CHINESE brand LDV has announced the pricing of its tradie-spec T60 cab-chassis, with the 4WD variant retailing from $28,411 or $26,990 for ABN holders.

The budget-priced ute features the 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine good for 110kW and 360Nm. It’s mated to a six-speed manual transmission, with no auto available.

The suspension set-up comprises double wishbone (front) and heavy duty leaf springs at the rear. The 4WD variant has a kerb weight of 1720kg, a payload capacity of 1255kg and a 3000kg towing capacity.

It’ll most likely be used to carry tools to the worksite but, in terms of off-road functionality, the T60 has a 27-degree approach angle, 24,2-degree departure angle, 215mm of ground clearance and a wading depth of 550mm.

Other features include Hill Descent Control, Hill-Start Assist System, Roll Movement Intervention and a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System.

Pricing for Great Wall’s Steed was released last week, with the Chinese ute priced from $18,990 for ABN holders.

Unlike the Great Wall, however, the LDV T60 comes with a five-star ANCAP safety rating.

The T60 range comes with a five-year/130,000km warranty.

FULL T60 RANGE PRICING

Renowned for being “Delicious on sandwiches and toast”, it turns out Vegemite is great at adding that extra flavour to your cooking.

This article was first published in 4×4 Australia’s February 2011 issue.

Beloved, maligned, or misunderstood, there is no denying that Vegemite is an icon of Australian kitchens and diets, and although it is more well known as a spread, its distinctive taste has proven to be quite versatile as a cooking ingredient.

This easy-to-prepare recipe for chicken with honey and Vegemite can be prepared on a preheated camp oven or over a barbecue.

Ingredients: 4 chicken pieces, such as thighs with skin on and bone in (more if they are small) – you could also use drumettes, ribs, legs, etc.

Marinade: -1 spring onion, finely chopped -1 tspn sesame oil -1-2 garlic cloves, crushed -2-3 tblspn honey or maple syrup -1 tblspn dry sherry (or substitute port or mirin, a sugary rice wine) -1-2 tblspn Vegemite (start off with one and see how you like the taste)

Instructions:

Combine all the marinade ingredients in a large bowl, then add the chicken pieces. Mix well to make sure all the pieces are covered. Refrigerate for at least two hours, or overnight if possible.

Place the chicken pieces in a baking dish, or a preheated camp oven, and bake at 200ºC, until cooked. You could also barbecue the chicken, especially if using smaller cuts, such as drumettes or ribs. Serve with steamed vegetables and rice.

Viv’s hint: Instead of marinating the chicken in a bowl or container, use a large zip-lock plastic bag for all the marinade ingredients and the chicken. Zip the bag closed, squish the chicken around to coat thoroughly and leave in the fridge. It will take up a lot less room in your camp fridge.

NO MATTER where you looked under the old Land Cruiser you’d find an oil leak, and investigating the leaks inevitably led to discovering worn parts. You get that on 400,000km cars, but old Cruiser are worth preserving. Take the rear hubs on the BJ73, for example. The wheels showed the tell-tale signs of the hub seals leaking, with the splattering of diff oil on the rims that any owner of an old 70 Series will know.

To fix its issues the crew at Terrain Tamer had to slip the axles out to pull off the rear diff, and removing the wheels and brake drums showed the brakes needed overhauling as well – the linings were low, drums worn and wheel cylinders were leaking. Thankfully, Terrain Tamer carries all the replacement parts for these consumable items, so a complete kit was pulled from the warehouse shelves.

That’s one of the things I love about visiting Terrain Tamer HQ in Melbourne. Not only is it like a giant candy story of 4×4 parts, but it’s also like a big family business. Whether you’re in the workshop, at the parts counter, or lucky enough to get out back in to the warehouse, the place is filled with smiling faces, all of whom know what parts are needed and where to find them. And they all make a point of smiling and saying G’day as you walk through, so it seems like a happy place to work.

While the brake drums, linings, wheel cylinders, rubber brake lines and axle seals are all Terrain Tamer replacement products, there are some parts TT don’t make anymore, so it carries genuine Toyota parts. This allows Terrain Tamer to cover all the needs for parts, without having to turn to multiple suppliers. It is worth remembering that any Terrain Tamer parts are manufactured to, or better than, the OE part.

Shadin King cleaned and stripped the old brakes off and, with them out of the way, it revealed the pitting on the hubs where the seals sit. This required him to fit Speedy Sleeves on both sides of the rear end, before the new seals, bearings and brakes could go on.

While Shadin was working at the back, Allan and Tony stripped the front end to address the leaking swivel hubs. Here, a complete Terrain Tamer hub rebuild kit was used and worn parts such as the CV joints and stub axles were replaced with Terrain Tamer parts. The beautifully machined TT stubs looked too good to fit to my smelly old Land Cruiser, but they’re on there now and they’ll only get dirty once it’s back on the tracks.

