not especially communicative.

Skoda Kodiaq 2.0 TDI 150 Scout Everything Skoda does so well, in a very likeable and practical package There’s something about the Karoq that’s not quite as charming as the Yeti used to be. But it pulls off all the same tricks – and with this engine and gearbox, the Scout is great to drive. Its rearseat exibilit ma or ma not be what ou need but it certainl gi es the ehicle a part trick. and in this form it can do things off-road too. It looks like the Son of Kodiaq, and to a great extent that s exactl what it is.

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FOUR WHEELS OR TWO?

Jeep Flatbill concept will carry motocross bikes to places they might not even be able to WORDS: KAZUYOSHI SASAZAKI PICTURES: JEEP

his yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah was notable for the fact that every one of the concept vehicles Jeep introduced at the event was there to plug one single model. Normally, the Wrangler dominates proceedings with one or two of the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s SUVs also getting a look in, but this year it was 100% Gladiator. That says something about how important the new Wrangler-based pick-up is to Jeep. And though the Gladiator will be marketed as a

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reach on their own

working tool as well as a lifestyle vehicle, the Flatbill concept is all about fun. Jeep says the vehicle was ‘designed with the desert lifestyle in mind.’ We don’t think this means you’re supposed to die of starvation in it and get picked clean by vultures, though if it’s the last thing you ever see at least you’d go out with a blast. No, the desert lifestyle in question is the kind that involves big boys’ toys. None bigger than the Gladiator itself, of course – but it’s

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the Flatbill’s cargo that really sets it apart. As if to illustrate the carrying capacity of the new truck, its bed has been converted to carry a pair of motocross bikes. ‘The Jeep Flatbill is a truck dedicated to dirt bike riding through and through,’ explains Jeep, ‘and is fully equipped to handle transport of dirt bikes for any off-road adventure.’ Instead of a tailgate, the vehicle has a set of dedicated ramps which slide out for access and loading. Once stowed, they and the bikes are protected by a tubular rear bumper – which also creates a better departure angle for greater agility off-road. That’s no small matter, because the Flatbill is much more than just a funky looking pick-up. Underneath, its 3.6-litre V6 petrol engine turns a pair of Dynatrac Pro-Rock 60 axles, on top of which an Off-Road Evolution custom four-inch lift kit with remote-reservoir rear shocks allo s for the ﬁt ent of 0 alloy r s and 0 tyres eep says th s s the ﬁrst t e a Gladiator has run on such big tyres, and in the absence of any evidence to the contrary we’re not about to demur. The combination

of axles, tyres and suspension ‘help the Flatbill tackle any obstacle’ by providing ’superior traction and offroad performance’ – again, we can’t see any reason for arguing. It’s not all about being able to get your trail bikes to places where they might not even be able to reach if they weren’t strapped to the back of a truck, either. This is a concept eh cle after all so t’s ﬁrst job is to look amazing – and we shouldn’t think many people would miss it in a crowd. The vented carbon bonnet and high-clearance wheelarches were inspired by motocross culture, and up front there’s a custom bumper

and skid plate to improve the truck’s approach angle – which was already looking healthy thanks to that l ft ns de br ht bed-l ned oors and custom seat trims are intended to crank up the sense of fun, and the bodywork wears graphics that create ‘an unmistakable, loud and rowdy appearance.’ We’re pretty sure this is meant to be a good thing, but if you live near a pub and are reading this around kicking-out time try to accept that something might have been lost in translation. Unlike the image the Flatbill sets out to put across – because looks like these say the same in any language.

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the real thing

Somerset-based Arkonik restores Land Rovers in readiness for a new life on the other side of the Atlantic. Its vehicles are known for setting incredibly high standards and are often seen as luxury wagons – but as this one shows, they can be true thoroughbred workhorses too WORDS: DAN FENN PICTURES: ARKONIK

ometimes, big-budget Land Rover rebuilds can look, well, a bit unconvincing. It’s possible to spend a shedload of cash on a Defender, but doing so doesn’t guarantee that it will turn out looking tasteful. here’s a ﬁne l ne bet een the classy and the ar sh aturally personal taste plays a b part n t but f you ant to des n a 0 or 110 that people ll apprec ate the b est th n you’ e ot to do s preser e ts authent c ty hat’s e actly hat Ar on has done th this restored 110. Called the Archer, it was co ss oned by a custo er n ash n ton and bu lt to spec by the o erset-based spec al st all of whose vehicles are sourced in Europe and sent across the Atlantic. h s part cular 110 ca e fro reece as they so often do A beneﬁt of th s s that t’s not o n to have lived on a constant diet of road salt, and

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A Ruskin retrim and 15” Evander steering wheel have become familiar parts of the Arkonik interior treatment. These vehicles are designed to order, so they re ect the client s taste which in this case is classy and understated of course it helps that the steering wheel is on the correct side for a future in America. uts de t’s ﬁn shed n and o er’s fa l ar Coniston Green. A Warn Zeon 10-S winch is probably the ost ob ous add t on thou h black Mach 5 alloys with BFGoodrich KO2 Allerra ns cut a dash too he latter are 1 in size, so the Defender’s standard look isn’t compromised by any wannabe Tonka tendencies. Further adornments include Satin Black KBX n -top ents and nature r lle ebony re and ce s de steps an or la p and a A rear step. The winch is housed on a restrained A-bar which also carries the front mount for a hea y-duty steer n uard all of h ch helps e the truck a good, no-nonsense image.

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ns de t’s all about the us n leather tr n nta e hatch ro n h ch ﬁn shes off the seats, cubby box, door cards and gearshift gaiters. Said seats are heated up front and premium high-back jobs behind, and up top there’s a black suede headliner. The dash features an Alpine pre u sound syste th re ers n ca era if you can take your eyes from the gorgeous 15” ander ood-r ed steer n heel here’s a sunroof, as well as air-conditioning, and the gear knobs and door furniture are made from polished alloy. Just in case people aren’t noticing, the hole lot s l t up by an ce h te pac h s all a es for one ery spec al 110 but one that’s notable as much for what’s not on it as hat s here’s so uch ore that could ha e

been ﬁtted both outs de and n to help a e t stand out n a cro d but the po nt s that standing out isn’t necessary when you’re buoyed along by a proper air of class. It’s not the crowd you ant to press t’s the people ho no And f you no your and o ers you’ll see that th s 110 has authent c ty r tten all o er t

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OVERLOADING IS COMMON

YOUR INSURANCE COULD BE INVALID IF YOU’RE OVERLOADED

– What would your thoughts be if you were told your vehicle, trailer and everything carried on it and in it were not insured? Scary thought isn’t it, but of all the vehicles stopped and checked by DVSA (2015-2016), over 80% were found to be overloaded and/or exceeding the driver’s licence entitlement. When was the last time you checked your vehicle weights? If you knew there was an inexpensive option to avoid your overloading problems, would you be interested? For over 20 years, SvTech have covered GVW rerating on vehicles, from small sub 3.5t vehicles all the way up to 150t Special Types vehicles. SvTech can uprate the GVW of most 4x4’s and in some cases also increase the towing allowances. e.g. Toyota Hilux, Isuzu D-Max – GVW increase to 3500kg + GTW of 3500kg (7000kg combined) A GVW uprate can increase your payload allowance thus reducing the size and number of vehicles involved for transporting your goods. Try using SvTech’s free Load Distribution Analysis program to check your weights. www.svtech.co.uk/lda

GVW AND TOWING ALLOWANCES AFFECTED

HAVE YOU WEIGHED YOUR VEHICLE? DO IT NOW BEFORE THE DVSA DO!

