4x4

Diesel, 4x4, News

New Jeep 'Night Eagle' Cherokee

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Jeep has added a new 'Night Eagle' version to its Cherokee line-up.

The new Night Eagle model is limited to just 350 examples for the UK and is based on the Longitude 'Plus' mid-trim level.

The new model features black styling cues and a 'bold' new appearance with satin-finished grey elements on the front grille-mounted Jeep badge, the fog light frames and black gloss roof bars. A dedicated Night Eagle name badge has also been added along with deep tint sunscreen glass, while the 4x4 also runs on exclusive 18-inch black gloss alloys.

Inside, a leather steering wheel joins exclusive leather upholstery, heated front seats with electric lumbar adjustment on the driver's side, Uconnect with 8.4-inch screen, navigation system, Bluetooth and TFT instrument panel.

Other standard equipment on the Cherokee Night Eagle includes a nine-speaker sound system with subwoofer, cruise control, dual-zone climate control, electric tailgate, rear parking sensors, automatic headlamps with washer, rain sensing wipers, and auto-dimming rear mirror. This edition comes in four colours: Brilliant Black, Bright White, Billet Silver and Granite Crystal.

Power comes from the new 2.2-litre MultiJet II turbo diesel engine delivering 200 hp which, combined with Jeep's nine-speed automatic transmission and rugged Active Drive I 4x4 system, gives the car a top speed of 127 mph and 0-62 mph time of 8.5 seconds, while returning up to 49.6 mpg on the combined cycle.

The new Jeep Night Eagle Cherokee will cost £36,795 OTR when it goes on sale later this week.

4x4, News

New Land Rover Discovery models revealed

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Land Rover has unveiled two new Discovery models - the Landmark and the Graphite.

The Discovery Landmark builds on the specification of the HSE Luxury derivative with new interior and exterior features that offer customers a more 'premium and unique' look and feel. The exterior upgrade sees the addition of full length roof rails in a bright finish along with distinctive black front wing vents, grille and mirror caps which complement silver bonnet and tailgate badges. 'Landmark' badging on the side and rear further distinguish this model, while 20-inch 5-split spoke alloy wheels complete the design. The Landmark is available in a limited range of five body colours, including Zanzibar which has been exclusively reserved for the Landmark edition and is not available on any other Discovery.

The enhancements to the interior includes the addition of Windsor Leather seats and the Extended Leather Pack throughout, furnishing the dashboard, door casings and fascia. The interior is purposefully limited to three colourways - Ebony, Almond and Tan. The latter is offered for the first time in a Discovery, with Tan Windsor Leather Seats complemented by Ebony door casings and fascia and a Straight Grained Walnut veneer trim finisher. Customers can opt for either the Grand Black Lacquer or Straight Grained Walnut Wood and Leather steering wheel with two other variants fitted as standard to complement the choice of veneer.

The Discovery Graphite introduces a modern and distinctive look to the model range with 'striking finishes'. A grey Graphite finish to the wing vents and grille, which also sports a gloss black and lighter grey frame, blend with existing grey highlights appointed to the door handles and the Discovery badging to the bonnet and tailgate. Exclusive to the Graphite is the 19-inch 7-split spoke alloy wheel in a high gloss dark grey as standard.

A full 7-seater with stadium seating and over 2,500-litre stowage capacity, the Discovery can be reconfigured with its versatile interior and variable seating. Drive power and all-terrain capability comes from efficient diesel and petrol engine options when matched with fuel-stretching Stop/Start technology and the ZF 8-speed automatic transmission. The 3.0-litre SDV6 remains, delivering 256PS, 36.7mpg and a CO2 figure of 203g/km on a combined cycle.

"The appeal of the Land Rover Discovery has just got even greater. We have launched two new models - the Landmark and Graphite, which offer the customer greater on-road presence and enhanced comfort to complement the Discovery's existing versatility and capability attributes," says Finbar McFall, Jaguar Land Rover Product Marketing Director.

