Starting at $42,650, this new��Evoque��is the most affordable way into a Range Rover badge. Can it deliver the luxury, all-weather, and dirt road performance of its bigger brothers? I spent three days in one to find out.��

What Is It?��

The��Evoque��is Land Rover’s entry in the compact luxury crossover class—a type of vehicle finding enormous favor with the buying public right now. Over rivals like the Volvo XC40, Audi Q3, BMW X3, and Jaguar E-Pace, the��Evoque��claims a legendary badge��and cutting-edge looks.��

If you live in a city��but need the ability to tackle inclement weather and rough dirt roads when you leave town, then the��Evoque��was designed just for you.��

Design

Like the E-Pace, which shares the same chassis, the��Evoque��is wider than other compact crossovers. That creates a more spacious cabin without sacrificing the short, nimble wheelbase that makes smaller cars like these so easy to maneuver in tight spaces. In other words, it’s a small crossover that doesn’t feel small inside.��

This second-generation��Evoque��looks similar to the first-generation model (2011–2019), but look closely and you’ll see the new version is decidedly less angular, trading a few sharp angles for flowing lines. You’d be forgiven if you thought it was a midcycle update, but it shares only two parts with that previous model: a door hinge and the mount for the vehicle’s main computer. This new model is a little larger inside��and a little more refined everywhere. Most notably, it adopts a the brand’s distinctive new two-screen dashboard, which replaces most of the physical buttons and knobs inside the cabin.��

The all-new��Evoque��continues the tradition of using a high percentage of eco-friendly��reused materials (72 pounds) in the cabin, while offering a sustainable, wool-based leather-alternative seating surface called Kvadrat. It’s quite nice, and I could see it being fantastic in colder climates where leather isn’t always ideal.��

Driving It

The��Evoque’s compact dimensions make it easy to drive almost everywhere. I tackled a gravel rally stage complete with actual rally cars preparing for a race, including stream crossings, railroad bridges, twisty mountain roads, and even tight city streets through ancient Greek villages. It’s not easy for a vehicle to inspire confidence in its drivers across such diverse environments, but the��Evoque��managed it. It rides comfortably��and facilitates control when pushed to its limits on a gravel road, yet it easily handled��terrain challenging enough that it lifted a wheel into the air.��

It does this through Land Rover’s mastery of manipulating traction through its brake systems. Torque vectoring, as some call it, allows the��Evoque��to send the engine’s power to the wheels that need it, whether that’s the outside tire in a turn to counter understeer��or the tire that has the most grip off-road. It is quite an impressive feature for such a small vehicle.��

Fitted with the turbocharged 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine that produces a healthy 246 horsepower, the��Evoque��returns a seven-second zero-to-60 mph time. There’s also a 296 horsepower mild-hybrid version. In either flavor, the��Evoque��has plenty of power. Helping there is the crisp nine-speed ZF gearbox that provides low-speed torque, midrange acceleration, and good highway fuel economy (up to 21 mpg in the city,��26 mpg��on the highway).

The Range Rover Velar, which gets height-adjustable air suspension and a rear locker,��might be more capable��but in comparison feels like every other crossover on the market. The��Evoque��is the young hero of the Range Rover family:��part Kensington Palace, part rally car.��

Likes

• More personality than its dour German competition.��
• Perceptibly good build quality.
• Class-leading engine and transmission options.��
• Feels more like its big brother than the price tag suggests.

Dislikes

• Seat memory button intrudes on the driver’s knee space.��
• The smooth, shiny dash scratches easily.
• No high-end performance option.��

Should You Buy the Evoque?��

If you’re an urbanite who needs something small and maneuverable for the city��yet also wants the luxury and go-anywhere ability of a large SUV, then the��Evoque��will be a good fit for you.��

If you don’t like the��Evoque’s distinctive look, then the similar Jaguar E-Pace offers much of the same experience in a more understated��but still very handsome package.

The post Is the Most Affordable Range Rover Still a Range Rover? appeared first on ���ϳԹ��� Online.

The 2020 Land Rover Defender is a completely new vehicle that does not share a single component with its iconic ancestor. And, features like fully-independent air suspension and hybridized gasoline-electric powertrain mean this is now a truly modern vehicle. Will it be as capable off-road as the old one?��

Along with a small handful of other journalists, I was given an advance preview of the new Defender at Land Rover’s design center in Gaydon, England, in early July. There, I was able to go hands-on with the vehicle months before anyone else outside the company would ever see it—and ask its engineers and designers tough questions about its true capability.��

Those expecting a return to the ladder frame, live axle, fix-it-with-a-Swiss-Army-knife Defenders of yore need to come to terms with the fact that Land Rover has no intentions of bringing a nearly 40-year-old vehicle design back to production. The new Defender will, “transition from a specialist 4×4 to a luxury SUV,” says Nick Rodgers, the project’s chief engineer. “We can’t be held back by our heritage.”

Design

This will be the most controversial SUV in recent memory. And frankly, the future of Land Rover’s brand hangs on its success. Without a rough-and-ready Defender, what separates Land Rover from Lexus?��

The original Defender was born into a still-developing world. Back in the early ‘80s, many roads were still unpaved, global warming was still a blip on the radar, and crash test standards were…rudimentary. In contrast, this new Defender needs to be relevant to the modern world—and continue that relevancy for the next decade. Right now is an awkward time to be an SUV:��we’re on the verge of all-passenger vehicles going fully electric, and true autonomous driving. Dirt roads are getting harder to find, and most of us now live in cities.��

In silhouette, the new Defender looks strikingly similar to the old one. Both are boxy, with short overhangs at each end, and they both wield a rear-mounted spare tire. The new one also includes the old one’s signature alpine windows in the curve of the roof—a fantastic, functional nod to Land Rover’s heritage. But while there’s no doubt that the new Defender is an attractive machine, I also think it’s a bit of a compromised design that’s��stuck somewhere between the past and the future.��

This new Defender is full of features intended to recall the original’s agricultural heritage. Options like a bench front seat, rubber floors, and steel wheels seem purposeful, but with a starting price of $49,000��and an options list that will quickly take that price tag north of $80,000, this is a vehicle that sits firmly in the realm of the luxury SUV.��

While those striking spartan options remain functional, the new Defender has one feature that won’t be optional��and represents a questionable-at-best nod to the function of the original: diamond plate inserts on the hood. The only reason these existed on the old Defender was so you could stand on the fenders, but according to the current design team, these inserts on the new one can’t support weight, and are therefore��only cosmetic. In other words, they’re fake.��

The old Defender was available with either a 90 or 110 inch wheelbase, known as the Defender 90 and 110, respectively. The new Defender will also be available in 90 and 110 versions, just now with 101.9 and 119-inch measurements. Tantalizingly, it’s the 110 that will hit that $49,000 starting price when it goes on sale next spring. The 90 won’t reach our shores until fall, and leaves open the possibility of an even lower base price.��

Two Available Engines

In the United States, the Defender will initially be available with two engine options: a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, and a 3.0-liter inline-six fitted with a mild hybrid system.��

Badged P300, the four-cylinder motor makes a very healthy 296 horsepower, and delivers a 0-60 miles per hour time of 7.7 seconds.��

