If you think your 4×4, or its accessories, won’t be stolen, think again. Now more than ever, 4x4s are finding their way out of their owners’ possession and into the hands of thieves. Even modern, immobilser-equipped vehicles are not immune.
4×4 theft made headlines in June this year when Steve Hughes had his Land Cruiser 80 Series stolen, from his mother’s home in Morphett Vale in South Australia, while he received medical treatment for cancer. Statistics suggest Mr Hughes was just one of many unfortunate victims of vehicle theft, and the number’s growing.
Figures compiled by the National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council (NMVTRC), a federally funded body concerned with policies to reduce vehicle theft in Australia, show that 2217 more 4x4s were stolen in the last year compared to five years ago.
A total of 6217 4x4s were stolen for the financial year ending July 31, 2014. And while more of these were recovered than not (4361 versus 1856), the unrecovered 4x4s still represent an estimated value of $36 million.
When you add 2WD variants and those SUV and commercial vehicles that were stolen but their drive system not ascertained, the total theft number rises to 12,563. This figure amounts to one in five passenger vehicles of all types stolen in Australia. So, vehicle theft is still a thriving enterprise in this country.
Surprisingly, vehicles fitted with an Australian Standard immobiliser are major targets. For example; the most commonly stolen 4×4 in Australia is the Toyota Hilux and from 2005 to 2011 it’s had an immobiliser fitted into every vehicle built.
This may be because targeted thefts follow the legitimate market. If your vehicle is popular on the market, it’ll be popular with thieves, too. So it’s no wonder the current HiLux, GU Patrol and D40 Navara are the top three 4x4s stolen by professionals. In fact, even for short-term thefts, the more popular vehicles are stolen – no doubt because of sheer availability.
Ray Carroll, the director of the NMVTRC, said that some vehicles make it easier for thieves than others. With its separate-chassis models, “Toyota only stamps the VIN on the chassis; the body has a label only”. Given that the engine number is not considered a unique number (an engine can be replaced with another for legitimate reasons), “the VIN is the critical thing. They [the thieves] will buy a roll-over or body-damaged vehicle, but still repairable, and rebuild it from the stolen car.”
The overseas market is also one suspected of being a continued motivator for professional thieves. Carroll said that on best estimates, legitimate vehicle exports are joined “by about 30 per cent stolen vehicles.” It is believed that some businesses, with established lines of export business in damaged vehicles, are knowingly or unwittingly exporting stolen vehicles.
Many of the stolen 4x4s are finding their way to countries in the Middle East and Africa where 4x4s are popular. From there it is next to impossible to trace the vehicles back to Australia. Carroll said that Customs: “Are busy enough monitoring inbound freight for illegal shipments; they don’t have the time to follow up exports.”
As for the 4x4s that are stolen for their expensive aftermarket accessories, we have only anecdotal evidence to support suspicions that it’s on the rise.
“The way the police record such thefts is included in ‘theft from a motor vehicle’. There is no way of pairing away accessories from the police reports,” Carrol said.
How to avoid theft
Alarm system Many new high-end vehicles have an alarm fitted from the factory, but most 4x4s do not. There are many different setups, but having an alarm that will immobilise the vehicle and provide an audible and visual warning if the vehicle is tampered with are key features you’d want. To ensure it’s worth paying for, ensure your alarm meets Australian Standard 3749.
Tracking devices There are a few different tracking devices available, either using radio signals (from the mobile phone network) or satellite. When the vehicle is stolen, the tracking device alerts you and/or the tracking device company. There are all sorts of other features often tied in with the tracking device, usually associated with an alarm system. Systems send you an SMS to let you know when your vehicle has been broken into or when it is being towed, for example.
Datadot DataDotDNA is a product that is sprayed or brushed onto your vehicle, and contains numerous microscopic discs (or microdots) on which specific security information for your vehicle is noted.
DataDots can be detected with a UV light due to DataTraceDNA which is included in the adhesive as an invisible or ‘covert’ marker, providing absolute proof of product, and supplying an additional layer of security. The unique code on the DataDot can be read with a simple magnifying device – no complicated forensic investigation is necessary.
