Latest news with #4x4
Telegraph
07-06-2025
- Automotive
- Telegraph
Jeep Avenger 4xe review: Dumpy, cute and ready for off-road action
With its rugged off-road demeanour including wheels shod with chunky mud and snow tyres, Jeep 's latest compact 4x4 looks fabulous. Dumpy, cute and ready for action all at the same time. But then you might say the same of the US 4x4 specialist's Renegade, yesterday's baby Jeep, which is still available as a hybrid and plug-in hybrid at higher prices. In these straitened times, Jeep's owner Stellantis – as with all other large car-producing conglomerates – dictates that everything has to use a Group platform, sharing engines, drivetrains and countless other widgets to reduce cost. But why on earth would you want a small Jeep capable of crawling up the side of a mountain when it's likely the most extreme driving you'll ever do is mount a kerb outside Sainsbury's or ford a large puddle? The market seems to think so too, for while these small B-segment SUVs occupy 21 per cent of the entire European new-car market, four-wheel drive examples account for only 15 per cent of that segment. Jeep owners, however, are different and 28 per cent of them specify their small SUVs with all-wheel drive. And why wouldn't you want a cutesy off-roader which can also cut the mustard when snow falls or the road with grass growing in the middle turns into a track? So, while the 2023 Car of the Year-winning Avenger starts at £24,999 with front-wheel drive, a significant number will choose this all-wheel-drive 4xe version, which starts at £30,999. And as well as stereotypical 4x4 looks, the all-wheel-drive versions gain roof bars, suspension raised by 10mm for improved off-roading ground clearance along with more day-to-day niceties such as car park-proof, grey anti-scratch panels around the bumpers, sills and door panels. The oily bits The engine is the Group's 1.2-litre turbocharged three-cyclinder petrol unit providing 134bhp and 169lb ft of torque, driving the front wheels via a six-speed twin-clutch gearbox. The 48-volt hybrid system consists of two 28bhp electric motors, one in the gearbox acting as a motor/generator and another aft driving the rear wheels. With a 0.9kWh lithium-ion battery under the passenger seat, the system's peak power is 143bhp, enough to give this 1,455kg off-roader a top speed of 120mph, with 0-62mph in 9.5sec. The quoted fuel consumption is 52.2mpg, but in a mixed route, including some low-speed off-roading, I achieved 44mpg. CO2 emissions are 122g/km, which means the first year VED will be £440. The 4xe has a ground clearance of 210mm and will ford up to 400mm of water. Off-roading aficionados will appreciate the approach/breakover/departure angles of 22/21/35 degrees respectively. The suspension is different to the front-drive models, sharing MacPherson struts at the front but with an independent multi-link set-up in place of the technically inferior twist-beam axle of lesser models. It's 4,090mm long, 1,810mm wide, 1,540mm high and has a 2,560mm wheelbase. The boot is 325 litres with the rear seats up and 1,218mm with them folded which, thanks to the space-hungry suspension and rear electric motor, is 30 litres less than the fully electric Avenger and 45 litres less than the standard hybrid. Inside job The plastic interior panels, with textured surfaces, are easy to clean and well put together, but more military Jeep than sophisticated Audi – far from premium in feel. The seats are comfortable and supportive, featuring a variety of materials depending on which of the three trim levels you choose; at the top of the range, a tie-up with outdoor equipment specialist North Face provides a washable vinyl. The driving position feels high and a little cramped at first and it takes patience to adjust an accommodating seat and steering wheel position. The rear seats are cramped – to get four adults aboard requires everyone to compromise on leg room. The rear seat backs fold onto their bases but the load bed isn't flat. And if the interior design feels a bit dated, with its 10.25-inch screens and slightly slow-to-react software, the design has wit and charm. The fording depth indicator is a little duck etched into the front panel, while The North Face editions have a facia end plate etched with a silhouette of the new Compass C-segment Jeep. On the road The initial pull away can be a bit grinding as the wet clutches of the six-speed DCT gearbox take up the strain, after that, however, the unit is smooth and quiet. An extra clutch deploys the rear electric motor, but it's hard to detect its operation in the 'snow and mud', nor the 'auto', driving modes. For the most part the Jeep is front-wheel drive and none the worse for it. There is a 'sport' mode, which sharpens the responses to the accelerator pedal and the steering, but as you might expect this is not a sporting car. Overtaking requires anticipation verging on astrology. However, you can make swift progress driving gently; jam the accelerator pedal to the floor and there's a lot of gear-changing and variable noise, but not a lot of haste. The ride is good, too, better than the standard Avenger and much better than the electric version. Off the road Anxious to prove the 4xe's mettle, Jeep laid out a tricky off-road course set out on a Florentine hill on greasy track across