When John Deere launched its Gator HPX utility vehicle in 2006, its 20hp diesel power, trusted name and well-thought-through design saw it open a chink in the ag market. The HPX was, and continues to be, a tough little tool, but its amenity ancestry means it’s still compromised for those looking to make a switch from an ATV in the ag sector. Hence the arrival in 2008 of the Gator XUV — and it’s this range, in 850D and successor 855D forms, that we look at here