Ute Reviews

You’ve got to try pretty hard to find proper icy driving conditions in Australia, but when you do, you want to have every option at your disposal to give you the best chance of avoiding a collision. Just look at the popularity of inherently all-wheel drive Subarus in the Snowy Mountains area or Tasmania. Audi is another brand synonymous with all-wheel drive, but parent brand Volkswagen is turning all four wheels by an increasing measure, with 44 per cent of passenger car and SUV sales now wearing 4Motion badges. The German brand claims this is double the industry average. It’s not just ice where all-wheel drive can come in handy either. Gravel, wet bitumen and mud are much easier to come by, and often when you’re not planning to. Australian roads are still 56 per cent unsealed according to Volkswagen.It’s easy to say that stability and traction control systems go a long way to playing the same role as all-wheel drive when it comes to accident avoidance, but it’s important to understand that all wheel drive as a proactive means of preserving traction, unlike traction and stability control which are reactive. If you can prevent a problem before it starts, surely that’s better, and the systems actually compliment each other when calibrated to work in harmony. Given the lack of ice in Australia, we’ve just travelled to New Zealand to experience Volkswagen’s 4Motion systems in the most trying of conditions, at work in everything from a small SUV, to a hot hatch, to a full-size commercial van. Volkswagen 4Motion all-wheel drive is currently available in two main types, Haldex and Torsen. The Haldex-type used in all 4Motion models aside from the Touareg and Amarok, and is a part-time system where fluid pressure controls a clutch pack to send power to the rear wheels as needed.The latest fifth generation Haldex-type system is integrated with a whole bunch of drivetrain sensors to help predict traction loss before it happens.The Touareg and automatic Amaroks use a full-time system with a Torsen, or torque sensing, mechanical centre diff that’s essentially reserved for their north-south engine layout. The Torsen system was made famous by various Audi Quattro models, and also sees duty aboard vehicles as diverse as the Toyota LandCruiser Prado.The third 4Motion type currently in use is only found aboard manual versions of the Amarok, and is essentially the traditional mechanical low-range transfer case. This version was not available to test in New Zealand. Volkswagen chose the Southern Hemisphere Proving Ground in Cardrona to highlight 4Motion’s ice capabilities, which is the sort of James Bond mountain-top network of ice circuits you’ve probably dreamed about. It would be ideal to test the same cars back to back in two- and all-wheel drive, but given the ice was hard enough to walk on, two-wheel drive would have been next to useless. So the fact that the 4Motion cars were able to drive at all is amazing. They did have winter tyres fitted, but I really doubt they made any difference on the slick ice. The cars on hand represented a good spectrum of the VW 4Motion range, including the upcoming T-Roc small SUV in 140 TSI guise, the Golf R hot hatch, the Tiguan 162 TSI mid-size SUV, the Passat Alltrack 140 TDI wagon, the Arteon sedan, the new Touareg large SUV in NZ-spec 210 V6S guise, the Amarok Ultimate 580 and would you believe it, the big Crafter van in MWB TDI 410 spec. The two ice courses on offer proved a masterclass in weight transfer and how a bigger car is much harder to turn. And I’m not just talking about the Crafter either, the T-Roc may seem like just a Tiguan with the back of its roof chopped off, but it is so much more nimble than the Tiguan on the ice. The longer wheelbases of the Passat Alltrack and Arteon made them even more difficult to unsettle, but the lower ride height and roofline of the Arteon made it that much easier to change directions.The ice also highlights how each car is set up to suit its intended purpose. The Golf R will let you turn off all its stability control for proper Ken Block-style four-wheel drifting, while the cars aimed at more sedate driving, like the Touareg or professional use, like the Amarok and Crafter will keep some of the stability control on all the time in the interests of outright safety. This also highlights the role of stability control with all-wheel drive. Without stability control, it is a challenge to get a car sideways, and planting your right foot will quickly straighten everything out. But with stability control, it’s almost impossible to induce oversteer, and therefore pretty much idiot proof, so they work really well together.For this integration of systems to keep vehicles as large and rugged as the Amarok and Crafter stable in these conditions is simply amazing.  The benefits of all-wheel drive aren't so obvious on dry bitumen, which is indeed where most of us spend most of our time driving. But to demonstrate how broad the models’ range of capabilities are, Volkswagen gave us access to Highlands Motorsport Park race circuit to experience most of the same cars at the other end of their performance spectrum.We drove the Haldex-equipped Tiguan, Arteon, Golf R and Passat Alltrack back to back with the Torsen-equipped Touareg and Amarok, and couldn’t pick any difference in the systems on the dry bitumen surface. This is going to sound a bit like a VW ad, but our track time did highlight that both 4Motion all-wheel drive systems are beautifully integrated with the stability control, suspension and tyres, with no sense of tugging or unsettling emergency reaction when you reach the limits of adhesion.This includes the Amarok too, which is a big ladder chassis ute with a solid axle and leaf springs on the back, and it maintains stability and predictability. A dual cab ute! On a racetrack!

The SportsCat Series II is perhaps not the kind of HSV we've grown accustomed to over the years. But that’s ok. Because HSV is no longer the brand we’ve grown accustomed to, either. Their core product has changed, you see. And so their core buyer has changed right along with it.

