Can soft-roaders cut it?

Recently, as I waited to pull out from Chateau Coles, it occurred to me that every other passing car had the silhouette or styling of a 4x4. The look of a 4x4 has taken over from the necessity of one. The soft-roader, or crossover, has definitely come of age. Virtually every manufacturer offers at least one 4x4 lookalike, but can they do what the packaging indicates?

Modern life dictates our transport needs. Most people, including the country-inclined, ultimately need to get from point A to point B while acting as a taxi for the family, carrying out household chores, transporting four-legged family members, getting to work and, in our case, if we’re lucky, going on a few sporting adventures too. When you’re predominantly road-based, a full-time 4x4