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UPWARDS A ONWARDS

it t ree man fact rers no offerin its con ersions as official models rctic r cks as ained a stron foot old in t e market t ere are t o e icles yo can t et t ro main dealers t o yo mi t ery ell like to WORDS: PAUL LOOE PICTURES: HARRY HAMM

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S AND S

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t’s unlikely to have escaped your notice that the pick-up industry in the UK has started embracing Arctic Trucks in a big way. Isuzu as the ﬁrst anufacturer to tea up th the company on the old-shape D-Max AT35, then in the last year or so there’s been the Toyota Hilux AT35 and Nissan Navara AT32, as well as a facel fted ers on of su u’s or nal All of these are truc s you can buy throu h the r anufacturers’ a n dealers ust l e any other model in the D-Max, Hilux or Navara range. Commensurate with Arctic Trucks’ proclaimed position as an OEM supplier rather than an after ar et od ﬁer they co e th the r factory arrant es ntact and can be insured as standard vehicles. ere thou h e ha e a couple of oyotas h ch you can’t et fro a n dealers ot yet at least. The Land Cruiser AT35 is similar to the lu A n that t’s l fted to the po nt here it can run on 35” tyres, while the Hilux AT37 s ta en that b t further and s ts on rubber There’s a clue in their names, as you’re likely to have noticed. o nches can a e a lot of d fference but Arctic Trucks told us that the AT35 and AT37 are funda entally the sa e con ers on ust using longer springs and shocks on the latter to accommodate the taller tyres. There are no body l fts o n on here the co pany does use th s techn ue on ts A ers on of the su u D-Max, but not on the Hilux or Land Cruiser. So how do you get a 37” tyre beneath a Hilux thout l ft n t so h h ts trans ss on an les start needing their own postcode? Arctic Trucks only uses a 0 l ft on the A odel so even the AT37 is hardly going to be taking the suspension mods to the extreme. The answer is what the company describes as ‘extensively re-engineered inner arches and body or ’ A rtual l ft n other ords thou h e can safely say that as an suppl er they’ll do a proper ob of t rather than ust lay n nto the etal th a sa the ay your dod y ate did to his even dodgier Fourtrak. Just as well, as

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a lot of material needs to go to create enough space for the hulking great 37x12.50R17s, which ride on 25mm offset alloys to maintain the vehicle’s stability. Having removed a load of material, Arctic Trucks replaces it with its own extended wheelarches – which elegantly enhance the

vehicle’s appearance with an impressive blend of subtlety and presence. It’s not offensively in-your-face, but it’s certainly purposeful. A key test of any od ficat on you a e to a eh cle’s appearance is whether it looks like it was meant to be there n the first place and t’s one h ch Arctic Trucks’ AT35 and AT37 alike pass with absolutely y n colours Going back to the suspension, Arctic Trucks says this is ‘fully optimised’ and custom built to ts o n spec ficat ons ar ous suppl ers appear to be used; an AT44 Hilux we looked at while visiting the company’s UK headquarters was running Fox equipment, while the AT37 in these

Options include front A-bars and various lighting packages, as well as underbody protection plates. Everything comes branded with Arctic Trucks’ logo – even the tyres on some models are unique to the company

54 | JULY 2019

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pictures was sporting springs and shocks from Old Man Emu. Phrases like ‘fully optimised’ are incredibly easy to mock, of course. But as always, the proof is in the pudding – and the AT35 and AT37 alike do drive beautifully on the road. In each case, cornering stability is retained, even enhanced in comparison to the standard vehicle, despite

these trucks’ higher centres of gravity, and there’s little more in the way of impacts from imperfections in the road surface. In the case of the Hilux, the leaf-sprung rear is noticeably ﬁr er but also better controlled t’s perhaps a touch more nervous than standard over minor bumps, but more settled and better damped when you hit the big stuff.

With the Land Cruiser, meanwhile, whose rear axle is coil-sprung, the simplest thing to say is that if you notice any differences between the AT35 and a factory standard model, you’re doing better than us. While Toyota has always tended to market the Cruiser as a premium vehicle, it stands out from the SUV crowd by having the reassuring manners of the true off-

The AT35 conversion uses +40mm springs and shocks. Here, on the AT37 Hilux Arctic Trucks has ﬁtted remote-reservoir units from Old Man Emu

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roader it assuredly is, and the AT35 conversion does nothing to change that. Our view of the 150-Series Land Cruiser has always been that in a world of road-only SUVs, it’s exactly as it ought to be, which means Arctic Trucks’ version is exactly as it should be too. Whether this means Toyota GB will take it on is another matter. The company only recently started offer n the lu A as an offic al dealer-supplied model, however, so it wouldn’t exactly be coming out of the blue if this were to happen. The model in the pictures was commissioned by a Toyota main dealer, which you might choose to interpret as having some s n ficance but at present the t o eh cles you see here are available only in this form by going direct to Arctic Trucks. That doesn’t sound like too much of a hardship, though the Warwick-based company is keen to do business as a supplier to vehicle manufacturers rather than via the aftermarket. Which, you can reasonably assume, means the tr o of offic al odels already on the ar et s just a precursor to the presence it intends to create for itself in the UK. Whether this means we’ll be seeing AT37 options on main dealers’ forecourts is open to question. But while the bulk of interest in these conversions is likely to remain rooted in the pick-up market, the Land Cruiser you see here proves that away from the world of VAT returns and personal tax allowances, Arctic Trucks can make the world’s best passenger-carrying 4x4s better than ever too.

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Above: Tyres on this Hilux AT37 are 37x12.50R17 BFG All-Terrains. You’d never normally be able to ﬁt something so tall without adding a massive suspension and/or body lift Right: A virtual lift and much-increased negative wheel offset are key to Arctic Trucks ability to ﬁt much taller tyres while using only a modest increase in suspension height. Inner arches are extensively cut away to make room for the tyres, and the rims have an offset of 25mm – basically, a whole inch

03/06/2019 22:48

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LONG-RANGE ROVERING ondon to S dan en ro te to a e o n a oard t e first

WORDS AND PICTURES: RAYMOND AND NEREIDE GREAVES

o tt e

t ors

Who are we? We’re Raymond and Nereide. Raymond spent six months living in South Africa way back in 1995 and has been fascinated by the continent ever since, returning many times and exploring several other African countries as well. Nereide had lived and worked in China prior to this trip, as well as jungle trekking in Borneo and Cambodia, but had hardly scratched the surface of Africa. For each of us in our own way, it was going to be a journey of discovery!

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ost people embarking on a drive through Africa quite sensibly opt for the toughest and s plest they can find This usually means a Land Rover Defender or Toyota Landcruiser – but for us, the vehicle selected tself n fact t helped nsp re the ent re tr p n the first place Having owned a modern (L322) an e o er for se eral years was impressed with the depth of its engineering, the quality of its construct on and ts total rel ab l ty Having done some off-road training th and o er had also seen ts eye- den n capab l t es first hand So the desire to take our Rangie on a proper e ped t on re

an e o er e er

Problem was, very few people had ever done anything like this – ndeed could ﬁnd no e dence of anyone taking an L322 across the len th of Afr ca pr or to our tr p And the problem with being a bit of a pioneer is that you have to work e eryth n out for yourself The upside, of course, was that it would be a vastly more comfortable means of covering big distances in the dark continent! o d d as uch research as could on hat does o ron th these eh cles as ed endless questions on online forums and grilled professionals in the parts and preparation industries – but turned up nothing that particularly put e off

4x4 04/06/2019 00:33

to attem t t e o rney

I even downloaded the workshop manuals for the vehicle, which are a work of art. The description of the car’s systems runs to 777 pages of highly informative drawings, diagrams and explanations, while the service procedures manual and wiring diagrams alike cover more than 1000 pages. Yes, this car is terrifyingly complex – but the hardware seems to be up to the job in standard form. So we decided to go for it. Our itinerary was going to take us from London to Cape Town via an 18,000-mile route through

20 different countries, but having tried my hardest to put myself off doing it in the Range Rover I was convinced that with a really thorough service and the minimum of od ﬁcat ons and accessor es t would look after us. The process of preparing the vehicle is described separately on these pages. Safe to say, a lot of work goes into getting ready for an expedition across Africa – but as we set off from London on 2 January, with the haziness of several e ear part es ﬁnally reced n t was with huge excitement.

