Say goodbye to V6-powered utes: Why Australia's new emissions regulations and hybrid utes such as the BYD Shark 6, Ford Ranger PHEV and GWM Cannon Alpha will signal the end of the big engined dual-cabs | Opinion

The New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) applies to new cars sold in the Australian market and is aimed at keeping Australia on track to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, so said the Federal Government.

NVES rules came into effect on January 1 this year but the accumulation of units and penalties won’t start until July 1 this year.

Carmarkers are already rethinking their line-ups in order to meet the NVES guidelines, with Ford ditching some of its 4x2 variants of the Everest and Isuzu rumoured to be deleting some 4x2 variants from its MU-X range.

The upcoming Kia Tasman will have a 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine and the likelihood Isuzu and Mazda will replace any of their 3.0-litre ute offerings with a smaller 2.2-litre unit to save on emissions and avoid any NVES-related strife, are we about to say “hoo-roo” to V6 utes?

Read on.

They may not elicit the same heart-thumping excitement as a V6 or V8, smaller engines have for a long time now proven their worth in utes. They’re refined, fuel efficient, and produce more than adequate amounts of power and torque to be able to haul a load, tow a caravan, horse float or power boat, and go off-road.

Throw in impressive high- and low-range gearing, seamless driver-assist tech, a well-calibrated traction control system, and diff locks, and utes with small engines onboard, rather than being outgunned by V6s, are setting the gold standard for effectiveness in tough environments and being able to meet strict new emissions laws.

Utes with smaller engines have been around for donkey’s years, but the new-ish wave of them – including the Isuzu D-Max’s 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel (120kW/400Nm) and the Toyota HiLux’s 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel (150kW/500Nm) with mild-hybrid technology – look poised to ensure V6 utes are consigned to the history books.

The new Isuzu engine is 10kW/50Nm better then the brand’s 1.9-litre engine (110kW/350Nm) but 20kW/50Nm down on the 3.0-litre unit it is set to replace – no big deal though because those lesser power and torque aren’t deal-breakers for most. Besides, its 120kW/400Nm outputs match those of the GWM Ute (120kW/400Nm) and put it right in the mix with the Jac T9 (120kW/410Nm) and KGM Ssangyong Musso (133kW/400-420Nm).

The HiLux’s 2.8-litre set-up doesn’t seem to have hampered its appeal with fans of Australian utes, certainly not in terms of sales.

What’s more, the much-loved LandCruiser 79 Series benefits from its 2.8L four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine (150kW/500Nm), which produces plenty of low-down torque. Add in a 44:1 crawl ratio and, depending on the spec, front and rear diff locks, and this 79 is near-unstoppable off-road.

Don’t forget the even newer wave of utes either.

Beyond its polarising looks, the Kia Tasman already has tongues a-wagging – not the least because of its 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine (154kW and 441Nm), that’s equivalent to the Ford Ranger’s 2.0-litre bi-turbo (154kW/500Nm) in terms of power but 59Nm of torque less.

Word is the Tasman will be able to tow the ute industry standard of 3500kg (braked) and will likely have a payload of 1000kg or over, depending on the variant. So, nothing to sniff at there.

The Tasman is due to be launched in Australia later this year and is tipped to be, if not a game-changer, a ute that will help move the crowd forward into a hopefully less-polluted future.

And how about hybrids?

The BYD Shark 6 plug-in hybrid ute – a first for Australia – has a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol engine with dual electric motors: a 170kW/310Nm front motor and a 150kW/340Nm rear motor (total: 320kW/650Nm).

This BYD ute has a claimed driving range of 100km (electric only), and about 850km (hybrid).

The Shark has a listed payload of 850kg and braked towing capacity of 2500kg. It doesn’t have the 1000kg payload or 3500kg market-standard towing capacity of non-hybrid utes, but it can still take on a weighty load and clock up big distances before it needs to be refuelled/recharged.

In terms of robustness over time, it’s largely unproven as yet – because it hasn’t been on the market long enough for anyone to make an informed judgement. On paper at least, the Shark 6 has plenty of potential to give the ute realm a healthy nudge into the future as part of a new wave of utes equipped with smaller engines, hybrid systems and new technologies aimed at improving performance and efficiencies and reducing emissions.