Ute News

Ford has adjusted the prices of its Ranger and Everest models in Australia as it phases out the popular twin-turbo 2.0-litre diesel engines, and introduces more V6 variants.The pair were two of the best-selling cars in Australia in 2025. The Ranger was the overall best seller last year, while the related Everest just pipped the Toyota Prado as Australia's favourite large SUV.It means that the single-turbo variants come in cheaper than the outgoing twin-turbo units.The 2.0-litre Sport grade has had a sizeable increase of $2200, now starting from $71,190. The V6 variants on the more premium Everest models have gone down in price. The Sport is now $1000 cheaper at $75,990, while the Tremor and Platinum are roughly $1500 cheaper, starting from $78,440 and $82,990, respectively. Ford has also introduced an Active variant, replacing the previous range-opening Ambiente, and it gets the V6 engine, starting from $66,990, before on-road costs. This makes it the cheapest V6 Everest available.  2026 Ford Everest pricing Australia The Ranger has also undergone an extensive price shuffle across most of its variants. Among the bigger increases for the ute is the single-cab cab-chassis 2.0-litre variant, which is now $2630 more expensive than it was. The 2.0-litre Black Edition pick-up is now $2500 more.Some V6 variants have also received a hike in price, such as the XLT double-cab now starting from $69,090. The double-cab cab-chassis 2.0-litre is now $770 cheaper, with a starting price of $49,230. All other high-end and plug-in hybrid variants of the Ranger have stayed the same. Comparing the pick-up variants of other major ute brands, the Ranger’s cheapest V6 model at $57,900 is only a few thousand more expensive than the four-cylinder base Nissan Navara.2026 Ford Ranger pricing Australia 

Road rage is such an ugly part of driving, but the type of car you own could be a magnet for bullies. Having driven thousands of cars over 15 years of testing, here are three of the best cars I think will help you avoid the wrath of other drivers and three that might attract more hate when on the road.Your guess is as good as mine as to why whenever I drive a D-Max ute I get treated with so much respect despite probably doing things that’d get me honked at in other cars. Honestly, all utes command respect, patience and better treatment from other motorists, but maybe it’s the less glitzy and more down to earth rural appeal of the D-Max that makes it one of the best cars to drive if you want others to cut you a bit more slack.On the flip side its ute drivers I find to be the most aggressive out there — this is all anecdotal of course, but I’m sure there are many out there who will back me up. So perhaps a wariness of utes drivers and not a respect for hardworking tradies is why they’re treated better.Perhaps it's because police forces all over Australia use the Kia Sorento to chase baddies or it could be that this large SUV just looks tough. Whatever the reason, if you want other drivers to let you merge into their lane this is your car.The Sorento is large and pretty menacing looking from the front and back. But then so too are lots of SUVs, but what I think what wins over other drivers is the Kia badge. It's a brand that’s established itself at a grass roots level in Australian sport and community. It’s more aspirational than Toyota, but still not pretentious.I should point out that Toyota Klugers also command respect, so too do other large SUVs, like the Mazda CX-90 and the Ford Everest.  The Volkswagen Multivan looks like a toaster, only five metres long and two metres tall. And while the sheer size of it makes other road users think twice about cutting one off in traffic, it's more than that. I think it's actually connected to the iconic Kombi van and the good feelings that van conjures. You know we grow up excited to see Kombis as kids, which still hits us with a sense of “awww” even now as adults when we see a van with a VW badge. The good treatment isn’t restricted to Volkswagen Multivans, all vans are treated incredibly well despite many of them carrying out manoeuvres that defy logic, like double parking, spontaneous U-turns and driving slow while searching for an address. And that’s because we know most vans are delivery trucks on a mission and the bad driving is not down to incompetence … most of the time.I’ve picked the Porsche 911 mainly because it’s one of the cars I’ve received the worst treatment in continually but I’ve found this goes for any high-end sports car.Perhaps it’s the sight of an expensive sports car that brings out some jealousy in other drivers but I’ve never been tailgated more by other drivers than when in an expensive sports car. As for being let into traffic — that’s also a problem.This behaviour, like all road rage, is dangerous and does nothing more than reduce safety and cause stress, unnecessarily.The Suzuki Swift is great in many ways — just not how some people treat you when you’re driving it. This seems to be a problem with most small cars and I can’t help but think that there are some drivers who assume the person in the Swift is young and inexperienced. Yep there is definitely some kind of automotive pecking order out there on the road and I can be in a ute I’m testing and then move into a small car and suddenly be honked for not moving the instant a traffic light turns green.If other motorists are ‘punching down’ on young drivers then this is a huge concern that could put the inexperienced under too much pressure and lead to a life-threatening mistake.Car reviewers joke that the answer to, “what car should I buy?”, is always “Toyota Camry’ because the value for money, reliability and comfort equation is almost impossible to match. But when behind the wheel of a Camry I’ve found I’m treated in much the same way as a small car, with other drivers seemingly becoming impatient and wanting to overtake rather than sit behind me.I can only speculate as to the reason but perhaps other drivers might think Camry drivers are older and in less of a hurry, or maybe that the person behind the wheel is a rideshare driver that could stop suddenly to let a fare out.Whatever the reason, road ragers should beware that  Australia’s police forces use unmarked Camrys and so the next one you bully, could land you a ticket.   

