Think Australia is ute crazy? America's latest batch of pick-ups will make the Ford Ranger, Toyota HiLux and Mitsubishi Triton jealous

There’s no doubt that Aussies love a ute, just a glance at the sales charts will reveal the Toyota HiLux, Ford Ranger, Mitsubishi Triton and Isuzu D-Max all within the top-10 best-selling vehicles.

And this love affair is expected to continue, with the burgeoning right-hand-drive converted full-sized US pick-up market set to explode next year with the arrival of the Ford F-150 and Toyota Tundra, joining the already on-sale Chevrolet Silverado and Ram 1500.

But Australians don’t have access to all the latest and greatest utes available in the world – at least not yet – and at this year’s Detroit motor show, there are more than a few that would pique local interest.

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Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Desert Boss

The flagship of the 2023 Chevrolet Colorado line-up, the ZR2 Desert Boss is General Motors’ take on Ford’s popular Ranger Raptor.

To beef up its off-road chops, the Desert Boss scores 17-inch wheels wrapped in all-terrain tyres, unique front and rear bumpers designed to withstand a bashing, a sports bar with sail panel, roof-mounted light bar and an underbody camera to ensure you don’t rip off your exhaust over rocky terrain.

Of course, there are also unique Desert Boss decals for a tougher look.

This comes on top of the standard ZR2’s appointments that include a spray-on bedliner, Multimatic DSSV dampers, cast-iron control arms, front skid plate, front and rear locking differentials, and a modified 3.42 ratio rear axle.

Powering all this however, isn’t a Ranger Raptor-beating engine, as the Colorado ZR2 Desert Boss is fitted with a 2.7-litre turbo-petrol 231kW/583Nm – well down on its rival’s 292kW/583Nm 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6.

Ford F-150 Lightning

When the F-150 Lightning was first revealed in early 2021, it’s chances of coming to Australia looked slim-to-none.

But since then, Ford has confirmed it will right-hand-drive convert F-150s for Australian consumption in 2023, and not ruled out bringing in the all-electric version at some point in the future.

And why wouldn’t they? Ford Australia has confirmed it will be charging head-first into the electric future with the E-Transit in early 2023 and the E-Transit Custom in 2024, so having an all-electric workhorse would be right in their wheelhouse.

And for those worried the F-150 Lightning might ‘ruin the weekend’, its driving range of up to 483km should assuage range anxiety, while a dual-motor 4x4 drivetrain delivers 420kW/1051Nm – much more power and toque than any existing one-tonne ute.

What about those who want to tow? Well a rated 4.5-tonne braked towing capacity means it will have no troubles with a trailer, and a 907kg payload capacity will also lug around plenty of tools.

Chevrolet Silverado ZR2 Bison

Just like what Premcar has done to the Nissan Navara to turn it into the Warrior, Chevrolet has also tapped American Expedition Vehicles to build its Silverado ZR2 Bison.

With improved approach and departure angles thanks to new front and rear bumpers, beefed-up underbody protection, exposed tow hooks and 18-inch wheels wrapped in 33-inch all-terrain tyres, the Silverado ZR2 Bison is equipped to handle some rough surfaces.

These features are also added on top of the ZR2’s Multimatic dampers, uniquely-tuned springs, front and rear electronic lockers and one-pedal rock crawling ability.

And powering all of this is a 6.2-litre petrol , delivering 313kW/624Nm to a 10-speed automatic transmission that is fed to all four wheels.