4WORD

THE best new 4x4 vehicles are all decades old and show that all good things take time to get right – you can’t hurry perfection! Mercedes-benz’s G-wagen was first launched in 1979 and has just come back to our market with a new variant that uses some body panels still punched out in the original 40-year-old presses. Nothing’s changed on the outside, while the engine and driveline are some of Benz’s best. It proves that you don’t mess with what works. Check out or first drive of the new G300 CDI cab-chassis on p58.

The same applies for the Land Cruiser 70 Series. It first clocked on for work in 1985, and riding in the latest model you still feel the relationship with that original. The 70 range was updated late in 2016 with new emissions and safety tech, plus a few comfort and driveability upgrades that will see it soldier on for a few more years to come. It remains the most versatile new 4x4 on the market today, despite its 30-plus years of age and a host of new vehicles that have come (and gone) since.

Nissan’s GU Patrol traces its roots back to the GQ, which first graced the pages of this magazine in 1987. This month we send off the last of the live-axle Patrols with a drive of the limited-run Legend Edition, before it is relegated to used-car-buying only. It’s a shame Nissan didn’t see fit to give the cab-chassis Patrol ‘Legend’ status as well. While the Patrol wagon lives on in the Y62, the workhorse ute becomes a part of history and will be sadly missed. Our drive of the last of the GUS is on p84 of this issue, and don’t miss the wild and wicked Duramaxpowered Patrol custom on p48.

While we’re on the subject of old 4x4s, we revisited another ‘old’ model while we were in the USA last year. The Toyota 4Runner is still sold over there and we borrowed a TRD Pro variant to travel around. It has the feel and ability of a traditional 4x4, and the 4Runner nameplate is certainly one we’d like to see back here in Australia. See our drive in the desert on p64.