WhichCar
4x4australia

2018 4X4 Of The Year winner revealed

Six contenders made the shortlist, but only one was crowned king

2018 4X4 Of The Year winner revealed news
Gallery2

LAND Rover’s new-from-the-ground-up Discovery has won the 2018 4X4 of the Year award, in SD4 guise.

In the end it came down to the SD4’s game-changing shift in terms of weight versus size, and engine versus performance. The Discovery is comfortable and capable unit on the black-top, yet it doesn’t become fussed when the tracks turn nasty.

 Apart from tyre sidewall vulnerability – which can be easily overcome – the Discovery is a great all-rounder and well-deserved of the 4X4OTY gong.

Judges independently scored each vehicle against a set list of criteria – value for money, breaking new ground, built tough, bushability and doing the job it’s designed to do – and after the votes were tallied, the SD4 narrowly clinched victory ahead of the Isuzu MU-X.

 The MU-X was an unlucky runner-up, winning over most judges for being well-proven and just ‘getting the job done’. Ron Moon even said if he was to pick one to do a lap around Australia, it’d be the MU-X.

Why the SD4 and not the TD6? The TD6 asks for an extra $7K, but the extra cylinders don’t push it a hell of a lot harder than the SD4. It may be relaxed, but it also uses more fuel; somewhat levelling out its bigger fuel tank (85 versus 77 litres). Also, if you want the V6 with a coil-spring set-up you can’t get the rear locker.

 Stay tuned to 4X4Australia.com.au this week for a complete run-down of the 2018 4X4OTY.

Final scores (out of a possible 350)

Land Rover Discovery SD4: 237

Isuzu MU-X: 235

Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk: 230

Land Rover Discovery TD6: 223

Mercedes-Benz G300D Pro: 221

Haval H9: 218

COMMENTS

Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.