Ute News

Fuel prices are soaring across the board whether it is petrol or diesel. Some drivers are being more affected than others as lower fuel efficiency contributes to higher refuelling costs. Here are the most expensive cars to run currently in Australia based on fuel efficiency. Other contributing factors to the high fuel costs on this list include the fact many of the cars have big fuel tanks and require premium fuel.Fuel prices have been calculated using the average prices for fuel in New South Wales and at an average of 15,000km driven per year. Among the heaviest guzzlers is the Nissan Patrol four-wheel drive, with its 5.6-litre V8 drinking fuel at a rate of 14.4L/100km. Its 140-litre fuel tank and requirement for premium unleaded petrol means it costs $364 per fill-up and a total yearly cost of $5617.28. The Patrol will move to a more efficient 3.5-litre six-cylinder twin-turbo petrol, which is expected to reduce fuel costs. The Ford Mustang sports car is another V8 on this list, with its 5.0-litre unit registering average fuel efficiency at 13.6L/100km and a yearly cost of $5310.27.Ford’s other representative is the Ranger Raptor high-end ute, powered by a twin-turbo six-cylinder petrol engine costing $4482.76 per year. The Ineos Grenadier off-roader is the most expensive model to run and costs $5618.50 a year to run, in part due to it being diesel, which has been the fuel type that has increased the most. The Lexus GX550 has refuelling costs of $208 per fill-up currently, costing $4800 for the year, along with nearly $3000 for the Jeep Gladiator, which unlike many on this list can run off E10 fuel.The 6.2-litre petrol V8 found in the Chevrolet Silverado full-size pick-up has an economy of more than 12 litres per 100km, costing $4,356.30 over the year.  Genesis’ GV70 luxury SUV costs more $4400 per year in fuel, a similar figure to the supercharged 5.0-litre V8 variants of the Land Rover Defender. Highest fuel efficiency new vehicles on sale under $150,000 

Diesel utes have been the dominant forces in Australia for the past decade, but that could be about to change.The Ford Ranger and the Toyota HiLux have been the top two sellers in the past 10 years, and they combined for more than 100,000 sales in 2025.The pair have carried on this popularity into 2026, sitting at the top for January and February this year. Other diesel ute rivals such as the Isuzu Ute D-Max and Mitsubishi Triton are selling well. That could be all be about to change sooner than we thought. It could be the case that a perfect storm of external factors will wipe out the diesel in ute in Australia.There is a new factor is emerging that could accelerate the diesel ute’s seemingly inevitable decline. The price of diesel fuel has increased substantially more than petrol, approaching the $3 mark per litre.I went to fill up my diesel car the other day.As I pulled into the service station, a man had just finished filling up his V8 diesel LandCruiser 200 Series. $287 for 99L - he had not even brimmed the tank. You’d get a better rate when topping up your light aircraft with aviation fuel. He asked if I wanted to swap. I politely declined.No doubt big fleet buyers will be watching closely as the costs of purchasing and running these diesel utes shoots up, along with the potential increase in costs as NVES pressures creep in. Fleet sales are crucial to the success of the Ford Ranger and the Toyota HiLux, with them also contributing heavily to other ute brands.Fuel prices will also be an increasingly big head turner for private buyers. Alternatives such as the petrol plug-in hybrid BYD Shark 6 offer superior fuel efficiency when charged as well as being cheaper to fill up.Toyota announced its all-electric HiLux ute recently, which has been met with a mixed reception due to concerns over driving range and towing capacity, but it at least shows brands are already looking away from diesel. Chery’s incoming KP31 ute will debut in Australia this year with a diesel plug-in hybrid set-up, which is expected to have the 3500kg towing capacity. Something the Shark 6 currently lacks.The popularity of diesel hybrid set-ups will be an indication of the survival chances for the diesel ute in Australia. It could be argued the longer diesel prices continue to rise, the shorter the diesel ute's lifespan will be.Compounding this is new emissions laws.The Federal Government's National Vehicle Emissions Standard (NVES) delivered a rude awakening for some. The NVES sets emissions targets based on CO2 gram-per-kilometre limits. Vehicles sold that fall over the limit subsequently incur liabilities, which will attract hefty fines in the future for brands. Brands incur fines on vehicles sold, which have an interim emissions value of more than zero. Mazda, which sells its BT-50 ute in Australia among an internal combustion heavy lineup, accumulated a whopping more than 500,000 liabilities. Subsequently many brands, including Honda and Mazda have introduced priced increases across key internal combustion models this year.There appears to be two routes for brands. Either pass on the extra costs, or ditch diesel. Diesel utes could be about to skyrocket in price and brands scramble to account for fines on sales.In a more extreme example, Ford CEO Jim Farley recently threatened to axe the brand’s local engineering program responsible for the best-selling Ford Ranger.