Commercial News

The Aussie ute market may have expanded dramatically in terms of choice but has a proliferation of new options upset the established order when it comes to sales?In recent years the Ford Ranger has been the top-selling ute in the country with the Toyota HiLux snapping at its heels and the Isuzu D-Max there or there-abouts.In late 2024 the BYD Shark 6 arrived to mix things up with its petrol-electric hybrid powertrain challenging the traditional dominance of turbo-diesel propulsion.And a few months later, after a high-profile pre-launch teaser campaign, the Kia Tasman hit local showrooms with the aim of muscling past top order players like the Mitsubishi Triton, GWM Cannon, Mazda BT-50 and Nissan Navara.Since then, we’ve seen newcomers like the MG U9, the all-new Foton Tunland and LDV Terron 9. And soon enough they’ll be joined by the Chery Stockman, JAC Hunter and a likely dual-cab from Hyundai.But has the category’s expansion fundamentally changed anything?There are now a staggering 25 ute options in the local new car market, including two- and four-wheel drive models as well as large, US-style pick-ups.And at the half way mark in 2026 the usual suspects remain at the top of the leader board.No big surprise that the podium contenders have shed some volume but the Ford Ranger is still out-selling the BYD Shark 6 by a ratio of three to one. There have been explosive year-on-year gains recorded by selected newcomers, but that’s been from modest starting bases. However, several evergreen models lower down the list have taken a sizable backwards turn, including the Nissan Navara (-46.5 per cent), Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series (-65.5 per cent), JAC T9 (-51.8 per cent) and Jeep Gladiator (-56.3 per cent).In total, year-on-year sales to June 30 this year for 4x2 utes are flat, 4x4s are down just over 11 per cent and the big pick-ups haven’t budged a millimetre.Here’s our rundown of utes sales, using industry statistician VFacts data to combine all ute categories into a single readout comparing H1 2026 to the same period last year.Light commercial, pick-up & cab chassis sales ranking (June 2026 YTD)   

A new luxury-pitched ute is about to hit Aussie showrooms. The Volkswagen Amarok W600 is a dual-cab ute that will arrive in showrooms next month, with deliveries beginning in September.The Amarok W600 will start from $91,990, before on-road costs, which is more than $9000 extra compared to the previous range-topping variant and nearly $20,000 more than the base car. It is also $1300 more than the off-road-focused Ford Ranger Raptor performance ute.The W600 is Volkswagen’s new flagship ute developed in collaboration with prominent Australian performance company Walkinshaw, which was known for tuning fast Holdens.It gets versatile Kona suspension that adjusts the dampers based on road vibrations as well as a newly-developed 22mm rear anti-roll bar. It rides on 20-inch alloy wheels fitted with specialist Michelin sports tyres to compliment enhanced steering response and cornering stability. There is a different front grille and light bar design, along with electrically deployable side steps and dual side exhausts. The Amarok shares many of its underpinnings with the Ranger, including the T6 ladder-frame chassis, 3.0-litre turbo-diesel 184kW/600Nm V6 engine, and 10-speed automatic transmission. It can tow up to 3500kg and carry up to 954kg.The car's interior features heated and electrically adjustable front seats, with all seats covered in Savona leather, along with a premium Harmon Kardon audio system.  It offers plenty of safety technology such as adaptive cruise control, trailer assist and a 360-degree camera.  Volkswagen recently dropped its four-cylinder diesel engines for the Amarok to focus on V6 units instead.The Amarok battles in the high-competitive ute segment, where it seeks to make up ground on four-cylinder rivals the Kia Tasman and Nissan Navara. 