The incoming new-generation Nissan Navara is mechanically identical to the Mitsubishi Triton, but carries a sizeable price jump in comparison.It adds another rival to a compact ute market, so how does the more expensive Navara shape up to its cheaper Triton sibling? Nissan said money and time has been invested into its ute’s suspension, receiving assistance from Australian specialists Premcar.The brand said this local tuning offers improvement to driving and handling with and without load. The Navara has three different suspension set-ups across the range, with lower grades tuned for carrying loads, while SUV-like suspension is fitted to higher grades. Nissan’s ute also has a locking rear differential as standard on all grades, unlike on the Triton. Here is a breakdown of the difference between the Navara and the Triton.Pricing Australia (before on-road costs) Noting the Triton’s current drive-away offering, it comes in substantially cheaper than the Navara across the range. DimensionsBoth have the same braked towing capacity of 3500kg. Things start to change when we look at payload, with the Triton offers superior carrying capacity across the range. When it comes to cargo bed size, the pair share the same-sized space.  Engine and efficiencyThe Navara and Triton are nearly mechanically identical and use the same engine and transmission, so there is no difference between the two. Standard featuresNext grade adds or replaces: Next grade adds or replaces: Next grade adds The Navara does have more standard equipment than the Triton in a comparison between the pair.As standard, the Navara gets a digital driver display, unlike on the Triton, while it also gets a bigger central touchscreen. There is digital DAB+ radio, LED lighing front and back, tailgate assist and a rear diff lock as standard on the Navara, while that is only available on higher grade Tritons. There are areas where the Triton matches the Navara, including all-terrain tires and basic cloth trimmed manually adjustable seats.On the top-spec grades, the Triton has bigger alloy wheels, but they both have leather seats. The Navara’s top grade has a towbar fitted, but the Triton does not.Safety The Nissan Navara adopts the same five-star ANCAP safety rating awarded to the Mitsubishi Triton in 2024. Both get all the safety gear you would expect, such as eight airbags, lane keep assist and auto-emergency. As standard, both cars get a reversing camera and front and rear parking sensors. VerdictThe Mitsubishi Triton appears to be the value buy here as it gets most of the gear as on the Navara, but for a cheaper price. The Triton's special drive-away price makes it more compelling for now, but the price gap will close once that offer is removed.The Triton may be the budget pick, but the Navara’s benefits are not obvious from the spec sheet. Its Aussie-tuned suspension and rear-differential lock could give it the edge on the off-roading scene, while also aiding the on-road driving experience. 

Pricing for the incoming BYD Shark 6 cab-chassis ute has been revealed on the website RedBook.It will start from $55,900, before on-road costs, which is $2000 cheaper than the pick-up version of the popular ute already in Australia. BYD Australia when contacted for comment said that the company was not in a position to share an official launch date for the new variant. The cab-chassis Shark 6 does not have a direct rival in Australia with the Ford Ranger PHEV being a pick-up-exclusive variant. GWM is preparing a budget PHEV ute in China, which has good prospects for an Australian launch some time this year, but it looks like that will be a pick-up-only variant as well. BYD’s newest ute Down Under was first revealed in late November when it appeared in Department of Infrastructure filings confirming sale approval. These latest details reveal the car will miss out on some of the Shark 6 pick-up’s gear, such as a head-up display along with heated and ventilated front seats.It will still have a digital driver display and central touchscreen display, but the leather-wrapped steering wheel has been replaced by a synthetic one. It can also now be confirmed that the ute will have the same power set-up as found on the pick-up variant. A 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine and dual electric motors, producing 321kW and 650Nm. The ute has a 29.6kWh lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery, with an electric-only driving range of 100km, according to generous NEDC testing.The cab-chassis increases the payload to 900kg, but capacity will decrease with any tub or trailer installed. braked towing capacity remains at 2500kg.This news comes as BYD prepares to update the pick-up variant of the ute later in 2026. It is expected to be fitted with front and rear differential locks and a two-speed transfer-case, which would likely come with a price bump. 

