GENERALLY SPEAKING, OFF-ROAD vehicles today are a lot less, um, off-roady than they were a decade or more ago.
There are many reasons for this. One is that tougher body-on-frame vehicles are a dying breed (although unibody vehicles can be as good off road as their body-on-frame counterparts). Another reason is that car based crossovers are very trendy right now and selling like hot cakes.
Yes, most crossovers are a lot more comfortable than traditional rugged off-roaders but they are not going to get you very far when the tarmac runs out.
In order to be a useful when venturing off-road, a vehicle needs to have four-wheel drive (or at least all-wheel drive); decent ground clearance and approach, breakover, and departure angles; and low-end torque, amongst other things.
So, if you need a rough and tough off-roader to get you out into the wilderness and back on track again, here are some vehicles with decent off-road capabilities to look out for.
Range Rover SVAutobiography Dynamic
If a regular Range Rover simply isn’t special enough for you don’t despair. The luxury off-road specialists have created an even more specialised division called Special Vehicle Operations (SVO), which is designed to cater to every plutocrat’s whim.
Its latest offering is this 550hp Range Rover with a 5.0-litre supercharged V8 lurking under its bonnet. It’s enough to propel you, and perhaps some of your staff, to 100km/h from rest in just 5.4 seconds. And onto a top speed of 250km/h, wherever you can find a place to do that legally.
Performance aside, this vehicle is dripping in luxury, as you might expect for a car with a starting price of €282,600. Naturally, you can, of course, add to that figure depending on just how creative you’re feeling with the options list. To get you off-road it is equipped with four-wheel drive, 600Nm of torque at 1,750-2,250rpm, a wading depth of 900mm, an approach angle of 34.7 degrees, departure angle of 29.6 degrees and a feature called Low Traction Launch which enables the vehicle to pull away smoothly and easily, even on tricky low-friction surfaces like ice, snow or wet grass.
Skoda Kodiaq Scout
The new all-new and hotly-anticipated Kodiaq has barely arrived in showrooms, and already Skoda has pulled the covers off a more rugged off-road themed variant called the Kodiaq Scout.
The Scout name is Skoda-speak for when the company adds longer suspension springs and extra bodywork cladding around the wheel arches and sills as well as installing its permanent all-wheel drive transmission. There is also the Rough Road package that brings underbody protection for the engine and driveline.
Given that the vast majority of regular Kodiaq models are unlikely ever to go off-road (despite being available with all-wheel drive versions), this chunkier design should appeal to those who might consider it. But with its 194mm ground clearance – up 6mm over the regular Kodiaq – 22-degree approach angle and 23.1-degree departure angle those that do venture off road will find the Kodiaq quite capable.
Volvo V90 Cross Country
When it comes to making all-wheel drive cars to tackle more challenging conditions Volvo know a thing or two. The Swedish car maker has been producing its Cross Country line of all-wheel drive models for twenty years now. The latest to get this treatment is the ever-so-sleek V90 estate – an off-roader doesn’t necessarily have to mean an SUV.
Ride height has been raised by 60mm over the regular V90 versions, and a further protective layer has been added to the parts that might get more than a little muddy. Here in Ireland, we’ll get two versions, both diesel engined, with a choice of manual or automatic transmissions with good low-end torque (400Nm at 1,750-2,500rpm or 480Nm at 1,750-2,250rpm). Once you do get off-road you just adjust the settings with the touch of a screen and the engine attunes itself to the demands of the terrain. Tech features will also kick in, including hill descent control and the ability to hold the car in first gear at speeds below 45km/h.
Renault Alaskan
Pick-up trucks are great for off-roading as they are usually very rugged and tough. The new Renault Alaskan has a ground clearance of 230mm and can tow trailers of up to 3.5 tonnes. It has a payload of more than one tonne with five passengers on board and comes with four-wheel drive as an option.
The models with 4WD also have an electronic limited-slip diff, which uses braking sensors to monitor wheel speed before braking the wheels that are rotating faster than others – this boosts traction on those slippy off-road surfaces. There’s also a rear locking diff with a mechanical lock, which further improves driving in difficult conditions.
Mercedes-Benz X-Class
If ever proof was needed that there isn’t a piece of the SUV/pick-up pie that a car maker doesn’t want, it’s the Mercedes-Benz X-Class. Yes, this is a Mercedes pickup truck.
Although pickups are nothing new, the concept of a ‘premium pick-up’ is – and it doesn’t come any more Celtic Tiger than a crew cab bearing the three-pointed star.
Underneath the flashy exterior is a model that has been co-developed with Renault and Nissan. It won’t officially arrive until next year, but Mercedes-Benz is already taking €1,200 deposits from buyers keen to be among the first to own one.
The X-Class has a payload of 1.1 tonnes and a towing capacity of up to 3.5 tonnes. It has the 4MATIC permanent all-wheel drive system with an electronic traction system, a transfer case with reduction gear, and two differential locks. The traction system and the electrically operated on-demand differential locks channel the power to where traction is best. Under extreme off-road conditions, the rear differential and the inter-axle differential can be locked. This will make it possible to safely master difficult obstacles and inclines.
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