P400 models will start at $62,250, and assist the six-cylinder motor with both a turbocharger, and a belt-integrated starter motor that assists the engine with electric power, for a combined 395 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque. It’s good for a 0-60 time of just 5.8 seconds.��

Both motors are paired with ZF’s excellent eight-speed automatic transmission, operated through a dash-mounted shifter.��

While no one outside of Land Rover has driven the new Defender yet, we have tried the P400’s powertrain in the Range Rover Sport. It’s torquey on the road, and controllable off it, delivering levels of performance in both environments that will simply embarrass the old model.��

A Heavy Duty Platform

Land Rover is calling the new Defender’s chassis D7X. It’s based on the monocoque platform that underpins the current Discovery, Range Rover Sport, and Range��Rover, but is upgraded to support more abusive off-road use. The use of this monocoque chassis may prove controversial to off-road enthusiasts, but Land Rover says testing has shown D7X to be three times stiffer than the strongest ladder chassis it’s ever tested. The platform has proven to be extremely robust in vehicles like the new Discovery, and is here upgraded with even more robust components like 5 millimeter larger ball joints in the lower control arms. I don’t know if you geek out on control arm ball joints like I do, but if you do, you’ll understand how much stronger and long-lasting that will make this platform.��

The Accessories You Want

Technical performance is dorky, and difficult to understand. While the Defender is fitted with all manner of parts that will aid it’s capability off-road—the snorkel and locking rear differential, for instance—it’s parts like the integrated shower, factory roof rack, and purpose-built rooftop tent that we think buyers will appreciate most.��

Out favorite option is the available shower-rinse kit. It offers just under two gallons of on-board water storage, along with a high-pressure nozzle. In short, it’s��the perfect solution for cleaning up after a sweaty hike, or spraying off your muddy dog before loading them into your $80,000 SUV.��

The roof rack also offers unprecedented functionality. The platform rack is aerodynamic, and built specifically for the vehicle by Land Rover, which has integrated it into the vehicle’s structure so it can handle 370 pounds of dynamic (read: while driving) capacity. That’s the most we’ve ever seen on a modern vehicle.��

There’s also options like an integrated air compressor, for adjusting tire pressures on the trail, a ladder that runs down the side of the vehicle, a hidden winch mount, and more. This is, by far, the most comprehensive list of overland-style accessories available directly from a vehicle manufacturer. And that means you’ll be able to roll the cost of these components into your monthly payments, and have them supported by your factory warranty.��

The Technical Stuff

While the Jeep Wrangler will still be the better choice for challenging terrain, this new Defender will debut as one of the most capable SUVs ever sold. Its fully-independent suspension architecture is industry-leading for durability and performance, offering wheel travel figures of 10.5 inches in the front, and 12.4 inches in the rear when equipped with air suspension. That same option also allows for five inches of ride height adjustability, at the push of a button.��

Put that air suspension in off-road mode, and the Defender achieves a maximum approach angle of 38 degrees. While this is still far behind the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon’s 44 degree figure, the Defender 90 actually has the Jeep beat on breakover (28 versus 27.8 degrees), ground clearance (11.5 versus 10.9 inches), departure (40 versus 37 degrees), and wading depth (35.4 versus 30 inches).��

Carrying on that comparison with the Wrangler, you’ll see that the Defender is capable of towing and hauling far more weight. Where the Jeep’s payload ranges from 1,090 to 1,361 pounds, the Defender is capable of carting around nearly 1,800 pounds of your stuff. And where the Jeep can only tow 3,500 pounds, the Defender is capable of towing a hugely impressive 8,200 pounds.��

Thirty-two-inch tires will be standard, while wheel sizes range as large as 22 inches. Thankfully, there’s both an 18-inch steel wheel��and all-terrain tire option. The taller tire sidewall made possible by the smaller wheels will be far less puncture-prone off-road, while delivering much improved ride quality everywhere.��

Off-road enthusiasts will be keen to know that while P400 Defenders are fitted with 3.55 axle ratios, a factory 4.10 ratio is standard on the P300, so re-gearing for larger tires will be possible using factory parts. All models will use the same 2.93:1 low-range transfer case, and locking center and rear differentials are also standard.��

Speaking with the engineering team, I asked about the ability to fit larger off-road tires. They said a 35-inch tire will certainly fit, but will require a one-inch suspension lift. A response that direct gave me the feeling that someone at Land Rover had already tried this.��

One design element that is going to frustrate off-road modifications is the front bumper. It integrates cooling elements that Rob Atkin, the Defender’s technical director describes as “essential.” So, you won’t simply be able to remove that bumper and replace it with a common steel item. Instead, the aftermarket will need time to develop dedicated solutions that retain the cooling system’s functionality. But, there is at least a factory winch and mounting kit available, and those will work in concert with the vehicle’s cooling needs.��

Land Rover also intends to offer a self-healing wrap for the Defender, giving buyers the option to change the vehicle’s color or graphics, while protecting the stock paintwork from scratches.��

Advanced Technology

The Defender will be the first Land Rover equipped with the new, seventh-generation Terrain Response suite of electronic off-road aids. These offer drivers a vast range of configurable traction control, suspension, brake, and throttle settings that will allow novices an unprecedented level of assistance, and experts new levels of control.��

These settings are controlled through the dash-mounted touchscreen, which also incorporates a display from a forward-facing camera that gives drivers a clear view of sections of the trail the may be obscured by the hood.��

Terrain Response 7 incorporates, for the first time, a dedicated mode for water wading, which will automatically lock the differentials, max out the suspension height, soften throttle response, recirculate cabin air, and allow drivers to observe water depths using the front-facing camera. As the vehicle leaves the water, Terrain Response will automatically drag the brakes for a few seconds, cleaning and drying the discs.��

The capability described above is supported by a next-generation anti-lock brake system that responds twice as fast as what was previously possible. The Defender can now lock a wheel in just 150 milliseconds, compared to the 300 milliseconds it takes vehicle like the Range Rover to do the same. Because Terrain Response prevents wheelspin using the ABS sensors and brakes, this will make the Defender’s entire suite of driver aids that much more capable. You can also expect the smoother application of features like hill descent control.��

Should You Buy It?

We’ll reserve that judgement until we drive a production version of the new Defender later this year. Until then, I can simply say that the Defender is exceeding my expectations. Fake diamond plate aside, it’s shockingly good-looking in-person. And, just like the old one, it looks like it’s on an adventure even if it’s parked in your driveway.��

All signs point to this new Defender being even more capable than the old one. It’s been tested everywhere from the wilds of Africa to Moab, Utah’s slick rock trails��to the boiling-hot deserts of the Arabian peninsula. But, unlike the old one, this version��has also been tested on all 154 turns of Germany’s famous Nurburgring race track. And that means this new one should be good at one thing the original never could quite handle: paved roads.��

The post An In-Depth Look at the New Land Rover Defender appeared first on ���ϳԹ��� Online.