Normally, driving 2000 miles across Europe in the middle of winter would be enough to dampen anyone’s spirits, but there wasn’t any chance of that. We travelled through France to Switzerland, where the thermometer never exceeded -3°, then took the Gottard Tunnel to the Italian side of the Alps. We encountered snow and heavy rain on the way south, with the temperature dropping to -9° at one point, stayed in the world’s worst hotel in Ancona and caught the ferry from Bari to Igoumenitsa in Greece. From here we found ourselves on the most incredible motorway which soared straight up to 4000 feet through tunnel after tunnel, across viaduct after viaduct, amid stunning snow-capped mountains. This took us the whole way to the Turkish border, which meant leaving the EU… and entering the world of frontier bureaucracy. The tactic of blundering and smiling can get you so far. But when no-one speaks a word in common and you need your visas, it’s unlikely to be that far. We spent a while being passed back and forth bet een ar ous offic als unt l finally e ana ed to find the sa office and then at last e ere able to head out on to what turned out to be rough, bumpy roads with rubbish piled up everywhere and donkeys and carts coming towards us on the wrong side. It all sounds very low-rent, and the whole scene was pretty depressing after the beautiful road across Greece, but

don’t be fooled into thinking Turkey is cheap – we found that diesel costs about 30% more than it does in the UK. Sensing our emotional low, and realising that our EU breakdown cover had expired as we crossed the border into Turkey, the Range Rover decided it also wanted some attention by displaying several expensive-sounding system failure messages on the dashboard. Typical. Three years of ownership and 30,000 miles without so much as a blown fuse, and now this. We stopped, switched off, had a look around e eryth n see ed fine and fired t bac up All clear hat was that all about…? We stopped off in Istanbul, a city whose people turned out to be incredibly friendly and helpful. A good example was the staff at our hotel ho ana ed to find a parking space right outside so they could keep an eye on the Rangie. Not that Range Rovers are uncommon here. While exploring, we happened upon what we presumed must be Istanbul’s equivalent of Chelsea – where virtually every other car had a Land Rover badge on it. None of them had a roof tent or an extra spare heel thou h Leaving town, we clocked up a milestone for the trip – we crossed the Bosphorus and, in doing so, we had driven to Asia. But we weren’t stopping. We motored on for the next two days, through surprisingly mountainous terrain which led us

Impressively creative dust art in the Nile Valley. We’re pretty conﬁdent that the Arabic writing doesn t ust translate as wash me

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Turkish delights in Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar. Including actual Turkish Delight – though the overwhelming friendliness of the people in the city was the most delightful thing of all to the Syrian border. It was cold again, and we were even driving through slush here and there – on roads which were extremely poor at the best of times. Once in Syria, we had a dilemma. Here we were in a country with an incredibly rich and ancient heritage, one with a strong claim to being considered the birthplace of civilisation. But our trip was all about Africa, and we only had so much time, so we wanted to cover as much ground as possible. Approaching the Syrian border, we started to encounter mad shepherds herding sheep in the road and Toyota pickups with passengers and goods stacked precariously in the back. It certainly felt like we were in the developing world now – and the Syrian border post didn’t change that, dishing up a mixture of bureaucracy and mild intimidation which wasted a good part of the day but was at least handy practice for the notoriously d fﬁcult ypt an border e’d be arriving at in a few days. Syria appeared very rocky, arid and host le at ﬁrst e passed a signpost showing how close we were to Iraq, which is quite

something to look back on now, but at the time we were just trying to sur e on the road e had a couple of hundred miles to cover and, thanks to our prolonged border crossing (and a dodgy kebab the night before, but the less said about that the better), night had fallen th no ar n s fe signs and various beasts of burden wandering here and there, not to mention other drivers changing lanes at random, it was hairy to say the least e ere ery rateful for the Range Rover’s brilliant xenon headlamps – not something we had anticipated when we were planning the tr p but a beneﬁt of odern technology that was very clear in every sense of the word. Just before Damascus, we caught up with another Land Rover from the e ashed our l hts at them and waved madly, then as we overtook they could see our GB plates and ashed bac here s deﬁn tely a sense of ca arader e among fellow countrymen so far away from Blighty, and all being aboard our 4x4s only adds to that. The outskirts of Damascus are unlit and decrepit, and by the time we arrived we were absolutely

shattered e h red a ta to p lot us to the hotel we had booked into, a little six-roomed place in the Old City which turned out to be an absolute picture of opulence, all marble, pearl and velvet curtains. e ere ery pleasantly surpr sed – as we were by the ultra-friendly nature of the Syrian people. The hotel’s night porter even paid our taxi driver, as we hadn’t thought to change any money at the border. e anted to cont nue to etra the following day, which meant another 300-mile journey plus another border crossing, so we were determined not to fall into the trap of leaving late. However we also didn’t want to leave without ﬁll n up on d esel no n t could be a long way before we found another fuel station. Good move, as it turned out. All cars in Damascus run on petrol, and without a patient helper from the hotel it might have taken even longer than the hour and a half we spent searching for a fuel station that sold diesel to go in trucks. Filling up at 20p per litre would have been a satisfying experience, had the place not looked so dodgy (what exactly are we putting in our

tank…?) and had Syrian customs not foreseen this bonus for foreigners and already charged us $85 fuel tax at the border. So there we were, leaving very late again. Add in another couple of hours spent ﬁll n n for s and be n eeced at the ordan an border and we had made it – travelling south, at long last, which felt nice after what seemed like an eternity spent heading east. And t as ell orth t etra is an extraordinary place in which mankind has carved a city out of the soft, rose-tinged sandstone of a mountain range 4000 feet above sea level. A true wonder of the world – as was the fact that we managed to walk all the way to the top of the monastery dominating the top of the site, which stands another 1000 feet higher up. The next day we caught the ferry across the ulf of A aba nto ypt e could ha e dr en round the coast, but this would have meant a transit through Israel – which would have had us barred from entering Sudan later in the trip. The Jordanian exit process was easy enough (by our new, very low standards) and we boarded the

The city of Petra was hewn out of the soft sandstone rock of a rugged mountain range in what s now Jordan It was ﬁrst settled by nomads; when Roman conquerors arrived some centuries later, they added geometric lines to the organic carving of its Arabic origins

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ferry, excited at the prospect of reach n our first Afr can country but also slightly sweaty palmed at the thought of what the Egyptian border crossing would involve… From reading other overlanders’ accounts of expeditions through Afr ca the co ple ty of enter n (and leaving) Egypt with a car comes up time and again. It can take up to four hours – yet there was no indication of this when we were able to clear passport control during the ferry crossing. All ood ut then e doc ed n Nuweiba and the fun started. Noone was allowed to disembark, for reasons that were less than obvious. We sat there and the minutes ticked away and tempers started to s er After about 0 nutes a noisy brawl broke out between two gentlemen, one from the ferry company, the other (we think) from Egyptian Immigration. Eventually we did disembark, and groped our way into the customs and immigration clearance area. This was a collection of crumbly old bu ld n s filled th es s o e and bustl n offic als here are no signs anywhere, so you have to go nto each bu ld n to find out hat it’s for then try to work out which order to do them in. Highlights of the action included three separate visits to the bureau de change, as the fees we had to pay kept cleaning us out, walking to a distant hut to see some guy who was watching TV and being issued with temporary licence plates to put on the Range Rover. Only one of these things was an actual h hl ht ut t only too us t o hours, after which we were free to o and fill up at another rotty fuel station whose truck pump dispensed stuff that looked like it as o n to put our fuel filter to the test. Our attempts to camp wild in the unspoilt Ras Mohammed National

Park were cut short when we were moved on by a group of gun-toting policemen. So the next day we did move on, all the way to Cairo – a journey punctuated by forked l htn n ash ood n anarch c roadworks and food poisoning. Not the best of combinations. We spent a week in Cairo, sorting the admin for the next part of the trip (principally visas for Sudan, a job which takes six weeks in London but just 24 hours here) and generally getting our breath back after covering such a massive mileage during the previous fortnight. We did the tourist thing and visited the pyramids, whose a n ﬁcence s n pa nful contrast to how badly they’re looked after. There was rubbish lying around everywhere, and where there wasn’t rubbish there were thuggish, aggressive touts trying to bully money out of us. The enormous Khan El Khalili market by contrast is just fantastically insane, an overwhelming riot of noise, smells and colours. From Cairo to Luxor is about 450 miles. Looking at it on the map, there seemed to be a good, big road the whole way – but thanks to a combination of check points, savage speed bumps and a neverending series of small but busy villages, we averaged just 30mph and ended up taking three days to et there t as frustrat n at ﬁrst but once you’ve learned to take these things in your stride and just relax into the rhythm of it, it stops getting on your nerves. Forgetting our western ways takes time, but it’s worth doing! Overlanding is about learning, too, and travelling at this sort of pace lets you see what life is like. We found that the Nile valley is incredibly lush; the land is cultivated for every imaginable fruit and vegetable, plus a huge amount of sugar cane.

