Isuzu’s highly successful Rodeo one-tonne pick-up has won yet another major award – the fourth in just over one year of being on sale.

Specialist 4x4 Magazine has voted the luxury-spec Rodeo Denver its ‘Working Winner’ in the annual ‘Pick-Up of the Year Awards’.

This is the second time the Rodeo has been declared a victor by 4x4 Magazine which says in its April issue: "Something of a standard-setter with its 3.0 litre direct-injection engine and comfortable estate-like interior, the Rodeo has inspired most other pick-up manufacturers to improve their offerings but nothing has yet surfaced to challenge the all-round capabilities of the good-looking Isuzu."

Other accolades include the Rodeo Denver being voted ‘Towcar of the Year – Utility Class’ by The Caravan Club and ‘best-in-class’ by What Van?

Meanwhile, workhorse versions continue to enjoy significant price cuts with, for example, savings of £2,362.02 for the Rodeo 2.5 DT 4x2 Single Cab which is now £8,995 (on-the-road but excluding VAT).

All Rodeos have 12,000 mile service intervals, tax-friendly 1,000 kg-plus payloads and towing limits of 3,000 kg for the 3.0 litre and 2,000 kg for the 2.5 litre.

A restyled Jeep® Cherokee – the Jeep Cherokee Renegade – will be launched as a special edition with the new 2.8-litre CRD variable geometry turbo engine in the UK in March 2005.

The Renegade’s unique external look includes a new flatter bonnet and taller grille, an overhead light bar with two spotlights and riveted wheel arches and bumpers.

Simon Elliott, Managing Director of the Chrysler Group in the UK, said: "The latest Jeep Cherokee has been a big sales success since it arrived in January, with a new common-rail diesel engine and a host of interior improvements. The Renegade special edition will build on this success and appeal to a slightly different buyer with its more rugged look, compared to the Sport and Limited models."

250 vehicles will be brought into the UK, featuring the 2.8-litre common-rail diesel engine. The Renegade will come with either a six-speed manual transmission or a five-speed automatic gearbox.

The top speed of both the manual and automatic versions is 108 mph. The 0-62 mph time of the manual engine is 12.8 seconds and 12.2 seconds for the automatic. This CRD engine produces 295 lb.-ft. of torque at 1,800 rpm and 161 bhp at 3800 rpm.

The Cherokee Renegade also features front fog lamps mounted on the bumper, five-spoke ‘Renegade’ alloy wheels and silver rock rails. The manual is priced at £21,230 and the automatic at £22,230 and will be available from dealers during March.

INTEL DEVELOPER FORUM, SAN FRANCISCO, March 2, 2005 – Land Rover announced today that the award-winning Land Rover LR3 is being unveiled by Intel Corporation as the first vehicle to demonstrate integration of its newest Intel® CentrinoTM mobile technology-based concept mobile PC today at the Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco.

Incorporating the Intel concept mobile PC designed for on-the-go entertainment, the LR3 offers a look at an enhanced driving experience through the integration of entertainment, communications and computing capabilities into the car. The concept mobile PC weighs 2.5 pounds and is placed in a docking station in the LR3 to be easily taken in and out of the car to provide consumers with access to their personal media – such as music, movies and e-mail – wherever they are.

"Integrating Intel’s mobile technology into LR3 is a perfect fit for Land Rover," said Richard Beattie, executive vice president, Land Rover North America. "As the most technologically-advanced Land Rover ever built, the addition of even more advanced capabilities makes this project an exciting venture."

The Intel concept mobile PC acts as a gaming console, home theater, MP3 player or business companion to meet the entertainment and communication needs of LR3 consumers. Intel is leading the industry to drive innovation that brings new features and usage models to users and overall opportunities for growth in the PC industry.

"Intel’s new concept mobile PC shows how Centrino mobile technology can be used to address the emerging ‘on-the-go’ lifestyle of consumers," said Mike Trainor, Intel’s chief mobile technology evangelist. "With this concept, Intel and Land Rover are providing accessible car entertainment and communications luxury to the growing number of consumers who want to have access to their content and be able to communicate with friends and family from anywhere."