The biggest problem when you’re trying to reinvent a famous product? Often it’s the very owners and fans that made your brand legendary in the first place. That’s the trouble Land Rover faces, as it prepares to release a totally new Defender in September. It won’t be anything like the old one, which we think is actually a good thing.��

Last sold in the United States back in 1997, the Land Rover Defender now enjoys an almost mythical status among 4×4 enthusiasts. They’ve seen its iconic silhouette on Instagram. They’ve seen these rigs traverse raging rivers during the Camel Trophy competition. Because it was also sold here in very limited numbers, for only a handful of years, Defenders also now command extremely high prices in the used market, often selling for several times their original value.��

All that has combined to create a huge level of anticipation for the new Defender, which Land Rover is currently showing in pre-production form, wearing a light disguise, in the run up to its fall��release. But while this new model will reference the old with some design elements, key details also reveal a vehicle that couldn’t be more different than the old one. And that is upsetting enthusiasts of the original—largely because most of them have never actually driven one of the old ones. We have, extensively, which is just one of the reasons we’re excited about what’s coming.��

Defenders Have Always Been Range Rovers Underneath

Central to the argument of the new Defender’s detractors is that the new model looks like it’s going to share its platform with the current Range Rover. And unlike the old Defender, which was essentially a stone-age farm tool, the Range Rover is a totally modern vehicle with a fully-independent chassis, cross-linked air suspension, industry-leading traction control, and a locking rear differential.��

But basing a Defender on Range Rover technology is nothing new. When the original Defender (then known as the Series 110) was first unveiled in 1983, it was built atop the coil-sprung chassis originally developed for the first-generation Range Rover. Back in those days, coil-spring suspension was unheard of in the off-road world. People were afraid of it. Old timey leaf spring suspension was thought to be heavier duty, never mind its poor ride and handling characteristics. Land Rover enthusiasts were so concerned by those new-fangled coils, that Santana, a Spanish company which built re-branded Rovers in Spain, even decided to retrofit its Defenders with leaf springs all the way up to 1994. Eventually, of course, the superior performance of coils overcame the fears of luddites, and the ride and handling benefits they offered are part of what made the Defender so legendary.��

Basing the new Defender on the new Range Rover endows it with�� similarly forward-looking tech. For one thing, this new Defender will actually be getting a factory-fitted locking rear differential for the first time ever. That’s an off-road traction aid so commonplace these days that you’ll even find one on the Fiat-based Jeep Cherokee crossover. In contrast, the old Defender had open differentials��on each end, meaning that if one tire lost traction, it basically became a two-wheel drive vehicle. Doesn’t that sound a little ancient?��

It’s All About Traction

Land Rover began solving the problem of off-road traction in the mid-1990s through the use of then-new antilock braking systems. Where other ABS systems only detected when wheels would lock up due to brake pressure overcoming traction, Land Rover managed to develop a system that was also capable of working the opposite way—when too much throttle overcame traction, resulting in wheelspin. By applying some brake pressure to a single wheel if it was spinning too fast, Land Rover discovered a way to electronically replicate the function of locking differentials.��

The off-road world considered this to be a gimmick. Most enthusiasts didn’t understand how the system worked, and would turn it off rather than take advantage of it. But its advantages were undeniable. Where mechanical lockers can be difficult to engage, expensive to fit, and can reduce a vehicle’s ability to steer around corners when activated, the electronic alternative is affordable and works only in the split-second that it’s needed, requiring no input from the driver. And because they only operate in the moment where traction is lost, they don’t effect steering. Land Rover kept developing the system, even as other manufacturers began to copy it. By 2005, when the Land Rover Discovery LR3 was launched, what was by then called Terrain Response had finally gained a good reputation. In that vehicle, you could dial-in the type of terrain you were crossing, and the traction control system would fine tune its responses accordingly.��

Now in its second iteration on the current Range Rover and other models, Terrain Response 2 is even smarter and more capable. Turn that knob and your Land Rover will automatically and continuously adjust its ride height, alter its throttle response, tweak its cross-linked suspension, and turn the rear locker on and off to adapt to whatever challenges the vehicle faces. Off-road, its the most capable Range Rover ever made. Turn that knob back to road mode, and its the smoothest, most quiet, and fastest Range Rover ever too.��

Let’s Talk Suspension

In the same way people feared coil springs, they now fear independent suspension—especially independent air suspension.��

A solid axle, as fitted to the original Defender, connects both wheels with a solid steel tube. This forces both wheels on the axle to react to any inputs from the driver or terrain. Off-road enthusiasts prefer this because it enables them to predict where the lowest point on their vehicle will be over any obstacle, because that lowest point—the differential housing—never moves. If you slam on the brakes in a solid axle vehicle, the axle itself remains at a constant height, and only the sprung portion of your vehicle (everything held up by the suspension), dives down.��

In contrast, independent suspension provides much improved ride quality and handling. But off-roaders don’t like it because ground clearance constantly changes as the vehicle moves.��

Spy shots of the all-new Defender, taken while it was doing prototype testing in Moab, show that it is fitted with independent, and height adjustable air suspension. Like Terrain Response, Land Rover first began offering air suspension the mid-1990s, where it quickly gained a reputation as being fragile and unreliable. But also like Terrain Response, 26 years of development have worked wonders.��

Now, Land Rover’s cross-linked air suspension systems are able to function both fully-independently, or replicate the pendulum effect of a solid axle, raising one wheel on the “axle” when the other droops down. It also enables an adjustable ride height. Together, these functions enable the same vehicle to excel at high speeds, on the road, or traverse serious off-road obstacles at a crawling pace. That the new Defender won’t drive like a school bus on the road will be a huge leap forward.��

Packaging Will Make the Defender Unique

Even Land Rover’s fastest, most luxurious model—the Supercharged Range Rover—is still capable of tackling some of the most challenging off-road trails in the world. We’ve driven that vehicle through trails like Moab’s Hell’s Revenge, Poison Spider, and Seven Mile Rim, and even on terrain that’s more typically the home of built Jeeps, this totally stock, near-$120,000 luxury SUV barely spun a wheel.��

But getting a seven-seat luxurymobile through a rock garden requires professional spotters—several of them. The Range Rover is, first and foremost, built to haul people in comfort, and considerations like approach, breakover, and departure angles must be adapted to that need. Judging by these photos of a camouflaged prototype, that’s what the new Defender fixes. It will prioritize the angles needed off-road over passenger space. And that’s all Land Rover really needs to do to make this thing extraordinary: simply allow it to take full advantage of the technology the company has worked so hard to develop.��

A Truly Modern Vehicle

Evaluated objectively, the old Defender was��awful. You could see daylight between the closed doors and the body they loosely fit in, yet all the glass would fog up the instant there was any moisture in the air. Moisture that, by the way, was free to leak inside as you drove. If that was all that was leaking, then a Defender driver knew that they were on the verge of a breakdown, because all the oil in the engine, the transmission, or the axles must already be gone. The driver’s seat couldn’t accommodate anyone over 5 feet, 9 inches tall, yet the clutch pedal took the strength of a full-grown adult to push. They were so slow, and so ponderous on the road that highways were virtually off-limits, yet required extensive and expensive modification to perform off-road with anything close to the aplomb their image would suggest. And let’s just say their reputation for poor reliability was justified.��

Land Rover can no longer afford to trade on its image alone, as the old Defender did for so long. It needs to produce a safe, reliable, modern vehicle that can offer a wide range of drivers both capability off-road, and convenience and ease of use on-road. From a traction standpoint alone it appears as if this new one will be able to go much further than the old. Land Rover has never looked backwards with any of its vehicles; all signs point to this new Defender moving the 4×4 forward into a new era.��

The post The New Defender Will Not Be Like the Old One appeared first on ���ϳԹ��� Online.