Preparing the Vehicle

I decided to keep the Range Rover as standard as possible. This meant the prep work boiled down to three major elements: Servicing: We changed the engine, gearbox and differential oils and all filters, and attended to anything that looked like it might need attention, especially in the cooling, fuel and suspension systems. We replaced some bushes in the front suspension and fixed a leak in the air-conditioning system. We put a mesh guard in front of the intercooler radiator as it looked vulnerable to big stones, and we better shielded the wiring harnesses for the front height sensors. Spares: It’s hard to know where to draw the line. You start with a wish list that approximates to virtually taking a second car with you, but then you have to get realistic. So the major bits I decided I couldn’t do without boiled down to… • Alternator • Mass airflow meter • Diesel high pressure control valve • Track rod ends • Rear dampers • Two service kits (oil, fuel, air, pollen filters) • Accessory drive belt • Air-con compressor drive belt • Various fuses, relays etc • Hawkeye diagnostic tool for electronic maladies Accessories: It’s easy to go mad on accessories. But keeping the vehicle standard means dispensing with anything that’s not essential. This is what we felt we had to add… • 19” wheels to fit Goodyear MTR tyres, plus two spares • Running boards and mud flaps removed for better ground clearance • Windows tinted to cut down on heat and prying eyes • Front lamp guards • Second deep-cycle battery and split-charging system • Fridge mounted in the rear • Hannibal roof rack and tent • Awning • External lighting, jerry cans, spade, tow ropes and shackles, air jack and 12-volt compressor Perhaps the most obvious omission in this list is a sump guard. I wanted to fit a G4-spec unit, but these proved very difficult to find and hugely expensive. They’re extremely heavy, too. So in the end it was decided that basic ground clearance was good enough, especially with the air suspension in its off-road setting. The one other thing we carried was of course a workshop manual (which needs a laptop to run these days) and a list of Land Rover service and parts agents across Africa. Add in some tools, WD40, duct tape, oils etc, and we were ready for anything!

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Getting Ready Preparing for an expedition like this takes an enormous amount of time. But doing so throughly is critical to a successful journey. The key additional elements for us were paperwork, health and expedition equipment. Paperwork: Sadly, travel in Africa is virtually synonymous with bureaucracy. But at least we were able to do most of the preparation in the UK, including getting almost all the visas we needed. In addition to visas, we also needed yellow fever certificates, international driving licences and lots and lots of copies of our passports. And gold-plated travel insurance! The most tedious bit is the paperwork for your car. You need the registration document and certificate of insurance but your insurance is only operative in the EU. Normally, you would have to buy cover on every border, but before setting off we managed to get a Kenyan base policy and a ‘yellow card’, which covers the car for the rest of Africa. In addition, we got another policy to cover us for damage, fire and theft outside of the E . That meant we still had to buy insurance on entering Turkey, Syria and Jordan. You also a Carte Grise (international registration document) and the dreaded Carnet de Passage. This enables you to temporarily import your car into each country then re-export it on exit. That wouldn’t be so bad, but you also have to leave a bond with your home motoring organisation (the RAC in our case) which has a value of several times that of your vehicle, which is only discharged when you bring the car back to the UK. The system is there to prevent people from avoiding import tax, but it’s an onerous rigmarole which for us was the single most expensive part of the entire trip. Health: Africa has many inventive and unpleasant ways of making you ill. In reality, though, the biggest risks we faced were road accidents and malaria. For the latter we took Doxycycline: for the former we used our wits and common sense! Before travelling, we were vaccinated against rabies, hepatitis A and B, typhoid, yellow fever and more. We also went on a first aid course and put together a comprehensive medical kit, as well as reading a fascinating book called Where there is no Doctor which, among other things, taught us how to sew someone back together with cotton thread… Equipment: You start by planning to take the kitchen sink, but by the time reality has sunk in you’ve whittled it down to a list of essentials. We decided we really couldn’t do without the following items and we did actually use them all… • Sleeping bags • Folding camp chairs and table • Primus stove and cooking utensils • Emergency food (mainly chocolate, cake and more chocolate) • GPS unit preloaded with Track 4 Africa • Maps and travel guides • Camera gear • Comprehensive tool kit Route: Planning your route is of course essential, but so is the need to be flexible. We took the classic east coast route from airo to ape Town, but to get to Africa in the first place we travelled to Egypt through Turkey, Syria and ordan something that has been impossible for much of the last decade. Our plan was to take the ferry across Lake Nasser to Sudan then drive through the desert and into the Great Rift Valley via the Ethiopian highlands. We would then skirt the north of Lake Victoria on the way into Uganda and Rwanda, visit the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania and take a break on Zanzibar before crossing the Zambezi and passing through Botswana and Namibia en route for South Africa. We gave ourselves five months, and in that time we would cover some 18,000 miles and visit 20 countries. Easy!

Getting your vehicle into Egypt is a bureaucratic nightmare of legendary proportions. But at least you’re rewarded with a nice set of temporary licence plates Much of this cultivation is still done using traditional methods. Life doesn’t appear to have changed much since the 19th Century ﬁelds are plou hed by o en loads are hauled by don eys and the people l e n barely de eloped to ns e so eho e pected ypt to be ore odern We also learnt that Egyptian dr ers really do bel e e they are ortal ur b est scare ca e when someone swerved out to o erta e a car that as o erta n another car – just as we were moving into the middle of the road to avoid a pot hole the size of a VW Golf. There was just enough space to swerve violently away from the pend n head-on crash then bac a a n tyres ho l n n protest to avoid the hole that would have caused certain damage to the car. Another str n feature of the Nile Valley is how close you are to the desert t’s lush and reen but only within a few hundred yards of the r er tself beyond that you’re nto sand and roc here are 0 ll on people n ypt of ho 12 million live in Cairo – most of the rest are crammed into these narrow strips of fertile land either s de of the nat on’s one b r er

Actually aybe they’re not aybe they’re all cra ed nto u or s ar n around tour sts demanding money. t’s all such a sha e u or abounds th spectacular te ples and to bs conta n n h ero lyph c car n s and ornate pa nt n s and the art or you find ns de the s absolutely e u s te ut the relentless hustl n be an before e’d e en arr ed th ta dr ers fi ht n o er us aboard the ferry across the Nile to the Valley of the n s and e en the curator at the main entrance to the Valley of the Kings wanted cash for simply po nt n out the t c et office to us he hustl n s offic al too here are rules forb dd n you fro ta n ca eras nto the to bs e en thout ash ob ously to force people nto buy n the e pens e boo s on sale around the place and this tactic was also used in the other se ery fine u or useu he orst o ent thou h as when we noticed a tout with a gun arn n others a ay fro h s oc of American tourists. Watching closer st ll e sa a boo trader approach him with a sum of cash. The trader was then allowed to bu around the tour sts sell n

Will you make the joke about speed humps, or shall I?

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Two very different forms of public transport – the barge that carried the Range Rover across Lake Nasser (above), and one of the many ancient Land Rovers that serve as taxis in Wadi Halfa. Below, Range Rover plus new friends prepare to venture out into the Sudanese desert poor quality books of the tombs. Such a priceless, unique bridge back to the ancient history of civilisation, and this is what they do with it. We were delighted to discover that Aswan is a much more laid back place than Luxor, not least because this was where we had to concentrate on getting ready for Sudan. We stocked up on supplies at the ar et filled our erry cans with drinking water and laid in a supply of cigarettes for ‘rewarding’ offic als then settled do n for the best part of a whole day’s bureaucracy to get out of Egypt. Getting to Sudan involved an 1 -hour ferry ourney to ad Halfa, with the Range Rover travelling separately on a barge due to arrive the following day. To get a ferry ticket, which would cost a total of $500, we had to return our Egyptian licence plates. To return our Egyptian licence plates, we had to prove we hadn’t been in a crash. To prove we hadn’t been in a crash, we had to go to the court house and watch football on the TV with a sen or offic al Pretending to be Aston Villa fans seemed to work. And so, one day short of a month after leaving London, we were on board. The weekly ferry to Wadi Halfa has an almost mythical status as an endurance test for overlanders, and the scene when we arrived to board was absolute chaos, but at least we weren’t alone – also travelling were a group of Germans in a couple of Defenders and four guys on motorbikes. Those with vehicles seemed to be waved on board ahead of the rest, which meant we were able to lay our sleeping bags in the most prized position – up in the fresh air of the deck but in the shade under a lifeboat. There was space

4x4 Lilongwe Down Pt1 WITH AUTHOR.indd 67

for six here and we were sharing it with four other Europeans, three of whom were travelling through Africa by public transport and the fourth cycling slowly around the world. This meant we could have a proper conversation with someone other than each other for the ﬁrst time in two weeks – sounds silly, but th s s deﬁn tely an ssue hen you’re travelling through lands whose languages you don’t speak. As it turned out, the crossing was no problem. The ferry was unbelievably busy and it would have been a very different story below decks, where it smelt like a blocked toilet, but it was far from being the cockroach-infested hell-hole we’d been led to expect. We were still very happy to disembark, nonetheless, not least because we had to queue for a full hour to do so. After clearing customs, we took a ride into town aboard one of the decrepit 1950s’ Land Rovers that continue to populate this remote region. Somehow, they keep these vehicles runn n but only ust t could not have been more than a mile into Wadi Halfa, but the Landy gave up the ghost no less than three times!

