� rm favourite of the British Army for years, it was � tting that Land Rover rebranded its original (and

legendary) model into the Defender line in 1990. By adopting this ‘defensive’ refocus in the face of far more modern rivals, the future of the all-time classic was assured. And so able was the Defender, it remains a tough and hardy buy two decades later, with prices of

even the earliest examples starting at around £2000. But before you attack the market for a Defender, what tactics should you be using?

First, some history. Let’s face it, the original Land Rover is an icon that just runs and runs. Solihull has been grappling with the problem of how to replace it for years, yet still the classic, original shape lives on. � at’s not to say

it’s been le� unchanged in that time, though; and one of the most signi� cant changes came about when, in 1990, the familiar Land Rover 90/110 series was renamed the Defender.

Land Rover was understandably looking to clarify its model range following the launch of the new Discovery the previous year, and so granted its longest-running model an o� cial name for the � rst time. And, as before, it was o� ered in 90- and 110-inch wheelbases, plus a 127-inch version – the latter branded as the 130 for a tidier range.

� e big news for the Defender was its new engine, employing the 2.5-litre

200 Tdi unit taken from the Discovery. It had an aluminium cylinder head, and was both turbocharged and intercooled. � e direct-injection unit produced a healthy 111bhp, plus a much more substantial 195lb.� . of torque, immediately transforming the driveability and all-round usefulness of the Defender, as well as boosting its o� -road credentials. Just as importantly too, Land Rover had put great e� ort into ensuring the power delivery was smooth and good at low speed.

As you’d expect, the previous model’s amazing array of di� erent variations was carried over to the Defender, as well as a choice of so� - or hard-top

body styles. Also, for the � rst time, a double-cab pick-up would join the range later on, plus a host of

hen it comes to tough, masculine sounding model names, no other pick-up manufacturer has

managed to come close to Mitsubishi over the years. I mean, just look at the L200 in all its various incarnations. We’ve already had the Trojan, the Animal and the Warrior. And now we’ve got this: the Barbarian. What next – the Axe Murderer? � e Stalker? We joke … but conjuring up an ever more dramatic name for each new version of the L200 must present Mitsubishi with something of a dilemma.

So what exactly is the new Barbarian? In short, it’s the replacement for the previous Animal model. But it’s actually far more than that, because if you specify your Barbarian with automatic transmission (as � tted to our test vehicle), it’s the � rst L200 to come with the � ve-speed set-up ‘borrowed’ from the Shogun. Not only that, it also comes with permanent four-wheel drive – a novelty for the many buyers who are more used to the tail-happy antics of an unladen truck with only a part-time system.

Inevitably, you pay a fairly he� y price for such improvements, with the Barbarian Auto coming in at £22,924 plus VAT – quite a penalty, considering the � ve-speed manual version is listed at £21,649. And that’s not the only area where you’re punished for choosing the auto, thanks to an o� cial ‘combined’ fuel consumption � gure of 30.1mpg compared with 34mpg for the manual, plus CO2 emissions of 248g/km versus 218.

Taking all that into account, your � rst thought might be to dismiss the auto

hrysler’s decision to reintroduce the Jeep brand to the UK market back in the early Nineties was one

of its finest, with both the Cherokee and bigger Grand Cherokee SUVs appealing to punters who weren’t tempted by the Land Rover badge. And once diesel versions of the original Cherokee came on stream, it seemed there was no stopping the American giant.

� e last two years have been tough on both Chrysler and its Jeep subsidiary, though – not least here in the UK, with plunging sales during the worst of the

recession. But it looks as though things are � nally moving in Jeep’s favour once again, with sales on the increase so far in 2010, largely thanks to the success of its smallest model: the Patriot.

In fact, the Patriot has been around since 2007 – and although it got off to a strong start, its popularity waned as people moved away from even the most compact of 4x4s. But now it’s back with a bang. Yes, three years on from its launch, the Patriot range has been re-jigged to make it more appealing in a sector that’s now packed with alternatives. And this is definitely a smart move: the Patriot’s rugged, boxy styling still appeals, but now comes in a package offering better value than ever before.

In fact, the entry-level 2.4-litre petrol-engined Sport version of the Patriot costs from as little as £14,995. � at’s a lot less than many entry-level mainstream family hatchbacks, for heaven’s sake. And even in Sport guise, the Patriot is well-spec’d. If you want a diesel-powered Patriot, however, you’ll

� nd the 2.0-litre CRD Sport costs £2500 more, which is a bit of a jump but still comparable to a basic 1.6-litre Ford Focus. Yes, really – that’s how keen these prices are.

