Off-Roader

Jeep has unveiled the Wrangler Rubicon 1941 at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show. Decked in a bevy of options and off-road accessories, the Mopar-tuned off-roader is basically a catalog on four wheels. It’s based on the Wrangler Rubicon, and it’s decked out with enough useful and functional upgrades to make your outdoor adventures less of a hassle. While the Wrangler Rubicon 1941 itself is unlikely to hit production in Europe, its presence in Geneva is less about showing off its exclusivity and more about showing off the many customizable options that are available to the European-spec Wrangler Rubicon. Best of all, the Wrangler Rubicon 1941’s upgrades and accessories are all street-legal. If you want Mopar to build you one that’s to the exact specifications of the version sitting in Geneva, there’s a roadmap that can make that happen.

Wait, what? It’s barely been a year since the fourth-generation Ranger, that marks the nameplate’s return to the North American market, was shown at the Detroit Auto Show and now we get to see the next one? Apparently, this is actually true, and you are looking at a car that you shouldn’t have seen for at least two more years, the fifth-generation Ranger that will share its platform with the upcoming Amarok, both models destined for the European and African markets.

When manufacturers are preparing to launch a new vehicle, they go about their business in a tried and tested way. They either try to take the test mules out on the road either in more secluded areas where there’s less of a likelihood that someone with a camera, hiding in a bush, might be tracking down their movements or, when city testing or highway testing are on order, they wrap the vehicle in question in as odd a camouflage pattern as possible. The point of the camo is to deter those that try to pick out the new model’s key aesthetic features that differentiate it from the older one or, in case of brand-new standalone models, to make it hard for folks to figure out whether or not that model is bringing with it a new design language or not. Basically, most often, it’s a game of hiding your hand in plain sight.

This time, though, it seems like an Australian automotive outlet got its hands on some leaked images. We know that the T6 generation of the Ranger built for international markets (although it did debut in the U.S. as well in 2018) was conceived by Ford Australia and, most probably, the engineers Down Under are now working on the upcoming international model because the T6 has been around since 2011 although it received a facelift in 2015. Obviously, with the T6 Ranger arriving in the U.S. last year and selling well, don’t expect what you see in these pictures to spot rolling down American roads pretty soon.

Built on the success of its predecessors with the hopes and dreams to carry on the legacy of an icon, the 2018 Jeep Wrangler JL is the definition of model evolution. It’s not dramatically different, but it’s far from being the same. With the JK Wrangler running from 2007 to 2018, it’s quite possible that the JL Wrangler will have as long a stay on the market and it’s a good thing that Jeep did it right. It’s the perfect blend of off-road prowess and creature comforts suitable for those who engage in lengthy road trips. It is the definition of having your cake and eating it too. This generation of the Wrangler comes with improved aerodynamics, improved safety, and plenty of modern tech. More importantly, though, are the removable body panels that carried over from the previous model. There’s also a new power-retractable hardtop, a soft top, and the three-piece freedom top. And, now that the windshield is non-structural, it folds down much easier, and the new A-pillar will provide protection in the event of a rollover. The JL Wrangler has been on the market for more than a year now, and we’re still all googly-eyed over it, so we’ve decided to feature it as our wallpaper of the day. We’ve picked our favorite desktop and mobile wallpapers for you below, but we have a huge gallery at the bottom of the page for you to choose from as well.

Did you ever look at the existing pickup bed caps and bemoan the fact that they don’t make trucks more aerodynamic? Michigan Vehicle Solutions thought it’s time for something new on the market of bed caps, so they’ve looked at the louvered rear windows of ’60s and ’70s Mustangs and came up with the Aero X fiberglass cap that makes the Ford F-150 attract more eyes than ever before.

Your first reaction may be, ’Why?’, followed by a typical, ’Who are these people?’ Well, this company, based in Southgate, Michigan, "works and performs testing & services in conjunction with the OEMs in the testing & custom vehicle build arena," according to its own website. You’ll get why they thought sticking a sloping 260-pound cap in the back of Ford’s F-150 is a good idea when you’ll see the crazy renders of a Dodge Charger Daytona-esque body kit for the Dodge Challenger on the About Us page. This, then, looks mundane in comparison.

Toyota has managed to turn the TRD Pro badge into some sort a privilege for the SUVs in the Japanese lineup. It’s like an Ironman Triathlon where the beasts have to go through a series of challenges to earn the TRD Pro badge. The latest entrant to that list the Toyota Sequoia. Toyota teased a new vehicle being added to the TRD Pro lineup a couple of days back and to be honest, the Sequoia would have been the last option on everyone’s minds. But well, the TRD Pro Sequoia is ready and will be officially making its debut at the 2019 Chicago Auto Show.

Toyota dropped a teaser video for its next TRD Pro truck that will be unveiled on February 7th at the Chicago Auto Show.You don’t see much in the video, but we’re guessing Toyota is either previewing an updated version of the Tundra TRD Pro or a new model altogether.