You can’t check into a hotel in udan thout ﬁrst re ster n th the police. For us, this involved well over an hour of handing over cash to ofﬁc als ho n return created a pile of paperwork which their boss then ripped up. At least we could now relax in the hostel we found, which was basic but clean and cost a princely $6 per night. The barge with the Range Rover on board was supposed to arrive the next day, but the captain had decided to wait in Aswan for yet more cargo. So we got to spend two whole days in Wadi Halfa, a town which the Bradt guide describes as ‘the end of the earth’ But actually, as often happens, we had a great time. All the overlanders waiting in town for our vehicles made our base in a restaurant we found, where we played endless card game and basically laughed non-stop until out boat came in. When it did, we had to drive the Range Rover on to the dock – a climb of about a foot – via a couple of planks, with a huge drop into the murky depths of Lake Nasser if we got it wrong. Happily, we got it right, which is more than can be said about the way the way barge had

been loaded with a pile of boxes resting up against our passenger’sside rear door. We never thought we’d make it through Africa without a scratch, but this was respray-level damage and it was all down to someone who couldn’t care less about what they were doing. When the captain came around looking for ‘baksheesh’, let’s say the tip he got wasn’t the kind that involved being given money… Still, we had made it. The Lake Nasser ferry is a rite of passage for overlanders taking this route through Africa, and we had done it! Now, after a couple of hours getting the car through customs, we were at last able to set off into the wastes of the Northern Sudanese desert. Egypt is truly part of Africa, but parts of it are very touristy. Sudan is emphatically not touristy but, as we drove into the wilderness in convoy with our new friends, we knew the ad enture e had set out to ﬁnd was truly beginning. Raymond and Nereide drove their Range Rover from London to Cape Town in the first half of 2010.You can read the full story of their expedition at www.lilongwedown.com

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The landslip which blocked the right of way happened beyond the steps, around two thirds of the way up the hill, close to the point where the stream begins. Water running off the adjacent land appeared to have eroded the bank and expose tree roots, allowing several tons of soil and a few small trees to collapse into the lane. With high ban s and fields on e ther s de there was no alternative route around the blockage. A Monmouthshire County Council engineer inspected the road on 31 December 2018 and reported that it needed to be closed to traffic ubse uently a s - ee te porary raffic Regulation Order came into force on 30 January. It was around this time that Kelvin became aware of the problem. A long-standing member of the TRF, he had also joined A to ards the end of last year, and his efforts were to prove instrumental in getting the lane open a a n as u c ly as poss ble first beca e a are of the ssue on 19 January when a post was put up on the TRF Trail Facebook page by Dean Allen, reporting the road was closed,’ says Kelvin. ‘From other Facebook posts, it appeared the local A ep ohn As e was already aware of the issue. a n recently o ned A in December, I decided to make contact with John and see what help I may be able to provide. ‘It was evident that John had good links with Monmouthshire County Council as he had mapped the county’s lanes by studying council documents. He had also been trained by them in the use of a chainsaw. A good man to know! John had made contact with the engineer in charge and together had

visited the site to establish what needed doing. eparately od ones a e ber of West Gloucestershire and Forest of Dean Motorcycle Club, and also a TRF member, had been chivvying the council to make progress. Rod, being this year’s Clerk of the Course for the Wyegate longdistance trial, knew that the lane is a key feature of this classic event. At least one and sometimes three sections are run on the lane. This year, the trial was scheduled for the end of April. If I wanted to ride Limekiln in the Wyegate this year, I needed to do something to help get it open again!’ The plot thickened on 13 February when the local newspaper, the Monmouthshire Beacon, ran an article reporting that the owner of the land on the side where the landslip had occurred had been told by Monmouthshire County Council that he would be held responsible for the cost of the repairs. Following this, the inevitable anti-vehicle bile started coming out, th a subse uent ed t on of the paper carrying letters from people complaining about motorised use. Thanks to John’s efforts, the paper went on to publish a balanced response putting forward the vehicle user’s point of view. Rights of way are often at their most vulnerable when they fall out of repair, and the letters in the local paper were the background to a ed l n o e ent a n to challenge the road’s status as a vehicular right of way. The longer it remained unusable, therefore, the greater the danger. ‘From reading pre ous and A act ty in helping conserve green lanes,’ continues Kelvin, ‘I realised there was a risk the council would, or could, do little or nothing. Or it

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15 June

6-7 July

Tracks and Trails Yorkshire

Trailmasters Lake District

16 June

7 July

UK Landrover Events North Yorkshire

UK Landrover Events Peak District

22 June

10 July

UK Landrover Events Lake District

UK Landrover Events Lincoln and Belvoir

22-23 June

13 July

4x4 Adventure Tours North Wales

Tracks and Trails Tyne Valley

Trailmasters Yorkshire

13-14 July

23 June

4x4 Adventure Tours North Devon

UK Landrover Events Eden District

14 July

27-28 June

Tracks and Trails Northumberland

UK Landrover Events Eden/Tynedale

18-19 July

28-30 June

UK Landrover Events Cumbria/Yorkshire

Low Range Adventure Yorkshire to the Lakes

20 July

29-30 June

UK Landrover Events North York Moors

Tracks and Trails Lake District

20-21 July

4-7 July

4x4 Adventure Tours South Wales

4x4 Adventure Tours Lakes and Yorkshire

5-7 July

21 July UK Landrover Events North York Moors

Low Range Adventure Mid-Wales

JULY 2019 | 71

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would take a long time to repair the lane, MCC like most councils being strapped for cash and having more pressing priorities.’ Thus GLASS took up the cudgel, arranging for groundworks contractor AP Price to visit the site and quote for the repair work. The Association then contacted the TRF to discuss sharing the cost. ‘Reading the conservation section of the TRF website led me to think that we could do this by raising funds via Just Giving and the TRF’s matched funding scheme,’ continues Kelvin. ‘I set about compiling the Just Giving page and promoted it on the TRF Trail and local TRF group’s Facebook pages, as well as through West Gloucestershire and Forest of Dean Motorcycle Club, and was staggered to have the required £750 in just over 24 hours! ‘I submitted the application for matched funding to Dave Carling, TRF Conservation Director, and he replied that this was just the sort of initiative that the scheme was set up for. GLASS/Treadlightly footed half the contractor’s cost and the TRF members and West Gloucestershire and Forest of Dean MCC members the other half.’ In addition, Monmouthshire County Council agreed to provide the stone needed to grade the lane,

which as well as being blocked was muddy in places. The contractor was offered volunteer help, but declined this as frequent machinery o e ents th n the confines of a narrow working environment would create inevitable safety concerns. With all this in place, the work was scheduled to get underway at the start of March. The landowners on both sides of the lane trimmed their hedges unprompted a few days before, which helped with access – presumably at least one of them was absolutely overjoyed at the way things had panned out, given that they had just been spared a bill for several thousand pounds – and the stone was dropped at the top end of the lane in perfect time for the work to begin. Unfortunately it wasn’t so much dropped as dumped, completely blocking the entrance to the lane, so the contractors’ first ob as to clear a path through the middle of it. Safe to say they had the right equipment for this… They also had the right equipment (a digger and dumper) to level the surface of the right of way, distribute the soil from the landsl p and bac -fill the softer more uneven parts with stone. They also removed the remains of the tree stumps that had slipped into the lane.

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The landowner, meanwhile, recruited labour to trim the trees on the northern side of the lane in preparation for re-fencing at a later date. The bank along this side does remain susceptible to water erosion around the sunken section of the route; with the trees having been cut back at this time of year, it’s to be hoped that this will promote root growth and help to bind the bank soil. The work by the contractor took three days to complete and, on 9 March, just nine weeks after the original landslip, the council inspected the lane and removed both the TRO and the road closed signs. Late April saw the Wyegate Long Distance Trial visit for a couple of sections – with Kelvin Varney among those competing. A very ﬁtt n re ard for the effort he put

into getting Chapel Hill Road open again in such quick time – and for all those who, whether by making donations or simply through their GLASS and TRF membership fees, help keep Britain’s rights of way open for all to enjoy.

