Articles by James Stanford

Until now, the Rodeo and then Colorado one-tonners were heavily based on the Isuzu ute, and therefore looked near identical, but there will be now such familiarity this time around. The next Holden Colorado and Isuzu D-Max will not only have its own unique body shells, but will also use different engines. Isuzu has its own diesel, while Holden will source its petrol and diesel powerplants from the General Motors family. Australians can expect to see the new Holden Colorado arrive late this year, while the new Isuzu D-Max is expected in the middle of next year although a final date is not locked in. General Motors sold its Isuzu shares in a fire sale during the global financial crisis, but both companies did work together on the new one-tonne ute project. “They put money into the same pot and split the responsibility,” explains Hitoshi Kono, who is in the final months of his role as Isuzu Ute Australia’s managing director. “They said this part can be common, but this part, this part and this part should be different.” Kono says he understands the two utes will be quite different as a result. “This is good news for both sides,” he says. Isuzu is not ready to talk about which engine will power the new D-Max although there is a good chance the current 3.0-litre four-cylinder, known for its excellent fuel economy, will continue on in the new vehicle. It is likely to be diesel only. Holden has already presented a concept of its Colorado at the Australian International Motor Show last July with a 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel but Working Wheels understands a petrol unit, possibly an Australian-made V6 petrol unit could also be offered. Both the Holden and Izusu utes will be produced in Thailand in separate factories as is the case with the current models.

It still isn’t an overly attractive truck, but is much easier on the eyes than the existing Actyon’s adventurous design. Importantly, Ssangyong is pushing safety with the new SUT-1 ute and it will be fitted with electronic stability control (ESC), although it is not clear whether the life-saving device will come as standard.Anti-skid brakes and dual airbags are present in the new vehicle. It is not clear whether the SUT-1 sits on the same ladder frame chassis as the previous model, although this is likely given the dimensions are the same. Ssangyong has however fitted the SUT-1 with a more complex five-link coil over suspension set-up at the rear of the vehicle for improved on road behaviour.It runs an improved version of the existing 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel, which runs cleaner. The upgraded unit also has improved performance with an extra 10kW and 20Nm for a total of 114kW and 330Nm. There is plenty of low down pull, with the engine generating a handy 190Nm of torque at just 1000rpm.Customers can choose from a six-speed manual or the six-speed automatic transmission produced by Drive Systems International in Albury. Like the last model, the SUT-1 runs as a rear-drive vehicle but can be locked into four-wheel-drive.Ssangyong says the new SUT-1 offers the cabin comfort of a luxury SUV although the images suggest that is probably a bit of an overstatement.The dashboard is relatively simple and straightforward although there is a vertical stack of dials on the edge of the centre information stack that stands out.Ssangyong will offer some features not expected in the workhorse class with the SUT-1 including Bluetooth streaming audio and a rear-view camera.

While the current Holden Combo wears the Lion badge in Australia, it is actually produced by its German sister brand Opel. Holden sourced several Opel vehicles a few years ago, including the Barina, Astra, Vectra and Zafira, but those models have been dropped or replaced by vehicles produced by the Daewoo division in South Korea. This has left the door open for parent company General Motors to launch Opel in Australia next year as an alternative to European brands Volkswagen, Peugeot and Renault. GM and Holden are carefully planning the all-important Australian launch of Opel and the Combo’s future is uncertain. It could continue as the only Opel-sourced vehicle to be sold as a Holden or be sold as an Opel. There is also the option it could be dropped all-together, but this is less likely as has been a steady, if not massive, seller for Holden. Working Wheels asked the new managing director of Opel Australia, Bill Mott, what would be happening with the new Combo.    “It’s not decided for either brand,” he said. Mott will have his hands full establishing the brand in Australia, given the lack of brand awareness in the country and including the Combo in the initial line-up could confuse the image Opel wants to project. “I would like to think we are coming in as an aspirational brand and we will position ourselves in the market as such, but also accessible,” Mott says. “We will come with the Corsa, the Astra and the Insignia to launch the brand.” He says Opel Australia is examining other models to follow, some more closely than others. “With regards to the Combo, that’s not the highest on our list,” Mott says. While it might not be the prettiest van in the market, the new Combo is now a clearly unique vehicle and is no longer based on the Barina. In fact, the Combo is effectively a rebadged version of the Fiat Doblo van. It is available as a pure van or as a passenger wagon and the long wheelbase model has 4600 litres, which Opel says is the best in class. European customers are spoilt with no less than six engines, including petrol, diesel and even compressed natural gas.

