Ute Reviews

Holden is about to replace the Colorado one tonne ute with a new generation model. We thought it would be interesting to revisit the current version just before model change. It's been around for years and is built in Thailand.This particular vehicle has a petrol 3.6-litre, 157kW/313Nm Alloytec V6 as well as LPG - a dual fueller. It's the base model LX dual cab 2WD auto selling for $39,840 with LPG.OLD SCHOOLThe interior looks its age but is serviceable and practical for tradie use. The vinyl floor mats are handy. There's no Bluetooth phone or audio but you get AUX connection for your music. The rake adjust only wheel doesn't have any supplementary controls at all and the wipers are just intermittent, not variable. We like the old style key ignition system and the centre console mounted hand brake.The four-speed auto will disappear with the next gen' Colorado. It's not that the tranny is no good but it doesn't help fuel economy, performance or emissions controls.The LPG tank on this vehicle takes over the spare wheel space under the load tray. It's relocated into the load tray - bit of an issue. Liquid Propane Injection LPi will be on the new model - it is much more efficient than this system.CHEAPBut there's no denying how cheap the Colorado is to run on LPG especially as gas is around 60 cents a litre with 91 ULP up over $1.40 a litre. It's not sharp off the mark on gas but goes better once up and running. We are such cheap skates we hardly used petrol and it only cost about $25 for the week in gas ... impressive.PETROL POWERIt goes better on petrol but if you are a tradie watching your dollars, what does it matter unless you are towing something really heavy. There's a 76 litre petrol tank from which the Colorado will guzzle at a rate of 13.7-litres/100km.PRACTICALITIESIt weighs in at around 1700kg and has a five passenger capacity - all with three point seat belts. The cabin is roomy and access is easy to all seats. Though it's only a 2WD, all Colorados have a high 4WD ride height which is a plus. The load tray is a decent size albeit compromised by the relocated spare. Payload is an impressive 1000kg plus. The limited slip differential is a bonus in slippery going as are the lug-type tyres. Holden uses a quick-fit vinyl tonneau cover on Colorado.COMFORTDespite having leaf rear suspension and torsion bars up front, the Colorado is quite comfy offering a supple ride and good noise damping. Competitor utes are much firmer sprung and not as good to drive on a day to day basis. It has a reasonable turning circle but the steering has a dead feel. The audio system is rudimentary and the seats could do with better adjustment options.VERDICTInteresting drive, definitely showing its age in many areas but could be good buying in run out mode especially with dual fuel option. Safety rating is three star.HOLDEN COLORADO LXPrice: from $39,840Engine: 3.6-litre, 157kW/313Nm Alloytec V6 as well as LPG - a dual fuellerTransmission: four-speed autoSafety: 3 starThirst: 13.7-litres/100kmWeight: 1700kg  

Seldom do Australian engineers and designers get the chance to build a new vehicle for the world market, but that's what happened with Ford's all-new Ranger.Though classified as a compact pickup, the vehicle, which goes on sale from October 1, is a big bugger by local standards, 9/10ths the size of an F150. It's the culmination of four years work by nearly 500 engineers in Australia and around the Ford (and Mazda) world.Prices start from $19,740 for the petrol 2.5-litre single cab/chassis 4x2 manual and peak at $59,390 for the double cab Wildtrak 3.2 diesel auto. A revelation in the ute world, the Ranger is almost certain to give Ford its long-awaited lift out of the doldrums. The Ranger, destined for more than 180 countries on five continents, will come in three cab styles: double, super and single and in cab chassis and pickup bodies.Then there are 4x2 and 4x4 drivetrains, two ride heights, two transmissions and three engine choices: a new 110kW/375Nm 2.2-litre Duratorq turbodiesel four, a 3.2-litre Duratorq turbodiesel five cylinder with 147kW and 470Nm and a 2.5-litre Duratec petrol four with 122kW and 225Nm. The engines are designed to run on a variety of locally blended fuels with different octane ratings in the various markets.It's choc-full of technology, with some models boasting innovations like trailer sway control, adaptive load control, a rear-view camera that's built into the blue oval badge on the back and rear park assist.Another clever move is that the battery is charged on deceleration, freeing the engine of a fuel-robbing generator. There's also hill descent control, hill launch control and, for really rough patches, a diff' lock.Official fuel consumption  figures for the 3.2-litre are 8.4 litres/100km for the 4x2 variant and 9.6 litres/100km on the 4x4. Safety gear includes stability control that includes four-wheel traction control, yaw control and roll-over mitigation.They will be built in Thailand, South Africa and Argentina. The 3.2 will be the first model released in Australia, with the rest of the 20-model range arriving later in the year.The hi-tech Ranger is longer, taller and wider than the earlier version, has a frame twice as stiff and the 3.2 model has a class-leading towing capacity of 3350kg and a payload of 1500kg. It also has the deepest cargo box, lined and able to hold 1.21 cubic metres.Interior storage includes up to 20 pockets and nooks. There are bottle-shaped pockets in all four doors can easily fit water bottles and a deep centre console with cooling feature. Also, the glovebox can hold a laptop computer. There's also a hidden storage area for electronic items and small packages under the back seats.Bluetooth, USB and iPod2 integration and voice control over the radio, CD, iPod, USB, and mobile phone are standard on all models, likewise cruise control.Dual-zone climate control is fitted to all XLT and Wildtrak models and the range-leading Wildtrak 4x4 will come with a five-inch colour screen with satellite navigation and rear parking camera.We drove an XLT with six-speed auto shift on some of South Australia's toughest tracks in the Flinders Range region and enjoyed the cab comforts, space and great visibility.The large glass-surrounded cab easily copes with five 2.0m tall adults and the quietness inside rivals that of a upspec' sedan. The easy-driving five has loads of grunt and switching between 2WD and 4WDH and L is via a rotary switch, and can be done on the fly.

