Know How / 4x4s

Personal farm vehicles now take many forms, including 4x4s, SUVs and pick-up trucks from Toyota, Isuzu, Mitsubishi, Nissan and Volkswagen, and once ubiquitous Land Rover Defender. New vehicle reports, first-drives and comparative group tests help you evaluate the best for road and off-road use.

Latest 4x4 articles

4X4S

Kia enters van market with all-electric PV5 commercial vehicle

Kia has waded into the commercial vehicle sector with an electric van that will come in cargo, crew and chassis-cab configurations. It’s called the PV5, and the cargo version will…

4X4S

Ford Ranger Plug-in Hybrid pickup packs a 275hp punch

Early examples of Ford’s Plug-in Hybrid Ranger will soon be hitting UK roads, offering spicy performance and the option of driving 26 miles on electricity alone. A heady 275hp and…

4X4S

KGM Rexton Commercial SUV offers lower tax for businesses

For anyone that hasn’t caught up yet, Ssanygong is called KGM these days and it’s got a new commercial-spec version of its Rexton SUV. Just like the passenger model, this…

4X4S

Isuzu goes electric with 190hp D-Max EV pickup

Isuzu has become the first mainstream pickup maker to introduce a model with a fully electric drivetrain that will be sold in the UK. Using the same chassis, body and…

4X4S

On test: Revamped Land Cruiser still a true off-roader

If you want a vehicle that’ll stand the test of time, you won’t go far wrong if there’s a Toyota badge on the tailgate. Team this with the words Land…

4X4S

Double-cab pickups to get pricier – here are alternatives

Pull into the car park of any agricultural event and there’ll be a sea of double-cab pickup trucks as far as the eye can see. But a shake-up of the…

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4X4S

First impressions: Volkswagen's new Ford-built Amarok pickup

After four years in the shadows, Volkswagen’s Amarok pickup has returned – although all isn’t necessarily as it seems... It’s a Ford. Built in the Blue Oval’s South African factory…

4X4S

First impressions: Ford's four limited edition Ranger pickups

News of the unlikely return of a V6-powered pickup undoubtedly got tongues wagging in the wake of Ford’s global Ranger launch just a few weeks ago, but buyers itching to…

4X4S

Arkonik upgrade gives old Land Rover Defenders a 430hp V8

Land Rover lovers unconvinced by the exterior frills and fripperies of the new-style Defender can now have all the mod cons, and a V8 engine, shoehorned into an old model's…

Dacia Duster budget 4x4 review

A brand new Dacia Duster has four-wheel drive and it costs less than £10,000. Yep, £10,000. That's cheaper than a half-decent farm buggy that doesn't even guarantee you doors or…

4X4S

Pickup test: Volkswagen Amarok V6

There was little to dislike about the smooth-operating Amarok and it deservedly secured top spot in our rankings. The comforting thrum of the V6 engine, suave-shifting eight-speed auto box and…

4X4S

On test: Ineos Automotive's debut 247hp Quartermaster pickup

Ineos has built what could be the toughest mainstream pickup on the market, but simple, solid engineering comes at a cost. With its snorting straight-six diesel, creamy eight-speed gearbox, and…

4X4S

First drive: Land Rover's commercial-spec Defender Hard Top

After a near five-year hiatus, Land Rover has returned to a somewhat thinner commercial 4x4 sector, as the load-lugging derivatives of its latest Defender prepare to do battle with the…

4X4S

Pickup test: Fiat Fullback Cross

The past year saw a clutch of new models enter the ever-growing 4x4 pickup market. We put three of the newest arrivals through their paces – the Mercedes-Benz X250d, Fiat Fullback Cross…

4X4S

£19,000 Ssangyong Musso pickup battles the old guard

At a smidge under £19,000, a top-sec Ssangyong Musso looks a steal, compared with most of its competition. Our last Country Car also comes furnished with all the toys – so…

On test: Skoda Octavia Scout

Skoda may just have come up with the ultimate vet’s vehicle. Our latest Country Car is a jacked-up, four-wheel drive version of the Octavia estate – a car that dominates…

Bargain basement Lada Niva 4x4 is back

As the last new Land Rover Defenders leave the factory, where will you find a new tough, go-anywhere off-roader? Maybe it’s time to go Russian, says David Cousins. Here are…

4X4S

On test: Does the new Isuzu D-Max have enough oomph?

A one-tonne-plus payload and 3.5t towing capacity makes the new Isuzu D-Max ready-made for working life, but propelled by a 1.9-litre diesel? Surely not. Does the latest model still have the…

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4X4S

First impressions: Ford's four limited edition Ranger pickups

News of the unlikely return of a V6-powered pickup undoubtedly got tongues wagging in the wake of Ford’s global Ranger launch just a few weeks ago, but buyers itching to…

4X4S

£19,000 Ssangyong Musso pickup battles the old guard

At a smidge under £19,000, a top-sec Ssangyong Musso looks a steal, compared with most of its competition. Our last Country Car also comes furnished with all the toys – so…

4X4S

On test: Does the new Isuzu D-Max have enough oomph?