Available to order now, pricing for the Discovery Landmark comes in at £55,995 OTR while the Discovery Graphite costs £47,495 OTR with first deliveries in January 2016.

4x4, Diesel, Hatchback, Estate Car, News

Skoda Octavia vRS adds 4x4 option

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Skoda is giving its sporting flagship Octavia vRS line-up a specification boost with a new 4x4 transmission option.

Offered with the 2.0 TDI 184PS diesel engine and mated to a six-speed direct-shift gearbox (DSG) as standard, the vRS' four-wheel drive system constantly monitors traction at each wheel, directing power to whichever axle requires it.


The vRS 4x4 models can sprint from zero to 62mph in 7.6 seconds and deliver peak torque of 380Nm between 1,750-3,250 rpm.


From 1 November, prices for the Octavia vRS range start from £24,230 OTR for the Hatch and £25,430 OTR for the Estate, an increase of £400, however, buyers will get the Amundsen satellite navigation system as standard (previously £755), offering a customer saving of £355.


With a capacitive touchscreen display and SD card slot, the Amundsen unit joins a specification list that includes 18-inch Gemini anthracite alloy wheels, bi-xenon headlights, sports suspension and dual-zone climate control with humidity sensor.


Engineering highlights include multi-link suspension and electronic differential lock XDS+ for dynamic cornering, progressive steering and numerous assistance systems for enhanced safety and comfort. The vRS also features a bespoke design package that includes unique bumpers, spoiler and interior.


The updated Octavia vRS 4x4 range hits showrooms later this year, priced from £27,315 OTR for the Hatch and £28,515 OTR for the Estate.

4x4, SUV, News

All-new Kia Sportage set for Frankfurt debut

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Kia has revealed exterior images of the all-new Sportage, ahead of a global debut in Frankfurt.

Entering its fourth-generation, the new Sportage features a 'bold, progressive design'. Kia says the new model is inspired by the smooth and sharp shapes found on some of the most iconic modern fighter jets, and that the Sportage creates 'visual harmony out of the tension between sharp, defined feature lines and smooth surfacing'.

The face of the new Sportage represents the biggest change to the car's design, with the headlamps no longer integrated with the grille for the new model, instead sweeping back along the outer edges of the more sharply-detailed bonnet and bolder wheel arches. The Sportage's lower, wider 'tiger-nose' grille adds more volume, resulting in what Kia describes as a more imposing appearance and a more stable-looking stance.

The new model retains the swept-back silhouette of the outgoing Sportage, with a roofline that tapers slightly towards the rear of the car, longer front overhangs, shorter rear overhangs and longer wheelbase. At the rear, the horizontal forms and surface volume 'emphasise the car's width', while slim combination lamps are joined by a strip that runs the width of the rear, inspired by the 2013 Kia Provo concept car. Turn signals and reversing lights are separated, relocated lower down to add more 'visual weight and a greater sense of stability' to the lower half of the car.

The Frankfurt International Motor Show runs from 17-27 September 2015.

SUV, News, Crossover, 4x4

All-new Kia Sportage set for Frankfurt debut

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Kia has confirmed its all-new Sportage will be unveiled at 2015 Frankfurt International Motor Show.

Featuring new, 'dynamic styling' Kia also describes the interior of the 2015 Sportage as its most refined high-quality cabin yet.

The fourth-generation Sportage features a bold, progressive design which 'exudes power and agility from every angle' says the South Korean manufacturer, adding that the compact SUV's styling 'creates visual harmony out of the tension between bold, precise feature lines and dramatically-sculptured bodywork'.

Inside, the SUV combines simple, modern style and rich material quality with the styling led by the brand's European design centre - located in Frankfurt.

Kia will pull the covers off the new Sportage on 15 September.

4x4, News

Land Rover celebrations at Goodwood Revival

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Land Rover's celebration of 67 years of Series Land Rover and Defender production will continue at this year's Goodwood Revival from 11-13 September.

The engineering bloodline that links the original Series One with the latest Defender will be marked in a special presentation and displays capturing the birth of the iconic 4x4 and its progress through the past seven decades.

