Articles by Mike Ryan

Rally drivers of the future now have a fresh way to make their mark on the sport with the new Australian SUV Rally Challenge.

Ford Australia will expand its local compact SUV offering to include the new Ford Kuga from March 2012.

Russell Christophers, Ford Australia Product Development Director and E8 Vehicle Line Director, has announced that December will be his last month on the job, with his retirement beginning on January 1st, 2012, almost 39 years after he began with the Ford Motor Company.

Back in 2004, the release of the award-winning all-wheel-drive Ford Territory frightened the life out of Holden.

Honda hatched a cunning plan to increase sales of recreational vehicles in January 1999, announcing the addition of a compact four-wheel drive - the HR-V - to sell alongside its popular CR-V.

For anyone setting up a four-wheel drive, preparing to embark on a major 4x4 trip, or just keen to savor the latest 4x4 accessories, innovations and outdoor gadgets, the 2011 National 4x4 & Outdoors Show Melbourne was the place to be. For the third successive year patronage increased, with some 35,027 people passing through the gates at the Melbourne Showgrounds from the 2-4th September.

Both looked unbalanced, ungainly and not unlike a pop-top rental Toyota Troop Carrier.Thankfully, both models did not remain a fixture on their respective companies' model lists for long.While the Nissan's GQ Patrol wagon was comfortable enough, and actually stole a march over Toyota with the introduction of coil sprung suspension at launch, Toyota was poised to strike with the launch of the all-new 80 Series in May 1990.

Hyundai's Santa Fe range gets a stack of stylish design updates for model year 2012, including a refined exterior design and a more features for families.

Hyundai joined the ranks of the fully fledged compact SUV market in November 2000 with the debut of its all-new Santa Fe V6 full-time four-wheel drive mid-sized wagon.

Nissan's Patrol has earned a reputation as being one of the toughest and most reliable four-wheel drives available, especially when the going gets really tough. It was the vehicle of choice of geologist and explorer Dr Reg Sprigg and his family in 1962 when he made the pioneering trip from Andado Station to Birdsville in 1962 in a short wheelbase Nissan Patrol G60 across the Simpson Desert.

\nOne of the biggest problems that Land Rover is contemplating is the future direction of its workhorse Defender lineup. While an all-new Defender is slated for 2015 delivery, Land Rover has provided a few clues as to just how the vehicle may look and the technology it may embrace.

Specialist armoured vehicle developer Ricardo has delivered a fuel efficient military vehicle as part of the Fuel Efficient Ground Vehicle Demonstrator program for the US Army's Research and Development Centre.