� e model that we were able to get our hands on, though, was the 2.0 CRD Limited – the top-spec variant, which carries a list price of £19,995 and comes with a wealth of standard equipment be� tting its ‘premium’ badge. Being a Jeep, of course, gives it more o� -road kudos than most of its compact SUV and crossover rivals; and yet its surprisingly keen pricing means it should also be of interest to those who wouldn’t normally consider a 4x4. � e big question remains, though: is it any good?

Well, it certainly looks good. We reckon that, design wise, this is Jeep’s most pleasing model on sale right now. It harks back to the old-type Jeep Cherokee, the model that o� cially

t’s a fact of life that the vast majority of today’s 4x4s spend only a small proportion of their time doing what

many of them were originally designed for: heading o� -road. And while that no doubt suits most of the punters who end up at the wheel of a crossover or SUV, there will always be some people who wonder what their vehicles are actually capable of.

If that describes you, then you might consider taking part in an o� -road fun day – and there’s no shortage of venues throughout the UK. Equally, the same venues also attract increasing numbers of weekend o� -roaders – the kind of folk who perhaps use a ‘regular’ car as their everyday transport, but who have a modi� ed o� -roader parked on their drive for when the weekend comes and the mud beckons.

Particularly popular these days is Buildwas Leisure, one of the most centrally located o� -road courses in the UK, based on the A4169 south of Telford. And an impressive set-up it is too, boasting � � y acres of varied terrain – from thick woodland and mud-� lled craters to faster open tracks and challenging hill climbs. So it’s little wonder that there’s usually a busy calendar of events on o� er, specially designed for owners of both two- and four-wheeled o� -road machines.

And the site is also used by 4x4 manufacturers and dealers for vehicle demonstrations, as well as corporate and team-building days.

For readers of 4x4 Mart, though, it’s the 4x4 Fun Days that are of most interest. And that’s because you simply turn up in your own vehicle on the right day, hand over £30 and then spend the rest of the day experiencing what your particular 4x4 is capable of. You can pay just a � ver extra to make use of the centre’s jet washing facility a� erwards, if you want to – always a good idea before the mud sets hard. And, according to Buildwas Leisure, this o� -road course also o� ers ‘some of the cleanest toilet facilities for this type of venue … and they � ush’. Now there’s a novelty.

So what kinds of vehicles (and owners) does Buildwas Leisure attract at its 4x4 Fun Days? A broad cross-section is the simple answer – which meant, on the day of our visit, a wide array of Land Rovers (from Series IIIs to Discoverys, the latter becoming an ever more common sight at these weekend events), as well as the inevitable Daihatsu Fourtraks and Suzuki SJs. There was even a MkII Mitsubishi Pajero SWB that proved impressively capable, despite having V6 petrol power rather than the low-

down grunt of a diesel engine.One or two of the MkI Discoverys

looked surprisingly clean and tidy when they arrived, while others had been suitably modified for off-road use. In reality though, even a Disco that’s completely standard – other than having an engine snorkel and a decent set of off-road tyres fitted – is a formidable machine. And with prices having fallen to such affordable levels these days, it’s no surprise that the earlier Discovery is now such a popular choice as a weekend off-road machine.

The great thing about sites like Buildwas is that there are sections of the course suitable for all kinds of vehicles of all different capabilities. And with the track being more than three miles in all, you’re sure to find sections that suit your own particular experience – whether you’re a first-timer or a seasoned off-roader.

So even if you’re a complete novice, you’ll be welcomed at circuits like the one at Buildwas Leisure, with other enthusiasts on hand to o� er help, support and essential safety advice. Just be prepared for the fact that your previously shiny and family-friendly 4x4 won’t look quite the same a� erwards. Still, at least you’ll have had fun during its transformation… ■

EXCELLENCE THROUGH EXPERIENCE

PUBLISHING

Superchips has just unveiled a new performance-enhancing ‘plug and go’ remap for the popular 2.7-litre Land Rover Discovery TDV6 – set to give owners of this ever-popular model some welcome extra power and torque.

Following extensive investigation and development, Superchips’ technicians managed to pinpoint various performance shortcomings in the TDV6’s standard ECU map. And by removing these compromises – in conjunction with refining the fuelling and turbo boost settings – the company has been able to optimise both the performance and efficiency

of the Discovery 3, making it feel considerably smoother, livelier and sharper.

Power is hiked from the standard 181bhp to a maximum of 219bhp, representing a healthy 38bhp peak gain, with a maximum mid-range boost of 40bhp at 3453 rpm. And, just as crucially, the Superchips ECU remap significantly increases the Disco’s torque output, upping it from 410Nm to an impressive 469Nm at just 2578rpm.

If you think all this comes at the expense of fuel consumption, though, think again. In fact, the extra efficiencies realised by the

ECU remap mean potential economy improvements of up to 10 per cent over the Discovery TDV6’s average 27mpg fuel consumption, according to Superchips. And, thanks to Superchips’ latest ‘plug and go’ handset, owners can now purchase the upgrade and upload it themselves in a matter of minutes.

