Tests

	ROAD TEST: SUZUKI GRAND VITARA 2.4 SZ5 You could argue that Suzuki created the compact-SUV market when it launched the original Vitara range way back in 1988. Here, for the first time, was a car-size 4x4 that went well, handled well and was more practical than a similarly sized conventional hatchback. The fact that it was also a handy little tool in the rough was an added bonus, even if most owners never did exploit its off-road capability.	More...

	4x4 NEWCOMERS UNVEILED AT GENEVA The Geneva Motor Show saw the unveiling of an array of crucial new 4x4s, SUVs and crossovers, set to give the UK market a shake-up over the next 12 months. We take a look at six of the most intriguing	More...

	ROAD TEST: SUZUKI JIMNY SZ4 By any standards, the diminutive Suzuki Jimny is a bit of an old soldier, having originally been launched way back in 1998 before going on sale in the UK early the following year. And that makes it the second oldest 4x4 currently on sale in Britain, beaten only by Land Roverâ€™s evergreen Defender.	More...

	NEW MINI SUV FINALLY REVEALED A choice of three petrol and two diesel engines will be available, ranging in power from 89bhp in the One D Countryman to a far more exciting 181bhp in the Cooper S Countryman. And for the first time in a Mini, the 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine in the top model comes with a twin-scroll turbocharger and direct fuel injection, plus fully variable valve management.	More...

	BATTLE OF THE V8: RANGE ROVER VERSUS JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE Fuel prices are rising again â€“ and that means many of us will be paying extra attention to fuel economy when the time comes to buy our next new or used SUV. But for anybody who doesnâ€™t cover a hefty annual mileage, this also opens up some real potential â€“ because if youâ€™re willing to consider a large petrol-engined 4x4 (knowing full well that fuel consumption will be on the heavy side), there are some real bargains to be had.	More...

	NEW SANTA FE GOES ON SALE Thereâ€™s a new Hyundai Santa Fe in town (and country) â€“ and the South Korean giant is hoping it can build on the previous modelâ€™s success, appealing to existing owners as well as achieving a decent proportion of conquest sales from other manufacturers. For this to happen though, the new Santa Fe not only has to be good, it needs to offer top value, too.	More...

	VOLKSWAGEN JOINS THE 4x4 PICK-UP SECTOR The Amarok, which will be available as a four-door double cab version from launch, with a single cab model to follow in 2011, is said to combine the robustness of a pick-up with '...innovative technology, high safety standards, excellent fuel economy and Volkswagen standards of comfort, quality and durability'.	More...

	BUYING USED: HONDA CR-V (2002-06) When car manufacturers get something right, they're often reluctant to change the formula too much. And that's exactly the situation Honda found itself in back in 2002. The original CR-V had been a bit of a surprise success, arriving on the scene at just the right time. Together with the original Freelander, it helped to set the standard for the burgeoning compact SUV sector, achieving healthy sales as a result.	More...

	BUYING USED: NISSAN TERRANO VS ISUZU TROOPER When Sam Gordon from Pickering, North Yorkshire, contacted us for advice, his dilemma seemed a particularly interesting one. With a budget of just Â£3000 to Â£4000, Sam is keen to invest in a five-door, long-wheelbase workhorse that's capable of towing a trailer carrying a pair of off-road motorbikes - invariably across a muddy field during his weekend escapades. And he'd already narrowed down his choice to either an Isuzu Trooper or a Nissan Terrano II, as he felt that both models offer the right mix of off-road capability and effortless towing.	More...

	JIMNY: THE BABY 4x4 THAT REFUSES TO DIE More than eleven years after it was first unveiled as the latest in a long line of 'baby' Suzuki off-roaders, the Jimny shows no signs of retirement just yet. So much so, Suzuki has now launched what it calls a 'new, refreshed Jimny' for the 2010 model year.	More...

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