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Personal farm vehicles now take many forms, including 4x4s, SUVs and pick-up trucks from Toyota, Isuzu, Mitsubishi, Nissan and Volkswagen, and once ubiquitous Land Rover Defender. New vehicle reports, first-drives and comparative group tests help you evaluate the best for road and off-road use.

Latest 4x4 articles

4X4S

Bedeo develops retrofit battery and kit for old Defenders

Land Rover Defender 90s and 110s can now be electrified with in-wheel motors thanks to a retrofit kit from electric drivetrain specialist Bedeo. The “Reborn Electric: Icons” series will eventually…

4X4S

On test: Toyota's super-frugal Rav4 plug-in hybrid

Toyota reckons its latest Rav4 plug-in hybrid can return an impressively frugal 282mpg. James Andrews finds out if it delivers in the real world Comfortable, capable and practical they might…

4X4S

Ineos launches cheaper two-seat Grenadier Commercial 4x4

Ineos Automotive has unveiled a two-seat version of its Grenadier 4x4 that allows owners to reclaim VAT and receive lower benefit-in-kind tax rates. The van-style Grenadier Commercial replaces the two…

4X4S

On test: Ineos Automotive's debut 247hp Quartermaster pickup

Ineos has built what could be the toughest mainstream pickup on the market, but simple, solid engineering comes at a cost. With its snorting straight-six diesel, creamy eight-speed gearbox, and…

4X4S

On test: Bog-basic Isuzu D-Max Utility isn't cheap enough

If you’re the type of penny-pincher to wear hole-ridden pants, conjure two brews from a single teabag, and keep your house thermostat sub-double digits then, as new vehicles go, Isuzu’s…

4X4S

Isuzu to go electric with battery-powered D-Max pickup

Isuzu has swapped diesel for electrons in its new-look D-Max BEV, which was recently unveiled at the Shanghai Motor Show. It is the first mainstream manufacturer to offer a battery-powered…

4X4S

Herefordshire farmer to import used Daihatsu Hijet pickups

Mini Japanese pickups are seemingly on course to supersede customised Suzuki Jimnys as the must-have runabout for UK farms. Already this year we've featured importers of two such vehicles –…

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4X4S

On test: Time for Ssangyong’s well-priced Musso pickup?

After years doggedly plugging away at the UK pickup market, Ssangyong has suddenly found itself catapulted to a heady fourth spot in the sales rankings. Facetious it may be –…

MACHINERY

Video: MINI Countryman review

MINI has forged a reputation for nippy city cars over the years, but how would its first stab at a 4wd version fare? Oliver Mark took it for a spin. …

Farm pickups on test: Volkswagen v Mitsubishi v Great Wall

Pickups once had a diehard following of builders, farmers and countryside types, but that relatively niche audience is no longer the priority for truck builders. The market has been invaded…

4X4S

On test: Isuzu D-Max AT35 pickup

Unremarkable yet eminently practical vans and pickups do the business for thousands of farmers across the country but, for a small minority, such understated transport just doesn’t cut the mustard.…

Driven: Toyota Land Cruiser LC5

Japanese car giant Toyota has given its Discovery basher a facelift. James Andrew and Oliver Mark got their hands on the latest Land Cruiser The LC5 Off road Looks Engines…

4X4S

On test: Nissan X-Trail gets new practical hybrid powertrain

Worried that a fully electric car could leave them conked out miles from a charger, thousands of buyers have played it safe and bought a hybrid instead. A sensible move…

4X4S

On test: Does the new Isuzu D-Max have enough oomph?

A one-tonne-plus payload and 3.5t towing capacity makes the new Isuzu D-Max ready-made for working life, but propelled by a 1.9-litre diesel? Surely not. Does the latest model still have the…

4X4S

On test: Skoda Karoq Edition

Just when you thought you may have been running out of options for compact SUVs (said no-one), up pops another one. Hang on, don’t I recognise you? Well, you’re correct.…

4X4S

On test: Korean 4x4s - Hyundai Santa Fe

Farmers Weekly are putting three £40,000 4x4s all hailing from South Korea to the test.  Our trio of top-speccers includes the Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Sorento and Ssangyong Rexton. Here is…

4X4S

First impressions: Go-anywhere £8k Suzuki Quadtruck

What’s smaller than a pickup, more reliable than a UTV, and more comfortable than a quad bike? It’s a Suzuki Quadtruck, of course – the lovechild of farming’s three most…

Mitsubishi Outlander powered from a plug socket

Mitsubishi became the first carmaker to build a 4x4 that gets its propulsive power from a plug socket when it launched the Outlander PHEV last year. Other hybrids, from the…

4X4S

Jeep adds luxury to rugged off-road Wrangler

Despite selling fewer than 300 models to its small and devoted band of followers last year, Jeep has decided to invest healthily in a new Wrangler model that brings with…

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4X4S

On test: Time for Ssangyong’s well-priced Musso pickup?

After years doggedly plugging away at the UK pickup market, Ssangyong has suddenly found itself catapulted to a heady fourth spot in the sales rankings. Facetious it may be –…

4X4S

Investing in a runaround: Second-hand vans compared

Thirsty farm pickups are now expensive to run, so it might pay to invest in a nippy two-wheel drive van for regular mud-free errands. The choice is wide and the…

4X4S

Commercial-spec SUV buyer's guide 2022-23

With the much-anticipated Ineos Grenadier making its debut in the market, competition is hotting up for vehicles that combine strong off-road credentials with dedicated load-carrying space aft of the front…

4X4S

On test: Does the new Isuzu D-Max have enough oomph?

