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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

On test: Nissan X-Trail gets new practical hybrid powertrain

Worried that a fully electric car could leave them conked out miles from a charger, thousands of buyers have played it safe and bought a hybrid instead. A sensible move…

4X4S

Isuzu to go electric with battery-powered D-Max pickup

Isuzu has swapped diesel for electrons in its new-look D-Max BEV, which was recently unveiled at the Shanghai Motor Show. It is the first mainstream manufacturer to offer a battery-powered…

4X4S

Herefordshire farmer to import used Daihatsu Hijet pickups

Mini Japanese pickups are seemingly on course to supersede customised Suzuki Jimnys as the must-have runabout for UK farms. Already this year we've featured importers of two such vehicles –…

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

Ineos goes electric with smaller Fusilier off-roader

Ineos Automotive has announced that a third model will be joining its line-up of off-roaders, to be powered by fully electric or range-extender electric drivetrains. Dubbed the Fusilier, it will…

4X4S

On test: Daihatsu's lightweight, high-spec Hijet 4x4

The success of modified Suzuki Jimnys at providing an alternative to costly UTVs has paved the way for another quirky method of off-road transport – compact Japanese pickups. Slotting into…

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…

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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…

4X4S

On test: Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV

Since its launch in April 2014, Mitsubishi’s Outlander PHEV has been the go-to model for those wishing to dabble in the world of hybrid SUVs. Almost 52,000 have been sold…

4X4S

New Ssangyong Musso targets top pickup makers

The UK is now Ssangyong’s second-biggest export market and the budget brand remains intent on peppering our roads with its motors. A recent reshuffle at the top of the company…

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…

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

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.…

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…

MACHINERY

First drive: Great Wall Steed pickup

The Steed may have an old-fashioned and slightly crude feel to it, but it looks capable of coping with regular farm duties. Some of the fittings were a bit cheap,…

First drive: Porsche Macan the best 4x4 yet?

Porsche’s 4x4 family is growing. The trailblazing Cayenne might have been born with a face only a mother could love, but it has proven the Porsche purists wrong by elbowing…

4X4S

On test: Dacia Duster Prestige

When the initial attraction just isn’t there, it’s what’s on the inside that counts, right? Not renowned for good looks or being particularly cool, the Franco-Romanian Dacia Duster isn’t easy…

Range Rover Evoque review

What's new? Looks & interior Engine Transmission Specs Gallery It’s still got that glinting Range Rover badge up front, sits you high enough to look down on most people in…

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…

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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

On test: Time for Ssangyong’s well-priced Musso pickup?

After years doggedly plugging away at the UK pickup market, Ssangyong has suddenly found itself catapulted to a heady fourth spot in the sales rankings. Facetious it may be –…

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

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

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…

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: 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

Pickup buyers guide 2017

Ask your granddad about the farm vehicle he had as a youngster and you can almost guarantee it was a Land Rover Defender of some form. They were the staple,…

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

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

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…

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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

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…

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

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…

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…

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 buyers guide 2017

Ask your granddad about the farm vehicle he had as a youngster and you can almost guarantee it was a Land Rover Defender of some form. They were the staple,…

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…

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

Electric and hybrid 4x4 vehicles explained

Barely a day goes by without another headline announcing the demise of the internal combustion engine. While many of those predictions are misleading or simply wrong, there is a definite…

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

£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…

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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…