olive groves. Even with its tyre treads full of sticky mud, the little car clambered up rock beds and down slippery slopes. Electronic hill descent control covers a lot of sins, but the controllability of the electric drivetrain was not only confidence-inspiring but allowed a gentle approach to the long, challenging route. Smoothness beats speed when it comes to such terrain. The Telegraph verdict There really is nothing else like this car on the market. A small SUV with authentic off-road ability, it will scrabble up slippery rocks, ford standing water and negotiate greasy descents. Suzuki used to provide this sort of thing with the Jimny, but everything else, the Dacia Duster, Mini Countryman All4, Kia Niro and others, are more compromised in their off-road capabilities. The big question, of course, is whether you will use any of those capabilities and are also prepared to pay for them. For while the Jeep Avenger 4xe is a pretty good drive, rides well and is reasonably practical, it's quite expensive. The off-road pedigree inherent in the Jeep brand will sway it for many although the 4x4 Dacia Duster, more than £6,000 cheaper, presents an equally compelling case. The facts On test: Jeep Avenger 4xe Body style: five-door B-segment SUV On sale: now How much? from £30,999 How fast? 120mph, 0-62mph in 9.5sec How economical? 52.2mpg (WLTP Combined), 44mpg on test Engine & gearbox: 1.2-litre 134bhp/169lb ft three-cylinder petrol turbo engine with twin 28bhp electric motors, 0.9kWh lithium-ion battery and a 48-volt hybrid 4x4 system, six-speed twin clutch automatic gearbox, four-wheel drive (rear wheels electric only) Maximum power/torque: 144bhp CO2 emissions: 122g/km (WLTP Combined) VED: £440 first year, then £195 Warranty: 3 years/unlimited mileage The rivals Jeep Renegade plug-in hybrid, from £38,500 Based on the popular but rudimentary Fiat 500L, the Renegade was launched in 2014 and has done solid business, but it's tricky to justify the price for a four-wheel-drive supermini. The PHEV was launched in 2020, but will be slowly phased out as the Revenge 4x4 takes its place. Quite fun to drive, but you might be better with the e-Hybrid version at £32,699. Dacia Duster TCe 130 4x4, from £23,550 Manual only, with a mild hybrid-enhanced three-cylinder engine, this combination of older Renault technology under a new body is hard to beat on price, although cheaper versions feel precisely that. Drives respectably, the interior is reasonably spacious and it's pretty good to drive. Some of the touchscreen graphics are a bit amateur, but it all works. Likely to be overshadowed by the new Dacia Bigster in the eyes of family buyers, but for off-road fun and lack of frippery the Duster has few peers.
Auto Car
04-06-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Car
WATCH: Off-road mega test - what's the best 4x4?
We may not be in the same league as the indigenous peoples of North America when talking about snow, or those of the Middle East about sand. Clag, clart, gunk, mire, ooze – call it what you will, it seems we are notorious global experts on it. And we're looking at the full glorious spectrum of it today, in an old Rutland limestone quarry criss-crossed with tracks and paths. This is exactly the kind of place we need to be to settle a question posed by the arrival of the new, J250-generation Toyota Land Cruiser. Here and now, which is the best, toughest and most capable road-legal, dual-purpose off-roading 4x4 on sale? We tested it against the Ineos Grenadier and Land Rover Defender to find out - watch the video above for our definitive verdict.
The Herald
03-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Herald
How to get your Ford Ranger Raptor properly stuck in the mud
The solution was as clear as mud. Here I was with a Ford Ranger Raptor on its belly in a swamp unable to move a centimetre, and having a deep ponder about how life can blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday, as the Baz Luhrmann song Sunscreen goes. Before this somewhat embarrassing incident I'd previously driven the second-generation Raptor in various off-road playgrounds including rocky trails and Namibian sand dunes, and the burly 4x4 had felt near invincible in tackling them. It's Ford's most off-road-focused bakkie with a towering ground clearance, fat all-terrain tyres, fancy position-sensitive Fox suspension and every traction-enhancing trick you can think of. And it's got a belter of a V6 turbo petrol engine. Tested with a V box, the big bakkie soared from 0-100km/h in a hot hatch-like 6.7 seconds, making it the quickest bakkie we've yet tested by quite a margin. Back to our swamp quandary. I hadn't intended to go off-roading that particular evening while on a camping trip. I was making an innocuous U-turn on a gravel road in the campsite, and as my arc took me into a veld the Raptor suddenly bogged down in a swamp hidden in the grass. Just bad luck. A few metres away cars were parked in the same veld on solid ground. I engaged 4x4, low range and Mud mode. I wrenched the steering from side to side to try to gain extra traction as I pressed the throttle. Nothing. The Ford did as it was designed and all four wheels were turning with the front and rear differentials locked, but there was zero traction. The quagmire was so slippery the bakkie was going nowhere.
