Mercedes-Benz’s 4x4 Unimog truck has been voted best cross-country vehicle of the year in the "special-purpose vehicles" category by readers of specialist German magazine Off Road for what is now the twelfth time in a row.

The "Cross-Country Vehicle of the Year" poll had a total of twelve categories with 85,080 votes cast covering 126 vehicles. The Unimog took first place among special-purpose vehicles with 43.3 percent of the readers' votes.

Key qualities of a Unimog for off-road work include axle articulations of up to 30 degrees, portal axles, a climbing ability of 45 degrees, maximum fording depth of 1200mm and a lateral inclination angle of up to 38 degrees.

Off Road magazine has conducted the readers' poll for cross-country vehicle of the year since 1982.