Category Archives: SUV/4X4

Jeep, Manufacturer, Motor reviews, SUV/4X4

King of the mountains

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The stylish Jeep Wrangler can tackle the toughest terrains

Jeep Wrangler

By Bill McCarthy

The influence of Jeep in the world of off-road, go-anywhere rugged 4x4s should not be underestimated. Made famous as a military vehicle seen racing around war-torn Europe and immortalised in many films, especially as John Wayne was winning the war, it inspired the designer of the Land Rover Series I,  Maurice Wilks, engineering director of Rover cars, to come up with a British alternative in 1947.

Inspired by the Willys Jeep used by the Americans, Wilks wanted to create an off-road vehicle that could double as a light tractor –  a tool as much as a mode of transport. And the copycat Land Rover was born. The rest, as they say, is history.

And while the Jeep has moved on in the last 80 years, the template pretty much remains the same. This fourth generation Wrangler is available as a two, or on this vehicle a four door together with various soft or hard top combinations.

This Overland model featured the modular Freedom,  hard top  which can be quickly removed and reinstalled, together with the Overland pack which includes 18-inch aluminium wheels, body colour grille with bright accent throats and headlamp bezels, body colour hard spare tyre cover and Overland logo dedicated leather interior and LED lights.

There is a choice of engines and this model packed plenty of punch with a two-litre, 272bhp turbo-charged petrol engine mated to an eight-speed auto gearbox, delivering stonking power and torque figures of 400Nm for impressive pulling and towing power. It is capable of pulling up to 1,500 kg on two-door models and 2,500 kg on this four door.

It is also pretty rapid on the road, hitting the 60mph mark in just over seven seconds. Hot hatch territory, but this is a vehicle that’s hardly designed for speed and handling.

A full-fat, in your face off-roader, there is little pretence at slippery styling, more a boxy battering ram than an aerodynamic thoroughbred. It may not be the most sophisticated or hi-tech of SUVs on the market, but it certainly does what is says on the tin and is one of the most striking. If not THE most striking, and rarely equalled offroad.

 The four wheel drive offers permanent, high and low gearing and lockable differential, plus ground clearance of 10 inches,  steep approach and departure angles and wading capacity of more than two-and a half feet.

It is an impressive rugged-looking vehicle, which for enthusiasts that is exactly what they want, except that now it is more sophisticated, comfortably doubling as family transport as well as Amazon explorer.

That must be the attraction to many buyers with its much friendlier road manners, which makes it a relatively smooth ride to previous Wranglers which bounced about all over the shop.

The road presence is unmistakable and desirable, with foldable windscreen, large tyres encased in huge wheel arches and the signature seven-slot grille, flanked by new self levelling LED halogen headlamps, plus front and rear fog lamps. 

All Wrangler models now feature body-coloured sport bars, which are welded to the body and feature integrated grab handles.

The interior too, is slightly deceptive, looking basic, but actually hosting many of the creature comforts you would want if spending £46k on a vehicle, including some soft-touch materials.

Making its debut is a push-button starter, featuring a weather-proof surround is easily located within the driver’s reach. The seats feature accent stitching, and now offer adjustable bolster and lumbar support. Available comfort options include heated front seats and steering wheel.

A centrepiece 8.4 inch touchscreen controls major functions like navigation, smartphone connectivity and eight-speaker Alpine audio system, plus there is a seven inch TFT instrument cluster screen for driver information.

Compared to other SUVs of a similar price, it lacks some of the refinement and state-of-the-art tech, but it’s hardly low tech and features, a push-button starter for the first time, heated, powered  leather seats  with the Overland logo, auto dimming mirror, steering wheel mounted audio controls, ambient interior lighting, heated front seats, climate control, illuminated front cupholders, plus various 12v power connectors.

Safety features include stability control, rear parking sensor and camera, four airbags, blind spot monitors, rear cross traffic detection and electronic stability controls with roll mitigation.

At around 16ft long, this is a big vehicle, both outside and in. A full five seater its shape means all have plenty of head and legroom, while a large boot space of 548 litres can be increased 1,059 litres by folding the rear seats. An under-floor storage area behind the rear seat provides extra, secure stowage.

A signature Wrangler characteristic remains, with  washable interiors and the protective rubber cover for the infotainment system screen, that allows easy clean up in complete peace of mind.

Big and brash, but more sophisticated, if not class-leading, the Wrangler retains its legendary off road status, while becoming an engaging and attractive drive.

