YOU KNOW a vehicle is getting closer to production when the factory starts drip-feeding you product information and videos. Ford USA has released this video showing a prototype of its upcoming Bronco SUV off-road testing in California’s Johnson Valley, home of the annual King of the Hammers off-road race.

Like the Bronco prototypes we’ve seen already, this one wears a Ford Ranger cab and cut-down cargo bed. This isn’t the body that will appear on the production Bronco, with a much more boxy body that stays true to the original vehicle expected when the vehicle is shown in the second quarter of this year.

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Using a Ranger cab makes sense as it allows Ford to keep the final look of the Bronco a secret, and the Ranger is an easy fit as the Bronco rides on the T6 ladder chassis platform shared with the Ranger ute and Everest wagon. The Bronco is expected to drop the Ranger’s leaf-spring rear end for a coil arrangement similar to, if not the same as, the Australian-developed Everest SUV.

The Bronco will be available in both three-door short wheelbase and five-door long wheelbase wagons, and patent reports have shown it will be available with a removable roof and doors to make it a competitor to the off-road-savvy Jeep Wrangler. The Bronco will spawn a family of vehicles including a compact SUV based on a soft-roader platform and possibly a pick-up to play with the Jeep Gladiator.

The Bronco’s powertrain is yet to be revealed, but expect it to use the turbocharged 2.3-litre EcoBoost petrol four-cylinder as used by US Ranger models. Rumours also suggest a 2.7-litre V6 EcoBoost could be used in an up-spec version of the Bronco, possibly a Bronco Raptor.

Ford USA has said it will pull the wraps off the Bronco in spring this year (our autumn) and it will go on sale later as a 2021 model. Ford Australia tells us there are no plans to bring the Bronco to our shores.

Here at 4X4 Australia we love a good chunky set of mud terrain tyres as much as the next trucked-up wagon. They are, after all, the final piece of the rough-road puzzle for helping that modified rig get to where you want it to go.

But what compromises are you making along the way? What do you give up in grip, noise, cornering precision and comfort by opting for the chunkier black round things that promise to keep on going over just about any terrain? It was that thought that had us assembled at the new Pheasant Wood Circuit south of Sydney on a crisp spring morning.

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After an appropriate caffeine injection, our colleagues at Tyreright were unpacking a truck and assembling piles of shiny new black tyres – each one ready to be punished through a selection of disciplines.

For this tyre test we’ve gone for mud terrains; the most serious of the off-road tyres for the most serious adventurer. Chunky tread and tough constructions make them a terrific choice for those heading off road. All tyres tested had a light truck (LT) construction with a tougher sidewall for additional off-road protection, albeit often at the expense of comfort and steering response.

As with all tyre designs, any benefits can be outweighed with drawbacks. It’s those negatives we want to learn more about during this exhaustive test.

4×4 Tyre Test 2020: Testing Methods

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Testing was conducted at Pheasant Wood Circuit south of Sydney using a stock Ford Everest. We chose the base model for its 17-inch wheels, which provided access to a common 265/65R17 tyre size. All testing was conducted on tyres inflated to placard pressures by Paul Stokell, a former Australian Drivers’ Champion and accomplished racer who knows how to push a car to the limit. The car’s stability control was then switched off to allow the car to be tested on the limits of the tyres, rather than having electronics artificially create earlier limits.

Because differences are often measured in centimetres or fractions of a second it was down to technology to take care of the numbers. Data was collected on a VBox data logger, which uses satellites to measure G-forces, speeds, track positions and angles.

Each tyre was put through wet and dry braking assessments, whereby the car is on maximum braking from 100km/h to a standstill. We then conducted three dry cornering tests and two wet cornering tests, evaluating how long it took the car to get through the curve.

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For each test the best tyre receives a score out of 100, with the best getting the maximum score and others ranked according to how far they were from the winner. In some cases there were only a few points between best and worst.

The price of each tyre also factors into our rankings, though with a score out of 10 points to account for the big differences between cheapest and most expensive.

The Grunt Work

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While the numbers are crunched on the track, it’s in the pits where the grunt work happens. Our crew was from tyre retailer Tyreright, part of an independent network of more than 70 dealers covering all states and territories. Rather than being aligned to a particular brand, Tyreright offers a range of tyres at competitive prices. It also has a large online presence, with an ordering system that allows you to do all but the fitment itself. And with a price guarantee it provides reassurance you’re getting a good deal.

They also do wonderfully quick tyre changes, with the time between our Everest rolling in on worn tyres and rolling back out on the track on fresh rubber measured in minutes. The lads then used the wheels off our spare car to fit and balance the next set of tyres while the action was going on out on the track.

Put simply, the test couldn’t have happened without the Tyreright crew.

Why we didn’t test off road

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Mud-terrain tyres are designed to go off road, so you may be thinking we’ve lost our marbles in not testing the very thing they’re going to do plenty of. Basically, it comes down to the old argument of no two snowflakes are the same. Hear us out…

Off-roading is such a varied definition that encompasses wildly different surfaces, from sand and mud to rocks and grass. It can even include snow.

The logistics of testing one tyre thoroughly across every surface is enormous, especially in a country like Australia. We’d be covering thousands of kilometres just to adequately represent the varied terrains you can experience in our wide brown land.

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Then there’s the challenge of replicating the testing over those surfaces to collate credible data. Drive over one patch of dirt, for example, and it’ll be compacted and shifted to the point where the next tyre to traverse it will be driving over subtly different ground. That holds true for mud, sand, snow and more. So, while you can certainly learn plenty by covering big kilometres with different tyres, for this test it simply wasn’t feasible.

Besides, most driving that most people will do is on bitumen. Even the most passionate adventurers will roll plenty of hotmix beneath their muddies at some point. And as our tests have shown, it’s the place that mud-terrains are most compromised.

Standard Fare

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Our two Everests were fitted with Dunlop Grandtrek AT22 rubber. It’s a popular choice also found on various Toyotas, among other brands. They’re an innocuous-looking tyre with a clear emphasis on on-road performance. You get that from the tread depth; there’s just 9.5mm between the outside of the tyre and the inner grooves.

On our mud terrain rivals that steps up to 14 to 15mm, providing more bite and more rubber to protect from punctures. But in the on-road environment we used for this test the Dunlops performed very well, especially in slowing the car in a shorter distance. Emergency stopping distances in the dry were at least 1.5m better than each of our mud-terrains.

In the wet the contrast was more stark. The Dunlop tyres took 47.44m to stop, well ahead of the best of the muddies at 52.51m. Cornering differences were not as pronounced in terms of outright grip, although Stokell noticed they added stability at speed and a predictability on the limit that some of the mud-terrains couldn’t match.