Suitable for both manual and automatic transmission versions of the Land Rover Discovery 3 TDV6 produced from 2004 onwards, the Superchips ECU remap is available right now at £445.00 including VAT. For more details, call 01280 816781 or log on to

Taiwan might not be renowned for its vehicle exports at present, but that could all be about to change following the announcement that car maker Luxgen has signed a distribution arrangement covering the Middle East markets. And with plans to start selling its Luxgen7 SUV in Russia within the next two years, the company may well have its sights set on Europe.

So could we eventually be offered the four-wheel drive Luxgen7 here in Britain? Probably not in the near future – although with Chinese manufacturers keeping a close eye on European markets these days, Taiwan may well want to follow suit in the next few years. Time will tell…

ow much do you need to spend on a brand new 4x4 these days in order to stand out from the crowd?

£60,000 on a Range Rover, perhaps? Not if you head for the Cotswolds or the lea� er parts of Cheshire, where such a beast is commonplace. Okay then, how about £13,190? Yes, it’s true. I can honestly say that a week at the wheel of the Fiat Panda 4x4 Cross brought me more responses from onlookers than anything else I’ve driven so far this year.

� is, then, isn’t a car for those who don’t like being noticed. Even in its Panda brochure, Fiat describes the 4x4 Cross as ‘…not for those who want to blend into the background’.

And that’s because this looks nothing like a standard Panda. Oh sure, it shares the same � ve-door bodyshell; but this is then smothered in more plastic add-ons than you’ll � nd at a Tupperware party. � ere are big plastic wheel arch extensions, side panels, roof bars and light surrounds front and rear, all � nished in grey and tasked with ‘butching up’ the humble Panda. � e e� ect is � nished by a metal sump protector up front and, of course, a raised ride height.

Whether or not you like the almost comical appearance of the Panda Cross is up to you. And if you don’t, then no amount of persuasion will get you to part with £13k for one. You might

hat’s this … 6x6s and 8x8s in a newspaper called 4x4 Mart? Outrageous! Don’t bother

contacting the Trade Descriptions people yet, though, because the machines in question must surely be close to the ultimate in ‘go anywhere’ vehicles and therefore more than deserve a place among the usual o� -road tackle featured in these pages.

Most readers will be at least vaguely familiar with Argos. No, nothing to do with a certain well-known high street catalogue shop; that’s ARGO, as manufactured by Ontario Drive & Gear Ltd in a 100,000sq.� . factory in sunny Canada. Well, on a point of meteorological accuracy, Canada is only sunny for part of the year. For most of the winter it tends to be covered in snow, and when that melts it turns into water, which can make going anywhere di� cult.

Which is really where Argos enter the picture, but before we venture further into the literal mire, let’s clear up something that can’t only have confused me. Although referred to as Argos by their manufacturer, here in the UK they’ve always generally been known as Argocats… except in Scotland, apparently, but that’s another story.

It seems that the ‘cat’ part of the name came about almost accidentally when the � rst of the breed appeared here, nearly forty years ago. Perhaps surprisingly, the original design was at least partly British, a collaboration between ODG and Crayford, the latter better known in the 1960s for its so� -top conversions of saloons. Back then, the All Terrain Vehicle cult was gathering speed, particularly in America, and by the end of the Sixties there were several manufacturers jostling for business, one of which was Amphicat – a marque

that came into public consciousness by being featured in that children’s TV favourite, � e Banana Splits.

� e connection here is that ODG designed and made the transmission for the Amphicat, inspiring them to make the rest of a similar vehicle, which is when Crayford became involved. Early models had six wheels driven by a two-stroke Kohler engine mounted in the front, a steel chassis and a plastic body tub. By 1971 another pair of wheels had been added, and the body was made of then high-tech, vacuum-formed ABS. Four years later the tub was changed to almost indestructible coloured polyethylene, and power came from a four-stroke engine.

Fast-forward to the 21st century and you’ll � nd the basic recipe is the same, although much has changed under the skin – particularly in the engine department. As a keen motorcyclist, on and o� road, I’ve ridden plenty of ATVs of the three- and four-wheeled (quad bike) variety, but I must admit that the more specialised six and eight wheelers have largely escaped my attention, ever since � e Banana Splits… erm, split.

I do know, though, that a certain Jeremy Clarkson owns an Argocat, a� er he and his colleagues tested one on Top Gear. And the person who clinched the deal was Richard Walsh, whose company is the o� cial Argo dealer for Wales – and who supplied the 4x4 Mart test vehicle you see here.

As I discovered, just about everything to do with driving a car, on or o� road, has to be forgotten when you’re in an Argocat. � e overall experience is closer to a quad bike, in that you’re sitting in the open air grasping a pair of handlebars with a twist-grip throttle,