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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

Kia enters van market with all-electric PV5 commercial vehicle

Kia has waded into the commercial vehicle sector with an electric van that will come in cargo, crew and chassis-cab configurations. It’s called the PV5, and the cargo version will…

4X4S

Ford Ranger Plug-in Hybrid pickup packs a 275hp punch

Early examples of Ford’s Plug-in Hybrid Ranger will soon be hitting UK roads, offering spicy performance and the option of driving 26 miles on electricity alone. A heady 275hp and…

4X4S

KGM Rexton Commercial SUV offers lower tax for businesses

For anyone that hasn’t caught up yet, Ssanygong is called KGM these days and it’s got a new commercial-spec version of its Rexton SUV. Just like the passenger model, this…

4X4S

Isuzu goes electric with 190hp D-Max EV pickup

Isuzu has become the first mainstream pickup maker to introduce a model with a fully electric drivetrain that will be sold in the UK. Using the same chassis, body and…

4X4S

On test: Revamped Land Cruiser still a true off-roader

If you want a vehicle that’ll stand the test of time, you won’t go far wrong if there’s a Toyota badge on the tailgate. Team this with the words Land…

4X4S

Double-cab pickups to get pricier – here are alternatives

Pull into the car park of any agricultural event and there’ll be a sea of double-cab pickup trucks as far as the eye can see. But a shake-up of the…

4X4S

Wilderness Lighting unveils roof-mounted warning board

Wilderness Lighting has launched a new roof-mounted warning board for farmers moving oversized machinery on the road. The eye-catchingly flashy array includes twin front and rear amber LED strobes and…

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On test: Audi A6 Allroad is a class apart

You can buy a perfectly good house for the price of the Audi A6 featured in this edition of Country Car. Surely it can’t be worth every penny of £80,000,…

4X4S

First impressions: Munro’s no-nonsense electric off-roader

As the 2030 ban on sales of new petrol and diesel vehicles looms, precious few electric options have emerged for those in need of a proper off-roader. Mainstream manufacturers are…

On test: Plush Volvo XC 90 goes high-tech

It’s a little-known and very boring fact but Volvo’s original XC90 was one of the longest-serving models in the Scandinavian brand’s history. In fact, having served as the range flagship…

4X4S

On test: V6-powered VW Amarok

At last, farmers finally have the option of a V6-powered pickup in the shape of the latest Volkswagen Amarok. The new, heavy-hitting six-bore burner is a big step up from…

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: 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

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: Land Rover Discovery darts upmarket

Earlier this year, Land Rover signalled its determination to cash in on the deep allure of its British heritage by launching the most expensive Discovery ever built. It will now…

8 pickup trucks on test

Wondering what pickup to buy? Our colleagues on Commercial Motor magazine gathered all seven makes in one place to compare their strengths and weaknesses. Intro Ford Great Wall Isuzu Mitsubishi…

4X4S

First look: Isuzu’s refreshed D-Max pickup

Isuzu has given its popular D-Max pickup a ground-up restyle with lofty promises of a far superior ride, cutting-edge technology and the return of a rear diff-lock. The company’s roots…

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…

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,…

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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

Pickup and commercial 4×4 buyer’s guide 2024-25

Daihatsu’s diddy Hijet 4x4 and its Suzuki Carry counterpart make their debut in the Ultimate Guide to pickups and commercial SUVs this year, in either standard 4x4 spec or with…

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

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

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

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,…

4X4S

On test: Base-spec and bestselling Ford Rangers face off

Almost £20,000 separates the two Ranger pickups featured in this week’s Country Car, in what looks a rank mismatch. It’s the meat-and-potatoes XL, yours for a smidge over £28k, versus…

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

First impressions: Ford's new V6 Ranger Raptor pickup

Whisper it, but V6 engines are back in vogue – at least as far as Ford and Volkswagen's pickups are concerned. After years of depressing downsizing, initially to 2.7-litres, then…

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

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…

4X4S

On test: New no-frills MWM Spartan 4x4

Mainstream vehicle manufacturers have all but abandoned the dedicated off-road sector in favour of luxury, mass-market soft-roaders that reel in the big bucks. That might seem like a smack in…

4x4 insights and practical tips

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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…

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

Pickup and commercial 4×4 buyer’s guide 2024-25

Daihatsu’s diddy Hijet 4x4 and its Suzuki Carry counterpart make their debut in the Ultimate Guide to pickups and commercial SUVs this year, in either standard 4x4 spec or with…

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

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

14 top retrofit kit options for farm pickups

If you have just splashed out on a new pickup truck you could soon find yourself sifting through the endless lists of accessories to get it just the way you…

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…

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

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,…

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…

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: 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,…

ROAD LEGAL

Video: All you need to know to pass your B+E trailer test

So you’ve been driving since you could reach the pedals, passed your tractor test at 16, car test at 17 and can reverse 40ft trailers around the yard for fun.…

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: 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. …