“They’re easy to bring back, too,” noted Stokell when recovering from a slide.

Keep Them Round

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The taller tread blocks of mud-terrain tyres and softer rubber compound make them more susceptible to wearing, especially when driven hard on bitumen.

That’s something we noticed during our track thrashes, as each of the muddies showed visual signs of wear – including feathering and wearing of edges. In comparison, the more road-biased tyres fitted standard to our Everest barely looked driven on, even after warm-up attempts and multiple runs. It’s for that reason Tyreright recommends rotating tyres every 5000km.

“Being a soft compound, mud-terrain tyres will wear out quicker than normal highway tyres,” Tyreright told us.

If you buy your muddies through Tyreright they can be rotated and balanced for free every 5000km, at any one of the 70-plus stores located across the country.

Bridgestone Dueler M/T

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There’s a rugged simplicity about the design of the Japanese-made Bridgestone Dueler M/T. The design is uncomplicated and uncluttered, focusing attention on the chunky tread blocks. “Bridgestone Dueler” writing on the otherwise simple sidewall adds to the visual muscle and the aesthetic reinforcement that these tyres mean business.

Not so easy to digest is the price. At $370 a corner the Bridgestones are the most expensive of the five MTs tested here. Clearly Bridgestone believes the long-running Dueler name is up to the task.

Things certainly got off to a good start, with the Bridgestones stopping shorter than their chunky rivals. At a fraction over 46m in the dry emergency stop they were at least 1.2m better than the rest.

That could be partially attributed to slightly shorter tread depth, so less room for the tread blocks to flex. The Bridgestones had 14mm of tread depth versus 15mm for the BFGoodrich, Kumho and Maxxis tyres. However, that braking prowess didn’t translate to dry cornering, the Duelers hovering around the back of the field.

Similarly, the wet cornering was nothing special, simply on a par with others towards the back of the field. And the braking goodness didn’t translate to a wet road either, the Bridgestones smack in the middle of our five-tyre line-up.

While it wasn’t part of our scoring criteria, something that let the Bridgestones down was noise. There was a noticeable hum at speed, something that set off our noise meter. Stokell also noted that they howl in the wet, adding to the cacophony.

Sunwide Huntsman

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It’s a brand most wouldn’t have heard of, now imported to Australia by our tyre team at Tyreright. To fill you in, Sunwide is produced by Chinese tyre manufacturer Qingdao, which also makes Aventus tyres for trucks.

As with so many things new, the appeal with the Sunwides is their price. At $210 a tyre they undercut their rivals by plenty (between $73 and $160 per corner, which amounts to between $292 and $640 for a set of four). For some, that will be tempting, and it gave the Hunstmans some early points when crunching the numbers.

However, as our testing showed, there are concerns with grip. Slowing the car requires more road with the Huntsmans in place. On a dry road they took between 0.8m and 2.7m longer to stop than their rivals.

With the bitumen darkened by water the Sunwides struggled further, to the point where they took between 2.7m and 5.9m longer to stop. To put it in perspective, the 58m it took to stop left them a full 11m farther up the road than the original Dunlops fitted to the Everest.

The Huntsmans clawed back some cred in dry cornering; although, once the road was wet things were, again, less impressive, with a decent overall score but inconsistent results through each corner.

Test driver Stokell clocked it straight away, saying the Sunwides lacked grip, something also noticeable in our cornering tests. “They let go of traction very early,” he said, adding that “wet-weather grip was lower.”

While we weren’t using traction control, the tendency for the rear to slide into oversteer prompted Stokell to say the Sunwides would keep the ESC busy trying to control any slides.

BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain T/A KM3

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Bolt on a set of BFGoodrichs and it’s almost a statement that you’re not prepared to compromise. They come with a premium price – $350 per hoop – and an even bigger reputation in the bush.

Still owned by Michelin and made in the United States of America, the BFGs have plenty to live up to, especially in M/T KM3 guise. A muscular almost organically shaped tread pattern looks the business, as does the white lettering on the side.

From the outset, though, the BFGs asserted themselves in the middle of the field for on-road grip rather than anything extraordinary. Braking performance in both wet and dry was reasonable without excelling, Stokell noting that braking was their best asset. Similarly, the wet cornering was acceptable and much closer to the pointy end, finishing second only to the Maxxis.

But it was through our trio of dry corners where the BFGs slipped slightly. They were still within the hunt but hovered towards the back of the field in all three corners – just – in what is a critical test.

Our punishment also took its toll on every second tread block, the outer, prouder chunk succumbing to scalloping that suggests you’d want to be on top of rotating them regularly if you’re keen through the corners.

Of course, BFG would argue its MT tyres do their best work off the beaten track, something we don’t doubt. But it wasn’t part of this test.

Kumho Road Venture MT51

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Looks aren’t everything, which is lucky, because the muddies sold by Korean tyre company Kumho don’t have that same unforced masculinity of some rivals. Known as the Road Venture MT51 and manufactured in Vietnam, they’re a value-focused tyre that retails at $283 per corner.

Tread blocks climb subtly down the sidewall, but as with the face of the tyre there’s nothing too aggressive; depending on your taste or purchase criteria, that could be good or bad.

The design does have its benefits, most notably with noise. Our noise meter and Stokell’s ears had the MT51s as the quietest of tyres. There was nothing like the whirring or humming that inflicts so many muddies, the restrained tread instead proving gentler on the bitumen.

The Kumhos also performed well from a grip perspective, leading the MT field in one of the wet and one of the dry corners. That they were close to the money in the rest helped maintain their above-average level. Stokell was also impressed with the progression on the limit, especially with water on the road.

“They’re very predictable in the wet … they let go very controllably.”

It was only in wet braking that the Kumhos were less than impressive, taking a couple of metres longer to stop than most.

One big question mark remained, though, and that was how they would perform off road. That less aggressive tread seems to help on road, but it may not fare as well once rocks and mud enter the equation.

Maxxis Razr MT

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Fresh from a surprise win in our all-terrain tyre test last year, Taiwanese manufacturer Maxxis is arguably better known for its mountain bike tyres than larger ones fitted to cars. Clearly the brand knows what it’s doing, and the Razr MT is the tyre on offer at this end of the market.

From the outset Stokell knew he was driving on tyres that were working better at ground level. The Razr MTs were nowhere near the tyres originally fitted to the Everest for outright grip and poise – road-focused tyres clearly work better on bitumen – but they outclassed their rivals in most disciplines.

It started with wet braking, where the Maxxis stopped at least 1.3m shorter than all rivals. Wet cornering was equally impressive, the Maxxis adding an extra degree of confidence to allow Stokell to push on that fraction harder, in turn scrabbling through the corner better.

