Irish farmers favour diesel 4x4s for their good towing ability, off-road ability and durability.

In this special on 4x4s, we examine the latest models and preview some of the new models on the way. We give advice on making the best 4x4 choice for Irish farms.

We also examine the growing range of pick-ups available and give advice on what farmers need to consider when making the 4x4 pickup their choice of farm transport vehicle.

We examine the issues around preparing a modern 4x4 and/or 4x4 pick-up for an NCT/DOE test while looking at the costs of owning a 4x4 on the farm.

Tax changes loom

Changes to the tax status of many commercial 4x4s at the end of June 2018 spurred on a significant sales increase.

The changes meant a significant price increase in the segment and the exclusion of passenger type 4x4s from the commercial sector.

The end-of-year registration figures from the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) show that 3,869 new commercial 4x4s were registered in Ireland in 2018, a 31% increase from 2017. This happened despite a fall in the overall new car market.

The move by the Revenue Commissioners to change the status of five-seat commercial 4x4s in July resulted in a rush of registrations as farmers and many rural-based agribusinesses took advantage of this last opportunity for 4x4 value.

The Mitsubishi Pajero was the most popular secondhand commercial 4x4 imported into Ireland in 2018

The Toyota Land Cruiser was the big beneficiary of the extra sales and remains the most popular 4x4 commercial of choice for many farmers.

Sales of the commercial Land Cruiser increased by 51% during 2018 and accounted for 37% of all new commercial 4x4 sales during the year.

The Ford Kuga was the second most popular 4x4 commercial, with the Volkswagen Touareg in third place and the Mitsubishi Pajero fourth.

The fact that the Pajero was eased out of the market during 2018 may well have affected its full-year sales.

All of the four top sellers increased their market share, as did the Land Rover Discovery, which unveiled its new commercial version later in the year.

Expect more from the Land Rover Discovery commercial during 2019.

Imports of used 4x4 commercials were not significant during 2018 as the competitive nature of the new models was overwhelming.

Only 127 used commercial 4x4s were imported during 2018, up marginally from 80 the previous year.

These numbers had little impact on the market, as commercial buyers took the better value of the new option.

The Mitsubishi Pajero was the most popular secondhand commercial 4x4 imported into Ireland in 2018, well ahead of its nearest rival the Toyota Land Cruiser.

It was interesting that a significant number of BMW X5 models were imported as used commercials during 2018.

The latest end-of-year figures show that 1,241 new 4x4 pickups were registered during 2018 compared with 1,276, the previous year, a drop of 3%.

The Ford Ranger remained the most popular 4x4 pickup on the Irish market last year, followed by the Toyota Hilux; between them they accounted for 45% of the overall market. Nissan’s Navara crept up into third place, followed by the Mitsubishi L200 and the Volkswagen Amarok in fifth place.

The market for imported used 4x4 pickups jumped by 13% as 2,786 used versions were imported during 2018. Irish farmers sought out 4x4 pickup value in the UK market and sterling values obliged to push a surge in demand for these farm transport vehicles that have improved in comfort and versatility in recent years.

We can expect this to swing back upwards in 2019 as the scope for commercial four- or five-seat 4x4s has now disappeared.

Changes in sterling values will affect used imports during 2019, once again that Brexit factor.

The Toyota Hilux dominated the imported used 4x4 pickup market in 2018, followed by Ford’s Ranger.

Once again, these two models accounted for 56% of all used 4x4 pick-ups imported into the country in 2018.