Articles by Matt Campbell

The all-new Toyota HiAce may well be better than ever, but it’s also considerably bigger than before - and that could be enough to turn some buyers off.

The SsangYong Musso XLV has arrived to offer buyers even more value for their money. The new, longer version of the Musso ute adds not only an extra foot of tray space, but sees the choice of a leaf-spring rear suspension or the existing coil spring setup. Prices are up for the XLV version - but is it still a bargain buy? Read on to find out.

The long-awaited long-wheelbase SsangYong Musso XLV 2019 range is now on sale in Australia, bringing a more practical offer to sit beside the regular version that launched in late 2018.

There's no two ways about it - Toyota had a long time to get the HiAce right. It's 15 years since the previous one launched, and the new-generation version is bigger inside and out than its predecessor. It also has more power, more tech, more safety and more comfort than it ever has. So has it been worth the wait?

Who would have thought that the Toyota HiLux, Ford Ranger and Mitsubishi Triton would at times be battling for the top spot on the sales charts?But that's the case, and dual cab four-wheel drives are the flavour of choice for buyers. So we assembled the HiLux Rogue, Ranger XLT and Triton GLS Premium in order to see how they compare to help you find out where you should be spending your money.

Toyota Australia has been left gobsmacked by the level of customer interest in the all-new RAV4 hybrid model.

Don’t expect Toyota to leave the Ford Ranger Raptor to steal the hearts and minds of dual-cab ute enthusiasts - the brand is planning a HiLux hero model to rival the Raptor.

Toyota Australia has confirmed it will offer a suite of advanced safety equipment “in the next update” of the country’s most popular vehicle, the HiLux. It is expected the Toyota HiLux 2020 model year updated will see the addition of the Toyota Safety Sense (TSS) suite of technology, including the long-awaited addition of auto emergency braking (AEB), lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control and auto high-beam headlights.As we've previously reported, the tech is set to be included in models produced from May 2019, meaning it will likely roll out on 2020 model year versions, due to arrive in showrooms from July or August.A Toyota representative told CarsGuide that while timing is not yet ready to be announced for the rollout of the updated HiLux, it will be introduced “soon”. Some versions of the tech also include road sign detection and warning, not to mention more advanced AEB with pedestrian and cyclist detection as part of the forward collision alert with auto-braking system.The tech would help get the HiLux closer to level footing against the Ford Ranger, Mercedes X-Class, SsangYong Musso and Mitsubishi Triton - all of which have had high-tech safety gear rollouts in recent times.Toyota offers the Safety Sense suite of tech on everything from the Yaris to the HiAce, and the HiLux is one of the last models to see the tech rolled out. An imminent addition to the HiLux-based Fortuner seems likely as well, leaving just the Land Cruiser 70 Series range as the only model to be left completely out of the loop. It is unclear if the tech pack will be offered as standard, or as an option, on the HiLux range. Toyota has a mixed approach in this regard, with Safety Sense being optional on some models (certain grades of Yaris and Corolla sedan), and standard-fit on other grades. There are certain models that still miss out on TSS, such as lower grade LandCruiser 200 Series models and manual Prado variants. 

If you haven't heard of the LDV T60, we'll forgive you. This relative newcomer to the dual cab ute segment is fighting for a spot among some big name rivals. This particular model - the Trailrider - has a distinctly Aussie flavour to it, having had its suspension retuned by local heroes Walkinshaw. Yep, the same people that've been tuning Commodores for years!

Third rung up the Toyota RAV4 2019 model range ladder is Cruiser variant, which adds a little bit of luxury to the mix.