They grip like sh1t to a blanket - which is how they compensate with Independent suspension.
The 4x4 system does have a tendency to overheat in sand - at which point it’ll basically disable itself wherever you are until it’s good and ready to carry on (when sensors determine it’s cooled down).
The best way to keep the 4x4 system cool is to whack it in low range, which effectively locks the centre diff. Any other mode it’ll be shuffling torque front to rear and left to right continually - hence the traction, but also the overheating issue.
Low range in these isn’t via a transfer case - instead they have 2-speed diffs. Add that to the electronic actuator for the rear axle and the rear diff is a complicated and expensive bit of kit - and failures are not uncommon. Mine was replaced once and I’m certain was on the way out again when I traded it at 4.5 years old.
Pretty much anything other than lift kits you’ll need to import from the USA. Check out rocky road outfitters for a start, if you haven’t found them already.
Honestly - if you do a lot of off-roading - I’d hesitate to recommend the KL - particularly a used one. They are astonishingly capable for an SUV - but they're complicated, have some unresolved engineering IMO, and are expensive to fix.
|