“Something your government, or any government, has to be very sensitive to around the CO2 glide path. We want to reduce our CO2 footprint, but there’s a level that the customer can’t afford, and not all duty cycles can be electrified,” Farley told CarsGuide.“It’s a completely open market and also pushing CO2 , arguably way beyond the customer requirements.“ needs to decide if they want to help us equalise the cost differential … because this is among the most expensive places to have engineers on the planet.”We have already seen somewhat of a winding back of Ford’s Ranger line-up Down Under, with the brand discontinuing sale of its bi-turbo diesel engine, in favour of a cleaner single turbo variant.

As Hyundai’s game-changing dual-cab ute inches closer, more details of just what to expect from the brand’s answer to the Kia Tasman, Toyota HiLux, Ford Ranger and BYD Shark 6 are beginning to surface.The clock is ticking, though, as a new wave of utes from China wash over the Aussie new car market.New utes are big news, and so we here at CarsGuide have once again popped on our detective hats to bring you everything we know about Hyundai’s first ute in Australia.What sort of engine will the Hyundai ute have?The one thing we know for certain is that it won’t be powered by a diesel engine. Unlike the Tasman (and the vast majority of utes sold in Australia, for that matter), Hyundai is ditching the diesel, rightly predicting that the world will have moved on by the time its ute arrives."Australia doesn't need another diesel ute,” Hyundai's new local chief, Don Romano, has previously told us. ”I think we have to look at options. And I can't tell you whether that's a PHEV, a HEV or a BEV, but I think those are options that have to be considered. And I think those are the areas that will give us an opportunity for expansion.”It’s a decision no doubt solidified by the success of the BYD Shark 6, and its petrol plug-in hybrid powertrain, and it seems Hyundai will be taking a different approach, only sans one plug.It is increasingly likely — in fact, I’d say it’s almost certain — that the Hyundai pickup will debut a new Hyundai REEV powertrain that’s nearing its launch. Details are skinny for now, but expect an electric-first powertrain supplemented by a petrol engine, with the latter used to recharge the battery or power the electric motors. Hyundai says a total range of 1000kms is possible, and expects to launch the technology in 2027. The technology appears tailored for ute use, too."The beauty of EREVs lies in combining EV driving characteristics — instant high torque and serene cabin space — with a longer range. It’s kind of a modern hybrid: You can use it as an EV on a daily basis, but if you have to take a long trip, and you don’t want to carefully plan your route around EV charging stations, it provides seamless driving with the ICE generating electricity for you. This freedom is generating a lot of excitement around the world,” says Manfred Harrer, Head of the Vehicle Development Tech Unit at Hyundai Motor Group."But there’s more to EREVs than range. There’s also the ample power for towing capacity — the energy to tow something like a horse trailer — which remains an unsolved issue with EVs.Will the Hyundai ute be based on the Tasman?This is where the mystery deepens. When news of Hyundai’s ute first broke, Mr Romano made special mention of the brand’s global partnership with GM, and the commitment Hyundai HQ had made to co-develop two utes, largely for South and Central America.That remains on the table, but given the expense poured into the Tasman, and the fact that it too is being prepped for electrification, it seems crazy that Hyundai wouldn’t at least use that ladder frame platform as a base for its ute."If we used the body-on-frame, that's the Tasman, made from our factory in Korea, that could be sooner,” Mr Romano has said. ”We are looking at different drivetrains, and all of that adds time. So it's going to be step one; Tasman, diesel, ok, change the engine, ok, let's look at what else we have available from GM, ok, what's the timing on that?Will it be capable on- and off-road?Short answer? Yep. Hyundai’s ute offering will be a ladder-frame solution at least partly tailored to our markets and conditions, and that means a ute that can carry, tow and hold its own off-road. "We're continually feeding into HQ and other regional offices about what our requirements would be. We've been studying for 15-odd years and the proposal continually updates,” says Hyundai's Product Development Manager, Tim Rodgers."There's a huge portfolio of information that HQ has about our market, our market requirements, how we view the market, what would be successful, what would be a differentiated offering, what would be a mainstream offering.”When will the Hyundai ute launch?Happily, the window is shrinking. What began as a 2030 timeframe has been reduced to 2028, with Hyundai Australia COO Gavin Donaldson confirming that was now the rough window. 

