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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…

4X4S

Wilderness Lighting unveils roof-mounted warning board

Wilderness Lighting has launched a new roof-mounted warning board for farmers moving oversized machinery on the road. The eye-catchingly flashy array includes twin front and rear amber LED strobes and…

4x4 reviews and tests

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Vauxhall Country Tourer on test

It’s been a long time coming, but late last year the great bastion of car-making mediocrity – Vauxhall – finally launched a new 4x4 Insignia estate to compete with its…

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…

VW Passat 4x4 Alltrack review

Can VW's latest four-wheel drive Passat cut the mustard off road? Oliver Mark decided. Nineteen-seventy-three was the year Roger Moore shot baddies in Live and Let Die, the Sydney Opera…

MACHINERY

On test: Audi's monster Q7 4x4

Audi has relaunched its big, blingy Q7 4x4, which it claims is just a tad more reserved than before. Its subtle-as-a-sledgehammer predecessor was the Bavarians’ Captain Scott, leading the four-ring…

4X4S

On test: Ineos's £79,000 Grenadier 4x4

While small numbers of Ineos’ long-awaited Grenadier have been trickling out across the country, they’re still something of a rarity. Having tackled the inevitable rash of teething troubles that you’d…

4X4S

New top-spec XTR pickup joins Isuzu D-Max range

Isuzu has released a new top-of-the-range pickup sporting aggressive styling and a fine-tuned suspension system, that it hopes will smarten the firm's workaday image and give it a better chance…

4X4S

On test: Subaru's new XV 4x4

You’d be forgiven for approaching the Subaru XV with a degree of cynicism. After all, virtually every car manufacturer produces a compact crossover these days, and the closest most will…

4X4S

On test: BMW iX3 M Sport 4x4

BMW first dipped its toes in the electric vehicle (EV) market nearly a decade ago, with the launch of the i3. It was a new model with a new chassis,…

4X4S

On test: Volvo V90 Cross Country Pro D5

While the bulbous SUV has been dominating the UK’s road network, its svelte, understated cousin – the all-wheel-drive estate – has quietly taken a back seat. But after several years…

4X4S

On test: Base-spec and bestselling Ford Rangers face off

Almost £20,000 separates the two Ranger pickups featured in this week’s Country Car, in what looks a rank mismatch. It’s the meat-and-potatoes XL, yours for a smidge over £28k, versus…

Petrol-electric Lexus has 4x4 potential

Petrol-electric power might not be the obvious choice for a country car, but Lexus reckons it’s the answer. Oliver Mark put it to the test. Lexus is the emissions-friendly flag-bearer…

4X4S

On test: Isuzu D-Max AT35 pickup

Unremarkable yet eminently practical vans and pickups do the business for thousands of farmers across the country but, for a small minority, such understated transport just doesn’t cut the mustard.…

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VW Passat 4x4 Alltrack review

Can VW's latest four-wheel drive Passat cut the mustard off road? Oliver Mark decided. Nineteen-seventy-three was the year Roger Moore shot baddies in Live and Let Die, the Sydney Opera…

4X4S

On test: Ineos's £79,000 Grenadier 4x4

While small numbers of Ineos’ long-awaited Grenadier have been trickling out across the country, they’re still something of a rarity. Having tackled the inevitable rash of teething troubles that you’d…

4X4S

On test: Base-spec and bestselling Ford Rangers face off

Almost £20,000 separates the two Ranger pickups featured in this week’s Country Car, in what looks a rank mismatch. It’s the meat-and-potatoes XL, yours for a smidge over £28k, versus…

4X4S

Pickup and commercial 4×4 buyer’s guide 2024-25

Daihatsu’s diddy Hijet 4x4 and its Suzuki Carry counterpart make their debut in the Ultimate Guide to pickups and commercial SUVs this year, in either standard 4x4 spec or with…

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

Toyota's rough and tough Land Cruiser, ugly but unrivalled

Strangling emissions regulations, a slump in demand and a surge in competition has left farm-friendly 4x4s on the cusp of extinction. The iconic Land Rover Defender 90 copped it nigh…

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

Pickup and commercial 4x4 buyer's guide 2023-24

With a full-range of Ford Ranger and Volkswagen Amarok models available once more, the pickup market has perked up in terms of choice, with the Quartermaster version of the Ineos…

VW Tiguan proves a classy, if pricey, performer

VW's Tiguan has evolved as a do-anything mixture of the urban hatchback that is the Golf and its tough 4x4 cousin the Touareg. It went under the knife after just…

4X4S

First impressions: More tech for big-selling D-Max pickup

Isuzu has given its D-Max pickup its second facelift in as many years, as it looks to build on a record-breaking 12 months. The Japanese manufacturer saw its sales rise…

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

First impressions: Volkstrek transforms 4x4 MAN van

The humble van has never really captured the imagination of UK farmers. But with its cavernous storage space, car-like driving comfort and the option of four-wheel drive, perhaps it’s been…

4x4 insights and practical tips

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4X4S

Tips for buying a second-hand pickup: VW Amarok

The Amarok arrived in 2011 as VW’s first foray into the world of pickups, bringing with it a level of car-like comfort that other trucks have struggled to match. All…

4X4S

Pickup and commercial 4×4 buyer’s guide 2024-25

Daihatsu’s diddy Hijet 4x4 and its Suzuki Carry counterpart make their debut in the Ultimate Guide to pickups and commercial SUVs this year, in either standard 4x4 spec or with…

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

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…

MACHINERY

How to stop thieves stealing your Land Rover

Every year more than 500 Land Rover Defenders are stolen from farms across the UK. And that number is on the up, according to figures from the NFU Mutual, with…

4X4S

Pickup and commercial 4x4 buyer's guide 2023-24

With a full-range of Ford Ranger and Volkswagen Amarok models available once more, the pickup market has perked up in terms of choice, with the Quartermaster version of the Ineos…

4X4S

Can electric 4x4s break the diesel stronghold?

Diesel takes a bit of beating when it comes to powering off-road vehicles and hauling heavy trailers around the countryside. It develops high torque at low revs, has relatively low…

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

Tips for buying a second-hand pickup: Isuzu D-Max

Isuzu D-Max RT50 (2012 to 2017) The D-Max RT50 was launched in 2012, replacing Isuzu’s line-up of simple, tough Rodeo trucks that had been knocking around since 2003. These new…

4X4S

How Yomper 4x4 transforms Suzuki Jimnys into farm pickups

After years of ferrying rural retirees around their respective parishes, scores of second-hand Suzuki Jimnys are being given a new lease of life as working farm vehicles. The craze for…

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 2022-23

With the much-anticipated Ineos Grenadier making its debut in the market, competition is hotting up for vehicles that combine strong off-road credentials with dedicated load-carrying space aft of the front…

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MACHINERY

Video: Land Rover Discovery v Ford Ranger

Farm pickups are more comfortable, powerful and spacious than ever before, so could they be about to knock the king – the Land Rover Discovery – off its throne? Watch…

MACHINERY

Video: Suzuki Jimny keeps it simple

A banging headache, sore back, achy legs, ringing ears. No, it wasn't the by-product of my annual stint cleaning the farm grainstore - it was the result of a nine-hour…

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,…