Quick salmon patties

Seven years, three tow vehicles and more than 200,000km on the road have a way of sorting the useful mods from the show pony gear. This guide runs through the 4x4 upgrades that genuinely changed how we travel, from suspension and GVM to recovery gear, storage, power and the little bits of kit you only fully appreciate when things go sideways.

It’s been a few years since the Pajero left the showroom floor, but out on the tracks, it hasn’t gone anywhere. You’ll still find them pushing through sand, climbing rocky lines, and towing heavy setups across the country. So what is it about this old-school 4WD that keeps it relevant in 2026? Dive in to see where it still delivers, and where it shows its age.

Most 4X4 mods cost more than they save, but not all of them. Some upgrades are genuinely worth the spend because they help prevent major damage, reduce clean-up costs, protect resale value, or stop small problems turning into expensive failures. If you want to mod smarter instead of just spending for the sake of it, these are five affordable 4X4 upgrades that actually make sense.