Ute Reviews

Can you teach an old dog new tricks? The Toyota HiLux has undergone an big facelift inside and out for 2026 for a fresh look. But it's underneath where the most welcome changes occur, with new comfort-biased suspension from SR5 grades and up, to improve the previous hard ride. And even the carryover heavy-duty suspension is nicer. Yes, the HiLux is still old and cramped, but it's palpably better.

Before the Toyota HiLux BEV and Isuzu D-Max EV arrives, South Korea's KGM has beaten them to the punch with its new electric dual-cab ute, the Musso EV.

Ford's new Super Duty is born from the demands of its buyers, but can the brand capture that Raptor magic in creating an entirely new dual-cab niche?

Nissan tried but failed with its previous (and maybe last-ever) in-house-developed diesel one-tonne ute, the D23 Navara. For 2026, the "all-new" D27 Navara is a mildly-restyled Mitsubishi (MV) Triton, and might only be Australia/New Zealand-only, for now. But there is one massive difference, and that is the retuned suspension, courtesy of Melbourne's Premcar, that is behind the Warrior series.

Finally, a new HiLux! A vehicle Toyota has been plotting and planning for a decade. And I know what you must be thinking: what the hell were they doing with the other nine-and-a-half years?

Australia gets another ute and this time it's from MG, but does it deliver enough of the goods for this loaded segment?

Right now in Australia, if you need to tow more than the 3.5-tonnes the better utes and SUVs can offer, the Heavy Duty (HD) models from Ram and Chevrolet are your only choice. Chevy's Silverado 2500 HD has dominated in recent times, but Ram has now hit back with the 2500 HD and even heavier-duty 3500 options, with unheard-of torque and other upgrades to float your boat.

The single cab-chassis 4x2 is typically the lowest-priced utilitarian workhorse, with a standard equipment list that usually offers little more than steel wheels, unpainted plastic in high-wear areas, fabric seats and wipe-clean vinyl floors. And you pay extra for a tray.

Australia gets yet another ute but does the BYD Shark 6 Premium deliver?

The Foton Tunland V9-S 4x4 is the flagship version of the Chinese ute range, starting from $49,990 before on-road costs. With the S standing for ‘Supreme’, it keeps the Ram 1500-aping styling, but scores extra features like vented and heated as well as powered front seats with driver’s side memory, heated outboard seats, a panoramic sunroof, rear privacy glass, a front diff lock, roof rails and more. These build on the V9-L’s dual-zone climate control, heated/folding mirrors, extra USB ports, wireless charger, premium audio, wheel-arch extension cladding, side steps, sports bar, vehicle-to-load power socket, high-and-low ratio gearing, a rear differential lock, all-terrain tyres, off-road driving modes and lockable tray, as well as the entry-level V7-C’s 12.3-inch electronic instrumentation display, 14.6-inch centre touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay, a 360-degree camera with transparent-road-below views, a dash cam, front/rear parking sensors and advanced driver-assist systems including auto emergency braking (AEB). But still no digital radio at this stage. Still, the Tunland V9-S has extra size on its side compared to mid-size utes like the Isuzu D-Max, with considerably more space inside as well as a larger tray. And, like the V9-L, the V9-S swaps out the V7-C’s leaf spring rear suspension for a coil-sprung multi-link design. Payload is 995kg. Under the bonnet is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine, just like the other Tunland grades. It delivers 120kW of power at 3600rpm and 450Nm of torque between 1500-2400rpm, and features a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission. About 11 seconds is required in the 0-100km/h sprint, while maximum speed is 160km/h. Finally, the official combined-cycle fuel consumption figure is 8.0 litres per 100km, for a carbon dioxide rating of 211g/km. Expect nearly 940km from the 75-litre diesel tank.