It’s been a minute since the only cars we would regularly see wearing a strip of blue and white Sillitoe tartan down the side were the Holden Commodore, Ford Falcon and sometimes Toyota Camry.The world of police cars and vehicles has broadened — Ford Rangers, Hyundai Santa Fes, Volkswagen Passats, the list goes on. All must be practical, of course, and for different purposes.But there are new things to consider now, like hybrids and EVs, new ute options and of course which cars will be the PR show cars, the ones that don’t really have to work too hard. Here are five suggestions from across the spectrum.BYD Shark 6Something about a ute in white with police decals and a bullbar on the front just works. Our digital artist Thanos Pappas has rendered the Shark 6 as a police car both in the red dirt of rural Australia, and in the Sydney CBD.Australia and its vastly different environments could be the perfect place to see if the innovative BYD Shark 6 has what it takes to ‘keep the streets safe’ as it were.While its electric ability would make it ideal for city and suburban patrols, its petrol power means range anxiety on longer routes isn’t a concern.The big question surrounds its ability to off-road - CarsGuide’s off-road guru Marcus Craft deemed it suitable for “light to moderate off-roading” only, though we’re not sure how many police chases end up requiring rock-crawls and hill-climbs.Still, it looks good in the livery, and isn’t that the most important thing about policing? Right? Isn’t it?Kia TasmanPerhaps a little closer to reality is the idea of a Kia Tasman police car. Not only is there already a strong relationship between Kia (and Hyundai) and many police services around the country but there’s even a mock-up Tasman cop car already.During 2025 there was even a period that around Australia “multiple jurisdictions considering and are interested” in using the Tasman for policing.Whether that comes to fruition is yet to be seen - a lot of testing has to be done before a car is deemed suitable for police work, perhaps one reason a couple of other cars on this list may fall short in certain areas.Ford MustangThe Mustang is one such car that might have a couple of downsides - the inability to to detain someone safely being one - but police have often had high-powered highway patrol cars or community engagement vehicles that aren’t really built for your everyday patrols.It wouldn’t be the first time this has come up - about ten years ago the NSW Police Force was considering a Mustang GT for highway patrol, but the previous generation car was struggling with some overheating issues under hard testing.The Ford Mustang seems like a good choice given it’s an easy design to admire, it’s actually a very capable sports car, and it’s got a link to the former FPV patrol cars in the form of its Coyote 5.0-litre engine, on which FPV’s Miami V8 was based.Toyota RAV4This might seem like a boring, obvious answer, but the incoming Toyota RAV4 would make a really sensible car for Australian police.The hybrid of it all, not to mention Toyota’s long history of supplying police cars and its reputation for reliability.That and if the current RAV4 is anything to go by, the new one should be a fairly capable and easy-to-use thing.Genesis G70Victoria Police announced in 2017 it would add dozens of BMW 5 Series highway patrol cars to its fleet, so why not a similar rear-drive sports sedan from the sibling brand to Hyundai, models from which police have been using for some time now.A 3.3-litre twin-turbo engine with 274kW and 510Nm, plus some decent handling and dynamics alongside a design I reckon would suit the blue and white (and yellow in highway patrol form).

