You might not have heard of the BYD Ti7, Chery iCaur v27 or Denza Bao 5, but they’re certain to look familiar. Each one is a big, traditional 4x4 that looks a lot like the result of putting a Land Rover Defender, Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen and Toyota Land Cruiser in an AI image blender.
They’re brand-new, but give off distinctly old-school vibes. And these three Chinese newcomers are just a taste of the glut of traditional-style 4x4s that are due to arrive over the next few years. Many are the product of Chinese brands, but others are from big-name car makers, some of which have never produced anything like it before.
And, to be clear, we’re not talking about the kind of slinky SUVs that dominate the sales charts. We’re talking about the kind of rugged off-roaders that look as though they could cross the Sahara or Sainsbury’s car park with equal ease; bulky, robust machines with masses of ground clearance and Tonka-Truck styling. The kind of cars, in fact, that seemed destined for extinction just a few years ago.
The case against big 4x4s seemed conclusive. Heavy and inefficient, with all the aerodynamic efficiency of a shipping container, traditional 4x4s had come to seem out of place and out of time by the late noughties. Unless you had money to burn, needed to tow big things or had a lifestyle or job where genuine off-road ability was a must, there were far more sensible options.
There was no electrification for these beasts, either, just big old diesel or petrol engines. And then there was the social stigma. Although viewed as necessary tools in the countryside, driving one of these behemoths around the city invited scorn.
The already small number on sale had dwindled to a handful by the late 2010s. After the original Land Rover Defender was phased out in 2016, that left just the Jeep Wrangler, Mitsubishi Shogun and Toyota Land Cruiser as the only real examples on sale in the UK, with the Land Rover Discovery and Mercedes-Benz G-Class having morphed into luxury cars. The Shogun was discontinued in 2019 and, in the face of changing tastes and ever-stricter emissions regulations, the traditional 4x4’s days seemed numbered.
But, in the words of Jarvis Cocker, something changed. And it’s hard to see beyond the introduction of an all-new Land Rover Defender in 2020 as the catalyst. Yes, it was bigger and posher than before and didn’t have the ladder-frame chassis of a traditional 4x4. You could even get a plug-in hybrid version. But the new Defender was still a beast off-road, and its throwback design and upright stance were a two-finger salute to ever-sleeker crossovers and SUVs. It had all the mod cons, but it was unapologetically retro in appearance and attitude. And people loved it. In fact, the Defender rapidly became Land Rover’s best-selling model, highlighting a real demand for something more rugged and ‘authentic’ than the average SUV.
Inevitably, that demand didn’t go unnoticed. Toyota rebooted the Land Cruiser, retaining its off-road ability but giving it a similarly heritage-inspired exterior. The Ineos Grenadier – the passion project of entrepreneur Sir Jim Ratcliffe – went the whole hog, being a brand-new model that, in its appearance, construction and character, was basically a continuation of the original Defender.
In the US, Ford brought out two new Bronco models that shamelessly echoed the styling of their 1960s ancestors, while Jeep continued doing Jeep things. Volkswagen decided it wanted some of the action, resurrecting the long-defunct Scout brand to develop a retro-styled electric off-roader called Scout Traveler that’s due to go on sale in 2028.
Chinese brands picked up on the trend and ran with it in characteristic double-quick time. As well as the BYD, Chery and Denza models mentioned earlier, there’s the BAW To1, Geely Battleship, Jetour T2 and Yangwang U8. Each has similarly Defender-ish looks and dimensions and, while some are more rugged than others, each has some semblance of genuine off-road ability.
It’s not just Chinese brands jumping on the bandwagon. Some very familiar names are rumoured to be throwing their hats into the ring, too. Reports suggest BMW is developing a big, off-road-ready SUV to sit above the new X5 in its line-up, while Audi has hinted that it could build something similar based on the reborn Scout. Hyundai has said that the Boulder concept unveiled at the 2026 New York Auto Show is the basis for a new ladder-frame production model that will be sold in the US. Mitsubishi, meanwhile, has confirmed that an all-new Shogun will go on sale in 2027, some eight years after the previous model was discontinued.
So why the appetite for the type of car that many people wouldn’t have touched with a barge pole a few years ago? Fashion plays a part because, let’s face it, a lot of these cars just look cool. They’re bold, without being ostentatious, and their simple two-box shapes and upright front ends stand out in a market dominated by sleek crossovers and SUVs with wind tunnel-inspired rooflines and identikit light bars. Nostalgia plays a part, too: these retro-flavoured 4x4s hark back to simpler, more analogue times and it’s surely no coincidence that their arrival has coincided with the rise of high-end ‘restomods’ that take old 4x4s and refurb them with all manner of modern conveniences while retaining their classic looks. And maybe there’s an element of rebelliousness about a big 4x4 these days: of deliberately kicking back against increasingly generic EVs and ‘mobility solutions’ and embracing something more mechanical; more real.
Traditional 4x4s don’t just shout ‘adventure’, either. Unlike many SUVs, they can actually deliver it thanks to proper go-anywhere hardware, along with a real ‘king of the road’ feel thanks to an elevated driving position and big, upright windows all-round. And, short of an MPV, old-fashioned 4x4s are hard to beat for practicality. Most have ample interior space and their heavyweight nature and permanent four-wheel drive make them particularly good tow cars.
Perhaps the clearest evidence of continuing demand for this type of car is their used values. Prices for used traditional 4x4s such as the original Defender and any Toyota Land Cruiser have been sky-high for years, and strong residuals are clear proof that demand is outstripping supply.
