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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

On test: Suzuki Vitara SZ5 offers 4x4 at a sensible price

At a time when a mid-spec Vauxhall Astra costs more than £30,000, Suzuki’s chipper Vitara 4x4 seems a mere snip at just under £26,000. Add to that the inclusion of…

4X4S

Pickup and commercial 4x4 buyer's guide 2023-24

With a full-range of Ford Ranger and Volkswagen Amarok models available once more, the pickup market has perked up in terms of choice, with the Quartermaster version of the Ineos…

4X4S

Tested: Ford-built Amarok V6 is smart but not very VW

The humble pickup has undergone a marked gentrification over the past decade and few have been as pivotal in its transformation as Volkswagen. Even when it was first launched in…

4X4S

Brand-new pickup arrives as Ineos unveils Quartermaster

Ineos Automotive has unveiled the first prototypes of its debut pickup, the Quartermaster. Powered by a BMW straight-six running through an eight-speed automatic transmission, it looks an obvious rival to…

4X4S

Toyota's rough and tough Land Cruiser, ugly but unrivalled

Strangling emissions regulations, a slump in demand and a surge in competition has left farm-friendly 4x4s on the cusp of extinction. The iconic Land Rover Defender 90 copped it nigh…

4X4S

Scottish maker Munro unveils £50,000 MK1 electric pickup

The UK’s first electric pickup has been swiftly followed by its second, with Scottish start-up Munro Vehicles joining Chinese maker Maxus in offering a battery-powered option. However, it’s a very…

4X4S

On test: UK's first electric pickup – the Maxus T90EV

Building an electric pickup that can thunder along rough terrain, tow heavy loads and travel a decent distance to a charge is far from straightforward. On the one hand, stacks…

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Vauxhall Country Tourer on test

It’s been a long time coming, but late last year the great bastion of car-making mediocrity – Vauxhall – finally launched a new 4x4 Insignia estate to compete with its…

4X4S

First impressions: Ford's four limited edition Ranger pickups

News of the unlikely return of a V6-powered pickup undoubtedly got tongues wagging in the wake of Ford’s global Ranger launch just a few weeks ago, but buyers itching to…

4X4S

On test: Nissan Navara N-Guard pickup

There have been several icons of the pickup market and Nissan’s Navara, particularly in its late-noughties heyday, is certainly up there with the great 1990s' Toyota Hilux. The company was…

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.…

On test: Jeep Renegade 4x4

The lucrative SUV market has sucked in its latest victim, with American giant Jeep the most recent to find the money-spinning, soft-roader segment all too difficult to resist. However, unlike…

4X4S

On test: Volvo XC60 T8 AWD hybrid

Volvo has long been the last word in automotive safety, but its latest hybrid SUV has added ferocious performance and thrifty fuel use into the mix. The XC60 T8’s combination…

4X4S

On test: Ford Ranger Limited pickup

After it stopped pedalling rebadged Mazdas and designed a vehicle of its own, Ford soon became the biggest seller of pickups in the UK. The Ranger consistently tops the sales…

New Range Rover Sport review

Love the big Range Rover but want to spend £20,000 less? Oliver Mark spent two days touring the Welsh borders in the new Range Rover Sport   What does £50,000-worth…

4X4S

Lada Niva back on sale in UK

The Lada Niva, Russia's favourite 4x4, is back on sale in the UK. It's petrol only and left-hand drive, but don't let that put you off, says David Cousins. The…

Petrol-electric Lexus has 4x4 potential

Petrol-electric power might not be the obvious choice for a country car, but Lexus reckons it’s the answer. Oliver Mark put it to the test. Lexus is the emissions-friendly flag-bearer…

4X4S

On test: Electric Tesla Model X serves up taste of future

Rocket-building, weed-smoking billionaire Elon Musk is leading an electric revolution intent on transforming transport on earth and beyond. The engineering entrepreneur only started his Tesla motor business in 2003, but…