If there was one criticism it was in the way it let go approaching the limit. “It certainly let go faster in the wet,” he said.

Even in dry cornering the Razrs were at – or very close to – the pointy end in each of our corners. Total the trio and it was a slim victory around dry corners. Only in dry braking did the Maxxis rubber trail its rivals, outclassed by Bridgestone and Kumho. That the price slotted in the middle of our field, at $305 each, made them all the more impressive.

The Maxxis tyres were also among the best for protecting its outer edges after a solid thrashing, which added some non-scoring goodness to its repertoire.

4×4 Tyre Test 2020: Verdict

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Whichever mud-terrain you choose you’ll be making on-road compromises, and in some instances they’re big compromises that stretch stopping distances or lower the limits of adhesion through corners. The trade-off, of course, is more comfortable and capable off-road touring with less chance of a puncture.

Assuming you’ve made that decision, it’s the Maxxis Razr that performed best in our tests – keeping in mind that we didn’t test the off-road side of the equation. Instead, we focused on which tyres made the least compromises on-road. The decent grip in wet and dry made the Maxxis a solid performer in all disciplines, either leading or doing very well in each category. It was a clear winner, with the sharp pricing helping extend its lead over its quartet of rivals.

Second place went to the Bridgestone Dueler, the most expensive tyre we tested. It was its performance in dry braking that inched it ahead of a tight middle pack. Less impressive was cornering performance, something that only just kept it ahead of hard-charging competitors.

Rounding out the podium was the Kumho Road Venture MT51. While it slipped occasionally in the wet cornering, it regained points through dry bends and dry braking. That the Kumho was respectably quiet was a bonus.

Next was the BFGoodrich KM3s. While it didn’t lead any of our testing disciplines it put up a solid performance in all, albeit at a premium price. If reputation counts for anything, it should back it up with solid off-road performance.

Bringing up the tail in this test is the Sunwide Huntsman. While cornering efforts were respectable, the Huntsman was off the pace with braking – a critical aspect of any off-roader, especially when heavily laden. It was especially noticeable in the wet, where the tyre skated along the wet road metres beyond where others had pulled up.

4×4 Tyre Test 2020: The Data

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*Point scores are rounded to the nearest 10th for brevity. But for the final points total we included all decimal places; in some instances the totals of the rounded individual scores may differ slightly from the actual total score. Prices are RRP and supplied by Tyreright.

4×4 Tyre Test 2020: The Final Results

I was still on a buzz after driving the two-door short wheelbase Wrangler alongside the Suzuki Jimny for the Summer 2020 issue. It was good fun driving these little’uns in the bush, and I queried if there’s a place in the market for other variants of these once-popular vehicles, like the Land Rover Defender 90 and the Mahindra Roxor.

Well, since then stories have been doing the rounds about Jeep, Land Rover and Ford all working on Jimny-sized variants of their respective Wrangler, Defender and Bronco models. While that sounds great to me, the reality is these new vehicles are most likely to be soft-road SUVs and not the off-road vehicles they take their names from. I hope the manufacturers prove me wrong, but I doubt it.

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This begs two questions: Does applying these iconic off-road nameplates to non-off-road SUVs dilute the brands? And is the new Defender a true Land Rover and worthy of the nameplate?

When you think that Land Rover has been selling vehicles like the Evoque for a while now and is working on a low-riding station wagon, then you have to say that the once all-4×4 brand is well and truly diluted from its roots. Jeep has the Compass and the Renegade (no longer on sale in Australia), so the American brand isn’t innocent of making city-based SUVs either.

As for the new Defender, we’ll know more about it when we drive the vehicle later this year, but it’s been more than three years since Land Rover built a new vehicle with a live axle and the new Defender will follow this trend. Land Rover is claiming this car is its most capable 4×4 ever and I’m sure that’s true; however, it won’t have the feel and character of the old Land Rover that so many people love.

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Which brings me back the Mahindra Roxor; a great little 4×4 with all the ability and character you could ever want. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have the safety or necessities to ever make it roadworthy in Australia (or the USA, where it is assembled and sold) but it is a great little off-roader.

I was lucky enough to be with our US-based man Chris Collard as we chased the little Roxor south through Baja in the Mexican 1000 back in May, and I was truly impressed by its ability. It wasn’t the fastest vehicle in the field by a long shot, and driver Ned Bacon knew that, but as reported in the January 2020 issue of 4×4 Australia, it kept on keeping on and finished the gruelling rally ahead of many faster cars that fell by the wayside. Just like so many old Jeeps and Broncos have before it.

Nissan has given the Patrol a freshen-up for MY2020 with new styling front and rear, tweaks to the suspension tune, and the inclusion of new safety features on both Ti and Ti-L models.

While midlife style updates often don’t do the original vehicle design justice, the new-look Patrol works well, giving the vehicle a sharper and more integrated overall look that slightly minimises the once bulbous appearance of this undeniably big eight-seat wagon.

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At the front new LED lights and grille combine with two new bumper designs to give the Patrol a more modern appearance. The Ti model grade (as tested) scores what Nissan describes as “a unique sporty front-end design”, while “the Patrol Ti-L front bumper showcases a more premium look”; essentially, the Ti-L bumper has more horizontal lines, more chrome and relocated fog lights. Changes at the rear of both model grades include a slightly different tailgate pressing, redesigned LED tail-lights and a full-width chrome strip with integrated nameplate, giving a tidier and wider overall look.

The equipment changes mostly centre around upgrades to Nissan’s Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS). Both the Ti and Ti-L models are now equipped with Intelligent Emergency Braking, Intelligent Forward Collision Warning and Rear Cross Traffic Alert.

Once exclusive to the Ti-L, the lower-grade Ti now also comes with Intelligent Cruise Control (ICC), Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Intelligent Lane Intervention, Blind Spot Warning (BSW) and Intelligent Blind Spot Intervention. Both models now have auto-folding exterior mirrors.

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These upgrades come at a cost, with the Patrol Ti up by $3110 to $75,990 plus on-roads, and the Ti-L up by $2110 to $91,990 plus on-roads. Despite these modest increases the Patrol is still a relative bargain compared to its most obvious direct competitor, the LandCruiser 200 Series; the well-equipped Patrol Ti is around $4K cheaper than a stripped-out LandCruiser GX, while the top-of-the-range Patrol Ti-L is the same price as a basic LandCruiser GXL. And if you want a Cruiser nearing the Patrol for equipment spec, you’ll need to fork out more than $102K for a VX or more than $123K for the top-spec Cruiser Sahara.

