One of the side effects of Fiat’s partnership with Jeep has been the sponsorship of Italian Serie A football team Juventus – you couldn’t have seen the US brand being that interested in a ‘soccer’ team before! The result of the sponsorship has been the delivering of a fleet of some 27 Jeep Grand Cherokees, painted in either black or white (the Juventus team colours). Back home in the Premier League, it’s Chevrolet getting in on the sponsorship act with former Manchester United player Denis Irwin (below) presenting a specially signed Trax to Frosts of Shoreham, the West Sussex dealer having won the car on a special charity auction, the proceeds for which went to the Manchester United Foundation to support the team’s Ability Counts programme, which offers disabled people the opportunity to play or coach with Man Utd. Not all links between Man Utd and Chevrolet have been so positive of late; Paul Scholes having recently been the victim of ‘frost-jacking’ when he left his Chevrolet warming up on the drive at his home, only to come out to find it had been nicked! Given the way he tackles, you wouldn’t want to be the thief if he catches him…
KELSEYAdmin
A sense of adventure
Whether you’ve signed up to an organised 4×4 expedition tour or are going it alone, preparation is key. We join an expedition training course to see what’s involved…
Words and photography: Sarah Harrington-James
Imagine this scenario: before officially tying the knot, the appeal of one last epic adventure with your best mate is soon concocted over several pints of the best British ale. Africa is earmarked, with Kenya the end game and several weeks on a plan is in motion, now that you’re the winning bidder of a 1995 Land Rover Defender 110. However, the adventurous pair in question, groom-to-be electrician Lewis Ashley and farming machinery specialist Kris Romney, are expedition newbies and under no illusion that they need to learn the necessary skills for their planned adventure. Sensibly, they sign up to an intensive three-day True Grip Off Road expedition preparation course – and I tag along too for good measure.
Disappearing off to a foreign, Third World country can be hugely daunting, which is why the prep work has to start at home. Kent-based True Grip, the origins of which started in 1993, can develop a course specifically for each individual, which takes into account previous off-roading experience, the vehicle they’ll be taking, the type of terrain on their journey and driver’s skill. Using True Grip’s Defender 110 on private land encompassing Eastwell Park, Lewis and Kris opt for off-road driving, winch recovery techniques, survival skills, vehicle preparation and ‘get you back home’ mechanics.
Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland
Hils Everitt – Editor at Large
So, having put a deposit on my new 2009 Mineral Grey Grand Cherokee Overland I picked it up four days later, after a two-hour train journey and a large chunk of cash filtering out of the bank account. The dealership didn’t seem too bothered that I didn’t want to take up the finance offer; I got a pretty cheap bank loan instead, with a bit extra to sort out the garage doors – one needed replacing and the other garage just needed a door, full stop.
In fact, the garage and its intended new electric rolling doors were a big issue in the purchase of this particular Grand. The garage we keep the MX5 in was fine, of course, bags of room. In my old WJ, parking in our open garage was quite a precise operation, with just an inch or two to spare either side. But garaging the WK Grand could have been a real problem.
Land Rover Discovery 3
Robert Pepper
Perhaps the most commonly discussed topic in Discovery circles is that of tyres, and on that front I have news. Back in the April 2013 edition I reported that the D3’s BFGoodrich KM2 mud tyres had worn out, and I was replacing them with the least aggressive tyre I’ve ever owned on a 4×4; Cooper AT3s. The logic behind this was simple; after years of driving stock-standard press cars with standard tyres I’ve still managed to have a lot of fun and get pretty much anywhere I want to go. This is because over time vehicles are becoming more capable, with ever-more effective traction control, power delivery and suspension. Even today, my 2008 Discovery 3 can hold its head high, and while it is modified the mods are all about touring, not off-road capability. Tyre technology has also progressed, with punctures becoming so rare road cars are omitting spare tyres entirely, and traction has improved across all surfaces. Yet for all that progress punctures are still entirely possible and in the ongoing war of sharp mallee roots against tyres it is fair to say nature is still well head.
Jeep Cherokee
Bob Cooke – contributor
Ignominy. The dictionary defines it as a feeling of disgrace, public shame. That’s exactly how I felt; though at least there wasn’t any public around when it happened. Being a reasonably experienced and competent off-road driver, I’m usually quite good at reading the way ahead and deciding whether or not the Cherokee will get through. There is the argument that even if the way ahead looks doubtful the whole idea of having some off-road fun is to have a go, and no shame attached if you don’t make it, getting stuck does, after all, provide an excellent opportunity to exercise your recovery skills.