Toyota is reportedly readying a full-blown, off-road-ready rival to the Ford F-150 Raptor and Ram 1500 TRX.The Japanese carmaker has submitted a trademark application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for the name TRD Hammer.It’s understood the name could be applied to a new flagship, off-road-ready version of the full-size Tundra pick-up to sit above the existing TRD Pro.This follows a survey that was sent out to Tundra owners in the US, as shared on the Tundras.com owner forum, asking them to rank a series of names for a future vehicle.The list of names included TRD Baja, TRD Iron, TRD Pro-S, TRD Hammer, TRD Bizurk and TRD Quake.In order to rank the names, survey recipients were given the following description – ”This high-performance truck package is designed for off-road enthusiasts, featuring long-travel suspension and 37” all-terrain tyres. With the truck’s unique wide fenders, high-clearance bumpers, and a powerful engine, it achieves exceptional off-road capability and performance.”We mightn’t have to wait long for this new, off-road-ready version of the Tundra to be revealed as at least one camouflaged prototype has already been spied in the US, featuring what appears to be all the above points.At this stage now other official details have been confirmed about this forthcoming off-road-ready Tundra.It’s unclear whether it will feature a different engine or if it will still receive the 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 i-Force Max hybrid engine that’s available elsewhere in the line-up. It could be tuned to produce more power and torque, though the current version already produces 326kW and 790Nm.If it does feature the same engine, this could make the Tundra TRD Hammer more of a rival to the Chevrolet Silverado ZR2.This isn’t the first time Toyota has hinted at creating a Ford F-150 Raptor or Ram 1500 TRX rival.In 2021 the Japanese carmaker showed off the TRD Desert Chase Tundra concept that was created for the SEMA show.It featured 18-inch forged aluminium wheels wrapped in 37-inch all-terrain tyres, TRD-designed long-travel suspension, a wide-body kit, as well as a number of other accessories and features to make it appear ready to be a desert racing support vehicle.If the Tundra TRD Hammer does end up being revealed, it’s unclear if it will ever come to Australia.The Toyota Tundra launched locally in 2024 and is converted from left- to right-hand drive locally by Walkinshaw Automotive Group in Melbourne, Victoria.Currently only the Limited and Platinum trims are offered. Pricing currently starts at $155,990 before on-road costs for the former and $172,990 before on-road costs for the latter.

Mitsubishi Australia has announced the Triton Raider ute, which will launch in Australia this year as a new high-end off-road hero.There are no specification details about the vehicle at this stage, but we will learn more about it at the end of this month when it makes its full debut.On the face of things, it us shaping up as a direct rival to the Ford Ranger Raptor, which sits at the top of the Ford ute's range with 3.0-litre twin-turbo six-cylinder petrol engine producing 292kW and 583Nm.Whether the Triton Raider will have some sort of powertrain upgrade remains to be seen, with the brand thus far only saying the new variant has been "inspired by rally raid competitions" and will "have a focus on Australian engineering."The current 2.4-litre four-cylinder diesel found across the current Triton range produces 150kW and 470Nm.The Raider is likely to top out the Triton range, with the current most expensive version of the ute starting from $64,590, before on-road costs. The Ranger Raptor, for comparison, starts from more than $90,000.Mitsubishi also said the Triton Raider recently went through the Flinders Ranges in South Australia, demonstrating its rigorous pre-launch testing program.From the image provided, the ute keeps most of the Triton signature design points, but has several blacked out elements, such as the roof rails and door mirrors.It has exaggerated fenders to highlight its more rugged capabilities, suggesting upgrades to track or tyre width and suspension.The Triton is one of Mitsubishi’s best-selling models, only trailing the Outlander SUV for sales as of February 2026.It comes at a time when Mitsubishi is preparing to reintroduce its Pajero four-wheel drive this year, which is expected to be based on the current Triton ute like its Pajero Sport predecessor.This will give the Japanese brand two new models as it looks to snatch back sales from rivals such as Ford and Toyota, which still dominate the sales charts.

