NEWS

The Ford Bronco is finally coming to Australia, and it arrives with a range extender hybrid system, a pop-up roof designed to help you soak up the stars and an optional bed in the back. Due here in the second half of 2027, the Bronco Basecamp is a five-seat,...

Mitsubishi has locked in Australian pricing for the all-new Pajero, with the three-grade range opening at $68,490 and topping out at $84,990, each before on-roads. The return of the iconic off-road wagon lands in dealerships in December 2026, and Mitsubishi says it...

Mitsubishi has pulled the covers off the new Pajero, releasing the first complete set of images of the reborn off-roader and confirming a suite of mechanical details that had until now been the subject of educated guesswork - as we covered a couple of months ago....

Nissan has priced the all-new Y63 Patrol from $98,990 plus on-road costs, expanding the range from three models to six and pushing the flagship to $145,990 - a $34,000 leap on the outgoing Y62's most expensive variant. The new range spans Ti ($98,990), Ti+ ($109,480),...

Hyundai has given its flagship Palisade a shove towards the dirt, launching the XRT Pro from $79,900 plus on-road costs. It's the first XRT Pro badge Hyundai has offered in Australia, adding to the Santa Fe XRT (non-Pro) that arrived in 2025. It's also the latest...

Nissan Australia has confirmed orders for the all-new Y63 Patrol will open later this month, with first customer deliveries due in the first quarter of 2027. It’s the seventh generation of a nameplate that landed here in 1961 and has spent the past 65 years earning...

Toyota has confirmed an update is imminent to address the rear load floor issue that has frustrated owners – and would-be buyers - of the latest 250-Series Prado models since the large SUV's local launch late in 2024. The problem relates to the load area, where the...

Chevrolet is capitalising on the Aussie love of V8 engines with its Silverado pick-up truck that is proving a popular beast. While the rival Ram 1500, Ford F-150 and Toyota Tundra have all moved to turbocharged six-cylinder engines, General Motors Specialty Vehicles...

Kia has committed to its struggling Tasman ute, reaffirming that diesel will play a key role – even with revised sales targets.

Toyota’s legendary LandCruiser 70-Series is the latest off-roader to adopt AdBlue as part of its artillery to clean exhaust gases. While nobody who orders a LandCruiser 70-Series has ever put AdBlue on their wishlist, Toyota has finally added the fuel additive that...

Misinformation on social media, combined with official guidance, is fuelling confusion over whether hybrid and electric vehicles can use Australian vehicle ferries, potentially creating unnecessary delays as sales continue to grow. The K’gari island car ferry that...

Don’t expect the controversial look to change in a hurry, but Kia is set to unleash special edition versions of its Tasman ute.

Chery has officially named its upcoming diesel plug-in hybrid ute the Stockman. The hotly anticipated newcomer is due in the second half as yet another challenger in an increasingly crowded – and increasingly electrified – dual-cab market. The name was chosen through...

Toyota will offer a factory-engineered GVM upgrade option for the Hilux from August 2026, a move that addresses one of the criticisms of the brand's 4WD lineup - and offers a counterpunch to the heavy duty Ford Ranger Super Duty. The locally-engineered gross vehicle...

How important is price for American pick-up trucks trying to carve out a slice of the Australian ute market? We’re about to find out with the latest addition to the Ram 1500 family. Ram has introduced a new cut-price 1500 Express Black Edition priced from $109,950...

Toyota Australia has given its clearest signal yet that the Tacoma could eventually find its way to right-hand-drive markets. The catch? Toyota has to start manufacturing what is America's best-selling mid-size pickup truck with the steering wheel on the right. John...

The Let’s Go Sunshine Coast Caravan & Outdoor Expo is rolling into the Nambour Showgrounds from Friday, August 21 to Sunday, August 23, 2026.

In late July, 2025, Tata Motors and Iveco Group announced an agreement to create a commercial vehicles group that will be wholly owned by Tata Motors.

The Variety Victoria Bash is set to tackle Outback terrain from Hamilton in Western Victoria through to Darwin, from 8th-17th August, 2025.

Coinciding with the introduction of the 2025 model line-up, Isuzu Australia Limited (IAL) has launched an historic and contemporary merchandise range.

The 35th Outback Car Trek raised in excess of $1.58 million for the Royal Flying Doctor Service, thanks to the 240 trekkers who drove from Bathurst to Cairns on 30th May to 8th June 2025. 

