Casual fun every other weekend or so can easily turn into something more expensive. We could be talking about affairs of the heart, but affairs of the metal are more expensive still. And dirtier…

You know how it goes. It’s just a bit of fun to start with. The occasional dirty weekend, no regrets, no harm done and forget about it ’til next time you fancy some action. But then you start wanting to go further, you want to get more dirty… and in return they start wanting more of your time and money.

No wonder so many car enthusiasts refer to their motors as ‘she.’ Projects are more like relationships than we care to think. But at least this one hasn’t ended in bitter acrimony and suits cut up with scissors. Like any relationship, it’s cost good money. But for that, Ben Halls gets what he calls comfort and enjoyment – which are not the qualities you’d first expect on seeing this tough-looking rig.

It’s the age-old tale of man meets Land Rover. It then progressed to ‘pay and play’ (or ‘affair’ to give it the human equivalent) and that then moved on to serious competition. Ben’s dirty weekends at least do not contain moral hazard, despite him spending time with a sidekick called Sizzle. Ben is an engineer, based in Kent, and most engineers are far from frivolous people. Sample question and answer from our chat together: ‘So, tell us, what got you into off-roading Ben?’ Answer: ‘A friend.’

Read the full feature in the August issue of Overlander 4×4 –

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There are things you think you know. The sun will come up in the morning. The tide will go in and out. An old Land Rover will get you almost anywhere and leave a trail of oil so you can find your way back. And a Lexus, any Lexus, is out of your class.

Toyota’s premium brand is known for its faultless build quality and brilliant dealers, and for having a level of customer
satisfaction at least one other premium car maker we could mention with an SUV or two in its line-up can only dream of. But it’s also known for making vehicles that cost a lot. You get what you pay for, but if you can’t afford it in the first place that’s a bit of a moot point.

Obviously, it remains so if you need, or want, a large SUV like the superb RX. And Lexus has never made an off-road vehicle as such, at least not for the UK market. But for the very many people who go about in smaller SUVs like the Ford Puma and Kia Sportage, the LBX promises to be a game changer. It’s a proper Lexus – yet it starts at less than £30,000.

Read the full article in the August issue of Overlander 4×4 –

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A former winner of our 4×4 of the Year title, the X-Trail is a superb all-rounder whose blend of practicality, class, driving abilities and, in all-wheel drive form, off-road skills make it an outstanding family vehicle. It wanted for very little when it was first launched – but Nissan clearly did think there was something more it could do, because last year they added a further model to the range in the shape of the N-Trek.

This falls between Tekna and Tekna+ in terms of price, putting it second from the top in a five-strong model line-up. It has a specialised purpose, however, to set it apart from the rest of the range – it’s designed to appeal to ‘daring and adventurous families with a love of the great outdoors.’ To help it do this, the N-Trek gets a variety of adventure-focused equipment.

On the outside, there are protective lower bumper trims with a gunmetal finish and integrated LED fog lamps, which flow into the wheelarch extensions that were already in place from the rest of the X-Trail range. Beneath the latter, 235/50R18 Falken rubber is mounted on diamond-cut gloss black alloys that are unique to this model.

Read the full article in the August issue of Overlander 4×4 –

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Land Rover heads into the Arctic circle to subject the forthcoming Range Rover Electric to extreme cold-weather testing.

Back in our February issue, we brought you the story of how the Range Rover Electric was coping with hot climate testing in the extreme environment of the Dubai Desert. Not only did it have to perform the way a Range Rover should in terms of off-road ability – it also had to do so by maintaining the optimum cabin climate even while its motors and batteries were being taxed to the hilt by the powersapping sand and roasting temperatures.

Now we’re at the other end of the scale. If you’ve driven many electric vehicles, you might have noticed how switching on the heater can make your range drop pretty alarmingly (and if you’ve not, you’ll certainly have seen the trumpeting nonsense shouted non-stop by hateeverythings on social media who’d have you believe that they can barely make it to the end of the road in cold weather).

Find out more in the August issue –

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Land Rover has introduced a facelifted version of the new Defender. You might need to look hard to spot them, but there are details updates around the exterior including new front and rear lights – as well as the inevitable wheel designs and paint colours.

Inside, the highlight of the cabin is a new 13.1” infotainment screen – though again, there are various other details waiting to be noticed if you’re sufficiently sharp-eyed. The gear selector has been repositioned higher up on the dash,
while down below the floor console now combines a large stowage area with a hidden section for smaller items.

Optional side pockets are also available, as is a cable management system so you can charge multiple devices without feeling like you’re driving a self-propelled bowl of spaghetti. Sorry, truffle-infused artisan maccheroncini; this is the new Defender, after all.

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With its front end inspired by the M715 of old, Jeep’s Convoy concept was perhaps the most distinctive new offering to come from this year’s Easter Safari. But nine years previously, another concept with similar styling had alerted the world to the imminent arrival of a new Jeep like no other before it.

Of all the seven concept vehicles Jeep built for this year’s Easter Safari, the Convoy is possibly most eye-catching. That’s saying something, because it was in spectacular company – but while every one of the others looked like a Wrangler, this military-themed take on the Gladiator pick-up stands out thanks to the ‘J-nose’ front end reminiscent of the 1962 SJ and military M715 Kaiser.