Steering wheel lock Known by a number of brand names, the steering wheel lock has been on the market for more than 25 years and is still a worthy anti-theft device. The device is very simple; its two-piece sliding steel bar hooks onto the steering wheel at opposite sides, the slack is taken out of it and it’s locked into position. If the vehicle is driven, the steering wheel cannot be turned more than a few degrees. The latest models have unpickable locks and are sturdier than early examples.
Where you park and keep the keys It might sound blindingly obvious, but if you avoid theft hot spots, you’re more likely to see your vehicle when you come back for it. You may not know where those hot spots are, though. The Brisbane CBD on a Saturday night between 8pm and 10pm is the most popular place and time in Australia for a vehicle to be stolen. Visit www.carsafe.com.au to see the latest statistics on where and when vehicles are stolen in Australia.
Police reports indicate that the number of house break-ins where only car keys are stolen are increasing. Keep you vehicle keys in a hidden or secure place at home. There’s no need to make it any easier for the thieves.
The Law ADR 25/02 requires that all offroad vehicles and light commercial vehicles have key locks from January 1, 1992. ADR82/00 requires that passenger vehicles (including offroad wagons) be fitted with an engine immobiliser from July 1, 2001. Light goods vehicles (such as utes) are not required to have an immobiliser fitted, although most new vehicles do have one fitted by the manufacturer.
A few weeks ago, a government decision in Victoria started a lively debate about the best way to make our roads safer.
In a couple of places in Victoria there are plans to place wire barriers down the centre line of single-lane each-way roads – a bid to stop head-on prangs.
It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to know that head-on crashes on the open road, where both vehicles are doing about 100km/h – a closing speed of 200km/h – are horrific. Steel, plastic and rubber get ripped and torn and human flesh and bone fare a lot worse.
I remember the first head-on prang I ever went to. I was a young digger, and an army Land Rover had been involved in a head-on along the highway south of Port Augusta.
A war-veteran Sergeant-Major took a group of us to pick up the remains of the Landie. The bodies had been removed by then, or at least the major bits of the bodies had been removed, but there was still a lot of blood and gore to attend to.
None of us young fellows felt like eating our cut lunches and I’ll always remember the ol’ Sgt-Major munching on his sandwiches as he sat on the torn and twisted mudguard of the Landie.
Separating traffic in some way is nothing new, and wire barriers (known as cheese-slicers by motorcyclists) have already been used a in some Australian states to do just that. Mind you, you’d think Victoria had come up with the idea, the way some went on about it.
At the time that debate was raging, I had been up and down the Calder Highway, which for the most part is a single-lane each-way road with traffic separated by a line or a double line. This gives 100mm or so of clearance between the two opposing directions of traffic.Meanwhile, on each side of the road is a shoulder of at least a metre; I’ve always thought that was a bit crazy.
Yeah, I know it’s there for bicycle riders and breakdowns, but on all the trips up and down that particular highway, I’ve yet to see a bike rider out on the open road.
Sure, it’s also a little safer if you drift off the road, but surely with a bit of common sense and some double-line marking we could have a one-metre gap in the centre of the road and still have a metre of space on each shoulder.
When I was down in South Australia a few months ago, they were trialling a wide median strip with a double-line marking on the Dukes Highway in the south-east of the state. It has always been a horror stretch, with head-on prangs pretty common. I have a friend over there who, being in the State Emergency Service, attends a lot of accidents along that stretch. He puts many down to fatigue, often caused by people driving with their air-conditioning on recirculate.
Up in Queensland, near Gympie, a metre-wide, painted median strip has been saving lives since 2012. On this stretch of highway there had previously been a fatal crash nearly every week. They also dropped the speed limit to 90km/h and, while that didn’t initially go down well with the locals, everyone has since seen the benefit of the changes.
