Adventure

The latest Chinese-built ute - the GWM Cannon Alpha - brings with it a lot of news: there's a petrol-hybrid version available; a new-for-the-range 2.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine; and this ute is big - bigger than a standard GWM ute, bigger than a Toyota HiLux, Ford Ranger and Isuzu D-Max. But is the new diesel worth your attention?

The Land Rover Defender has gone next level.The British carmaker has revealed the new Defender Octa, an unstoppable high-performance four-wheel drive.Land Rover claims it is the most powerful and extreme Defender ever built and it’s easy to see why.Based on the five-door Defender 110, the Octa beefs up performance with a twin-turbo 4.4-litre V8 with mild hybrid boost that is good for 467kW and 750Nm. This jumps to 800Nm when using the dynamic launch mode.Land Rover claims it can complete the benchmark 0-100km/h sprint in four seconds flat, which is impressive for a circa-2500kg machine.The British carmaker hasn’t provided fuel use figures, but if you are asking that question, this isn’t the car for you.The Defender Octa channels the Ford Ranger Raptor with a high-performance off-road mode dubbed Octa Mode.You don't accidentally select Octa Mode: it is only activated by a long press of the dedicated steering wheel or via the rotary dial or central touchscreen.After Octa Mode is engaged the ambient lighting turns red, the dials transform to provide power, torque and G-force readouts. The exhaust valves open and the gear shifts and steering is adjusted for a more dynamic character.Octa Mode is designed for scooting across loose gravel surfaces with ultimate control.The car’s active air suspension can read the road ahead and adjust on the fly. It can also detect if the vehicle is airborne and adjust the suspension to cushion the landing.It enables high degrees of wheel articulation and high levels of damping, while also maintaining taut body control and steering precision.Octa Mode also allows the Off-Road Launch feature for scintillating acceleration on loose surfaces.It’s not just about raw speed off-road, though. The Octa rides higher than the regular Defender for a total ground clearance of 323mm. Lifted suspension now allows for 550mm of wheel articulation and, combined with larger tyres, means approach and departure angles are improved to 40.2 and 42.8 degrees.Wading depth is increased by 100mm over all other Defenders.Land Rover has also boosted underbody protection to make the Octa even more off-road ready.The Defender Octa will be shown in the metal for the first time at the Goodwood Festival of Speed next week.In Australia the Defender Octa will be priced from $291,542 (before on-road costs) and the Defender Octa Edition One will start at $317,592.

Toyota has finally detailed just how efficient its new mild hybrid HiLux is.The Japanese giant has recently fitted 48-volt mild hybrid tech to its rugged HiLux ute but wouldn’t disclose fuel figures … until now.Toyota is only offering the fuel saving tech on four-wheel drive, dual-cab SR, SR5 and Rogue variants equipped with an automatic transmission.In the thirstier and heavier HiLux Rogue fuel use drops to 7.8L/100km from 8.4L/100km, which is a saving of about seven per cent.The SR5 and SR cab chassis variants benefit from the biggest fuel savings, dropping from 8.4L/100km to 7.6L/100km or 9.5 per cent.Dual cab SR and SR5 versions now drink 7.4L and 7.2L/100km respectively, down from 7.9L/100km in the non electrified examples.Despite the fuel use improvements the HiLux still isn’t as efficient as the 2.0-litre four-cylinder bi-turbo diesel powered Ford Ranger that sips 7.2L/100km.It does trump the 8.0L/100km fuel figure for the dual-cab, four-wheel drive Isuzu D-Max.Toyota has made a big showing of not referring to the 48-volt equipped HiLuxes as hybrids, instead dubbing it V-Active technology. The tech is commonly referred to as a mild hybrid by nearly every other carmaker.The mild hybrid provides electric assistance to the 2.8-litre turbodiesel four-cylinder engine on SR, SR5 and Rogue 4x4 automatic double-cab grades.Unlike Toyota’s hybrid set-up in its passenger cars the electric motor in the HiLux never solely drives the wheels.Instead it is used to power electrical systems, the starter motor and to assist the engine by up to 8.4kW and 65Nm though peak output remains unchanged at 150kW/500Nm.Regenerative braking is used to help charge the small battery on the go.The addition of the mild hybrid tech comes at a cost, with price rises of between $590 and $1605 depending on the variant.The next-generation Toyota HiLux is expected in the next 18 months and it is likely to come with plug-in hybrid power to compete with the BYD Shark that is due this year and the 2025 Ford Ranger plug-in hybrid.It is rumoured Toyota could be using BYD’s plug-in hybrid technology for its next-generation HiLux.

