Attention Discovery 4 owners

Not saying it's true, not saying it isn't, but if you already have or are thinking of buying a Land Rover Discovery 4 3.0 diesel you've gotta check this out. It reminds me of the Chevy Monza V8 on which, until they devised a fix, mechanics had to drop the engine to change spark plugs!

Next Territory launched today

Ford has launched the next version of its popular Territory. Lacking low-range, it's not at the core of 4wdNewz's interests, but for those wanting a well-reasoned look, here's what Australia's excellent Go Auto site has to say.

FJ Cruiser resumes trip May 15

Toyota will announce this week that its FJ Cruiser odyssey from North Cape to Bluff will resume in May. Here's a posting from when it was called off. Meanwhile, the FJ Cruiser has sold well for a niche vehicle: more than 60 by early April.

Update: And the above heads-up was indeed the case. It resumes May 15 at Puhoi and the ensuing itinerary is: New Plymouth, 17 May (Tasman Toyota); Hawkes Bay, 19 May (Hawke’s Bay Toyota); Wellington, 21 May (Rutherford & Bond Toyota); Christchurch, 24 May (Miles Toyota); Dunedin, 29 May (Cooke Howlison Toyota); Invercargill, 31 May (GWD Toyota) following journey to Bluff.

Drive this one through a Tui bllboard

 It may not happen, and if it does you can bet it'll be LHD only, but 4WDNewz is not beyond spreading and fostering interesting speculation. This item is from the Aussie Jeep Offroad forum:

American Expedition Vehicles, a Jeep aftermarket conversion firm from Montana, recently stuffed a Chrysler 392 Hemi between the fenders of a Wrangler for Jeep CEO Michael Manley. This is the same 392 Hemi that powers the 470-horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT8 392.

According to sources close to Chrysler, the 392-powered Jeep wasn't just built on a lark. Manley's Wrangler is apparently a mule for "executive evaluation." That's Chrysler speak for "they might build it." Manley's vehicle channels its 470 hp through a six-speed manual and will reportedly slide its back end in third gear with liberal application of the throttle. All we can say is this: Build it. Right now.

NOTE: It's possible to buy a conversion kit to fit a Hemi into the JK Wrangler, but it's more than $8000 for the 6.1 litre version – then you have to buy the engine and factor-in the cost of doing it.

Hilux SR5 gets more good stuff

This red Hilux might look much like any other, but it's one of the latest SR5 double cab 4WDs with 17-inch rims, stability control and traction control. They started arriving in the final quarter of last year, but 4wdNewz has only just had a spell with it. Stability control (VSC) and traction control (TRC) are no longer novelties in utes, so Toyota's catching up a bit here. These aids add to the Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), Brake Assist (BA) and ABS that are already on the ute and are quite important additions. The VSC adjusts engine output and the braking to each wheel to help prevent oversteer or understeer and get the driver out of trouble on, say, loose unsealed roads – the very surface on which lots of Hiluxes spend much of their time. In low range off-road conditions, the TRC brakes a spinning wheel, so that power goes to the wheel or wheels with adequate grip. Unlike the on-road traction control program, engine power is not reduced. The electronics work better than a limited-slip differential, but not as well as a cross-axle locker – but then nothing does.

Seventeen-inch alloys wheels replace the SR5’s 15s, not for looks but to accommodate larger brakes. However, fitted with 265/65 tyres, they nicely fill-out the wheelwells and provide a useful improvement to the ute's abilities both on- and off the road. The test truck wore Bridgestone Duelers with a fairly mild tread pattern. This truck also has the four-speed automatic option that works well with the 3.0 litre turbodiesel. Despite "only" 343Nm of torque in a world where some rivals are well into the 400s, the auto Hilux has exceptional pickup for overtaking, even with more than 500kg in the tray. It's very impressive; but then for $60,390 (manual) and $62,890 (auto), it should be!

What to do with a new Hilux SR5. Note to Toyota NZ: See how well 4WDNewz looks after your ute's almost unmarked tray.