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HARES TAKE ON TORTOISES AT BOUGHTON ESTATE IN 2019 RAGNAROK CHALLENGE

THE EARLY MAY bank holiday weekend saw the top challenge crews from all over the UK gather at the Boughton Estate near Kettering for the 2019 Ragnarok Challenge. Run by the Viking 4x4 Club, this annual event for teams of ﬁ e truc s has beco e one of the stand-outs in the winching calendar, and this year is was sponsored by Morris Lubricants – one of Europe’s largest privately owned manufacturers of high-quality lubricants and a company which, with a proud heritage dating back to 1869, exports its products to more than eighty countries around the globe.

The Ragnarok comprises of a series of sections in which copious amounts of cordon tape guides competitors over the toughest terrain available on the site. Four tea s of fi e truc s each ere entered, so the organisers had set out four re ers ble sect ons of fi e punches each. Even though teamwork is a big part of recoveries, in the competitive arena most challenge crews are used to competing on their own and rarely having to work in conjunction with anyone else. The format of the Ragnarok turns that on ts head to score a punch all fi e

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OFF-ROAD CALENDAR

Pay-and-play events 15 June Burnham Off-Roaders Tring, Hertfordshire

16 June Burnham Off-Roaders Tring, Hertfordshire vehicles in a team were required to reach it, so tactics were brought to the fore. Besides, working as a team of ten people n ﬁ e truc s n ol es a level of complexity seldom encountered, whether in competitive circles or not, meaning teams had to take a completely new approach to the business of tackling a challenge section. With strict DNF and transit times, there was little room for error. But there’s plenty of scope for differing approaches, so we were expecting to see a battle between the tortoises (Team Smurf and Team Last Minute) and the hares (The Disciples and Team CSW). Obviously, completing each section quickly and with no breakdowns puts you at a huge advantage as you can then saunter over to the next, check it out, plan your method of attack and take a breather before your start time on it. But the clock would start ticking on each section at your allocated start time, whether you were there or not – so any issues, and you’d be in trouble. Slow, steady and reliable was sure to be more successful than going hell for leather and suffering breakages. Irrespective of pace, though, today’s challenge trucks are incredibly robust – and it showed, with breakdowns being amazingly few and far between. Besides, the thing you’re most likely to break in this arena is your drivetrain – and if that happened to a vehicle, the other trucks in its team could simply drag it through. The ingenuity of competitors was incredible as they rigged up various methods of doing this, and every team made it back to the paddock for the mandatory lunch

break with the full complement of trucks still in action. The Disciples led narrowly from Team CSW at this stage, with hardly anything separating Team Smurf and Team Last Minute in third and fourth. But there was still plenty of time for things to change as the four groups of vehicles headed back into the Deep Scar site to run the morning’s four sections again, this time in reverse. It says something about challenge competition that there was plenty of rollovers but little drama. Basically, if you didn’t roll, you weren’t trying hard enough. One classic instance of communication breakdown came when the wrong driver engaged a winch freespool, resulting in his truck landing fully upside down on its roof. This was Charlie Harper, who was dangling upside down in his harness when help arrived. Was he okay? ‘I thought I’d have my truck serviced’ was the answer… The Disciples had extended their lead by dinner time, after which the teams went back into the site for a more traditional punch hunt with all the cordon tape now removed. And ‘hunt’ was the word, because now it was dark. Once again, every truck in a team had to collect a punch for it to count, which made for an interestingly logistical challenge, but as it turned out both the leading two teams scored exactly the same points during the two-hour session – visiting exactly the same punches in the process. For Day 2, the action moved to Weekley Woods – next door to Deep Scar and still on the Boughton Estate. Once again, there were four timed sections on the agenda,

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Explore Off Road Silverdale, Stoke-on-Trent

Muddy Bottom

Parkwood 4x4 Tong, Bradford Picadilly Wood Bolney,West Sussex

13 July Burnham Off-Roaders Tring, Hertfordshire

14 July

Minstead, Hampshire

4x4 Without a Club

Protrax

Harbour Hill,West Berkshire

Tixover, Northamptonshire

Avalanche Adventure Sibbertoft, Northamptonshire

23 June Devil’s Pit Barton-le-Clay, Bedfordshire

Frickley 4x4 Frickley, South Yorkshire

Mud Monsters East Grinstead,West Sussex

Protrax Tixover, Northamptonshire

Slindon Valley Fontwell,West Sussex

Thames Valley 4x4

Burnham Off-Roaders Tring, Hertfordshire

Devil’s Pit Barton-le-Clay, Bedfordshire

Essex, Rochford and District 4x4 Club Rayleigh, Essex

Protrax Tixover, Northamptonshire

Slindon Safari Fontwell,West Sussex

Harbour Hill,West Berkshire

21 July

29 June

Explore Off Road Silverdale, Stoke-on-Trent

Kirton Off Road Centre Kirton Lindsey, North Lincs

Frickley 4x4

30 June

Muddy Bottom

Avalanche Adventure Sibbertoft, Northamptonshire

Mud Monsters

Cowm Leisure Whitworth, Lancashire

27 July

Kirton Off Road Centre Kirton Lindsey, North Lincs

7 July

28 July

Devil’s Pit

Cowm Leisure Whitworth, Lancashire

Barton-le-Clay, Bedfordshire

Frickley 4x4 Frickley, South Yorkshire

Muddy Bottom Minstead, Hampshire

Frickley, South Yorkshire Minstead, Hampshire East Grinstead,West Sussex

Kirton Off Road Centre Kirton Lindsey, North Lincs

Slindon Valley Slindon,West Sussex

JULY 2019 | 75

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OFF-ROAD SCENE

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each of them reversible; these were a little easier than the previous day’s, but to compensate for that the DNF time for each was reduced from 45 to 30 minutes. Remarkably, all four teams still had a full co ple ent of ﬁ e truc s as the day’s action got underway. As time went on, however, tiredness and stress began to take their toll, with a few breakdowns and a bit of bickering, but by and large everything was still going smoothly. Team Last Minute were suffering the most with vehicle issues, which allowed Team Smurf to close in on their score in the battle for third place. Up front, Team CSW were

keeping up the pressure on The Disciples – though overhauling their advantage would be a big ask considering the advantage they had built up overnight. On the penultimate section, however, Paddy Burman (the Driving God – who the Disciples were following!) broke down as he crossed the start line. A mad scramble ensued to ﬁnd the proble as h s was the lead vehicle (obviously) and all his team members were now stuck behind him. Several possible issues were investigated, then someone decided to look inside the fuel tank. You can guess the rest.

The weary crews returned to the paddock by the 4pm deadline time and started loading their trucks while the scores were being calculated. Team CSW and Team Smurf had gained ground on The Disciples and Team Last Minute respectively on Day 2, but not by enough to catch them Thus it emerged that Team 2, The Disciples, had smashed it – with a sta er n 1 po nts conﬁr ing them as this year’s Ragnarok champions. Team CSW had pressed them hard all weekend, but in the end had to settle for second place – albeit still with an impressive score of 46,618 points.

The battle between Team Smurf and Team Last Minute had been very close all weekend, and after all that effort and competition they were separated by just three punch scores. A lesson in the importance of never giving up! In the end, Team Last Minute managed to hang on to third place with 22,712 points, just ahead of Team Smurf on 21,404. Thanks to the generosity of Morris Lubricants, everyone went away with a prize. All in all, competitors had enjoyed the opportunity to get together with a group of mates and do battle together as teams in what is the only event of its kind currently available in the UK.

Still time to book your place on the 2019 Jeepey Jamboree THERE’S STILL TIME to get yourself to this year’s Jeepey Jamboree, which takes place at Carlton Towers in Yorkshire from 28-30 June. The 12th running of the event, this will include a 4x4 course, with ary n de rees of d fﬁculty for no ce and ore ad anced dr ers al e dr er training sessions including winch and safety courses, Arena displays, a Show and Shine line-up and a Storm Jeeps demonstration including the new JL Wrangler. There’ll also be a hog roast, as well as a beer tent provided by the Black Dog Beer Company. The annual event has a long history of raising money for Yorkshire Air Ambulance to h ch all ts proﬁts are donated here’ll be a to bola and auct on for the charity – to which total donations since the event’s inception are set to pass the £15,000 mark this year. You can pre-book for the Jamboree at a cost of £35 per vehicle, or £70 for a two-day pass, with camping priced at a giveaway £5 a night. Some special activities may incur additional charges, as may paying on the day – head for jeepey.com for all the information you need.

