Commercial News

A new special edition ute has been revealed in Australia, with the MG U9 getting a blacked-out look to tackle the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux.Pricing for the special edition dual-cab ute starts from $57,990 (drive-away), making it $5000 more than the base variant of the U9. The ‘Black Edition’ adds several blacked-out elements to the exterior design. This includes the grille, badges, wheel caps and side trim. The blacked-out feel continues inside the cabin, with a black headliner and pillars. The cabin also features heated front seats and a heated steering wheel, mirroring higher grades of the U9. It also features a towing cruise control system to aid pulling heavy loads with the ute. The brand said customer demand has driven this update.MG said the U9 Black Edition will be a limited-unit model and will conclude the lineup for the diesel ute in Australia.It will continue to be powered by a 2.5-litre turbo-diesel engine, producing 160kW and 520Nm. The U9 has had a tepid sales response in Australia, with less than 800 sales in 2026 as it grapples with other Chinese ute competitors like the JAC T9 and LDV Terron 9. The BYD Shark 6 remains the most successful of the Chinese utes, with others struggling to make an imprint in a segment dominated by the Ranger and Hilux. There is a fully-electric version of the U9 approved for sale Down Under that is due to launch in the second half of this year. It will be one of few fully-electric ute offerings in Australia. The KGM Musso EV is the main competitor currently, but Toyota will launch its HiLux BEV later this year as well.  

Fifty years ago, on July 1, 1976, the worst new Holden up to that point was released, the HX series. And everything changed.Not coincidentally, it was also the date that all new internal combustion engine vehicles except those under 850cc in capacity or with liquid petroleum gas had to comply with stricter emissions standards known as Australian Design Rule 27A (ADR27A).This law proved to be a nightmare for parent company General Motors-Holden’s (GMH) Ltd.With fuel consumption up, power down and prices jumping to cover the extra technology necessary to meet the new regulations over the preceding HJ series, Holden’s engineers struggled to make its 1960s-era engines cope with the required updates in what was the country’s best-selling car line since the early 1950s.Critics and road testers alike savaged the HX as a result, accusing Holden of being cynical and out of touch, though it managed to hang on to the top spot for 1976.“Perhaps we would be better off with dirty engines and improved driveability,” quipped Wheels magazine editor Peter Robinson.Unfortunately for GMH, three unexpected things also happened right around that time that led to fundamental shifts in consumer tastes.Firstly, Japan was ready to launch its next phase of world-beating passenger cars that could easily meet ADR27A, headed by the original Honda Accord that almost single-handedly elevated that country’s entire industry overnight.Others followed in its footsteps, including the Mazda 323 and Datsun Skyline.Yet it was the shock success of the Chrysler Sigma, supplied by Mitsubishi, that became GMH's second big setback, shooting up the charts to a podium finish soon after its 1977 launch, and stayed there for half a decade.The Sigma lured many former and would-be Holden owners away in droves, particularly from the brand's waning Torana and Sunbird models it competed directly against, and even cannibalised Chrysler’s own Valiant in the process. Sigma was an automotive phenomenon that led directly to the iconic Australian-developed Magna later on.And last but not least, arch-rival Ford, which had been nipping at the Holden’s heels with the Falcon since the XB Falcon snatched number one for just one month in late 1973, had pulled out all stops in making the succeeding XC series demonstrably superior. GMH certainly wasn't expecting that.While the change from HJ to HX was little more than a fussier grille, revised instrumentation and several other, mostly minor, alterations, Ford expensively reengineered its engines to make them better than before, not worse. And it also redesigned the Falcon's nose, tail, back doors and dashboard, for a far-fresher look and feel.Plus, the XC launched the Fairmont GXL sports/luxury flagship. In the spirit of the legendary Falcon GTs, contemporary reviewers declared it as one of the greatest Australian-made family cars to date.In stark contrast to the basting the HX endured, XC sales flourished, with the Falcon becoming Australia’s best-selling car in 1977, period – an achievement it managed again from 1981 through to 1989, signalling the start of Ford Australia’s halcyon days.Half a century after the HX’s painful birth, perspective shows us a company grappling to deal fast enough with rapid change – something that Holden would pay the ultimate price for by 2020.Yet, to GMH’s credit, the more-comprehensively changed HZ series that followed in October, 1977, addressed most of the HX’s issues, whilst leap-frogging the Falcon in both sales as well as a driver’s car, thanks to chassis tweaks marketed to great effect using a tagline borrowed from Pontiac in the US called Radial Tuned Suspension.A stunning turnaround, it restored the Holden to the top spot for 1978, in time for the smaller, Opel-based VB Commodore to turn the market on its ear leading into the 1980s.A brief hiccup then largely due to ADR27A, a total of 110,669 HXs were built. And though the series has long lived in the shadow of the massively popular HQ/HJ models before it and the beloved HZ afterwards, 50 years later, its appeal is palpable. Who wouldn't have one?As a colourful piece of Australian motoring history, recognition is deserved. If nothing else, the garish Monaro LE two-door coupe runout edition remains one of the most 1970s things ever to happen in local motoring folklore!And it was the first Holden that actively attempted to minimise its emissions impact. That’s got to be worth celebrating. Happy 50 birthday, Holden HX!

