February 2011 Issue of 4×4 Magazine
Well, it’s good to kick off the New Year with some encouraging news. As you’ll see in our opening News spread on page 10, Jeep has announced that the brand is fully committed to the UK and the 2011 Wrangler will be appearing on our shores, sometime soon. The new Patriot – also now available in 2WD versions – is also due, as is the much-improved and impressive-looking Grand Cherokee that will arrive in showrooms towards the middle of the year.
After the Fiat takeover everything went very quiet on the Jeep front; vehicles weren’t available and all were extremely tight-lipped about the 2011 model line-up in the UK. So the recent announcement should be met with a collective sigh of relief in the 4×4 community. We are, however, disappointed that the Cherokee appears not to be figuring for us in the UK, apparently being replaced by a brand new Compass, which really has the look of the urban crossover SUV. It will probably do well, and illustrates Jeep’s move into the more mainstream market to meet current demand for such vehicles.
Welcome to a New Year! As I write this I am staring out at a freezing winter’s landscape that has appeared rather earlier than most people would have predicted. The last week has been chaotic, with the early December snowfall that brought the UK to a grading halt. My part of Kent and the surrounding area has been immobilised – Gatwick Airport closed, motorways clogged with jack-knifed lorries littered everywhere and people driving on dangerous roads when they really shouldn’t be venturing out.
To welcome the New Year in style we bring you our biggest and best test of the year. The top 4×4 vehicles, split into six groups tested on- and off-road, but which is the ultimate production 4×4 for 2011?
Winter tyres can provide an effective means of dealing with the challenges of driving on frozen tarmac. Those 4x4s fitted with mud terrain tyres often struggle on such a surface, because there is less of the rubber to keep in contact with the ground. So if you want to be certain of keeping your grip on proceedings on wintry roads, consider fitting a set of winter tyres for the coldest months. And if you want to go really extreme, you might look out for studded tyres, such as are commonplace in Nordic countries like Finland and Sweden.
Sheruki started out life as a 1986 Suzuki 413 soft-top. I bought it without engine and fitted a Sherpa 2L diesel and “SHERUKI” w
as born. A spring over axle conversion lifted it 6″ and bigger tyres and a 12 foot snorkel were fitted. After a major RTA and some rather deep wading almost wrote it off the axles engine and suspension were radically altered. A Land Rover 2.5 TD engine and box were fitted. Nissan Patrol axles connected by 5 foot scaffolding bar radius arms and land rover coils lifted it a further 18″ making an extremely articulating 7 foot beast. Further articulation is accomplished by the double length rear shocks. Cooling is taken care of by a VW transporter radiator mounted in the rear. Steering is via a “danfoss” hydraulic unit (from a JCB) powering an axle mounted double acting ram.(from a combine harvester). The tyres are 42″ tall X 16″ wide mounted on 20×13 JCB fastrack rims with Patrol centres welded in. After almost 7 years of work and abuse this vehicle still amazes everyone who sees it as it is truly unique.
The Range Rover Evoque’s spec details have been announced. Offering CO2 emissions sub 130g/km and fuel economy of 58mpg combined, the Evoque is the lightest, most fuel-efficient Range Rover. The new petrol and diesel engines come with direct injection and stop-start. It is based on the LRX concept vehicle and offers a cabin with premium quality materials; customers can specify soft, premium leather and tailored, twin-needle stitching that applies to almost every surface of the instrument panel, doors and seats.
Land Rover celebrated the production of its one millionth Range Rover by donating the vehicle to Help for Heroes. The landmark vehicle was a Range Rover Autobiography in ultimate black. 
Land Rover, in partnership with the award-wining conservation organisation Biosphere Expeditions, is sending seven competition winners (five from the UK, one from Spain and one from Italy) on a once-in-a-lifetime conservation and adventure expedition to Namibia as the winners of a competition held at a special selection day at Eastnor Castle in Herefordshire. 
Anyone with the thirst for a real trip of a lifetime may like to head over to Egypt next Easter and join a unique expedition being run by regular 4×4 contributor, Toby Savage, along with fellow 4×4 journalist Sam Watson and ‘flat fender’ Jeep enthusiast, John Carroll. 
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