Auto Express
28-05-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Express
Car hunter: Help! I need a rugged off-road 4x4 for £25,000
Dear Auto Express, I'm looking for a smart-looking, rugged 4x4 estate or SUV with room for a dog. What do you recommend for £25,000? - Richard Newman, E-mail In days gone by, few cars combined genuine off-road ability with polished on road manners. But in the current used car market there are a number of well-rounded options that perform on and off the beaten track. Advertisement - Article continues below Anything wearing a Land Rover badge is unlikely to get stuck – take the tough Land Rover Discovery Sport, for instance. However, if you're willing to sacrifice a degree of all-terrain ability for sleeker looks and tighter dynamics, Volvo, Skoda and others offer jacked-up 4x4 estate cars. The Audi A4 Allroad is sharply styled with a beautifully built cabin, and uses the firm's quattro system to find grip on slippery surfaces. Then there's the Subaru Outback, which trades the Audi's luxuries for more off-road credentials. With this in mind, here are the best versatile 4x4s and off-road cars you can buy for £25,000. Here's our expert pick of the three best used 4x4 and off-road cars available for a budget of £25,000, together with links to buy one through our Find a Car service... For: Comfortable ride, build quality, interior tech Against: Dull to drive, not unstoppable off-road Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below The Audi A4 Allroad retains the same sharp lines as the standard A4 estate, but adds chunky plastic wheelarch extensions and a raised ride height. It's more capable than a typical estate, but can break traction more easily than its rivals here. It's refined and cosseting, though. The entry-level A4 Allroad is powered by a 187bhp 2.0-litre TDI diesel, which offers plenty of poke and official fuel economy of up to 57.6mpg. It's our pick of the bunch – £23,500 buys a 48,000-mile 2020 model with LED headlights, Audi's Virtual Cockpit and Exterior off road aluminium package. Advertisement - Article continues below The four-wheel-drive Audi A4 Allroad's biggest draw is its interior. The minimalist design, modern infotainment tech and exceptional quality are only matched by its Mercedes C-Class rival in this segment, but this isn't offered in an off-road body style. The optional Technology Pack adds an 8.3-inch infotainment screen, and some models feature Audi's Virtual Cockpit digital instrument display – worth shopping around for if you're a tech lover. The Allroad is the same size as the standard A4 Avant estate, with plenty of rear legroom and a generous 505-litre boot – big enough for a furry friend. Used Audi A4 Allroad deals For: Off-road prowess, seven seats, strong refinement Against: Dated infotainment, expensive to run Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below While lesser Land Rover Discovery Sports are front-driven, the bulk of the range gets four-wheel drive and Land Rover's Terrain Response system. It offers a pleasant ride and a well isolated cabin, too. Efficiency isn't the Discovery Sport's strong suit, though – the TD4 has a 178bhp 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel motor that doesn't achieve its claimed 53.3mpg. Low-thirties are more achievable in the real world. For just over £20,000, we found a 19-plate, 47,000-mile car, equipped with Apple CarPlay/ Android Auto, sat-nav and a reversing camera. Advertisement - Article continues below As with the full-size Discovery, the Sport offers seven seats, although the third-row is more suited to children than adults. Fold them away and the resulting 981-litre boot (measured to the roofline, rather than the load cover) is cavernous, and there are plenty of storage areas littered around the cabin, too. Build quality is strong, and should hold up against an excitable dog. The Discovery Sport received a much-improved and optional 10.2-inch infotainment touchscreen in late 2016. Unless you find a car specified with it, the standard system isn't the snappiest on the market. Used Land Rover Discovery Sport deals For: Great off-road, tough and highly practical Against: Boring design, cabin feels cheap in places Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below Few rivals tackle tricky terrain as well as the Subaru Outback, thanks to its advanced four-wheel drive system. The Outback's 200mm ground clearance and extensive body cladding make it ideal for off-road tracks. However, the Subaru doesn't look particularly upmarket, and its road manners aren't stellar – the A4 Allroad is quieter and more composed on the move. The torquey 2.5-litre boxer petrol produces 175bhp and returns around 33mpg in automatic guise. We found a 2019 car with 51,000 miles on the clock for just over £16,500. Standard equipment includes cruise control, a reversing camera, heated leather seats, keyless go, sat-nav and Bluetooth. The Outback comes with Subaru's Starlink seven-inch infotainment