We’ve talked about Toyota’s plans to add a TRD version to every Toyota there is in the past, and this means we’re on the cusp of getting more TRD Sport and TRD Pro models. This time around, Toyota is preparing us for a rugged new TRD Pro truck that’s seen disrupting the peace in a 15-second clip posted by the Japanese automaker on social media.

The more utility you can add to a pickup, the better it becomes. That’s a given, but how do you improve on the formula? It seems as though GMC found a way with its Multipro Tailgate and 2019 Sierra, which offers multiple configurations for improved access to the box, extended holding capacity, and a second-tier loading height. Now Ram is getting in on the action with its own take on the configurable tailgate concept, offering up something it’s calling the Multifunction Tailgate on all seven trim levels of the 2019 Ram 1500. Granted, GMC was the first in this space, but we think Ram might have the better tailgate this time around.

Remember the name ‘Arctic Trucks’? They are the same folks whose claim-to-fame was when Jeremy Clarkson and James May drove a customized Toyota Hilux at the North Pole. This company is back in news and this time for working on the Volkswagen Amarok pickup truck. Arctic Trucks calls is the ‘Icelandic-spec’ version of the VW Amarok.

Kia brought its flagship SUV, the Telluride, at the Detroit Auto Show earlier this week. The production model of the SUV did not grab a lot of attention; perhaps because we had already seen it at the New York Fashion Week and SEMA fitted with a cacophony of off-road accessories. However, what actually raised our eyebrows is that Kia is actually planning to offer something on similar lines as an off-road-ready variant itself.

Aznom Automotive has come up with a doozy of a creation. Using a Ram 1500 as a base vehicle, the Italian coachbuilder has transformed what is a capable pickup truck into something straight out of the Black Mirror. The creation still wears the face of a Ram 1500, but the vehicle’s profile is anything but a pickup. Instead, it’s been transformed into a cross between a pickup and a sedan, a “pick-dan” for lack of a better — and far more sensible — term. The monstrosity carries the name Atulux, which literally stands for “All-Terrain Utility Luxury.” Best have a strong stomach for this one because, in addition to looking the way it does, it also costs more than $250,000, or roughly the equivalent of a fleet of actual Ram 1500s.

From a distance and at an angle where you can’t see the grille, the Beijing Auto BJ80 looks exactly like a Mercedes G-Class. It is a blatant automotive design ripoff if we’ve ever seen one - the manufacturer even made a 6x6 version exactly like the one Mercedes also made and sold briefly.

Mercedes-Benz started 2018 strong by unveiling the new G-Wagon that’s pleasantly similar to the old one. However, with its bigger proportions and a clientele that’s likely never to leave the asphalt jungle of the inner cities, you may be inclined to think that the new G-Class is a lesser off-roader than before, but you’d be wrong. Jessi Combs shows you in this video how you should tackle a mud puddle and, frankly, it’s very easy in this SUV.

The G-Wagon is, truly, an evergreen machine: the exterior looks almost identical to the original Steyr-Daimler-Puch-built version unveiled in 1979. The same rugged edges, round headlights, horizontal grille, and short overhangs. But, the new model is more luxurious, bigger, and more intelligent than ever before. Its Sahara-trekking DNA is intact, though, as it comes with permanent AWD and three full-locking differentials.

The new Suzuki Jimny became an instant icon, an instant conversation starter, and an instant problem for Suzuki. The Japanese company simply cannot cope with the demand. The production facilities are working at their absolute limits, but there is no way for Suzuki to produce enough to meet the demand. That’s a problem.

Nevertheless, those produced are already being trashed somewhere on some off-road terrain. Some of them, however, managed to reach the garages of the most recognizable tuners out there. First, we were treated to that awesome Liberty Walk modification that basically turned the Suzuki Jimny into a baby Mercedes-Benz G-Class. At least in the virtual world, but I believe one can order it right now. On the other hand, we got an all-new look at another modified Suzuki Jimny. This one is done up by Wald International, a Japanese company known for its Black Bison Edition line of modifications. That’s exactly what the new Jimny received - and it’s awesome.

Christmas has passed, and you’re probably about tired of looking at your Christmas tree. But, let’s look back a few days at 4-time Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series Pro 4 champion Kyle LeDuc and the dilemma that left him behind schedule in this ad by Toyo Tires.

As you’d expect from an off-road racer, LeDuc doesn’t just head to the tree shop with a dull station wagon or an SUV, instead opting for his No. 99 Monster Energy-sponsored and Toyo-shod truck. What happens next is everything you’d hope for when it comes to a video like this.

Lamborghini’s Urus isn’t the first high-riding SUV vehicle the company has ever made. Despite the awesomeness of the Urus, we can’t forget that Lamborghini manufactured the imposing LM002 between 1986 and 1991. Only 328 LM002s were ever made and, while it wasn’t excessively practical or useful, its front-mounted V-12 engine borrowed from the Countach, plus the military-style squared off design helped win some fans.