Adventure

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.

The influx of full-size utes from the USA has been a controversial development, with WWII American GI-style sentiment along the lines of ‘over-sized, over-priced and over-here’ summing up the negative commentary.

Volkswagen Australia has reduced the payload of its Amarok ute range.But don’t panic, it’s actually good news for a lot of would-be buyers.The change has come about as VW brings its method of calculating payload into line with the rest of the dual-cab ute industry.Volkswagen Australia Amarok Product Manager, Ben Triebels, told CarsGuide that the change involves using the kerb weight of the Amarok rather than the tare mass when calculating the payload.Simply put, this involves weighing the vehicle with a full tank of fuel, rather than the 10 litres of fuel the tare weight method involves. There are no other physical changes whatsoever.“It’s a simple as that,” Triebels said.Of course, a heavier vehicle (one with a full fuel tank) reduces payload, but rather than that being a problem for the Amarok, Triebels sees it as an advantage.“We made the move to bring our specifications into line with what everybody else in the ute market does,” he said.“But then we had a few dealers and fleet managers contact us and tell us what a great thing the payload reduction was.”Which begs the question: Why?It turns out that in the case of many Amarok variants, that slight reduction brings the official payload below 1000kg. At which point, the vehicle is suddenly eligible for a novated lease where, previously, it wasn’t.Since many high-end dual-cabs are, in fact, user-chooser decisions purchased on just such a leasing plan, this has the potential for a sales uptick for Amarok.While the Aventura model already featured a payload under 1000kg thanks to its heavier 21-inch wheels and tyres and roller-cover for the bed, the Amarok Core, Style and PanAmericana have now all fallen below the 1000kg payload threshold for novated leasing.

The VW Kombi and camping have gone together like a horse and carriage for more than half a century. And this imposing Crafter Kampervan is the brand's latest pitch to dedicated Aussie holidaymakers. Are you ready to take it on? Dave Morley has the lowdown on its pros and cons.

The V8 Toyota LandCruiser 79 Series is so popular the mind boggles. This is a purpose-built ute to the extreme. It's big and brash, noisy and not so nice - and in a molly-coddled, too-easy-to-be-triggered world, the 79 remains truly refreshing. But now that it's had a modern-ish update - replete with a 2.8L four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine and six-speed auto - is this the end for the beloved V8?