Ram Australia has confirmed it is working hard behind the scenes to return Hemi V8 utes to its showrooms.While the V8 has made a triumphant return in the States, MY26 Ram 1500s in Australia are powered by a twin-turbo 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder ‘Hurricane’ engine, albeit more powerful and more torquey than the Hemi it replaces.But even though the new engine has become more popular than the V8 in the big ute’s home market, Ram Australia is aiming to bring the option of a V8 back in the form of a fire-breathing top-spec performance variant - the Ram 1500 TRX SRT.“Earlier this year, Ram Trucks USA confirmed the return of the Ram TRX,” Ram Trucks Australia spokesperson Joshua Dowling said. “We said at the time the reborn TRX is under serious consideration for Australia, and that statement remains true today. “What we can tell you is that the TRX is more likely to come to Australia than not, but we still have a number of engineering gateways to go through, unlike the grey import market.”One of the reasons American utes are so much more expensive than they are in the US is the remanufacturing process, which is also the reason there’s a delay between the model cycle there and here in Australia.The extreme likelihood of the TRX returning to Australia is only dampened slightly by the small potential for an engineering ‘hurdle’ to deem the project too expensive, but it seems almost certain that it’ll happen.In fact, despite the lack of full confirmation the TRX will launch in Australia, Dowling said there are customers who have placed deposits in the event the supercharged V8 ute returns to Oz.Revived by new Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis, the new generation of TRX boasts a 6.2-litre supercharged ‘Hemi’ V8 under the bonnet, producing 579kW and 922Nm and making the full-sized ‘truck’ capable of a claimed 0-100km/h sprint in just 3.5 seconds.The TRX most recently available in Australia offered up 523kW and 882Nm, by comparison.Order books opened this week in the US for the 2027 TRX SRT, starting from USD$99,995 (A$145,000), so Australians can be expected to pay plenty more once reengineering has taken place. For reference, the last-gen TRX Final Edition (with 523kW and 882Nm) was priced from $249,950 in Australia a year ago.“Our vehicles are made to factory quality standards and, in order to be thorough, that process takes time,” Dowling added.“So we ask our TRX fans, please be patient… and we hope you won't be waiting too long. “We can confirm we are working around the clock with our engineering team in Australia and with engineers in the US to make the return of TRX a reality.”In further promising news for V8 fans, the even more wicked-looking Ram 1500 Rumble Bee SRT is also a chance for Australia.“The recently unveiled Ram 1500 Rumblebee muscle truck is also on our wish list. If it were to come to Australia, it would come after the TRX because of the engineering work required… but if everything goes our way, it won't be far behind.”In its top-end specification, the Rumble Bee SRT has the same supercharged Hemi V8 as the TRX with the same 579kW/922Nm, but a ‘standard’ Rumble Bee with a 5.7-litre Hemi V8 with 295kW/556Nm is also available, as is a Rumble Bee 392 with a 350kW/617Nm 6.4-litre Hemi V8.Ram Australia didn’t indicate which version is at the top of the wishlist.

