Australian 4WD & SUV Buyer's Guide April Issue#31 2018

JOSHUA DOWLING Joshua Dowling is the National Motoring Editor of News Corp Australia and a World Car of the Year judge. Joshua is renowned for his consumer-first approach and you can also find his roadtests and news stories at news.com.au or read his regular rants on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling. In this issue, he tests the new Mercedes X Class. JOHN CAREY John is a previous editor of Overlander, a contributor to Wheels magazine where he is a Car of the Year judge, and publications in the USA and UK. He lives in Bergamo, Italy. In this issue, John tests the BMW X2 and the Jaguar E-Pace. BYRON MATHIOUDAKIS Byron is a complete car tragic. He claims that a dream as a toddler of driving an Austin A35 sealed his fate. Byron…

Our piggybank indicates a 4WD or SUV that we think represents good value for money against the others in its class. It may not necessarily be the cheapest, but taking into account factors such as standard equipment, safety, the way it drives, resale values and quality, it shapes up as a good deal. A capital S indicates a vehicle that scores five stars out of five for occupant protection in ANCAP crash tests. Go to www.ancap.com.au. for more information If you’re after a safe, practical wagon to carry the kids, look for this symbol. We’ve limited its use to vehicles that have an ANCAP score of at least four stars out of five and have six airbags plus stability control as standard or as affordable options. We’ve also taken into…

You’re looking at the first genuine SUV supercar — the new Lamborghini Urus. It’s due mid-year at a price of $390,000, which might seem like a big ask, but looks like something of a bargain compared with the $427,300 Bentley Bentayga. The Lamborghini’s 478kW, 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, engineered by Audi, flings it to 100km/h in just 3.6 seconds — half a second quicker than the Bentley bus — making the Urus the quickest SUV on the planet. Top speed is 305km/h. An eight-speed automatic puts power to the road via an all-wheel-drive system with a Torsen self-locking centre differential that distributes drive 40/60 front/rear, with up to 87 per cent available for the rear wheels. Torque vectoring enhances agility and a rear-wheel-drive character in corners, as does rear-wheel steering, adapted…

The next big thing in utes is literally that: big. As in Uncle Sam big. Dodge is already here with its RAM trucks being converted to right-hand drive, with factory support, by American Special Vehicles at Walkinshaw Automotive Group’s premises in Melbourne. Now, the same factory will be producing a rival for the RAM — the latest Chevrolet Silverado. Chevy is a General Motors brand, just like Holden (although Chevrolet still makes cars, whereas Holden doesn’t), and Holden Special Vehicles, owned by Walkinshaw, will have carriage of the project. Silverado will be sold at HSV dealers with a Chevy badge, though, not a Holden or HSV emblem. HSV SPORTS CAT Production began in April and there are five dual-cab models to kick off: in a single 2500WT (Work Truck) and…

Toyota’s HiLux might be Australia’s biggest-selling ute overall, but at the pointy end of the class — big-dollar 4x4 dual cab pickups — the Ford Ranger rules. Now, Ford is capitalising on Ranger’s success with a genuine – as opposed to pretend – performance version, called the Raptor. Let’s start with the engine. It’s a 2.0-litre twin turbodiesel four cylinder with 157kW of power and 500Nm of torque. It’s matched with a 10-speed automatic, with paddle shifters and a pushbutton terrain management system complementing the dual-range transfer case. Maximum towing weight is 2500kg — one tonne less than a standard 3.2-litre five-cylinder Ranger 4x4. The body has been widened and jacked up to provide 283mm of clearance, so the Raptor is a towering 1873mm tall. Wider tracks also provide improved…

The new Jeep Wrangler arrives late in 2018, in short-wheelbase, two-door and long-wheelbase, four-door body styles, plus soft and hardtop variants. Wrangler Sport, Sport S and Rubicon grades are offered, plus a new Sahara grade in the four-door. New Wrangler is bigger than its predecessor, but lighter thanks to the extensive use of aluminium and a magnesium tailgate. It’s still a body-on-frame design, however, with five-link live axles and coils at both ends. Engines include a new 200kW 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbopetrol, matched with an eight-speed automatic, plus Jeep’s ubiquitous 3.6-litre V6 Pentastar, with 212kW and, in 2019, Jeep’s new 3.0-litre V6 Eco Diesel, with 193kW and 600Nm of torque. Off-road ability is in Wrangler’s DNA, and the new model offers Command-Trac and Rock-Trac part-time, dual-range drivetrains, 277mm of ground clearance,…