Regardless of the Patrol’s apparent bargain status, the LC200 outsells it on the Aussie market at a rate of almost eight to one. This can be largely attributed to the lack of a diesel engine in the Patrol, which is exclusively powered by a 5.6-litre petrol V8, while the LC200 now comes exclusively with Toyota’s 4.5-litre turbo-diesel V8. The market has spoken … and the market says “diesel rules”.

Powertrain

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Okay, let’s start with the bleeding obvious: the Patrol is a bit of a gas guzzler. But its VK56VD engine is no old-school petrol V8 dinosaur. Despite a ‘no substitute for cubic inches’ 5.6-litre displacement, this lightweight aluminium-block V8 is a high-tech wonder, with aluminium heads, double overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder, direct injection technology for optimum combustion efficiency, and Variable Valve Event and Lift (VVEL) for greater fuel efficiency and output. Claimed peak power is a handy 298kW at 5800rpm and torque peaks at a grunty 560Nm at 4000rpm.

The Patrol itself is no lightweight, however, and in Ti guise it weighs in at a rather hefty 2812kg, so you need to be quite generous with throttle application if you want to make the most of all that on-paper output. Being a big petrol V8, that kind of driving style will have consequences at the fuel bowser.

Nevertheless, put your boot into it and the Patrol will launch off the line with enthusiasm, before it settles into a period of rather linear acceleration throughout the mid-range. Keep your foot planted and the tacho needle goes ballistic from 5000 to 6200rpm in the lower gears, before the seven-speed auto reaches for another ratio. The whole affair is accompanied by a satisfying (if muffled) petrol V8 soundtrack that no diesel engine could ever hope to match.

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Of course, you can’t drive around like a hoon all day long, and if you’re happy to plod along at a reserved pace you’ll soon realise one of the other great benefits of this V8 petrol engine; it’s super smooth, quiet and refined … and not too thirsty. On test we recorded a surprising average fuel consumption figure of 15.2L/100km, which included a mix of city, country and off-road driving, but consumption can drop to as low as 12 to 13L/100km on the freeway.

The Patrol’s seven-speed auto shifts smoothly and offers more than enough ratios for poking around town or cruising on the open road. It can sometimes be a little slow to downshift when you want to press on, but this can be quickly resolved with a prod of the throttle or by knocking the shift lever over to the left and changing gears manually.

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The Patrol uses Nissan’s Intelligent 4×4 system which in ‘Auto’ mode is essentially an on-demand 4×4 system that directs most torque to the rear wheels unless slip is predicted or detected, at which point it will transition up to 50 per cent of torque to the front wheels. The torque transition is seamless. As well as ‘Auto’, there are user-selectable ‘4H’ and ‘4L’ modes for off-road driving conditions, and these are engaged via a dial on the centre console. While ‘4H’ can be selected on the fly, you have to stop and shift into neutral to engage ‘4L’. The low-range gearing offers a crawl ratio of 43.95:1.

The 4×4 system also offers a range of modes to suit different driving conditions (On Road, Rock, Snow and Sand) essentially tailoring throttle sensitivity and transmission function to suit, and the Patrol also features Nissan’s Active Brake Limited Slip (ABLS) traction control system, as well as a user-lockable rear differential lock.

On-road Ride & Handling

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Despite its bulk and weight, the Y62 has always delivered surprisingly agile handling combined with a plush yet controlled ride, and this is still the case despite Nissan tweaking the suspension tune for MY2020. The Patrol’s fully independent double wishbone suspension is key here, with much less unsprung weight than a live-axle arrangement, but the trick Hydraulic Body Motion Control (HBMC) system also plays a big part in how the Patrol drives on the road.

The HBMC system essentially cross-links four oil cylinders (or hydraulic rams) via accumulators and hydraulic pipes so that when cornering, the fluid from the two outside rams flows to the accumulators to raise roll stiffness, which in turn minimises body roll. These rams essentially fulfil the dual functions of shock absorbers and sway bars. The result is a compliant ride when driving over rough surfaces, but the suspension ‘firms up’ when cornering for a sporty feel.

The Patrol rides on 265/70R18 Bridgestone Duelers so there’s plenty of sidewall to soak up bumps, and while the vehicle-speed-sensitive power steering is nice and light at low speeds it firms up enough at higher speeds to offer reasonable feel and good feedback. Sure, the Patrol is no sports car on the road, but it offers more composed handling than any vehicle of this size and weight has a right to … and not at the expense of ride comfort.

Off-road

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Another benefit of the Patrol’s HBMC system is that it doesn’t adversely affect wheel travel when driving off-road, as there are no sway bars. In fact, the Patrol offers impressive wheel travel both at the front and the rear, and it is this that is clearly on display when crawling over undulating terrain.

Other off-road positives include decent low-range reduction, an effective traction control system, good hill descent control, reasonable ground clearance (273mm) and a sturdy under-engine protection plate. The Patrol easily handled all of the off-road obstacles we threw its way including steep and undulating climbs, slippery descents and tight bush tracks.

On the downside, the traction control system disengages when the rear diff is locked, approach and departure angles are not fantastic, and the big side-steps are prone to grounding when driving over erosion drains or manoeuvring around obstacles.

Poor outward visibility doesn’t help in this regard, either (due to the big bonnet, high hipline and smallish rear window); although, the Patrol is equipped with a series of cameras allowing you to select different outward views (wheel placement, in front and behind the vehicle, or simulated 360-degree overhead) which proved handy when dropping over rock shelves or manoeuvring in tight spots.

Accommodation & Safety

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As you’d expect of a big eight-seat wagon, the Patrol offers generous interior space. The big, leather-covered front seats offer a good range of power adjustment, the driver’s seat gets lumbar adjustment, and the steering wheel is tilt/reach adjustable.

The dash design and instrument cluster are a little dated, the former with lots of faux wood and the latter with analogue gauges and monochrome graphics, and you have to reach for buttons around the instrument binnacle to scroll through trip-computer pages and reset the tripmeters.

The centre touchscreen is bright and colourful enough, but its dual controls (touch and dash-mounted buttons/dials) are awkward, while the lack of Apple CarPlay/Android Auto is an almost unforgivable oversight in this day and age. Other controls such as heating and ventilation require some user familiarisation; although, the 4×4 system and off-road mode controls are clearly marked and easy to use.

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There’s plenty of storage space around the cabin including a big centre-console bin, a decent-size glove box and generous door pockets with bottle holders. There are two USB ports up front and two 12V power outlets.

The 60:40 split/fold second-row seat offers plenty of width for three occupants and good leg room, even in the centre position. There’s clever access to the centre console bin between the front seats from this row (it has a double-hinged lid), and those in the middle row also get large door pockets, AC controls, roof vents and two USB ports.

