Hils Everitt – Editor at Large
Our Escape model is the off-road version of the Tiguan and therefore comes in at a smidgeon over £2000 more than the standard model. Both are equipped with VW’s 4MOTION intelligent four-wheel drive that kicks in when the system detects poor traction. I have always been a bit sceptical about these so-called ‘intelligent’ systems as they are reactive, i.e., you need your wheels to experience a bit of a problem before the electronics suss it out and then react accordingly and switch power delivery to a more even split between the axles.
I prefer a vehicle that lets me lock into four-wheel drive when I say so; which is why I will always be a bit wary of the intelligent SUVs that are swamping our 4×4 market these days. Yes, regular readers know that I am an old fashioned gal who loves a nice big transfer lever that you thrust into four low and know damn well that it is locked in and off you go into the wilderness.
Looking for better traction and more suspension control? Summit Racing has a variety of new products to offer just that, including the Yukon Gear and Zip Locker, which allows you to go from an open differential to fully lockable by flipping a switch. These lockers are built for both on and off-road use and work using air pressure to offer a variable locking action. If you are looking for this kind of diff control, check out the Summit Racing website, but beware – you’ll be bewitched by the enormous variety of performance products on show! Go to 
At the end of last year we heard about Varra, a British company with a new range of ‘plug in’ tuning modules. With offices in Australia, India and Russia, Varra has a website offering full details of suitable applications for the UK Market. The company claims to have tuning modules available for around 3000 diesel vehicles, with a petrol version being launched later this spring. These modules work by altering the fuelling at certain rpm levels, thereby changing the power delivery; either for more power, or better economy. The Varra module can be manually adjusted, and fitted can be a DIY process, although fitting agents are available. Products have a two-year warranty. For more details about whether your vehicle is suitable, call 0845 838 1417 or you can email them on 
We heard from retired businessman Les Carvell over a year ago now. He was proposing an overland trip and wondered if we would be interested in a feature. To be honest, emails like that are regular in the 4×4 Magazine office, often despite replying in a positive manner, we never hear another thing. In this case, Les Carvell was talking about a drive in Suzuki Jimnys around the ‘top of the world’ and we decided that it sounded very promising so we put in a word with Suzuki UK’s Head of Press and PR Alun Parry about it. Fast forward many months and it’s all about to happen! Les is joined with four other retired ‘avid Suzuki fans’ to begin a 28,000 fundraising tour around the world in aid of Save the Children and the Oakhaven Hospice in Lymington, Hampshire. The trip will start at Trafalgar Square on 31st March, and is planned to last for five months. All the participants are in their 70s, which is why they devised the whole project under the strapline: Heaven can wait, I’m busy!
Intriguing to hear that for 2013, the amazing bespoke modified Twisted model Land Rover Defenders will be available with thumping great General Motors V8 power, or a five-cylinder Ford turbo diesel unit, in place of the model’s usual 2.2-litre unit. While fitting the larger V8 unit seems a logical option, you wonder why Twisted didn’t consider the Range Rover option. As Twisted’s Charles Fawcett explains: “We’re continually asked whether petrol and diesel Range Rover V8s can be dropped into a Defender; while it is possible, it’s a matter of re-engineering the software to work standalone without all the modules and controls that the Range Rover has, but we don’t consider that to be the best solution. We’ve researched and experimented, and established that the GM V8 is a more suitable standalone fitment – and its character suits the Twisted Defender perfectly.”
Proving that perhaps you can keep slicing the cake smaller and smaller, and creating a niche of a niche, Volkswagen unveiled the new CrossBlue concept vehicle at this year’s North American Auto Show this January. This is a diesel-electric hybrid, which uses the company’s excellent TDI engine with two electric motors, DSG transmission to create an electric 4×4 system, which the boffins have dubbed ‘propshaft by wire’. Ignoring that for a moment, the six-seater vehicle is said to have a fuel consumption capacity of 134.5mpg.
After all the excitement of this year’s Dakar Rally, isn’t it time that we had some more decent off-road racing on the TV?
If four-wheel drive is good, then does that mean six is better? We take a trip in a recently restored Steyr-Puch Pinzgauer 6×6 to find out. Now this is a real man’s off-roader!
Comprehensive guide offering suggestions and advice on what you could do to improve the performance of your 4×4. Go on, indulge.
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