China’s XPeng is currently known for its electrified SUVs and passenger cars, but it hasn’t shut down the prospect of making a ute.“The format probably is something we are looking into,” said XPeng Vice Chairman and President Dr. Brian Gu to CarsGuide, noting how the term ute is used in Australia, rather than pick-up.“Clearly it’s not a big format in China because China doesn’t drive that format, but I understand in Australia, limited countries in Latin America or in Africa or Middle East, those are actually pretty popular.“So we are thinking about whether it’s a format we want to develop.”“It is going to require quite different development processes,” added Dr. Gu, specifically calling out the chassis.Tesla, which XPeng refers to as a key rival, already offers an electric pickup, called the Cybertruck.It’s a large pick-up that’s primarily aimed at the North American market, but is still not confirmed for a local launch despite previous reports.A number of other Chinese carmakers already offer electrified utes or pick-ups and many identify Australia as a key market for these types of vehicles.BYD offers the top-selling Shark 6, GWM offers the Cannon Alpha PHEV and soon the Cannon PHEV, JAC is launching the Hunter PHEV ute, Chery is soon launching the Stockman PHEV ute and MG is bringing the U9 EV ute.Japanese brand Nissan will bring its Frontier Pro/Navara Pro PHEV ute, which has been developed as part of a joint venture with China’s Dongfeng.XPeng may or may not develop a ute, but it is already developing SUVs that are capable of light off-roading.“Well, I think SUVs we understand and we want to make sure it’s capable of being driven not just in the beautiful highway lanes, but that can also take on certain … limited off-road capabilities,” said Dr. Gu.“In fact, some of the GX owners actually drove it off-road. It was actually not bad.”The XPeng GX recently launched in China and it is confirmed to come to Australia at some point. No concrete launch timing has been locked in yet.It’s available in China with both battery electric (BEV) and range-extender (REEV) hybrid powertrains.It’s built on a car-based platform, rather than a rugged ladder frame, called SEPA 3.0, which has an 800V electrical architecture, as well as semi-autonomous driving capabilities and rear-wheel steering.While the BEV version of the GX can be had in either rear- or all-wheel drive forms, the REEV version is only available with all-wheel drive.It remains to be seen whether XPeng is developing any vehicles with a body-on-frame chassis that are more capable off-road.

The new Toyota HiLux might have copped heat for not actually being all that new, and for its new design language, but that won't hurt sales, with Toyota forecasting another bumper year for its trusty workhorse.The new HiLux sports a new look, new rear tray steps and very welcome new cabin tech, but shares most of its important bits (its engine, its gearbox, its tray dimensions etc) carried over from the model it replaced.All of that in a segment that is shrinking, even as it's saturated with new, mostly Chinese players like the JAC T9, BYD Shark 6 and incoming Chery Stockman. "But with all that, the fact is that HiLux is still doing over 50,000," says Toyota Australia's VP of sales, marketing and franchise operations, John Pappas."And yes, it's crowded. It's hard to count how many of those options there are. But HiLux is still doing really well for us."The HiLux is down on numbers so far this year, dropping around 14 per cent over the first six months of 2026 to 22,607 deliveries. That means Toyota is forecasting real growth over the second half of the year to break the 50,000 barrier. That would put it about on par with its 2025 total of 51,297, but likely down by several thousand on its 2024 tally of 53,499.Part of the issue, Pappas says, is supply, with Toyota Australia securing increased HiLux production capacity for our market, part of an extra 10,000 vehicles headed to our shores to meet range-wide demand."We have very strong demand on Hilux, and we've been able to secure more production as part of this 10,000 in order to satisfy that demand," Pappas says."It's our number-one selling vehicle still."Also on the table to supercharge demand is the return of the HiLux GR Sport, which was removed from the lineup for this generation. Pappas won't be drawn on dates, but says the HiLux hero is on the cards for a comeback."We always look at those things. I love the GR Sport concept,of course. The more of those we can bring to life, the better. Nothing to announce at this stage,but we definitely would love to see it," he says. 