America builds the best pickup trucks in the world, and we buy more of them than anyone else. It’s about time that Jeep, the iconic American automotive brand, brought one to market. If the Gladiator doesn’t change the off-road world, we’ll gladly eat our mud-terrain tires.��

What Is It?��

The 2020 Jeep Gladiator is a midsize��pickup with class-leading off-road capability, towing, and payload—three things rarely found in the same vehicle. From the front seats forward, the Gladiator is very similar to the existing Jeep Wrangler that was launched in 2018, but it does have some key differences (). Everything behind the driver’s seat is all-new, with some key components coming from the Ram��1500 half-ton truck,��though it’s important to note they’re attached to a Gladiator-specific frame.��

It’s powered by a second-generation��3.6-liter Pentastar V-6, with 285 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque that’s really woken up by the available eight-speed automatic. It’s a well-paired combination that gives the vehicle plenty of power to cruise way over the speed limit and enough acceleration to ensure you’re the first away from the stoplight when you want to be. Zero-to-sixty performance is not what the Jeep Gladiator is about, and at the time of writing it��hadn’t��released the official figure. I suspect it’s below eight seconds.��

But speed obviously isn’t what this truck was designed for. The Gladiator is about the kind of performance it can offer below five miles per hour. The body-on-frame design features a fully boxed (read:��durable) chassis with solid axles and coil springs at both ends. In Rubicon trim, the Gladiator receives Jeep’s Rock-Trac��four-wheel-drive��system, with a low-range gearing reduction of four to one��paired with user-selectable front and rear locking differentials and an electronically disconnecting sway bar. This is a driveline so capable off-road that most drivers will never get close to even half its potential.

While every competitor in the midsize��truck segment features a solid rear axle, they’re all tied to a horse-and-buggy-era leaf-sprung suspension design, and they all feature independent front suspension, which, when compressed, decreases the vehicle’s ground clearance at its lowest and most vulnerable location—the differential.��

If you were building a dream off-road vehicle, you would not choose the suspension architecture chosen by every single one of the Gladiator’s competitors. For those owners who further modify their vehicles for off-road terrain, a stock Gladiator will always be a few steps ahead of any of the competition, even when they’ve been modified.

Design

Judged by the rules that define all other mainstream production vehicles, the Gladiator should not exist. If Jeep wanted to offer the best handling vehicle, it would not have a solid front axle. If it wanted to have the most spacious��and quietest interior, the roof and doors would not be removable��and the windshield would not fold down.��

But��the Gladiator has refined the Wrangler formula for increased practicality. The interior's roll cage doesn't waste as much space as other Wrangler models, making it less intrusive. The four seats are usable and comfortable, with the Gladiator’s rear seats offering the same legroom as the Wrangler Unlimited. The five-foot-long��pickup bed features a reinforced, 1,800-pound-capacity tailgate��and an interesting but functional design Easter egg��consisting of��imprints��of a dirt-bike tire tread stamped into the steel on front of the bed;��line up your motorcycles with either of these imprints and you’ll find your dirt bike perfectly positioned so you can fit two with ease.��

The Gladiator’s silhouette is nothing short of classic,��reminiscent of the Land Rover Defender 130—adventurous, and practical. The wheelbase might be a little bit long, but that comes with the Wrangler’s class-leading approach angle, which sees its front axle pushed as far forward as it will go.��

Driving It

Off-Road: We live in an age of shared vehicle platforms and traction control-based electronic off-road capability. That means that what’s underneath the body of the car you’re driving is probably shared with half a dozen others, and that most of its��off-road capability is derived from traction-control algorithms tied into the vehicle’s braking system. The Jeep Gladiator is different.��

The Gladiator isn’t just the most capable truck in the midsize segment; it is hands down the most off-road-capable pickup truck ever produced. The off-road test course Jeep built for the��media launch was a clear demonstration of this. Most manufacturers present the motoring press with a very manicured, very precise off-road course designed��to show off the vehicle’s strengths��and hide its weaknesses. Jeep presented us with a technical rock-crawling course that had been rained on for a week straight��and covered in mud. I suspect any other auto manufacturer would have had to cancel or relocate the��event. Jeep just had to apologize for some muddy shoes.

Jeep’s course had wet rocks that��would move, terrain that��would change, and mud that could make everything unpredictable. Just the torn-up, muddy, and incredibly rutted trail to the off-road course was a testament to the vehicle’s capability. It was a nice reminder that on the Gladiator Rubicon I was driving, Falken Wildpeak mud-terrain tires are available as a no-charge option. All-terrain tires, better for pavement and use in snow, are fitted as standard.��

The Gladiator has the best approach and departure angles in its segment, but it also has the longest wheelbase in its class (137.3 inches).��While it has the best available ground clearance (11 inches in Rubicon trim), its breakover angle of 20.3 degrees is still bested by the new Ford Ranger’s higher breakover angle of 21.5 degrees. It’s important to note that the Gladiator Rubicon is the only vehicle in its segment that��has factory rock rails on the cab and cargo bed, both designed to support the weight of the vehicle. With the unpredictable nature of the test course, I ended up taking advantage of those, sliding off one incredibly muddy rock��straight onto another. It would have been thousands of dollars in damage to anything else on the market, whereas it didn’t even put a ding on the Gladiator’s steel protection.

Those concerned about the Gladiator’s breakover angle should be comforted to know that a Mopar two-inch lift, available direct from your dealer, will allow you��to fit 37-inch tires. That’s something no other vehicle in its segment can do, even with the full might of the automotive aftermarket behind them.��

On-Road: Let’s get this out of the way.��The Gladiator is the worst in its segment for on-road handling and interior road noise. That’s because it has a solid front axle which rides harshly��and makes the steering vague. The removable top and doors with a fold-down windshield add gaps and seals that contribute to road noise. But you’re not buying this vehicle for what it can do on-road.��

That being said, it has the best ride quality of any Wrangler product I’ve ever driven, undoubtably due to the very long wheelbase. Jeep’s engineering team should be praised for creating a chassis that features a class-leading payload and towing capacity��and��still rides incredibly well unladed,��retaining��that light, easy, fun-to-drive��Wrangler experience.��

Likes

• Off-road, this is the most capable pickup truck ever made.
• It has a beautiful interior that’s easy to clean.��
• It features a class-leading payload and towing capability.

Dislikes

• The underside of the removable hard top is still white��and still as ugly as ever.
• It’s by far the most expensive vehicle in its class. Prices start at $33,545��and can reach as high as $62,000 if you like both leather��and rock crawling.��

Should You Buy It?��

I did.��

Before finishing the press drive, I called my local dealer to secure one of the first Gladiators to come off the assembly line. For me, the Gladiator provides unmatched off-road capability packed in a perfectly-sized pickup. I don’t mind the on-road handling characteristics that come with a solid front axle, nor do I mind the increased wind noise from its boxy profile.��

Should you buy it?��The midsize��truck market is highly competitive, with most manufacturers offering a similar product. There’s no doubt this is the most unique and exciting offering on the market, and in all of the important metrics, the Gladiator is either at the top��or very close.��

Stay tuned, as I'll��be doing a series of articles on our��longer-term thoughts of owning the Gladiator��as well as offering a detailed look at the modifications that I'm��planning, to make it perform even better off-road.��

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Lamborghini’s new Urus does zero��to 62 miles per hour in 3.6 seconds, has the largest brakes ever fitted to a production car, and it’s…a family-friendly all-wheel-drive crossover. I��took it both off-road and to a race track to find out if it’s as awesome (and practical?) to drive as those stats would suggest.��

What Is It?

