4x4s

Don’t blame cars, blame drivers

You can take them anywhere. You can live in them. They can earn you money dragging logs or whatever. 4x4s are an indispensable part of off-grid life for many of us. Ideally I would like a stretch Land Rover (as in stretch out and go to sleep), but I couldn’t afford it even if one did exist.

It�s fair to say that 4x4s don�t get the warmest of receptions in the green movement. They�ve been blamed for global warming. But, I’m willing to cut them some slack, even if the world�s hardcore tree-huggers aren�t. Just look at the LRX � Land Rover refers to this three-door concept as a cross-coup�. Roughly translated, it�s a smaller, more agile version of your traditional Chelsea tractor, with the new styling designed to reduce drag and CO2 emissions and increase fuel efficiency. It employs a four-wheel-drive system for tough terrain, but it also includes an �Eco� mode for town. But can you still sleep in it?

and I wouldn’t wear muddy wellies inside the LRX � might get some on the iPhone used to set up and start the car.

TOP Five things about the new Land Rover LRX

1 All your music, navigation and communication settings are stored on an iPhone, which you dock and start the car with.

2 The interior is made from eco-friendly materials, the rear seats fold into a bike rack, and the rear door doubles as a picnic table with fridge.

3 Internal lighting changes according to the driving mode you�re in: red for sports, blue for standard and green for eco-friendly.

4 It gets all the Landy gadgets, like Hill Descent Control and Terrain Response, to deal with grassy car parks, Everest and so on.

5 With utter disdain, Land Rover has cast sunroofs into the dark ages: the LRX�s whole ceiling is transparent.