Jeep Reviews

This light is properly called the Malfunction Indicator Light, so it’s kind of like a check-engine light. It’s telling you there’s something not right somewhere on the car and that you need to scan the car to get a more focussed idea of what the problem is.

The message is not to try to cancel the light and ignore it, because it could be being triggered by something you need to attend to promptly before further damage is done.

Most workshops will have a code-reader that plugs into the car and talks to the car’s computer to learn exactly what the root cause of this problem is. In many cases on a Jeep, the MIL will be triggered by a problem with the fuel and/or emissions system, typically a dud oxygen sensor, a loose fuel cap or even a tiny leak in the fuel system.

Once the technician has checked what fault codes are present, they can usually use the same code reader to cancel the MIL.

You’re right that most mid-sized vehicles are SUVs which means they won’t go properly off-road. Your requirement for wading abilities and a sunroof are a little mutually exclusive, while your size restriction rules out pretty much any dual-cab ute with four-wheel-drive.

About the smallest proper off-road four-wheel-drive would be the Suzuki Jimny, but whether it can be specified up to your luxury standards is another matter altogether. The driving experience may not match your refinement requirements, either.

The problem is that the market for true off-road vehicles has switched to either full-sized wagons, dual-cabs, or SUVs with the looks, but not the drivelines, suspension or gearing to be proper off-roaders. Models that were formerly great off-roaders like the original Nissan Pathfinder and Suzuki Vitara now exist only as watered-down SUVs with no off-road capacity whatsoever.

That said, two vehicles to look at would be the Land Rover Defender 90 which amounts to the short-wheelbase version of the Defender. Although it’s now a luxurious SUV, it still has the off-road smarts to be a weekend warrior. The other prospect would be the GWM Tank 300. Available in hybrid and non-hybrid forms, the Tank 300 is relatively compact and is extremely good off-road. It’s also pretty good value.

The Jeep Gladiator was unveiled in 2018 before arriving in Australia in the middle of 2020.