The automotive equivalent of multi-tasking - which could be why most cars are assigned the female gender - has invaded the light-commercial market. The phenomenon of dual-cab utes serving as a tradie truck Monday to Friday and as family truckster - towing toys and carting kids - on the weekend is upon us, and Ford's

THE XR6 has long been a loved Ford Falcon for its mix of punch and brightness. So the arrival of a new one has us hauling out the checklist. Brawny looks - tick. Roomy cabin - tick. LPG - WTF?Yes, the cabbies' favourite fuel has migrated from the base-level XT into the rest of the Falcon sedans and utes, with every model getting a gas-up. But before you run shrieking into the street to check if the sky is also falling, first check out the current price of petrol, and the advances in LPG systems.The exiting E-Gas Falcon used LPG in vapour form, delivering it to the cylinders under pressure.The new gas Falcons use the latest liquid-phase injection - dubbed EcoLPI by Ford - that uses a fuel rail to deliver liquid LPG, which vapourises in the intake to cause a denser, cooler dose of air entering the system, with benefits for power, torque and economy.So compared to the vapour system, this one results in the 4.0-litre six-cylinder engine using considerably less fuel (12.5L/100km vs the previous Falcon's 14.9L/100) while delivering 198kW of power and 409Nm of torque - impressive increases of 42kW and 38Nm respectively.But it's also ahead - albeit by not so wide a gap - on the petrol XR6's 195kW/391Nm outputs. And with the addition of a great six-speed automatic transmission, that means this is a gas Falcon you'd consider taking home to meet the family.Why would an XR6 fan move across to LPi? Because they'd get sick of pouring petrol down its throat, and be attracted by a tank fill that doesn't run into three figures.From that point of view, you have to measure the $46,490 EcoLPi against the $43,090 automatic petrol XR6 at 9.9L/100km - remembering that the government rebate wipes out $2000 of the difference (leaving you just $500 to recoup) and that while you use more litres on LPG, the price is about 40-50 per cent of unleaded.By those calculations, the EcoLPi pays for itself by 10,000km - in about eight months for an average private driver, as little as three months for a business, and about three weeks for a taxi. That repay period will extend a bit longer after an excise is applied at the end of 2011, starting at 2.5¢/L and rising to 12.5¢/L over five years.If you're happy with LPG, what are the other options in the large car class with the XR6's level of fit-out? There's a dedicated LPG Holden Commodore on the way next year - promising significant improvements in fuel economy, and an underfloor tank that will stop the signature chomp into boot space.But for moment, the closest you'll get from Holden is the dual-fuel Commodore Berlina,  At $45,890, it's $600 cheaper than the EcoLPi XR6, but the Holden's 175kW/325Nm 3.6-litre V6 is also thirstier at 14.2L/100km, the four-speed auto should have been retired long before now - and the new one will put the current model out to pasture.If you don't mind taking your petrol with an electric chaser instead of gas, there's the Toyota Camry Hybrid in Luxury spec at $39,990. But it's front-wheel drive, continuously-variable transmission and - if not exactly chalk and cheese - overprocessed cheddar compared to the tangy bite of the XR6.The XR6 gets all the Falcon sports touches, and it's a large and handsome beastie.Our test car took it a bit too far with a lurid purple paint job, but otherwise the details were well judged for the market - blue saddle-stitching on the mesh-textured upholstery echoing the blue-it switches and dials, a well-shaped wheel (with the hub bearded with buttons and controls so you don't have to fumble for them on the spokes), soft-touch plastics and a colour digital info/entertainment control screen that gathers together a lot of functions, leaving the dash uncluttered and crisp.But while there's plenty of space for people, there's not much room for their stuff.For a start you have to make the usual choice between boot space and a spare - which is an optional extra if you don't want to risk travelling with a goo kit or a space saver spare. And there's poor personal storage, stingy door pockets, slim useless slots in the centre stack and a small glove-box despite the deep dash.It gets five stars in crash testing, and has anti-skid brakes, brake assist for panic stops, brake-force distribution to share the effort around if the car is loaded unevenly, and four airbags. But disappointingly for a family car - and one at this price - you have to shell out extra for curtain airbags and reversing sensors.The only hint the XR6 is running on gas is when you first turn the key, and get a slight hesitation. From then on, it's impressive acceleration. Plant your foot hard and it gathers itself for a nanosecond before it delivers, but feed it steadily and it gives a steady and strong answer.See a break in the traffic and want it? No problem, no hesitation and no fuss. But also no engine growl. There's plenty of sting but no soundtrack.It's very good over potholes and rough-patched bitumen, where you can feel the poor surfaces, but not in a way that becomes tiresome. And that's no surprise, because Ford has spent decades building cars for rubbish Aussie roads.Visibility is good, mainly because the C-pillars don't aid and abet blind spots and the big hungry mirrors are an enormous - literally - help in seeing what's on your flanks It's got a reasonable turning circle, but there's no mistaking that it's a big, Aussie-built car - and admittedly the patriotism factor might help sales.

