“BicycleRider” from Atlanta was a loyal Isuzu buyer until the brand was scuttled. After a long, extensive search, this reader settled on a new 2011 Dodge Journey. The crossover has an excellent ride and a luxurious interior, BicycleRider says. To find out why the Journey beat out other competitors, continue reading BicycleRider’s review below. Once you’re done, you can submit your own car review here.

“After having four Rodeos (no longer made), driving my last one well beyond 100,000 miles, I went searching for a new SUV/crossover. I drove many new 2011 vehicles, but none were impressing me until I drove the 2011 Dodge Journey. Wow! What a fantastic ride! I was done looking. Priced way below its rival competition, too!

“I purchased a silver Crew model with the Uconnect package, the normal cloth (black) interior, beautiful 19-inch alloy wheels, the 3.6-liter 283-hp Pentastar engine, and I feel like I'm cruising in a luxury liner. Beautiful dash layout and color scheme, by the way. Just got back from a 1,000-mile round trip to the beach, carrying three bicycles racked on the back, and it drove like a dream.

“The only reason I gave it a 4 on performance is because of a slight lag in pickup you can encounter if you are light-footed, due to electronic relaying of gas pedal info. Anticipate pickup needs and be more heavy-footed with the Journey and you'll be fine, though, and get all the extra power you'll need when/if you need it. I'm totally happy with this solid vehicle.”

Forget about the T-Rex concept, the six-wheel 500-horsepower V-10 Dodge Ram show truck that Chrysler built last century. There’s a new T-Rex coming to town.

It’s the moniker Italian company Bremach applies to its four-wheel-drive truck, and its distributor, Bremach USA, plans to sell it with a variety of powertrains, including gasoline, diesel, compressed natural gas, gasoline-electric hybrid, and full battery electric.

Bremach builds less than 1,000 T-Rex trucks annually, guaranteeing a degree of exclusivity matched only by bespoke truck builders, such as Icon.

Bremach was formed from several companies that originally built aircraft and light-freight vehicles — really light, like the three- and four-wheeled milk carts pressed into service by Inspector Clouseau.

The Powertrains

Bremach USA qualifies as a California original equipment vehicle manufacturer, which requires different sales paperwork from the Detroit Three, but it still has to work with the California Air Resources Board. As a result, T-Rex pickups that burn gasoline and diesel use a “remanufactured” engine rather than a new crate motor. The gas engine is GM’s 6.0-liter Vortec V-8 that’s similar to that found in GM’s full-size vans. It’s paired with a GM 4L80-E four-speed automatic transmission. With 323 hp (at 4,600 rpm) and 373 pounds-feet of torque (at 4,400 rpm), it’s one of the lower-revving large-displacement gas engines. The CNG version uses a ULEV-spec L96 6.0-liter found in heavy-duty vans, pickups and light chassis cabs from Workhorse, Freightliner and Isuzu.

The diesel T-Rex uses a remanufactured Cummins 5.9-liter six-cylinder 24-valve diesel engine, with output rated at 235 to 325 hp and torque rated at 460 to 610 pounds-feet (@1,600 rpm), depending on the truck’s specification.

T-Rex's electric motor

The hybrid T-Rex under development will function like the range-extended Chevy Volt instead of the two-mode Chevy Tahoe Hybrid. It’s a series hybrid pairing a GM four-cylinder Ecotec engine and a 100-kilowatt-hour generator with a 40-kwh lithium-ion battery pack (made up of 32 cells, each roughly the size of a carton of cigarettes). The electric motor that does motor/generator/regen chores is shared with the battery-electric version. Less than 10 inches in diameter, the motor is rated at 200 kwh peak and 100 kwh continuous output. Torque is rated at least 265 pounds-feet from zero rpm beyond 4,000 rpm. (Generator ratings are 150 kwh peak and 100 kwh continuous.) The hybrid is said to be able to travel 30 to 60 miles on battery power alone before the Ecotec kicks in to recharge the power pack.

The full battery-electric (BEV) T-Rex, similar to the Nissan Leaf, uses a larger lithium-ion battery pack combined with the 200-kwh instant-torque electric motor. Bremach USA has taken a different approach with the electric motor, which runs at 114 volts DC, substantially less than you might find in other electric vehicles. Bremach claims an all-electric range of 75 to 150 miles.