One of the most keenly anticipated dual-cab utes, the Renault Niagara, will not come to Australia – at least, not any time in the near future.This is despite distributor Ateco Automotive initially expressing strong interest several years go in importing the likely successor to the Renault/Dacia Oroch (which is what the Niagara seems to be), as well as the previous Nissan D23 Navara-based Alaskan that eventually went out of production last year.According to Renault Australia General Manager Glen Sealey unexpected hurdles have hurt the business case for all utes, including the Niagara, for our market.“If you'd asked me five years ago if I would like a pick-up, or ute, I would have said yes,” he told CarsGuide. “But, today, that's a very crowded, tough market (that) we'd be entering.“I think it's pretty grubby market, to be honest, at the moment. That pick-up 4x4 segment today starts at $35,000 drive-away for a fairly well-specified pick-up 4WD ute. And that's a hard market to compete in.”With Chinese brands (including LDV that Ateco also distributes, ironically for Renault) entering the bottom end of the ute segment last decade with models like the Great Wall (now GWM) Stead, the chances of a new, premium competitor like the Alaskan succeeding was deemed too great a risk by the time Ateco took over Renault distribution here after Nissan Australia relinquished it in 2021.This is especially true when you consider that the Alaskan was only available from Europe despite being of Japanese heritage.“You’re never going to get (competitive pricing against the Chinese brands) out of the supply sourcing that they we are utilising, which for the Alaskan, came out of Spain,” he elaborated.“So, I think (Renault HQ) realised that, and certainly for us to participate in that market, it would have to be a very sharp, aggressive product, because that is a sharp, aggressive segment today.”In the coming Niagara’s case, insufficient right-hand-drive sales volume forecasts, along with its expensive sourcing from Argentina, have knocked it out of contention for Australia.Unveiled in 2023 in concept guise, the Niagara will be unveiled in final production form in early September. It will again be a monocoque car-based pick-up, but is set to be larger and far-more technically advanced, with much higher safety standards, to better take on rivals like the highly-successful Ford Maverick.It is likely the successor to the ageing, car-derived monocoque ute spin-off of the previous-generation Romanian Dacia Duster, known as the Oroch, which never had sufficient safety to ever be seriously considered for Australia.And what about other utes made in Asia by the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance?The Mitsubishi Triton-based D27 Navara is off the table as well, despite its more-cost-effective Thai sourcing, and so is the completely unrelated Navara Pro plug-in hybrid ute from China co-developed with Nissan-Dongfeng.“Today, (a Triton-based ute) not an option for us,” Sealey revealed… “and we’re not getting the Dongfeng.”

Toyota is getting serious about off-roading for its big ute. The updated Toyota Tundra hybrid full-size ute has been revealed with a special 'Trailhunter' package to boost its adventuring capabilities in the US.With this package, the car rides on specialist Michelin trail tyres and premium upgraded suspension from 4WD brand ARB. Upgrades under the skin include new off-roading features such as multi-terrain select with traction support, a crawl control and a locking rear differential.The Tundra has sharpened up its look from the outside, with an aggressively-poised stance and front recovery hooks. It has a brighter grille-mounted LED light bar. The ute can be purchased with powerful fog lights to further increase visibility. The Tundra will continue to offer vehicle-to-load capabilities via a 2.4kW inverter, enabling appliances and devices to be powered directly from the car.  Headlining the technology buff inside the cabin is a bigger 14.0-inch central touchscreen.Enhanced software capabilities offer a more intuitive smartphone-like design.This includes customisable home screen widgets and an improved voice assistant. The update also add a built-in dash cam that can monitor and record incidents for up to 20 seconds. Full details of Toyota’s new Tundra will be announced in September ahead of its North American launch.There is no official news yet on its potential Australian future.A spokesperson for Toyota Australia said the brand is always look at global updates for its models, but there is nothing to announce on the Tundra front yet. The Tundra has been on sale in Australia since late 2024 as a rival to other American imports the Chevrolet Silverado, Ford F-150 and Ram 1500.The US-built undergoes an extensive remanufacturing process to convert it to right-hand drive for local roads, mirroring its competitors.The Tundra is an expensive choice in Australia, starting from $155,990, before on-road costs.It is powered by a 3.5-litre V6 plug-less hybrid set-up, producing 326kW and 790Nm.The Tundra has been subject to an aggressive advertising and pricing campaign over the past few months in Australia. It has experienced an improved 2026, with a near 50 per cent sales increase up to June 2026 compared to June 2025.