Factfile

Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Overland 2.0 four door

Price: £49,650

Mechanical: 1995cc, 272HP, four-cylinder  petrol engine driving all wheels via eight-speed auto transmission

Maximum speed: 110mph

Acceleration: 0-62mph in 7.8 seconds

Economy: 24.8 mpg

Insurance group: 38

CO2 emissions: 260g/km

Warranty: Three years/ 60,000 miles

BiK rating: 39 per cent

Warranty: Three years/ 60,000 miles

AWD, BMW, Manufacturer, SUV/4X4

Plug-in has electric pace

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BMW X5 Hybrid

By Bill McCarthy

WHEN it comes to combining luxurious comfort with electric performance, BMW has few peers.

But now the firm has taken that electric performance further, literally, with a big push in diverging from the combustion engine alone technology.

Take that technology and add it to one of its most enduring models, the X5, and this plug-in version and you have a vehicle that has literally electric performance together a massive economy and ultra-low CO2 emissions.

In this case the vehicle has a claimed theoreticl economy of a 180-230-odd mpg combined with just 31g/km of CO2, producing big savings on the day to day running of the vehicle, particularly for business users.

BMW claims it can travel up to 54 miles purely on electricity which means on the company car tax scale – for PHEVs now calculated on electric range as well as overall emissions – that its benefit-in-kind rating is just eight per cent.

Of course the mpg is theoretical unless you are driving less than the electric range miles and are charging the car every day and with very little use of the three-litre V6 twin turbo-charged petrol engine. It would seem obvious, however, that drivers would wish to make use of all that pace and power at some point.

The X5 is now in its fourth incarnation and this model has produced a combined system power output of 394bhp, 286bhp augmented by the 112bhp from the battery power.

It feels jet propelled and can hit 60mph in around five-and-a-half seconds and on to a top speed of 146mph. Even in electric only it can hit an impressive 85mph.

The X5 has always been an attractive motor, but in the M Sport mode it really does look the business

The engine is combined with the 82kW lithium-ion extended storage battery to provide the power needed to shift a 2.5 tonne vehicle so quickly and so economically.

It also combines the BMW EfficientDynamics drive family and the super-slick, eight-speed automatic transmission with the latest generation and the intelligent all-wheel on-demand xDrive system. 

There are various drive modes, which are selected by buttons near the gear shift, with electric, hybrid, sport and auto adaptive available. Obviously for maximum economy choose electric and for serious fun, choose sport and let rip by using the steering wheel paddles, but for most, the auto mode will select drive mode for the appropriate conditions.

In addition, the vehicle’s smart route navigation can keep electric power in reserve for urban driving later in the journey.

A separate Battery Hold mode and regenerative braking, allows the battery to be fully charged while driving. On top of this, a 69-litre fuel tank also ensures fewer expensive visits to the filling stations.

The X5 has always been an attractive motor, but in the M Sport mode it really does look the business with its slim headlamps, huge, diamond cut alloys and the familiar kidney grille, air scoops and side air vents finished in gloss black.

The interior is pure class, a riot of leather and high end soft touch finish. It is a big car with plenty of head and legroom at the front, although the rear is more limited. It offers a raft of hi-tech, high end bells and whistles that you would expect from a £66,000-odd motor, including head-up display and electrically heated and powered front seats.

The M Sport model also includes a sports steering wheel, specific pedals, driver’s footrest and piping on the seats, plus exclusive interior trim in aluminium. Also included on this model adaptive air suspension, 20-inch alloy wheels.

Central is the 12.3-inch touchscreen in the middle of the dash with controls sat nav, infotainment and connectivity and climate control controlled by the now familiar iDrive rotary dial on the central console. Connectivity includes Apple CarPlay, digital radio, enhanced Bluetooth with wireless charging and gesture control.

On the road, the  two-axle air suspension and electronically controlled dampers makes for a smooth and controlled ride with sharp, agile handling and a comfortable ride for all passengers, although it became unsettled over larger potholes and bumps.

It remains a practical vehicle and when all seats are used, the storage volume is 500 litres. Fold the  rear backrests and a cavernous 1,720 litres is available. A two-section tailgate for ease of loading with optional remote opening and closing.

Safety kit is comprehensive, with full complement of airbags, traction and stability control plus, plus lane change warning, crossing traffic warning, rear-end collision warning and speed limit information.

Another key feature for electric cars is when the vehicle is running at low speeds on electric power, a speaker system emits a distinctive sound generated to alert pedestrians.

At more than £66,000, it’s not cheap, but considering it has a three litre petrol engine on board, running costs are good.

And for that 54 miles range on electricity, it may give serious tax benefits but it was a figure I only got near to with very careful driving.

Factfile

BMW X5 xDrive 45e

Price: £66,665

Mechanical: 394bhp, 2,998, 6cyl petrol engine and electric motor driving four wheels via 8-speed automatic gearbox

Max speed: 146mph

0-62mph: 5.6 seconds

Combined mpg: 180

Insurance group: 49

CO2 emissions: 31-41g/km

Warranty: 3yrs/unlimited miles