MACHINERY

Video: Suzuki Jimny keeps it simple

A banging headache, sore back, achy legs, ringing ears. No, it wasn't the by-product of my annual stint cleaning the farm grainstore - it was the result of a nine-hour…

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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

First impressions: Ford's four limited edition Ranger pickups

News of the unlikely return of a V6-powered pickup undoubtedly got tongues wagging in the wake of Ford’s global Ranger launch just a few weeks ago, but buyers itching to…

4X4S

On test: Ford Ranger Limited pickup

After it stopped pedalling rebadged Mazdas and designed a vehicle of its own, Ford soon became the biggest seller of pickups in the UK. The Ranger consistently tops the sales…

4X4S

On test: Electric Tesla Model X serves up taste of future

Rocket-building, weed-smoking billionaire Elon Musk is leading an electric revolution intent on transforming transport on earth and beyond. The engineering entrepreneur only started his Tesla motor business in 2003, but…

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…

4X4S

On test: Land Rover's plug-in hybrid Defender

The Land Rover Defender’s transformation from rough, tough and gruff to clean, green and surprisingly serene has been completed with the addition of a plug-in hybrid model. Gone are the…

4X4S

Pickup test: Ford Ranger Limited

Big, brash, but somehow a little underwhelming. The Ranger finished comfortably in second place thanks to its enviable spec list, but the combination of five-cylinder engine and six-speed auto lacked…

4X4S

Pickup buyer's guide 2021-22

Development of the once humble pickup has created a huge market for a vehicle that can meet the needs of businesses and the adventuresome aspirations of private buyers alike. Buyer's…

4X4S

Pickup buyers guide 2019-20

Four-wheel drive pickups remain the vehicle of choice for many farmers and contractors – as well as lifestyle vehicles for many others. Our buyers guide shows prices and models for…

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

First impressions: Ineos completes Grenadier 4x4 development

Pint-fuelled pub chats are the source of many wildly ambitious business ideas, but few can claim to be as efficiently executed as that of the Grenadier 4x4. Ineos Automotive, a…

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…

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MACHINERY

Bowler Motorsport powers up Land Rover Defender

If you’ve got a Land Rover Defender, but find it wanting in the power and handling department, you could take it for a pepping-up session at Bowler Motorsport. Bowler Motorsport…

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…

How to pick up an Aussie pickup for your farm

Sometimes it can seem like we get a pretty mundane selection of pickups in the UK. While our North Americans cousins are hooning around in dual-wheeled Ford F350s and the…

MACHINERY

Converting 4x4s to red diesel – how to stay road legal

Land Rovers and pickups are an indispensable part of all farm businesses and if you’re using them for specific tasks then it might pay to convert them to full agricultural…

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

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

Pickup buyer's guide 2021-22

Development of the once humble pickup has created a huge market for a vehicle that can meet the needs of businesses and the adventuresome aspirations of private buyers alike. Buyer's…

4X4S

Pickup buyers guide 2019-20

Four-wheel drive pickups remain the vehicle of choice for many farmers and contractors – as well as lifestyle vehicles for many others. Our buyers guide shows prices and models for…

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…

MACHINERY

How to stop thieves stealing your Land Rover

Every year more than 500 Land Rover Defenders are stolen from farms across the UK. And that number is on the up, according to figures from the NFU Mutual, with…

4X4S

Tips for buying a second-hand pickup: Isuzu D-Max

Isuzu D-Max RT50 (2012 to 2017) The D-Max RT50 was launched in 2012, replacing Isuzu’s line-up of simple, tough Rodeo trucks that had been knocking around since 2003. These new…

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…

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MACHINERY

Video: Suzuki Jimny keeps it simple

A banging headache, sore back, achy legs, ringing ears. No, it wasn't the by-product of my annual stint cleaning the farm grainstore - it was the result of a nine-hour…

MACHINERY

Video: Isuzu D-Max review

  More comfort in the front and more space in the back will appeal to farmers with a lot of lugging to do. A more car-like ride is good news,…

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…

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…