CHEVROLET CLAIMS THAT THE company actually invented the SUV class some 75 years ago with the launch of the Suburban Carryall back in 1935. If that’s the case, it has taken the US company some time to join in the latest competition in the highly competitive small SUV segment. That will all change now the Chevy Trax has been unveiled at the Paris Motor Show, joining the company’s larger Captiva SUV. The European 4×4 Trax will have a 1.4-litre 140bhp turbo petrol unit, and a 1.7-litre 130bhp turbodiesel option. The Trax will have Hill Assist, Hill Descent, Traction Control and Trailer Stability Assist. No prices were available as we closed for press.
Monthly Archives: October 2012
All-New Range Rover triumphs in Sunday Times Driving Top 100 Cars
After being on sale for just one month, the All-New Range Rover, which recently made its global public debut at the Paris Motor Show, has been placed top in the 4×4 category in the Sunday Times Driving Top 100 Cars.
Judges were impressed by the all-new, British designed and built model: “Since its launch in 1970 it has set the standard all others have tried — and usually failed — to reach. It is the only car in the world in which you would feel equally comfortable driving across the Sahara, going shooting or giving it to the doorman at the Hotel de Paris in Monaco.”
Demist that screen
It’s not all about snow and ice during the winter months. The drop in temperatures, together with your natural needs for a warm interior can lead to some awkward condensation – especially if you drive a Defender, and especially those side windows. Available for most Defenders from 1983 onwards, the ideally called Defender Demister is a simple and highly effective device. Easily fitted and costing £85 for a pair, you can get these direct from www.defenderdemister.com
Tax efficient Lexus
It is claimed that the Lexus RX450h is one of the most tax efficient SUVs on the market. Due to the hybrid power system, the model’s class-leading 145g/km CO2 emissions means that the Lexus attracts a benefit-in-kind rating of 20 per cent which means that over a three-year period company car drivers in the Lexus will “be paying thousands of pounds less than those who choose the equivalent BMW X5, or Range Rover Sport”. For many, the option to save thousands in tax over a few years could indeed be quite a temptation.
Chains, Snox or socks?
If you have ever struggled to fit snow chains, lying on your back in frozen snow, as any sense of feeling drains from your fingers and then they begin to hurt… you need to read about these products. We have mentioned the AutoSock before, which are very simple to slip over your tyres and they make such a big different to a vehicle’s traction. If your ‘fleet’ includes a 4×4 and a 2×4, you could do well to consider a pair of AutoSocks, not as durable as chains, but it could make a lot of difference, especially for the 2×4, and is the ideal ‘get you home’ product. For your 4×4, and if it’s chains you are after, then the Pewag Snox is a design you should consider. The design won the prestigious accessory category at the Automechanika Exhibition in Frankfurt. The product is easy to fit and contains no fiddly mechanical parts or tensioning devices of more ‘standard’ chains. The Snox is simply slipped over the tyre, the vehicle is then driven forward a quarter turn of the wheel, and the rest of the chain is then pulled over the tyre to complete the fitting process. All Pewag snowchain and AutoSock products can be seen at www.snowchainshop.co.uk
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