Kia HQ in Korea is going to extraordinary lengths to ensure the major update coming to the Tasman is the success in Australia they expected the current model to be, deploying experts from the USA and Korea to our market as well as surveying current Tasman owners on what they like, and what they'd like to see improved.These are steps understood to have never before been taken by Kia in our market – such is the importance of the Tasman – and are being spearheaded by Kia in Korea where work is building on a new-look update.The survey has been sent directly from Korea to Tasman owners across Australia, and is being shared widely across ownership Facebook groups here. The research is being conducted by TrendLab506 in Seoul, which describes itself as a "trend consulting agency based in Seoul, Korea, currently conducting the interviews with Tasman owners in Australia".Following the survey, select owners are then invited to a two-hour focus group online, as well as asked to complete an ownership diary.Incredibly, those who opt to complete the diary will be observed in real time by Kia researchers in Australia as they go about their daily driving lives. "Our research team will accompany participants during activities in which they use their Tasman to observe real-life usage and ask relevant questions," the study application reads. For completing the survey, owners are paid $30. For the focus group, the compensation is $300, while completing the owner's diary is rewarded with $600.Alongside the research study work have been trips by Kia's own R&D staff to Australia, both from Namyang in Korea and from the Hyundai America Technical Center Inc. (HATCI) in Michigan to review the Tasman here, along with the rest of Australia's dual-cab market.All of which points to a facelifted Tasman arriving sooner rather than later, with the current ute so far underperforming in Australia – by far the Tasman's most important market."We've been quite vocal, and we always have been with this car in particular," a Kia spokesperson recently told CarsGuide."We're very vocal with our superiors, and up front. We're definitely being very deliberate in what we think might be hampering its sales performance."If we want to be a third of the total production volume, they've got to be receptive.As to when we could expect a new-look Tasman, the brand cited the costs associated with a "major redesign".All of this is accompanied by what appeared to be a rear-drive version of the company's 2.5-litre turbo-hybrid powertrain spied testing in Europe – seemingly a perfect powertrain choice for a new Tasman.The powertrain in question, the 'TMED-II', is a powerful 2.5-litre turbo four-cylinder petrol-hybrid, producing a diesel-dominating 245kW and 460Nm of torque which is sent to all four wheels via a new six-speed automatic transmission.The powertrain has been flagged by Kia in Australia as the one "that would make sense" for the Tasman, with the brand's product chief, Roland Rivero, having told CarsGuide that hybrid would be the priority powertrain in the era of Australia's recently-implemented New Vehicle Efficiency Standards (NVES), which place increasingly tough penalties on high-emitting cars and utes.“With NVES currently in play, the priority would probably be more of an electrified hybrid, for example, to try and see us through to the longer term,” Mr Rivero previously told CarsGuide.With research work now well underway, a new Tasman looks increasingly likely to touchdown next year.

Fuel prices in Australia are soaring, meaning fuel efficiency in vehicles is a more important consideration than ever. Hybrid cars offer the potential for superior fuel efficiency compared to internal combustion power without the big price premium if fully electric or plug-in hybrid options. This makes them an increasingly attractive option for buyers given the current global climate. Hybrid sales are already booming in Australia, but will increases in fuel prices accelerate the shift away from pure internal combustion cars? NRMA spokesperson Peter Khoury said that while hybrid sales are increasing, an even swifter transition is less than clear. “If you’re driving a standard vehicle with a 55-litre tank, compared to what we were paying before the war began to now, it’s a $45 increase on one tank of petrol. That applies regardless of whether it’s hybrid or petrol,” Khoury said. “Historically speaking, looking at what happens after an oil shock, it certainly opens up their consideration. “No doubt that if this crisis continues and these prices hang around for weeks or months, Australians will look at those alternatives more seriously.” Below is a comparison between popular petrol and hybrid choices in each segment to see how they stack up in a changing fuel context. Fuel cost has been calculated using current data from the New South Wales’ government’s average fuel price for unleaded 95 petrol and diesel. Toyota’s Corolla hybrid hatch offers superior fuel efficiency and driving range compared to the Kia K4 petrol model. The Corolla is also cheaper to fill up with fuel thanks to its smaller tank and offers a substantially bigger driving range. The Kia Seltos is a petrol-only variant, but despite its bigger fuel tank, it has less driving range than the Toyota Corolla Cross, courtesy of the hybrid powertrain. The bigger fuel tank means the Seltos is also more expensive to fill up. The mid-size CX-5 has a non-turbo charged petrol engine, which sees it offer an impressive estimated driving range of more than 800km, but once again the Toyota competitor’s fuel efficiency wins out in the RAV4 hybrid. The Toyota Kluger continues the Japanese juggernaut’s fuel efficient theme, with a hybrid set-up offering a driving range of more than 1122km, which is significantly more than the MQ QS, despite both cars costing a similar amount to fill up at the bowser. Utes are some of the worst affected by the fuel price increase as many of them are powered using diesel engines, with diesel fuel rising more than petrol. It has now risen to well beyond the $2.60 mark per litre. The BYD Shark’s plug-in hybrid set-up uses petrol, which makes it an affordable option, given the price of diesel. It should be noted that the Shark 6’s fuel efficiency is significantly reduced when the battery is not charged. It’s a similar story for the GWM Cannon Alpha, which should be noted is no longer on sale, but remains one of limited plug-less hybrid utes in Australia. 

