WAGONS – LARGE

The LX700h brings the Tundra-sourced twin-turbo V6 hybrid to Australia ahead of the diesel LandCruiser 300 getting the same tech. So… what’s it like, and does it make sense over an oil-burner?

The 2025 Range Rover Autobiography blends first-class luxury with serious off-road credentials. With a twin-turbo V8 under the bonnet, limousine-level ride quality and cutting-edge tech, it’s as comfortable crossing the Nullarbor...

It’s no secret that the 2020 Defender was new bodywork and interior on a Range Rover/Land Rover chassis. The Ineos Grenadier aimed to be a true Defender replacement and was previewed Down Under in September 2022. We gave up asking for a road test vehicle in late 2023.

Lexus’ LandCruiser-300-based LX combined all the ‘fruit’ from the top-shelf ‘Cruiser with Lexus’ additional equipment and legendary fit and finish. Upgrades and an Overtrail model were added in mid-2025.

GMC Australia & New Zealand released the Yukon wagon in May 2025. The Australian market launch model was in highly-specified ‘Denali’ trim.

The only carry-over signature from the original Defender in the post-2020 model was aluminium bodywork. However, it’s here to stay and was updated for 2024, 2025 and 2026.

Toyota unveiled the next-generation LandCruiser 300 Series wagon in a global debut held in the 70th anniversary year of the legendary nameplate. Upgrades were added in mid-2025.

The old ‘square-rigged’ Patrol finished Down Under in 2016, leaving Nissan with the under-marketed Y62 petrol V8 model. The specification was wrong from the start and in 2025 changes were still needed.

The Gelandewagen was originally planned as a German Army vehicle, but lost out to the VW Iltis and the first civilian version was produced way back in 1979. M-B has had three goes at selling the G-Wagon in Australia, with the post-2017 models showing the flag as a backdrop to the Australian Army’s purchase of 1200 4WD and 6WD G-Wagons. Retail pricing post-2023 is undisclosed.

The U8 was released by BYD Auto under the Yangwang brand in January 2023 and was confirmed for Australian release by late-2025. This series-hybrid electric vehicle had its petrol engine acting as a range extender.

The 2024 seven-seat Lexus GX was based on the LandCruiser 300 Series and positioned between the RX and LX in the Lexus SUV line-up. It was launched globally in June 2023 and Down Under in late-2024.

Since the first Land Cruisers came to Australia in the 1970s evolution, not revolution, has been the name of the game, but in 2022 the 70 Series became much more complex, adding the HiLux diesel option for 2024 and discontinuing the V8 in September 2024.

Although the Range Rover’s price tag limits the number of potential customers, the marque has continued to show the way to all other 4WD makers since its introduction in 1970. Sooner or later all 4WD designers adopt features initiated by Range Rover. While most of us can’t afford a new Rangie, the used market is well populated with pre-loved examples.

Unless you’re heavily into off-road racing and rallies, you probably haven’t heard of Bowler, figuring it’s not what the Aussie cricket team needs, but reliable batsmen. Bowler is a specialist UK 4WD builder, producing vehicles that use old-design Land Rover Defender panels.

Nice wagon, but the original Land Rover DNA is long gone. A facelift model with new engines was launched in late 2020.