This month’s issue (December 2011) has our group test of the best SUVs, or ‘crossover’ 4x4s on the market. Now while we fervently disapprove of the term ‘crossover’, you also have to ask whether Sports Utility Vehicle suits some of the models tested in this issue (see page 60). There’s little that is Utilitarian about them. Whatever the nomenclature, there’s a great model range on offer, to suit all tastes, from the impressive but somewhat sombre VW Tiguan, to the outrageously quirky Nissan Juke. Some love the weird, almost organic, bumps and bulges of Nissan’s tiny 4×4, others are, well… less complimentary. However, most will join us in complimenting Nissan for the latest development of the Juke: enter the Juke-R.

Adding the ‘R’ designation indicates Nissan’s sporting models. In the old days of this writer’s youth, people put GT on the end of the car’s name! In Nissan’s case, the ‘R’ has seemed, in the past, to be little more than a clever way of charging a lot more for a model with a bit more power and a bit of fancy trimming and go-faster stripes. Not so the Juke-R, this is a seriously crazy road 4×4, and will certainly create a stir.

The new model year Mitsubishi Shogun arrives in the UK this month. There will be a four model line-up, the SG2, SG3, SG4 and the popular Warrior version. All models will benefit from 18inch alloy wheels, new chrome grille and colour coded front bumper, black front skid plate and black roof rails.

Since its debut back in 1982, Mitsubishi has sold an impressive 104,328 models in the UK alone and there is significant brand loyalty with Mitsubishi claiming that seven in 10 customers remain with the Shogun when changing vehicles. A new 2012 model year Shogun is included in our massive 4×4 Of The Year test in next month’s issue. It’s up against some tough opposition…

Chevrolet’s Captiva has become the fifth model in the American manufacturer’s range in the last two years to achieve a five-star Euro NCAP crash safety rating. This respected rating saw the Captiva achieving an 88 per cent rating overall for adult occupant protection in the event of a collision.

Add that to a five-year, 100,000-mile warranty, and the appeal of this SUV to potential owners with a large family is obvious. The new Captiva was introduced this summer, with a new 2.2-litre common-rail turbodiesel engine and seating for up to seven passengers. Prices start from £21,995.

Besides writing the Club Focus pages in this magazine, and regularly bemoaning the cost of diesel when reporting on her beloved Grand Vitara for Our 4×4 pages, some readers may not be aware that Louise Limb is a rather talented artist, in particular, drawing Classic Land Rovers. To celebrate this, every year Louise produces a limited edition of Classic Land Rover calendars.

They are A4 sized, and the first 100 produced are signed and numbered by Louise. Something of a bargain at only £15 – especially when you consider this includes recorded delivery in the UK. An ideal Christmas present we think. You can buy this exclusively from Louise by going to her website at: www.louiselimb.com

A justifiably proud Sophie Wakeford has been awarded this year’s Spen King Sustainability Award. The Award, in honour of the man who was the mastermind behind the original Range Rover, is aimed to honour “to inspire and encourage the next generation of engineers.”

Sophie is studying Mechanical Engineering at Oxford University and according to the judges, “set herself apart from the others by demonstrating not only excellent technical engineering understanding but also for being the only applicant to address the moral issues associated with the hypothetical challenge.” It will be interesting to see if she follows in Spen King’s footsteps into the world of vehicle engineering. The £1000 award also gives her a summer work placement at JLR where she will be working in her area of interests of hybrids and environmentally sustainable transport.

Japanese manufacturers come out top with the Honda CRV (1998-2006) proving to be the most reliable, followed closely by the Suzuki Grand Vitara. Not so good news for Land Rover (2002-onwards), which is claimed, by Warranty Direct, to be the “most breakdown prone off-roader”. Despite this rather severe condemnation, the Freelander actually makes it into the top ten.

The bottom five include Range Rover (2002-onwards), Jeep Grand Cherokee (1999-2005), VW Touareg (2003-onwards), BMW X5 (2000-2007), with the ‘prize’ for bottom going to the Volvo XC90 (2002-onwards). Given the great number of different models included, a survey sample of 16,000 is perhaps a little small to draw any firm conclusions, and we would like to hear from readers about the reliability of their vehicles, send your comments through to us: 4×[email protected]