The front brakes were only replaced with new pads and rotors a few thousand kays ago, so they didn’t need attention; however, the rubber brake lines were showing their age and were replaced with new Terrain Tamer parts.

On the back of the rebuilt gearbox and steering box, new clutch and a set of new Terrain Tamer shocks and steering dampener that the guys fitted, the new brakes bearings and seals should have the old Cruiser stopping well and going hard for another few hundred-thousand kilometres. It should outlive its smelly old driver, unless Terrain Tamer has a rebuild kit for him, too.

HERE’S a selection of the neatest reader-submitted 4x4s to land on our site.

To get involved post a pic and a description of your rig on our special site here.

We feature a bunch of readers’ rigs in the magazine each month, where we award one lucky punter with a $200 voucher to spend at Piranha Off Road.

1979 TOYOTA LC FJ40: PAOLO RONCAL

It’s got a 5.0-litre fuel-injected V8 engine. I’ve owned the car for five months. Photo was taken at JAKEM Farm, a 4×4 park in Adelaide. I’m most impressed by the performance.

1993 SUZUKI SIDEKICK (USA): GREG FULLER

Audi 1.8t from a 2001 TT, VEMS ECU, three-inch stainless exhaust, 4.5in Kustom Kreations IFS lift, Kustom Kreations strut eliminator kit, 10-inch dual-rate Fox coilovers up front, and Fox 2.0 shocks in rear. I’ve taken it all over Oregon, USA – mostly back roads and mild trails. Kept blowing up the stock Suzuki ring and pinion, so just installed a Ford 9-inch out of a 76 Bronco and a custom four-link rear suspension.

2005 MITSUBISHI PAJERO GLX 3.8: TIM WRIGHT

I’ve had it for 2.5 years now. Mods are: two-inch lift, 32-inch all-terrains on ROH steelies, rear airbags, drawers, fridge, cargo barrier, snorkel, bash plates, Rhino Roof tray, light bars, awning, rock sliders, DVD screen, and AutoMeter gauges. The best place I’ve taken it is from Buckland Spur Track in the Vic High Country down to Tomahawk hut.

2012 TOYOTA FJ CRUISER: BRAD ASTELL (PIRANHA OFF ROAD $200 VOUCHER WINNER)

I bought the FJ brand new in 2012 with the intention of doing some 4×4 touring. Mods include Old Man Emu suspension, long range fuel tank, dual batteries, rock rails, bullbar, light bar and a 12,000 pound winch. We took this picture in outback NT in Albert Namatjira’s backyard.

2016 MITSUBISHI TRITON: ALISTAIRE MARSH

I’m the first owner and it’s done 21,000km. It’s got three-inch Dobinsons adjustable suspension, an AFN bullbar, Kings winch, 32-inch Mickey Thompson ATZ P3s, LED lights, LED reverse lights, Tradie roof rack and canopy, Catch Can and secondary diesel filter, Safari snorkel, Kings awning, and more to come with the engine mods. The best place I’ve taken her is hard to say – so far, everywhere in the southwest of Western Australia.

2015 FORD PX RANGER: LOCKEY MCKEE

It’s got a 150L fuel tank, canopy, TJM rear bar, Ironman front and snorkel, EFS and Bilstein lift. Too many great places right at my door step in Alice Springs, but the next best places are some of the tracks around the Flinders Ranges. It has great range of 1500km, on average. It runs smooth on- and off-road.

2014 JEEP WRANGLER: MATT GREENE

I’ve had it since new. It’s got a 2.5-inch AEV lift, AEV geometry brackets, Synergy Manufacturing adjustable track bars, tie rod and drag link, TeraFlex rock crusher bar, Smittybilt 10,000lb x20 winch, Fuel Off-Road ‘Anza’ rims, 33-inch MTs, and an Oricom radio. Next up re-gear for 35s and lockers. Best place is Vic High Country, up Billy Goats and around Moroka Trail.

MAZDA BT-50: BRENT EASON

It’s pretty much got the ARB catalogue, with some extra poke done to the suspension, my Aussie ingenuity custom drawers, an LED light set-up in the canopy, a Rhino rack with all the kit, and 305/70 16 Mickey P3s. Still plenty of dollars to be spent, but it’s my ultra-tourer at the moment. It’s been everywhere: up the Blue Mountains, Lithgow, McBrides Beach, Anna Bay, and Stockton for fishing and hiking trips.

ARB is launching a series of state-based events called ‘ARB Experience Days’, which will give customers the chance to sample ARB’s range of products before they buy.

As part of the experience, attendees will be whipped around a diverse and tailored off-road course to highlight the comfort and safety advantages of Old Man Emu BP-51 shocks; they’ll also appreciate the difference a set of front and rear Air Lockers makes when negotiating a steep, gnarly climb.

