January 2021

4x4 Magazine Australia

Live the adventure!

4x4 Magazine Australia3 min readAutomotive
Tech Torque
SPECULATION that Toyota’s 4.5-litre V8 diesel is on the chopping block is gaining more voice and, while the big oiler V8 won’t live forever, I think its imminent demise is overstated. The diesel V8 in question is currently used in the LandCruiser 200
4x4 Magazine Australia5 min readAutomotive
GEAR PRODUCT TESTS & NEW STUFF
The ARB Slide Kitchen comprises a benchtop, gas stove, utensils drawer and, of course, the sink. The 12-litre silicone sink comes with a plug and a utensils holder, can double as a dish-drying rack and can be collapsed for stowage. The kitchen-grade
4x4 Magazine Australia6 min readAutomotive
Plus+size POUNDER
IT’S funny how life throws things your way, like a two-wheel drive 2007 N70 Hilux for the princely sum of $500. As an ex-TV commercial hero car, it had starred as a tradie’s ute slamming into a roadside fruit stand, all in the name of safer driving.
4x4 Magazine Australia5 min read
Beyond The Homestead
IT IS remarkable what a solid drop of rain does for semi-arid wilderness. The dry landscape I had seen here previously, with a meagre dappling of greenery, was transformed into a relatively lush wellvegetated scene, complete with fields of springtime
4x4 Magazine Australia1 min read
4x4 Magazine Australi
Editor Matt Raudonikis Deputy Editor Evan Spence Designer Jamie Burgess Staff Journalist Tristan Tancredi Editor-At-Large Ron Moon Road-Test Editor Fraser Stronach Sub-Editor John Panozzo Staff Photographers Ellen Dewar, Alastair Brook Commercial Dir
4x4 Magazine Australia4 min readAutomotive
Defending The Hills
WE’VE driven the new Defender a few times – a full test review from Fraser Stronach in the Summer 2020 edition, and our initial pre-vehicle launch drive from Africa back in March – but we wanted to see how the latest Land Rover fares on your typical
4x4 Magazine Australia3 min read
In The Black
I AM A bit of a tyre snob these days – you know, tried the best and now looking at the rest. In the past, I’ve spent a bloody fortune on the big brands and to be honest they have been pretty darn good, but on the other end of the scale I’ve tried the
4x4 Magazine Australia2 min readTechnology & Engineering
OFF-GRID ENGINEERING MOUNT & BLUE SEA ML-ACR
WE first viewed Off-Grid’s dualbattery system at an off-road event and were immediately impressed with the beautiful CNC-milled aluminium mounting bracket. This comprehensive kit includes hardware, a plug-n-play braided harness, terminal ends, precut
4x4 Magazine Australia2 min readAutomotive
Pedal Flex
I BOUGHT the iDrive for my 2005 Hilux around six months ago (they have since changed the name to Ultimate 9) and I paid full retail from my local 4WD shop. Right off the bat, I have been suitably impressed with its function and versatility. First up,
4x4 Magazine Australia2 min readTechnology & Engineering
National Luna Battery Manager
NATIONAL Luna (NL) originally developed power options for solarpowered vaccine refrigerators for remote regions of Africa. The application was perfect for the overland crowd and NL has become a household name. Similar to the IBS, it is a split chargi
4x4 Magazine Australia5 min readAutomotive
Beginner Luck
IT WAS love at first sight for Jamie, the owner of this beautiful 2012 Firenze Red Land Rover Defender. After deciding to sell up and travel the world in 2017, he couldn’t help but notice how popular Defenders were overseas, especially in Iceland whe
4x4 Magazine Australia4 min read
Watering Place
THE view hit us suddenly, and completely by surprise. I had been concentrating so intently on the rough, rocky track we were following that the top of the ridge was seen as nothing more than a change from driving upwards to careening downwards. But a
4x4 Magazine Australia1 min readTechnology & Engineering
CTEK D250SE & SMARTPASS 120S
THE CTEK D250SE also lands in the high-tech category. It will service an auxiliary bank up to 300amp/h and all 12-volt battery types. There are separate charging algorithms for AGM and lithium cells, and selection is made during the installation of w
4x4 Magazine Australia3 min readEarth Sciences