In 2024, some new, very big heavy hitters are having their time in the sun, from brands as established in this field as Toyota, Isuzu, Ford and Mitsubishi.

The LDV D90 large off-road SUV has been on sale in Australia since 2017 and this week, a pair of new-look models wearing D90 badges were spotted by CarsGuide at local importer Ateco's Sydney headquarters, adding fuel to the fire that a new model is on the way.In China, the D90's replacement is known as the Maxus Territory – which, naturally, wouldn’t fly here – and was released back in 2022. It gives us an indication of what to expect from a new D90. An Ateco spokesperson declined to comment on whether there is a new model on the way. There have also been no updates for the LDV D90 registered in local compliance documents, either. However, the fact that three of the same model were parked together wearing full NSW registration suggests there is an update coming for the affordable Mitsubishi Pajero Sport, Ford Everest and Toyota Prado competitor. Compared to the current model, the new Maxus Territory has a larger, squared-off grille with individual black blocks – the brand refers to as ‘Warframe aesthetics’ on the related Interstellar ute – a jutting lower valance and chunkier wheel arches.There’s a lot more interesting detail with the graphics, certainly on some trims, and a black top section of the tailgate. The vehicles we spotted looked just like the Maxus, though had been 'LDV-ified' with the MAXUS and Territory badges replaced with LDV and D90 items for our market.Many of the oily bits appear to be unchanged for the new model including the eight-speed automatic. Like the current vehicle, it uses a 2.0-litre twin turbo-diesel four-cylinder producing 160kW, though it is paired with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system in China and torque is quoted at 500Nm – up 20Nm. A part-time 4WD system is available and the vehicles we saw were badged '4WD'. In China, the Territory/D90 is available with front, rear and centre locking differentials and a roof-mounted ‘snorkel’ air intake in certain trims. A 2500kg tow rating is quoted – down 600kg on the current Executive model. The new model Maxus Territory measures 39mm longer and a little wider yet stands at almost the same height and rides on an unchanged 2950mm wheelbase from the existing D90. Inside, the LDV D90 was already quite a way ahead of many rivals with big touchscreens and lots of tech. The new Maxus model gets a new 12.3-inch multimedia touchscreen, digital driver’s display, navigation and an ‘intelligent car system’.Further details, including Australian confirmation, arrival timing and pricing are yet to be confirmed by LDV’s importer Ateco.

Nissan in the USA has finally lifted the lid on the next-generation Nissan Patrol's launch timing, confirming that the American version – the Armada – will hit dealerships before the end of the year.

Electric 4X4 anyone? It kind of makes sense that, as the rest of the car market transits towards an EV future, that the four-wheel drive market would, too. It is, of course, not that simple. The term all-wheel drive electric car is not specific enough, just for starters.