Chery sub-brand Jetour has detailed its Chinese F700 ute, which is a spin-off from the Stockman diesel-hybrid due to launch in Australia.Sporting tough and angular styling a little different from the rounded-headlight look of the incoming Chery ute, the Jetour F700 shares the same newly-developed and hybrid-first platform and underpinnings.Unlike the Stockman, which will launch with a diesel hybrid powertrain specifically designed to set it apart in the Australian market, the F700 will use a 2.0-litre petrol plug-in set-up instead.The F700’s 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine produces 155kW/340Nm and is expected to follow in the footsteps of the G700 SUV that came before it. This means maximum combined power could be as high as 665kW/1135Nm.This could preview the future petrol plug-in hybrid version of the Stockman, which is due to launch in Australia in 2027.The space between the front and rear axles will be taken up by an Lithium-Ferro-Phosphate (LFP) battery pack, which maximises EV range over mechanical capability. The related G700 SUV has an electronic front and rear differential, with a software-simulated centre differential.If the F700 follows in the footsteps of the G700, it will use a 34.1kWh battery pack. In the G700 this grants it a 150km EV-only driving range and a 1400km combined driving range according to the CTLC standard. Jetour confirmed via its social media that the F700 will have a 1300km driving range and a combined fuel consumption of 1.39L/100km.While it appears the F700 will also use independent coil-sprung rear suspension instead of a solid rear axle, data filings with the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information technology confirm it will have a towing capacity of 3500kg.The new ute’s interior hasn't been fully revealed, but one teaser image shows a far more tech-heavy cabin than the Stockman. It features a large 15.6-inch central screen, and a second dash-topping panel which extends the entire length of the vehicle, acting as both an information screen and a digital instrument cluster.We know it will have wheel sizes of either 18- or 20-inches and an 800-volt electrical platform, which supports ultra-fast charging with confirmation of a V2L system.Jetour is expected to launch in Australia in 2027, although its range of boxy off-roaders will be distributed separately from its Chery parent company, which includes the Omoda, Jaecoo, and Lepas sub-brands.It will directly compete with GWM’s Tank and Cannon brands, with its products also squaring off against BYD’s smash-hit Shark 6 plug-in hybrid ute and the related Denza B5 SUV.Stay tuned for more on Jetour as the brand gears up for an Australian launch. It has been hiring staff locally for some months.

Mini utes are the hottest new trend in motoring, and a brand new name has been added to the crush of bite-sized workhorses.Slate Auto is a new electric car company backed by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and its first vehicle will be the modular Slate Truck. It was first revealed in April, 2025, but there has been crickets every since ... until now.The Slate Truck is a little single-cab ute that can be converted into an SUV.It is a bare bones proposition with a starting price of US$24,950 ($36,200), which is several thousand more than originally promised.Turning it into an SUV with seating for five, but still two doors, lifts the price to US$29,950 ($43,450).The Slate Truck uses a 63kWh Lithium-Ferro-Phosphate (LFP) battery that delivers a driving range of up to 330km. It can absorb up to 120kW via a DC fast charger or 11kW when connected to a compatible AC charger.Power comes from a single rear electric motor that produces 135kW and 264Nm.It has a handy payload of 700kg, which drops to 570kg for the heavier SUV, with the tray a similar length to a dual-cab ute. It can tow up to 900kg.Its rear-wheel-drive layout means there is a useable cargo area under the bonnet, which trumps any diesel- or petrol-powered ute out there.Slate will begin delivering Trucks at the end of the year in the US. There is no word on if the vehicles will be exported to Australia.Slate is preparing to sell their vehicles direct to customers, with no conventional dealerships. This could make expanding globally easier, especially given Bezos’ expertise in global e-commerce.The Slate Truck isn’t the only small ute in the world, with BYD, Ford and Toyota all building new work ponies.This new breed of small utes isn’t built on a rugged ladder frame that is designed to handle serious off-roading, but are car-based utes in a similar vein to the old Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon utes.Ford’s new electric small ute has been spotted testing in the US and is the first vehicle from its new Skunkworks, which was created to develop the new low-cost electric vehicle platform. It is due to launch in 2027, with Ford aiming for a circa-US$30,000 (A$42,600) price tag.This would join its hybrid Maverick ute, which has been a smash hit in the US.Toyota has been caught testing a new Corolla Cross-based ute in South America, and is again expected to launch in Latin America next year.It is expected to be based on the company’s TNGA-C platform, which would grant it access to the Prius’ plug-in hybrid set-up, as well as the tried-and-tested 2.0-litre self-charging hybrid set-up.BYD has also confirmed the Mako ute, which is expected to burst out of South America.In Brazil, the Mako is a plug-in hybrid producing an expected 175kW, and promising a circa-100km EV-only driving range, along with a choice of two- or all-wheel drive.A European launch also seems likely – though under the name Shark 5 – given patent filings have appeared in the EU. Reports also point to a flagship 1.5-litre PHEV variant producing 200kW of power being developed.