... but there was still some interest for those with a job to do.A small batch of working utes and vans were revealed at the event, some of them closer to production than others.The workhorse pack included vans from Peugeot and Opel and utes from Ssangyong and Land Rover. Volkswagen also revealed an automatic version of its Amarok, which will be provide a massive boost for the hauler when it is added to the local range in January along with a slightly perkier engine.Volkswagen decided against fitting a dual clutch automatic, opting for a more traditional torque convertor automatic that could handle lugging heavy loads in tough conditions. The good news for auto Amarok customers is that the transmission it chose is the new eight-speed ZF normally reserved for premium models.The transmission will be linked to a more potent version of the 2.0-litre turbo diesel which produces 132kW and 420Nm. Adding an automatic has raised the towing capacity to 3.2 tonnes, although VW says this doesn’t count on gradients steeper than 12 degrees or more.The Amarok automatic models cut the engine when the vehicle comes to a stop (starting it again when your release the brake) to save fuel and this helps achieve an official fuel consumption figure of 7.6 litres per 100km.Volkswagen’s automatic Amarok didn’t look any different than a regular Amarok on the show stand, but the Renault Frendzy van looked completely different to anything else at the show.It is a futuristic concept of a van that can also be used as a family vehicle. This is an electric-only model and may never see the production line, but you never know.The Frendzy has some interesting features including a large fabric roof section. The idea is that the fabric can stretch to allow you to fit odd-shaped items. It’s clever, but questions would have to be asked about the durability of the fabric.There is a modular storage system inside and an interesting load system that uses magnets to secure cargo to the floor.Another standout item is a large screen that appears to be built into the side window. On the show stand, this presented the message: “Unloading, back in five minutes.” Whether this would ever persuade a parking inspector to be lenient is yet to be seen, but it is probably worth a try.Another concept that may or may not make it into production is the DC100 Sport. This is a ute version of the DC100 concept, a modern take on the rugged Defender off-roader.The DC100 Sport indicates Land Rover is considering a ute version of the next-generation Defender, due 2015, and although the concept vehicle doesn’t look like much of a workhorse, that could change for production.The open-top concept ute has a hard tonneau cover that incorporates aerodynamic pods behind the driver and passenger headrests. Hopefully this would only be an option for a production model as it limits the size of items that can ride in the back.Like the DC100 concept, the Sport is designed as a go-anywhere vehicle but with a level of comfort that would be foreign to an owner of a current Defender.It has some very cool features including a sonar system called Wade Aid to help with water crossing, which we hope can pick up crocodiles, and a satellite navigation system that can warn the driver of extremely rugged terrain on the chosen route.The DC100 Sport is powered 2.0-litre petrol engine, while the DC100 has a diesel, and Land Rover said both engines could be reconfigured with additional electric motors to run as hybrids.Both concepts are fitted with an eight-speed ZF transmission with stop-start technology (the same as the VW Amarok).