So let’s make driving safer and change the way we mark our major country roads. Sure, let’s put wire barriers on some roads when they are deemed necessary, but I reckon we should simply be changing the way we line-mark all our single lane highways – wherever they are. It wouldn’t be all that expensive and it would certainly save lives!
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COMPETITION NOW CLOSED
Maxtrax are a piece of four-wheel drive recovery equipment that’s become extremely popular in recent years.
The recovery boards are Australian designed and manufactured, and have evolved from the traction mats used off-road for generations.
But there is a right way and a wrong way to use them. 4×4 Australia shows you the right way.
With the small SUV market booming, Jeep has released its more serious-looking Renegade, and the 4×4 Trailhawk version, which rides higher and looks tougher than most small SUVs might even go up hills, thanks to a 2.4-litre powerplant, Wheels Magazine reports.
Jeep is marketing it as the ‘most capable small SUV ever’, with ‘best-in-class’ 4×4 capability, while the manual-only base model Renagade is powered by a measly 1.6-litre naturally aspirated engine, or a 1.4-litre turbo with a dual-clutch transmission.
The vehicle is a big new player in this hugely popular section of the market, and it will be a potential volume booster for the already hugely successful Jeep brand. It’s already been a hit in Europe and Japan and is rolling out in America, where it will be seen more as a novelty car to buy your teenage daughter, because they don’t drive “trucks” this small.
Mazda’s CX-3 is the class leader in the small SUV market and Honda’s slightly offbeat-looking HR-V are the two benchmarks, but neither of them really compete directly with the Jeep’s styling, or its mysteriously earned brand values. The people who will line up to buy the Jeep Renegade will see it as having no rivals at all (okay, maybe a Mini Countryman, but seriously, no one buys those).
Concerns about build quality, product recalls and the fact that bits of trim and some roof panels were already buzzing and vibrating on the launch drive should be enough to put off buyers, but you can bet they won’t be.
The Renegade looks funky, pseudo-tough and cool, inside and out, comes in bright colours and is, by the brand’s own description, a gateway drug to buying a Wrangler, something a lot of Kardashian fans want to do when they ‘money up’. It’s also spacious inside. No matter which engine you go with, however, you’ll be underwhelmed. It’s a guaranteed sales success, almost in spite of itself, with its slightly ambitious pricing.
The interior room is excellent for the segment, as is the design, and the interior quality and steering have improved from Jeeps of old.
Theboot, however, barely holds two overnight bags; interior buzzes and rattles indicate quality issues; it has asthmatic, possibly emphysemic engines; and the Trailhawk model is only for the self-delusional.
THE VERDICT
If you marketed a watch as being able to keep perfect time on Mars, or inside a volcano, there are some credulous fools who would buy it, just as there are people who will snap up the Trailhawk version of the new, dinky-toy Jeep variant, the Renegade.
The idea of a shopping-cart-sized SUV that can tackle any trail (although not the famous Jeep-testing Rubicon, apparently) is patently absurd, like sending a toddler to climb Everest, but there are people who will buy the rugged Jeep Renegade, just so they can point out to friends what it’s capable of.
And, to be fair, they’ll buy it because they like its tougher looks, higher ride height, bonnet stripes and shiny red tow hook. Fortunately, even by Jeep’s own estimations, only 10 to 15 per cent of Renegaders will opt for this $41,500 not-oft roader, despite the fact that it’s the only variant that comes with actual four-wheel drive, and an almost passable 2.4-litre “Tigershark” engine making 129kW and 230Nm. Yes, we did say $41,500. Jeep’s ‘sell ’em cheap’ pricing policy seems to have gone west with Renegade.
The other Renegade that almost no one will buy (less than 10 percent, which is probably an optimistic claim) is the $29,500 1.6-litre showroom-bait base model, with a manual gearbox, which is the equivalent of a camel toe for this car’s young, hip customer.
Most buyers, then − and there will be multitudes of them because this car looks and feels both tough and trendy and is backed by the advertising fairy dust that has made Jeep so popular − will opt for the $32,500 dual-clutch auto Sport, which comes with a 1.4-litre turbo engine that makes 103kW and 230Nm, which goes up hills about as breezily as a cyclist with his feet tied together (0-100km/h times are, perhaps unsurprisingly, “untested”).