You know things are getting serious when a US pick-up style ute’s towing capacity reaches the 8.0-tonne mark.And that’s exactly what’s happened with the introduction of a factory 5th Wheel Hitch option for the MY26 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD.The new feature will be available from Q3 2026 build, offering the choice of a 50mm pin coupling or a 3.0-inch ‘gooseball’.As the name implies, a pin coupling uses a solid vertical pin and is best suited to off-road or agricultural towing, while a gooseneck ball uses a large, heavy-duty ball-and-socket connection in the load bed and is more appropriate for large on-road trailers.The package incorporates a factory air brake system “specifically designed, tested and installed as an integrated package.”It includes a chassis structure and bed attachment plate, added trailer connectors at the front of the load bed, trailer brake airlines and additional interior controls and warning lights for the driver.Once the 5th Wheel Hitch option box is ticked its installation will be included in the Silverado’s local left- to right-hand drive remanufacturing process and covered by GM’s five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty but is not available for purchase separately.Launching the option, GM Australia and New Zealand Managing Director Jess Bala said, “The new Genuine 5th Wheel Hitch option expands what Silverado 2500 can already do, while preserving the premium refinement and heavy-duty performance they expect from the vehicle.”It’s worth noting an 8000kg towing capacity means Silverado’s fitted with the fifth wheel will be NB2-certified so specific licensing requirements apply, and GMSV advises prospective buyers to check in with their relevant state or territory roads authority for further details.Pricing

Ford’s utes are about to undergo one of the biggest changes ever with the brand’s boss turning to Formula 1 for help in competing with Chinese rivals. Ford’s global boss Jim Farley believes the key to his company's success lies in Formula 1 know-how, according to an interview with British motoring publication Autocar.“One of the biggest gifts that Formula 1 ever gave Ford was our skunkworks team in California. Almost every one of them either comes from Formula 1 or is a huge F1 fan," Farely told Autocar. Ford made a return to F1 in 2026 with a technical collaboration with Red Bull racing. The partnerships sees Ford co-develop hybrid powertrains for both the primary Red Bull and junior Racing Bulls teams.  That gives Ford access to the experience and know-how of the pinnacle of motorsport, and this has led to the formation of Ford's top-secret skunkworks - Universal EV.Based in California’s Silicon Valley, Universal EV has developed an electric vehicle platform that can be fitted into a range of vehicles from pick-ups to sedans, hatches and vans.While Ford hasn't confirmed all of the vehicles that will use the Universal EV platform, yet, it has released a teaser video of its design and engineering teams working on sketches of its upcoming small pick-up that’s expected to revive the Ranchero name.The missing piece of the puzzle, according to Farley, is aerodynamics which will allow smaller batteries to be used. And this is where he wants more F1 input into the skunkworks program. But, it's not proving easy."It turns out that finding people who love motorsport who want to 'build a buffet in Vegas' – a $30,000 EV that's nice-looking and fun to drive - is hard," he told Autocar."A lot of people want to stay in F1 and the challenge is picking people from motorsport who can actually design a breakthrough product. But when people see what we did with this skunkworks, they will say: 'Wow, that's cooler engineering than a hypercar. They will be shocked."The reference to a $30,000 EV by Farley hints at the small pick-up which Ford says it hopes to sell for the same price.The pick-up will be a smaller sibling to the F-150 Lightning Ford and will likely use the Universal EV platform, with a possible 2027 launch.Whether it makes it to Australia is another question. That might only be possible if the vehicle is produced in right-hand drive for markets such as the United Kingdom.We might not see the Ranchero arrive in Australia anytime soon but the Universal EV platform will likely underpin other Ford models to be sold locally.This is not the first time Farley has pivoted Ford's direction in the hope of surviving the threat posed by the popularity of affordable and high-tech Chinese vehicles.In 2024, Farley declared to British publication Car Magazine that Ford was ”getting out of the boring car business and into the iconic-vehicle business”.Although in the same year he also told the Guardian, “We have to start to get back in love with smaller vehicles. It’s super important for our society and for EV adoption.”In 2025 Farley announced that he wanted Ford to be "the Porsche of off-road”, referencing the brand's involvement with off-road racing and applying that skill and engineering to its adventurous vehicles.Currently Ford has a limited number of models in its Australian range, with the Mustang sports car, Ranger ute and Everest SUV bringing in the lion's share of sales.

