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Monthly Archives: January 2018

LR Disco 3 copy

Many vehicles in this class stake good claims as brilliant all-rounders, but none are as defined in their breadth of abilities as the Land Rover Discovery has been over the years. The fifth incarnation is a different beast to the one that debuted in 1989, but it shares the same all-round excellence that made its ancestor an instant hit.

It still offers the same go-anywhere ability that its forbearers always have, though this no longer feels centric to the Discovery’s DNA. It is, however, still top of the class in terms of off-road ability, only being challenged by a suitably optioned Merc GLE.

Other entrants in this class are good enough to make you ask questions, but each time the Discovery 5 has the answer. It’s superb to drive both on and off-road, is classy inside and scarily practical – as ever.

Read the full verdict and the overview of the Large SUV class in the 48-page 4×4 of the Year supplement with the February 2018 issue of 4×4.

skoda Kodiaq 3 copy

The Medium SUV class is the biggest and most varied category in the 4×4 of the Year Awards, with plenty of all-rounders and precision tools worth a mention. Not to mention the impressive newcomer from Mazda – the CX-5. But the Skoda Kodiaq takes the crown, on merit, for being an exquisite multi-faceted option. Its build quality, interior styling and space and the gear combine to make a worthy winner.

The Kodiaq is competent in every way on the tarmac, and is available with off-road enhancements that make a real difference. It’s in touch with reality for vehicles in this class, whilst also being a fantastic family wagon.

Read the full verdict and the overview of the Medium SUV class in the 48-page 4×4 of the Year supplement with the February 2018 issue of 4×4.

JEEP RENEGADE 3 copy

The Jeep Renegade has a lot of competition, with assaults mounted from both ends of the price range. But, it’s the American that offers the most in this class.

The Renegade looks good and has a cool cabin, even if it isn’t the most spacious. But if you want to go off-road, in Trailhawk guise nothing else in the class will come close.

If you want something purely for the road, there are better options. If you want something with a premium badge then Audi and BMW have solid entrants for you, in the shape of the Q3 and the X1. But with all aspects considered, the Renegade is by far the most versatile – and at a good price, too.

Read the full verdict and the overview of the Small SUV class in the 48-page 4×4 of the Year supplement with the February 2018 issue of 4×4.

Fiat_Panda_Cross_077 copy

Now, this is a broad category. We’ve included everything from hatchback-based SUV’s to quasi-MPVs and even a van-based motorhome. We acknowledge that by choosing a singular winner from such a diverse field we’ve compared the incomparable, but we’re confident in the final verdict.

The Fiat Panda Cross is a long-time favourite in this category, with previous editions proving they’re capable of incurring joy and performing giant killings off-piste. The latest is no different.

Being so diddy, the Fiat is trumped in terms of practicality elsewhere in the field, and it can also be outperformed off-road. But this little machine embodies fun and is willing wherever you go. It’s the cheapest vehicle in this class, but it’s the most loveable.

Read the full verdict and the overview of the Crossover class in the 48-page 4×4 of the Year supplement with the February 2018 issue of 4×4.

Vauxhall Insignia CT copy

In a year when the Crossover Estates market most notably grew at the top end of the price range, the new champion comes from the other end of the spectrum.

We were stunned by the Insignia Country Tourer. It looks sensational and its interior is befitting of something twice the price. It’s a remarkably capable all-rounder that’s as enjoyable to drive as it is refined and comfortable on longer journeys. It does the lot.

There are other options which match it in some areas, but the Vauxhall brings excitement to this part of the 4×4 market. It’s not the best off-roader, but it’s comfortably the best across the board. And at a crushingly good price.

Read the full verdict and the overview of the Crossover Estates class in the 48-page 4×4 of the Year supplement with the February 2018 issue of 4×4.

lrclassicprototype71948mylr7010011801

To kick off a year of jubilee celebrations, Land Rover are beginning an in-house restoration of one of the first pre-production vehicles. The location of the vehicle was unknown for the last 63 years, but Jaguar Land Rover Classics are sympathetically restoring this early test car.

‘There is something charming about the fact that exactly 70 years ago this vehicle would have been undergoing final adjustments before being prepared for the 1948 Amsterdam Motor Show,’ says Tim Hanning – Jaguar Land Rover Classic Director.

Since its discovery, the Classics team at JLR have checked its lineage and confirmed it as one of three prototypes taken to the Amsterdam Motor Show in 1948. The car was last known on the road in the ’60s and spent twenty years sat in a field in Wales.

The team behind the Series I Reborn programme will preserve the history of the car, which like all pre-production Land Rovers has a thicker aluminium body and a galvanised chassis.

‘Beginning its sympathetic restoration here at Classic Works, where we can ensure it’s put back together and as precisely as it’s meant to be, is a fitting way to start Land Rover’s 70th anniversary year,’ adds Hanning.