Premcar and Nissan’s Warrior program has spawned a trio of capable, factory-backed off-roaders giving the Navara and Patrol nameplates some extra firepower as their eventual replacements approach. Left ungoverned by sensibilities like value and user-friendliness, though, the Parol Warrior could have been a very different beast. “For example, if Nissan came to us and said ‘we want to do 50 Patrols (and) we can charge $200,000 each’, that’s a totally different project. Then you’d supercharge it, put 37-inch tyres on and you’d homologate it in a totally different way,” says Bernie Quinn, Premcar Partner and Engineering Director.The finished product – although more capable, powerful and drool-worthy – would not have had such broad appeal without the Warrior’s bang for buck, Quinn describes more changes than the existing car as ‘diminishing returns’.“The very initial part of the program is called the affordable business case development, which is finding a balance between content versus cost versus volume, all of that stuff,” he said. There are products readily available to boost the Y62 Patrol’s power output. A Harrop supercharger kit adds around 100kW and 150Nm at the wheels yet costs over $13,0000 – and that’s before installation or ECU tuning. To retain its factory backing, the Warrior’s powertrain would then have to undergo some serious validation testing, which isn’t cheap. Add some supporting mods on top, like an enhanced cooling system, beefier brakes and stronger driveline and the price will only climb. The Warrior’s $104,160 (before on-road costs) price tag, however, gives it a leg up on newer rivals. Toyota’s LandCruiser 300 Series GR Sport is probably the better all-rounder with a more modern interior and greater capability thanks to a trio of locking differentials, yet it costs over $40,000 more today.A circa-$100K price was no accident. “It’s part of this iterative development process and the affordable business case development”, explains Quinn.  “We’re working as partners to develop that: price point, volume, time to market, duration of the program. Then we put all of that into the mixing box and see what spits out the best set of numbers.”Like the Navara Warriors that came before, there was no power increase for the Patrol and Bernie Quinn answered this as he has before. “I would say definitely, it’s possible, it’s just hitting that sweet spot? There are so many elements to it.”With the next-gen Patrol confirmed as a twin-turbo V6, software-based tuning should be more affordable and achievable than it is with the naturally aspirated ‘VK56’ V8 engine, so watch this space.

Consigned to the history books when production for Australia ceased in 2017, it looks like Mitsubishi could breathe life into the Lancer badge again with a new electric car. Meanwhile, Montero was the Pajero’s name in the United States and Latin America as ‘pajero’ is a derogatory term in Spanish. New patent filings in the US (following Mitsubishi’s renewed interest in the market after strong sales), suggest the Lancer Sportback and Montero (Pajero) names could return.Don’t expect another Lancer Evolution, or necessarily a direct Pajero/Montero replacement. The Eclipse Cross was, after all, a decent small SUV but a rather mediocre tribute to the nameplate’s sporting heritage. Though there were no passenger cars previewed in Mitsubishi’s Momentum 2030 teaser, the Lancer Sportback name could apply to one of the smaller SUVs pictured in the shadowy line-up.If the Lancer Sportback does come to fruition, it’s to do so as an electric car. With Mitsubishi and Nissan’s alliance partnership, there are rumours a 10th-gen Lancer could share a platform with the next-generation Leaf. First, though, the name will have to get past the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), as the trademark was initially rejected in the country. Mitsubishi has since appealed. Next up it is the Montero nameplate, also recently patented in the United States. Rumours of a new Pajero as a halo for the brand have been running for a number of years now with the nameplate being retired following the closure of Mitsubishi's Sakahogi plant in March 2021.The most plausible option for the new Pajero is a platform shared with Nissan’s ‘Y63’ Patrol, which will be based heavily on the Infiniti QX80. Expect Mitsubishi’s take to be differentiated, potentially by a plug-in hybrid powertrain.Far from ignoring and dispelling rumours, Mitsubishi executives in Australia and Japan have gone on record saying they would love to see the Pajero again."I have put up my hand and said we would love to have one because it's a very valuable nameplate, because it is a fantastic product, because it's a halo product."For all of the above reasons, we would love to have one here,” local CEO Shaun Westcott previously told CarsGuide. Along with the newly stoked Montero/Pajero and Lancer rumours, Mitsubishi is facing a large-scale product renewal in the coming years. A new pick-up truck larger than the Triton for the United States, potentially a global Delica off-road van, hardcore Outlander and more are expected.

There are plenty of variations of Australia's best-selling ute, the Ford Ranger, from which to choose. And where once the XLT represented an appealing balance of price and features, has the new mid-spec Ranger, the Sport, taken its place? Then the next question potential buyers have to ask themselves is: should I opt for the 2.0-litre bi-turbo diesel engine or the more expensive 3.0-litre V6?