Third group stage in the 4×4 World Championship of Diariomotor. On this occasion, an SUV faces two true off-road monsters again. But in this third phase there seems to be a particularly harsh cruelty: it is the meek Volvo XC90 that is going to face the Toyota Hilux Invincible and the Land Rover Defender 110. a priori very disparate confrontationbut as it happens in many sports competitions, we should not give up the fish until we see what happens on the pitch.
And there can always be surprises. On paper, the Volvo XC90 is the weakest rival. Volvo does not publish its off-road dimensions, it has 210 mm of ground clearance and its all-wheel drive system, in addition to lacking a gearbox, does not have differential locks. Everything is entrusted to the electronics and its tires are pure and hard asphalt. On the other hand, we have the Toyota Hilux in Invincible finish. The Hilux pick-up has two differential locks235 mm ground clearance and a very robust chassis with beams and crossbars.
Asphalt SUV against 4×4 pick-up and modern SUV. The battle is served.
It also has a reduction gear, just like the Land Rover Defender. Though the Defender has a monocoque chassis and independent suspension, has enormous articulation and 29 cm of ground clearance, thanks to its pneumatic shock absorbers. The Defender is clearly superior to its rivals in off-road heights and is a true all-rounder. In this group stage the three cars must face the broken road, some dubbies and the anti-SUV slope. Three simple a priori tests for off-roaders, but challenging for off-roaders.
And the great news is fantastic performance of the Volvo XC90 B5 in this group stage. In fact, it is to date the SUV that has best overcome obstacles by far. The Swede had never been through our 4×4 circuit before, and has shown that it is not only a great luxury SUV, but that it clearly defends itself better than Hyundai Tucson and SEAT Tarraco. But as is logical, it is below the Land Rover Defender and Toyota Hilux, which are the ones that are playing for their position in the quarterfinals.
The Hilux does not have the rear lock engaged because otherwise its traction control is disabled.
In the end, obstacles aren’t a problem for these two behemoths, but the Land Rover Defender’s way of dealing with them is a bit smoother than the Hilux’s, as well as having even more proactive traction control. The result is a victory for the Land Rover Defender and a second place for the Toyota Hilux. With everything, the surprise has been the excellent role of the Volvo XC90. If you want to see how this third group stage has gone, on these lines we have left you the video of their confrontation.