system, too, making it a viable contender here. Some of the plastics around the interior feel rather cheap, and the design is quite dated on the whole, but the cabin is at least roomy. There's plenty of space for four adults, and the boot is bigger than the A4 Allroad's at 559 litres. Self-levelling rear suspension is a useful touch, because it gives the Outback particularly strong towing capabilities. Used Subaru Outback deals Now you can buy a car through our network of top dealers around the UK. Search for the latest deals… Find a car with the experts It's only a matter of time before Jaguar Land Rover builds a factory in the USA It's only a matter of time before Jaguar Land Rover builds a factory in the USA Mike Rutherford thinks Jaguar's 'Reimagine' strategy will result in the company exploring further opportunities in the USA Slow death of the manual car revealed in exclusive new data Slow death of the manual car revealed in exclusive new data There are now very few manual cars available to buy, a trend that's been exacerbated by the rise of EVs Car Deal of the Day: Nissan's X-Trail is a do-it-all seven-seat hybrid SUV for only £235 a month Car Deal of the Day: Nissan's X-Trail is a do-it-all seven-seat hybrid SUV for only £235 a month If the Qashqai is too small for you, then the larger X-Trail is a fine alternative. It's our Deal of the Day for 25 May
News.com.au
22-05-2025
- Automotive
- News.com.au
The ute war: GWM fires shot at BYD
In the battle of the beasts, GWM is positioning its new plug-in hybrid Cannon Alpha as the apex predator. During an exclusive roundtable briefing, GWM Australia marketing chief Steve Maciver laid it out clearly: It's hunting down the BYD Shark 6. 'BYD has done a great job launching that car and got some good volume out of it very, very quickly, but we feel now is our time,' he said. 'We feel hand on heart looking you in the eye, we do have a better vehicle.' The BYD Shark 6 is the first PHEV ute to launch into the Australian market and has so far been successful. It is currently the fourth-best selling 4×4 dual cab in Australia behind only the Ford Ranger, Toyota HiLux and Isuzu D-Max. So it's no surprise rivals feel threatened by the Shark. But it's not usual for companies to boldly target a competitor but GWM didn't hold back. 'We're second to the market, but we're not second best,' a GWM spokesperson said. 'We feel now is our time. We've got to absolutely take the fight to BYD Shark and the full range of [PHEV] utes.' GWM claimed the Shark 6's lower towing capacity, limited off-road capability and design compromises is the result of the company building a 'plug-in hybrid system' first. Unlike the Cannon Alpha which was engineered as a 'ute first, EV second', specifically for Australian conditions. 'They've just got a system and then built a ute around it,' a GWM spokesperson said. 'We understand our customers.' BYD's Shark is rated to tow 2.5 tonnes and the Cannon Alpha is 3.5 tonnes – a number GWM said was non-negotiable after receiving customer feedback. 'It would be remiss of us not to bring three and a half tonne, regardless of what the powertrain is,' a GWM spokesperson said. TESTED: Kia's new Tasman ute So how do the predators stack up? Well in terms of battery, the Cannon wins points as it carries a 37.1kWh pack (split into A/B cells), the largest currently available in any PHEV ute. GWM claims a class-leading 115km pure electric range and 1060 km combined. BYD lists 100km EV range and 840km combined, while the Ranger (arriving mid-year) offers approximately 49km of EV-only range, less than half of GWM's range. GWM says its ute achieved 1.7L/100km, also 'best in class' but real world figures will likely be much higher. Cannon Alpha outputs 300kW and 750Nm via a hybrid 2.0-litre turbo engine paired to a nine-speed automatic and mechanical 4WD. BYD offers 320kW combined power (1.5-litre turbo and two electric motors), 650Nm torque with a dual-motor setup. The Ranger pairs a 2.3-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine (138kW/411Nm) with a 75kW electric motor, offering a combined output of 213kW, less than Alpha and Shark. However, these claims are made on the ADR81/02-NEDC standard. While the BYD Shark 6 undercuts the Cannon Alpha at $57,900 for the single model, GWM is pitching the Cannon Alpha models from $59,660 Lux and $66,990 (all pricing plus on-road costs), Ford is pricing high with the entry-level XLT starting at $71,900 (before on road-costs), with the top of the range Sport and Wildtrak variants priced up to $86,990 (before on road-costs). But GWM insists the slight premium is justified by a long list of extra features – including better towing, a larger battery, superior off-road capability and a 'world class' warranty (7 years warranty, 7 years roadside assist, 7 years capped price servicing). If the Shark was the first in the water, the Cannon Alpha is now asserting itself, not just over the Shark and Ranger but as the Alpha of the PHEV ute segment.