Chery has revealed its game-changing diesel plug-in hybrid ute will be called the Stockman when it lands in Australia in the fourth quarter of this year. The Chery Stockman, previously known as 'KP31', was confirmed today after the brand put a call out for names that prompted more than 20,000 submissions. The Stockman was one of nine names shortlisted among Bushwalker, Ironbark, Longreach, Mate, Orca and Outrider.Chery said the Stockman name reflects the capability, endurance and versatility of its first ute.The Stockman will join the Australian market as the first-ever PHEV diesel ute in what could shake-up the diesel-only dominant segment. It will also look to build on the work done by the BYD Shark 6 turbo-petrol PHEV, which has been one of the only few utes to experience sales growth in Australia over the past few months. The Stockman will be powered by a 2.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine and electric motor duo said to produce substantial amounts of power and torque.Chery has claimed the ute will have a 1000kg payload and 3500kg braked towing capacity, matching much of its diesel-only competition Down Under. The brand has high expectations for its new ute model with Australian Chief Operating Officer Lucas Harris telling CarsGuide earlier this year that it needs to be successful.“I believe that Chery has one chance to prove that we can build and deliver a highly-capable ute,” Harris said.“We are being a bit demanding. We want all of that diesel capability so that we can deliver what we say we want to deliver. But we also want the on-highway and the fuel efficiency benefits and the NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) benefits of having super hybrid at the same time.”Chery will reveal more details about the Stockman closer to its launch Down Under.

A new front in the ongoing ute wars has opened, with fresh reporting that Toyota and BYD will soon have plug-in hybrid ute options sitting beneath the HiLux and Shark 6.The monocoque, or car-based, ute offerings are taking shape in South America, where manufacturers clearly keen to expand beyond the saturated dual-cab market are plotting their next move.That begins with the Mako, expected to be called the BYD Shark 5 in international markets, which will reportedly nab a different plug-in hybrid powertrain to its Shark 6 older brother.In Brazil, the Mako is a plug-in hybrid producing an expected 175kW, and promising a circa-100km EV-only driving range, along with a choice of two- or all-wheel drive.But the Mako is the ocean's fastest shark, and it seems global markets will be sticking true to the name, upping the power to more like 200kW. The powertrain in question will reportedly be borrowed from the Sealion 6 SUV, pairing a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine with an electric motor. Unconfirmed reports of Toyota's smaller ute offering are now emerging from the same region. The ute, based on the Corolla Cross and currently codenamed Project 150D, will reportedly score its own plug-in hybrid system.In huge news for the brand, reports out of Brazil point to the 150D adopting the powertrain from the Toyota Prius, which pairs a 2.0-litre petrol engine with two electric motors.Total system output would be around 166kW, while the e-CVT is joined by a second electric motor to enable eFour all-wheel drive.According to reports, the smaller Toyota ute will launch in South America in the first half of 2027, while the BYD Mako is expected to launch in the final quarter of 2026, giving the Chinese brand a headstart from a global sales perspective.Australian launch timing is at this point unclear, but both Toyota and BYD have said the door is open to ute models below the Shark 6 and HiLux, so watch this space.

Kia Australia has confirmed the local specification for its first electric van, the PV5.The 2026 Kia PV5 Cargo, the commercial version of the electric van that will be followed by a passenger version down the track, starts from $55,990 before on-road costs for its single S variant.This makes it the cheapest electric van in the market, with the second- and third-cheapest being the Peugeot E-Partner at $59,990 and the Renault Kangoo E-Tech at $61,990.The PV5 uses a single front-mounted electric motor with 120kW and 250Nm, and Kia claims (under WLTP testing) a 416km driving range from the van’s 71.2kWh battery. Combined consumption is quoted at 19.1kWh, though CarsGuide’s initial testing during the PV5’s launch review suggests urban consumption sits in the mid-teens.Charging takes around 30 minutes at its maximum DC charging rate of 150kW, while its AC charging is maxed at 11kW.The PV5 is also bigger than its more expensive Euro rivals in terms of its cargo bay.In the cargo area, the PV5 has 4.42m3 of space, measuring 2255mm in length, 1565mm in width, and 1520mm in height.At 4695mm long, 1895mm wide and 1899mm high, it’s also externally smaller than the likes of the Toyota HiAce or Ford Transit Custom.In terms of specification, the PV5 comes in Clear White paired with a Deep Navy interior, though the S variant (the only available) is not short of useful features.Along with plenty of storage cubbies in the cabin, the van has a 12.9-inch multimedia touchscreen running Kia’s newest software, plus a 7.5-inch driver display, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a two-speaker sound system (much better than you’d expect), a wireless phone charger, multiple USB-C ports, a 12-volt plug, lumbar adjustment on both seats for long stints, auto air-conditioning, auto headlights, rain-sensing windscreen wipers, heated folding mirrors and V2L capability.An exterior charging plug adapter for the PV5’s V2L ability is included as standard.Kia also specifies servicing intervals of 24 months or 30,000km, whichever comes first, and servicing can be prepaid at up to eight years for $2246.