Although the Ford Ranger is currently the best-selling vehicle in Australia for two years running, there's no denying BYD has had a lot of success with the Shark 6 plug-in hybrid (PHEV) ute.It’s even more of a big deal when Ford CEO Jim Farley comes to Australia to test it out, along with other key rivals to see how they stack up against the Ranger.“They’re totally different animals,” said Farley to Australian media, including CarsGuide, when asked how the Ranger compares to the BYD Shark 6 and GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV.“The [BYD] Shark is a ute, but if you put 500kg in the back, it’s not a Ranger, it’s not a HiLux.“But for someone who doesn’t do that every day and they want electrification, you know, it’s a pretty competitive product.“I have no idea how they make money.“The Great Wall is a very competitive product and I’ve talked to a lot of customers of both and those customers are very educated.“Yet again, [BYD and GWM] haven’t been doing it like our Ranger or the HiLux for decades, so they don’t have all the chassis and all the towing payload and all the experience.“So they’re coming at it with a huge deficit, but it’s a good, solid, competitive product.“I mean I much prefer the Ranger for real work. It’s no competition, but not everyone in buys a Ranger to do the kind of work that we design it for.“There’s a lot of different kinds of customers here.”The BYD Shark 6 ute is by far the best-selling PHEV ute currently in Australia. In 2025 a total of 18,073 examples were sold, making it BYD’s best-selling vehicle for the year, while also outselling a number of diesel-powered rivals like the Mazda BT-50, Nissan Navara and Volkswagen Amarok.While it has a body-on-frame chassis, the Shark 6 has an electric-heavy PHEV powertrain layout with no driveshaft down the middle of the vehicle and no locking differentials. It also has a slightly reduced braked trailer towing capacity of 2500kg.GWM has had success to a lesser extent with the Cannon Alpha PHEV in Australia, but due to how its PHEV drivetrain is configured, it allows for a mechanical four-wheel drive system plus a higher 3.5-tonne braked towing capacity.It’s worth noting the Ford Ranger PHEV also has a similar PHEV layout as the Cannon Alpha PHEV and similarly allows for a segment-meeting 3.5-tonne braked towing capacity and a mechanical four-wheel drive system.Ford doesn’t publicly disclose sales figures that split out Ranger PHEV sales from the wider Ranger family, which now also includes the beefy Ranger Super Duty. It’s therefore unclear how popular the Ranger PHEV has been in Australia to date.On paper, where the Ranger PHEV is let down over the Shark 6 and Cannon Alpha PHEV is pure-electric range. It only offers up to 49km of electric range, whereas the Shark 6 offers 100km and the Cannon Alpha PHEV offers 115km, all according to NEDC testing.Another notable disadvantage for the Ranger PHEV over the BYD Shark 6 and GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV is pricing.The Ranger PHEV currently starts at $71,990, before on-road costs, for the XLT and extends to $79,990, BOC, for the Wildtrak.The Shark 6 on the other hand is currently offered in one trim level, priced at $57,900, drive-away.The Cannon Alpha PHEV starts at $51,490, drive-away, and extends to $58,490, drive-away, thanks to a pricing offer that’s set to end at the end of March.

Chery's ute to get truly local name.