Vehicle Tests > 2007 4WD of the Year

Lockers aside, the real strength of the 76 on trails and tracks is its engine. The 4.5-litre V8 oiler has usable torque from even below idle speed and is so flexible that it will 'walk' trails in high range that will see at least the Jeep and the Hummer, and often the Defender, require low range. As on our set-piece offroad sections, the 76's excellent vision and generous clearance also help make the 76 a do-it-easy trail vehicle. The only negative here is the relatively hard-riding suspension.

Touring
In compete contrast to the Range Rover, the 76 doesn't enjoy the transition from trail to highway. The engine's still a winner, but the on-road dynamics are very ordinary. In particular the steering is vague and totally lacking in feel, bumpy roads have the rear end adopting a mind of its own, and the overall cornering confidence is poor even if familiarity breeds acceptance.

The highway gearing is also too short and if the roar from the hard-revving engine isn't enough to annoy you then the wind noise from around the windscreen and A-pillars will certainly ensure that you don't have any peace.

Sand
The 76 makes a complete lie of the old adage that diesel manuals are no good in sand. In a word the 76 was brilliant on the beach and when a fellow beach 4WDer cooked the engine in his ill-prepared soft-roader, the 76 was the obvious choice to tow the stranded vehicle the few kays off the beach to the safety of the closest servo. At one stage the 76 was hauling itself and the dead softroader with just 600rpm showing on the tacho...

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Inside
No luxuries in the 76; in fact not much of anything in the 76, just some rudimentary and not very comfortable seats and a very basic dashboard. No airbags, nothing even resembling a cup holder, no rear-seat centre headrest and only a lap belt for the same passenger. At least there is plenty of cargo space and the interior looks robust and hard-wearing.

Incidentals
For a tough working vehicle the 76's 810kg payload is more ordinary than good and, as standard there's no rear recovery point. No ABS as well, not even as an option. The manual front hubs also won't please everyone but there's a bonus in the form of the standard snorkel.

Summary
Given that the 76 is built from a contradiction of old and new parts it is no surprise that the end result is somewhat of a contradiction. In ability, practicality, and functionality, particularly offroad, the 76 is hard to fault. In fact it's one of the best things that's arrived on the Australian 4WD market for many a year. But on-road its shine starts to diminish particularly so when you consider its ordinary safety credentials. And then there's the price. For what it is, the 76 is one expensive truck. That's not to say we don't like it though.

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