It’s going to take on the unbreakable Toyota Hilux, so Ford has to make sure it was tough enough. That’s why, as part of its gruelling testing process, the new Ford Ranger was run on a dyno (rolling road) at high revs for an incredible 50,000km without rest. It did all this in 41 degree heat. Ford is confident its all-new Ranger will be up to the challenge when it goes on sale here in October and Working Wheels can understand why after a sneak peak at the gruelling development process. The new Ranger, and its Mazda BT-50 twin, was developed by a 500 person team led by Ford Australia. Ford doesn’t want to say how much it invested in the new Ranger, which will be sold in more than 180 countries, but said it would bring the Australian arm $700 million in development income when the deal was announced in 2006. Codenamed T6, the program is a massive responsibility for the Australian squad, given the increasing importance of the workhorse ute in the global Ford empire. The Ranger was tested on six continents but the program was centred at Ford Australia’s You Yangs proving ground located between Melbourne and Geelong. Working Wheels visited the normally top secret facility and got a taste of what the Ford engineers did to make sure the Ranger is tough enough to go into battle against the Hilux. Because it will sell in so many regions, running high in the South American Andes to the desert country of South Africa, the engineers but put it through an incredible array of tests. To make sure the Ranger can cope with running in the Middle East, where owners drive at high speeds in extreme heat for long periods, engineers carried out a particularly harsh test in its world class Advanced Centre for Automotive Research and Testing centre.   With the temperature set to 41 degrees, a Ranger covered in black cladding was put on dyno rollers which simulate a rolling road. A robot sat on the driver’s seat with one leg controlling the accelerator, another for the clutch and a hand to control the gear-changes.  A computer program, based on a real world test, controlled the robot and the dyno rollers. The Ranger was run at v-max (top speed) for about one third of the time, as well as 60 per cent of v-max and 80 per cent for 21 days straight.  It is just one of hundreds of tests carried out in a range of facilities at the proving ground. One has the engineers drop the temperature to -30 degrees so they can see if the Ranger will still start. In other rooms, Rangers were run for long periods of time without any humans present. Ford set up a range of special sensors to keep an eye on the prototypes including fluid sensors, smoke detectors, infrared cameras and a device that can smell leaking fuel which all allow the prototype to be run alone. The Ranger’s suspension was also tested using a rig with hydraulic arms from a flight simulator costing $5 million as well as taking a pounding on a brutal torture test at the proving ground. Engineers also loaded it up with more than one-tonne of weight and ran it through a man-made creek that was 800mm deep. We suggest you don’t do that with your Ranger. The recovery hook was also tested by lugging a 3500kg vehicle out of a muddy bog, while another Ranger prototype was made to pull a 3550kg trailer 4000 metres above sea level on Mt Evans in Colorado, the highest paved road in the US. Other test locations included the -30 degree cold of Sweden, the humidity of Thailand, Japan, Brazil, South Africa and even the Autobahns of Germany. The team ran more than 9000 simulated crash tests followed by 110 actual crashes as well as 410 sled tests, which include a sled slamming into various parts of the vehicle. It’s an incredible development program which will give the Ranger the best possible chance of beating the Hilux on worksites and farms around the world.

That's the position of Mitsubishi Fuso, which has taken the bold step of introducing a new generation Canter with an engine 1.9-litres smaller than the one it replaces as well as an industry first dual-clutch automated transmission.It all sounds good, but how does that translate into everyday driving? The biggest concern is whether opting for a smaller engine has transformed the truck into a gutless wonder.Working Wheels can confirm, after an on-road test, that it certainly has ample performance. In fact, it is a remarkably good light duty truck to drive.We had a steer of the newly-introduced narrow cab model, which is 200mm narrower than the regular cab and serves as the basic entry level model.It had a hefty steel tray on the back, but it was empty so we still don't know how the rig will perform running the 1500kg-odd payload on the back (taking into account the heft of the tray) that allows it to be driven on a car licence.TECHNOLOGYThe new engine is an advanced unit with a variable geometry turbo and piezo injection which allows for extremely accurate combustion (it injects four bursts of fuel for every bang) allowing it to generate 110kW and 370Nm of torque.It copes well with several steep hills on the drive route that takes in some suburban driving and a trip to Lorne along Victoria's surf coast. The engine does have a diesel particulate filter (DPF) which traps soot and burns it off. Like all of these, it may require a manual burn from time to time when it can't manage one on the run, although we didn't need to do so on our test.Dual clutch automatics, found in more and more cars including the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo, can get a bit confused in city conditions, but the Canter's works so well I don't even think to flick it into manual mode.Fuso recommends letting the truck make the changes for optimum efficiency. It passed several tests including making the correct changes on some hills that had completely befuddled the Eco Canter's automated transmission (which is a different unit).The gearbox also has a special creeper mode that means it can ease forward or backward at low speed like a traditional automatic, which is handy when backing up to loading bays and such.One of the reasons to go for the dual clutch transmission is its efficiency. That and the new engine, which is also considerably lighter than before, make for some good fuel economy.Mitsubishi Fuso can't say how much because it varies depending on the body fitted to the truck and its usage. All Canters have a fuel consumption calculator which is great for checking how economically you are driving.The test truck indicated usage of 12.5-litres per 100km on our trip, which is pretty good.DRIVINGThe Canter drive experience is not far off a workhorse ute. Its independent front suspension system has been overhauled and now uses coil-over springs instead of a transverse beam.Our test truck did bounce around a bit, not surprisingly given it was empty, although the bumps are likely to have made more of an impression given it has a fixed driver's seat. The better specified regular cab models all have more comfortable suspension seats as standard.Braking is not a problem thanks to discs at the front and rear.Mitsubishi Fuso has moved to a rack and pinion system for the steering (like a car) and the Canter steers and handles extremely well.The cabin layout is clean and practical, the plastic quality is high and there are lots of thoughtful hidey holes for all your gear and also for paperwork.Our test truck had an annoying wind whistle but was otherwise very quiet. The only other niggle being the high-pitched screech it makes when you leave the key in the ignition and hop out of the cab for something (thanks to the immobilizer).These are minor niggles though and, on the whole, the new Canter is an extremely impressive truck.

