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Tradies Reviews

Mid-sized (2.5 to 3.5-tonne) commercial van buyers have a variety of makes and models to choose from, even though most buy the venerable HiAce. Latest VFACTS figures confirm Toyota’s long-standing dominance, as the HiAce commands just under 40 per cent market share with the remainder spread across...Read more
The Jeep Wrangler-derived Gladiator dual-cab ute launched here in 2020 is primarily designed with serious off-roading in mind. The premium Rubicon model grade is named in honour of the notorious Rubicon Trail in California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains, which all Jeep models most conquer before they...Read more
There’s more than meets the eye with the new 2023 Renault Trafic range. This French van has seen a mild cosmetic update, but under the bonnet there’s a bigger engine , and it now has some of the requisite safety features you’d expect, and a new more advanced multimedia system . Has Renault done...Read more
The then all-new T6 Ford Ranger launched in 2011 was proudly designed and developed in Australia. So, if you ignored the fact it was assembled in Thailand to minimise production costs, it was the closest thing you could get to an ‘Aussie’ ute and Australian buyers responded in large numbers. More...Read more
Unlike Australia’s mid-size (2.5-3.5 tonne GVM) commercial van segment, where up to a dozen rivals compete for customers, there are currently only three players in the small (under 2.5-tonne GVM) van class, comprising the Volkswagen Caddy, Renault Kangoo - and Peugeot Partner. Up to July 2022, the...Read more
The Mahindra Group is a $20 billion Indian conglomerate based in Mumbai. It consists of more than 150 companies and has an expansive global reach across 22 different industries in more than 100 countries. Its diverse operations include aerospace, construction/farm/industrial equipment, defence,...Read more
Isuzu offers a convenient ready-to-work option for tradies with its appropriately named ‘Tradepack’ based on the popular N-Series range, available in a choice of wheelbases and either 4500kg or 5500kg GVM ratings. The lower weight rating can be driven using a standard car licence, so we recently...Read more
For many tradies and mobile service providers, a single cab one-tonne ute in cab-chassis form is a versatile platform that can be equipped to suit virtually any task, from off-the-shelf drop-side trays to complete custom-made canopies and service bodies. However, utes of this size typically have...Read more
The Hyundai iLoad, in both single-cab and crew van variants, established a large and loyal customer base in Australia’s mid-sized (2.5-3.5 tonne GVM) commercial van market between 2008 and 2021. It had a facelift in 2019 but by then the iLoad was stretching beyond the usual 10-year generational...Read more
LDV, a division of China’s largest automotive manufacturer SAIC Motor, has been selling its T60 ute in Australia since 2017, during which time it’s established a solid foothold in the low-priced ute segment against similar rivals from China (GWM) and Korea (Ssangyong). During that time LDV has...Read more
The latest generation of Mazda’s workhorse has clearly benefitted from the company’s joint venture with truck manufacturer Isuzu, resulting in the BT-50 sharing the latest D-Max ute’s rugged 4x2 and 4x4 underpinnings and body hard-points. The only major differences between these two are exterior...Read more
Isuzu’s popular RG range of D-Max 4x4 dual cab utes comprises four model grades which ascend from the work-focused SX to the better-equipped LS-M, more upmarket LS-U and premium X-Terrain. Road test reviews often focus on entry-level and top-shelf models. So, we thought it timely to have look at...Read more
The Toyota HiLux partly owes its enviable status as Australia’s most popular ute to its long-standing dominance of 4x2 sales, which mostly attract ABN-armed tradies and fleet buyers chasing rugged no-frills workhorses with low purchase and operating costs combined with strong resale values. In...Read more
When the current HiAce was launched in 2019, it was a no-brainer that this sixth-generation model would continue - or probably increase - Toyota’s long-standing dominance of Australia’s mid-sized (2.5-3.5 tonne GVM) commercial van market. The latest VFACTS industry figures for January 2022 confirm...Read more
Ford’s desert racing-inspired Ranger Raptor was clearly the catalyst for Nissan Australia to create a tougher and more specialised ‘Warrior’ version of its D23 Navara. However, unlike the Raptor which is designed and developed in-house by Ford, Nissan has partnered with Melbourne-based OEM...Read more
Volkswagen’s Caddy has for many years dominated Australia’s under-2.5 tonne GVM small van class. In 2020 its leadership was emphatic, commanding more than 70 per cent of sales in this light commercial vehicle segment. The mid-2021 release of a fifth generation Caddy , logically called Caddy 5, was...Read more
Up to the end of November the Toyota HiLux 4x4 was outsold by Ford’s Ranger 4x4 in 2021, but the HiLux continued to maintain top spot in Australian ute sales because of its firm grip on the work-focused 4x2 market, in which it commands an enviable sales share of around 40 per cent. Toyota offers a...Read more
The Ssangyong Musso 4x4 ute has always been a small-volume player in Australia. However, since adding the XLV long wheelbase/leaf spring variant to its existing short wheelbase/coil-spring offering in 2019, the Korean manufacturer has been increasing its sales foothold. Up to and including November...Read more
You probably aren’t buying a Ford Ranger Raptor X for hard work. In fact, if you can afford this pick-up truck, you’re likely to be the person who shows up at the worksite to tell employees what to do, rather than schlepping and sweating yourself. That would make sense, as the foreperson of the...Read more
If you’re considering a Ford Ranger Raptor X, get in quick - this farewell model for the current-generation ute lineup is about to finish up, with an all-new Ranger arriving soon. But if you are in the market for a Raptor X , there are some things you need to know - like, if you’re planning to tow...Read more

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