A one-tonne-plus payload and 3.5t towing capacity makes the new Isuzu D-Max ready-made for working life, but propelled by a 1.9-litre diesel? Surely not. Does the latest model still have the…

4X4S

Pickup buyer's guide 2020-21

Tougher emissions standards and buyers feeling the pinch has led to a number of higher-spec models being withdrawn from the market. We take a look at what options are available…

4X4S

Pickup test: 6 farm trucks compared

Pickups have come a long way in the past couple of decades, going from low-tech load-luggers to luxury runarounds with enough toys to rival the plushest 4x4s. That means features…

4X4S

On test: New no-frills MWM Spartan 4x4

Mainstream vehicle manufacturers have all but abandoned the dedicated off-road sector in favour of luxury, mass-market soft-roaders that reel in the big bucks. That might seem like a smack in…

4X4S

£690 conversion kit turns Land Rover Discoverys into pickups

Used Land Rover Discoverys don’t enjoy the same cult status as the iconic Defender, so when the rot sets in, values hit the floor. That means MOT failures can change…

4X4S

Pickup buyer's guide 2021-22

Development of the once humble pickup has created a huge market for a vehicle that can meet the needs of businesses and the adventuresome aspirations of private buyers alike. Buyer's…

4X4S

On test: Ford Ranger Limited pickup

After it stopped pedalling rebadged Mazdas and designed a vehicle of its own, Ford soon became the biggest seller of pickups in the UK. The Ranger consistently tops the sales…

4X4S

Pickup test: Ford Ranger Limited

Big, brash, but somehow a little underwhelming. The Ranger finished comfortably in second place thanks to its enviable spec list, but the combination of five-cylinder engine and six-speed auto lacked…

4X4S

On test: Electric Tesla Model X serves up taste of future

Rocket-building, weed-smoking billionaire Elon Musk is leading an electric revolution intent on transforming transport on earth and beyond. The engineering entrepreneur only started his Tesla motor business in 2003, but…

4X4S

On test: Fiat Fullback Auto pickup

Fiat might not be a name you immediately associate with off-roaders, but here at Farmers Weekly we have always had a bit of a soft spot for the Italian firm’s…

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MACHINERY

Converting 4x4s to red diesel – how to stay road legal

Land Rovers and pickups are an indispensable part of all farm businesses and if you’re using them for specific tasks then it might pay to convert them to full agricultural…

ROAD LEGAL

Video: All you need to know to pass your B+E trailer test

So you’ve been driving since you could reach the pedals, passed your tractor test at 16, car test at 17 and can reverse 40ft trailers around the yard for fun.…

TRAILERS

10 tips to keep your Ifor Williams trailer road legal

The humble Ifor Williams trailer is a mainstay of livestock farms up and down the country, but its tough-as-nails galvanised body can often fool owners into thinking that everything is…

4X4S

Pickup buyer's guide 2020-21

Tougher emissions standards and buyers feeling the pinch has led to a number of higher-spec models being withdrawn from the market. We take a look at what options are available…

4X4S

Tested: Ford-built Amarok V6 is smart but not very VW

The humble pickup has undergone a marked gentrification over the past decade and few have been as pivotal in its transformation as Volkswagen. Even when it was first launched in…

4X4S

£690 conversion kit turns Land Rover Discoverys into pickups

Used Land Rover Discoverys don’t enjoy the same cult status as the iconic Defender, so when the rot sets in, values hit the floor. That means MOT failures can change…

4X4S

Pickup buyer's guide 2021-22

Development of the once humble pickup has created a huge market for a vehicle that can meet the needs of businesses and the adventuresome aspirations of private buyers alike. Buyer's…

How to pick up an Aussie pickup for your farm

Sometimes it can seem like we get a pretty mundane selection of pickups in the UK. While our North Americans cousins are hooning around in dual-wheeled Ford F350s and the…

MACHINERY

Bowler Motorsport powers up Land Rover Defender

If you’ve got a Land Rover Defender, but find it wanting in the power and handling department, you could take it for a pepping-up session at Bowler Motorsport. Bowler Motorsport…

4X4S

Tips for buying a second-hand pickup: Mitsubishi L200

Mitsubishi’s fourth-generation L200 had a nine-year lifespan and the firm stuck with the same 2.5-litre engine throughout. Initially, this block was tuned to deliver 134hp in base-spec models and 164hp…

4X4S

Commercial-spec SUV buyer's guide 2021-22

This year’s Ultimate Guide to 4x4s features commercial SUVs for the first time – that relatively rare breed of four-wheel-drive vehicle equipped specifically for carrying tools, equipment, bales or whatever…

4X4S

Tips for buying a second-hand pickup: Nissan Navara

Nissan Navara D40 (2005 to 2014) Nissan’s D40 Navara was built from 2005 to 2014 and superseded the D22, which had been around since the late 90s. At its UK…

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4X4S

Video: Tesla launches radical Cybertruck electric pickup

Electric car company Tesla has launched a Back to The Future inspired Cybertruck pickup with a design that has torn up the conventional pickup rule book. Hawthorne, California, was the…

ROAD LEGAL

Video: All you need to know to pass your B+E trailer test

So you’ve been driving since you could reach the pedals, passed your tractor test at 16, car test at 17 and can reverse 40ft trailers around the yard for fun.…

MACHINERY

Video: Isuzu D-Max review

  More comfort in the front and more space in the back will appeal to farmers with a lot of lugging to do. A more car-like ride is good news,…

MACHINERY

Video: MINI Countryman review

MINI has forged a reputation for nippy city cars over the years, but how would its first stab at a 4wd version fare? Oliver Mark took it for a spin. …

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