Mack Australia has announced it will release its most powerful engine, the MP10, from the middle of next year for use in the Titan and Super-Liner models. This 16-litre unit generates 511kW (685hp) and 3118Nm (2300lb-ft) of torque which should make it the most powerful bonneted truck on sale in Australia. The MP10 is closely related to the 522kW (700hp) 16-litre unit offered by Volvo in the FH, with a different tune. The MP10 is not a new engine and has been on sale in the US since 2008, albeit with less power. Mack Trucks Australia general manager Dean Bestwick said the company decided to wait until the engine was developed to the point it best-suited Australian customers. “When we take a product we make sure it is the one we really want,” he says. “We could have taken it early, but this engine is the one that is best suited to what our customers will want to use it for.” The MP10 bound for Australian-made Macks will run selective catalytic reduction (SCR), using AdBlue exhaust treatment fluid instead of the Exhaust Gas Recirculation system of earlier versions. Mack now offers SCR solutions across its entire range. Customers can still choose Cummins engines, which run up to 448kW (600hp), for the Titan or the Super-Liner models should they decide not to opt for the potent new Mack powerplant. The MP10 will be offered with a specially developed mDRIVE 12 speed automated gearbox which has been upgraded to cope with the extra power. Mack Australia introduced this self shifting transmission with its 2011 range and has been pleasantly surprised by the take-up rate. Only 5 per cent of US Mack customers choose the automated gearbox option, but around 50 per cent of Australian customers of the new trucks have selected it.

... known by locals as 'Los Monstruos' which means 'The Monsters'. Mexican police have displayed steel behemoths that could have rolled off the set of a post-apocalyptic action movie that were seized in a raid on an workshops suspected of modifying vehicles for a drug cartel in Tamaulipas, a coastal state not far from Texas. They have now captured 20 of the converted vehicles that are used to carry drugs, arms and gang members through Mexico and engage rival gangs in violent confrontations. Some of the vehicles are based on large pick-up trucks such as the Ford F-Series, but the big Monsters are built on heavy duty three axle trucks. Custom bodies are covered with one-inch thick steel panels to repel not only bullets but hand-grenades. In fact, a military spokesman says: "To destroy this type of vehicle you would need anti-tank weapons." The most advanced of the vehicles features small openings for snipers and special swivelling turrets, while there is room for up to 20 gang members inside. The steel walls appear to be lined with a plastic coating perhaps for dust sealing and sound deadening. There are also airconditioning ducts, bars for occupants to hold onto and benches. Some models feature sturdy steel battering ram nose cones similar to vehicles pushing their way through snow or ice, but these are apparently designed to plough through barricades or other vehicles. Exposed tyres appear to be a weakness and authorities have disabled at least one of the 'tanks' by firing at the rubber. Many military vehicles feature special run-flat tyres with solid rubber inner sections that allow for operation after direct bullet hits, but it is unclear whether any of the Monsters are fitted with these. One of the workshops discovered by Mexican authorities had used a tipper truck for a base, while three prime movers with large sleeper cabs appeared to be next in line for conversions. Experts suggest the development of the vehicles indicates drug gangs might by preparing to launch counter attacks on the military that has stepped up action against the gangs violently fighting for control of the lucrative drug supply lines to the US.

