Adventure

Renault has announced the Duster small SUV is returning to the Indian market in new-generation guise.This Indian-built version of the Renault Duster features some notable differences over the European-built, Australian-specification version.Most notable is slightly different exterior styling, including altered front and rear fascias, revised LED headlights, LED tail-lights that are connected by a rear light bar, ‘Duster’ script written out on the grille instead of ‘Renault’, all-black 18-inch alloy wheels, plus the availability of a panoramic glass sunroof.This Indian-specification Duster is launching in a special Launch Edition guise, which features green exterior paint with yellow highlights.Inside there is a larger 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, a 10.1-inch touchscreen multimedia system that has Google Built-in, interior ambient lighting, plus synthetic leather upholstery with front seat ventilation.Additionally there are new safety features such as adaptive cruise control with stop and go and a proper surround-view camera are offered. This is on top of the standard autonomous emergency braking (AEB), lane-keep assist and traffic sign recognition.In India three powertrains are set to be offered. A 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine producing 74kW and 172Nm is mated with a six-speed manual transmission, a 1.3-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine producing 119kW and 280Nm is mated to a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, as well as a 1.8-litre hybrid engine.It’s understood all three powertrains offered in this Indian-specification Duster are front-wheel drive only.In Australia the Duster is currently offered with a 1.3-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine with a seven-speed dual-clutch and front-wheel drive, or a 1.2-litre three-cylinder mild-hybrid petrol engine with a six-speed manual transmission and all-wheel drive."Renault Australia sources Duster from Europe," said a Renault Australia spokesperson. CarsGuide understands there are no foreseeable changes on this. The European-built Renault Duster only launched in Australia in the middle of 2025. Two trim levels are offered – Evolution and Techno – with both powertrains offered on each.Until the end of 2025 a total of 207 examples of the Duster were sold. While this does place it at the lower end of the small SUV segment in terms of outright sales, it did outsell the Jeep Compass (147 sales) and almost the Renault Arkana (226 sales) even with only around six months of sales.

Utes are seemingly not going anywhere as they once again featured heavily at the top of the sales charts in 2025.This is despite many models experiencing sales drop-offs year-on-year as the ute market continues to increase in competitiveness.Here are the top five best-selling utes heading into 2026. The Ford Ranger was not just the best-selling ute, but the best-selling car in Australia in 2025. It managed 56,555 sales last year, as it topped the charts, starting from $37,130 (before on-road costs) for the base single-cab chassis.The Ranger is mainly available with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine, producing 125kW and 405Nm or 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo-diesel engine with 184kW and 600Nm.However, the once-popular 2.0-litre twin-turbo diesel will be cut from the lineup soon.The range-topping and ever-popular Raptor meanwhile has a twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine, producing 292kW and 583Nm, with a starting price more than $90,000.At the other end of the spectrum, the brand now offers a plug-in hybrid, with 207kW and 697Nm, starting at $71,990 - whether it will go on to be a hit with buyers like one of its rivals on the list remains to be seen.The Toyota HiLux is second on this list and came second overall in the car sales standings for last year, with 51,297 units registered.The base manual single-cab chassis HiLux starts from $33,990, before on-road costs and the range goes all the way up to $71,990 for the range-topping dual-cab variant. All HiLux models are powered by a 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine that produces 150kW and 420Nm or 500Nm, depending on whether has a manual or automatic transmission. Toyota will also be expanding on its range, launching an all-electric version of the HiLux in the first quarter of 2026.Isuzu’s D-Max is the next best-selling ute in Australia, with 26,839 sales in 2025.Its price ranges from $36,200 to $80,900, before on-road costs, and it comes with two engine choices which are both turbo diesels. There is a 2.2-litre four-cylinder option, producing 120kW and 400Nm, and a 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine, producing 140kW and 450Nm. The 2.2-litre turbo-diesel engine was introduced last year to replace the less efficient and smaller 1.9-litre option.Despite being one of only two products offered by Isuzu Ute, the D-Max and its related MU-X SUV are enough to propel the brand into a top-10 position in the Australian market.Mitsubishi’s ute offering, the Triton, earned its spot in the top five with 18,900 sales. The Triton was the only ute on this list that experienced a sales bump in 2025 compared to 2024, up for 4.6 per cent year-on-year. It starts at $34,740 and goes up to $66,140, before on-road costs. All Triton utes get a 2.4-litre turbo-diesel engine, which produces 150kW and 470Nm. Rounding out the list is the only plug-in hybrid exclusive ute in the top five. The Shark 6 burst onto the scene in 2025, and achieved a flurry of early sales, guiding it to 18,074 units throughout the year - a decisive success story. It only comes as a dual-cab in a single trim level, which is powered by a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine paired with electric motors, combining for a total output of 321kW and 650Nm. The plug-in ute starts at $57,900, before on-road costs, and is set to be joined by cheaper cab-chassis variants later this year. 