Faithful to the retro spirit of the meeting, Land Rover will be recreating key elements from the development of the Series I, which made its UK public debut at the 1948 Earls Court Motor Show, including drawing board plans and an early pre-production chassis. A Series I model will be shown tilted at 45 degrees and the team manning the display will be dressed in replica engineering smocks worn by the 1940s production workers.


Land Rover owners will be taking part in a daily parade of more than 50 pre-1966 Series models, including many special conversion body styles such as the bright yellow 1950 Series I Bertam Mills Circus vehicle, custom-built in the late 1950s to give the impression that it was being driven by the circus elephant, named Kam.


In addition, 11 pre-production Land Rovers (descendants of HUE 166) are to participate in what is believed to be the largest number of pre-production vehicles ever seen in motion.


The culmination of the presentation is the latest Defender Autobiography, a model that brings together the robust qualities of the original with bespoke and contemporary design features.

The Bonhams' stand at the revival meeting will be showcasing Defender 2,000,000. This unique vehicle, which was specially built to celebrate its production landmark at Solihull, is set to go under the hammer at a charity auction in London on 16 December.

News, 4x4

Jeep Renegade showcars in Montreux

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Jeep has unveiled two bespoke Renegades to mark its global partnership with the Montreux Jazz Festival.

From July 4 and for the duration of the festival, the Renegade-based showcars, created by Garage Italia Customs - the latest project of former Fiat Marketing Manager, Lapo Elkann - will be on display at the airports of Geneva and Zurich.

The Garage Italia Customs team is made up of automobile craftsmen who work entirely by hand. Their 'Montreux Jazz Festival' editions of the Jeep Renegade were inspired by the electro-acoustic guitar and in particular, by some of its details such as the paintwork, frets and output jacks. 

The colours chosen for the bodywork of the showcars recall the lacquer finish of the most famous electro-acoustic guitar bodies, Cherry Black Burst and Classic Black Burst, made more realistic by a wood effect airbrushed by hand with three-colour shading and nine coats of paint including topcoat. In addition, the strings of the electric guitar are drawn across the bonnet and boot.

The exclusive treatment continues on the inside with the roof lining, side bands of the seats and door panels trimmed in black denim, while the seat inserts, central tunnel, gearknob and armrest are made of 'Foglizzo' coloured leather. Finally, the inserts are painted white, the same colour as the decorations which embellish the seats, picking up the graphic elements of the exterior.

Highlighting the importance of the Swiss market, one of Jeep’s most profitable according to Steve Zanlunghi, Head of Jeep Brand EMEA, Jeep also unveiled a special Grand Cherokee Montreux Jazz Festival Limited Edition.

Limited to a run of 49 units, one for each year of the show, and marketed exclusively in Switzerland, the Limited Edition is finished in a Granite Crystal with Dark Brown natural leather upholstery. Sporting the logo of the event on the pillar, it features satin-finished elements on the grille, bump strips, side skirts, fog light frames and rear cargo panel, in addition to exclusive 20‚Äù alloy rims, also satin-finished, and a double glass panoramic sunroof. 

Hi-tech infotainment includes a ‚ÄôBlue-Ray DVD' multimedia system with two independent screens for the rear passengers, each with HDMI and AUX ports and wireless headsets as well as a Harman Kardon 825 watt sound system with D class amplifier, Logic 7 multi-channel surround technology and 19 GreenEdge high performance speakers. Active Noise Cancellation technology optimises on-board acoustic comfort using the Harman Kardon sound system and four additional microphones. 

The Jeep Grand Cherokee Montreux Jazz Festival Limited Edition includes a limited edition MJF Box containing the ‚ÄúMJF black card‚Äù offering exclusive access to the Chalet of Festival founder, the late Claude Nobs, where customers can access the vast audiovisual archive of the Festival protected by UNESCO's Memory of the World Register. 

Also inside the limited edition MJF Box is an exclusive DVD with 10 unreleased tracks and a pair of Soho Wireless headphones by Harman Kardon equipped with touch controls and Bluetooth connectivity.