24 May 2024 by Byron Mathioudakis
Big trucks are nothing new in Australia. Ford used to assemble three versions of the F-series locally for about 20 years from the 1970s and imported the tenth-gen model from Brazil during the early 2000s. But we have vehicle distributor Ateco Automotive and its ambitious left- to right-hand drive (...Read more
22 May 2024 by Stephen Ottley
Marvel Studios has become the master of extracting as much value from a concept as any corporation in the world - except one. Each year we’re bombarded with at least a couple of superhero movies and even more television shows, so much so now that the term ‘superhero fatigue’ has entered our social...Read more
7 May 2024 by David Morley
Long before a hash-tag was anything more than a confusing symbol on a typewriter, vanlife was already a thing. And you can largely thank Volkswagen for that because its Kombi models from the 1950s, '60s and '70s help cement the idea of roaming around the planet in a self-contained car-cum-house as...Read more
Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series 2024 review: 79 Series Single Cab Chassis Workmate auto - off-road test
5 May 2024 by Marcus Craft
The new Toyota LandCruiser 79 Series is a modern-ish update of the immensely popular ute workhorse because you can choose one with a 2.8L four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine and six-speed automatic transmission. Don’t worry, the 4.5-litre turbo-diesel V8 and five-speed manual gearbox combination is...Read more
19 April 2024 by Andrew Chesterton
Big, seven-seat 4WDs mean big, thirsty engines, right? Well, not anymore. Meet the 2024 Isuzu MU-X, the top-selling D-Max ute's SUV sibling. And what’s ‘new’ for 2024? Well, only one thing, really. But it’s pretty important. That one thing is the option of a smaller 1.9-litre turbo-diesel engine,...Read more
28 March 2024 by Byron Mathioudakis
After years of seemingly nothing, 2024 is set to see the rebirth of the 4x4 wagon. We’ve already seen the coming, next-gen Toyota Prado 250 Series that defines the class. We’re also expecting the larger Nissan Y63 Patrol to finally break cover in the not-too-distant future. And beyond that,...Read more
19 March 2024 by Marcus Craft
Nissan Australia and Melbourne-based vehicle engineering company, Premcar, have very successfully combined forces to create finessed versions of the Navara and Patrol as part of their on-going Warrior program. Premcar has proven it can be entrusted with crucial conversion work, engineering upgrades...Read more
10 March 2024 by Marcus Craft
Ever since the current Suzuki Jimny was launched here five years ago, Zook enthusiasts have been nagging the company for a five-door version. Well, the arrival of the five-door Jimny XL is proof positive that nagging works. The XL is longer and heavier than the standard Jimny , but it has no...Read more
25 February 2024 by Marcus Craft
The Wildtrak grade in Ford’s Ranger line-up has attracted plenty of fans over the years and now the wagon version has arrived. The Ford Everest Wildtrak replaces the Sport as the second-most expensive variant in the Everest line-up, under the top-shelf Platinum. At more than $74,000, the Wildtrak...Read more
18 February 2024 by Marcus Craft
A new petrol-powered 4WD seems an anomaly in a world seemingly hell-bent on rapidly embracing EVs. However, there’s still room for a traditional off-road vehicle or two – especially those with front and rear diff locks – for the time being, anyway. I tested the Chinese-made GWM (Great Wall Motors)...Read more
8 February 2024 by Andrew Chesterton
Is Lexus the new off-road hero in Australia? Believe it or not, the all-new GX could make it so, with the five - or seven-seat SUV taking all the best tough stuff from the incoming Toyota LandCruiser Prado – meaning off-road tracks are yours to command – and adding a splash of premium opulence for...Read more
18 January 2024 by Andrew Chesterton
Meet the Toyota five years in the making. The right-hand drive Tundra, shipped in from Texas and re-engineered here in Australia. The program has been underway since 2018, with Toyota Australia heading to the USA, Toyota Japan coming to Australia, and just about everyone converging on Walkinshaw in...Read more
16 January 2024 by Marcus Craft
A few years back, as part of Nissan Australia’s Warrior program, local automotive engineering company Premcar was given free rein to transform a good 4WD ute – the Navara – into a hard-core beast and the Navara Pro-4X Warrior was the result. Now, it’s the Patrol’s turn. The Patrol Warrior is bigger...Read more
13 January 2024 by Marcus Craft
Vehicle marketers are guilty of tapping deep veins of hyperbole when talking about any vehicle that might have even a remote chance of venturing off a sealed surface. They use terms such as "off-road" and "adventure" and "off-grid" with such careless abandon these days that those utterances and the...Read more
28 December 2023 by Marcus Craft
Jeep Australia's first plug-in hybrid, the Grand Cherokee 4xe, has arrived at a time when the company’s sales figures need a decent shot in the arm. Though it’s seemingly spearheading a large and extra-large SUV hybrid push into the Aussie market, with the likes of a Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series...Read more
8 December 2023 by Byron Mathioudakis
Sand. You can’t have glass, concrete or Sandy Olsson from Grease without it. This stuff is ubiquitous. And you know what else is ubiquitous? The Mitsubishi Triton , that’s what! Over five generations since 1978, it’s been quietly working away in the background, while hotshots like the Ford Ranger...Read more
8 December 2023 by David Morley
Are you familiar with the expression: Be careful what you wish for? It’s an all-purpose warning against confusing what you think you want with what you really need. And it often applies to car design. See, ever since the first soft-roader ditched its low-ratio gear-set and ladder chassis, and the...Read more
7 December 2023 by Stephen Ottley
Let's be clear from the beginning. If you're one of the many, many people who's willingly put down a deposit and are patiently (or impatiently) awaiting the arrival of your Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series there is nothing I can do to change your mind. You think this nearly 40-year old off-roader with...Read more
6 December 2023 by Richard Berry
The Jimny XL is an 'extra large' five-door version of the little three-door Jimny off-road SUV. Now, we love the three-door version of the Jimny for its retro looks and impressive off-road ability, but does the XL with its longer wheelbase increase space for people and their gear that’s lacking in...Read more