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Articles by Marcus Craft

Marcus Craft

Marcus Craft

Contributing Journalist

Raised by dingoes and, later, nuns, Marcus (aka ‘Crafty’) had his first taste of adventure as a cheeky toddler on family 4WD trips to secret fishing spots near Bundaberg, Queensland. He has since worked as a journalist for more than 20 years in Australia, London and Cape Town and has been an automotive journalist for 18 years.

This bloke has driven and camped throughout much of Australia – for work and play – and has written yarns for pretty much every mag you can think of.

The former editor of 4X4 Australia magazine, Marcus is one of the country’s most respected vehicle reviewers and off-road adventure travel writers.

The D240 is the mid-range diesel variant in the Defender range. It has a 2...Read more
The D200 is the base-spec diesel variant in the new Land Rover Defender...Read more
In a van market bustling with multi-skilled variants from plenty of marques, Peugeot more than holds its own. Sure, the brand is beloved of many Europeans and Pomgolians (those who reside in the UK), but Peugeot sure has its own fan base here in the Antipodes as well. We tested a Peugeot Partner...Read more
Toyota's C-HR set hearts a-racing and tongues a-wagging when it launched here a few years back. Here was a super-stylised compact that wowed the crowds, and it rattled the cage of the mini SUV market, good and proper... but since then, as with all things, the small SUV pack has moved on and...Read more
In a hotly-contested ute market, the Nissan Navara sits comfortably somewhere in the middle of the pack – in terms of many aspects, including pricing, quality and reputation. Since March this year, Nissan reckons the new Navara line-up has benefitted from improved NVH (noise, vibration and...Read more
If you’re a fan of the Toyota LandCruiser – and, let's face it, who isn't...Read more
A tweaked 200 Series is expected here soon-ish, but the next generation Toyota LandCruiser, the 300 Series, is expected here in the not-too-distant future, and that will reportedly have a smaller engine (a choice of V6 diesel, petrol or petrol/hybrid) and an even bigger price-tag all-round than the...Read more
The Toyota Prado is very popular with surburbanites and adventurers, because it manages to strike a decent balance between being a nice-driving and practical family mover and a very capable 4WD. The entry-level Prado , the GX, lacks many of the additions, substantial and otherwise, that are in the...Read more
The LandCruiser Troop Carrier has been around for donkey's years - it's part of Toyota's legendary 70 Series range – but it was last refreshed in 2016 as part of the line-up's rejuvenation at the time. Its 4WDing heritage is undeniable and this tourer's status as a solid bush-tourer is further...Read more
The Suzuki Jimny needs no introduction. This small, go-anywhere fun machine captured people's hearts, minds and cash when it arrived here rebooted last year and since then demand for them has been so high, some people are still waiting for their new Zook. Patience is apparently the name of the game...Read more
Using a vehicle every day – driving it, parking it, and packing it with groceries and kids (mostly your own, of course, and sometimes their mates) – you get a real sense of its strengths and weaknesses. Dual cab utes – Ranger , BT-50 , Amarok , D-Max , Navara , et al – are increasingly...Read more

When you’re out in the bush or at sea and you’re lost or someone in...Read more

No matter how near or far your off-road adventures may take you – whether you’re only heading into a national park 50km from your house, or you’re tackling a two-week expedition across the Simpson Desert – you always need several levels of reliable communication. A fully-charged / chargeable...Read more
Towards the budget end of the ute market is pretty busy and the quality of these cheaper and cheerful workhorses is improving all the time. The new Chinese-built LDV T60 Trailrider 2 has had a few minor styling changes, but the big news is the new smaller engine – at 2.0-litre – is smaller than...Read more
The VW Amarok has, it seems, sparked demand and derision in equal measure...Read more
Dual-cab utes are the greatest thing since slice bread – just ask any one of the shed-ton of Aussie buyers who have bought – and keep buying – these enormously popular vehicles. The upper- to top-spec variants are high on everyone’s wish-list – and even the limited and special edition examples have...Read more

Jeep officials are remaining tight-lipped over the prospect of its '...Read more

While the latest Land Rover Defender may have disappointed some die-...Read more

Jeep officials have confirmed that Australia will get an entry-level...Read more

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