Strip away the performance attributes and price tag of the Urus and you’re left with a practical, easy-to-drive crossover. Its platform is based on the Audi Q8 and Bentley Bentayga (albeit extensively modified). Its twin-turbo V8 is similar to the one��found in the new Porsche Cayenne Turbo. All that Volkswagen Auto Group sharing is a good thing, because you’ll be able to enjoy what Lamborghini does best—style—without having to worry about what it’s traditionally done worst—reliability.��

Despite all those shared parts, the Urus still sounds, smells, and feels like a Lamborghini. Albeit one with five seats, a power rear-lift gate, and room for a dog. And, thanks to clever technology like height-adjustable air suspension and switchable driving modes that alter everything from power delivery to all-wheel-drive settings, it’s able to transform from a tall off-roader to a low and aggressive track car at the push of a button.��

Oh yeah, and it has a $200,000 starting price. Lamborghini tells us that most of its customers so far have tacked on about $40,000 in options.��

Who’s It For?��

Well, it’s for rich people. It competes with up-market SUVs like the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen and the Range��Rover—both of which can be optioned well into the mid $200,000 range. And the Urus undercuts truly opulent competitors like the Bentley Bentayga and Rolls-Royce Cullinan, which can see prices north of $400,000.

Compared with��all of the above, the Urus is faster, handles better, and looks much more dramatic. But��it’s also just as practical, safe, and easy to drive as a large Audi, because it’s based on the same chassis. And that means Lamborghini is going to be able to double its production volume with this thing; the company��expects most Urus buyers to be first-time customers for its brand.��

Design

In terms of looks, a Lamborghini should have only one goal: to be on posters in��preteens’��bedrooms. With body lines so sharp you could use them to open a letter and an interior so wide it feels like it belongs to��a power boat, the Urus is likely the most visually distinct crossover ever made. You’re not going to look at this car and think it’s anything other than a Lamborghini.��

Driving It

Off-Road: Like other crossovers, the Urus uses unibody construction and all-wheel drive rather than the separate frame and four-wheel-drive of a true off-roader. It also lacks the low-range transfer case, large tires, and extreme angles that still endow the G-Wagen and Range Rover with true dirt chops. But on��high-speed, nontechnical dirt roads and sandy washes, the Urus exceeds expectations.��

Lamborghini’s engineers have done a great job putting together a suspension package that is compliant and predictable at speed and��over bumps, while still comfortably absorbing bigger impacts and, at lower speeds, obstacles like rocks and ledges.

The Urus is fitted with an extremely complex all-wheel-drive system with active torque vectoring. Without giving you all the technical details, I can say that when taken off-road, it can electronically replicate the function of a locking center differential��and axle diffs, effectively locking the speeds of all four wheels together when maximum traction is needed. All the��driver has to do to enable this function is��select an appropriate off-road driving mode; the Urus will handle the rest.��

Given its ample power��combined with very wide tires, it feels like the Urus will be an absolute hoot to drive on sand dunes. It even has a driving mode purpose-made for this—it makes power delivery more aggressive��while maximizing traction. Can it land a jump though? We salute any owners with deep enough pockets to give that a try.

Race Track: The Urus also feels totally at home on the track. The standout feature here is the��carbon-ceramic brakes—which, at 17.4 inches in diameter��and fitted with ten-piston calipers, are the largest, most powerful brakes to ever appear on a production car. Stopping the 4,850-pound crossover from 62 miles per hour takes just 110 feet. That’s nearly as short a distance as the company’s two-door Huracán, which weighs just 3,424 pounds and stops from 62 miles per hour in 104 feet.��

It’s because of these massive brakes that you’re really able to dip into every last bit of the Urus’s 650 horsepower. Entering corners on the track, I was able to brake later than I thought possible in an SUV. Then, once I was in that turn, the track-mode torque-vectoring system directs power to the outside wheels, countering understeer, while the four-wheel steering system effectively shortens the long wheelbase. The end result? This behemoth corners like a much smaller and��lighter supercar.��

Around Town: In more mundane everyday circumstances, the Urus is the quietest vehicle I’ve ever driven. Credit its stiff structure, compliant suspension, and ample sound deadening. That comfort, plus the friendly on-road driving modes, make it as easy to drive as a family crossover. But you will need to get used to the width. At 6.6 feet across, it’s as wide as a full-size pickup.��

Likes

• The oil-change interval is 12,400 miles. Putting that much mileage on a Lamborghini��used to necessitate an engine rebuild.��
• Exceptionally good build quality. This thing is bolted together in a fashion that belies its exotic Italian heritage.��
• Insanely quiet interior.��
• Unbelievable track performance combined with pretty good off-road ability.��

Dislikes

• Those big brakes mean the smallest wheels you can squeeze on are 21 inches in diameter, which severely limits trail performance.��
• Beautiful from the front and sides;��look at a Urus from the rear and it’s simply��meh.

Should You Buy One?

The Urus costs about the same as a nice house. If you have that kind of money to spend on a crossover,��then��this��is currently the most exciting on the market. By far. If I��had that kind of money, it’d be my��choice above a Range Rover or Bentley.��

If you’re like me—you want one but can’t afford it—then I suggest taking a look at the . At nearly half the price (read: still expensive), it produces 707 horsepower from its supercharged V8. It just won’t handle nearly as well off-road or on the track.��

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This Jaguar I-Pace is the first competitor from a legacy automotive brand to challenge the Tesla Model X. Is it better? I’m excited to report an emphatic yes.

What Is It?

The I-Pace is a practical crossover SUV with plenty of usable interior space, standard all-wheel drive, plenty of power, a 20-inch wading depth, height-adjustable air suspension for when the road gets rough, and an all-electric drivetrain with a range of 240 miles.

It’s about the same size as the BMW X3, Audi Q5, or Volvo XC60. I think it’s better-looking than the aforementioned, and with mind-bending electric power and a zero-to-60 run of 4.5 seconds, it’s way more fun to drive.

More important, the I-Pace is the first real competition for market innovator Tesla, with the Jaguar besting the Model X on range, battery capacity, and zero-to-60 times. With a starting price of $69,500, the I-Pace is more attractive and ten grand cheaper.

Who’s It For?

Electric vehicles still target early adopters with plenty of disposable income, but at the rate the technology is progressing, we’re not sure how long we’ll be saying that. Right now, the biggest limitations are range and charge time. Provided you’re not doing hundreds of miles per day, this really only becomes an issue on longer road trips.

A 100kW fast charger—the kind that will soon be popping up on every street corner and coffee shop—means you’ll be able to charge the I-Pace from totally flat to 80 percent in just 40 minutes. If you’re looking to charge at home from your 220-volt outlet, you’ll be able to bring your I-Pace from flat to full in about 12 hours.

Design

You wouldn’t know that the I-Pace is electric unless someone told you. But that doesn’t mean the Jaguar design team didn’t take advantage of the benefits of electric motivation. The vehicle’s slim, cab-forward profile might not share the tall SUV silhouette you’re familiar with, but the lack of��internal combustion engine and bulky powertrain gives��you the same space in a more svelte package.