76 | JULY 2019

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Pictures: Simon Miskelly / All Action Photography

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Overland Travel

OFF-ROAD CALENDAR

22 June – 7 July

12-23 August

17 September

3-16 October

Atlas Overland Scandinavia

Low-Range Adventure Pyrenees Coast to Coast

Peru Safari Peru

Trailmasters Morocco Atlantic Sahara

6-21 July

16-30 August

22-28 September

11 October

Onelife Adventure Iceland

Venture 4x4 Iceland

Tracks and Trails Pyrenees

Peru Safari Peru

13-28 July

24 August – 4 Sept

29 Sept – 17 Oct

25 Oct – 8 Nov

Ardent Adventure Balkans

Trailmasters Morocco

Protrax Morocco

Trailmasters Morocco Draa Valley

12-26 July

24 August – 7 September

30 Sept – 13 Oct

3-19 November

Venture 4x4 Iceland

Atlas Overland Portugal

Atlas Overland Morocco

7P Overland Baja Mexico

18 July – 1 August

1-15 September

October

15-19 November

Venture 4x4 Iceland

Ardent Adventure Pyrenees

Venture 4x4 Iceland

7P Overland Utah

22 July

7-15 September

12-26 October

7-30 November

Peru Safari Peru

UK Landrover Events Pyrenees

Low-Range Adventure Moroccan Sahara

Onelife Adventure Algeria

26 July – 9 August

11-25 September

12-27 October

15 November

Venture 4x4 Iceland

Protrax Pyrenees

4x4 Adventure Tours Morocco

Peru Safari Northern Peru

1-15 August

15-29 September

13-31 October

3 December

Venture 4x4 Iceland

Tracks and Trails Pyrenees

Protrax Morocco

Peru Safari Peru

3-17 August

16-21 September

19 Oct – 3 Nov

7-9 Feb 2020

Atlas Overland Italy

7P Overland Utah and Colorado

Ardent Adventure Morocco

7P Overland Utah

10 August

16-27 September

22-30 September

24 March – 6 April 2020

Peru Safari Peru

Low-Range Adventure Portugal

Trails and Tracks Pyrenees

Trailmasters Morocco Marrakesh Classic

10-18 August

16-29 September

29 Sept – 17 Oct

20 May –2 June 2020

Ardent Adventure Alps

Trailmasters Morocco Marrakesh Classic

Protrax Morocco

Trailmasters Morocco (extreme expedition)

78 | JULY 2019

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ROADBOOK

NORTHERN CORNWALL Unsurfaced trails in historic tin mining country

Cornwall is Britain’s number one staycation destination. But when you’re exploring the rights of way rooted in its history as Britain’s home of tin mining, you’d be forgiven for thinking you were somewhere in the Mediterranean. On hot summer days, the brightly coloured stony ground has an almost arid quality to it that contrasts with the lush green of the hillsides around you. Add in a cluster of picturepostcard villages, plus the abandoned hulks of the mine buildings themselves, and you have a landscape which makes this one of the most unusual green lane runs you’ll ever take

82 | JULY 2019

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ROUTE GUIDE START FINISH HOW LONG? TERRAIN HAZARDS OS MAPS

Twelveheads (SW 760 423) West Pentire (SW 776 606) 31.4 miles / 4-5 hours Tightly packed hills, sometimes steep Loose and uneven ground;Farm vehicles; ast and or badly dr en road trafďŹ c One or two very tight bits Landranger 200 (Newquay and Bodmin) Landranger 204 (Truro and Falmouth)

IS IT SUITABLE? TYRES WEATHER LOW BOX SOFT-ROADERS SCRATCHING DRIVING DAMAGE

4x4 12pp Roadbook July.indd 83

Suitable for all sensible sizes Take extra care when wet or icy Useful but not essential Generally suitable with care Occasional moderate risk Discipline required on lanes passing close to homes One very tight passage between trees may cause panel damage JULY 2019 | 83

03/06/2019 22:45

0.0

SW 760 423

Start outside Twelveheads Methodist Church, on the road that runs into the village from the south. Zero your trip with the church on your right (there’s a small parking area, but don’t be antisocial about how you use it) and set off heading north to start the route

This is just a few yards after Step 1. Your trip will barely have had time to register that you’ve started moving

Chacewater Cross Lanes

Bear right around the white house then immediately left on to tarmac

The tarmac ends at the turning to the left into Hillside West Widden

0.2

0.3

112 1

SW 760 424

0.1

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4x4 03/06/2019 22:45

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 ay e ther y ays pen to All rafﬁc or nclass ﬁed ounty oads all commonly referred to as green lanes.

NAVIGATION

Step 7: Take great care as you emerge at this junction – the trail you’re joining is very popular with cyclists

0.4

Extreme caution. Opposite the spoil heap on the right, there’s a big and well hidden drop away to the left – at exactly the point where you’ll be distracted by the old fenced-off mineshaft beyond it

aut on as you o n the tar ac this track is very popular indeed with cyclists

0.5

0.6

SW 764 418

Turn left on the track and get ready for a long, loose climb with great views back over the valley behind you

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 just stay on the main road or take the most straight-ahead option unless we tell you otherwise. f you’re unfa l ar th s -ﬁ ure r d references you’ll ﬁnd a u de to using them on the legend of any OS map. Our aim is for you to be able to do the route without maps, but we do recommend having them.

SAFETY

he notes on the ﬁrst pa e of the roadbook advise you of how suitable it is for your vehicle.These are just guidelines, however.We’ll warn you of any ha ards or d fﬁcult sect ons 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, and are largely suitable for standard 4x4s on road tyres. We do recommend travelling in tandem wherever possible, however.The risk of getting stuck can be greater than it appears – and if you break down, having help at hand can make the difference between it being inconvenient and downright dangerous.

RESPONSIBILITY

Irresponsible driving is a massive problem on green lanes. In particular, you must always stay on the right of way. Never drive off it to ‘play’ on the verges or surrounding land, even if you can see that someone else has; doing so is illegal and can be tremendously damaging, both to the land and to 4x4 drivers’ reputation. The fact that you can see where it’s happened shows how much harm it does. It’s no excuse to say you’re just following where another driver has already been. Most green laners have taken to videoing anyone they see behaving like this and passing the evidence to the police. Elsewhere, simple common sense and courtesy should be your watchword.The do-and-don’t list

4x4 12pp Roadbook July.indd 85

below should always be in your mind, but keep your speed down, be ready to pull over for others and show the world that 4x4 drivers aren’t the hooligans some of them think we are.

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 the r ran -and-ﬁle e bers f 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 ord of reassurance nce sat sﬁed that you’re not after their quad bikes, their mood will lighten. It only takes one vandal to tarnish a person’s view of all 4x4 drivers, and once the damage is done it tends to be permanent. But if enough of us resolve to be ambassadors, it might make a difference to the way we’re perceived by society in general.

DO AND DON’T

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

horse riders pass • Don’t go in large convoys: split into small groups to avoid hassling others • Leave gates as you found them • Don’t drop litter. Do carry a bin bag and a pair of stout gloves so you can pick up other people’s, though • Don’t go back to drive the fun bits, such as mud or fords, again • Scrupulously obey all closure and voluntary restraint notices • Don’t cause a noise nuisance, particularly after dark • Ensure you have a right to be there.We research 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 • f you find an lle al obstruct on notify the local authority • f so eone challen es you be fir but polite. Stay calm and don’t let the turn t nto a fi ht • Stick absolutely scrupulously to the right of way • You have as much of a right to be there as everyone else.Which means they have as much right as you

JULY 2019 | 85

03/06/2019 22:45

Step 9: Prepare for an axle-twister as you scale the entrance to the track Step 10 (opposite left): The passage between the trees is far tighter than it looks as you approach – note how the vehicle is basically rubbing up against the one to its right

0.9

10 1.0

11 1.3

12 1.5

86 | JULY 2019

12pp Roadbook July.indd 86

Turn right then immediately left again – as you do so, there’s a big axle-twisting hump to get over at the entrance to the lane

Caution between the trees, which are tighter than they initially appear. There’s a hole in the track which leans you in to the one on the left, to make matters even squeakier

Yes, really, it’s a zero point already…

ZERO TRIP

Turn right then left for Perranporth

SW 757 453

Look out for the byway sign

1.9

It’s a tight turning

2.0

15 2.1

SW 753 453

Turn right opposite the ‘single track road’ warning sign

2.2

4x4 03/06/2019 22:45

2.3

18 2.6

19 2.9

3.6

The main track goes right into Gwynngala

24 3.9

Take a detour to the right here if you need to ﬁll up th fuel stoc up with refreshments or just sit around drinking coffee for a while