Toyota is polishing up the HiLux team, readying for a fierce season as new and improved players take to the ute field. The HiLux, as a two and four-wheel drive, remains the country's favourite ute but faces renewed attack with the imminent arrival of all-new Ford Rangers, Mazda BT-50s and Holden Colorado. Then there's

Great Wall's V240 ute has found a home in plenty of Aussie garages and driveways thanks in part to sharp pricing. Now, the reason to buy becomes stronger with a new V200TDi turbodiesel model selling alongside the V240 petrol four. Great Wall Motors has been here for two years now and is shaping as a serious player in

Ford Falcon sales are in deep doo doo slumping to unprecedented lows. But the Blue Oval is fighting back with some new, thought provoking products that deserve to win back customers.There's a turbo four-cylinder Falcon coming sometime in the future and next week sees the arrival of the EcoLPi model, a six-cylinder car that has great potential for the company.One of the biggest problems facing Falcon and Commodore for that matter, is a private buyer drift away from large cars to small sedans and compact SUVs. This is driven as much by weekly running costs as it is by practicalities. Pragmatic buyers are voting with their wallets, which plays right into Ford's hands with the Falcon EcoLPi.LPi Technology Because it uses LPG fuel, injected into the engine in liquid form not as a gas, weekly fuel costs would be nearly half that of petrol - based on 70 cents a litre for LPG and more than $1.40 a litre for petrol. It's a big saving at a time when household budgets are under extreme pressure from all quarters.EcoLPi ushers in new technology that means owners don't have to put up with reduced performance using LPG as has been the case in the past. On the contrary, the EcoLPi Falcon delivers better overall performance than its petrol stablemate - noticeably better.Fuel use is up by about 20 per cent on the petrol figure, but when you are paying half price for the fuel, what does it matter? EcoLPi stands for Liquid Phase injection of liquid propane gas - LPG. It's the most advanced LPG technology currently available and has been under development at Ford since 2007.EcoLPi produces 27 per cent more power and 10 per cent more torque than the previous E-Gas LPG system. The system doesn't compromise passenger space and comfort but with the optional full size spare, a sizeable part of boot space is lost. Buyers can choose from a tyre mobility kit (pump and goo), a space saver or (optional) full size spare.The new injection system follows a similar fuel induction configuration to the petrol six cylinder engine courtesy of a new injector-based, high-pressure fuel rail that delivers liquid-state LPG fuel directly into the intake port. This is a more precise and controlled system that boosts engine efficiency.The system also adapts to LPG of varying quality to deliver the same performance. EcoLPi adds $2500 to price, before applying the government rebate of $2000.PerformanceThe EcoLPi generates maximum torque at lower engine speed and is now geared lower for better response. It's been durability tested over 550,000km locally including hot and cold start performance.What's it like to drive? Better than the petrol Falcon by a significant margin, much better than the petrol Commodore too - both engines. We now have to rethink our personal car preference to include this impressive, cheap to run Falcon.FORD FALCON EcoLPiModels: XT, G6, XR6, G6E (sedan); XL and R6 (ute)Engine: 4.0-litre six-cylinderFuel: LPG onlyPower: 198kWTorque: 409NmTransmission: Six speed autoEconomy: 12.5-litres/100km