General Motors Speciality Vehicles (GMSV) has updated the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 pick-up, giving it more payload capacity than ever before.From August 1, all locally converted versions of the 2027 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LTZ Premium will offer 942kg of payload, which is an increase of 194kg over the pre-update version.Meanwhile the Silverado 1500 ZR2 will offer 922kg of payload, which is an increase of 209kg over the pre-update version.With this payload increase, it sees the gross vehicle mass (GVM) increase from 3300kg to 3505kg. This sees it move from a NA (light goods vehicle) to NB1 (medium goods vehicle) certification.This reclassification means the Silverado 1500 will be exempt from the Federal Government’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES), at least for the time being.Vehicles with a GVM between 3500kg and 3855kg are exempt from the NVES until June 30, 2027.This comes as General Motors (encompassing Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC) was the brand with the fifth-highest penalties last year as it missed the CO2 emissions target.It’s currently on the hook for fines up to $6.59 million unless it can sell more vehicles under the targets in successive years, or purchase credits from carmakers under the targets.Another reason why this move from NA to NB1 vehicle classification for the Silverado 1500 is timely is it sidesteps a newly introduced Australian Design Rule (ADR), which mandates that all new vehicles on sale in Australia from August 1, 2026, must have autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian detection.However, the Silverado 1500 is already equipped with this active safety technology.Other tweaks with this update include black badging and lettering on the exterior, plus the Z71 off-road suspension with Rancho shocks branding in the LTZ Premium has been replaced by off-road suspension with twin-tube dampers.Power across the line-up still comes from a 6.2-litre naturally aspirated V8 engine that produces 313kW and 624Nm. It’s mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission with drive sent through a four-wheel drive system with full-time capabilities.The 2027 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 line-up now starts at $135,990, before on-road costs, for the 1500 LTZ Premium and $147,490, before on-road costs, for the ZR2. This is a $1000 price rise when compared to the pre-update model.All versions of the Silverado 1500 continue to be produced in Mexico and then remanufactured from left- to right-hand drive by Walkinshaw in Melbourne, Victoria.Walkinshaw also converts the Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD, Toyota Tundra, as well as the Ram 1500, 2500 and 3500 from left- to right-hand drive at its facility.

Toyota has issued an urgent recall for its Tundra ute in Australia.It concerns a specific issue with 1199 local examples of the full-size pick-up manufactured between 1 May 2023 and 19 December 2024.These vehicles are equipped with a potentially faulty towing converter relay responsible for controlling vehicle and trailer rear lamps.Toyota said a wire within this relay may not be sufficiently insulated, which exposes the terminal pin, leading to the cabin back panel, which is a vital electrical component, shorting in some instances. This causes the brake lights to become inoperative and for the brake override warning message to be displayed."Inoperative stop lights may cause other drivers to be unaware when an involved vehicle is braking, increasing the risk of a collision which may result in injury or death," the brand's notice read.The car will also not turn on again once it has been turned off as part of the smart start system that prevents the car from being driven if the brake lights are not functioning. There is an emergency start procedure that can be used. Toyota said this issue does not affect other models within its lineup. A spokesperson for Toyota Australia said there have been three reported incidents of the issue occurring.The brand will contact affected owners to book a dealer appointment and rectify the issue for free.The procedure of reworking the terminal pin and re-insulating the wire to the main wire harness will take roughly an hour, according to Toyota. The hybrid Tundra competes with other full-size pick-ups like the Ford F-150 and the Ram 1500 for sales in Australia. It has experienced a solid sales increase in 2026, but remains a comparatively low-volume model for Toyota. 