It is a unique experience, though, to be able to drive along and tap your right foot in time with whatever music you’re listening to, without making any difference to your acceleration. You might be tempted to call this 1.4 underpowered, except that the 1.6 offers even less, at just 81kW and 152Nm.
The Renegade is not exciting to drive, then, and it does favour body roll and understeer, but its steering is at least better than traditional Jeep offerings.
Also on the plus side, it looks fabulous and feels much better fitted out inside, although the fact that we found buzzing and rattling noises from both the optional removable roof panels − known as My Sky − and the dash in the launch cars suggests quality control might still be a foreign concept, perhaps a Japanese one, to this most American of brands.
While it looks small and cute, it’s surprisingly roomy inside (the roofline is higher than a Cherokee), with excellent rear leg room, but the boot space is barely big enough for the tool kit you’ll need to carry, just in case.
The new Jeep Renegade is very much a city SUV − although the Trail Hawk version can hack some ‘off-roading’ (I still managed to bog it in a cane field) − and the fact that 90 per cent of sales will not even have 4WD will not bother the market for this car at all. They’re buying an image, and the idea of off-road toughness, and they’ll buy it in droves, at any price.
The new Toyota Fortuner and Ford Everest are among the latest vehicles to receive five-star ANCAP safety ratings, with the Everest beating the Fortuner’s crash-test score by a whisker.
The Fortuner achieved an overall score of 33.95 out of 37 when tested, with 13.45 out of 16 given for frontal off-set collision safety, and 16 out of 16 for side-impact safety.
The Everest fared slightly better than its rival, scoring 35.98 out of 37 overall, due to a better result in the frontal off-set crash-test – it scored 15.38 out of 16.
The updated models of the Ford Ranger MKII, and Toyota Land Cruiser 200 Series also retain the five-star ratings of their predecessors, with the Land Cruiser 200 scoring 33.09 out of 37 overall, and the Ranger scoring a near-perfect 36.72 out of 37 overall.
According to ANCAP, the proportion of models achieving five-star ANCAP safety ratings has gradually increased from zero in 2002 to 77 per cent (of rated models on sale) today.
ANCAP specifically noted an increasing safety focus in the off-road SUV market.
THE behemoth Toyota Land Cruiser 200 Series now features updated engines, new safety technology and revised styling, with the Sahara receiving the most attention.
Prices have also gone up: start at $76,500 for the entry-level GX and go right up to $118,500 for the top-of-the-range diesel Sahara.
Performance
New injectors and revised mapping of the 4.5-litre turbodiesel V8 have marginally improved power to 200kW, up 5kW, while torque remains at a modest 650Nm.
Combined-cycle fuel consumption drops to 9.5L/100km, an improvement of 7.7 per cent, and CO2 emissions have improved to 250g/km with the addition of a particulate filter.
Economy and emissions for the 4.6-litre V8 petrol engine, which still produces 227kW and 439Nm, have improved to 13.4L/100km and 309g/km, thanks to a secondary air induction through the exhaust ports for faster catalyst warm-up from a cold start.
Both engines continue to drive through six-speed automatic transmissions and all-wheel drive with low range.
Safety
The top-of-the-line Sahara gets improved safety features, including a new four-camera system that grants drivers vision around the vehicle – front, rear and side.
The front camera rotates so the horizon is always displayed level on the enlarged in-car display. An under-floor view displays images taken about three metres ahead of the vehicle to show where the front wheels are placed.
The Sahara has also adopted a pre-collision system, dynamic radar cruise control, lane-departure alert and a blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert.
Styling
All models now feature more aggressive styling, with a new grille, headlamps, bumper, bonnet and fenders at the front, and a restyled rear that includes LED tail lamps.
Upgraded interiors for grades above GX include soft padding around the centre console in areas that come in direct contact with legs.
