What is a commercial 4×4? We explain what they are, which are best and why you should consider one for your business

The commercial 4x4 sector consists of passenger off-roaders that have been converted for light commercial vehicle (LCV) use. In this sense, they’re similar to car-derived vans (which are also based on ordinary passenger cars) – but they’re generally much larger and offer far greater off-road capability.

The entire purpose of a commercial 4x4 is to transport tools, equipment and goods over rough terrain. Their ability to easily access the most remote building sites elevates them above pickup trucks and four-wheel drive versions of conventional vans.

The most obvious and famous example of a commercial 4x4 is the old Land Rover Defender. It was loved by farmers, electrical engineers and utility companies alike – all of which have a need to access remote locations to retrieve stray sheep or service electrical pylons. The latest version, called the Land Rover Defender Hard Top, was launched in 2021.

How is a commercial 4x4 different to a regular SUV?

It’s a straightforward conversion. A commercial 4x4 is mechanically identical to a passenger SUV, but its rear seats have been removed and replaced by a large load bed. Any rear side windows are blanked out, too, to keep your tools and equipment out of sight from opportunistic thieves.

To meet commercial vehicle tax regulations, the a commercial 4x4’s rear seat mounting points must be disabled and the removed seats must be destroyed. This is so you can’t put the rear seats back and take unfair advantage of cheap van tax rates while using the 4x4 as a family car.

These days, most commercial 4x4s are fitted with a sturdy bulkhead between the load space and the remaining front seats for added safety – and they often have a mesh portion at the top that allows the driver to see out of the rear windscreen. The rear screen is also typically left in clear glass rather than replaced by a solid panel.

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The SUVs opening rear side doors also normally remain to provide more convenient access to the load space. Often, you’ll find the now redundant interior trim still attached to these, only without the window switches (as the glass has been replaced by solid panels).

Depending on the vehicle, the rear doors sometimes offer access to additional storage under the load bed. The Land Rover Defender 110 Hardtop and Land Rover Discovery Commercial both have excellent examples of this.

What are the advantages of a commercial 4x4 compared to a van or pickup?

In addition to their off-road prowess, commercial 4x4s benefit from being based on passenger vehicles in three main areas.

First – and this sounds stupid and obvious – but they don’t look like traditional vans. That means they’re less attractive to criminals who target commercial vehicles for tool theft. Commercial 4x4s also have more secure load beds than pickup trucks. Plus, many buyers simply prefer to have something that doesn’t look like a van parked outside their house.

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Secondly, they still drive like the cars they’re based on. In the old Defender’s case, this probably wasn’t such a good thing but, when it comes to modern SUVs, this generally means much greater comfort, refinement and performance than you’ll get out of a modern van – let alone pickups, which are typically cruder still.

Thirdly, since the only changes inside are behind the front seats, the actual driving environment is far better appointed than even a very posh van. Creature comforts and safety equipment abound, and longer journeys stop requiring earplugs and anti-inflammatories.

What are the disadvantages of a commercial 4x4 compared to a van or pickup?

Remember – commercial 4x4s are passenger cars with some of their seats removed. That means vans and pickups can outclass them in some respects to practicality.

So, because they’re basically cars, commercial 4x4s carry lower payloads and have less load space inside (admittedly more so if you’re comparing them against vans). They also have tall loading heights, which means you’ll need to heave whatever you’re carrying a long way off the ground to place it in the back.

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Commercial 4x4s might not be as robust as a van or pickup, either. They have interiors and components that may not have been engineered for heavy-duty commercial use, and thus may wear out faster, incurring additional costs. Service intervals may also be less convenient.

If these disadvantages have put you off the idea of owning a commercial 4x4, but you still need a workhorse that can go off-road, why not opt for a mud-plugging van such as the Iveco Daily 4x4 and the Vauxhall Combo Cargo 4x4?

What are the best commercial 4x4s available today?

After the original Defender died, there was a bit of a lull in the commercial 4x4 market. Happily, it’s now bounced back – and we’ve seen a healthy influx of talented vehicles in recent years. Here’s a quick rundown of all the new models available now, complete with a short summary of their capability and links to our full reviews.

What are the best used commercial 4x4s?

There are plenty of good, used commercial 4x4s for sale in the classifieds. Picking the right one for your business will depend on your budget, the job you need it to perform and your tolerance to discomfort.

If you want the maximum bang for your buck, we’d strongly suggest you check out the previous generation Dacia Duster Commercial. It has a powerful and reliable engine, loads of space in the cabin, a 1,150-litre load bed and a 550kg payload capacity. They’re incredibly cheap, too – prices start from around £5,000.

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The original Land Rover Defender is also a great choice for those working in tough conditions. It’s virtually unbeatable off-road and available in a broad range of body styles, but you pay penalties for its rugged capability in other areas. By modern standards, it’s very hard to drive, especially over long distances. Land Rover’s reputation for reliability isn’t exactly sparkling, either, but at least the Defender’s simple mechanicals should be easy to fix.

Mitsubishi might offer the perfect solution for you if you want a commercial 4x4 with some modern creature comforts, but don’t want to fork out the cash for a brand-new model. The firm withdrew from the UK market in 2021, but both the Outlander Commercial and the Shogun Sport Commercial were in its product line at the point it ceased trading over here.

That means there are plenty of used models to choose from and, because Mitsubishi shattered the trust of its customers by pulling out of the UK, they’re often cheaper than rival commercial 4x4s from brands such as Toyota and Land Rover.

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The Outlander is perhaps the more interesting of the two, but arguably the least sensible. It was only sold as a petrol plug-in hybrid, which means it has the most complicated powertrain of any vehicle on this list.

Fuel economy is excellent if you can maximise its pure-electric driving range but, since this is only around 30 miles per charge, longer journeys can become costly. The latest PHEV models have a payload rating of 510kg and a 1,609-litre load area (just over 1.6 cubic metres).

The Mitsubishi Shogun Sport Commercial was another oddity, as it’s a van based on an SUV based on a pickup. That’s right – underneath that smoothly finished bodywork lies the same platform as the Mitsubishi L200.

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This means a ladder-frame chassis instead of the unibody construction used by almost every other commercial 4x4 in this list. That’s good news for strength and towing, but not so great for refinement or suspension sophistication.

Still, it was fitted with lots of standard equipment and it has good off-road capability, including a 700mm wading depth. Payload is an improvement over the Outlander PHEV at 605kg, but cargo volume is lower at 1,488 litres (just under 1.5 cubic metres).