Menu

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

Heritage Customs develops 425hp Defender pickup

Two specialist vehicle modifiers have joined forces to deliver what Land Rover hasn’t – a Defender pickup. Coachbuilders Heritage Customs and Urban Automotive, which are owned by the same parent…

4X4S

New Toyota Hilux pickup gets diesel and electric powertrains

A new generation of Hilux pickup – Toyota’s ninth – is set to arrive in June next year and, for the first time, it will be available with battery power…

4X4S

Isuzu strips out D-Max double-cab rear seats to save tax

Isuzu has introduced a Commercial version of its flagship D-Max V-Cross pickup that swerves the savage tax rises on double-cab models that came into force in April. This has been…

4X4S

On test: GWM Poer pickup offers value for money

As GWM rolls out its latest Poer300 pickup in the UK, it will be hoping buyers have a short memory. For this is the Chinese brand’s second attempt at proffering…

4X4S

Latest Dacia Duster 4x4 gets the cargo carrier treatment

The third-generation Dacia Duster introduced in 2024 has been given a commercial conversion, changing the family-friendly SUV into a dedicated cargo carrier. Dacia did the same with earlier iterations of…

4X4S

On test: Van-spec KGM Rexton Commercial looks good value

Hollowed out two-seater SUVs have had a resurgence of late, as car makers scramble to find tax-efficient alternatives to the double-cab pickup. South Korean brand KGM is one of the…

4X4S

Tax savings for latest Toyota Land Cruiser Commercial

A Commercial version of Toyota’s latest Land Cruiser went on sale in August, offering some attractive tax perks over its passenger carrying cousin. As it’s technically a van, those running…

4x4 reviews and tests

See all

MACHINERY

On test: Audi A6 Allroad

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

First impressions: Go-anywhere £8k Suzuki Quadtruck

What’s smaller than a pickup, more reliable than a UTV, and more comfortable than a quad bike? It’s a Suzuki Quadtruck, of course – the lovechild of farming’s three most…

On test: Jeep Renegade 4x4

The lucrative SUV market has sucked in its latest victim, with American giant Jeep the most recent to find the money-spinning, soft-roader segment all too difficult to resist. However, unlike…

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…

4X4S

On test: Land Rover's new Defender 110 D240

The options for rural transport, whether for work or pleasure, just haven’t been the same since Land Rover culled its iconic old Defender. Uncomfortable and uneconomical it may have been,…

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: Audi A4 Allroad is a cut above the rest

Audi’s A4 Allroad brings spongier suspension, marginally higher ride height and chunkier tyres than its finely tuned estate cousins, but does it justify the extra grand in asking price. The…

Farm pickups on test: Volkswagen v Mitsubishi v Great Wall

Pickups once had a diehard following of builders, farmers and countryside types, but that relatively niche audience is no longer the priority for truck builders. The market has been invaded…

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,…

MACHINERY

Base-spec Mitsubishi L200 performs well under review

Since the taxman decided to classify double-cab pickups as vans and gave them a nice, juicy tax relief over swanky company cars, the average farm load lugger has morphed into…

First drive: Mitsubishi's new L200 farm pickup

Six months ago Mitsubishi revealed the first pictures of a fresh-faced L200 that was to build on the company’s almost unrivalled heritage in the world of automotive off-roaders, and now…

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 guides

See all

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

Investing in a runaround: Second-hand vans compared

Thirsty farm pickups are now expensive to run, so it might pay to invest in a nippy two-wheel drive van for regular mud-free errands. The choice is wide and the…

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…

4X4S

On test: Korean 4x4s - Hyundai Santa Fe

Farmers Weekly are putting three £40,000 4x4s all hailing from South Korea to the test.  Our trio of top-speccers includes the Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Sorento and Ssangyong Rexton. Here is…

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…

4X4S

On test: Dacia Logan MCV – a new estate car for just £8,500

Romania’s remedy to the spiralling cost of family cars is the Dacia Logan – a vehicle that, in its most basic guise, provides spartan four-wheeled transport and shedloads of boot…

4X4S

Pickup buyer's guide 2018-19

New models and additional variants have extended the choice of pickup trucks for farm and leisure use, as you can see in our full Pickup buyers guide (PDF). The Mercedes-Benz…

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

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 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: 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

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…

4x4 insights and practical tips

See all

4X4S

Investing in a runaround: Second-hand vans compared

Thirsty farm pickups are now expensive to run, so it might pay to invest in a nippy two-wheel drive van for regular mud-free errands. The choice is wide and the…

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…

Get the best from a second-hand Land Rover Defender

With production of the Land Rover Defender due to cease in just over a year, used car values are hitting new heights. Oliver Mark runs through what to look out…

4X4S

Pickup buyer's guide 2018-19

New models and additional variants have extended the choice of pickup trucks for farm and leisure use, as you can see in our full Pickup buyers guide (PDF). The Mercedes-Benz…

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

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

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…

4X4S

Pickup buyer’s guide 2025-26

Additional hybrid and electric options feature in this year’s pickup listings – with more on the way. Isuzu recently unveiled a fully electric model for its D-Max line-up, which is…

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

£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…

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

Machinery Milestones: Land Rover celebrates 70 years

This spring’s blizzards, sub-zero temperatures and flooding delayed sowing for a month and meant animals were kept under cover instead of grazing on the fields. But as we moan about…

Video

See all

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…

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…

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.…

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…