Ute News

Sharply-priced deals can be the best way for buyers to get into a new car in Australia. Car sales are surging, with June 2026 an all-time monthly Australian record. Brands continue to put enticing deals on the table, even for their most popular models.From SUVs to utes and hybrid to electric, there are plenty of cars on offer at a cut price. Here are some of the best ones we’ve found. Ford is currently offering $3000 off and five free general services on select Ranger ute and Everest SUV models until the 30th of September. The 2.0-litre diesel Ranger XLT 2WD top-spec dual-cab model is now available from $49,990, before on-road costs. The V6-powered Wildtrak grade of the 4WD dual-cab pick-up is available from $72,090.The 4WD XLS and XLT cab-chassis grades start from $55,450 and $63,590, respectively, as part of the offer. Two grades of the V6 Everest SUV are also eligible for the $3000 discount, with the Sport starting from $73,990, while the Tremor starts from $76,990. These deals are only available on the Blue Oval’s MY26.5 stock.Peugeot is offering some serious discounts on its hybrid SUVs as it parts ways with its local distributor Inchcape. The 2008 compact SUV is available on a drive-away offer of $39,990, with it previously on sale from $42,990, before on-road costs. The mid-sized 3008 starts from $48,990, drive-away, down from $52,990 (before on-road costs). Peugeot’s 5008 large SUV has a drive-away price of $48,990, contrasting its $52,990, before on-road costs, price tag. Leapmotor has put a series of sharp deals on the table for its electrified SUV range until September 30. The mid-sizer C10 range-extender hybrid has a $42,990 drive-away offer, with a $3000 cash-back offer reducing that price to $38,990. The car normally retails from $43,888, before on-road costs. EV versions of the C10 are also available on a drive-away deal of $47,990, with an additional $3000 cash back decreasing the price to $44,990. This is a sizeable discount on the $45,888 before on-road costs starting price. The smaller B10 EV is available from $38,990, drive-away, down from $43,888 (before on-road costs).BYD continues to add competitive deals across its line-up in Australia. Shark 6 cab-chassis and Premium examples are available with a $2500 cash-back until July 31. This reduces before on-road costs pricing on the cab-chassis price to $52,500, and $60,500 on the Premium. The cash-back offer extends to its Sealion 5, Sealion 6 and Sealion 7 SUV range, with the Atto 3 electric SUV eligible for a $2000 cash back. Chery similarly has $2000 cash-back offers on most of its range including the Tiggo 4, Tiggo 7, Tiggo 8 and Tiggo 9 SUVs. This deal is only available until 31 August on cars built in 2025.Nissan has slashed the price of its Navara ute range until August 31. There are heavy discounts on lower grade Navara units, with the base car available from $49,990 (drive-away), down from $53,348, before on-road costs. The range-topping Navara Pro-4X ute is just $63,990, drive-away, compared to its original $68,418, before on-road costs pricing. Existing Nissan customers are also eligible for a $2000 loyalty bonus. 

GAC’s forthcoming ute is expected to forego diesel power in favour of electrification.Rather than trying to compete with the established internal combustion engine (ICE) offerings in Australia’s ute scene like the Toyota HiLux, Ford Ranger, Isuzu D-Max and Mitsubishi Triton, the as-yet unnamed GAC ute will only be offered as an electrified model.GAC Australia CEO Kevin Shu confirmed the ute’s powertrains at the recent announcement of GAC’s sponsorship of Melbourne City FC.“We're focusing on the new energy I think, rather than the traditional engine,” he told CarsGuide.‘New energy’ is a term largely used by Chinese carmakers that refers to electrified drivetrains like hybrid, plug-in hybrid or battery electric.When pressed on what that meant for the ute specifically, Shu said: “Plug-in hybrid or REEV.”REEV refers to a range-extender electric vehicle (sometimes called EREVs, or extended-range electric vehicles), which uses an internal combustion engine to generate power for an electric motor. Leapmotor’s C10 is an example of this, while fellow Chinese challenger XPeng is also planning to roll out the technology.He added that while a number of traditional rivals stick with pure internal combustion power for utes, GAC would chase new demand.“Competitors focus on diesel, petrol. We have to use customer demand.”The runaway success of the plug-in hybrid BYD Shark 6, also from China, suggests this could be a smart strategy from GAC. The BYD is currently the third best-selling 4x4 pick-up in Australia, according to January to June sales figures.Chery has also confirmed its diesel-electric plug-in hybrid Stockman ute for a late 2026 launch.Shu reiterated that GAC is planning a further four new models for Australia next year. One of those could well be the Yue 7 SUV that will share underpinnings with the as-yet unnamed pick-up. However, it could push into early 2028.As reported by CarsGuide, the Yue 7 is a five-seat SUV that counts rivals including the Toyota Prado and Denza B5. It will be powered by a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 125kW, with dual electric motors (one on each axle) for a total system power output of 400kW.It will be fitted with a 46kWh battery pack allowing for an EV-only driving range of 188km on the lenient CLTC standard. There’s also a smaller 28.3kWh battery, with 116km of driving range.GAC says it stands apart from its rivals as it offers buyers four different powertrain options - pure internal combustion (ICE), hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric vehicle.Shu also dismissed spinning off sub-brands from the GAC parent brand.In the UK, for example, Aion is its own sub-brand. In some markets it also offers Hyptec, while Trumpchi is a China-market brand. There’s also the recent tie-in with Huawei, called Qijing in China or Aistaland internationally.Shu said the reason for maintaining GAC in Australia rather than launching so many sub-brands was because of ease of communicating GAC’s offer.One of GAC’s main competitors in China and Australia is Chery, which, famously, has multiple sub-brands and more on the way. They include Omoda Jaecoo, Lepas, Jetour, iCaur and Freelander.