Access to the third-row seats is good thanks to tumble/fold second row seats, but once back there it’s quite cosy and really only suited to smaller kids. Fitting three across the third row would be a real challenge and, although the centre position has a three-point seat belt, there’s no headrest. There are roof vents and cup holders in the third row and the seat-backs have rake adjustment.

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The cargo area is big enough to fit a 30-litre fridge and some other luggage, even with all three rows of seats in use. Fold the third-row seats down and the cargo area is huge. Fold the second-row seats down as well and it’s downright massive in the back of the Patrol, with an almost flat floor all the way to the back of the front seats. There’s a 12V power outlet in the cargo area, six cargo tie-down points and a small underfloor storage area suitable for wet or dirty gear. The one-piece lift-up tailgate is quite heavy and there’s no power assistance.

On the safety front, the Patrol packs the aforementioned Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS), the usual array of three-letter abbreviations (ABS, TCS, VDC, EBD), driver and passenger front and side SRS airbags, curtain airbags for all three rows, two second-row ISOFIX and two top-tether child seat anchors, a third-row child seat anchor, and a tyre-pressure monitoring system (TPMS).

Practicalities

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There’s no denying that the Y62 Patrol is a big beast, and when it comes to tight spots such as shopping centre carparks or bush tracks, it can be a handful; but the steering lock is reasonable and results in a 12.5m turning circle, which is on par with many 4×4 utes. The external cameras that feed the around-view monitor help in this regard.

The Patrol has recovery points fitted front and rear and a reasonable under-engine protection plate. Underbody components, including the underslung full-size spare wheel, are tucked up and out of the way.

There’s not much space under the bonnet, so those wanting to fit a dual-battery system will have to position the auxiliary battery under the vehicle or in a box in the cargo area. The air intake is located up high and through the passenger-side inner guard, but the alternator is located quite low in the engine bay.

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The Patrol might be a thirsty beast, but with a 140-litre fuel tank you’ll get more than 900km out of a fill, so long as you don’t get too heavy with the throttle. Nissan recommends 95 RON minimum, and there’s a sticker inside the fuel lid suggesting 98 RON, so your credit card will take a hammering at the servo.

The Patrol Ti has a decent 688kg payload capacity and it’s rated to tow a braked trailer up to 3500kg but, again, it’ll get thirsty with a big trailer on the back.

In Summary

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This latest update to the Y62 Patrol gives it a fresh, new exterior look, but it would’ve been nice if there were a few more updates on the inside, too. Nevertheless, the Patrol Ti is a fantastic vehicle, both on the road and off it, and it packs plenty of standard equipment for the asking price. As a petrol-V8-only proposition, though, it will always be a bit player in the upper-large 4×4 wagon segment.

Since the Y62 Patrol was launched in Australia back in 2012, there have been rumours of a diesel variant, and it’s a real pity such a model has never materialised because we reckon it would sell like hotcakes and give the 200 Series Toyota LandCruiser a run for its money, as well as some of the more expensive top-spec 4×4 utes.

NISSAN PATROL Ti SPECS: Engine: 5.6L petrol V8, direct-injection Max Power: 298kW at 5800rpm Max Torque: 560Nm at 4000rpm Gearbox: 7-speed automatic Crawl Ratio: 43.95:1 4×4 System: On-demand full-time 4×4 Construction: Separate-chassis Front Suspension: Independent/coil springs, linked hydraulic dampers Rear Suspension: Independent/coil springs, linked hydraulic dampers Wheel & Tyre: 18 x 8J alloy/265/70R18 116H Kerb Weight: 2812kg GVM: 3500kg Payload: 688kg Towing Capacity: 3500kg Towball Download: 350kg Departure angle: 23.6° Rampover angle: N/A Approach angle: 34.4° Wading depth: N/A Ground clearance: 273mm Fuel Tank Capacity: 140 litres ADR Fuel Claim: 14.4L/100km

WHILE most electric pick-up trucks coming to the market are utilising chassis platforms that lack the required rigidity for extreme off-road use – think Rivian’s skateboard platform – EV start-up Bollinger Motors has designed and manufactured an EV that’d be more than capable on the rough stuff.

Utilising a fully independent, height adjustable suspension design coupled to gear-reduction portal hubs, the Bollinger B1 and B2 EVs are promising 394mm of ground clearance, 254mm of suspension travel, and approach and departures angles of 56 and 53 degrees respectively.

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And now the Michigan-based mob has filed for patent protection for its unique all-electric, all-wheel drive vehicles, the B1 sport utility truck and B2 pick-up truck, and its associated technology.

In a press release filed by Bollinger Motors, the provisional patent “highlights the vehicle-controls strategy and innovative software solutions used to achieve performance targets including adjustable ride height, variable payload responses, virtual front and rear differential, and various modes of operations, including outboard power usage.

“The technical content contained in the application provides substantial competitive advantage and adds to a growing portfolio of intellectual property for Bollinger Motors,” the press release adds.

The provisional patent, originally filed on November 18, also contains: mechanical architecture, electrical architecture, electric drivetrain, modes of operation, configurability, and common vehicle platform with multiple embodiments.

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“Our team has created a vehicle that’s engineered and packaged unlike anything ever built,” said CEO Robert Bollinger. “Filing this patent will help protect that hard work, and help showcase the outstanding engineering capabilities of our company.”

The production-spec four-door 2020 B1 and B2 were officially revealed in September, 2019, with both vehicles sharing the same dual electric motor set-up – totalling 458kW and 906Nm – running through a two-speed Hi/Lo gearbox. More specs and info can be found here.

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Bollinger Motors says its vehicle will go into production this year and will be available in 2021, although it is yet to reveal who will be perfroming the actual production. It is currently accepting deposits on the two variants which are expected to cost more than US$120,000. For now, however, Bollinger Motors is focusing on the US market, so we’ll have to bide our time before we see it locally.

“We are prioritizing the US market for our first production, but we are planning for export markets as well,” Bollinger says on its website.

The seven most interesting 4×4 vehicles of 2019 get together for a week to determine the 4×4 Of The Year.

INTRODUCTION
The seven most interesting 4×4 vehicles get together for a week to determine the 4×4 Of The Year.

BEHIND THE SCENES
A behind-the-scenes look at what goes into conducting 4x4OTY

JUDGES RANKING
Here is how our either 4×4 of the year contenders finished…

WINNER
Ford Ranger Raptor crowned 2019 4×4 of the Year 

AFTER a total of 111 days on the road, crossing 23 countries and clocking up 19,000km, the eight-member team of The Last Overland Expedition reached its final destination of London early last month.