The controlled environment will be administered by a team of experienced ARB representatives, who will ensure customers leave with plenty of off-road nous. Industry experts will also be on-hand to field questions and talk through ARB’s extensive range of products.

“These events will be a unique opportunity for our customers to come and experience some of our more technical and advanced products in real-world conditions,” ARB’s Brand Marketing Manager, Mark Berger, said. “It can be difficult for our sales staff to really articulate the benefits of some of these more ‘experience-driven’ products, like suspension and differential lockers, in the showroom.

“We encourage any four-wheel driver who is interested in learning more about these products to come along and experience them for themselves.”

State-by-state dates and locations are yet to be announced, but interested punters can register their interest at ARB’s website.

A SINGLE-cab 4×4 is now available in Great Wall’s Steed range, and it’s priced from $18,990 (for ABN holders).

The 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine used in the dual-cabs – good for 110kW and 310Nm – has been carried over to the single-cab variants, and it’s also mated to a six-speed manual transmission.

The tradie-spec single-cab’s aluminium tray measures 2400mm long and 1777mm wide; plus, it has a payload capacity of 1198kg and a towing capacity of 1700kg.

Dual airbags, ABS brakes, ESP stability control, hill-hold control and tyre pressure monitoring are all standard features.

“Since we re-launched the Steed nameplate in 2016, we have received strong demand from dealers and customers for the return of the single-cab version,” Great Wall Motors Australia Chief Marketing Officer, Tim Smith, said. “With a mix of toughness, reliability and value for money, the single-cab has always been a popular member of the Great Wall family. At its peak in 2012, the single-cab version accounted for 55 per cent of all Great Wall utility sales.”

A black mark against the Steed, however, has been its safety, with the dual-cab model scoring a two-star ANCAP safety rating against 2016 ratings criteria.

The Steed comes with a three-year, 100,000 kilometre warranty, three-years’ roadside assist and three years’ service price menu.

Mercedes-AMG has unveiled its off-road-focused G63, which comes packing a variety of changes and is aimed at those with deep pockets.

The venerable twin-turbo 5.5-litre V8 (400kW/760Nm) has been replaced with AMG’s twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8, and the engine – with 1.5-litres less displacement – generates 30kW and 90Nm more than the outgoing unit (430kW/850Nm). It’s paired with the short-shifting, nine-speed AMG SpeedShift transmission.

For this iteration the standard-spec AMG Performance 4MATIC AWD now has a rear-biased torque distribution, with a front/rear split of 40/60 – as opposed to the 50/50 split of the former model.

There’s also more torque at the driven wheels for enthusiasts wishing to point their Merc at steeper climbs, as the reduction ratio of the transfer case is now 2.93 (formerly 2.1). Keen rock-hunters will also appreciate three locking differentials, three off-road drive modes (Sand, Trail and Rock), double wishbone independent front suspension, adaptive adjustable damping, ladder-frame chassis made of high-strength steel, lower kerb weight, and improved fording and ground clearance.

Taller customers benefit from increased interior space, with more leg, shoulder and elbow room in both the front and rear, while a wider windscreen cockpit will help to navigate past pesky rocks and ruts.

“The new AMG G63 brings driving performance to the segment of unadulterated off-road vehicles in unexpected form. It was important for us to tie in with the original character on account of the cult status the G63 enjoys with our customers and fans,” Tobias Moers, CEO of Mercedes-AMG GmbH, said.

“The vehicle has nevertheless reached a completely new dimension in terms of technology with the 4.0-litre V8 bi-turbo engine as well as in combination with the off-road characteristics, the agility and the vehicle dynamics achieved.

“This applies to the entire G-Class model series. Mercedes-AMG is responsible for their suspension and chassis development as well as V8 competence.”

The G63 will premiere at the Geneva Motor Show on March 6, 2018, with the first examples arriving in the third quarter of this year.

Pricing and local specs will be revealed closer to its local launch.

HSV has unleashed the pricing of its upcoming Colorado SportsCat 4×4 range.

The SportsCat will be priced from $60,790 when paired with the manual transmission; while the manual SportsCat+ asks for $6K more ($66,790). The six-speed automatic with active select is a $2200 premium.

In addition to the Colorado Z71 it’s based on, the SportsCat has a 30mm-wider wheel track, is 45mm higher at the front, and gets HSV Sports suspension.

The SportsCat+ lifts the game by adding SupaShock suspension (optional), a rear de-coupling anti-roll bar (optional) and AP Racing forged four-piston brake calipers with 362mm discs.

