The snow that arrived in the UK in mid-January was said to have resulted in an increase in calls to Land Rover showrooms with the new 2013 Freelander 2 range the model most enquired about. Obviously, potential owners read our Freelander 2 feature driving in Quebec, Canada in the last issue! The new model range has its first special edition, the Black & White has now been announced. Only 600 will be produced, available in either Santorini Black metallic or solid Fuji White. The Black & White is based on the S model and available with the 150bhp eD4 engine in two-wheel drive (Why, for heavens sake?) or the TD4 engine, the latter can also be specified with the six-speed automatic gearbox. The TD4 manual is priced at £23,495 and the automatic at £24,995, which are very competitive prices for such a capable SUV. Worth a test drive, even if it’s not snowing. If you are looking for a new Range Rover however, despite deliveries arriving in dealers in January, there are reports of order books full for the next nine months and beyond!
KELSEYAdmin
March 2013 Issue Editor’s Blog
March 2013 Issue of 4×4 Magazine
There’s never a better time to own a 4×4 than when the entire country is blanketed in snow and ice – as it was a couple of weeks ago. I’m actually not a great fan – too cold for me – but it does certainly make me value my 4×4. A recent drive across East Anglia during the worst of the winter weather and my Hilux showed it was minus 9degC, yet I felt safe.
You’re not invincible in a 4×4, of course, and it’s stupid to think so, but driven properly you’re in a much better place. Not surprising then that used car website – motors.co.uk – was claiming that searches for 4x4s were up 24 per cent, with individual searches up even more for; Range Rover, Volvo XC90 and BMW X5s. Of course, if you’re looking for a second-hand 4×4 you should be checking our back issues for expert tips and advice! In the March issue, on shelves now, you’ll find a comprehensive buyers’ guide focusing on second-hand pick-ups……
Keep safe, and enjoy the issue.
Nigel Fryatt, Editor
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Varra tuning modules
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 [email protected]
JEEP CHEROKEE
Bob Cooke – contributor
It’s just as well that I carry one of those head torch things in the Cherokee. Not just because we’ve entered the dark days of winter, though it’s useful on those odd occasions when you need to see if what you’ve just run over is edible. I don’t even need the torch to find my way up the driveway after parking because the Cherokee has a “sentinel” headlamp system, which leaves the lamps alight for about 45 seconds after switching off the ignition. I need the torch because the dashboard lamps have failed, so I need a means of checking my speed and finding the stereo and heater controls after dark. It’s an odd one – the dash illumination doesn’t work, nor does the stereo display, yet the digital clock still ticks away in the dark and the stereo still works, it just doesn’t show me what station I’m listening to. The handbook doesn’t assign a fuse to the dashboard illumination, so I’m somewhat bewildered.
Twisted new engine options for Defender
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.”
Twisted was originally a Land Rover tuning specialist, but the business has evolved to produce highly distinctive and bespoke vehicles. Each model is unique and so the ability to offer a variety of engine options is an intrinsic part of why customers go to Twisted. The company plans to have the first new Ford turbodiesel demonstrator available later this month, with the 430bhp GM V8 ready to go in April – one customer V8 is already in the planning stage.
Pinzgauer 6×6
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!
Words and photographs by Robert Pepper
I’m standing halfway down a very rocky hill, one I’ve had to winch up in the wet before now, and even competition trucks take a second look in the dry. The line, shown by recent tyre marks, zigzags out to one side, around the worst of the rocks that protrude high from the track. I’m waiting for Peter “Professor Pinz” Farrer to come along in his Steyr-Puch Pinzgauer, and I reckon as he curves the vehicle around those rocks I’ve got my shot.
Except he doesn’t. The Pinny comes straight down the track. Right over those rocks, under complete control, with just the barest of scrapes. I quickly reposition myself and shoot anyway. As the Pinny passes, I turn back to what it just drove over and take another look. Yep, it really did just drive over rocks that Jeeps and Nissans on 37inch tyres couldn’t handle. Takes a bit to impress me after all the years of off-roading, but I’m standing here in appreciation. And you know what? This is a completely standard vehicle.
VW TIGUAN BL ESCAPE 2.0-LITRE TDI BLUEMOTION 4MOTIONUEMOTION ES 2.0TDI 4MOTION
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.
Tuning Guide
Comprehensive guide offering suggestions and advice on what you could do to improve the performance of your 4×4. Go on, indulge.
Words: Rob Hawkins
ECU upgrades
The ECU (electronic control unit) on most engines controls the fuelling and ignition timing, which are essential for regulating the amount of performance produced. However, the settings for fuelling and ignition and timing often have potential for improvement, as they are intended to maximise fuel economy and keep emissions low. They also have to cater for a wider range of climates, so tweaking these settings can often result in better performance and better fuel economy.
There are a number of approaches to upgrading the engine’s ECU. One of the most straightforward is to fit a control unit between the ECU and the fuelling. This is known as a tuning box or tuning module. We assessed Tunit’s tuning module for diesel engines in the January 2013 issue (see pages 77-80), examining how to fit the equipment, how settings can be analysed and modified and whether this upgrade actually makes a difference. Such tuning modules provide a map (settings for fuelling) applicable to the engine that it is intended to be fitted to, which can be further fine-tuned using a dial on the side. Fitting is very straightforward in the case of common rail diesel engines, consisting of a plug connector that sits between the standard connection to the fuel injector rail. This helps to alter the signal to the fuel injection system without causing an error at the ECU.
Honda CR-V EX
Sue Loy
As a Toyota RAV4 owner, driving the CR-V was an interesting experience. The two models must be an ‘either/or’ for a lot of people looking for a family-sized SUV. I’m on my second RAV4 and will admit to being very happy with my choice, so being able to spend a week with the new fourth generation Honda CR-V was an opportunity not to miss.
To be honest, it’s not that obvious when looking at the fourth generation, what the difference is on the previous model, but then Honda has sold five million of them in total since introducing the model back in 1995, so I guess they know exactly what they are doing! The model is also built in the UK, which appeals to many a more patriotic consumer; OK, so the profits leave the country, but it’s great to know it was built up in the North East.
HYBRID SLOTS BETWEEN TIGUAN AND TOUAREG
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.
The concept show vehicle had three rows of two seats, but it is expected that should this go into production, the second row would have a three seat option, making the vehicle a full seven seater. Obviously, and especially relevant for the US, the fuel economy figure was highlighted, but it is equally impressive to check out some of the other performance figures. For example, it is claimed that the hybrid engine has a power output of 305PS, and a significant torque figure of some 700Nm (516lb ft) thanks to those electric motors. This results in a top speed of some 127mph and a sprint from 0-60mph in a sprightly 7.0 seconds.
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