The front trunk and flat floor, plus the rear storage area you’d expect, offers room for five adults and their luggage, with room left over for the dog. While Jaguar’s I-Pace has roughly the same footprint as the F-Pace SUV, its interior room is comparable to something a class size larger.

In addition to��those features, Jaguar’s design team produced a good-looking vehicle. It isn’t a fashion statement for those looking to tell the world that they’re saving the environment. It’s an aggressive, practical, and attractive car.

Driving It

I’ll admit that I had doubts about an electric vehicle from Jaguar, a company that historically hasn’t had the best luck with electronics. But after driving the I-Pace through a stream just moments before arriving at a race track, those worries disappeared.

Electric vehicles drive differently than those powered by an internal combustion engine. There are no gears, and the 394 horsepower and 512 pound-feet of torque are available almost instantaneously, making the I-Pace leap forward much more sharply than you’d expect and without any of the noise. Also odd: Regenerative braking tries to recharge the batteries whenever your foot isn’t on the accelerator. That means if you take your foot off the pedal, the vehicle will begin to slow and come to a complete stop. Both take a little getting used to.

Inside the I-Pace’s floor are 90kWh of batteries, making the center of gravity incredibly low and allowing the vehicle to corner��totally flat. The sophisticated all-wheel-drive system can also eliminate understeer. An SUV without body roll or understeer? These are just two reasons electric cars are going to replace internal combustion before you know it.

Comparing apples to apples, the I-Pace handles way better than Jaguar’s E-Pace, which we reviewed here.

The I-Pace is a slippery car—its coefficient of drag, at 0.29,��is the same as the smaller Nissan Leaf—but I was unimpressed by the amount of interior wind noise that invaded the cabin. Also, don’t get the optional 22-inch wheels. The beefier tires on the smaller wheels go a long way toward insulating you from bumps and potholes on-road or off.

Off-road, the I-Pace surprises with 20 inches of wading depth—the same fording capability of a Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk. The all-wheel-drive system, paired with the electric motor’s instantly tailorable power delivery, easily finds the wheels with the most traction, but outright grip is limited by the low-rolling-resistance tires, spec’d to maximize range rather than off-road ability. The skateboard-like chassis may have just 5.6 inches of ground clearance, but it’s totally flat on the bottom, with no diffs or exhaust components dangling down where rock or roots might catch them. It’s like the entire underneath of the car is a giant skid plate.

Jaguar Land Rover is staying tight-lipped about whether this platform will spawn an even more off-road-oriented SUV, but given the high cost of R&D associated with this all-new vehicle and the company’s propensity to share platforms between its two brands, we’d hazard a guess that an electric Land Rover isn’t that far off. A little more clearance and some meatier tires—that could be a seriously capable vehicle.

Likes

• Exterior dimensions of a midsize SUV with the interior space of a larger vehicle.
• Outstanding on-road handling and performance.
• Off-road, it’s the most capable mainstream electric vehicle yet.

Dislikes

• Louder inside than we’d like.
• Not enough electric charging stations yet available.
• The 22-inch wheels ruin ride quality.

Should You Buy It?

If you want an electric vehicle with a modicum of off-road ability, then the I-Pace is the only game in town. Even if you plan to stay on the road, it’s a nicer looking, more practical, more affordable vehicle than the competition from Tesla—and it’s cheaper. Aside from its low-impact credentials, this Jag is just a really good car.

The post The Electric Jaguar I-Pace Can Go Off-Road appeared first on ���ϳԹ��� Online.

We're enthusiasts of lifted trucks��and fast sports cars, so you might be surprised to learn that��our favorite vehicle of 2018 is this compact Volvo crossover. It's the most unique, useful, comfortable, and just plain creative vehicle we’ve driven in a long time.

What Is It?

The XC40 is an all-wheel-drive compact luxury crossover. Think: the BMW X1, Audi Q3, Mercedes GLA, Lexus UX, Infiniti QX30, Hyundai Kona, Lincoln MKC, Jeep Renegade, Mazda CX-5, Subaru Crosstrek, Cadillac XT4, Acura RDX, Jaguar E-Pace, and probably half a dozen others we’re forgetting at the moment. The category is enormously popular right now.��

Thing is, most of them are pretty similar, with phoned-in designs, mediocre driving experiences, and plastic-y��interiors. But the XC40 stands out. With this car, Volvo tried to give normal people the perfect car for everyday use. We think they’ve succeeded.

Who Is It For?

In short: People who need the small dimensions of a compact car for city parking, but also want a spacious interior for hauling people and stuff; people looking to make their commutes as comfortable as possible; people who value comfort, appreciate good design, and want a vehicle they can be proud of.

It's also good for people who are sick of the traditional car-buying process.��While you will technically be able to negotiate a finance plan for the $36,000 vehicle with a person��in a polyester suit, write a check every month to an insurance provider, and figure out all your oil changes and tire swaps yourself, Volvo would much prefer that you simply avoided all that hassle by subscribing��to a $600 per month autopay plan instead.����

With zero dollars down, that amount includes every fee associated with leasing the XC40—with the exception of��gas. It takes care of your service, your consumables (tires, brake pads, and even windshield wipers), your repairs, and even your insurance. With an annual allowance of 15,000 miles, that strikes us as a very good deal, especially for people who live in expensive insurance markets like New York, San Francisco, and Seattle. The subscription will last for two years, but drivers will have an option to swap cars after just a year, with a two-year renewal. ��

Driving It

The XC40 is almost soothing to drive, while still providing you all the tools you need to compete on today’s congested streets. Where other crossovers try to fool you into thinking they’re sporty by spec’ing stiff suspension, the XC40 has the ride quality of a large luxury sedan, combined with the kind of clear outward visibility in all directions that disappeared on many other cars decades ago.

That’s all backed up by a punchy 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder motor that pairs well with the eight-speed automatic transmission to deliver oomph when you want it, and refinement and fuel economy (23 MPG city/31 MPG highway) everywhere else. It’s faster to 60 miles per hour than an equivalent Porsche Macan, but back off the throttle, and it’s far smoother and quieter than cars this size have any right to be.��

Design

The��XC40's��exterior is strikingly unique, the best expression of Volvo’s newfound confidence. And the��interior is delightfully practical.

Climb inside, and clever, unique features abound. Where most other cars tack on small door pockets for items like wallets and bottled drinks, Volvo has molded into the XC40s doors huge wells, that can easily swallow a purse, or large laptop. Need to charge your phone? Throw it in the large central cubby, where there’s a big, flat capacitative charging platform. The carpet is a hard-wearing, synthetic weave that looks like it’s been borrowed from a floor mat, or the water and dirt-shedding floor of a ski lodge, and should work equally well at getting rid of all the crap you track inside.

What you’re going to notice first, and use most often, though, is the nine-inch touchscreen mounted vertically in the dashboard. It has a physical home button, just like an iPad, and works��in a fluid, intuitive manner that’s very Apple. In an intelligent assessment of who its subscribers will be, and how they actually use their cars, Volvo has prioritized access to features like Spotify��and Wikipedia.����

The back seats are comfortable, and spacious, thanks to their upright position, and fold flat at the push of buttons, mounted just inside the tailgate, creating a large-for-the-class load area.��Oh, and you can open that simply by kicking the bumper, if your have the key in your pocket.

