UTES & CAB CHASSIS – MEDIUM

The first thing you notice on a long lap around Australia isn’t the kilometres. It’s how quickly life changes. One day you’re worrying about deadlines, meetings and school zones. A week later you’re watching the sun come up over the Flinders Ranges while wondering...

The Kia Tasman is taking on the big guns of the ute segment, but does it have what it takes to shake up the dominance of the Toyota Hilux and Ford Ranger?

The JAC Hunter PHEV arrives as Australia’s most affordable plug-in hybrid ute, with a sub-$50,000 price tag, 3.5-tonne tow rating and 100km of electric range. We drove early development cars to find out if it can back up the numbers where it counts.

The Ford Ranger Super Duty adds heavy duty load carrying and rock crushing off-road ability to an already capable package. But there’s a lot more to the ute that wants to steal sales from the Toyota LandCruiser 70-Series.

The 2026 Toyota Hilux: old mixed with new Toyota has unveiled its long anticipated new Hilux - except a lot of it is not that new. Yes, the 2026 Hilux has a fresh face – with TOYOTA spelled out across its grille – and there’s more tech and gear. But the chassis, much...

The Ranger Mk II model was released in August 2015 and updated every year since. The 2023 model was released in mid-2022, upgraded in early 2024 and a PHEV was released in mid-2025. A 2026 Super Duty model is planned.

The first Amarok was designed by VW, using a unique design, but the 2023 replacement shared the 2022 Ford Ranger powertrain, chassis and running gear.

The largest GWM product to date, the 2024 Cannon Alpha ute, was launched with a choice of petrol-hybrid and diesel powertrains. A plug-in petrol hybrid was released in mid-2025.

Jeep re-entered the Australian 4WD ute market in 2020, after an absence of 35 years. The Gladiator was based on the Wrangler four-door, but with an extended wheelbase. High pricing restricted sales, but lower driveway pricing was introduced in mid-2024 and the Rubicon-only model in 2025.

MG Motor Australia launched its U9 ute at the April 2025 Melbourne Motor Show. Being part of the Chinese SAIC motor group, the MG ute is a badge-engineered version of the LDV Terron 9.

In April 2025 the RAM 1500 was significantly changed, scoring a new twin-turbocharged in-line petrol six, in place of the revered ‘Hemi’ V8. Only two top-shelf models were available at launch, with other spec’s due later.

Toyota’s full-size Tundra pickup went on sale in Australia in November 2024. It’s a petrol-hybrid vehicle, but Toyota Australia’s September 2024 press release didn’t mention the words ‘petrol’ or ‘hybrid’.

Kia had us all excited in mid-2024, with a pre-release campaign for the long-awaited Tasman ute range that wasn’t available until mid-2025. After we’d seen it and examined the specifications and pricing it looked like a case of: ‘too little; too late’.

The Great Wall 2017 Steed was replaced by the GWM Cannon in Australia in 2020. An XSR version was released in mid-2023, followed by more power in early 2025.

After a five-year absence, the Foton Tunland ute brand was relaunched in Australia, at the April 2025 Melbourne Motor Show. Hopefully, it will have some market success this time.

This Chinese ute entry was another reason for established brands to take a hard look at themselves. OTA’s testing showed that the bargain-priced JAC T9 gave little away to its much higher-priced competitors. A PHEV is due in 2026.

The new-generation LDV Terron 9 ute series, with a choice of battery-electric or new-generation diesel power, is due in Australian showrooms in mid-2025.

The world’s leading electric vehicle and plug-in hybrid maker, Chinese BYD, released the first plug-in hybrid (PHEV) ute in Australia, beating the 2025 Ford Ranger PHEV by several months. The Shark was cheaper, but BYD after-sales support was reported to be less than optimal and they won’t let us test one.

Mazda’s BT-50 became a Ford re-skin in 2011 and the 2021 model did the same on Isuzu Ute mechanicals. It was updated for 2022, 2023 and for 2024.

The third-generation Isuzu Ute D-MAX retained the three-litre, turbocharged and intercooled diesel for 2021 and added upgrades for 2022, 2023 and 2024. The 1.9-litre diesel was made optional on the SX grade in 2023 and driving assistance electronics were improved in 2024.

Mitsubishi Motors’ restyled 2015 Triton made its international debut in 2014 and was released in Australia in crew cab form initially in May 2015. Upgrades were made in late 2016, with a facelift and new auto box for 2019, and further changes for 2020 and 2022. The replacement model came in February 2024.

The NP300 Navara Series 2 models were announced in November 2016, upgraded again in March 2017 and early 2019. A re-skinned model was announced in late 2020 and updated in 2021 and 2024.

HiLux, the traditional market leading 4WD ute model, has been under Ford Ranger pressure since 2015 and lost its 4WD market leadership to Ford in 2017 and in 2023 . However, upgraded models helped in 2018, 2019 and 2022. 48-volt electrics arrived in 2024.

The 160kW LDV T60 Max is around 20 grand cheaper than the traditional opposition brands, but with more than comparable power and torque. Upgrades were added in late-2022 and the Plus model in mid-2024.

Ford Australia has released the Australianised F-150 that is backed by a nationwide dealer network and five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty.

The revitalised SsangYong Musso dual cab ute was released in December 2018, following lacklustre sales of its predecessors. A new look was incorporated in mid-2021 and updates in early- and late-2023.

The Chevrolet Silverado 1500 has been given the right hand drive treatment by GMSV. Like all US-market ‘1500’ series utes it has limited payload of around 700kg, but can tow up to 4500kg.

The ‘Benz dual-cab ute was based on the Nissan Navara, using its chassis, most body parts, four cylinder diesel powertrain and driveline. Rumours in mid-2019 suggested the X-Class may be discontinued and it was, in late 2020.

We compare the 2015 Isuzu Ute D-Max with four 2016 model year upgraded utes: Ford Ranger, Toyota HiLux, Mitsubishi Triton and Nissan Navara. OTA chose extended-cab versions to test.

Tata is the world’s fourth-largest commercial vehicle maker and the owner of Land Rover. This giant multinational company didn’t get that way from making rubbish, but the Xenon will appeal to those wanting a basic ute, not a frills machine. Pricing is very, very good.

On paper, the Nissan Patrol ute had it over the opposition, because its live-axle, coil-sprung front end could be matched with a choice of leaf rear springs or coils In DX spec’ level. However, the execution wasn’t brilliant and the Patrol finally bit the dust in 2016.

The Land Rover Defender cab/chassis and utes are no more. Production ceased on January 29, 2016 and the replacement model is a wagon-only model – no ute.

Post-2012 Colorados had different engines and transmissions from D-MAXs. Upgrades were made in 2016, 2017 and 2019, before an announcement that the Holden brand and the Colorado would disappear from the market in late 2020.

The Navara D22 4WD single and dual cab model range was released in early 2002, with power from Nissan’s ZD30 diesel. This DOHC, four-cylinder displaced 2953cc and featured an M-Fire combustion system, Allan Whiting from Outback Travel Australia reports.

‘Never judge a book by its cover’ our parents urged us as children and the old saw applies to the Mahindra Pik-Up. This work vehicle’s quirky exterior hides a roomy interior, a state of the art engine, a slick transmission and the first application in this market of Eaton’s mechanically locking differential (MLD).