Tradies Reviews

Ford is a making a habit of providing answers to questions that have not been asked. First there was the Baja-inspired Ranger Raptor, a unique version of Australia’s favourite Ford ute with pumped-out guards, a tougher frame and sublime long-travel suspension inspired by ‘pre-runner’ pick-ups used by US off-road race teams.Although we weren’t aware of any pent-up public demand for such a vehicle, regular sightings of Raptors these days suggest Ford’s ‘build it and they will come’ approach was the right one. Now just about every ute manufacturer is offering (or working on) a more specialised premium-priced variant of its top-shelf model in trying to match it.The blue oval is using this bold strategy again with the Transit Custom Sport. As its name suggests, this is a more athletic version of Ford’s mid-sized commercial van, which among numerous industry gongs claimed CarsGuide's 2019 Tradie Car of the Year award.Most folks think of vans as little more than shipping containers on wheels but, like the Raptor, Ford is again challenging the consumer to think outside the square (or rectangle in the case of a shipping container).After spending a week in Ford’s latest automotive thought-bubble, we have to admit it may be onto something here, too. From go-kart and motorcycle racers to surfers, scuba divers and personal trainers, the Transit Custom Sport may well have widespread appeal for those that need the practicality and load-carrying capacity of a van with a sportier image to go with it.

Market leader Toyota's flagship is the HiLux Rugged X, which is also a member of the $60K-plus club with a unique combination of specialised off-road hardware to justify its premium pricing.

We recently spent a working week in Mitsubishi's stylish premium-grade Triton to see how it measures up in the premium ute market.

The Ford Ranger line-up has expanded to include a new limited-run Wildtrak X version, which adds a bit of extra kit over the standard Wildtrak. It looks the part, but how does it handle hard work?

The current generation iLoad was launched in 2008. With only minor upgrades during its first decade on sale, it was recently given its first facelift with a new grille design plus new comfort and convenience features.

There are no other Chinese vans on sale in Australia at the moment, so there's that. But aside from a budget-friendly price tag, does the LDV G10 diesel automatic van offer more worth considering? We tested it - with and without a load - to find out.

Volkswagen's Crafter range, which offers a choice of van or cab-chassis in a multitude of configurations, has recently been expanded to include the long awaited 4MOTION all-wheel drive van variants.

SsangYong has given Musso some serious workhorse cred by releasing the XLV longer wheelbase version. Has the long wait been worth it?

The Holden Colorado LSX is the sort of ute that appeals to someone who wants a work-ready truck with big capabilities, but also wants a few creature comforts and some street cred. It sure has that in this colour combo.

The Ford Ranger XLS is a standalone dual-cab 4x4 option in the line-up, slotting in between the the XL and XLT grades. It offers plenty of likeable attributes and comes in at an appealing price tag. So what's it like with a load in the back? We found out.