Toyota’s small ute plans appear to have been put on hold in the United States, according to reports.The small Toyota ute was seen as a potential future rival to the popular Ford Maverick in the US.It was thought there were strong prospects for a small ute from Toyota in the middle of last year. Toyota's Chief Operating Officer in the United States Mark Templin said the brand was “looking at it”. A senior vice president in charge of planning and strategy at Toyota Motor North America Cooper Ericksen echoed the COO's words."We could really do well in that segment, so we’re trying to do it," Ericksen said in a separate interview with The Japan Times. "It’s a matter of timing."Like the Maverick, it was speculated that a Toyota compact ute would be built on an SUV monocoque platform, potentially the RAV4's. This would differ from the HiLux and other major ute players underpinned by a ladder-frame chassis.Plans for the ute seemed to be at an advanced stage, with Toyota even going as far as to reveal a concept in 2023, which was said to be hybrid powered.It now looks like those plans are on hold with Templin pouring cold water on the immediate prospects of a compact ute, emphasising patience. “It’s a really intriguing segment for us, but the whole segment right now is 160,000 to 170,000,” Templin recently told Auto News.“When the market’s right, we may have something.”It looks like continuing US tariff trouble is behind Toyota’s hesitation.The future of the United States-Mexico-Canada trade agreement may be up in the air after recent comments from the US administration on the topic. A trade deal collapse could spell the end of any small ute plans for Toyota, with manufacturing costs in the US and consequent steep pricing making production difficult to justify.

Could the Shark 6 be about to take a bigger chunk out of the dual-cab market?The brand has come as close as it ever has to admitting there’s a driveline upgrade in the works for the Shark 6 dual-cab that would make the vehicle a more serious off-road contender.That would make it more attractive to recreational four-wheel-drive users as well as open up new fleet possibilities.BYD Australia’s Chief Operation Office Stephen Collins told Carsguide that "some improvements" to the Shark 6 were in the works.“I can’t tell you the specifics,” he said, but confirmed the changes would probably come sometime “…later in the year”.Mr Collins called the changes an "upgrade" leading to speculation the Shark 6 might grow front and rear differential locks and a two-speed transfer-case, which would vastly improve its off-road performance, the factor that is seen as the Shark 6’s weakest link right now.Chief Product Officer for BYD Australia Sajid Hasan backed up that theory, explaining that the Shark 6’s existing architecture had already been engineered for greater off-road ability.“It’s a possibility, because it’s (the Shark 6) based on a platform that already uses low-range (in the transfer-case (which the current Shark 6 sold here does not) and diff locks. So it’s mechanically possible,” he told Carsguide.The Shark 6 has been a runaway success for BYD, selling 1108 units in January this year, and helping BYD in the chase for its long-term goal of being a top-five brand in Australia.“At the end of 20204, we were 16th, and at the end of 2025, we were eighth. We just want to keep improving,” Mr Collin said. “The next phase is to get into the top five and that’s a priority.”Part of that process will be a push into the fleet market which BYD had, until now, not fully exploited, Mr Collins said.“One of the key opportunities (for BYD) is fleets,” he said. “It’s a stable market and customers want fit for purpose vehicles, and are interested in the whole of life cost.”“For us, so far, this has only been 10 per cent of our volume, but we see this as a really important part of our business going forward.”“We’re not in the top 20 fleet brands (in Australia) yet. But we’re working hard to improve that performance.”