Extra features
The entry model to the range, the GX, remains bare bones, but gets a 12-volt accessory socket in addition to its 17.0-inch steel wheels and snorkel. It also includes a vertically hinged rear door and vinyl floor covering.
The GXL features include roof rails, LED low-beam headlamps with auto-levelling (static), LED clearance lamps, leather-accented steering wheel and gear-shift knob, a revised analogue instrument cluster and variable intermittent wipers, for the front and rear.
The VX’s new features include dusk-sensing bi-LED headlamps that incorporate dynamic auto-levelling. It also gains side airbags for the outboard second-row seats, as well as LED front fog lamps and daytime running lamps, newly designed Optitron instruments with a 4.2-inch colour multi-information display, and a nine-inch touchscreen display.
The Sahara gains a wireless smartphone charger and revised rear-seat entertainment with screens mounted on the back of the two front seats.
Line-up
The Land Cruiser 200 Series line-up remains as follows: the GX is diesel-only, while the GXL, the VX and the Sahara are available with petrol or diesel engines.
The GX is a five-seater, the diesel VX and Sahara have seven seats and all other grades offer eight seats.
Prices
The upgraded Land Cruiser 200 Series is priced from $76,500 for the GX turbodiesel. Price increases are less than 2.6 per cent for petrol models and between 3.9 and 4.3 per cent for diesel models.
Grade Petrol Diesel
GX – $76,500
GXL $82,000 $87,000
VX $92,500 $97,500
Sahara $113,500 $118,500
Specs
2015 Land Cruiser 200 series
Engine 4.5-litre twin-turbo V8 diesel or 4.6-litre V8 petrol
Power 200kW (diesel) or 227kW (petrol)
Torque 650Nm (diesel) or 439Nm (petrol)
Transmission Six-speed automatic, four-wheel drive
Fuel consumption 9.5L/100km (diesel), 13.4L/100km (petrol)
On sale now
Click here to read the full range review of the Toyota Land Cruiser 200 Series.
As the name suggests, value is a big part of what the Toyota Fortuner is all about.
You won’t quite save a fortune by buying a Fortuner, but you will save a worthwhile amount of money if you buy one instead of a Prado; previously the least expensive way to get into a Toyota 4×4 wagon with genuine off-road ability.
Before on-road costs, the Fortuner starts at $47,990. That’s exactly $5000 less than an entry-level Prado. For that money you get seven seats instead of the Prado GX’s five seats, a 500kg higher 3000kg towing capacity, and features not found in the base-model Prado, such as a rear diff lock and sidesteps.
Even more money will be saved if you move up to a mid-spec Fortuner GXL instead of an equivalent-spec Prado – some $7000, in fact. And you still have the benefit of a rear locker and a towing capacity that’s 300kg higher (2800kg limit) than that of the Prado.
The Background
The Fortuner nameplate has been around overseas since 2005. However, the Fortuner you see here is all-new and is based on the just-arrived eighth-generation Hilux.
Mechanical changes from the Hilux centre on the rear of the chassis, where a five-link coil-spring live axle replaces the Hilux’s leaf-spring live axle. Disc brakes also replace the Hilux’s rear drums, and the wheelbase is shorter by a significant 335mm.
Aside from the body, just about everything else is shared with the Hilux, including the 2.8-litre diesel engine, the two gearboxes, the two-speed part-time transfer case, front and final drives, and the front of the chassis, including the double-wishbone suspension and rack-and-pinion steering. And there are shared body components, too, including doors, windows (including the windscreen) and the bonnet.
Like the all-new Hilux, much of the Fortuner’s testing and development was done in Australia and both share Australian-developed suspension and underbody protection, among other locally developed features. The Fortuner is claimed to be the largest-ever single-model development undertaken by Toyota in Australia.
Powertrain and Performance
The Fortuner comes with just one engine, Toyota’s new GD-1 2.8-litre diesel, where GD stands for ‘Global Diesel’. As well as being the core engine in the new Hilux, the GD-1 was recently transplanted into the Prado, albeit with a minor change.