…which now adheres to new emission requirements. The current Acco can be traced to an Australian designed and developed International introduced in 1972, with the Acco name stretching back even further. Built at Dandenong in Victoria, the Acco was produced first an International and now as an Iveco and has become an iconic rig thanks to its affordability and practicality and is a staple truck for many operators in the construction and waste industries. Iveco was desperate not to drop any more volume after losing the production of International trucks in Australia last year and undertook a program to ensure the Acco kept working past the introduction of the ADR80/03 emission standards that were brought in at the start of this year. It has now introduced a new version of the 8.9-litre Cummins ISL engine, available with either 209kW (280hp) and 239kW (320hp), with a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system which uses AdBlue fluid to treat the exhaust. As a result, Iveco has integrated a 27-litre AdBlue tank and redesigned the exhaust system to cater for the SCR treatment system. Iveco is offering Allison automatic transmissions and manual gearboxes while it is looking to introduce a 254kW (340hp) rated engine. The Australian arm of the Italian company has also taken the opportunity to make a series of upgrades further updating the truck, which has had a series of revisions through its lifespan, although the cabin dimensions remain the same. Anti-skid brakes are now fitted as standard at the factory, while there is a new electronics bulkhead designed for easy maintenance, new mudguards with spray inserts, new fuel tanks, fresh wet and dry air tanks, a cup-holder for the driver and optional front air suspension. Iveco has taken on board complaints about the airconditioning system and has upgraded it to better cope with the Australian heat. The company estimates the new truck will be around 120kg heavier than the previous model.

The company, which is celebrating 60 years since it started production under the ownership of Mercedes-Benz, has created a concept truck to show what a Unimog of the future might look like. Mercedes designers said they took inspiration from the poison dart frog. The South American amphibian is known for its poisonous secretions that have proved useful for deadly arrow tips but Mercedes says it was the frog's ability to move on both land and in water that made it a good role model for the concept Unimog. Unimog is a German go-anywhere truck that was created after World War II as a tractor replacement and its name is a compacted version of its original name Universal Motor Gerat (tool). The Unimog concept has an eye-catching bright paint scheme, not unlike some of the poison dart frogs whose bright coats (of various colours) are said to warn other animals of their poisonous nature. Mercedes is keen to point out the bold concept truck, unveiled at Unimog's headquarters at Worth, in Germany, is not a prototype of a new model but does show of some ideas that might be used for future Unimogs. "To cut a long story short, it is literally an unusual idea to make one think about the Universal-Motor-Gerat (Unimog) of the future," says Daimler commercial vehicle designer, Bertrand Janssen. He says the concept truck is an eye-catching representation of Unimog DNA and is not simply design fantasy. "On no account did we work in an atmosphere where our ideas were divorced from reality," Bertrand says. "Here we have a vehicle which is puristic (sic), but still clearly true to concept - with the claim, that some of its details will turn up in coming product ranges in future. We continued to take up the most important Unimog features which have characterised the vehicle for the last 60 years and which will also characterise it in future - features such as portal axles, coil springs and the frame concept." The Unimog concept is also an open-top model, with an alloy centre spine, as was the original model which was a remarkable simple design. That vehicle was also green, although it was a far more drab olive shade of green. Mercedes drew on previous Unimog models for the bold bonnet design, while adding a futuristic front bumper that is shaped to fit around the headlights which consist of four high powered spotlights. There is massive ground clearance and the concept truck should have excellent all terrain capability given the suspension and is based on the current production models, with the coil springs highlighted due to their red colour. Mercedes says the huge wheels are carved from billet aluminium (single pieces of aluminium) although they look more like conventional steel rims with five-spoke chrome covers. It hasn't provided any details of what lies beneath the big bonnet of the concept truck. The concept Unimog is part of wide-range celebrations which have included the introduction of a special Lego U400 which is made up of more than 2000 pieces. Speaking at one of the parties thrown for the utilitarian vehicle, by Mercedes and Unimog parent company Daimler, chairman Dieter Zetsche described the Unimog as "the John Wayne of commercial vehicles". Today there are three different Unimog models, the U300 through to U500, the U3000 through to U5000 and the U20. You might not have seen too many around on Australian roads, but Mercedes does officially import Unimog trucks and the extremely capable vehicles are current used for fertiliser spreading, adventure tourism and railway maintenance.