DIFFLOCK.com - Buyer's Guide

THE INTRODUCTION of two high capacity pick-ups (HCPU) from Land Rover offer-ing a 20 per cent increase in load area and up to 25 per cent more payload must rate as good news for any construction user.

A recent trip to the BL subsidiary to test the vehicle more than proved its capabilities. Hot off the production line I drove the larger of the two models with a gvw of 3020kg (the other is rated at 2710kg gvw).

The Land Rover concept, so successful in the past has stayed with these new models and this is immediately apparent in both the high capacity pick-ups and in the ‘County’ station wagons to be simul-taneously introduced worldwide.

What Land Rover is doing is to develop the original theme of the vehicle for the future.

The 2.76m wheelbase Masai red promotion vehicle in which I was let loose represented the first of a family of new Land Rovers to be brought in over the next 12 months.

The first impression of the vehicle on the roads of Solihull was that of improved comfort. The model I drove had the optional ‘County seats’ trimmed in hard wearing cloth and offering better adjust-ment, replacing the standard black vinyl seating.

These three individual seats modelled on the latest BL truck designs should prove popular.

There was plenty of head room in the cab for even the tallest construction worker and at a mere 1.78m your author certainly experienced no problems.

Internally the facia shows little change from previous models with the instrument panel being easily readable and lights, indicators and horn all mounted on a right-hand stalk.

The heater which seemed more than adequate is controlled to the right of the steering column.

My only grouse was that the rear window in the fabric hood could have been bigger for a better rear view. By my quick calculation the plastics window could have been extended at least 150mm either side—a fact which could prove to be very important when reversing.

However, more than outweighing this was the relative quietness of the HCPU combined with an ease of steering from a vehicle which had yet to be fully run in.

Power from the conventional V8 petrol engine seemed more than adequate and has already proved to be very much suited to off-road site vehicles.

The 67.7kw of power available from the V8 develops a healthy torque rating of 226 Nm at 2000rpm. This is derived from an all aluminium engine of 3528cc capac-ity which operates on a compression ratio of 8 13:1.

This power as I discovered on a course which involved gradients of up to 1 in 2 was more than sufficient for the vehicle

With mud lapping around the door of the HCPU the engine continued to purr with an air of confidence well-known to anyone who has ever driven a Land Rover. The technique, as I soon learnt, was to attack the problem gently in a low gear and through not touching the foot controls to let a bow wave develop.

There is no diesel engine version of the V8 available but Land Rover is offering the options of four cylinder petrol or diesel units.

The extra capacity has been achieved with a wider cargo bed and a lower loading height, the answer to the customers indicating the need for extra carrying space.

According to Land Rover it should now be quite easy to load oil drums, for example—a job which caused a problem with previous pick-up models.

When looking at the vehicle’s imm-ediate competition it is easy to see where it scores. The figures for the 3020kg gvw model show a better payload, body cube and bed width combined with a lower floor height. Land Rover told me that a full 1.3 tonne payload can be carried in the vehicle.

Another feature of the carrying area is that of localised wheelarch intrusions which help to maximise the load area space. The spare wheel is stored just forward of the right hand wheelarch.

I found that the tailgate offered easy access to the load area which should be good news to anyone with many loads to shift.

The three-quarters length khaki hood rates as optional equipment together with a seven pin trailer socket, mudflaps and towing accessories.

Noise reduction has been achieved through a new trim package which has moulded sections and is acoustically dam-ped to reduce interior noise levels thus improving passenger comfort.

Again this is optional on the HCPU model but with my brief experience with a vehicle which had trim fitted to the floor, doors, roof lining and to the rear of the cab, the sound proofing was very effective.

Coinciding with the pick-up launch is that of the County station wagons with a choice of 2.23m and 2.76m wheelbase.

These two vehicles will be fitted with both the County seats and trim as well as many additional electrical features. Land Rover is aiming these high specification vehicles into the private sector of the market with a new look including colour, livery, wheels, headlamp bezels and tinted glass.

There can be little doubt that with the strong parts and service backup which Land Rover possess worldwide combined with a vehicle which can offer the long lifespan associated with its aluminium rust proof construction that the company should be well on course for more winners with these latest recruits to the range.