The team, comprising English, French, American, Belgian, Indonesian and Singaporean nationals, completed the journey in three Land Rover Defenders, including the original 64-year-old Series I wagon nicknamed “Oxford” that completed the iconic 1955-1956 expedition from London to Singapore.

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Following the original expedition Oxford ended up on the remote island of St Helena, where it was used for a few decades before being neglected. Fortunately, Oxford was recovered and restored back to roadworthy condition in the United Kingdom in 2017.

Setting off from Singapore on August 25, the team crossed into Malaysia, making its way up the peninsula into Thailand, up through Myanmar, and crossing the mountainous regions of the Himalayas and Tibet.

While the original route crossed through the regions of Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria, the team decided to travel through Nepal, around China, briefly skimming the borders of Tajikistan and Afghanistan up into Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, and then across the Bosphorus into Europe.

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Despite the long and arduous journey the team reported that Oxford managed to complete the journey without much fault, save for one particular episode of a back wheel falling off at 70km/h in Turkmenistan, which severed the brake line. Luckily, the team managed to find a local workshop to mend Oxford.

The team members had to endure extreme altitudes and temperatures, as well as various diets along the way, with occasional food poisoning episodes and the need for supplementary oxygen to cope with altitude sickness at certain points of the journey.

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As reported initially, Tim Slessor, one of three surviving members of the original expedition, was meant to join The Last Overland team as the co-driver of Oxford. However, at the last minute, Slessor, who was recovering from a recent surgery, decided that at the advanced age of 88 the realities of his physique would be putting the expedition at risk if he were to fall ill along the way. Slessor’s grandson, Nat George, who just finished his studies in the UK, agreed to take his grandfather’s place and jumped on a plane to Singapore to join the team as its youngest member.

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After crossing through mainland Europe and making a symbolic stop at the new 2020 Land Rover Defender‘s production line in Slovakia, the team was warmly received at Folkestone, the Euro Tunnel’s UK port of entry and expedition’s entry point into the country, by a welcome party and Slessor himself. There, Land Rover presented a new Defender wrapped in a special one-off Oxford & Cambridge Expedition livery to mark the occasion.

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“This journey was definitely an action-packed one filled with many ups and downs, and I can’t believe how quickly the 18 months that went into planning this journey has brought us here, all in one piece,” said Alex Bescoby, film-maker and one of the expedition’s leaders.

“We’ve managed to drive this incredible 64-year-old car once more, to so many remote and fascinating parts of the world, through tropical monsoons, -20°C temperatures and at more than 5000m above sea level. Oxford took it all in stride.

“From Nagaland to Tibet, from Turkmenistan to Serbia, the welcome we’ve received has been unbelievable.”

Picture: Taking a break at the Marco Polo sheep statue that marks the entry into Tajikistan from Kyrgyzstan

Bescoby, with his documentary company, Grammar Productions, will be producing a film on The Last Overland Expedition and how much the world has changed since the original expedition travelled the route more than six decades earlier. The film is expected to come out later this year.

The team eventually made its way to its final destination, the London Hilton on Park Lane, which was located close to the starting line of The First Overland Expedition in 1956. It copped a parking fine from the City of Westminster soon after.

A mate of mine, and sometimes 4X4 Australia contributor, David Morley recently wrote an opinion piece for MOTOR magazine blaming, in a roundabout kind of way, the increase in the road toll on the rising popularity of dual-cab utes over conventional cars.

Dave pointed out that the road toll in Victoria was up by 26.3 per cent for the first 11 months of 2019 compared with the same period in 2018. He then questioned the government’s repeated and unfounded claims that speed is to blame for much of this increase.

However, as there have been no increases to the speed limit in that period and no real deterioration in the state of the roads – and as many level crossings in the state have been removed – there should have, in theory, been a reduction in the road toll over the period. Dave also points out that drivers are no more talentless than they’ve ever been, so that can’t be the reason either.

So, what’s going on? Dave surmises that vehicles must have become “less life-saving”.

This argument seems counter-intuitive because cars are said to be safer than ever before. Dave, however, is not referring to crash-worthiness, but to dynamic safety, and he goes on to argue that the growth in popularity of dual-cab utes has therefore skewed the road toll. “Utes – actually, let’s call them light-trucks, for that, thanks to their ladder-chassis construction and compromise tyres, is precisely what they are – just don’t have the dynamics of a conventional car,” Dave writes.

Having driven pretty much all of the dual-cab ute models sold in this country since 1994, I can only agree with Dave’s assessment – dual-cab utes certainly don’t have the dynamics of well-engineered, modern, conventional passenger cars.

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Most utes are generally heavier, have a higher centre of gravity, have higher-profile and often Light Truck construction tyres, have rudimentary live-axle rear suspension with leaf springs, and run rear drum brakes. In addition, their ability to haul up to a tonne in cargo means there are some pretty major ride and handling compromises when they are either fully unladen or, conversely, loaded to the hilt. Sure, not all conventional cars are the last word in on-road dynamics, either, but as a general rule most cars offer better dynamics than most utes on the road.

Dave also points out that “utes have been late to the autonomous braking (and other safety tech) party”, and this point is of great importance. Utes definitely have been late to the safety tech party, with passenger cars and 4×4 wagons equipped with technology such as electronic traction control and vehicle stability control much earlier than utes. As for AEB, forward collision alert, lane-departure warning and adaptive cruise control, this kind of tech is only now starting to filter through to utes, while many passenger cars have had this kind of tech for some time.

Of those utes that are equipped with the latest safety tech, they are no doubt more ‘life saving’ than ever before, because if you can avoid a crash in the first place then you’re not going to contribute to the increase in the road toll.

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Of the modern utes equipped with stability control and AEB (Ford Ranger, Mercedes-Benz X-Class, Mitsubishi Triton and Toyota Hilux), I reckon you’d be hard pressed to crash them, except through complete inattention or sheer stupidity. Throw one into a corner too hard and the stability control will generally ensure you don’t lose control. Forget to put your foot on the brake when the car in front stops then hopefully the AEB will save your bacon. And over the next few years advanced safety tech like this will no doubt become the standard in all 4×4 utes.

Dave told me his column caused quite a stir among many who read it, with many ute owners leaping to the defense of their vehicle of choice; but regardless of how much electronic cleverness is thrown at utes, while they run old-school chassis architecture, suspension and brakes, they’re still not going to be as dynamically sound as equally equipped conventional cars. But, hey, neither are most 4×4 wagons … and if you want a vehicle that’s capable on the road as well as off it, then there will always be compromises.