Behind the Wheel of the Electric T-Rex

Our 25-minute drive in a prototype involved some lead-footing. We started with a charge state of about 95 percent and finished at about 75 percent, but our test truck didn’t have the high-capacity 100-kwh battery pack that production trucks will use.

Such low voltage would typically require high amperage loads, with cabling the size of radiator hoses. To avoid this, Bremach uses a unique motor application (already proven in forklift and airport tug applications) that essentially splits the motor and inverter/controller into three sections, each using 600-amp loads. The closest analogy in a gas engine is a three-rotor Wankel engine where three small combustion chambers deliver the power of a single large one.

Saddle mounted battery packs

Bremach says this arrangement is 3 percent to 5 percent less efficient than a high-voltage system but claims the difference can be addressed by one extra battery cell. This route was chosen because it’s safer — most people can survive a 115-volt hit; 400-plus, not so much — and because the hardware offers substantial cost savings. Since many of these units will see municipal service, the lower purchase cost and in-house serviceability are important selling points, as are the built-in Ethernet based diagnostics.

The electric truck uses the same four-speed automatic with torque converter as the fossil-fuel T-Rex. It shifts just like a properly calibrated automatic does. Since a divorce-mount transfer case is used, any gearbox that physically fits could be used.

The Euro market truck is offered with a ZF six-speed manual gearbox or an Allison five-speed automatic. Those trucks come with Fiat four-cylinder diesels with 2.3- and 3-liter capacity. There’s a slim chance future Ram pickups may use those, opening the CARB door for T-Rex to use something similar.

Although it has regenerative braking, the prototype electric T-Rex we drove was not programmed to take full advantage of the feature.

Recharging is done with a 10-kwh, 220-volt AC unit mounted between the rear frame rails. The battery packs are mounted like saddle tanks.

Apart from the engine, electrics and transmission, the major components are all made in Italy. The transfer case, and differential covers are all aluminum alloy. You may recall the Northern Italians — Ferrari, Maserati, etc. — have some experience with sand-casting.

Transfer cases are vertical, so the engine sits nearly level, and the front and rear driveshafts and differentials are all centered. Clear an obstacle with the front axle, and the rear follows clean. The full-time four-wheel-drive case offers low-range ratios of 3:1 or 3.9:1, and our six-ton testers had 5.11:1 axles. So even with the transmission’s steep 2.48:1-1st gear, the crawl ratio is a respectable 49.4:1. That’s better than any typical automatic, including a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon or a new HD pickup with a six-speed automatic.

The transfer box torque split runs a 33/67 to 50/50 front-to-rear power bias. Both the center and rear differentials can be locked by electrically controlled hydraulics. On petroleum engines, hydraulic pressure is supplied by the power steering pump; on hybrid/BEV trucks, it comes from an electric pump that also supplies the steering. Braking is supplied by big Brembo discs and Bosch defeatable ABS.

Frame and Bodywork

Bremach forms its frame rails in-house, using 3 mm-thick material for the “3.5-ton” model and 5 mm for the “six-ton” truck. (The descriptors are metric tons, 7,700 pounds gross vehicle weight rating for the lighter truck and 13,200 pounds for the heavier. The actual GVWR will be higher, about 14,000 for the six-ton.)

The tubes are about 4 inches in diameter, straight from front to rear, and three sides of a box section are welded along the bottom; many of the cross-members are welded in place as well. The rear bumper is bolted on with hitch pins used to adjust the angle of departure; the front bumpers wrap around at the corners to improve approachability while protecting the steering box. By feel, sound or sight, we couldn’t detect any frame flex at all.

Leaf springs are used at both ends, the mounts welded to the frame, and they have substantial shackles. The load leaf on the 49-inch-long pack in the 6-ton model is almost three-fourths of an inch thick. Standard tube shocks are mounted very near vertical, inboard of the frame rail in back, with welded tabs ready for a second set. Both ends have antiroll bars, larger at the rear, hung in easily removed brackets.

Axles are welded square-tube to the spring pads, round for the outboard stub, and the alloy front cover has a substantial skid plate. Driveshafts and U-joints are conventional, and the front is serviceable with an open knuckle end that bolts onto the axle housing. Only the six-bolt wheel pattern is unusual and may limit your choices in the aftermarket.