Likes

• Striking looks.
• Simple subscription model eliminates ownership hassles, at a good price.
• Useful interior offers a great experience every time you use it.
• Intelligently designed to provide practical solutions to everyday problems.
• Smooth ride.
• Fast acceleration.
• Good fuel economy.
• Feels special.

Dislikes

• Twitchy steering is out-of-sync with otherwise relaxing drive.
• No hybrid powertrain.

Should You Buy It?

No, but we really think you’ll enjoy subscribing to one. Volvo has created a��normal car for normal people��that is remarkable in every aspect—from the way it looks��to its functionality to it payment plan. Unless you need significant off-road capability, three rows of seats, or want a dedicated sports car, then this is probably the best vehicle you can not-buy right now.

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What at first seems like an odd combination—all-wheel drive, compact dimensions, tall suspension, and a big price tag—is also proving to be a winning formula for new car sales. Compact luxury crossovers are dominating the industry right now, and this newest model might be the best one yet. The 2018 Jaguar E-Pace is, at the very least, the best-looking crossover.

What Is It?

Unlike SUVs, which ride on separate bodies and frames and are fitted with four-wheel drive, crossovers use unibody construction and are equipped with AWD. By eschewing dedicated off-road features, crossovers are free to be more economical, spacious, and better to drive on the road, including through challenging winter weather, where AWD serves as a better aid to most drivers. And because a crossover is a car, not a truck, the best ones are coming from companies that traditionally specialized in making good cars. Companies like Jaguar.

Based on the same chassis as the Range Rover Evoque (Jaguar and Land Rover are both owned by Tata Motors) the E-Pace is wider than competitors like the Audi Q3 and BMW X2, while maintaining a similarly short wheelbase. That gives it a spacious cabin that still retains city-friendly external dimensions.

And while rivals from Germany, Japan, and the United States have struggled to find an aesthetically pleasing design language for their compact cars on stilts, Jaguar has just nailed the looks of this new E-Pace. It’s going to sell for its design as much as it will any of its other features.

Who Is It For?

Do you live someplace where parking is difficult, but you need more interior space than a typical compact car? Like to sit up high so you can see over other traffic? Want a capable AWD system to make winter driving a little safer? Want all that, but don’t want to drive a boring appliance? The E-Pace does all that and starts at just under $40,000.

Design

The E-Pace begins with the same lines and similar design features as the larger, midsize F-Pace and delivers them in a tauter, more athletic package. Where other crossovers are all aggressive but confused, the E-Pace is rounded, friendly, and cohesive. You don’t get the feeling its designers tried but failed to adapt a sports-car design language to SUV dimensions; rather, they set out to design a unique, appealing vehicle.

Inside, the simple, stylish interior isn’t overcomplicated and doesn’t feel cheap. But it’s not quite as striking as the vehicle’s exterior. Like most Jaguar–Land Rover vehicles, the centerpiece is a widescreen infotainment system that doesn’t work as well as it looks. Spec’ing the bright-red leather helps jazz things up in here.

With the E-Pace, Jaguar has completed its transformation from a company that makes cars for stodgy old rich people into one that makes stylish, appealing cars for younger drivers. Less country club, more loft-style condos.

Driving It

The E-Pace shows its Land Rover origins through handling that’s softer and less sporty than has become the segment norm. It makes up for that with a more comfortable ride and more off-road and bad-weather capability than other crossovers typically manifest.

The new turbocharged 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine family—JLR dubs it Ingenium—is an in-house design that’s available here in 246 and 296 horsepower flavors. I drove the faster version and was pleasantly surprised by both the responsive nature—it totally lacks turbo lag—and its outright performance. Its 5.9-second 0–60 mph time is just as fast as a BMW M3 was just a few years ago.

One of the vehicle’s more interesting features is its torque vectoring system. You may be familiar with that term from some other brands like Subaru, which erroneously use it to describe a stability control system that tweaks the inside brake calipers while cornering, initiating faster turn-in. Here, the E-Pace can actually direct torque to the outside wheels, achieving a similar but more powerful benefit. Combined with a competent stability control system, torque vectoring also helps the E-Pace find traction off-road or in bad weather, where it should boast significantly more capability than any other crossover this side of the Range Rover Velar we recently��reviewed.

Likes

• Sexiest crossover money can buy.
• High-end badge and quality for under $40,000.
• Class-leading AWD system.
• Comfortable ride.

Dislikes

• Some interior parts are overly reliant on cheap black plastic.
• Not as sporty as some competitors, with noticeable body roll and understeer.

Should You Buy It?

If you’re shopping for a crossover SUV and prioritize looks, capability on dirt roads and in winter weather, and comfort over a sporty drive, then the E-Pace is an excellent option. And it’s sexy, just like a Jaguar should be.

The post Jaguar Makes the Best-Looking Crossover appeared first on ���ϳԹ��� Online.

“Did y'all use a chopper to get those in here for a photoshoot?”��the driver of a highly modified Jeep asked me.��I was sitting on the tailgate of a brand new Range Rover, sipping a cup of tea, perched atop Moab’s famous Hell’s Revenge 4×4 trail. For the record, the answer is no, we didn’t.

To drive Hell’s Revenge, vehicles have to overcome steep climbs up slick-rock, then brave gnarly descents down the other side. They have to straddle splits in the rock and��cross steep side slopes along precipitous drops. Late last year, I managed to do all that in a stock Range Rover—without sustaining an inch of damage.��

How You Can Do It

I was in Moab as part of one of. If you’ve ever drooled over the ambitious trips under the #overland hashtag on Instagram, now is your chance to safely venture off-road in someone else’s really expensive 4×4. They're conducted in different destinations around the world, and run from $275 for an hour's drive to $1,200 per��day for the bigger expeditions.��

They’re a great opportunity for Land Rover owners to learn what their vehicles are capable of. Despite their price tags, their powerful engines, and their on-road comfort, the brand’s SUVs are still capable of tackling extreme off-road terrain, with stock parts. And the company employs the best driving instructors in the world to teach its customers how to do that. You don’t need to be a Land Rover owner to join, but after seeing what these trucks can do, it might be hard for you not to buy one after.

As as experienced off-road driver (I used to be the editor of Australia’s Unsealed 4×4 magazine), I was worried that the tour would stick to Moab’s easier trails. But I walked away impressed by the degree to which��they let us push the vehicles’ limits. The stiff suspension of a Range Rover Sport made it easier to control on Seven Mile Rim, though��the 22-inch wheels and low-profile tires required some strategic planning to prevent flats. The Discovery’s impressive approach and departure angles came in handy on Poison Spider, where the three-row SUV handled the Wedge and Waterfall with ease. But that vehicle lacked the absolute luxury of the supercharged Range Rover that I took on Hell’s Revenge.

The Range on Slick Rock

Underneath the Range Rover’s glitzy exterior lies legitimate off-road components and construction. There’s a proper low-range gearbox, true four-wheel drive, a locking rear-differential, and height adjustable four-wheel independent air suspension. The vehicle’s computers modulate all those components, as well as the stability control system, optimizing performance��and enabling smooth progress over big obstacles.��

But this isn’t the easiest vehicle to drive on technical terrain. The long wheelbase that helps maximize interior space also creates a limited breakover angle, which means there's a limit to how high the stuff you drive over can be. Luckily there are��factory skid plates to absorb any underbody hits—I was grateful for them several times. The aerodynamic bumper that helps facilitate the truck’s 155 mile-per-hour top speed requires care when approaching steep obstacles. It just barely missed rock in a couple places.

