The sight of a very rare (and very butch) Y60 Nissan Patrol the other day reminded me just how much the world of off-roaders has changed in recent years.
There was a time when a 4x4 was just that, an aerodynamically challenged brute offering all-terrain capability at the expense of such inconsequential things as performance, handling, ride comfort, fuel economy, etc. Vehicles like the Mitsubishi Shogun, Isuzu Trooper and Ford Explorer could be seen terrorising ‘ordinary’ cars on the school run, sending Fiestas ducking for cover.
But take a look at the market today. Most of the ‘proper’ 4x4s have vanished, replaced with so-called SUVs which prioritise touchscreens, soft curves and on-road refinement above bull bars and off-road ability. Of course, Land Rover will sell you a whole range of products which will take you pretty much anywhere you want to go (when they're working), but would it be fair to say that the likes of the Velar and Discovery 5 lack the rustic charm of their ancestors? Even the Defender has been modernised.
To be honest, that latter point is undeniably a good thing. I’ve been a passenger in an old Defender and, although I take my metaphorical hat off to its ability in the mud and its legendary status, I simply could not bring myself to own one. They’re noisy, slow, cramped, bouncy and agricultural, and they emphasise the sheer progress made by the modern motor industry, not least Land Rover.
But however much I value creature comforts and modern usability, there is an undeniable charm, character and singularity of purpose about a 4x4 from the 1980s and 1990s. Slow and thirsty they might be, but they possess something entirely missing from today’s crop of vulgar SUVs: they are cool.
Comments