The Springs 4×4 Adventure Park in Queensland is home to ‘Beer O’Clock Hill’, which is a brutal 100-metre shale ascent, featuring three separate rock steps and a punishing rock ledge near the summit.

When electrification first hit the automotive market we reckoned that a pure-EV wouldn’t work for Australia’s remote-area travellers, but that hybrid vehicles would. The US military thinks the same way we do!

Not everyone wants to sign up for our emailed monthly newsletter. Here’s what was new in the OTA website in June 2025.

Global 4×4 accessories manufacturer, ARB Corporation, turned 50 in 2025. What began as a ‘backyard’ fabrication business became a worldwide supplier of widely varied off-road adventure equipment.

We don’t normally review music albums, because we reckon it’s somewhat out of our skill set. However, a chance meeting with a Two Tone Pony band member led us to this group’s brilliant Aussie-country album, BORN ON THE ROAD, that we reckon is world-class.

Caravanning Queensland’s 2025 Let’s Go Queensland Caravan and Camping Supershow, is setting up camp at the Brisbane Showgrounds from 4th until 8th June.

Pedders Suspension and Brakes, one of Australia’s leading brake, steering and suspension specialists, has introduced its first non-family chief executive officer, as part of the company’s 75th anniversary celebrations. 

General Motors has issued a global recall on MY2021-24 vehicles powered by the General Motors’ 6.2-litre petrol V-8. In Australia, that applies to more than 9000 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 models. The 2025 model and the forthcoming GMC Yukon Denali are unaffected.

Ford Ranger and Everest models powered by the Ford Lion V6 diesel are subject to a recall, to replace the left-side camshaft drive sprocket that may fail without warning, because of a manufacturing fault.

Welcome to the May 2025 Newsletter 

The ACCC has instituted proceedings in the Federal Court against Ateco Automotive Pty Ltd, trading as LDV Automotive Australia, for allegedly making misleading representations to consumers about the durability and suitability of particular models.

Motor Culture Australia is hosting what is said to be an exhilarating day of off-road adventure at Queensland’s Black Duck Valley 4×4 Park. This event is designed for seasoned 4WD enthusiasts and for newcomers eager to experience the thrill of off-roading.

Outback Travel Australia was invited to attend a major gathering of Earthcruiser motorhome owners in April 2025 at the Broken Hill Racecourse camping area. We had a great time discussing their travel experiences and inspecting some of their vehicles.

On 1st April, 2025, Scania unveiled its best-kept global secret: a ute that it billed as being Tough enough for the worksite; flash enough for the weekend. 

Most of us find what’s going on in the USA at the moment quite confusing. We’re not taking a political stance on the tariff issue, but what’s clear is that US-sourced vehicles and automotive parts will become more expensive over coming months.

We’re indebted to the US Magazine Road & Track for an alert to a patent application by Stellantis – Jeep’s owner – for a roof-top tent module for Wranglers with removable roof panels.

Everything Electric Australia runs from 7th–9th March, 2025 at the Sydney Showground, promising visitors a comprehensive look at how to electrify their lives while reducing costs. 

On 25th February 2025 the Albanese Labor Government announced a major reform, to provide universal outdoor mobile coverage across Australia by 2027.

On 13th February, 2025, Nissan Motor Co, Ltd, Honda Motor Co, Ltd and Mitsubishi Motors Corporation agreed to terminate their memorandum of understanding (MOU) regarding the consideration of the structure for a tripartite collaboration.

Meat-lovers only need apply!

The 2025 Let’s Go Gold Coast Caravan & Outdoor Expo takes place from Friday, February 7th to Sunday, February 9th.

Isuzu Australia Limited (IAL) has once again retained its position as the country’s foremost truck brand, achieving its 36th consecutive year as market leader.

A new record for vehicle sales in 2024 received subdued reaction from the industry as consumers face a tough start to 2025, caused by future product uncertainties, as well as economic and political challenges.

Harry Fisher began filming YouTube episodes, cooking over fire, during the Covid years and they became popular. His first cookbook, Fire To Fork, has sold more than 35,000 copies in Australia alone.

Driving through and around Australia can be one of life’s biggest adventures and few have experienced remote area travel better than David Batty, whose 2024 book Batty’s Bush Bible is being released in time for Xmas. We did a review on his entertaining 320-page collation of amazing bush yarns, encounters and hard-headed travel advice.