Sitting forlornly in our shed is an old HiLux, with hose-out trim, a column-shift and a radio that's not familiar with Frequency Modulation - a proper workhorse. Fast-forward to 2011 and Toyota are selling them by the boatload - more than 700,000 so far and it is still a regular podium finisher each month in the

Volkswagen Amarok and Nissan Navara go head-to-head in this comparative review.

Faith based on fear is never complete faith.So fear not this Chevrolet beast. Have faith that it will go, turn and stop with all the balance and road etiquette needed for a six-metre long, two-metre wide, five-seater ute with huge tub out back.TECHNOLOGYA 6.6 litre, turbocharged V8 diesel — with better than 1000Nm of torque plus 296kW of power — is a good start for the 2011 Silverado. A six-speed Allison transmission to help deliver all this is just right. And, once sitting high at the wheel and on down the road a bit, the steering feels right. Initially it seems a touch light at the straight ahead but it's understood this 2.6 tonne ute — what we'd call a full-size, big-boned pick-up — will not be thrown around quite like a Holden Colorado.There's four-wheel disc brakes with ABS (plus exhaust brake), stability control and switchable four-wheel drive to keep the Silverado safe and sure.PRICE AND FIT-OUTIt needs to be big and tough for this is a $115,000, four-wheel drive, dual cab machine able to carry three tonne and tow close on ten tonne.It is an American utility vehicle, converted to right-hand drive by Queensland-based Performax International; a long-established crowd adept at swapping steering wheels on Corvettes, Camaros, Mustangs, Chev and GMC trucks — with others soon on the menu. Customers for big utes range from intrepid travellers to mining executives to equine lovers.The Silverado here was the 2500HD in LTZ trim, leather and lashings of wood grain panelling, dual control air conditioning, trip computer plus big stereo, Blue Tooth and USB plugs. Of pluses in this huge cabin is the excellent fit and finish of the Queensland-made, right-hand drive dashboard which, of course, retains driver and passenger airbags. On the downside, the dial for the lights could be confused with the nearby dial for four-wheel drive high and low.DRIVINGThe Duramax diesel V8 fires with a low growl. (It can be started with the key fob from up to 50 metres, allowing the engine to warm up and air conditioning to kick in.) Snick the steering column-mounted gear shift into D and move off in a gentle, don't-argue manner.Down the highway there is faith in this big Chev to sit sweet and secure on its optional 20-inch wheels. It has the ride comfort and power (unladen here) to more than match it with highway traffic, has the bulk to see further on up the road and the road manners, plus ever-smooth transmission, to slot into traffic gaps (often helped here by others allowing respectable amounts of space).There's a 135 litre fuel tank which would get a bloke a fair way when consumption is running around a claimed 12 litres per 100km mark for light use; that runs up to early 20s when towing. Some dramas arrive when trying to find a park in the local shopping centre; the cabin may fit but then there's that 1.9m x 1.5m tray to accommodate; rear parking sensors are a boon.Yet for the most part this is an easy, comfortable machine to drive. Off the bitumen some of that ride comfort may disappear. It is fine on a good dirt or gravel road but the suspension becomes a bit lumpy and jumpy when the track deteriorates.Best here to slow the show down and, in some cases, engage four-wheel drive high for a little less skittishness. (There is an optional off-road kit though here the Chev's bulk could become an issue, driver and truck will prefer the wide open spaces.) And really it's the towing and the carrying that is the Silverado's forte; the extra differential is a handy piece of kit for muddy paddocks, sandy tracts and the like. The Chevrolet Silverado is a high, wide and handsome piece of kit best approached as a big tough workhorse, an American light truck with a tidy conversion to right-hand drive.CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2500HDPrice: $115,000Engine: turbocharged 6.6 litre V8 dieselPower/torque: 296kW/1037NmTransmission: Six-speed auto + four-wheel driveBody: Four-door uteDimensions: 6090mm (l) 2032mm (w)1905mm (h)Payload: 3010kgTowing: 9843kgWarranty: 4 year/120,000km, 4 year roadside assist