Daihatsu’s diddy Hijet 4×4 and its Suzuki Carry counterpart make their debut in the Ultimate Guide to pickups and commercial SUVs this year, in either standard 4×4 spec or with upgrades to better suit them to life on the farm.

With options including extra ground clearance and fatter, grippier tyres, these “cab over” – as in cab- over-the-engine – vehicles have both traction and load-carrying capacity attractions as alternatives to ever pricier UTV “buggies”.

Daihatsu

Four-wheel drive traction from Motoyama’s Hijet © James Andrews

The Hijet 4×4 ‘kei’ truck has been chosen by two new importers as ripe for conversion and upgrades to a farm and country specification.

Motoyama Daihatsu UK has been set-up by Mark Key, former importer of Lada Niva 4x4s, and UK Mini Trucks is the new business of Monty Gorringe based on the family farm in Herefordshire.

Both scour auctions for good examples of the Hijet 4×4 and have got their heads around the processes necessary to import mostly used vehicles from Japan and prepare them for use in Britain.

See also: On test: Ineos Automotive’s debut 247hp Quartermaster pickup

There are standard and slightly longer XL cabs for users who need the extra leg-room, and common upgrades from regular spec include modified suspension to gain additional ground clearance and chunkier tyres for off-road grip.

Assorted bodywork choices for the fixed and tipping beds include stock canopies to house sheepdogs, ewes and lambs.

Ford Ranger

With the new Ranger line-up now well established, there are minimal changes to the listing this year – just the inclusion of the motorsport-themed MS-RT model that illustrates just how far pickups have gone from utilitarian workhorse to lifestyle vehicle.

The MS-RT does away with practical off-road kit, such as a locking rear axle diff, and instead features racy “aero effect” front and rear bumpers, extended wheel arches, side skirts and little spoilers at the back of the cab roof and on the tailgate.

It looks pretty coo,l but is unlikely to show up in a farmyard any time soon.

Ineos Grenadier

Inside the Grenadier Commercial’s cargo bay © Ineos Automotive

In the hope of attracting specialist vehicle body builders, Ineos Automotive has developed a chassis-cab version of the Grenadier Quartermaster pickup.

It has much the same five-seat accommodation as the Station Wagon but sits on the Quartermaster’s longer wheelbase and lacks the pickup’s open-air storage bed at the back, leaving a blank canvas for special builds.

The fledgling auto manufacturer has also shown a regular wheelbase pickup as a teaser for a potential future product.

Nicknamed “Shortermaster”, it was created by Ineos engineers at the Grenadier production plant from a regular Station Wagon, so it sits on that model’s 2.9m wheelbase as opposed to the Quartermaster’s 3.2m, and its rear seats are positioned further forward to maximise load bay capacity.

However, it’s the new Grenadier Commercial – which has replaced the two-seat Utility model – that will be of most interest to farm and other rural businesses wanting a practical load-carrier.

It has been engineered so that the VAT element of the purchase price can be reclaimed, with lower benefit-in-kind tax rates also applying.

To achieve this, Ineos takes a vehicle off the end of the assembly line, permanently disables the second-row seat mounts, fills the rear side door window apertures with aluminium panels, and blanks out the windows in the asymmetrically split back doors.

Next, in goes a full-length flat floor and floor-to-roof cargo barrier, designed to prevent tools, bales, dogs, or whatever, from ending up in the driver’s lap after a hard-braking episode.

The floor dimensions and 2,000-litres of volume are large enough to take a 1,200x800mm Euro pallet.

The Commercial retains the 3.5t towing capacity of other Grenadiers and a choice of petrol- or diesel-fuelled BMW six-pot power.

Land Rover Defender and Discovery

There’s a simpler spec line-up for the Defender Hard Top © Land Rover

With the Defender and Discovery production plant working flat out to meet strong demand – particularly for the former – Land Rover has trimmed some variants from the Defender Hard Top line-up while also introducing upgrades for the ones that remain.

Out go the SE and HSE versions of the Hard Top commercial in favour of the 249hp D250 S and the 300hp D300 X-Dynamic SE and HSE, in both short wheelbase 90 and long wheelbase 110 guises.

And into the 110 line-up comes the D350 X-Dynamic HSE sporting a 350hp version of the Ingenium 3-litre, six-cylinder inline diesel engine beneath the Defender’s bulging bonnet.

This propels the 110 even faster and harder than before, thanks to a 50Nm peak torque increase in addition to the 50hp uplift – and the same engine now resides in the nose of both Discovery Commercial versions, the SE and Dynamic HSE.

Furthermore, Land Rover has accumulated into the new Pro Pack, which the firm says are the most commonly ticked options for the Defender Hard Top.

These include features such as air suspension, adaptive dynamics, an electrically operated tow bar and advanced towing assistance.

The cold climate pack, heated windscreen washer jets and headlight power wash are also included, together with the added comfort in winter of a heated steering wheel for the S and X-Dynamic SE, which is already standard on the X‑Dynamic HSE.

Along with all other Defender models, the Hard Tops get Thatcham’s S5-certified Secure Tracker Pro for the duration of the warranty period, and walk-away locking to avoid absent-mindedly leaving the vehicle unlocked, plus added security for the externally-mounted spare wheel.

Munro Utility and Truck

The production-ready Munro Truck has a rugged appearance © Munro

Scotland’s rugged all-electric, four-wheel drive vehicle has been given a new identity both in name – now Series-M instead of the prototype’s MK_1 – and visually, whether in SUV or five-seat pickup form.

The first pre-production vehicle, a Series-M Utility pickup, was completed last November with a more cohesive overall appearance from the distinctive front to the protective plastic wheel arch panels and the rear bodywork of Truck versions.

In addition to more detailed powertrain and other spec descriptions, Munro Vehicles has also defined and priced a lengthy list of options for the 170kW M170 and 280kW M280, which include towing, winching and on-board power packs, underbody protection and plywood lining for the cargo area.

Toyota

Base spec Active versions of the Toyota Hilux pickup are available to order once more after supplies were curtailed during a model transition.

First up is the four-seat Active Extra available to order now; the single- and double-cab versions can be ordered from October 2024, all with relatively minor changes as far as spec and equipment are concerned.

The higher-spec Invincible, meanwhile, has gained smart entry, the 8in multimedia touchscreen and a reversing camera.

There is also the Invincible X with a mild hybrid version of the 2.75-litre four-pot diesel, its electric input providing support during acceleration and cruising.

And for drivers who like a sporting edge to their pickup, the second iteration of the GR Sport in double cab form has a wider track and 20mm raised ride height, with suspension tweaks resulting, says Toyota, in reduced roll angle and more precise steering response.

A number of wheel and styling updates add to the model’s distinctive appearance.

In the cab there is black synthetic suede and leather for the seats, and a new multimedia system with 8in touchscreen.