The original SJ Gladiator was sold in various guises until 1988, making it one of the few vehicles to last more than a quarter of a century on the same basic platform. It was the basis for the M715, which appeared in 1967 and saw service in Vietnam with some 33,000 units going on to be built.

The civilian SJ was available with a wide range of engines and gearboxes during its time, as well as options including two and four-wheel drive, dually rear wheels and, on early examples, independent front suspension. It was also the first truck in America to feature an OHC engine, the 3.8-litre, 140bhp Tornado straight six.

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The Kodiaq is our reigning 4×4 of the Year, a title it won on the strength of its all-round abilities as a family SUV. It’s practical, comfortable, well equipped and very well put together. But aside from some fun and games on the reassuringly firm sand of an Irish beach during the vehicle’s launch last summer, we’ve never really taken it off-road.

There’s a good reason for that, of course. Most Kodiaqs are two-wheel drive only – and although traction technology
has improved over time to the point where that’s more than enough to get you places on the sort of rough tracks and loose terrain that make up 99% of the off-roading people actually do in the real world, knowing you’ve got all four looking after you definitely adds a layer of reassurance when you’re out there having adventures.

Skoda does give you the choice of having your Kodiaq with four-wheel drive, though. The engine has to be diesel (there are still many people to whom this is no problem) and, as with every Kodiaq now, you get a DSG auto box as standard, so the choices are much more limited than they used to be in the days when we had a fi rst-gen Scout model on long-term test, but they’re playing the percentages and that’s what your typical SUV buyer wants. And, as evidenced by its monumental popularity, a Kodiaq is what a whole lot of them want too.

Read the full article in the July issue of Overlander 4×4 –

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Inverted is one of the many companies specialising in converting classic vehicles to run on electricity. It already
offers a kit for the Range Rover, which has recently also become available to suit the Defender – and on top of that, it has just announced the addition of the Series I, II and III to its portfolio.

These use a 62kWh waterproof battery pack and an electric motor which delivers approximately 160bhp and 665lbf.ft directly to the vehicle’s transfer box. This is retained, along with high and low range gearing and four-wheel drive. There’s a choice of Eco, Traffic and Off-Road drive modes, offering tailored performance and regenerative braking profiles to suit the prevailing conditions.

Other features include electric power steering and servo-assisted brakes, helping transform the old classics into vehicles whose more refined driving experience doesn’t come at the expense of their original character. ‘Inverted Series Land Rovers retain the timeless charm of the originals while being reimagined as fully electric, modernised machines with cutting-edge engineering,’ the company says. ‘These vehicles are now ideal for everything from countryside adventures and beach trips with the family to emissions-free city driving.’

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Question: How do you win the Dakar Rally in two easy steps? Answer: 1) Get Stéphane
Peterhansel to drive for you. 2) Er, that’s it. It’s not quite that simple, obviously. But experience is everything in the Dakar – and the much-decorated Frenchman is a winner for hire.

During a career stretching back to 1988, Peterhansel has won the Dakar 14 times. He started on two wheels, winning
six bike titles for Yamaha in ten attempts before switching to cars – since when he has raced for Nissan, Aixam, Mitsubishi, BMW, Mini, Peugeot and Audi. He scored an exceptional second place overall in 2000 aboard the unfancied Aixam Mega before winning three out of the last five Dakars to be held in Africa during Mitsubishi’s half-decade stranglehold on the event. Since then he’s won three times for Mini and twice for Peugeot, with two other podiums and three fourth places thrown in.

The maestro’s figures have not been so successful in the last few years, however, with three frustrating events aboard Audi’s revolutionary electric racecar followed by a year off in 2025. But the big news is that Peterhansel will be back for 2026 – and he’ll be returning behind the wheel of a Land Rover Defender.

Read the full article in the July issue of Overlander 4×4 –

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The most desirable classic Defender variant returns,’ announces Land Rover Classic. Oooh, they’re bringing back the
300Tdi! ‘As a bespoke 5.0‑litre V8.’ Oh. They’re talking about the Defender 90 Soft-Top, which they’ve brought back as the latest in the line of rebuilt-from-notquite- new 90s and 110s retailing for the sort of money most people would like to be able to spend on a house one day.

Built to order, the vehicle ‘pays homage to previous generations of Defender Soft Top, including the sought‑after NAS 90 from the 1990s.’ Its contemporary the 90SV was even more sought-after in Britain, on account of you could get one, but the NAS 90 was a V8 so we can see where they’re going with this. Though whereas that model only had a 3.9 Rover lump (originally mated to an LT77 box), the newcomer puts its 405bhp and 380lbf.ft to the ground through an 8-speed auto.

We’ve experienced a number of Defenders with high-powered V8 conversions which were frankly horrible to drive (horrible and completely unlike a Defender, even a fast one). To try and avoid this, Land Rover uses revised-rate
coil springs, Eibach anti‑roll bars and Bilstein dampers which ‘have undergone comprehensive testing and development to ensure they meet OEM standards’ and create a suspension set‑up which is ‘specifically tailored to the unique characteristics of the 90 Soft Top and combines traditional Defender capability with superior comfort in all environments.’

Read the full article in the July issue of Overlander 4×4 –

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