Bodywork is the appropriate term because an exoskeleton is used for the cab. The frame around it is the primary structure — not as ungainly as the external roll cage on a Land Rover Defender 110, but equally effective. Most of the outer panels are pressed steel, the floor reinforcements are high-tensile steel, and the front quarter panels, running boards and outer bed sides are composites.

By pickup standards, ground clearance is decent while approach, departure and breakover angles are all excellent. Driving in two-and-a-half feet of water is not an issue, and outward visibility is superb.

Styling, if you want to use the term, is industrial function trumping form, though one of the design teams also worked on the EB110/112 Bugatti sports car, and you can see it in the hood vents.

The T-Rex comes in two-door and four-door cabs. The exoskeleton design also allows an open-top two-door in some markets, making that T-Rex look like a giant side-by-side. The single cab seats two (airbag rules work against a three-seater), and the double cab handles five. All the seats are individual, adjustable buckets on air suspension. The front console is more or less lifted from a Ford F-150 — you’ll recognize the old baseball-bat-style shifter, and they needed the cupholders — and the front seats can move inboard a bit on future models to add outside elbow room.

The gasoline double cab we sampled had a Bremach USA bed on it, with a floor measuring about 9 feet by 5 feet. The sides lift up for loading, and the tailgate is a swing arrangement that is being redesigned as a conventional tailgate.

Displays and equipment on the dash vary by powertrain but supply the necessary info. The prototypes we drove still have the kph speedometer, and the BEV has a touch-screen. Four face-level vents in the center handle air conditioning through simple controls. The stereo head unit above the windshield and the switchgear icons are clearly understood. Flat frame rails equal a flat floor, disconcerting only to the front passenger used to angled footwells to rest or brace your feet.

Driving Impressions

The T-Rex with the longest wheelbase is 136 inches, an inch shorter than the shortest Super Duty, and the shorter version is 122 inches. Since the two-door BEV and four-door gasoline truck sampled were six-ton models with a payload of more than three tons, the empty ride quality was stiff and close to bouncy, like a big kart. The air-suspension seats help a lot, and only the pitching motion from the unloaded rear gets tiresome. It wouldn’t be hard to change the spring or shock rates; the 3.5-ton model will obviously ride better, but there wasn’t one available at drive time.

The loudest thing on our test ride was the 37-inch mud tires on the gasoline truck. It doesn’t have a big muffler, but the exhaust makes a pleasant burble that disappears as soon as the big meats start rotating. “Engine” noise on the gasoline truck was like a pickup, in the background until you open it up. The electric version simply whined and whirred until road noise drowned it out. Wind noise was relatively low, but we never drove faster than 75 mph.

We didn’t instrument acceleration or braking with either of them — that’s so far beyond the T-Rex’s mission, there’s no point. Both the BEV and gasoline version could run with traffic, the latter going faster than we’d typically trust big mud tires to be happy with. Stopping power appeared more than adequate, as the antilock brakes were fairly well-calibrated for loose surfaces; you can switch it off for conditions where a locked wheel will stop you faster.

Despite its heavy springs and antiroll bars, the T-Rex does have axle articulation and walks through obstacles well. Speed works to your advantage on washboard or gravel, skipping half the impacts and letting the suspension work on the half you actually do hit. Except for its height, a T-Rex might well make a Power Wagon or Raptor look like amateurs slogging through obnoxious conditions.

Side mirrors offer a great view rearward. Unlike most pickups, the mirrors are six feet off the ground and will pass above any car or crossover, and the crotch-rocket rider splitting lanes won’t crack his helmet on them. The view all around is excellent, and you sit level with UPS and coach drivers.

Summary

If the T-Rex reminds you of a cross between an H1 and a Unimog, so will the price. The gasoline regular cab six-ton starts at $96,000. Add another $5,000 for a Cummins diesel or $14,000 for the CNG version or $24,000 for the full battery electric. (Prices don’t reflect any potential incentives for alternative-fuel vehicles.) A bed or service body, running boards, and other bits will add more.

That’s expensive, but handmade stuff isn’t cheap. The Icon FJ-45 starts at about $125,000, and if you’re bent on making the FJ-45 pilot feel envious, this might be a good way to do it.