Ford is planning five new budget models, including utes and SUVs, according to Automotive News. The Blue Oval will introduce five models priced under US$40,000 (under $55,000) by 2030 as it builds up its affordable options. These models will offer the brand some competitive alternatives to ever-expanding lineups from Chinese rivals.The first model will be an all-electric ute in 2027, potentially called Ranchero, built on its new Universal EV platform and part of a push into affordable EVs for the brand.It is expected the ute will have a price tag of about US$30,000, which is circa-$46,000.The Universal platform differs from the Global Electrified 1 platform used by the Ford Mach-E SUV. Electric ute options remain scarce and pricey in the market, with Toyota’s coming HiLux EV the most notable example so far.Ford recently ended production on its F-150 Lightning full-size pick-up EV due to slow demand.President of Ford Blue and Model e Andrew Frick said the five models would employ a variety in the power set-ups, wearing new names and focusing on affordability.“It will be across our lineup of cars, trucks, SUVs, vans, and it will be multi-energy,” Frick told Automotive News.  “That’ll start to fill in the product side, but we have work to do to help affordability in the near term more tactically.“I would say there’s probably 10 actions that we’ll do to help affordability.”Frick’s comments also outline that SUVs will form part of the five incoming models under the budget plan. Nothing further has been confirmed on that front yet, but it is unclear if Australia will see these budget models, given they will be built in America and likely be left-hand drive.These electrified models could assist Ford in Australia, offering valuable credit towards its Australia’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) situation, with most of its current models being internal combustion powered.The Blue Oval only has a plug-in hybrid version of its best-selling Ranger ute as well as the Mustang Mach-E SUV and Transit Custom EVs.Ford’s last SUV model on sale in Australia was the Escape, which never took off in Australia. It is anticipated Australia will get a China-built variant of the Ford Bronco SUV to fill this space, which uses a range-extender hybrid set-up. 

GWM’s Cannon ute will get plug-in hybrid power in 2026 as a potential budget option to battle the BYD Shark 6.The Cannon PHEV has appeared in Ministry of Industry and Information Technology filings over in China, according to AutoHome. A spokesperson for GWM Australia said there was nothing to confirm at this stage about the Cannon PHEV’s future in Australia. It is likely the petrol-electric ute will arrive Down Under, as the plug-in hybrid ute market is expanding rapidly as emission regulations trample conventional ute options. Australia is also a major export market for GWM, which puts us at the front of the queue for new models.It will give GWM a second plug-in hybrid ute choice for buyers, which is likely to come in cheaper than competitors in the space. The more expensive Cannon Alpha ute already has a plug-in variant in Australia, which starts from $61,490 (drive-away). The Cannon PHEV’s 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine and electric motor will produce 185kW, a far cry from the hot selling Shark 6's 321kW. We also know the ute will employ a lithium-iron-phosphate battery.  The Cannon PHEV measures up bigger than diesel Cannon, at 5653mm long compared to 5416mm and with a wheelbase of 3470mm as opposed to 3230mm.The Cannon PHEV will face some stiff competition if it comes here, with the BYD Shark 6 plug-in hybrid ute (the current 2026 CarsGuide Car of the Year best ute). It is priced from $57,900 drive-away.If it comes to Australia it is likely the Cannon PHEV will be cheaper than the Shark 6, given the base dual-cab diesel variant starts from $35,990 (drive-away). Ford's Ranger PHEV is more expensive, but again offers more grunt and a 3500kg towing capacity.The Cannon PHEV could be following a similar trajectory to many other GWM products on their route to Australia. GWM Australia officially announced the Tank 300 PHEV soon after its official China unveiling last year. Based on this, it can be speculated we might see the Cannon PHEV hit Australian showrooms in the next few months.