The Z71 is the big boy of the Colorado range, wearing the most expensive price tag (4X4 Crew Cab Pick-Up, $54,990 man or $57,190 auto) but also arriving with the most kit.That money earns you a soft-drop tailgate, 18-inch Arsenal Grey alloys, a new Sailplane sports bar and side rails, gloss black exterior door handles, mirrors and tailgate handle. You also get some style touches, like fender flares, a new front fascia, roof rails, hood decals and underbody protection. There’s also a 8.0-inch touchscreen with standard nav and a seven-speaker stereo, dual-zone climate control, push-button start and leather seats that are heated in the front.A 2.8-litre Duramax turbo-diesel good for 147kW and 500Nm provides the power, paired with a six-speed automatic or a manual gearbox (440Nm manual).Holden's Colorado wears a five-star ANCAP rating right across the range, with the full-marks score awarded in 2016. The safety story consists of seven airbags, rear sensors, a reversing camera and Hill Descent Control, along with the usual site of traction and braking aids. But by spending big on the Z71, you’re also unlocking extra kit, including front sensors, Forward Collision Alert (but not AEB - which is offered across the Ranger range) Lane Departure Warning and a tyre pressure monitoring system.

The LT 4x2 Crew Cab Pick-Up ($41,190 with an automatic gearbox) sits above only the entry-level LS in the Colorado range, and adds some handy equipment. You’ll get a 7.0-inch touchscreen with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, paired with a six-speaker stereo, as well as a leather-wrapped steering wheel and a USB charge point, cloth seats and manual air-conditioning. Outside, you’ll find LED DRLs and powered body-colour mirrors.But your extra spend adds niceties like 17-inch alloys, carpet flooring, a tailgate lock, fog lights and side steps to the standard features list. You still get the same 2.8-litre diesel engine as the rest of the Colorado range.Holden offers a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty across the Colorado family, with servicing required every 12 months or 12,000kms. The brand’s capped-price servicing program is published on its website, and the first seven services (covering seven years) will cost you a total $3033.The Colorado also wears a five-star ANCAP rating right across the range, with the full-marks score awarded in 2016. The safety story includes seven airbags, rear sensors, a reversing camera and Hill Descent Control, along with the usual site of traction and braking aids, all of which are offered across the range, but there's no AEB.

Holden refers to the LSX (4X4 Crew Cab Pick-Up $46,990 - manual, $49,190 - automatic) as its entry-level tough truck, and there are plenty of stylish touches which make it stand out from the pack.The basic features list matches the lower-spec trucks - so expect a 7.0-inch touchscreen with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, paired with a six-speaker stereo. You also get a leather-wrapped steering wheel and a USB charge point. Outside, you’ll find LED DRLs and powered body-colour mirrors, while in the cabin, it's cloth seats, manual air-conditioning and carpet flooring,That “tough” part arrivers via the 18-inch alloys, the gloss black front grille, the black sport bar and fender flares, and the Colorado sticker across the back.You get the same engine, though; a 2.8-litre Duramax turbo-diesel good for 147kW and 500Nm (or 440Nm with a manual) that can be paired with a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic gearbox.Holden's Colorado wears a five-star ANCAP rating right across the range, with the full-marks score awarded in 2016. The safety story consists of seven airbags, rear sensors, a reversing camera and Hill Descent Control, along with the usual site of traction and braking aids. There’s no AEB available, though.

The LS forms the entry point to the Holden Colorado range - the true workhorse, if you will - and arrives as a 4x2 Single Cab Chassis for $31,690, a 4x2 Crew Cab Chassis for $36,690 or a LS 4x2 Crew Cab Pick-Up for $38,190.You can also have a 4x4 Single Cab Chassis ($37,490 man, $39,690 auto) a 4x4 Space Cab Chassis ($43,190 auto), a 4x4 Crew Cab Chassis ($43,490 man, $45,690 auto) or a 4x4 Crew Cab Pick-Up ($44,990 man, $47,190 auto).For that spend, the LS will deliver a 7.0-inch touchscreen with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, paired with a six-speaker stereo. You also get a leather-wrapped steering wheel and a USB charge point. Outside, you’ll find LED DRLs and powered body-colour mirrors, while inside its cloth seats and manual air-conditioning.A 2.8-litre Duramax turbo-diesel good for 147kW and 500Nm provides the power, paired with a six-speed automatic or a manual gearbox (440Nm manual).Holden's Colorado wears a five-star ANCAP rating right across the range, with the score awarded in 2016. The safety story consists of seven airbags, rear sensors, a reversing camera and Hill Descent Control, along with the usual site of traction and braking aids.

The Holden Colorado Ute is as tough as they come, but is it being left behind by Ford, Nissan, Mitsubishi and Toyota? The 2020 Colorado doesn't have a lot of new stuff on offer, so will its seemingly enduring appeal be enough to keep it going for another year?

The Holden Colorado range has just been updated for the 2020 model year, but to describe it as “new” might be something of a stretch. In fact, even “refreshed” might be over-selling it.

The SsangYong Musso XLV has arrived to offer buyers even more value for their money. The new, longer version of the Musso ute adds not only an extra foot of tray space, but sees the choice of a leaf-spring rear suspension or the existing coil spring setup. Prices are up for the XLV version - but is it still a bargain buy? Read on to find out.

If you haven't heard of the LDV T60, we'll forgive you. This relative newcomer to the dual cab ute segment is fighting for a spot among some big name rivals. This particular model - the Trailrider - has a distinctly Aussie flavour to it, having had its suspension retuned by local heroes Walkinshaw. Yep, the same people that've been tuning Commodores for years!