GM takes the covers off the Chevrolet Colorado Show Truck at the Bangkok International Auto Show in Thailand, and the rugged concept previews the next-generation Colorado midsize pickup that officially goes on sale in Thailand later this year — and eventually will arrive in North America, our sources say.

The Colorado Show Truck is a body-on-frame, all-wheel drive extended cab that sports sleeker styling than the current 2004-2011 Colorado sold in the U.S., Asia and Australia. The front end shares a strong family resemblance with other recent bowtie-badged vehicles, like the Chevrolet Equinox and the upcoming Orlando. There’s a two-tier grille with wraparound headlights, LED running lamps and small heat extractors on the sides of the hood. An aerodynamic “cab collar” ties the cab and bed together. Integrated steps in the cargo box make accessing the business end of the truck easy and for security and improved fuel economy there’s a hard tonneau cover. Twenty-inch aluminum wheels are paired with Cooper 285/50R20 Zeon LTZ all-terrain tires.

Inside, the Colorado Show Truck features a twin cockpit design that’s more stylish and sculpted than the Colorado’s current, basic cabin. The instrument panel and dash flows into the doors and motorcycle-inspired three-dimensional gauges use ice blue lighting for sporty effect. Dark wood trim with chrome highlights provides an upscale feel with plenty of soft touch surfaces instead of hard plastic. There’s also plenty of storage space and cubbies inside to keep items secure at night on the street or while bouncing around off-road. High tech features include a 7-inch flat screen displace for audio, navigation, hands-free phone and web access. There’s also a dual-zone climate control system to keep the driver and front passenger comfortable.

“Although this is a show vehicle, the basic proportions and form convey the vision for the next-generation Colorado that we will bring to market,” Brad Merkel, GM's Global Vehicle Line Executive said in a statement. “It reflects a stylized version of the new truck, one that takes into account rugged dependable truck capabilities for commercial use as well as sophisticated refinement for personal-use needs.”

While the Colorado Show Truck provides a robust look at the production pickup’s exterior and interior design direction, GM is keeping other key details under wraps. Chevy isn’t saying much about the new Colorado’s powertrain other than the concept has a 2.8-liter diesel.

Chevrolet spokesman Mike Albano told PickupTrucks.com that the inline four-cylinder compression ignition powerplant is all-new and was developed in-house by GM. Horsepower and torque ratings haven't been released.

“This is a show vehicle, so all of the technical data will be available closer to production stage,” Albano said.

It’s unlikely that a North American version of the Chevrolet Colorado would offer a diesel engine because of strict U.S. emissions regulations, even though there is demand from truck enthusiasts for a fuel efficient oil burner. With a gas engine for the U.S. and Canada and diesels overseas, it’s possible that second-generation Colorado sales would exceed 100,000 units of production annually, exceeding worldwide sales goals for one of its major competitors, the recently introduced Volkswagen Amarok.

The Chevy Colorado will also compete other world trucks not available domestically, including the all-new global Ford Ranger, Toyota Hilux, Mazda BT-50 and Mitsubishi Triton.

GM will also compete against a former manufacturing partner. The 2004-2011 Chevy Colorado was code-named GMT355 when it was co-developed with commercial truck and diesel engine manufacturer Isuzu. Isuzu sold the first-gen Colorado as the i-Series in the U.S. and as the D-Max in foreign markets until GM and Isuzu parted ways in 2008. The all-new Chevy Colorado, code-named GMI700, was developed in-house by GM while Isuzu is developing an all-new midsize D-Max for overseas markets that shares nothing with the Colorado.

Isuzu remains a minority partner in the production of Duramax diesel engines used in GM’s Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra Heavy Duty pickup trucks.

Why is Chevrolet unveiling the second-gen Colorado in Thailand? Globally, Thailand is the second biggest market for pickups, after the U.S. Last year, pickup truck sales were more than 40 percent of the Thailand’s auto sales and midsize and compact trucks sold in Thailand outnumber those sold in the U.S.

“Thailand’s 2010 [auto] industry volume ended at 800 thousand units [in 2010],” said Albano. “Trucks are about 57 percent or 454 thousand units.”

The country is called the “Detroit of Asia” because strong government tax incentives encourage both manufacturing and sales of pickup trucks to the country’s population of 65 million people. The Southeast Asian country also offers convenient access to more than 600 million people in that region.

