Articles by Marcus Craft

The VW Amarok rattled Australia's ute-market cage when it first arrived in 2011. The nice-looking workhorse was a pleasant surprise: a ute that was refined, nice to drive and also quite capable in the rough stuff, without a dual-range transfer case.But times have changed and all utes have improved, so is the Amarok still the gold standard of utes or is it in danger of being left behind?

Toyota's HiLux rules the ute roost in Australia, but even though all the up-specced variants, such as Rogue, Rugged and Rugged X, get all the fame and glory, don't the basic work-and-play versions, such as the SR, deserve your attention? Well, it turns out they're already very popular and top-sellers, thanks very much.

Jeep officials are remaining tight-lipped over the prospect of its 'Desert Rated' Gladiator Mojave coming to Australia.

While the latest Land Rover Defender may have disappointed some die-hard fans, the Ineos Grenadier looks set to wow the off-roading crowd.

Jeep officials have told journalists during the local launch of the brand's much-anticipated Gladiator ute that there are no plans for a diesel-fuelled version in Australia.

Jeep officials have confirmed that Australia will get an entry-level Gladiator, priced about $65,000 before on-road costs, before the end of 2020.The Sport S will come in under the current entry-level Gladiator Overland, which is $75,450, as well as the R

The Jeep Gladiator hype machine is in full swing and for good reason: on paper, at least, this dual-cab "convertible pick-up truck" appears to be one of the most capable showroom-standard 4WD utes in Australia.So, is the Gladiator a potential threat to the likes of Ford's Ranger Raptor, or is it merely a cool-looking homage to Jeep's past glories?

A special limited edition Kakadu Horizon has been added to Toyota's Prado range of the popular mid-size 4WD wagons but, beyond the variant-specific style tweaks and extra USB ports inside, is it worth the money?

Colin Aldred's Helensburgh-based company, Aldred Engineering, tackles a huge range of jobs including CNC ( Computer numeric control) machining and cutting, custom fabrication, as well as fully engineered and customised staircases, balustrades and signage, and much more.

Josh Fleming is a carpenter, and works with Purkiss Construction in Sydney south and the Illawarra region, among other areas.Josh bought his 3.2-litre Ford Ranger in 2017 as a primary work vehicle but he uses it regularly as a tourer.Crafty: Why did you buy your Ranger?Josh: Liked the look of it and it's good for work and towing my work trailer.Crafty: Do you use your ute outside work?Josh: Yeah, we did two weeks in the Victorian High Country, three weeks down in Tassie, beginning of the year; we've done the snow season, constantly back and forth, three days down the snow in it. Bit of snowboarding down there.Crafty: Any mods?Josh: Yeah, just over time, I've added things on: canopy, rooftop tents, a Darche rooftop tent, an awning.Got a lockbox up top with drop sheets, gas bottles, you name it. It's one of those Rhino lockboxes.Ski racks on the top . It also has a TJM bullbar, bullbar-mounted aftermarket Big Red driving lights, a drop-down fridge-slide, under-tray toolboxes and BFGoodrich All Terrain tyres.Crafty: So, it's fully kitted out for work, travel and leisure?Josh: Yeah, I got the drawers in the back, got a full 12-volt system and everything.Crafty: Any problems?Josh: No.Crafty: Would you buy another Ford Ranger?Josh: Yep, sure.Call carpenter Josh Fleming on 0400 700 820. Call Purkiss Construction on 0433 204 827.