Four In Ten 4X4 Owners Have Never Taken Their Car Off-Road

A 4X4 is a vehicle that has been designed to be used on different surfaces, such as sand, gravel, mud, and snow.The phrase 4×4 is a shortened form of the term “four-by-four”, which is a military term for a type of heavy truck with four wheels and four powered axles.

At first glance, it may seem contradictory to call a 4×4 an “off-road” vehicle because they are typically not designed for off-road use.This is because they were originally designed as high clearance vehicles with tough suspension for carrying cargo on roads in unpaved environments. However, over time the use of the term “off-road” has been broadened to include any surface that does not have a paved surface.

FOUR IN TEN 4X4 OWNERS HAVE NEVER TAKEN THEIR CAR OFF-ROAD, WHILE ALMOST ONE IN TEN HAVE NEVER EVEN BEEN OUT OF THE CITY, ACCORDING TO NEW RESEARCH 

 A nationwide study of 4×4 drivers, by Dacia, discovered that despite being designed to be driven on challenging surfaces like mud, ice and rocky terrain, 40 percent of owners confessed they had never been off-road in their vehicle.

 In fact, over two thirds (67 percent) of owners admit the most challenging terrain their car faces are the speed bumps on the way to the school run, with seven percent having never even been out of the city.

 And incredibly, a FIFTH (19 percent) have never even driven their 4×4 down a country track.

 The research of 1,000 4×4 owners discovered that nearly one in five (17 percent) claim their wheels have never been muddy.

 Reimagining the classic car wash, Dacia are launching an ‘Adventure Ready’ Mud Wash for all 4×4 owners in the New Year – a first-of-its-kind free service, that will swap suds for mud to get the nation in the mood for a year of adventures in 2022.

 Luke Broad, Brand Director for Dacia UK and Ireland, said: “Our ‘Adventure Ready’ Mud Wash is about setting car buyers up for a year of adventure and embracing all that comes with it. The Dacia Duster is the perfect all-terrain vehicle to get Brits out into our fantastic countryside more often. For those feeling like their 4×4 is more at home on the school run than a mud run, the Mud Wash aims to inspire them to swap the telly for wellies and get off the beaten track this year!”

 And when it comes to their vehicles’ off-road features, a whopping 66 percent of respondents had no clue what their car’s hi-tech buttons and traction controls actually do.

 In fact, one in ten owners admit they’ve never actually plucked up the courage to turn any of the knobs or press any of the buttons to see what they do.

 Despite shelling out for a rugged all-terrain vehicle, 10 percent said they wouldn’t know how to put their car in “4×4” mode and eight percent had no idea if their car has ever been driven in four-wheel drive.

 According to the study one reason 4×4 owners don’t utilise their vehicles is due to a lack of thrill-seeking, with 13 percent of the drivers polled claiming their family aren’t very adventurous.  And 17 percent have never been on an adventure in their off roader.

 However, 37 percent said they did want to go on a countryside adventure and three in ten said they were keen to go off roading.

 The study found that 14 percent of 4X4 owners said they would love to pack up the car and go surfing, while 46 percent said they yearned to hit the open road in their car.