The Land Rover LR3 has served as a state-of-the-art canvas for Intel’s concept mobile PC – making integration into LR3’s existing technology a simple task. The LR3 incorporates purposeful and convenient technology, most importantly introducing Terrain Response™, a class-leading driving system that allows simple control of sophisticated technical features.

The highly acclaimed Terrain Response system provides flexible and automatic control of the vehicle in all driving conditions with one rotary dial. Upon choosing one of five terrain settings, the vehicle is configured to manage the underlying terrain – optimizing ride height, throttle map, differentials, Hill Descent Control, Electronic Traction Control, and Dynamic Stability Control.

LR3 offers intelligent shift transmission, an available 7-inch LCD touch screen with voice-activated on- and off-road navigation system, and a four-wheel drive information system that displays key vehicle statistics on screen. LR3 also boasts a 550-watt harman/kardon® LOGIC7™ digital surround-sound AM/FM-stereo audio system with six-disc in-dash CD changer and 14 speakers.

Intel’s concept mobile PC demonstration augments LR3’s in-car entertainment options, leveraging the vehicle’s MOST® (Media Orientated System Transport) network. The MOST system runs at 25 Mbps and is used for the in-car entertainment system where huge volumes of data associated with the entertainment, navigation and communication systems have to be handled. MOST technology allows up to 15 synchronous channels of high-quality video and audio signals to be networked, supporting the versatile in-car entertainment, navigation and information system.

Designed for the most extreme situations and unforgiving conditions, the Jeep Rescue concept is not only the ultimate type of search and rescue vehicle – it’s the ultimate execution of a Jeep off-road vehicle.

Combine legendary Jeep off-road capability with state-of-the-art search and rescue technology, the Jeep Rescue is designed to reach areas in the harshest, most daunting mountainous and desert areas.

“Jeep Rescue is the supreme trail search and research vehicle – one that only Jeep could build, “ said Trevor Creed, Senior Vice President – Chrysler Group Design.

Classic Jeep Design Taken to An Exciting New Dimension and Extreme
Starting with a modern interpretation of the timeless, classic Jeep, the Rescue not only hints at a future design direction for a large Jeep – it builds on the rugged Jeep heritage to forge an exciting new dimension for the Jeep brand.

The Rescue can be configured to run almost totally “open” – with folding front windshield and a retractable backlite, a sliding glass sunroof in front, a fold-forward canvas roof in the rear, plus, all four doors are removable.
A Rugged Foundation
Featuring all-new body-on-frame construction with hydroformed frame rails and riding on an 80-inch wide chassis with 123-inch wheelbase and 37-inch tires, the Jeep Rescue is built for anything thrown its way. The front hydropneumatic suspension combines with the heavy-duty link-coil rear suspension to give the Rescue its solid footing on all terrain. The suspension has adjustable ride height and an additional 4-inch lift available for fording. The aforementioned 37-inch tires feature an MTR tread and run-flat capability, negating the need for a spare. On-board tire pressure control has the ability to “tune” tire pressures for maximum traction on all surfaces.

Unequalled Rescue Capability
Powered by a Cummins Diesel and featuring seating for five, the Jeep Rescue’s primary mission is rescue capability, and its list of rescue and safety equipment is impressive:

* AC electric power (10 kW) generation in the field
* 3-D topographical mapping software and topographical navigation system
* Under- chassis, point-of-view cameras for avoiding danger in its path
* Passive, infrared (thermal) cameras for search and rescue
* Satellite telephone; VHF radio, digital video recorder with satellite transmission capability
* Retractable 4-point harnesses for vehicle occupants
* Exterior perimeter lighting
* White LEV lighting for long distance visual search and reduced power use
* Folding seats in rear compartment of vehicle
* Remote control winch – front and back