It’s just that on this occasion it wasn’t one of those challenging obstacles like a steep and rutted climb or a pile of rocks. It was just that the surface of the muddy track got softer and softer along its length. And I could see that it was getting even softer up ahead, to the extent that my brain said: “Time to stop and go back, old chap.” Unfortunately I ignored that advice, mainly because there was another car up ahead and it seemed to have no trouble at all in spite of its relatively narrow tyres. So I drove on – for another 20 metres or so, at which point the Cherokee simply sank into the soft mud and wedged its floorpan into the gloop.
Korando makeover
Despite being a relative newcomer to the UK market, the SsangYong Korando is about to get a makeover for 2014. The front gets completely new treatment, which includes a black radiator grille, more contemporary headlights and wider, lower level air intakes. The rear gets revised light clusters and there are new 16 and 17in alloy wheels, together with three new exterior colours of Sunrise red, Cosmic blue and Carbonic grey. The most significant changes have come in the interior with a completely redesigned dashboard with soft-touch materials and natural matt wood grain. The new Korando has much improved NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) levels, thanks to changes in the engine mountings, which has much reduced engine noise, plus some new rubber bushes fitted to the car’s sub frame. All Korando models come with a full five year unlimited warranty, and the new 4WD models in the range start at a very competitive £16,495, rising to £21,495 for the top of the range ELX4 Auto. The new Rexton W is now available in right hand drive (we tested the left hand drive version for our recent 4×4 Of The Year, Winter 2013 issue) with prices starting from £21,995.
ILTIS ON ‘LE JOG’
‘Le Jog’ is the rather odd name of the endurance rally organised by the Historic Endurance Rally Association for its annual Lands End to John O’Groats event for classic cars. This year’s event had one equally unlikely entrant in a Volkswagen Iltis from the German manufacturer’s Classic Collection. This winter rally follows the theme of many classic rallies in that it is not an outright speed event, but includes reliability and navigational tests over its 1500 miles. The VW Iltis is a four-wheel drive machine that is often said to be the precursor to the Audi Quattro range, and this particular Type 183 model was a similar specification to models that have previously competed in the Paris-Dakar in 1980. Only 10,000 Iltis were ever built, but the spartan machine has played a significant part in the German manufacturer’s 4×4 heritage. For ‘Le Jog’, the vehicle was driven by the female team of Steffi Edelhoff and Sandra Wukovich, no strangers to VW and long distance events, since they have already toured the world in an Amarok pick-up raising money for the “Be your own hero e.V” – a non-profit organisation that campaigns for the autonomy and self-reliance of girls and young women.
NUTS FOR LAND ROVER
Jaguar Land Rover has become the first British car maker to open a manufacturing plant in Brazil. South America is the latest stop in JLR’s world domination of the luxury SUV and saloon car market, with plans to build a new facility in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro. Construction of the plant will start later this year, with the first vehicles rolling off the line in 2016. The agreement has yet to be fully ratified by the Brazilian government, but it is expected that the plant will be able to produce 24,000 vehicles annually. JLR has had a presence in Brazil with a dealership network of some 25 outlets and 2013 has seen increased sales of some 40 per cent over the previous year, selling just under 10,000 Evoques, Freelanders and Discoverys in a 10-month period. Given the plans, this number can be expected to rise dramatically over the next few years.
Get 77 MPG
A Honda CR-V 1.6 i-DTEC competed in the recent MPG Marathon event, driven by two independent drivers, and managed a significantly impressive 77.86mpg. The test was covered over two days and included some 500+ miles over a variety of roads and conditions, at speeds that are described by the organisers as ‘real-world driving.’ While it has to be noted that the two drivers, John Kerswill and Ian McKean are highly experienced regulars at the MPG Marathon, organised by Fleet World magazine, and therefore know exactly how to drive as economically as possible, the overall result is still very impressive. Perhaps readers that actually own a similar CR-V could let us know if they have ever achieved such a figure? We would like to hear from you. And if you are looking for a particularly economical 4×4, then the Honda CR-V is now available for £239 a month on a zero per cent finance plan over three years, complete with a five year complimentary servicing plan. Contact your local Honda dealer for more details.
HANDY EMERGENCY KIT
It’s worth making sure you have a good emergency travel kit in your 4×4 at this time of the year. Ring Automotive has a good winter emergency kit available that consists of a warning triangle, high visibilty jacket, universal bulb kit, rubber torch, pair of cotton gloves, set of jump leads, First Aid kit and foil blanket, all packed together in a compact carrying bag. Available at many motor factor outlets for a RRP of £29.99. You can, of course, ‘build your own’ and this is certainly a good list!
Website: www.ringautomotive.co.uk
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