A one-tonne-plus payload and 3.5t towing capacity makes the new Isuzu D-Max ready-made for working life, but propelled by a 1.9-litre diesel? Surely not. Does the latest model still have the…

4X4S

On test: Korean 4x4s - Hyundai Santa Fe

Farmers Weekly are putting three £40,000 4x4s all hailing from South Korea to the test.  Our trio of top-speccers includes the Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Sorento and Ssangyong Rexton. Here is…

4X4S

How Yomper 4x4 transforms Suzuki Jimnys into farm pickups

After years of ferrying rural retirees around their respective parishes, scores of second-hand Suzuki Jimnys are being given a new lease of life as working farm vehicles. The craze for…

4X4S

How to patch up farm pickups with second-hand spare parts

Farm pickups are subject to a notoriously rough and loveless life, but patching them up with second-hand spares can push them a few years beyond their sell-by date without costing…

4X4S

Commercial-spec SUV buyer's guide 2021-22

This year’s Ultimate Guide to 4x4s features commercial SUVs for the first time – that relatively rare breed of four-wheel-drive vehicle equipped specifically for carrying tools, equipment, bales or whatever…

4X4S

£19,000 Ssangyong Musso pickup battles the old guard

At a smidge under £19,000, a top-sec Ssangyong Musso looks a steal, compared with most of its competition. Our last Country Car also comes furnished with all the toys – so…

4X4S

On test: Fiat Fullback Auto pickup

Fiat might not be a name you immediately associate with off-roaders, but here at Farmers Weekly we have always had a bit of a soft spot for the Italian firm’s…

4X4S

Pickup buyers guide 2017

Ask your granddad about the farm vehicle he had as a youngster and you can almost guarantee it was a Land Rover Defender of some form. They were the staple,…

VW Passat 4x4 Alltrack review

Can VW's latest four-wheel drive Passat cut the mustard off road? Oliver Mark decided. Nineteen-seventy-three was the year Roger Moore shot baddies in Live and Let Die, the Sydney Opera…

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4X4S

Tips for buying a second-hand pickup: Mitsubishi L200

Mitsubishi’s fourth-generation L200 had a nine-year lifespan and the firm stuck with the same 2.5-litre engine throughout. Initially, this block was tuned to deliver 134hp in base-spec models and 164hp…

4X4S

Investing in a runaround: Second-hand vans compared

Thirsty farm pickups are now expensive to run, so it might pay to invest in a nippy two-wheel drive van for regular mud-free errands. The choice is wide and the…

4X4S

Commercial-spec SUV buyer's guide 2022-23

With the much-anticipated Ineos Grenadier making its debut in the market, competition is hotting up for vehicles that combine strong off-road credentials with dedicated load-carrying space aft of the front…

4X4S

Can electric 4x4s break the diesel stronghold?

Diesel takes a bit of beating when it comes to powering off-road vehicles and hauling heavy trailers around the countryside. It develops high torque at low revs, has relatively low…

A nostalgic drive in the retiring Land Rover Defender

Rival 4x4s have come and gone, but until now the Land Rover has been the only choice for thousands of farmers up and down the country. As the sun sets…

4X4S

Tips for buying a second-hand pickup: Ford Ranger

For more than 20 years, Ford’s pickups were essentially rebadged Mazdas, and they were pretty simple, solid vehicles. However, in 2011 the firm decided to take the job in-house and…

4X4S

How Yomper 4x4 transforms Suzuki Jimnys into farm pickups

After years of ferrying rural retirees around their respective parishes, scores of second-hand Suzuki Jimnys are being given a new lease of life as working farm vehicles. The craze for…

4X4S

How to patch up farm pickups with second-hand spare parts

Farm pickups are subject to a notoriously rough and loveless life, but patching them up with second-hand spares can push them a few years beyond their sell-by date without costing…

4X4S

Commercial-spec SUV buyer's guide 2021-22

This year’s Ultimate Guide to 4x4s features commercial SUVs for the first time – that relatively rare breed of four-wheel-drive vehicle equipped specifically for carrying tools, equipment, bales or whatever…

4X4S

Off-road vehicle 4x4 systems explained

Flick through the marketing bumf for a new four-wheel-drive vehicle and it will generally give little indication as to the type of off-road running gear in place. There are plenty…

4X4S

Machinery Milestones: Land Rover celebrates 70 years

This spring’s blizzards, sub-zero temperatures and flooding delayed sowing for a month and meant animals were kept under cover instead of grazing on the fields. But as we moan about…

4X4S

Pickup buyers guide 2017

Ask your granddad about the farm vehicle he had as a youngster and you can almost guarantee it was a Land Rover Defender of some form. They were the staple,…

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MACHINERY

Video: MINI Countryman review

MINI has forged a reputation for nippy city cars over the years, but how would its first stab at a 4wd version fare? Oliver Mark took it for a spin. …

MACHINERY

Video: Land Rover Discovery v Ford Ranger

Farm pickups are more comfortable, powerful and spacious than ever before, so could they be about to knock the king – the Land Rover Discovery – off its throne? Watch…

VW Tiguan proves a classy, if pricey, performer

VW's Tiguan has evolved as a do-anything mixture of the urban hatchback that is the Golf and its tough 4x4 cousin the Touareg. It went under the knife after just…

4X4S

Video: Tesla launches radical Cybertruck electric pickup

Electric car company Tesla has launched a Back to The Future inspired Cybertruck pickup with a design that has torn up the conventional pickup rule book. Hawthorne, California, was the…