North Stradbroke Island Fever
BEING the second largest sand island in the world, Minjerribah, as it is known by the traditional owners, the Quandamooka people, lies within Moreton Bay and is situated off the coast of Redland City, southeast of Brisbane. It’s colloquially known as
4x4 Magazine Australia1 min readAutomotive
Great Wall Fires Its Cannon
CHINESE brand Great Wall Motors, now simply calling itself GWM, dropped its new Cannon dual-cab ute in December in both 4x2 and 4x4 models. There are three variants in the 4x4 range all powered by an upgraded version of its 2.0-litre diesel engine an
4x4 Magazine Australia1 min readAutomotive
Mountain Offroad Jeep Jk Mount
IF you only need a dual-battery tray, Mountain Off-Road offers a high-quality option for 2007-and-up Jeep JKs. Crafted from powder-coated 1/8-inch plate steel, it incorporates the OE attachment points and accommodates two Group 34 batteries. AVAILABL
4x4 Magazine Australia2 min readAutomotive
Readers’ Rigs
WIN THIS! POST a pic of your 4x4 to our Facebook channel and you could win a Wurth Under Bonnet LED Light valued at $249. With hooks on either end that can swivel 360 degrees, and a foam lining to prevent scratching, the extendable LED is suitable fo
4x4 Magazine Australia2 min readAutomotive
D-max
0012009 KM DATE ACQUIRED: NOV 2020 PRICE (RRP): $51,900 KM SINCE LAST UPDATE: N/A AV FUEL: 8.3/100KM KEEN readers would be well aware of our previous project vehicle, the highly modified Ford Ranger that was used on filming trips and for editorial du
4x4 Magazine Australia2 min readAutomotive
Hilux Strikes Back On The November Sales Charts
SUVS and 4x4 utes continue to lead the recovery in the local new-car sector, but the overall market is still down 16.1 per cent for the year to November compared to 2019. That said, November 2020 sales were up 12.4 per cent over November 2019, showin
4x4 Magazine Australia1 min read
Travel Planner
GOOGS Track is located directly north of Ceduna, which is on arguably the best coastline in Australia. Ceduna is a township of more than 2000 people and is well-serviced with caravan parks, a shopping centre and is in itself a worthy destination if t
4x4 Magazine Australia2 min readAutomotive
Variety Is The Spice
ONE of the coolest things I love about working on this mag is seeing the massive variety of vehicle makes, models and styles that folks choose to drive, modify and use for whatever they need. While some are keen to say we have a Toyota bent at 4X4 Au
4x4 Magazine Australia1 min readTechnology & Engineering
Intelligent Battery Systems Ibs-dbs Em
IBS (Intelligent Battery Systems) was formed after its founder Beat Wyss was stranded in Western Australia with a flat battery. Returning to Switzerland he developed the DBS, or Dual Battery System. This is a comprehensive kit and includes all compon
4x4 Magazine Australia3 min readAutomotive
Footloose
I AM always interested in chasing up the stories behind some of the old, historic vehicles we have here in Australia, and they often have a fabulous story to tell. Probably the one that grips the imagination more than most is Francis Birtles’ ‘Sundow
4x4 Magazine Australia7 min read
Bdr Or Bust
WHENEVER I see on a map the words, Developmental Road, it always grabs my attention for being a less-used route. Apparently the name Developmental comes from the roads being under constant development, and a lot are damaged or washed away from the se
4x4 Magazine Australia2 min readAutomotive
Ready To Rock
TALK about having your cake and eating it too, with the latest release from EarthCruiser: its Extreme XTR250 camper. Designed to sit on the venerable Toyota 79 Series platform, the Extreme XTR250 can be constructed to suit your choice of a single- or
4x4 Magazine Australia1 min read
With Thanks
All this would not have been at all possible without the help and advice from a lot of people, so many thanks go to: Maro at Premier Automotive Paints, Malaga, WA Shannon at ARB Australia Lachlan at LuxFab Adam at Auto One, Morley, WA James at NPC Pe
4x4 Magazine Australia2 min readAutomotive
Defender Gets Five Stars