Both versions receive Cooper Zeon LTZ Pro Sports all-terrains, LED fog lamps, tubular side steps, a hard tonneau cover, and an alloy sports bar – among a host of exterior and interior changes: “the styling enhancements extend to unique grilles, fascias, fender flares, wheels, tailgate, hard tonneau and sports bar/sail plane, while the interior features premium SV Sports seats wrapped in Jasmine leather and Windsor suede.”

The Colorado’s 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel donk remains unchanged.

“Given the breadth of styling, comfort and engineering enhancements, we’re confident the SportsCat range represents outstanding value”, said HSV’s Managing Director, Tim Jackson. “Our two-tier product strategy provides buyers with the flexibility to choose the model that best suits their work and lifestyle requirements.”

RECKON your rig goes alright? Check out this Discovery that’s put in more kilometres than anything on the local taxi fleet.

Harry Sirros, the owner of a 2004 Discovery TD5, has racked up more than a million kays since he took ownership of the Land Rover, and he’s taken it all over this great, big country.

“It’s been around Australia three of four times, too… up to Darwin, around the Kimberley, down through Alice Springs,” Harry said. “I used to fly around in the bush, so when I got the Discovery I went back to see all the old places I used to fly. It’s like a comfy slipper or a well-worn boot. That interior has been eaten in, slept in, hanged clothes in… and it’s never been garaged.”

The Disco’s durable engine hasn’t required any internal work and it still retains the original head and block, but Harry has had to replace the transmission.

Harry puts the Disco’s incredible longevity down to the regular servicing conducted by Peter Davis and the team at Roving Mechanical, a Land Rover specialist workshop in Sydney.

“If I’d had the Discovery serviced at a dealership I would have turfed it years ago,” Harry said. “Peter knows these vehicles back to front. You can get parts without having to pay thousands of dollars through a dealer and, with a specialist like Roving Mechanical, you’ve got someone to talk to – you can’t do that at a dealership.”

Now that the odometer has reached its limit, Harry is now tracking kays on a notepad, with many more outback miles expected to come.

There’s no price you can put on a good night’s sleep when camping.

This rings even more true when you’re camping solo and are invariably dossing down in either a small tent, a swag or under a tarp. To that end, what you sleep on is nearly as important as what you’re sleeping in.

Swags come with comfy mattresses, but these tend to make the whole thing bulky when packed up. However, if you’re bush accommodation of choice is a tent, then you need to make doubly sure your ‘bush bed’ ensures both comfort and warmth.

With this in mind, for our recent outback NSW jaunt for 4X4 Of The Year, I opted for a Sea To Summit Comfort Deluxe SI (Self Inflating) mat. This Australian outdoor company has been making tough outdoor and camping gear for decades now, and this new mat reflects the company’s experience.

The Comfort Deluxe SI is bloody comfy; at 100mm tall and with a 30-denier soft stretch-knit fabric, it offers plenty of cushioning and a decent amount of warmth. 100mm side walls help keep the full surface of the mat dead flat, so you’re not battling to stay on the mat, as can be the case with flimsier mats.

The mat uses Sea To Summit’s Delta Core tech, which is based around the removal (or ‘coring’) of up to 40 per cent of the PU foam core in the mattress. This lightens the mat considerably, without sacrificing support and comfort.

Sea To Summit says, “this coring technique has the additional benefit of keeping the top and bottom surface of the PU foam intact”. This means that, unlike some other mats, there are no ‘gaps’ between each core, so no warmth is lost downwards (body heat is lost toward the ground when sleeping on mats/beds).

The end result is a mat that is able to be used in all but the coldest (sub-Antarctic) conditions. This technique also minimises any chance of the PU foam separating from the top or bottom of the mat.

It all sounds high tech, but there’s more: the SI mat uses Sea To Summit’s new multifunction valve, which allows for self-inflation by simply opening it up.

However, the trick is when deflating, where you simply twist or reverse the one-way valve and plug it back in; so when you’re rolling the mat up it ensures air can only flow one way (out) of the mat. This averts the hassle of constantly struggling against the mat, trying to reinflate as you’re rolling it up.

The mat was used for the week of testing and proved comfortable and quick to inflate and pack up when moving camp. Plus, it offered a very comfortable night’s sleep. Packed up, it measures 280mm x 640mm, so it takes up minimal space in your vehicle – roll it up in your swag and you’ve suddenly halved the space you usually need for the swag.

I top out at six feet in height and found the Regular Wide size (1830mm x 640mm x 100mm) to be more than enough. The Large Wide measures 2010mm x 760mm x 10mm, while the Double is 2010mm x 1320mm x 100mm.

This mat ain’t cheap, but its comfort, compact size when packed, and robust build make it pretty good bang for your sleeping bucks.

RATED

Available from: www.seatosummit.com.au RRP: $299.95 (Regular Wide) We Say: Very comfortable, easy to use and ideal for all types of camping.