Adventure

How do you change the Jeep Wrangler, without changing anything, but making it better than before? Well, they've done it and we've tested the updated Jeep Wrangler at its Australian launch.

Those holding out to order a new V8-power Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series are out of luck.Orders of the V8-powered version of the legendary tough truck have been paused for about two years and the chances of them opening are slim, according to Toyota Australia’s Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations, Sean Hanley.“At this stage I have no clear vision of that order bank opening again anytime soon. We’ve still got a way to go to clear what we’ve got,” said Hanley.“So I don’t foresee that order bank for V8 LandCruiser 70 Series opening any time soon.”The good news, for those with an existing order, is the company is now starting to fill that large order bank.“We are filling the orders as we speak, which is good for customers that have been waiting and we expect to be able to fill those orders,” said Hanley.The Federal Government's impending New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES), which will come into effect next year, had put a shadow of doubt over these long-standing orders being filled.Under the NVES, carmakers will be fined for every vehicle they sell that produces CO2 over a certain level. This level gets lower and lower every year and an old V8 diesel motor will not meet this new standard.Toyota has brought in a new four-cylinder version to help prolong the life of the rugged four-wheel drive.This four-cylinder version uses the same 2.8-litre turbo-diesel motor found in the HiLux and is paired with a six-speed automatic transmission.Hanley said at the time of the four-cylinder’s launch it would broaden its appeal even further, making it more accessible to a wider cross-section of customers than ever before.Now it appears customers will have no choice but to take the four-cylinder.Hanley indicated customers haven’t warmed to the smaller-engined 70 Series but he said the take-up rate for the four-cylinder was improving by the day.

The battle for the title of Australia's favourite jumbo truck is heating up, with just two sales separating the Chevrolet Silverado and the Ram 1500 in May.

Toyota announced Australian 2025 Prado pricing and specifications earlier this week with a nearly blanket $10,000 increase over its predecessor, just as we predicted.

The Lexus LX range has a solid reputation as an off-roader and for towing, and the new-generation LX500d is built on the same platform as the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series. It uses that model's 3.3-litre V6 twin-turbocharged diesel engine and 10-speed auto - so there's plenty of excitement around this vehicle.If you like off-roading in luxury then perhaps the LX500d is worth checking out.

Toyota has revealed prices for the new Prado 4WD ahead of its arrival in showrooms later this year.The rugged off-roader range kicks off at $72,500 (before on-road costs) for the entry-level GX grade. This is a jump of $10,000 compared to the outgoing version.It rises to $79,990 for the GXL variant, $87,400 for the VX grade, $92,770 for the off-road focused Altitude and tops out at $99,990 for the Kakadu.Toyota Australia’s Vice president of Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations Sean Hanley said the new 4WD is a big improvement over the outgoing model.“Customers in this segment are continually upgrading their expectations and will appreciate the inherent value in the new range with its head-turning looks, impressive technologies, latest off-road features, optimum blend of performance and efficiency, and even greater creature comforts,” Mr Hanley said.“The 2024 LandCruiser Prado will build on the model’s reputation as one of Australia’s best-loved vehicles, equally capable and comfortable whether taking owners across the outback or on the school run,” he added.The new Prado brings butch looks to match its rough-and-tumble capabilities.It’s a big square-jawed rig, with black cladding on the hardwearing external surfaces, chunky wheel arches and big blocky T-O-Y-O-T-A badging. It’ll be hard to miss when it lands on our roads.All variants will be powered by a 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine paired with 48-volt V-Active technology (that Toyota does not call a mild hybrid) matched to an eight-speed automatic transmission.The same set-up is found in this year’s HiLux where it makes 150kW and 500Nm.Unlike Toyota’s other hybrid vehicles the small electric motor never drives the wheels, instead it’s used to power the starter motor and other electrical components.Every model has full time four-wheel drive with low-range transfer case, a locking centre differential and a 3500kg braked towing capacity.Prado GX buyers can expect 18-inch alloy wheels, LED head lights and a glass hatch on the tailgate.A big 12.3-inch multimedia screen is paired with a 7.0-inch digital information screen for the driver.GXL variants add a third row of seats, roof rails and silver exterior highlights on the front and rear bumper.There are luxe items such as a power adjustable driver’s seat and heating and ventilation for front passengers. Connectivity is boosted with a wireless device charger and extra USB charging ports.The Prado VX builds on this with synthetic leather upholstery, 20-inch alloy wheels, fully digital driver display, 14-speaker JBL stereo and a refrigerated centre console box among other items.An off-road focused Altitude variant is new to the Prado range and is five seats only. The Altitude's 18-inch alloy wheels are wrapped in beefier all-terrain tyres and it includes hardware upgrades such as a locking rear differential and a new sway-bar disconnect feature that allows for increased wheel articulation when covering rough terrain.The Kakadu dials up the luxury with a panoramic moon roof, heated and ventilated rear seats, heated steering wheel, digital rear vision mirror, head-up display and limited-slip rear differential. 