Colorado production is expected to start by October and more details about its capabilities will be released later in the year.

What about the U.S.?

“We are not naming any specific markets outside of Thailand at this time, but we can say that this truck will be sold in several global markets,” said Albano. “It will be the first truly global truck offering by GM. I can say, aside from Thailand we have plans to sell the truck in other key [Southeast Asian] markets like Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.”

We also expect the Colorado will be sold in Brazil under the S-10 badge.

The Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon small pickup trucks are expected to end production at their home in Shreveport, La., by June 2012, but that's not the end of the road for GM's midsize twins in North America, according to our sources.

We've learned that development on the next-generation 2014 Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon for the U.S. and Canada is under way, based on GM’s all-new GMI 700 body-on-frame global small truck platform that will be built in Thailand starting late this year.

The GMI 700-based Chevy Colorado is expected to make its world debut at the 2011 Thailand International Motor Expo in Bangkok.

GM’s original plans during the company’s bankruptcy and financial restructuring in 2009 called for the end of the Colorado and Canyon, but those plans were reversed in the last few months.

The move runs contrary to the latest trends in the dwindling midsize segment, whose vehicles have grown stale and manufacturers have been exiting the segment. Later this year, U.S. production of the Ford Ranger will end after 29 years. The Ranger hasn't seen a major mechanical update since 2001 or a design change since 2006. Mazda, Isuzu and Mitsubishi also left the segment in the past few years.

Ford’s next-generation Ranger, code-name T6, will start production later this year for markets outside North America, leaving domestic Ford truck buyers with the F-150 as their only option.

GM’s new trucks will still face competition from Toyota and Nissan. A heavily refreshed Tacoma is expected to debut for 2013 with all-new sheetmetal and at least one new engine, though its platform will likely be mostly carry over. Nissan is also expected to sell a next-gen Frontier based on its latest global small truck chassis. A replacement for the Dodge Dakota may also be available by 2014, possibly riding on an innovative unibody platform.

The current Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon debuted in 2003 as 2004 models. They replaced the Chevy S-10 and GMC Sonoma compact pickups.

So how long do we have to wait for this new truck? At least two-and-a-half years. Our sources indicate that production couldn't start until at least the very end of 2013. The first half of 2014 is more likely. Production is likely to move north, to Wentzville, Mo., where GM currently builds its full-size Chevy Express and GMC Savana vans. With only one shift building vans at Wentzville, there’s untapped capacity for a new product.

We know 2013-14 is a long time for most buyers, but it does provide a glimmer of hope that the segment won't be forgotten altogether. Stay tuned for updates in the coming year.

As Tuesday’s sales figures are still setting in — Toyota was the only major automaker to post a loss in 2010 — Consumer Reports has delivered another blow to the Japanese brand. The organization’s annual Brand Perception Survey was just released, and Toyota tumbled 46 points and barely maintained its top position over a fast-advancing Ford.

Consumer Reports says that factors for the rankings include safety, quality, value, performance, environmental friendliness, design and technology. All are relative hallmarks for Toyota as well as Honda, which also saw a dip in the past two years.
 
This survey is unlike many of Consumer Reports’ others, especially its reliability rankings, which poll its own subscribers. The Brand Perception Survey was conducted over the phone with 1,721 adults who owned at least one car.
 
Outside factors, such as Ford not taking a federal bailout and Toyota’s recall woes, definitely could have played a factor in respondents’ answers.
 
The top 10 best and worst brands are listed below.

Best

• Toyota: 147
• Ford: 144
• Honda: 121
• Chevrolet: 102
• BMW: 93
• Mercedes-Benz: 90
• Volvo: 84
• Lexus: 69
• Cadillac: 66
• Subaru: 50

Worst

• Isuzu: 2
• Suzuki: 5
• Mitsubishi: 8
• Land Rover: 9
• Saab: 10
• Jaguar: 13
• Mercury: 14
• Jeep: 16
• Mini: 19
• Volkswagen: 19

General Motors is recalling 185,000 compact pickup trucks that share the same the platform because the child-seat anchor system doesn’t comply with federal safety standards, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Nameplates involved in the recall include the 2004-2011 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon twins, as well as the discontinued 2006 Isuzu i-280 and i-350 and 2007-2008 Isuzu i-290 and i-370.