The 2024 Let’s Go Brisbane Caravan and Outdoor Sale is returning to the Brisbane RNA Showgrounds from Thursday, 31st October to Sunday, 3rd November.

Chinese automaker SAIC Motor launched Europe’s first AWD electric pickup, at the September 2024 IAA Show in Germany, beating Toyota, Ford and other makes to the market. 

A record 14,000 people attended the giant Mundi Mundi Bash outdoor music festival this year, held on desert plains near Broken Hill. The dates for the 2025 event have just been announced – August 21-23, 2025. 

Tim Bowden died peacefully in his sleep on September 1, 2024. He was 87 years of age and had filled every year of that rich life. In addition to being an ABC identity and prominent author, Tim was a much valued contributor to the Outback Travel Australia website.

Nissan’s seventh-generation Patrol was unveiled by Makoto Uchida, president and CEO of Nissan Motor Co, Ltd, in Abu Dhabi in September 2024. It’s not expected Down under until 2026.

With great sadness we have to report that the specialist automotive seat maker, Recaro Automotive, filed for bankruptcy in a German court in late July, 2024.  Recaro Aircraft Seating and the gaming chair producer Recaro Gaming are unaffected.

The people at the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) – Australia and New Zealand’s independent voice on vehicle safety – aren’t stupid. They know that some driver-intervention ‘features’ on modern 4WDs are turning people off buying them, or encouraging drivers to cancel out as many of these ‘features’ as possible.

From June until November, the Australian coast is home to majestic Humpbacks and Southern Rights breaching and playing in spectacular displays.

Queensland’s latest cost-of-living-reduction initiative is a 20-percent registration reduction applying to all light vehicles for 12 months.

The NSW Government is set to hit the boating public and industry with the highest taxes in the nation from 1st July, according to the Boating Industry Association (BIA). 

Tiny Away Escape has invited Ranger Nick to cook for you at the Grampians Edge from 21st – 23rd June 2024.

Many factory-fitted differential locks are computer controlled, restricting activation to conditions that include 4L engagement and some wheel slip. That can be a nuisance in situations where pre-emptive diff lock engagement is desirable.

EcoFlow has EOFY deals that began on 27th May.

Queensland’s Let’s Go Caravanning & Outdoor Supershow is setting up camp at the Brisbane Showgrounds from Wednesday, 5 June to Sunday, 9 June.

GMSV has released images of a right-hand drive 2025MY GMC Yukon wagon on test in Australia. Customer deliveries are scheduled for 2025.

NTI’s resto-mod 1946 Ford ‘Jailbar’ truck, Bonnie is being raffled to raise funds for medical research. 

A seemingly simple device that replaces a Volkswagen’s front badge emits a warning signal of the vehicle’s approach and it is hoped that this ‘RooBadge’ will help reduce the number of collisions with kangaroos.

If you believed most of everything written and said about Australia’s proposed 2025 New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES), you could be forgiven for thinking that it was designed to eliminate 4WD wagons and utes. It’s not, because no government is that stupid.

We came across Dean Head’s book, Earth Movers – Determined Kids vs Evil Aliens, a few weeks back and got right into it. It could be great entertainment and instruction for travelling kids of all ages.

Irish Whiskey brand, Two Stacks, has introduced the first of its innovative ‘Dram in a Can’ products to Australia. Dram in a Can is a world-first, combining award-winning whiskey and a recyclable and easy-to-pack can.

Ineos Automotive has previewed its Fusilier battery-electric powertrain (BEV) and range-extended electric powertrain (REEV) models.

Global technology company ZF previewed electric vehicle initiatives in February 2024. Highlights were an electro-mechanical braking system and a magnet-free electric motor.

The 2024 Let’s Go Gold Coast Caravan & Outdoor Expo is set to run from Friday, 1st March until Sunday, 3rd March.

We’re accustomed to Isuzu’s decades-long leadership in the Australian on-road truck market, but not so well known is its absolute dominance of the off-road sector as well.

Rhino-Rack has unveiled its latest Pioneer 6 Series roof rack range that’s designed to store gear with unmatched convenience. 

In January 2024, for the first time, a low-emission prototype with an electric drive, high-voltage battery and energy converter won the world’s toughest desert rally.