Despite being 227cc smaller and running a noticeably lower compression ratio (for improved refinement and less noise) than the 3.0-litre diesel it replaces in Toyota’s wider model range, the 2.8-litre produces significantly more torque and slightly more power – this is all testament to its much improved combustion efficiency.
Mated to the six-speed auto that’s shared with the updated Prado and Hilux, the 2.8-litre claims 450Nm. That’s 40Nm more than the 3.0-litre as it appeared in the Prado and a significant 90Nm more than the 3.0-litre as it appeared in the outgoing Hilux. When mated to the six-speed manual, the 2.8-litre’s maximum torque is pegged to 420Nm, although the maximum power stays the same at 130kW regardless of the torque output.
On the road, 130kW doesn’t translate to scintillating pedal-to-the-metal performance, given the Fortuner weighs more than 2100kg, but the engine is nevertheless responsive, willing and almost effortless. Most noticeably, the 2.8-litre is much quieter, smoother and more refined than Toyota’s outgoing 3.0-litre diesel and it serves the Fortuner well.
Nice refinement, too, from the six-speed auto, which has an additional overdrive ratio rather than the closer ratio spread of the five-speed it replaces in the Prado and Hilux. In the Fortuner, the six-speed auto comes with paddle shifters for mid GXL and top-spec Crusade models.
Despite the 30Nm less maximum torque when mated to the six-speed manual, the engine feels more energetic than when it’s paired with the automatic. The manual is available on all three Fortuner models, even the top-spec Crusade, and comes with an ‘intelligent’ mode in GXL and Crusade variants.
This ‘intelligent’ mode matches engine speeds when shifting and helps prevent stalling at very low revs; a feature that’s particularly handy when the going gets slow off-road.
This six-speed manual is shared with the Hilux, but it’s different from the six-speed manual in the re-engined Prado. Like the new six-speed auto, the new manual has a wide-ratio spread with two overdrives, and it has similarly tall overall gearing in sixth (to the auto), thanks in part to a taller axle ratio.
Ride and Handling
In many ways the Fortuner rides and handles the way you would expect of a vehicle based on a ute, but the rear suspension is much softer and more compliant than that of an unladen Hilux, given that it doesn’t have to cope with a one-tonne payload.
That’s not to say there’s anything wrong with the Fortuner’s ride and handling, but it certainly lacks the comfort and plushness of a Prado, but most things do. The upside is that the Fortuner has flatter handing than a Prado – at least, a Prado without KDSS – and has a sportier feel behind the wheel as a result.
The Fortuner’s steering calibration was done locally and is light at low speeds, but offers decent feel and feedback at higher road speeds. The Fortuner also does a good job of isolating road and suspension noise thanks to its body-on-chassis construction.
Off-Road
There’s no doubting the Fortuner’s off-road credentials. It shares many features with the Hilux, including the same clearance and underbody protection, and the same approach and departure angles. It does, however, have a better ramp-over angle and a smaller turning circle, thanks to the shorter wheelbase.
It also relies on the Hilux’s basic but robust part-time dual-range 4×4 system. Via the rotary-dial selector changes from 2-High to 4-High can be done easily on the move, although the shift into or out of low-range needs the vehicle to be stopped and in neutral, as you’d expect. At least the transfer case’s electromagnetic actuator appears to be balk-free, which is more than you can say of some similar arrangements where stick-shift transfer has been replaced by push-button or rotary-dial selectors.
At the rear, the Fortuner has 440mm of wheel travel, compared to the Hilux’s 520mm. The coil-sprung rear-end of a Prado GX and GXL has 465mm of travel, while the KDSS-equipped Prado VX and Kakadu have 565mm. All Fortuner models come with a driver-switched rear diff lock, which helps when you run out of rear-wheel travel, as well as off-road-tuned ‘A-TRC’ traction control.
As expected of a Toyota 4×4, there’s solid recovery hooks, front and rear, the engine’s air intake is via the inner guard, and the wheel and tyre spec is off-road oriented. In fact, the Fortuner has identical wheel and tyre specs to those of the Hilux and Prado.
