The ability to travel off the beaten track is important to an awful lot of drivers, even if most refuse to acknowledge that they’ll never do anything more adventurous than exploring a muddy field now and then. The result is an explosion of SUVs, off-roaders, and crossovers all of which are heavier, taller, thirstier, and less stable than they need be. This is a Bad Thing for the driver, the…

‘Imperious’ was the face that Rowan Atkinson pulled on Top Gear when asked to express the feeling that you get from driving a Range Rover. And you know what? He got it absolutely right; nailed it completely. That is exactly how I feel driving a £90,000 Range Rover Autobiography. It’s partly the height; partly the V8 engine; but mainly it’s because of the insulation that it gives you. You are…

What a year 2011 has been with electric vehicles dominating the news; if you haven’t got an EV in your line-up then you are persona non grata with the motoring public. Apparently. BMW unveiled their remarkable i3 and i8 all-electric cars, promising a fresh look at the possibilities that electric power provides – unlike hybrid vehicles, which still abound, despite their compromised environmental credentials. All-electric cars are, then, finding their…

If you’re Nouveau Riche then buying a car is easy. Just think about the cars that Old Money bought 20 years ago and buy the new version. Bentley, Aston Martin, and Range Rover depending on whether you want a car that demonstrates your vulgarity, your fondness of nightclubs, or suggests that you own a house in the country. Just whip out the cheque book and you can be assured that…

The ditch was easily two feet wide and just as deep. I was approaching it in the Discovery 4 and my Land Rover Experience instructor was sounding remarkably nonchalant. He told me to turn the Terrain Response dial to the ‘Rock Crawling’ position and, in his words, “just let the car do the rest.” The Discovery crawled forward with just a hint of throttle and I waiting for the inevitable…