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Of course, most enthusiast four-wheel drivers are aware of this and will drive their vehicles accordingly, but for those with less of an appreciation of the vehicle they are driving, we can only hope vehicle manufacturers start adding the full suite of new safety tech to utes as soon as it becomes available, rather than trickling it down from luxury cars to family cars to 4×4 wagons and lastly to utes.

P.S. Dave has been invited to a meeting with the folk at ANCAP (Australian New Car Assessment Program) to discuss some of the points he raised in his MOTOR column. If anything relevant comes out of it, we’ll let you know.

MITSUBUSHI has given its Pajero Sport a midlife update, with the 2020 model bolstered by a new-look front-end, a power tailgate and a new digital instrument display.

The Pajero Sport’s front-end has been given the same treatment that the Triton ute scored during its midlife refresh in 2019, with Mitsubishi’s ‘Dynamic Shield’ design concept giving the Sport more chrome and a wider, bolder visual punch. However, the changes – albeit minor – do run deeper than a facelift.

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“This new Pajero Sport doesn’t only bring a facelift, it offers improvements to practical use,” said Owen Thomson, Senior Manager, Product Strategy at Mitsubishi Motors Australia. “There are a number of small, subtle changes in this new model that add up to deliver a better ownership experience.

“The new model adds some important functionality that I think will please Australian drivers – the digital dash, the power tailgate – and more practical and thoughtful spec changes such as small-item storage and turning lamps that will improve the overall driving experience.”

That digital dash is an eight-inch colour LCD instrument panel which is only available on Exceed models, while Apple CarPlay/Android Auto are accessible via the smartphone-link display audio (SDA) system. A nifty remote control app has also been developed, which allows the user to control aspects of the vehicle (again, Exceed only) remotely including the all-new power tailgate.

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Punters can now open and shut the tailgate via hands-free operation, thanks to a kick-motion sensor positioned beneath the rear bar. Another clever feature of the power tailgate is a switch-operated intermediate stop, which can stop the tailgate at a desired position.

All else remains the same, with the 2.4-litre MIVEC turbo-diesel engine and eight-speed automatic transmission (yes, auto only) staying put. The four-cylinder unit musters a claimed 133kW and 430Nm.

The established Super Select 4WD-II drivetrain also carries over and continues to offer four drive modes: 2H, 4H, 4HLc and 4LLc. Introduced with the MY19 update, the 4WD models retain the Off-Road Mode Selector that regulates drivetrain componentry (transmission, braking and engine torque) to maximise all-terrain performance. The Selector offers the choice of Gravel, Mud/Snow, Sand and Rock modes.

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Independent front suspension with double wishbones and a live-axle three-link rear set-up have been retained.

New safety kit for 2020 includes Lane Change Assist (LCA) and Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA), while carryover safety features include Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD), Emergency Stop Signal system (ESS), Hill Start Assist and Hill Descent Control.

Buyers now also have the choice of two brand-new hues: White Diamond and Graphite Grey (metallic).

The third-generation Pajero Sport enters its fifth year of production this year, with the off-road capable wagon first launched back in August 2015. As at June 2019, approximately 260,000 units have been produced.

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2020 Mitusibishi Pajero Sport Pricing

New 4x4s from Land Rover, Jeep, Nissan, Isuzu and most likely Toyota and Mazda will hit the showrooms in 2020. Here’s a rundown on what to expect…

Nissan Y62 Patrol

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Nissan’s Y62 Patrol has been around a surprising 10 years now (eight in Australia), but somehow still seems new, perhaps because of its still-ahead-of-the-game high-tech suspension.

For 2020, all the Y62 basics, including the trick suspension and thundering V8 remain, but there’s new safety tech galore, especially on the less expensive of the two models, the Ti.

It gains radar cruise, lane-departure warning/intervention, and blind-spot warning/intervention. The Ti and the Ti-L then gain automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning and rear cross-traffic alert. New colours, distinctive new front and rear styling, and some seemingly unnecessary fiddling with high-speed damper response complete the 2020 overhaul. And while prices have drifted north by $2000 to $3000, they still remain well south of what Toyota asks for its LandCruiser 200.

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What you don’t get with the Patrol is, of course, a diesel engine, but the Patrol’s 5.6-litre petrol V8 is a cracker; energetic, urgent and free revving, it brings performance aplenty despite Patrol’s notable size. And while thirsty if you dip into the power on offer, light-throttle cruising can be surprisingly thrifty.

Either way, the 140-litre tank ensures you don’t run out of petrol too often. And all this performance isn’t lost on a chassis that offers near physics-defying on-road handling with flat cornering and a supple ride thanks to fully independent Hydraulic Body Motion Control suspension. Off road, the active hydraulic rams and the lack of suspension-travel restricting swaybars provide excellent wheel articulation, even if a bit more ground clearance would be handy.

Nissan Navara N-Trek Warrior

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More significant than the new Patrol for Nissan in 2020 is the new ‘hero’ model in the Navara range in the form of the N-Trek Warrior.

The Warrior builds on the Navara N-Trek, but where the N-Trek is merely an exercise in styling enhancement, the Warrior is an exercise in chassis engineering. This is performed locally by Premcar, the current embodiment of the Prodrive, Tickford, FPV dynasty, so has proven expertise and experience to call upon.

Aside from new springs, dampers and wheel/tyre package that headline the Warrior’s upgrade, there’s also a bespoke steel front bar, stainless steel underbody protection, an LED light bar and various styling enhancements. Premcar will manufacture the Warrior in Melbourne and it will be sold through Nissan dealers with full Nissan factory warranty.

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The chassis changes have brought 40mm more lift, 25mm of that via the taller 275/70R17 Cooper Discoverer light-truck all-terrains, while the extra wheel offset has increased wheel track 30mm to 1600mm at both ends. Lighter initial springs rates but firmer secondary rates, the front via an extra long progressive rubber bump stops, are matched with more substantial Tenneco dampers specifically valved by Premcar’s engineers.

We have driven it and it works. On the road the ride initially feels firm, no doubt due to stronger compression damping and despite the softer initial springs, but the faster you go the better it feels. So good in fact that every Navara should have this sort of expertise directed at its suspension.

Off-road, the larger diameter, more robust and more aggressive tyres and the extra clearance both combine to take the Warrior to an off-road competence level that a standard Navara can only dream about. The Warrior carries over a standard Navara powertrain and will be offered with both six-speed manual and seven-speed automatic gearboxes.

Land Rover Defender

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Four years have passed since the last of the ‘old Defenders’ ended 67 years of continuous production of a line of 4x4s that evolved from the original 1948 Land Rover.

