Off road

VW’s 4x4 Amarok V6, although an excellent performer, has not posed a threat to the sales dominance of the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger in Australia’s 4x4 ute market. Beyond brand loyalties or prejudices, one of the greatest barriers to sales growth has been the German ute’s high pricing, as it has struggled to match less powerful competitors built in Thailand with their low manufacturing costs and free-trade agreements.Even so, VW has recently tried to address this issue with the release of the Core TDI 550 V6, with pricing much closer to $50,000. This brings Amarok’s outstanding 3.0 litre V6 capabilities within the reach of more ute buyers, but in the Core’s more basic work-focused specification. We recently spent a week behind the wheel to see if it hits the target.

4WD identity Simon Christie shows how to get moving again, once you’ve exceeded the Colorado ute’s off-road ability.

Of the Aussie market's quiet-achieving utes, in terms of sales, there are several, but few of those are as value- or feature-packed as the Mitsubishi Triton.

Australia’s camper-trailer market has plenty of top-shelf campers, with the hefty price-tags to match, but it also has plenty of well-priced campers that will suit those with less funds from which to draw.

The Holden Colorado LSX might look like a rough and rugged off-road beast, but is it tough enough to handle family duties in the city? We put one to the test to find out.

The new-generation Suzuki Jimny has been 20 years in the making and it's finally here. (Cue much rejoicing from Zook fanatics.) It has big expectations to meet in that it needs to retain the off-road capability and undeniable fun factor of previous versions, but somehow at the same time embrace the 21st century.

My MY19 Ford Ranger Wildtrak 3.2 auto has a vibration on take-off just before it changes into second gear. I have taken it to two dealers and both have stated it’s a characteristic of the vehicle. I contacted Ford as well before taking it to the second dealership and have had no joy with them. Can you help?

 

Is the Ssangyong Rexton a diesel?

Created by Jaguar Land Rover’s skunkworks department, Special Vehicles Operations (SVO), the Land Rover Discovery SVX and Range Rover SV Coupe have been cancelled.Due to a lack of resources within the SVO company and multi-$billion losses in the fourth quarter of 2018, both super niche products have been canned, leaving those dreaming of a high performance off-road Discovery and super luxurious coupe Range Rover disappointed.Revealed at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show, the Discovery SVX was due to be on sale in Australia by late 2018.It was powered by a 386kW/625Nm supercharged petrol 5.0-litre V8 engine, and featured many off-road aids, including larger wheels with off-road tyres, a suspension lift kit, active hydraulic roll control and active centre and electronic rear locking differentials.On the other hand, the Range Rover SV Coupe was a super luxurious version of the Range Rover due to cost upwards of $500,000 in Australia and only a small number of units were destined to arrive locally.Featuring a redesigned body with three doors instead of the usual five, as well as a four-seat layout with second row captain’s chairs, the SV Coupe was to be positioned as the most luxurious Range Rover ever produced.Speaking about the decision to cut the Range Rover SV Coupe from production, the company said: “We have taken the difficult decision to inform our customers that the Range Rover SV Coupé will not proceed into production. Instead, Land Rover is focusing its resources and investment on the next generation of world-class products.“With exciting plans for electrification, enhanced craftsmanship, innovation and technology we are working to ensure that we continue to offer our customers a choice of world leading SUVs.Jaguar Land Rover posted a AUD$6.2 billion loss for the fourth quarter of 2018, thanks to lower demand for diesel engines and sluggish sales in China. The company plans to slash around 10 percent of its workforce, as well as slash products such as the Discovery SVX and Range Rover SV Coupe, to help stem the cash loss. Both SVO-developed products were set to be on sale in Australia by now, with pricing expected to start at around $200,000 for the Discovery SVX and $500,000 for the Range Rover SV Coupe.

A lot of urban 4x4 ute owners rarely venture further off the bitumen than the dirt shoulder or their gravel driveway.