Off-Road Vehicles

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2021 Jeep Wrangler (hybrid!) still best off-road

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe, the new hybrid trim, is available as a four-door in three high-end offerings: the premium Sahara, more premium High Altitude, and Rubicon, geared toward off-road excursions. The 4xe (pronounced “four by E”), engine combines a 270 horsepower turbocharged inline-four-cylinder with a 44-horsepower motor connected through a front-end accessory belt. A 134-horsepower motor replaces the transmission’s back-end torque converter. The motors draw power from a 14.0-kWh lithium-ion battery located under the rear seats. Whether the 4xe is in electric mode or running as a hybrid, torque is routed to the wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission. A transfer case offers rear-wheel drive, all-wheel drive (4WD Auto), and high-or low-range four-wheel drive for off-road use. In its

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Land Rover Defender, Ford Bronco as mini-RVs

GehoCab has taken its current expertise in off-load motorhome conversion in the Volkswagen Amarok into a far larger market for RVs. The German-based company has announced it’s reconfiguring its carbon-shelled, chassis-mount campers for installation in the Land Rover Defender, Ford Bronco and other popular off-road SUVs. The company’s goal is to create the lightest available off-road 4×4 campers. Gehocab makes carbon fiber modules for RVs Unlike typical bed-top and chassis-mount truck campers, GehoCab’s original Kora camper has a sleek, glossy carbon fiber construction. It has wide-stretched windows, flush integration with the base truck and color-matched paint. Now, GehoCab is designing two 4×4 motorhome modules, the compact Fiete and the larger Findus. The Fiete is compatible with the Land Rover and

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2015 Ford F-150: The best pick-up truck gets better

As the country’s best-selling vehicle seemingly since the model-T, the 2015 Ford F-150 could have been presented identically as its older siblings and still led the pick-up truck pack. But Ford decided not to rest on success, particularly as other manufacturers’ trucks are ever improving. Still, it was a surprise when Ford introduced the iconic truck’s 13th generation. Among its slew of a new features and upgrades is a lighter and thus more fuel-efficient aluminum body and a monstrous new chrome grille. The Weekly Driver Test Drive Versatility is among the many reasons the Ford F-150 has been the top-selling truck for nearly four decades. And with its redesign for 2015, the F-150 further advances the standard of its already

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