ZERO TRIP

4.0

ew a 12 erran orth

3.05

3.1

3.15

4x4 12pp Roadbook July.indd 87

0.7

The turning is very easy to miss. It’s immediately after the turning on the right into Trevissome Park, and opposite a wind farm turbine

0.9

1.4

SW 751 486

It’s very easy to get the wrong track here. There’s no byway sign, but it’s shortly after the village notice board on the left – and a telephone cable crosses the road over the top of you at the turning

JULY 2019 | 87

03/06/2019 22:45

3.4

1.7

1.8

3.45

2.2

4.9

r ro 2

32 2.3

88 | JULY 2019

12pp Roadbook July.indd 88

Take care past the Cider Farm, paying attention to the pedestrian crossing – this is a busy tourist attraction, and people won’t be expecting to see a vehicle coming down the lane

SW 762 490

Your turning is just before the start of the crawler lane. It’s not signposted to anywhere

5.8

4x4 03/06/2019 22:46

SW 796 510

6.3

38 6.4

SW 764 508

Turn into Lambriggan Court

9.0

7.0

The track starts getting overgrown

9.6

7.6

7.7

9.8

The ford is only a small one, but the climb out of it on the far side could prove tricky on standard tyres in the wet

10.0

8.2

ZERO TRIP

10.5

8.6

e r th

0.9

8.8

th an

4x4 12pp Roadbook July.indd 89

112

erran Ch rch 1

JULY 2019 | 89

03/06/2019 22:46

51 1.9

SW 777 528

2.6

53 2.7

54 2.8

3.8

3.2

The turning is very tight

3.5

58 3.7

90 | JULY 2019

12pp Roadbook July.indd 90

Turn left for Woodlands Farm

4.1

3.45

SW 789 527

61 4.2

Follow the wooden sign for Polgoda

Don’t turn too early – note that it’s a staggered crossroads, not a simple left

4.4

4x4 03/06/2019 22:46

SW 779 539

6.0

Join a semi-surfaced track

6.3

Back on to properly unsurfaced stuff again

6.4

4.7

6.6

Caution as you emerge â&#x20AC;&#x201C;visibility on the left is basically non-existent

6.9

4.8

7.1

5.9

oonha ern 11

5.5

7.5

erranwe 112 een Cross 12

een Cross 12

67 5.9

4x4 12pp Roadbook July.indd 91

75 7.6

JULY 2019 | 91

03/06/2019 22:46

FORD

BRIDGE

RAILWAY

RIVER

SW 779 539

1.2

7.9

77 78

8.2

92 | JULY 2019

12pp Roadbook July.indd 92

CAUTION ! OBSERVE CAUTION WARNINGS

The track is at the entrance gate for the ca p s te loo out for the red ay ar er

ZERO TRIP

2.2

ew a o n

0.4

atch for trafďŹ c the by ay s an access road for the camp site

1.9

8.4

SW 792 556

1.7

8.1

BUILDINGS

Turn left for Newperran camp site

85 2.4

4x4 03/06/2019 22:46

CAUTION CAUTION OBSERVE CAUTION OBSERVE OBSERVE CAUTION WARNINGS OBSERVE CAUTION WARNINGS OBSERVE WARNINGS ! WARNINGS OBSERVE CAUTION CAUTION WARNINGS WARNINGS

! ! ! CAUTION ! CAUTION CAUTION ! CAUTION

86 2.6

ert o we

112 1 2

87 3.5

ert o we Crantoc

2 21

88 4.0

RIV

89 4.2

The turning is on the inside of the corner – you won’t spot it until you’re almost upon it

4.5

Turn right on Lewannick Road then left for Tresean and Trewongans

4.7

92 5.5

93 5.9

4x4 12pp Roadbook July.indd 93

CA OB CAUTION WA !

Continue ahead through the gate and on to tarmac, then caution through the holiday park

6.3

SW 786 594

Through the gate into the car park then straight ahead on to the track. A sign says ‘no cars beyond this point,’ but the track is a byway so you do have the right to use it – but you must of course stick scrupulously to the right of way. It’s popular with walkers here, so keep your eyes open the whole way

95 6.7

Pull in to Bowgie Inn, then follow right into the pay and display car park for the end of the route

7.2

JULY 2019 | 93

03/06/2019 22:46

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JULY 2019 | 95

04/06/2019 14:25

NEXT MONTH IN 4x4 Old-school laughs – aboard a Suzuki Samurai turned into a real-world off-road toy On test: Jeep Wrangler Rubicon and Subaru Forester – plus the new Polaris Ranger Diesel Down through France in search of sand dunes aboard our Skoda Kodiaq Scout

ON SALE… 12th July Step 15: This

is the biggest ford

e’s been a lot of of the day. If ther

rain, it could be

quite deep, so

USING

Total Off-Roa d you through the countryside on and unsurfac ed r we use are pub li e ther y ays or nclass ﬁed commonly refe rre

ion

caut approach with

e – visibility is Caution as you emerg to the right terrible, especially

Step 11: Th ZERO TRIP ey When did you take their ﬁeld roads seriou last see a roa d sign like this sly in eicestershire. 11.85 on a green lane

9.95

Roadbook: Gentle summertime-only laning on and around the Ridgeway 5.05

10.2

7.9

round to the left, Follow the track the gate gh not ahead throu

11.5

8.0

8.75

lane – after Take it easy up thisyou pass the gs, the farm buildin car park entrance to a pub

11.8

e ton 1 2 Cranoe 1 1 1 Ch rch Lan ton n 1 2 oosto

SP 717 972

20 3.35

21 5.75

11.6

1.85

22 6.45

Fill in your name and address and give this form to your1newsagent 1

9.2 every month Please order 4x4 Magazine and reserve/deliver me a copy 2016 50 | NOVEMBER

9.55

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

96 | JULY 2019

96 Next Month July.indd 96

SAFETY

he sy bols on the ﬁrst the roadboo k advise you suitable it is for your vehi are just guidelin es, howev arn you of any 112 n e oa awsto ha ards o sections, but 21 ooston a aton the nature of 21 lane can chan ge quickly.We can make a hug e difference Your track is the Fox Inn ite oppos the left con Turnless obvious ditions underfo two as you appr of the ot, and w oach wide open in winter can be enclosed and scratchy in sum responsibility is yours! Our roadboo ks are design be safe to driv e in a solo veh are largely suitable for stan da on road tyre s. We do reco mm trav elling in tand em wherever h for this ford to If it’s wet enoug pos the sible, how It’s not a big ever have any water over have ly ford, but . The actual risk bly there’s ae, you’ll proba stuck of g sharpish drop surfac us can be greater than into itroad as washe d daway in the previo it app roun the corner – and if you brea beenyou k down, having two by now at hand can mak e the differenc e between it bein g inconvenient a downright dan gerous.

RESPONSIB

When did you sign like this last see a road at unsurfaced righ a junction on an t of way?

Name Address

NAVIGATIO

We’ve delibera tely possible to follo wt mixture of inst ructi and grid refe rences. only include junction have to make a turni right of way, so just s road or take the mos option unless we tell f you’re unfa l ar r d references you’ll using them on the lege map. Our aim is for yo do the route without m do recommend having t

tonton

ILITY

Irresponsible driving is a mas sive pro

blem ADgreen lane -ROon TOTAL OFF s. In particu you mus

t always stay on the right of way. Never drive off it to play o the verges or surrounding land, eve if you can see that someon e else has; doing so is illegal and can be tremendously dam land and to 4x4 aging, both to the drivers’ repu tation. The fact that you can see whe it’s happened shows how muc re h harm it does. It’s no excuse to say you’re just following where another driver has already bee n. Most green laners have taken to videoing anyo ne they see behaving like this and passing the evidence to the police, which shows how much ange r there is tow ards the criminal elem ent. Elsewhere, simp le common sense and cou rtesy should be your

4x4 04/06/2019 13:34

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Untitled-1 1

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ARRIVING THIS SUMMER AT YOUR LOCAL ISUZU DEALERSHIP

CAPABLE IN THE XTREME

CALL 03303 335126 OR VISIT ISUZU.CO.UK/XTR TO FIND OUT MORE #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 Features and specification may vary in appearance and/or availability. *3.5 tonne towing applies to all 4x4 models. **125,000 mile/5 year (whichever comes first) warranty applies to all new Isuzu D-Max models. Terms and conditions apply. Visit isuzu.co.uk

21542 Isuzu 4x4 Magazine XTR Ad_1.indd 1

31/05/2019 15:33