Diversity is a wonderful thing. You only need to look at the class winners and overall victor of this year’s NZ4WD Magazine 4WD of the Year awards to see that.

Big or small, size was definitely a defining factor when we set about narrowing down our choices for our annual 4WD of The Year awards.

In doing so we decided that 2019 was actually something of a watershed year for 4WD aficionados, be they hard-core Overlanders or tradie-based life-stylers.

Perhaps the biggest surprise was the response to Suzuki’s new fourth-gen Jimny. OK, while it was absolutely no surprise just how good the cute, wee retro/modern Jimny was off-road, it was a quite some surprise to see the interest in it from the mass market.

If you didn’t put down a deposit (or pay an estimated RRP up-front like some keen Kiwis apparently did) the minute Suzuki released the first official press shots of the thing, you had to go on a waiting list to secure one, a function of unprecedented demand in all the key markets Suzuki is in around the world.

Suzuki will in fact be playing catch-up well into 2020 and perhaps even into 2021, an absolutely unprecedented state of affairs. But one which proves conclusively what we here at NZ4WD Towers have been saying for several years now.

Where once we might have been seen as ‘outsiders looking in,’ and our tough, robust,’ ready-for-anything’ 4WDs as niche vehicles suitable only for hobbyists and/or farmers, these days it is these same vehicles which have turned new car sales and rego stats on their head.

Leading the way is Ford’s Ranger utility which is – in all its various iterations up to and including this year’s 4WD Ute of the Year, the frankly amazing Ford Raptor.

Where once Ford in this neck of the woods threw all its resources behind its Aussie-built Falcon, the end of local assembly across the Tasman has led to a global search for suitable local market sectors and – if models like the US-fettled/Aussie fine-tuned and Thai-built Ranger line are anything to go by then it is we the consumer who is benefitting.

Which is where the unfettered and, in a lot of cases flagrantly and blatantly ill-advised, push by vested interests to supposedly see us all driving electric-only cars by 20-something is so wrong.

Right now utes like the Ranger are outselling conventional ‘cars’ three-to-one and if punters are not plumbing for a ute then they are plunking down their hard-earned cash (or credit rating) on SUVs.

While there does appear to be a move away from larger models like last year’s Large 4WD SUV and overall 4WD of the Year, Toyota’s big, extremely capable Land Cruiser Prado, there is still a need out there in the marketplace for a true seven-seater.

As there is a desire to have – at least the option – of 4WD.

Freed now from the straightjacket that was coming up with a new Commodore model every five or six years, Holden – like Ford – has been able to tap into a truly global source of models appropriate to local ‘Kaussie” (as in Kiwi and Aussie) conditions.

While its up-front, bombastic and very ‘US’ styling might not be to everyone’s taste there is no denying the all-new Acadia SUV's impressive interior space, chassis and engine/transmission credentials – which is why we awarded it our top Large 4WD SUV gong this year.

Finally, while politicians talk about draconian punitive (i.e. taxes) measures to ‘encourage?’ those of us who either need or just plain like the current crop of petrol or diesel-fuelled (so-called) ‘gas guzzlers,’ Mitsubishi has been quietly going about the business of providing a viable Hybrid-based petrol/electric alternative for the past four years.

That alternative is the Outlander PHEV, and this year the latest model earns its place at the ‘top table’ not because we felt it necessary to ‘find something electric’ to give an award to show we are ‘hip with the kids,’ but because in our opinion it is the best model in the Outlander range!

That’s more than enough background though. The 4WDs that we considered were ‘best-in-class’ and ‘best overall’ in 2019 were:

Compact 4WD SUV of the Year 2019: Suzuki Jimny

Small but perfectly formed, Suzuki’s all-new Jimny is – literally – the little 4WD that could. Key to its appeal to us are its serious off-road credentials. But we can also appreciate its appeal to those who will never take theirs beyond the city limits.

Medium 4WD SUV of the Year 2019: Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV

As I said at the NZ4WD of the Year awards ceremony the big problem with the whole ‘electric-cars-are-the-future’ thing at the moment is not range anxiety or even battery life. It is all the hype, hyperbole and out-and-out B.lls..t that comes with it. Yet while other car makers promise a bright electric-only future, Mitsubishi has been quietly and efficiently converting career petrolheads with a Hybrid 4WD SUV, the Outlander PHEV, for the past three years.

Large 4WD SUV of the Year 2019 : Holden Acadia

There’s definitely no denying Acadia’s US roots. From the tough feet wide apart/arms-folded stance to its almost pillow-like ride it definitely stands out in a sea of ‘look-and-sound-alike’ Euro and ‘by-the-number’ AWD & 4WD Japanese SUVs. From behind the steering wheel, however, it is an immediately engaging drive, containing core strength and AWD capability with room for seven and as sophisticated a suite of user-friendly electronic aids as you will find anywhere.

4WD Ute of the Year 2019: Ford Ranger Raptor

Modelled on the look and feel of a Baja 1000-style Pre-Runner ‘truck’ the Raptor is an absolute tour de force! Tough, powerful, and supremely capable off the road it is also smooth, quiet and comfortable – while still being able to tow a trailer full of quads or jet skis – on the road. Sure it’s pricey but in terms of ‘bang-for-your-buck’ (four wheel coil spring Fox suspension and disc brakes front and rear etc). it really is Ford at its best.

Overall 4WD of the Year 2019: Suzuki Jimny

Every so often a new vehicle comes along and immediately captures the hearts and minds of the buying public. This year that vehicle was Suzuki’s new fourth-generation Jimny. The new square-rigged design is the perfect mix of retro and modern – as is the combination of ladder chassis, four-wheel-coil suspension, and transfer case-based ALLGRIP ‘Pro’ driving mode package. In short, we loved it, and – if Suzuki can ever meet global demand for it – we think adventurous Kiwis will too!