BYD premium brand Denza says its B5 and B8 rugged SUVs will take the fight to the Toyota LandCruiser Prado, the LC300 and the Nissan Patrol, insisting the Chinese brand has the best technology and powertrains in the world.Asked if Denza was capable of taking on the 4WD household names in Australia, the company's local Chief Operating Officer, Mark Harland replied simply: "I know we can"."It's going to be one customer at a time," he says. "My confidence comes from doing extensive driving of the cars – the B5 and B8."We know we deliver on the luxury. We know we deliver on off-road capability. And the best technology in the world is coming out of China right now, right?"So the things that I know that are important to Australians, we deliver on that."The B5 (from $74,990) and B8 (from $91,000) both occupy an interesting space, in which they will target both mainstream players (Toyota and Nissan), as well as premium offerings, like from Lexus.And that, Mr Harland says, only increases Denza's opportunity Down Under, with the executive suggesting "there are a lot of brands that we can have a crack at"."I also see the market opportunity because at that price point, I think it's just a matter of getting on people's radars and getting them in for a drive," he says."I think that's what's going to be the determining factor, and our powertrain. No one else really has that powertrain. So that's the market opportunity."We've got luxury, we've got the tech, and we've got a powertrain that no one else is really delivering on right now."

Geely’s new mid-size, soft-roader style hybrid SUV is set to launch in the UK, with its right-hand drive revelation opening the door for an Aussie arrival.

Australian four-wheel drive fans rejoice, a new Mitsubishi Pajero is on the way.

Could a van be your next adventure vehicle? Ford thinks so, and to that end has introduced an adventure-focussed van, the Trail, to its Transit Custom line-up. The Trail is based on the long-wheelbase Transit Custom Trend and it’s equipped with all-wheel drive, raised suspension, and a Trail drive mode, 16-inch matt black alloy wheels, black wheel arches as well as yellow exterior decals.

Ahead of the 2026 Tokyo Auto Salon, Japanese modification outfit Kuhl has revealed a rugged new take on a Toyota icon.The 2026 Toyota LandCruiser Prado has been given a lift and bodykit by Kuhl, with the company dubbing the show car the ‘Iron Build’.Complete with a mix of visual modifications and genuine mechanical changes, including a new set of wheels and off-road tyres, the Iron Build is set to be shown off at Tokyo Auto Salon between January 9 and 11.The Prado’s standard wheel-and-tyre package has been replaced by a set of dishy 22-inch wheels called ‘Verz DR03’ from Kuhl’s own catalogue, and wrapped in a set of 37-inch Yokohama Geolandar M/T G003 mud tyres.The result is a ground clearance that looks to be just about doubled, reportedly sitting at 399mm.It’s not just the lift, the Prado has also been bestowed with some body kit like the wing above the rear window, plus some protective ‘pipe’-style protection around the side steps, front and rear bumpers, and over the wheel arches.It also scores a roof rack and a 40-inch-wide LED light bar, completing the ‘weekend warrior’ look.Kuhl sells and installs the parts shown off on the Iron Build, offering its customers the choice of buying a full predetermined set of parts or choosing their own specific custom components.The company has built wicked wide-body and lowered versions of cars from most Japanese manufacturers, from slammed HiAce vans to WRXs that would look at home in Need For Speed.The Prado Iron Build closely follows the reveal of a pair of cars set to be shown off at Auto Salon, the Outroad versions of the Toyota GR86 which come either with or without a lift for the purposes of gravel driving in the rear-drive Toyota sports car.

The Dacia Duster is finally here! Well, it's actually here as the Renault Duster, but who cares when this well-liked small SUV has a reputation for off-road adventuring? And the Duster arrives as a family- and budget-friendly small 4x4 that is easy on the eye, very practical for day-to-day life and is reportedly capable off-road. Could the Duster be a legitimate rival for the Suzuki Jimny?

Ram has confirmed the return of its most powerful variant in the Ram 1500 range, the SRT TRX.

Ford Australia has a popularity problem. By that I mean, the Ranger is so popular it is Australia’s best-selling new vehicle any given month, but at a time when the government is looking to crack down on emissions. The New Vehicle Efficiency Standards (NVES) have been designed to motivate both car makers and customers alike to choose a new vehicle with lower emissions.This is part of the reason why Ford has invested so much time and effort into adding the Ranger plug-in hybrid to its range. But, unfortunately for Ford Australia, buyers so far seem pretty happy to stick with good old fashioned turbo-diesel power. So, as we look at the missing pieces across several of Australia’s leading car brands, there is a very obvious gap in the Ford line-up - a small or mid-size SUV powered by either a plug-in hybrid or all-electric powertrain to help offset all those diesel Ranger emissions under NVES.Under the Federal Government’s policy it will penalise car makers for not getting their vehicles below a mandated CO2 emissions target. The good news is a car maker can effectively offset those vehicles over the limit by claiming ‘credits’ for its vehicles that are below the threshold. Obviously electric cars are rated with zero CO2 emissions, so enjoy the most credits.The problem for Ford is that its biggest selling models are the diesel-powered Ranger and Everest and the V8-powered Mustang. That trio accounts for more than 90 per cent of Ford Australia’s total volume. The all-electric Mustang Mach-E is less than one per cent of the company’s local sales.So, what Ford would likely love is for a more popular SUV, that could help both with NVES but also grow sales. Ford simply gave up on the SUV market, dropping the Escape, despite it being the biggest single segment of the market. It also dropped the Puma and Endura, leaving the Everest to fight on alone.It’s believed Ford will add the Chinese-built Bronco sometime in the not-too-distant future, and the range-extender mid-size SUV could be just what the brand needs at this moment in time. It’s powered by a 110kW 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine and electric motor, which is powered by a BYD battery to provide over 200km of range.What’s more, it’s a Bronco. The Escape was a perfectly fine mid-size SUV, but it was very easy to overlook in a crowded and highly competitive market, which is not something you can say about the Bronco.This is arguably Ford’s best chance of reestablishing itself into the mid-size SUV market. Hopefully being built in China allows it to be price competitive and Ford Australia can stop being so reliant on the Ranger for its success.