Troller T4 4x4

Brazilian brand Troller has been channeling the Jeep Wrangler's utilitarian aesthetic since the mid-1990s, first with its Rf Sport model, and then, in 2001, with its T4 4x4.

Ford of Brazil purchased Troller in 2007, and since then, its domestic design team has been working on a new generation T4 model that taps into the market's growing appetite for SUVs.

It showed a concept, called the TR-X, at last year's Sao Paulo show, and has now unveiled a car that closer to the production model expected later this year.

In contrast to the smaller Ford EcoSport, which emerged from the same studio, the Troller is pure utility. The concept's characature details, like an oversized tow hitch in the front bumper and bulge in the hood, have been mellowed, but the T4's face retains a cartoonish charm that blends Wrangler with Toyota's recently departed FJ Cruiser.

The new T4's overhangs are kept to a minimum and the bumpers raised well up above the wheels, for optimized approach and departure angles.

Unlike the Wrangler, the T4's fenders are more smoothly integrated into its composite bodywork. So while it doesn't look quite as wide and solid as the Jeep, extra ruggedness is derived by picking out more functional parts of the exterior (removable roof panels, door hinges, steps built into the rockers etc) in 'London Gray,' which contrasts with a choice of exterior colors.

By