Splitting 510 horsepower and 461 pound-feet of torque between all-four wheels, with a crawl ratio of 45.5:1 and a stability control system that independently tweaks all four brakes, the Range Rover doesn’t lack for��motive force—or the traction to employ it. Even the steepest climbs are no problem. Land Rover invented Hill Descent Control, and now with 20 years of development behind it, the electronic system still takes the hard work out of hair-raising descents.��

At the end of the the slick rock on Hell’s Revenge, you’re thrown into a series of rubble-strewn descents as you drop of the mesa. This is where the Range Rover truly excelled. Where the majority of the trail is solid rock and predicable (albeit with extreme angles), these lesser obstacles can be trickier, with unstable rocks tossed around under the vehicle’s wheels. This is where the Range Rover’s terrain response system beats out the manual controls of a traditional 4×4. Rather than fumbling with turning lockers on and off, in the Range, you simply have traction. Always.��

Should You Try This?

Should you take your $120,000 SUV to Hell’s Revenge? While the Range Rover is still phenomenally capable, it’s wrapped in an expensive-to-repair, damage-prone body. At a minimum, you should be an experienced off-road driver with a great spotter, and have most of a day to kill if you want to give it a try.

That’s the beauty of doing it with the Land Rover Experience. Not only are you driving someone else’s truck, but their expert instruction will be capable of getting a driver of any skill level to do the stuff you see in these photos. It’d be a phenomenal way to get someone interested in off-roading, and give them the confidence to set out on their own the next time.

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Is this all-new 2018 Jeep Wrangler better off-road than its predecessor? Yes. Is it more comfortable, safer, and more efficient on pavement? Yes. Is it still a Jeep? Well, that depends on your expectations. In��my mind,��this is the best Jeep ever.

What Is It?

Internally dubbed the JL, this is the first all-new Wrangler since 2007. A bona-fide SUV with body-on-frame construction and live axles front and rear, the Wrangler is in a class of two. The only other new truck on-sale today with similar old school mechanical attributes is the $122,400 Mercedes G-Class.��

Two-door models start at $26,995 (Sport), and rise all the way up to $36,995 (Rubicon), while the more popular four-door configuration starts at $30,495. Sahara models, which offer more standard creature comforts and nicer interiors than have ever been used in a Wrangler before, start at $37, 345. Expect the countless available options to quickly increase the price of any model.

Personally, I’d opt for the four-door Rubicon—at $40,495, the most expensive Wrangler ever—because it offers more off-road equipment than any Wrangler before it—33-inch BF Goodrich K02 tires, front and rear locking differentials, and electronic sway bar disconnects.

Who’s It For?

The Wrangler is, and always has been, the easiest way to drive out of a showroom and get into four-wheeling. It offers enough capability to soak up the majority of novice mistakes, while still giving experienced enthusiasts the ability��they need to take it virtually anywhere.

Unabashedly built for off-road travel, the Wrangler may remain a little too unrefined for drivers who don’t regularly tackle difficult dirt trails. Most drivers will still be better served by the Jeep Grand Cherokee (from $30,395), which still offers a respectable level of off-road ability, in a package that’s much more refined on the highway.��

But nothing, absolutely nothing, beats the feel of cruising in a Wrangler, with the top down, the doors off, and the stereo blasting. Doesn’t matter if you’re off-road or on.

Design

In a world of soft, aerodynamic curves and tall family station wagons masquerading as SUVs, the Wrangler stands apart. That’s thanks to Jeep’s chief designer Mark Allen, who’s taken it upon himself to ensure the DNA of the Wrangler—dating all the way back to World War Two—remains present in this new model.

Compared to the outgoing JK generation, you’ll notice a more prominent flat hood, which is reminiscent of the old CJ models that were around from the 1940s through the 1980s. You’ll also notice the aerodynamic kink on the grill looks much like the one on the YJ models (1986-1995).

But there’s new stuff here, too. The windshield is more sloped than ever before, improving aerodynamics, and subsequently both fuel economy and noise levels. That windshield now folds down with the removal of only four bolts and five minutes of your time. The doors, too, remain removable. As, of course, are the various roofs.

Then there are details like the Rubicon’s fenders, which make room for aftermarket 35-inch tires, and will save enthusiasts thousands of dollars as a result. Or the hood latches, which have been designed to retain a winch’s remote cable. Stuff like that demonstrates the almost insane degree to which Allen has perfected this thing.

Driving It

Consumer Reports will likely tell you that the Wrangler does not handle safely, that the steering is vague, and that the cabin is noisy and uncomfortable. And they're right, to some extent: this thing is still a Wrangler, after all. But I'm here to tell you that this new JL improves on its predecessor in all those ways.

Electric-assisted hydraulic power steering gives the Wrangler better feel on-road and the more steeply-raked windshield makes for a quieter ride. The use of aluminum in the doors, hood, and rear gate, when combined with the new high-strength steel used in the frame, sheds 200 pounds from the four-door model, making it easier to drive.��

An all-new, Alfa Romeo-sourced 2.0-liter turbocharged engine includes a 48V mild-hybrid stop-start system that boosts low-end torque, while adding a MPG or two. We found it to be noticeably stronger than the old 3.6-liter Pentastar base engine, carried over from the previous model. A new eight-speed automatic transmission helps raise fuel economy to 18 MPG (city), and 23 MPG (highway). (Jeep has not yet released figures for the 2.0.) A turbodiesel will be added to the lineup in 2019.

That’s the boring road stuff out of the way. You buy a Wrangler for what it does off-road. I took the vehicle through a challenging hillside course filled with loose, vertical stairs. That would have exceed the ability of any other stock vehicle on-sale today, but honestly, I wasn’t even close to finding the Wrangler’s limit.

The increased axle articulation helped, as did the��crawl ratio. Its 84.2:1 gearing is about two and a half��times lower than the Toyota 4Runner’s 33.66:1, for example. That allows for unprecedented control while climbing and descending. And it’ll push bigger tires without the need for further modification. Also new are rubber dampers mounted to the top of each of the four coil springs. Those soak up big impacts, preventing the suspension from bottoming out.

Complete with improved approach, breakover, and departure angles, as well as increased ground clearance, the new Wrangler’s off-road ability is simply the best there is.

Likes

• Amazing��off-road capability is improved, not reduced.
• Increased refinement is welcome inside and out.
• Improved build quality is visible.
• More leg room in rear seats makes them much more livable.
• Redesigned soft top is much more practical.

Dislikes

• Front seats remain a little cramped.
• Optional hardtop is still uninsulated.

Should You Buy It?

Everyone expected Jeep to water down the 2018 Wrangler. Surely corporate average fuel economy standards dictated that, right? Nope. Jeep��could have watered down the Wrangler and still sold plenty of them. But it didn’t.

Provided you’re looking to trade practicality for fun, and fuel economy for capability, you cannot buy a better 4×4.

This is the best Jeep Jeep has ever made.

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