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)   

Buyers still love 4WDs in Australia. It remains a big-selling segment, but some of its biggest hitters are suffering losses.China is starting to get a foothold in the market with budget offerings posing a serious threat to established regulars.Emissions-heavy vehicles such as 4WDs are also coming under fire from increasingly stringent rules in Australia.Here is the rundown of the best-selling 4WDs up to June 2026. The Ford Everest large SUV is up front with more than 11,000 sales in 2026 so far, despite a near 10 per cent year-on-year drop. It is based on the Ford Ranger, which is the best-selling ute in Australia.The Toyota Prado takes second place with more than 9000 sales so far this year, but it has experienced an even sharper drop of nearly 42 per cent year-on-year.The Prado is a scaled down version of the LandCruiser 300 Series, using a 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine, as opposed to the more powerful V6. Isuzu’s MU-X is third, making 7564 sales up to June, but it too experienced a more minor slump of 3.2 per cent. The LandCruiser 300 Series is currently fourth on the standings, and is the only car in the top five to have experienced a substantial growth in sales. Its 6451 sales constitutes a 26.3 per cent rise compared to first six months of 2025.Toyota also released a performance petrol hybrid V6 variant earlier this year.The Suzuki Jimny rounds out the top five as a much smaller and cheaper competitor to those above it. Priced from $31,990, before on-road costs, the Jimny is down 11.1 per cent compared to this time last year, while still amassing 3882 sales. The Nissan Patrol is down nearly 25 per cent compared to its sales result up to June 2025, with 2843 sales so far in 2026. The current Y62 petrol V8 Patrol will cease production next month, and order books for a new twin-turbo V6 will open later. GWM’s Tank 300 mid-size SUV off-roader has continued to surge up the sales charts in 2026, with 2759 sales so far.The Tank 300 is available in petrol, diesel, plug-less hybrid and plug-in hybrid set-ups - more varied than any of its competitors. BYD’s Denza sub-brand is another Chinese rival experiencing a solid sales return in Australia.Its B5 plug-in hybrid SUV has already accumulated 1445 sales this year, having only gone on sale in December 2025.Its bigger sibling the B8 is also approaching the 1000-unit mark midway through this year. The ultra-luxury GMC Yukon Denali from the United States is starting to pick up momentum in Australia. The V8-powered eight-seater Yukon Denali went on sale in the middle of last year, but 2026 has seen sales explode by nearly 190 per cent. It remains a low-volume model with only 202 sales, as it carries a $174,990 price tag. The 4WD segment is about undergo some serious changes in the next few months, including an influx of new models.The Mitsubishi Pajero will return to Australia, along with several new Chinese competitors likely to join it over the next 18 months.The anticipated Geely Galaxy Cruiser is slated for a UK launch, meaning Australia could its next step, while the GAC Yue 7 also seems to be on the way. 

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. 

We all secretly knew it, but now it's official: Ute and four-wheel-drive owners rarely use their vehicles as intended.Utes and rough-and-tumble 4WDs are some of the best-selling vehicles in the country, and if you have ever spent any time on the road you'll see it is dominated by Ford Rangers, Toyota HiLuxes and Pradoes and a range of newer vehicles such as the BYD Shark 6, GWM Tank 300 and Denza B5.Now new data from Continental tyres shows most high-riding and rough-road-ready vehicles rarely make it out of the suburbs.The survey polled 2000 Australian ute and 4WD owners across the country aged 18-years-old and above.Only 18 per cent of those surveyed said they had used their vehicle’s off-road capabilities frequently, while 22 per cent said they never went 4WDing.A further 21 per cent said they had gone off-road once or twice, and shockingly two per cent said they weren’t even aware of their car’s off-road ability.Of the drivers surveyed, 33 per cent said they take their vehicle off-road every few months, while 22 per cent said they never take their ute or 4WD off-roading. Twenty one per cent said once a year and only six per cent said every weekend,Surprisingly only 22 per cent of respondents said they bought their ute or 4WD for its off-road ability, with towing capacity (21 per cent) and space for the family (20 per cent) also the main reasons for the purchase.But if people aren't going off-road regularly, what are they using them for?The most common use of the vehicle was for grocery runs, with 57 per cent of those polled stating they do that on a weekly basis.This was followed by commuting to work (52 per cent) and weekend getaways (41 per cent).Only 20 per cent said they used the vehicle for camping or off-roading weekly.And the most common off-roading use in suburban areas was to tackle gravel or dirt carparks followed by grassed areas at local parks or sports fields.And the biggest challenge for utes and 4WDs? That’s parking in tight carparks and driving in poor weather conditions, followed by hitting a pothole.

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. 

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.

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.