A great start to Land Rover’s anniversary year, and certainly story to keep an eye on.

lrclassicprototype71948mylr7010011804

 

Erste Reisemobilkonzepte auf Mercedes-Benz X-Klasse Basis: Absetzkabine von Tischer First camper van concepts on Mercedes-Benz X-Class base: demountable cabine by Tischer

Shortly after the launch of the Mercedes-Benz X-Class, the German manufacturer debuted two new concepts for its new pick-up at the CMT Show in Stuttgart. Coming just two months after the production model was revealed, the concepts are a camper van conversion and a flatbed that’s home to a fully-fledged kitchen.

On the Merc stand, alongside three examples of the company’s Marco Polo family, were concept offerings from Tischer and VanEssa Mobilcamping.

The Tischer offering, which admittedly looks like a caravan, consists of a demountable cabin that houses a host of features. With just shy of two metres’ headroom, there’s space for a sleeping area, a kitchen with a three-burner stove, a trio of seats and an on-board bathroom.

Erste Reisemobilkonzepte auf Mercedes-Benz X-Klasse Basis: Umbaukonzept mit integrierter Systemküche von VanEssa mobilcamping First camper van concepts on Mercedes-Benz X-Class base: conversion concept with integrated kitchen by VanEssa mobilcamping

In more modest fashion, the VanEssa concept merely adds kitchen facilities to the pick-up bed. However, the heavy-duty pull-out weighs 250kg and is secured beneath a yacht-esque teak wooden covering. While there are rails to which a roof tent could be mounted, this concept is in essence just the kitchen. But that does include a cool box, cooking and washing facilities and storage space for crockery and utensils.

The concepts show that already minds are ticking, as the aftermarket looks to tinker with the X-Class. Could the self-proclaimed world’s first premium truck also herald a new era of luxury overland travel?

Jeep Compass

We drove the new Jeep Compass on its European launch in the summer. But now we’ve tried it out where it matters – here in Blighty.

Again, we had a spin in the 2.0 Multijet II diesel, but this time we also tried out the 1.4 MultiAir II turbocharged petrol equivalent. In versions of the Compass with four-wheel drive, both produce the same figure of 170bhp when mated to Jeep’s nine-speed auto box (there’s also a 140bhp version of the 2.0-litre unit with a manual box, but that’s for another day).

So our test was really about the two engines. At cruising speeds, there’s nothing to choose between them. The gearbox transitions are smooth and both are similarly quiet and comfortable.

Inside, the cabin is cleanly laid out and the touch-screen infotainment system is simple to navigate. The vehicles driven here were both in range-topping Limited spec, which means seats trimmed in full leather and, at the front, both heated and vented.

Again, the leather-wrapped steering wheel feels good and solid and the cruise control regulators are straightforward to operate. For taller drivers who require the seat further back, however, the restricted headroom that comes as a side product of the panoramic sunroof isn’t ideal.

We found the Compass’ ride to be notably informative over something as slight as cats’ eyes, and on uneven streets and B-roads this was amplified. It wasn’t uncomfortable by any means, but for something with off-road credentials in the wheelhouse we hoped for a smoother deal on everyday surfaces.

Talking of off-road credentials, we didn’t get to test these as the route set out for us to follow on the launch stuck exclusively to tarmac. There is, however, a Trailhawk version of the Compass coming during 2018 – and if you like the look of the vehicle as your next off-road giant-slayer, it will certainly be the one to wait for.

Back in the here and now, the biggest difference between the engines in driving terms is how they work with the automatic gearbox. Both may produce the same power, but the diesel has 258lbf.ft from 1750rpm while the petrol only gives you 184lbf.ft at 2500rpm – and the difference is very apparent.

The petrol engine doesn’t cover the auto box in a lot of glory. Unless it’s bullied, we found it sluggish when pulling away – bridging the gap between dangling yourself in front of traffic at roundabouts and steaming across them can be a frustrating task. A window of opportunity in between these extremes does exist – it’s just smaller than you might expect.

There are similar delays in power delivery when building up speed – and if you over-compensate, your wrists are slapped with torque steer. Downshifts on a decline caught it out a few times, too – we found it shifting down a gear too many and over-revving loudly as a result.

The diesel is a lot better behaved. The sooner the torque comes in, the happier the gearbox is. It doesn’t feel as if there are too many gear ratios in the mix, it copes better with downshifts and it’s less anxious and more refined in city centre traffic.

In every other way, the Compass is comfortable in urban environments, with light steering making it easy and untaxing to manoeuvre around town. Its contemporary styling makes it look like it belongs, too – which, trivial though it may sound, is no small concern on the school run.

Visibility is less than fantastic, however. There are blind spot indicators to help you out, but the C-pillars do dominate the view over your shoulder.12

On the whole, though, the Compass is a solid entrant for Jeep into the medium SUV market. We’d certainly choose the 2.0-litre diesel, however, whose extra torque works far better with the auto gearbox, making it much nicer to live with, and in Limited trim the cabin is a really nice, plush place to sit.

It is, however, on the expensive side. The 2.0 MultiJet II auto 4×4 lists at £34,295, and the vehicle we drove on the launch had options on it which would have taken that to £39,645. How that will look alongside the best of the Compass’ many excellent competitors in the medium SUV market is open to question – though taken on its own merits, this new Jeep certainly does have a lot to recommend it.

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