AS ONE would expect of any new vehicle from Land Rover, the new Defender 110 has scored a full five-star ANCAP safety rating. The Defender might be the no-frills off-road model in the premium Land Rover range, but it doesn’t skimp on safety incorpora
4x4 Magazine Australia3 min read
Ultimate Protection
THERE’S a lot to be said about the quality of gear on the market these days, and I reckon I’ve found some of the best quality adventurer bags around. North Storm owners Marc and Lisa saw a demand on the market for decent waterproof bags and began the
4x4 Magazine Australia5 min readAutomotive
The Wanderers
WHAT would be your ultimate rig for doing the full-time lap of Australia? For Queenslanders Brendan and Nikita Shanley it’s this incredible portal axle-equipped 79 Series LandCruiser and the mind-boggling Bruder EXP-6 caravan. We certainly can’t argu
4x4 Magazine Australia2 min readIndustries
Yenko Yankee
THERE’S no denying the popularity of American pickup trucks has grown in Australia since the demise of locally made 4x2 utes and the introduction of more affordable 1500 models and heavy-duty 2500 towing rigs. But these trucks don’t make great off-ro
4x4 Magazine Australia2 min readTechnology & Engineering
High Voltage
AS THE days of pointing our old 4x4 toward the back country, provisioned only with an esky and Coleman stove, fade into our rearview mirror, we find ourselves in a landscape of technology and electronic gizmos. We’ve added fridge-freezers, camp light
4x4 Magazine Australia1 min read
Pros And Cons
The on- and off-road performance of these tyres has surprised me. On the road (tar) I run them at 45psi and they wear well, keep above the blocky nature muddies have, and seem to clear mud and rocks pretty well. Off-road they perform well in all cond
4x4 Magazine Australia2 min readAutomotive
Breaking Free
0027619 KM DATE ACQUIRED: JULY 2020 PRICE (AS TESTED): $42,848.90 KM SINCE LAST UPDATE:1333KM AV FUEL: 9.0L/100KM FOLLOWING months of hibernation, Netflix and late-night food deliveries, it was great to get out again and enjoy the Victorian sunshine
4x4 Magazine Australia2 min read
Buy Or Sell
I DON’T know about you lot, but there isn’t much I like more than scouring the classifieds. I’m sure I’m not alone in affectionately remembering grabbing the Trading Post from the local newsagency to browse through the automotive listings. Obviously
4x4 Magazine Australia1 min read
Travel Planner
Main Beach, North Stradbroke Island Unfacilitated beachfront camping on the dunes. Stradbroke Ferries: www.sealinkseq.com.au Camping: www.minjerribahcamping.com.au Vehicle access permits are required to drive on the beach. Camping Permits are also re
4x4 Magazine Australia2 min readTechnology & Engineering
Redarc Bcdc1225d Charger
REDARC has 40 years of experience providing mobile electrical components for the Australian outback. The award-winning BCDC1225D offers an array of advanced options including multi-phase charging algorithms and solar/wind input compatibility, and it
4x4 Magazine Australia5 min readAutomotive
BLACK BLOWN & BAD-ASS!
THERE’S no doubting that one of the best things about Nissan’s Y62 Patrol is its VK56 V8 engine. No matter what side of the petrol versus diesel debate you sit on, you can’t help but smile when you plant your boot in a Patrol to unleash the full 298k
4x4 Magazine Australia2 min readCrime & Violence
Thescore
Australia’s Ultimate New Car Comparison Site whichcar.com.au Brought to you by PRIVACY NOTICE This issue of 4X4 Australia is published by Are Media Pty Ltd. Are Media may use and disclose your information in accordance with our Privacy Policy, includ
4x4 Magazine Australia3 min read
Travel Bulletin
AS state borders start to re-open, events that were postponed or in doubt are coming back online, so it’s time to get out and about to enjoy the great land and support the communities. The situation is still fluid and things are changing all the time
4x4 Magazine Australia1 min readAutomotive
By The Numbers
Top-selling 4x4s in November 2020 Source: VFACTS 1: Toyota Hilux 3854 2: Ford Ranger 3829 3: Toyota Prado 2602 4: Toyota LC200 1981 5: Isuzu D-MAX 533 6: Mitsubishi Triton 1287 7: Toyota LC79 966 8: Nissan Navara 885 9: LDV T60 871 10: Isuzu MU-X 848

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