Where is the Toyota HiLux hybrid?Nine generations in since 1972, you would expect there to be a series-parallel petrol-electric version of one of Australia’s most popular – and, to some people, beloved – vehicles.With some 18,000 BYD Shark 6 plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) sold in Australia last year, it is clear that even ute consumers are gravitating away from diesel and into less-polluting powertrain alternatives.This is especially true given that all of Toyota’s car-based SUVs and passenger cars minus the GR86 coupe are now offered exclusively as hybrids in Australia.The answer, it seems, is implied in the previous sentence, since the rest of the Japanese giant’s model line-up, including all body-on-frame SUVs and commercial vehicles including the Toyota HiAce van, barring the Tundra full-sized pick-up that is remanufactured in Melbourne from North America, are powered by diesel engines.And the latter barely counts since it costs from $155,990 before on-road costs, making it a strictly niche proposition.“In simplistic terms, it just gets down to capability and cost you know,” according to former Toyota Motor Company Australia (TMCA) Vice President Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations, Sean Hanley.“You still need to have that diesel engine that could do the things that customer want to do. There's nothing more or less in it than that.”Hanley explained that, right now, only diesel-powered engines can achieve the level of towing and Gross Vehicle Mass (the total amount a vehicle is allowed to weigh when fully loaded) within a certain price point in models like HiLux and HiAce. Later on, things may change.“There's costs, you know,” he said.“Developing these kinds of vehicles in a light commercial vehicle (LCV) cost a lot of money.“So, is the timing right for it? Now, I agree. We've been doing it a long time. It's proven technology; but in an LCV right now, for what, where we'd position it, where it would be positioned, is that really right for the Australian market… or other global markets? Maybe it is, but our assessment is not right now, but at some point (yes).”However, if LCV consumers are clamouring for hybrids, the vehicles must make financial sense, particularly to a company like Toyota.“Okay there may be a demand for the technology, because the technology is good,” Hanley added.“But, when you put the cost of it and the capability of it and the position of it, it doesn't make sense. It may not stack up right now. Doesn't mean it's forever. It's a period.“It's because making an LCV is a far different proposition than making a sedan. It's a far different proposition than making a light SUV, a heavy SUV… this is a far bigger challenge than you truly might understand.”“That's the longer version of why (there is no HiLux or HiAce hybrids); in simple terms, it’s all about capability, positioning, price and cost.”Toyota’s famously cautious approach mirrors its delayed electric vehicle (EV) strategy, which seems to have been the prudent move now as the take-up rate has slowed and Australians are favouring hybrids and PHEVs.“It's no different to when we approached battery EVs,” Hanley said.“You see, there's a cost of making these cars, and in the end, you've got to deliver what the customer wants, but you've also got to be commercially relevant.“These are lessons we learned from hybrid. You know, we learned these lessons now, what's the difference? Well, the difference will only be the timeframe of take up. EVs will be quicker than hybrid was. Hybrid took 24 years to get to where we are today. Now it's just an everyday mainstream car. No one even talks about it, except they say they want one.“EVs will be the same in time. It just won't be 24 years. It'll be a bit quicker.“The reality is those who get the timing right and take customer on the journey will get will be the winner.”

For the past two years Chinese car brands seemed to be in the fast lane to sales success — but it looks like at least one brand has hit the brakes.The latest new car sales data, released for January, shows further decline for MG to start 2026 after suffering a significant 18.4 per cent sales drop in 2025. The formerly British brand still held onto its place in the top 10, but will need a quick turnaround to maintain that as the year progresses.Business Director for MG Motor Australia Kevin Gannon said: "A challenging market across the industry makes our upward movement in ranking hard fought. January results reflect how MG Motor is entering 2026 with a great expanded product line up suited to local needs, we've been here for 10 years, we're planning for the next 10 years and more, and that we're fully committed to being the brand of choice of Australian drivers this year."The 2025 result was particularly notable given the brand’s aggressive product expansion last year, with the new-generation HS and MG3 as well as the all-new QS and S5 SUVs plus the much-hyped U9 ute. On top of this, there was the launch of the IM Motors sub-brand, which adds its sales to MG’s total.Former MG Australia boss Peter Ciao, had high expectations, telling CarsGuide in April last year that he was anticipating around 60,000 sales thanks to the expanded line-up. In the end the brand finished with 41,298.The January results show major year-on-year declines for the MG3 (down 38.6%), MG4 (down 63.9%) and MG5 (down 91.4%). The good news for the brand is both the HS (up 38.5%) and ZS (up 4.5%) remain popular with buyers.However, the problem for the brand appears to be the acceptance of its new models. The QS in particular has struggled to make a major impact in the large SUV segment, finishing 2025 with just 1023 sales, compared to the most popular model in the class, the Ford Everest, which sold more than 26,000 units.The U9 also failed to make a major difference to MG’s Australian hopes, despite getting to market quickly and with a competitive price. It averaged just 157 sales per month after going on sale in October, well below the most popular models in the segment.Ciao’s aspirations of MG becoming a top three brand in the country appear to be on the backburner for now, with new management set to be installed following this sales slide.MG parent company, SAIC Motor International (SMIL), announced in early January that Quing Zhang, currently the Vice President of SMIL will add CEO of MG Australia and New Zealand to his responsibilities, replacing Ciao. He will not be based at the company’s Sydney office however, instead Felix Jiang has been appointed as Senior Vice President for Australia and New Zealand and will be based here to lead the day-to-day operations.“SAIC Motor has established an excellent footing in the ANZ market over the past decade, and we now look forward with great excitement to fuelling our next phase of growth by introducing innovative products that deeply resonate with and meet local demands,” Zhang said at the time of his appointment.A leadership change is typical when a brand fails to reach its sales targets, and doesn’t negate the work that Ciao did in the eight years he led the local operation. But it is clear that MG is headed in the wrong direction on the sales charts so something needed to change.Whether or not the brand can recover in time, or will now have to play a supporting role behind the more popular Chinese brands — BYD, GWM and Chery — remains to be seen.