Chery’s new Toyota HiLux is packing some impressive stats.The new Chery Stockman dual-cab ute is due to go on sale at the end of this year packing a diesel plug-in hybrid set-up.No other ute-maker has delivered a diesel-hybrid set-up. Not even Toyota - the master of diesel utes and hybrid power.Chery’s Executive Director of Engineering Peter Matkin summed it up simply earlier this year.“It’s easier to do the gasoline version,” he said.That pot shot at rivals is about to be put to the test as it prepares to take on the petrol plug-in hybrid Ford Ranger and the BYD Shark 6.One paper it stacks up.The Stockman combines a 2.5-litre turbocharged diesel engine with an electric motor to deliver 350kW and 800Nm sent to all four wheels.It can drive up to 100km under electric-only power, but this is calculated via the more lenient NEDC test cycle. Expect closer to 80km when tested to the benchmark WLTP cycle.The diesel plug-in hybrid will be joined by a petrol plug-in version in 2027.New details reveal the Stockman will be a proper work truck, with leaf spring rear suspension paired with more sophisticated double wishbone hardware up front.It will have a 750kg unbraked towing capacity and 3500kg braked. Chery has not revealed payload yet.It will be fitted with all terrain tyres as standard and will have 247mm of ground clearance.It is a big unit measuring 5450mm long, 2010 wide and 1890 tall. It’s wheelbase is a large 3250mm.That means it is slightly bigger than the HiLux and others, and more in-line with the GWM Cannon Alpha and BYD Shark 6 that straddle the space between the Ford Ranger and big US puck-up trucks.The tub is 1560mm long, 1560mm wide and 500mm high.Chery has also previously said it would have front, centre and rear diff locks, and it should have low gearing for proper off-roading.It is believed it will be priced similar to the BYD Shark 6's $57,900 (before on-road costs) starting price.Chery Australia Chief Operating Officer Lucas Harris told CarsGuide earlier this year the new ute had to be tough and the diesel-electric combo gave it the best chance to achieve that capability Australians demand from a ute.“I believe Chery has one chance to prove that we can build and deliver a highly capable ute,” said Harris.“And so to do that, it needs towing capability, payload capability, all-terrain capability. Particularly all-terrain capability, you know, you get people towing caravans on the beach. You really do need the torque and power delivery that a diesel gives you down low to be able to do those things.”Full details, including model line-up and prices will be revealed closer to the car’s launch date.

A new Chinese electric commercial van brand has launched in Australia and its first model is a rival to the likes of Ford E-Transit Custom, Farizon Supervan and LDV eDeliver 7, among others.Cavan is a sub-brand of Foton globally but in Australia it’s being distributed by a different company, meaning a different dealer and service network. Foton is distributed by Inchcape in Australia.There are three versions of the Cavan C1 at launch with differing wheelbase lengths and heights. There is also a promotional pricing offer on all trim levels.The entry-level C1 is $44,990 drive-away, the C1 Plus is $47,990 drive-away and the C1 Max $48,990 drive-away.It’s unclear what the pricing will change to after the promotional offer ends.For now this firmly makes the Cavan C1 the most affordable electric van in Australia. This title was previously held by the Farizon V7E.It’s even more affordable than many diesel-powered vans like the LDV Deliver 7, Hyundai Staria Load, Fiat Scudo, Peugeot Expert and Toyota HiAce, among others.All versions of the C1 are powered by a single, front-mounted electric motor that produces 125kW and 210Nm. Top speed is 120km/h.The electric motor in the entry-level C1 is fed by a 50.2kWh lithium-ion battery pack sourced from CATL. This allows for a claimed range of up to 270km, according to lenient WLTC testing.Both the C1 Plus and C1 Max have a larger 66.7kWh lithium ion battery pack sourced from CATL. Claimed range is up to 325km and 333km, respectively, according to lenient WLTC testing.The entry-level C1 measures in at 4885mm long, 1810mm wide and 1960mm tall, with a 3100mm wheelbase. It offers 6.6 cubic metres of cargo volume and has a 1000kg payload.The C1 Plus is 300mm longer at 5185mm long and has a 3400mm wheelbase. It offers 7.4 cubic metres of cargo volume and has a 1200kg payload.The top-spec C1 Max is the same length but has a 200mm higher roof. It’s 2160mm tall. It offers 8.4 cubic metres of cargo volume and has a 1200kg payload.All versions of the C1 have a three-seat bench, dual sliding side doors, as well as rear barn doors.There are LED headlights, 16-inch wheels with hub caps, an 8.8-inch digital instrument cluster, 12.8-inch touchscreen multimedia system, climate control, exterior and interior vehicle-to-load (V2L) ports, as well as a heated driver’s seat.On the safety front there are two airbags, autonomous emergency braking (AEB), blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, as well as a surround-view camera.Cavan Australia offers differing warranty durations depending on the component type. The body and chassis is covered for up to three years or 100,000km, the electric motor and controller is covered for up to five years or 200,000km, and the high-voltage battery is covered for up to eight years or 400,000km.Logbook servicing is free for up to three years or 100,000km. There’s also three years of complimentary roadside assistance.As it currently stands, there is only one Cavan dealer in Australia. It’s located in Mitcham, which is in Melbourne’s east.