The Ram DT 1500 is one of the world's greatest utes. From the considered design and sophisticated engineering to its comfy and user-friendly cabin, we're frankly hooked. The Australian-remanufactured right-hand drive conversion is first class. And the big Hemi V8 shines. But the base Big Horn that's under $20K less than our favoured Laramie grade is just too compromised in the name of price.

Porsche already had 23 variants of its iconic 911 sports car but believed there was space for at least one more. Hence this wild and unlikely addition, inspired by its triumph in the world's toughest motor racing way back in 1984. The Porsche 911 Dakar is a sports car that's also an off-roader. We take this strictly limited edition (and very expensive) car and hit the trails.

BYD’s first foray into the popular ute market has made some waves.The plug-in hybrid dual-cab ute has recently been revealed and is likely to land in showrooms towards the end of 2024.The Chinese brand has revealed the price in Mexico, where the Shark made its global debut.It is priced from the equivalent of A$81,140 for the base version dubbed GL and $87,435 for the higher grade GS.We don’t know what the price will be in Australia but in Mexico the BYD Seal comes at a $20,000 premium compared to the Australian model and the smaller Dolphin hatchback is $10,000 cheaper here than in Mexico.This would put the BYD Shark’s starting point somewhere in the mid-$50,000 range before on-road costs in Australia if the company follows the same pricing, which would be cheaper than mid-tier versions of the Toyota HiLux, Isuzu D-Max and Ford Ranger.At that price the Shark becomes a very tasty proposition.It uses a 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine paired with an electric motor on the rear axle to deliver all-wheel-drive grip and make 320kW and 650Nm.That makes it more powerful than a Ram 1500 powered by a Hemi V8.BYD claims it can sprint from 0-100km/h in 5.7 seconds, which makes it faster than the Ford Ranger Raptor.It uses a 30kWh battery to feed the electric motor and provides a driving range up to 100km in pure EV mode.A total driving range - via the more generous NEDC testing cycle - is about 845km.Charging isn’t super speedy with the Shark able to replenish its batteries from 30-80 per cent in 20 minutes via a fast DC charger. That means it can accept a max charge rate of 45kW.It isn’t all good news, though.The Shark falls behind Aussie favourites with its 2500kg max towing capacity and a payload of 835kg. The Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux and others can tow up to 3500kg and have a payload of about one tonne.While full specs are yet to be revealed, we do know the Shark is fitted with a 10.25-inch driver display, joined by a 12.8-inch central touchscreen that can be oriented in landscape or portrait.“It's called Dual Motor Intelligence. And it's not a hybrid as you know them," BYD importer Luke Todd has told CarsGuide."For Australia, in my opinion, I'm so happy that we ended up bringing this one first and not the pure electric, which will come probably a year or so later."

From towing and off-road crawling to carrying heavy loads and day-to-day family duty Mark Oastler has put the GWM Ute Cannon XSR dual cab 4WD ute through its paces over three months. Now it's time for his final verdict.