In a car market that’s increasingly crowded with lifestyle SUVs that aren’t always what they seem, working out which cars can go off-road properly can sometimes be confusing. All three cars on our shortlist are brilliant at going far, far off the beaten track – but the winner, the Suzuki Jimny, matches that with good value, a tiny footprint and bags of charm.
Proving that small can be mighty, the Suzuki Jimny is truly exceptional when it comes to the rough stuff – and it’s a deserving winner of the best off-roader category. Despite its dinky dimensions and relatively puny 1.5-litre engine, its separate chassis construction, selectable four-wheel drive and low-range gearbox mean it’s a proper weapon when it comes to crawling over rocks or getting out of ankle-deep mud. It’s also truly, utterly charming – with retro appeal in spades and a plucky and totally endearing nature.
Spending £50,000 on a pickup truck may seem insane, but the Ford Ranger Raptor is far more than ‘just’ a pickup truck. It’s based on the standard Ranger – itself a very accomplished truck, but has been heavily modified with a significant amount of beef added to the chassis and suspension. As a result, this is a serious piece of off-road kit, capable of maintaining high speeds over just about any terrain. It’s also surprisingly brilliant on-road, and in terms of smiles per mile, there’s not a lot to match it.
There’s no denying that the Jeep Wrangler is an icon – those round headlights flanking the instantly-recognisable seven-slot grille are known the world over. For the latest model, the Wrangler’s lost none of its historic prowess off-road, but has been engineered to be much better to drive on tarmac, with interior refinement, technology and safety all taking a massive leap. You also get a sense of fun in the Jeep that’s missing in many of its rivals – the ability to remove its roof and doors means this is as much a convertible as it is an off-roader, and what’s not to like about that?
