Adventure

Ford has trademarked ‘Mach 4’ in the US, suggesting a four-door Mustang could be on the way.

Australian families are flocking to rugged, seven-seat SUVs like the Ford Everest and Toyota Prado. The underdog in this contest is the Isuzu MU-X, which has become one of the most popular, has been refreshed for 2025.But this is more than just a 'nip and tuck' facelift, with some major changes underneath. We drive the new MU-X on- and off-road to put it to the test.

The popularity of 4X4s/4x4s/4WDs/4wds/off-roaders/whatever you want to call them has grown tremendously in the past 10 to 15 years and these vehicles regularly top national sales charts and they’re everywhere on our roads and bush tracks.

Mazda won’t go on a Raptor hunt.The Japanese brand recently revealed its updated BT-50 range and noticeably absent was its previous Ranger Raptor competitor, the flagship Thunder or SP Pro special editions. Instead, Mazda Australia has introduced a wide range of genuine, dealer-fit accessories for off-roading that customers can add directly at purchase. These include an integrated bull bar, roof platform, Light Force spot lights, dual battery set-up and more. It is also packaging some of these accessories up to make it easier for buyers to customise their ute for off-road adventures without going to the aftermarket.Still, the launch of the new BT-50 range with the SP model as the flagship does leave the brand lagging behind the likes of the Ford Ranger Raptor, Nissan Navara PRO-4X Warrior and the new Isuzu D-Max Blade - which shares its underpinnings with the BT-50.Mazda Australia managing director, Vinesh Bhindi, defended the decision not to introduce a new ‘hero model’ and instead focus on individual customisation for buyers.“I know others are calling it different names, but it's more of a cosmetic treatment, right?” Bhindi said. “So it's not a performance package, and we think  it's better to give our customers choices with a larger variety of accessories, which they can create their own customisation. “So in the previous model, we've had Thunder, Thunder Pro, SP Pro, those things are where we will go, rather than a third party.”Notably in that comment, he didn’t rule out bringing back a special name for a future hero BT-50, so the door remains open for Mazda to offer a more direct Raptor/Warrior/Blade rival in the future.“At some point we will consider it,” Bhindi admitted. “So at the moment, SP is our hero, with the latest one, and it's got a  lot of new cosmetic changes to it so that's our starting point, and at some point we will consider Thunder or SP Pro, but all those accessories, all those items are available via the accessory catalog anyway from day one.” Mazda Australia introduced the original BT-50 Thunder in 2022, two years after the latest generation of the ute launched, and then added the Thunder Pro in 2024 as part of the run-out plan ahead of this new facelifted model.

The D-Max Blade, a collaboration between Isuzu and the Walkinshaw Automotive Group, was developed locally as a hardcore four-wheel drive. It has 3mm steel bash plates, Aussie-tuned and lifted suspension, light truck construction all-terrain tyres and Blade-specific design enhancements. But, without extra power and torque, is the Blade actually worth $15,000 more than the LS-U+ on which it's based?

The Mazda BT-50 is the under-rated star of the Japanese brand's line-up. Often overshadowed by its SUV siblings, the 'black sheep' of the Mazda family is actually one of its best-sellers.It has been updated for 2025, with a fresh look to try and attract more ute buyers who prefer a tough-looking truck. We put it through its paces on- and off-road to see how this new model stacks up.

Volvo has launched a more rugged Cross Country variant of its electric EX30 SUV.

The 2025 Toyota LandCruiser Prado (aka the 250 Series) is big news: it's larger than previous versions of the Prado and it is now able to tow the industry standard 3500kg rather than the 3000kg the previous generation is limited to.It also looks a lot different to the softer style of Prados past. But does being bolder and bigger make it better?

The all-new Toyota Prado has taken Australia's 4WD market by storm, with pent-up demand for a new model delivering some 17,000 orders by the end of 2024, with the brand anticipating some 27,000 deliveries in its first 12 months of sale.

GWM’s new H7 SUV has been launched in South Africa, giving us a glimpse at what to expect ahead of its Australian launch later this year.