Cabin and Accommodation
The Fortuner’s interior presentation is very passenger-car like, but the dashboard looks busy and, as ever with Toyota, some switches are placed too low and in odd places on the dash.
Better news comes in the form of tilt-and-reach steering-wheel adjustment and driver’s seat height adjustment on all models, so it’s easy to get comfortable. The legroom for second-row passengers is also surprisingly good, even if putting three adults across the back seat is a bit of a squeeze, in terms of width.
The second-row seat adjusts fore and aft so the third-row legroom can be improved. With the second-row moved forward to provide sufficient third-row legroom for taller kids, there’s still good second-row legroom.
The third-row seats fold up against the side windows rather than folding down into a raised floor, as per the Prado 150. They can’t, however, be unclipped if you wish to remove them altogether. Typically there’s not much luggage space left once the third-row seating is deployed.
The Fortuner comes with a single, top-hinged rear door, while the full-size spare wheel is mounted under the body.
Sum Up
It’s hard to see the Fortuner not going well for Toyota. It’s built tough, drives well on road and has genuine off-road capability.
Most notably it brings Toyota toughness to a 4×4 family wagon at a more affordable price than the Prado. In addition, it generally offers more features at a lower price.
It’s not as refined or as comfortable as a Prado and it lacks the Prado’s very handy 150-litre fuel tank, but it will no doubt have many buyers thinking twice about what Toyota to buy.
For the same price as the high-selling Prado GXL, for example, you can have yourself a top-spec, leather-and-all Fortuner Crusade.
The Fortuner will no doubt affect the sales of existing competitor vehicles including the Isuzu MU-X, Holden Colorado 7 and Mitsubishi’s soon-to-be updated Challenger.
It could also make life tougher for Ford’s just-released Everest.
I was in the market for updated suspension for my Hilux. With 325,000km travelled on the original kit, I thought it was a good time to upgrade.
But there were so many options. Which kit was best for me?
What I wanted out of the suspension was a 50mm lift and better articulation, but, most of all, it had to be comfortable to drive and handle well on- and off-road. All this led me to Pedders’ TrakRyder Outback kit.
A 50mm lift is usually all a car needs to tackle difficult terrain while remaining practical and serviceable. Any higher than 50mm generally requires extensive and expensive modifications to the related steering and axle components.
I’m also not a huge fan of the high centre of gravity that comes with extreme lifts. Perch a tall 4×4 like a Troop Carrier atop super-tall suspension and load up the roof rack with a few hundred kilograms, and you will begin to get a very unstable car when cornering or picking along sloping ground.
Don’t get me wrong; taller suspension is definitely handy off-road where the ability to crawl over large obstacles can be the difference between getting stuck or moving on.
The Outback kit’s spring and shock absorber rates were developed to improve a vehicle’s ground clearance and suspension travel while also improving its stability on all road surfaces.
This kit provides improved articulation on uneven road surfaces and improves tractability of all four wheels in difficult situations. It also allows you to carry heavier loads with confidence, so packing extra camping gear or similar equipment shouldn’t be a problem.
The increased ride height of up to two-inches (50mm) enables the vehicle to cross most creeks or rivers (within reason) without your feet getting wet. It also improves the car’s entry and exit angles on extreme terrain.
With the upgraded suspension fitted to my old Hilux, its on-road manners were hugely improved. Its dated, original soft suspension wallowed around corners and the vehicle nose-dived under hard braking. With the Pedders Outback suspension, the Hilux now feels like it’s on rails. Cornering is much more sure-footed and the Hilux stays flat under braking. It feels a lot safer to drive.
Off-road, the suspension is firm but comfortable, soaking up the bumps with minimal fuss. It’s easy to maintain good speed on rocky tracks, and there’s definitely more flex in the Pedders suspension than in the car’s original springs and shocks.
I can feel that all the wheels are in contact with the ground on uneven tracks. This makes it a lot easier to drive away from terrain where I would have lost traction in the past.
