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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

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 –…

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…

4X4S

Ineos goes electric with smaller Fusilier off-roader

Ineos Automotive has announced that a third model will be joining its line-up of off-roaders, to be powered by fully electric or range-extender electric drivetrains. Dubbed the Fusilier, it will…

4X4S

On test: Daihatsu's lightweight, high-spec Hijet 4x4

The success of modified Suzuki Jimnys at providing an alternative to costly UTVs has paved the way for another quirky method of off-road transport – compact Japanese pickups. Slotting into…

4X4S

On test: Ineos's £79,000 Grenadier 4x4

While small numbers of Ineos’ long-awaited Grenadier have been trickling out across the country, they’re still something of a rarity. Having tackled the inevitable rash of teething troubles that you’d…

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…

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4X4S

British-built Ibex 4x4 offers Defender alternative

Since production of the original Land Rover Defender drew to a close, there’s been a dearth of options for those wanting a proper no-nonsense off-roader. Many fans of the Solihull-built…

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…

Country Car: Plush Mazda CX-7 cuts a dash

The CX-7 is Mazda's offering to the ultra-competitive SUV market. It's bigger, plusher and more generously equipped than your average, but is it better? Oliver Mark gave it the Farmers…

MACHINERY

Base-spec Mitsubishi L200 performs well under review

Since the taxman decided to classify double-cab pickups as vans and gave them a nice, juicy tax relief over swanky company cars, the average farm load lugger has morphed into…

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…

4X4S

Arkonik upgrade gives old Land Rover Defenders a 430hp V8

Land Rover lovers unconvinced by the exterior frills and fripperies of the new-style Defender can now have all the mod cons, and a V8 engine, shoehorned into an old model's…

4X4S

On test: Land Rover's new Defender 110 D240

The options for rural transport, whether for work or pleasure, just haven’t been the same since Land Rover culled its iconic old Defender. Uncomfortable and uneconomical it may have been,…

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…

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: Daihatsu's lightweight, high-spec Hijet 4x4

The success of modified Suzuki Jimnys at providing an alternative to costly UTVs has paved the way for another quirky method of off-road transport – compact Japanese pickups. Slotting into…

4X4S

On test: Subaru Forester

Over the years, Subaru has made everything from pickup trucks to rally cars, but these days the company says it has sharpened its focus on SUVs. That makes the new…

MACHINERY

VW Passat Alltrack delivers smooth handling but little charisma

The big dogs at Volkswagen may still be sifting through the wreckage of the reputation-mauling emissions scandal, but the company’s sales stats have been anything but the car crash some…

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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

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…

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

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: Dacia Logan MCV – a new estate car for just £8,500

Romania’s remedy to the spiralling cost of family cars is the Dacia Logan – a vehicle that, in its most basic guise, provides spartan four-wheeled transport and shedloads of boot…

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…

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: 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

First impressions: Volkstrek transforms 4x4 MAN van

The humble van has never really captured the imagination of UK farmers. But with its cavernous storage space, car-like driving comfort and the option of four-wheel drive, perhaps it’s been…

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

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 test: 6 farm trucks compared

Pickups have come a long way in the past couple of decades, going from low-tech load-luggers to luxury runarounds with enough toys to rival the plushest 4x4s. That means features…

4x4 insights and practical tips

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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

Tips for buying a second-hand pickup: Nissan Navara

Nissan Navara D40 (2005 to 2014) Nissan’s D40 Navara was built from 2005 to 2014 and superseded the D22, which had been around since the late 90s. At its UK…

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

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

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

Tips for buying a second-hand pickup: VW Amarok

The Amarok arrived in 2011 as VW’s first foray into the world of pickups, bringing with it a level of car-like comfort that other trucks have struggled to match. All…

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…

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

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

Pickup buyer's guide 2022-23

Order books will open for the eagerly anticipated new-generation Ford Ranger later this year, in readiness for early 2023 deliveries – although pickup fans who like the extra-tough, in-yer-face Raptor…

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…

TRAILERS

10 tips to keep your Ifor Williams trailer road legal

The humble Ifor Williams trailer is a mainstay of livestock farms up and down the country, but its tough-as-nails galvanised body can often fool owners into thinking that everything is…

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4X4S

Video: Three-way farm pickup showdown

The past year saw a clutch of new models enter the ever-growing 4×4 pickup market. However, not all is as it seems, as due to the popularity of these trucks,…

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,…

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…

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…