Adventure Reviews

The Mahindra Scorpio now comes as one variant: the Z8L+. This 4WD wagon has seven seats, a stack of standard features, a low-range transfer case, an automatic rear diff lock and its price-tag – at just under $50 grand – won’t give your accountant a migraine. But no mechanical changes mean no more power and torque than before.

The 2026 Ford Ranger Super Duty dual cab chassis is heavier, wider and more robust than a regular Ranger. It’s also packed with features, retains off-road capability and it has a heap of potential as a towing and off-roading platform. The Super Duty is a purpose-built ute with a 130-litre fuel tank, 4.5 tonne towing capacity, 4.5 tonne gross vehicle mass and 8.0-tonne gross combined mass.

At a little more than $50,000, drive-away (nationwide), with twin lockers, a snorkel, underbody protection and Cooper Discoverer AT3 all-terrain tyres, GWM's off-road-focussed top-spec Cannon variant, the XSR, now has a 2.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine rather than the previous-gen’s 2.0L powerplant. Does this new engine make any difference to the XSR’s off-road performance?

Toyota’s 70 Series LandCruisers are much loved for many reasons and one of those is the fact they don’t change much. Sure, it now has LED headlights and a new multimedia system, but otherwise not a lot has been altered. It's not pretty and it offers few concessions to occupant comfort or safety. But the 70 stands out as being unapologetically what it is: a boxy truck-like live-axle 4WD.

Volvo's EX30 Cross Country is the new adventure-focussed top-shelf variant in the company's small electric SUV line-up. This five-seat compact crossover has a dual-motor electric set-up (producing a combined 315kW and 543Nm), all-wheel drive, raised suspension, 190mm ground clearance and an exterior that more than hints at its off-road aspirations and is peppered with cool quirky touches.

Could a van be your next adventure vehicle? Ford thinks so, and to that end has introduced an adventure-focussed van, the Trail, to its Transit Custom line-up. The Trail is based on the long-wheelbase Transit Custom Trend and it’s equipped with all-wheel drive, raised suspension, and a Trail drive mode, 16-inch matt black alloy wheels, black wheel arches as well as yellow exterior decals.

The Dacia Duster is finally here! Well, it's actually here as the Renault Duster, but who cares when this well-liked small SUV has a reputation for off-road adventuring? And the Duster arrives as a family- and budget-friendly small 4x4 that is easy on the eye, very practical for day-to-day life and is reportedly capable off-road. Could the Duster be a legitimate rival for the Suzuki Jimny?

The GWM Tank 500 Ultra Hi4-T Plug-in Hybrid is big news for Australia: this is a body-on-ladder-frame chassis large 4WD with five seats, high- and low-range gearing, and a front, centre and rear diff lock. It has combined power and torque outputs of 300kW/750Nm, offers about 120km electric-only driving range, and it can be used as a 6.0kW mobile power station (V2L) - all for under $80 grand. 

Isuzu’s 1.9-litre MU-X is no more. And a 2.2L 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine – with an eight-speed automatic transmission and idle stop-start technology – is now the brand's entry-level offering in its 4WD wagon line-up. This new MU-X has the same 3.5 tonne towing capacity as its 3.0-litre stablemate and it offers better claimed fuel consumption than the 3.0L.

The Toyota HiLux Rugged X is the current flagship, and the off-road version of the ninth-gen range.Taking aim at the Ford Ranger Wildtrak, it starts from $71,990 (all prices are before on-road costs), and is a 4x4 automatic only.Based on the SR5 specification, Rugged X equipment levels are adequate if not generous.They include LED lighting, 12.3-inch instrumentation display, a 12.3-inch central touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, DAB+ digital radio, sat-nav, keyless entry and push-button start, heated seats and steering wheel, dual-zone climate control, bolstered front seats, a surround-view monitor, voice command, smartphone charger, USB-C ports front and back, rear-seat armrests, privacy glass, and electric park brake and 18-inch alloy wheels.In line with its adventure-seeking attitude, the Rugged X also features a 300-watt inverter, side steps, a locking tailgate, tyre-pressure monitors, damped tailgate on pick-up, side-step entry into the tub, four-wheel disc brakes, standard towbar, multi-terrain monitor, an emergency driving stop system that safely stops the vehicle if the driver becomes incapacitated, connected services for emergency callouts, eight airbags where possible including a front-centre airbag, and Advanced Driver Assist Systems (ADAS) technologies like AEB, rear cross-traffic alert and blind-spot warning.Only the Rugged X gets a unique front-end treatment, boasting a hoop-less bullbar with bash plate and LED light bar, as well as a bedliner, unique sports bar, special decals and a towing trailer wiring harness.  Toyota’s venerable (1GD-FTV) 2.8-litre common-rail twin-cam four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine lives over the front axle, giving 150kW of power and 500Nm. The transmission is a six-speed auto.Additionally, there’s 48-volt mild-hybrid assistance, courtesy of an 8.5kW/65Nm electric motor generator and small lithium-ion battery combo, for smoother and faster stop/start performance, while also helping to cut fuel consumption.The 0-100km/h sprint-time is about 11 seconds while top speed is 176km/h.The 4x4 set-up is a part-time system with high- and low-ratio off-road gearing, a rear differential lock, downhill-assist control and multi-terrain mode. Note that all 4x4s bring 3500kg of braked trailer towing capacity.Finally, the official combined-average fuel consumption figure is 7.6L/100km for the auto (equalling 201g/km of CO2 emissions). Over 1000km between refills of the 80-litre fuel tank is possible.