Pedders say this kit is compatible for vehicles used on- and off-road, as well as for general commuting. It’s ideal for vehicles towing caravans, horse floats, campers and general trailers. The kits are also acceptable for vehicles fitted with bull bars, driving lights, dual battery systems, and standard wheels with off-road tyres fitted.
Generally included in TrakRyder kits are coil and leaf springs, suspension bushes, alignment kits, shock absorbers, u-bolts, and shackles.
The kit can manage the extra weight of items, including under car protection plates, roof racks, long-range fuel tanks and rear drawer storage systems, which is an excellent platform to build on if I ever want to fit more gear.
For more info on TrakRyder suspension kits visit: www.pedders.com.au
You’ve no doubt heard of electronic traction control and electronic stability control, which is now mandatory on all new passenger cars, including 4x4s, sold in Australia.
But how do the two work and how do they differ? And do they really help in a 4×4? Is this the nanny state taking over?
Electronic traction control (ETC) and electronic stability control (ESC) are related both in design and operation, but do two entirely different things. Of the two, ETC is the simpler of these systems; it simply limits wheelspin.
ETC uses the same hardware as anti-lock, or so-called ABS brakes, but employs different software. Where ABS releases the brake on a locked wheel, ETC brakes a spinning wheel.
ETC in a 4×4 does its best work in situations when your 4×4 runs out of suspension travel on very rutted or uneven ground, leaving a wheel, or often two diagonally opposite wheels, dangling in the air. With a standard open differential this means the power will direct down the path of least resistance and be wasted spinning the wheel(s) without any purchase on mother earth, which means you go nowhere.
What ETC does is apply the brake on the spinning wheel(s) and thereby cause the differential to direct the power towards a wheel(s) with the better traction. All being well, your vehicle moves forward.
ETC effectively gives you a limited-slip differential at both ends of your 4×4 and is great help off-road. Just how good it is depends on the tuning of the ETC software and terrain being traversed. ETC that works well on a broken, rocky climb may not necessarily work well on soft sand or in mud. Some systems are better on differing surfaces than others.
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) is a different thing altogether. Introduced in 1995 by Mercedes-Benz, but developed by German component supplier Bosch, ESC is designed to help on-road by preventing skidding on slippery surfaces such as rain-affected bitumen or loose gravel.
ESC goes under a host of manufacturer-specific trade names such as Vehicle Stability Control (Toyota), Dynamic Stability Control (Land Rover, BMW and others) and Electronic Stability Program (various including Mercedes).
ESC uses info from a host of sensors to compare the path the vehicle is following with the path intended by the driver. If the two don’t correspond and the vehicle is starting to head in a direction other than the driver is attempting to steer the car – in other words the vehicle is starting to get out of control – the system will intervene by applying one or more of the brakes and/or cutting the engine power to help the driver regain control.
ESC reacts very quickly and will intervene before the driver usually knows something is astray. It has proven to be very effective in crash mitigation. It can’t, however, change the laws of physics and doesn’t mean you can corner faster.
There is also a major problem with ESC when off-road. In soft sand or deep mud, for example, where you can often be steering in one direction while your 4×4 is heading in another altogether, ESC is readily confused and will apply the brakes, or cut the engine power, or both. That’s definitely not what you want if you are driving on soft sand or deep mud.
Even on gravel roads ESC can cut the power when you don’t want it to, especially if the threshold of how much drift the system will tolerate is set too low.
Thankfully for sand and mud driving, most 4x4s have an ESC off switch that, at the very least, will desensitise the ESC – if not disable it all together. Some of these switches are two-stage where the effect of ESC is first reduced and then, by holding the switch down longer, completely disabled. Selecting low-range also automatically disables ESC on most 4x4s.
This issue of ETC being good for off-roading, if calibrated right – but ESC generally being a nuisance – was first addressed by Land Rover with its clever but still-evolving Terrain Response system that debuted in the Discovery 3 a decade ago. It integrated both ETC and ESC in driver-selectable terrain-specific programs that also worked with the suspension, and locking centre and rear differentials.