What will appear as the Defender in 2020 bears no resemblance to the past and is very much a product of today. No separate chassis and no live axles, the new Defender couldn’t be any more high-tech with its largely aluminium monocoque construction and fully independent suspension.

The good news is the Defender has been developed from the current Discovery platform, which in turn was developed from the current Range Rover/Range Rover Sport platform that debuted in late 2012, so it has provenance. It will be initially available in Australia in a number of spec levels with lots of equipment options but only as a ‘110’ four-door wagon. A two-door ‘90’ will follow, possibly in 2021.

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Australian buyers can choose from two four-cylinder 2.0-litre bi-turbo diesels (147kW and 177kW) or a supercharged and turbocharged 3.0-litre straight-six petrol engine with a sizzling 294kW and an energy recouping ‘mild hybrid’ system.

All Australian models will have an eight-speed automatic gearbox, dual-range full-time 4×4 and height-adjustable air suspension. Wheel sizes start at 18-inch and Land Rover promises the new Defender will be the most off-road capable Land Rover ever. We can’t wait!

Jeep Gladiator

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Given the popularity of pick-up trucks in North America and utes just about everywhere else in the world, it’s no surprise Jeep has developed the Gladiator. It’s actually not the first time that Jeep has made a pick-up or ute and it’s not the first time that the Gladiator name has been attached to the same.

While it looks like the Gladiator is a Wrangler with a tub on the back, the wheelbase has been extended and the five-link rear suspension adapted from the Ram 1500 pick-up to give it a bigger payload and towing capacity than the Wrangler.

However, with a payload of just 620kg and a tow rating of 2721kg it’s still well down on what the popular dual-cab utes offer. The Gladiator does have live axles at both ends, though, which will distinguish it from all of the popular utes here bar Toyota’s LC79, and will help off-road.

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Initially, the familiar 3.6-litre petrol V6 from the Wrangler will be offered with an eight-speed automatic gearbox, and if we do see a diesel down the track it may be the 3.0-litre V6 diesel from the Ram and Grand Cherokee rather than the 2.2-litre four-cylinder diesel in the Wrangler.

Overland and Rubicon models will be offered, the latter with bits from the Wrangler Rubicon: front and rear lockers, front swaybar disconnect, lower axle ratios and a lower transfer ratio. It appears as though the Gladiator will get a full-time 4×4 mode in both of the two transfer cases on offer.

Isuzu D-Max

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Also slated for a mid-year release is the next-generation D-Max, which unlike the current D-Max is not a result of a joint venture with General Motors. This new D-Max is in fact an Isuzu from the ground up, which is the way that Isuzu has historically gone about designing its own utes.

The 2020 D-Max is bigger overall than the current model, no doubt to compete with the big utes like the Ford Ranger and Volkswagen Amarok. The 2020 D-Max also will be better equipped and seemingly more passenger-car like in presentation and detail compared to the more commercially flavoured current model. At the same time, more wading depth and a standard rear locker suggest more 4×4 ability; although, the true benefit of the locker will depend on how it is integrated with the electronic traction control as some lockers switch off the ETC across both axles, so don’t bring much benefit.

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Significantly, the 2020 D-max will be powered by a slightly tuned-up (140kW/450Nm vs. 130kW/430Nm) version of long-serving 3.0-litre four-cylinder diesel currently used, presumably backed by the current six-speed Aisin automatic and six-speed Isuzu manual gearboxes.

While a smaller (1.9-litre) bi-turbo and Euro 6 compliant diesel is offered elsewhere, it’s unlikely to come to Australia until Euro 6 does. If and when Euro 6 comes into play, Isuzu may still prefer to fit selective catalytic reduction technology (AdBlue) to the ‘big’ 3.0-litre four.

New features on the D-Max include electric power steering, tilt-and-reach steering wheel adjustment, auto headlights and wipers, and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto. Rear cross-traffic alert and blind-spot warning also become standard features. The Thai reveal of the 2020 D-Max didn’t mention AEB, but that could well make it onto Australian models.

Mazda BT-50

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Mazda isn’t giving anything away right now but a new BT-50, with ties to the 2020 D-Max, is reportedly in the pipeline and will appear in late 2020. If so, this is a swapping of partners for Mazda and Isuzu, given Mazda worked with Ford and Isuzu with General Motors in the design and development of the current-generation utes.

The fact that Isuzu has already revealed its new D-Max while Mazda remains light-lipped suggests that, if these two new utes are indeed a co-operative effort, then Isuzu has taken the lead in this project. Isuzu being the senior partner would also make sense given Isuzu’s main game is utes (and trucks) where Mazda’s main game is passenger cars and SUVs.

Assuming that Mazda does have a new ute in the pipeline, and there’s a tie-up with Isuzu, there are a few possibilities. Mazda could just stick its badge on a D-Max , or do a re-skin (new body panels), or perhaps do all that and add its own powertrain. Mazda’s CX-8 has a 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel that claims 140kW and 450Nm, which matches the new D-Max’s numbers.

Toyota LandCruiser 200 and LandCruiser Prado

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In 2020, Toyota’s LandCruiser 200 will be 13 years old while its Prado, or LandCruiser 150, will be 11 years old. Time for new models, one would think. Mind you, we have been saying that for ages and new models are yet to materialise. What’s more, Toyota is saying nothing.

The timeline for release in Australia of either a 200 replacement (let’s call it a 300) or a 150 replacement (let’s call it a 180) will likely hinge around the implementation of Euro 6 emissions regulations, which is still up in the air.

If Toyota released the ‘300’ and the ‘180’ now – as in time of writing – it could make do with the current Euro 5 diesel engines. If Euro 6 comes into play before then, the 2.8-litre four in Prado can be readily converted to Euro 6 with the addition of selective catalytic reduction (AdBlue). Toyota has already told us that much. The 4.5-litre V8 diesel should also be able to meet Euro 6 but will require more work.

New petrol engines for both the ‘300’ and the ‘180’ are also in the pipeline, but they may not appear in Australian models in the short term while buyer preference in this market sector remains firmly in the diesel camp. And when new petrol engines do appear they will be most likely teamed up to secondary electric motors in hybrid powertrains.

Otherwise it’s probably business as usual; separate chassis, a rear live axle and mechanical full-time 4×4.

Ford Raptor V8

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Earlier this year, Wheels Magazine published a yarn claiming Ford is readying a high-performance Ranger Raptor complete with V8 power. The report claims Ford will replace the vehicle’s four-cylinder diesel engine with a Ford Mustang-spec 5.0-litre V8; what’s even better, Wheels states the project has been sanctioned by Ford Australia and “will be the result of a local engineering effort”. Read Toby Hagon’s breaking story here.