In the affected vehicles – configured as either a regular or extended cab, without a rear seat and equipped with a front 60/40-split bench seat – the child-seat anchor system is positioned in a way that is inaccessible and not properly secure. Also, the owner’s manual doesn’t contain a step-by-step procedure for installing the child restraint.

NHTSA and GM discourage placing car seats in the front row of a vehicle; the above models have no backseat to place a child-safety seat. Without the top anchor secure, the car seat may not be properly restrained, increasing the risk of injury to a child in an accident.

GM dealers will make the appropriate adjustments to the front anchor system and will supply supplemental instructions to owners at no charge. Owners can contact Chevrolet at 800-630-2438, GMC at 866-996-9463, Isuzu at 800-255-6727 or NHTSA’s vehicle safety hot line at 888-327-4236.

[Source: Cars.com, NHTSA]

Nameplates involved in the recall include the 2004-2011 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon twins, as well as the discontinued 2006 Isuzu i-280 and i-350 and 2007-2008 Isuzu i-290 and i-370.

In the affected vehicles – configured as either a regular or extended cab, without a rear seat and equipped with a front 60/40-split bench seat – the child-seat anchor system is positioned in a way that is inaccessible and not properly secure. Also, the owner’s manual doesn’t contain a step-by-step procedure for installing the child restraint.

NHTSA and GM discourage placing car seats in the front row of a vehicle; the above models have no backseat to place a child-safety seat. Without the top anchor secure, the car seat may not be properly restrained, increasing the risk of injury to a child in an accident.

GM dealers will make the appropriate adjustments to the front anchor system and will supply supplemental instructions to owners at no charge. Owners can contact Chevrolet at 800-630-2438, GMC at 866-996-9463, Isuzu at 800-255-6727 or NHTSA's vehicle safety hot line at 888-327-4236.

The Volkswagen Amarok was named International Pickup Truck of the Year from MotorTransport, a U.K. newspaper dedicated to everything trucks, during the IAA Commercial Truck trade show last week in Hanover, Germany.

Heavy-duty and consumer truck manufacturers from around the world displayed their newest models and technology at the large annual expo. Testers judged the performance of seven globally sold pickup trucks from automakers such as Isuzu, Mazda, Nissan, Ford, Mitsubishi, Toyota and Volkswagen. Through extensive on- and off-road tests at Mondello Park in Kildare, Ireland, the testers narrowed the field down to a few podium place winners.

Because of the so-called U.S. “chicken tax,” which slaps a 25 percent tariff on trucks built and imported from most countries outside the U.S., the Nissan Frontier, Suzuki Equator and GM’s midsize truck twins are the closest you can come to buying any of these capable small pickups domestically. Even then, you’d still be missing the diesel engines that power these trucks overseas because of diesel’s high cost and emissions regulations in the U.S.

Mazda/Ford brought out the latest European-spec Ranger/BT50 — which is due to be replaced next year by an all-new truck— touting its durability and responsive engine. Toyota’s Hilux pickup truck lagged behind other newer models. Nissan’s Navara midsize pickup truck — which is strikingly identical to the U.S.-spec Nissan Frontier and its cousin, the Suzuki Equator — won highly in terms of styling points and interior design and comfort, but it lost some points in ground clearance during the deep off-road tests. Isuzu’s D-Max, which shares a platform with the Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon, may not be the best looking, but it was surely one of the best performing and what jury members called “very impressive” in terms hardcore off-roading. Mitsubishi’s L200 was the most powerful pickup in the competition at 175 horsepower, and its overall off-road driving comfort was nearly unmatched.

The Amarok earned the top honor from MotorTransport, the first time the publication has ever given the award.

Introduced for the 2009 model year, the Argentina-built Amarok proved its off-road capability by landing a role as the key support vehicle in the challenging 2010 Dakar Rally. Powered by a turbo-diesel 2.0-liter engine, the Amarok can be equipped with two-, four- or all-wheel drive. Buyers can choose from a single or double cab, along with three trim levels.

Testers at MotorSport were eager to drive the new Amarok on the test grounds and praised it for its well appointed and spacious cabin. Despite the Amarok’s victory, jury members said its overall off-road performance needs to be improved to be a stand-out among the competition.