TESTERS' CHOICE
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Mercedes-Benz Unimog U130 BESIDES THE THREE utility vehicles we tested this year, we also carried out a group 4x4 test where we pitted a Land Rover Discovery Commercial against a Ford Maverick. and Daihatsu Fourtrak Fieldman. None disappointed with their off-road performance but neither could they come close to the performance and versatility of the Unimog.
In such company, the little Hijet is left out on a limb as the only two-wheel-drive contender. This also illustrates the difficulty of comparing vehicles likely to appeal to distinct sectors of the market—no-one buying a Hijet would expect it to go where a Unimog can. For all that, the Hijet has no direct competitors as a pickup and offers more payload than some of the car-derived competition. Compact dimensions may make it attractive for some applications but it is clearly outclassed here.
Our usual measures of a vehicle's worth don't hold up when dealing with the other two. Roth the lighter Multicar and the 7.5-tonne Unimog were fitted with three-way tipping bodies. Despite the near four-tonne difference in GVW, payload differed by only one tonne. The Unimog's extra weight is accounted for by its various on-board systems, including multispeed, multi-mode transmission and diff-locks, which give such outstanding off-roadability.
While the Multicar is not in the same league, its narrow track gives it access to tight spaces on and off road.
Like the Unimog, it can be tailored to individual needs with a vast array of bodywork and equipment options so it can earn its keep doing anything from streetsweeping to snow ploughing or forestry. The Unimog may not fit into such tight spaces as the Multicar but it's the only vehicle in the group that can do all the things the other two can and do them better.
We can think of no other 4x4 that can match the Unimog's off-road capabilities or offer the same vast equipment list. Features that set it apart include its portal axles, which provide maximum ground clearance, independent coil-sprung suspension and allround disc brakes.
It's probably the most expensive 4x4 workhorse on the market, but in our opinion it's probably the best.