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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. 

The writing has been on the wall for years now, but Mazda will cease production of two of its entry-level models as it gears up to launch an all-new replacement, according to reports.

This popular ute has just received a specialist Australian boost.

Ford and BYD could be working together, and people are not happy.The Wall Street Journal reported Ford is considering using BYD batteries in its hybrid vehicles built in overseas factories.These vehicles would be shipped all over the world, including the US.Ford is already using BYD’s Lithium-Ferro-Phosphate (LFP) batteries in some of its Chinese built vehicles such as the Bronco New Energy electric SUV and range extender hybrid.CarsGuide understands the Bronco New Energy range extender hybrid is coming to Australia this year.Now the recent report shows Ford might be deepening its ties with China just as the US is trying to separate itself from the global powerhouse.US Treasury Secretary Peter Navarro expressed outrage on X.“So @ford wants to simultaneously prop up a Chinese competitor's supply chain and make it more vulnerable to that same supply chain extortion?  What could go wrong here?,” he posted.“Did @ford forget the rare earth extortion already?  BYD is the latest predatory pricing kid on the block.  Aim is to control global EV production--@tesla will be a footnote if this keeps up.”The move by Ford is likely an attempt to shield itself from the waning demand of electric cars. Ford and many other carmakers have axed plans to build several electric models as customers — and governments — turn their back on the technology.Ford has invested heavily in new battery factories in recent years. This includes a new factory to build LFP batteries in the US.This factory will still go ahead and will create cells to power its new range of affordable electric cars.Ford’s global boss Jim Farley has previously confirmed the first model off its new Universal EV Platform would be a pick-up, which he said would be unlike anything we’ve seen before.“I would say it’s a new silhouette. What I mean by that is that it has more room than a RAV4, the bestselling passenger car in the US. That doesn’t include its frunk and pickup truck bed. It is very fast, it’s rear-wheel drive, it’s super fun to drive, and it has a digital experience that no one’s seen—even in China,” Farley told  The Verge’s Decoder podcast last year.

We just got a closer look at BYD’s latest products.

Kia could be working on a new ute.Hot on the heels of the recent Tasman dual-cab ute launch, the South Korean maker could have another ute in the works.The big reason for this? The US.The Tasman is unlikely to be sold in the US due to crippling tariffs, but the brand still wants and needs a ute to sell in one of the company’s largest markets.Sister brand Hyundai has already confirmed it is developing a ute, which is unlikely to be based on the current Tasman.This opens the door to a completely new workhorse developed by Hyundai but spawning a new Kia ute.Digital artist @Theottle on YouTube has crafted some new renders to show what a potential Telluride-styled pick-up truck could look like.The Telluride is Kia’s big SUV, which is a smash hit in the US, but isn’t sold in Australia.The renderings borrow the front end styling from the new large SUV, which give it a nice boxy silhouette paired with a large front grille and huge vertical headlights.There is no clunky side cladding or oddly shaped headlights and grille, which have led to many dumping on the current Tasman styling.It is likely any other Kia ute would be aimed at the US market, so it should use petrol or hybrid power rather than diesel grunt preferred by Australians.The new Kia ute had initially been expected to be a fully electric workhorse, but waning demand for battery powered utes globally, and especially in the US, forced the company to ditch their plans.Kia isn’t alone in ditching its large EV ute plans, with Ford, GM and Ram all ditching the idea in the short term.There is a chance the new Kia ute could be a large American-style pick-up, but it is more likely to be a mid-size ute in a similar vein to the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux.The Kia Tasman already fills that space in Australia, and it has the potential to add hybrid, plug-in hybrid and even electric power in the future, which likely cancels it out for Down Under.We will more likely see this ute wearing a Hyundai badge.Hyundai Australia boss Don Romano has vowed to have a ute here before the end of 2028.“ My work permit goes for another two and a half years. I'm not leaving until it's coming,” Romano told CarsGuide late last year.“If they produce what we're talking about at this stage and what we're working on, it's gonna be mind blowing, it's gonna be great. And I really mean that, I'm not just blowing smoke.“I just think when you come out with a ute, you know, you can't come out with the same thing. You've got to look at the best vehicles in the market, the best utes in the market, who are the two biggest players. We all know who they are and that's who you have to position yourself with. But you have to bring in some new technology, because a lot of that technology they're using has been there for a while.”

Blame Jurassic Park.Ever since Steven Spielberg’s iconic dinosaur movie hit the big screen, everyone has been afraid of Raptors. And not just the dinosaurs, because despite it being more than seven years since Ford launched the Ranger Raptor, nobody has been brave enough to take it on.But there is an obvious brand that should. BYD needs to build its own apex predator — the BYD ‘Great White’ Shark 6.As we continue our summer series looking at the missing pieces from several big name brands, today we’re talking a look at BYD, because the Chinese brand has enjoyed significant growth in recent years and is looking for an even bigger 2026 with the arrival of the Atto 1, Atto 2, Sealion 5 and Sealion 8.There has also been a lot of talk about expanding the Shark 6 line-up, but so far only a ‘more premium’ version and some stripped out variants to appeal to fleet buyers. The brand has, like every other brand that makes utes, deliberately avoided specifically mentioning any direct rival to the Ranger Raptor.With good reason, the Raptor has become a new benchmark in the ute market - not only in terms of performance, both on and off-road, but also the money buyers are willing to spend on a ute.It is both a great concept and a well-executed one, with the second-generation Raptor a leap forward from the already-impressive original.So why should BYD be the first to truly take it on head-to-head? Because it already has the foundations for a proper performance ute. The plug-in hybrid powertrain already makes 321kW of power and 650Nm of torque, which is more than the 291kW/583Nm offered up by the 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine in the Ranger Raptor.Of course, engine performance is only a part of the Raptor’s success, with the real difference maker being the incredibly effective suspension set-up. Ford has decades of off-road desert racing experience to draw on, but BYD clearly has plenty of resources. The fact the company created the Shark 6, and hit the mark so accurately it is already regularly amongst the best-selling utes each month, is proof of that.Make no mistake, I’m not suggesting this would be easy, but it would give BYD a true hero model that would have an impact on the overall brand perception and that will trickle down the entire range, all the way down to the Atto 1.Plus, Great White Shark is such a perfect name it would be a shame to waste it.

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."

Subaru has hiked the price of its affordable BRZ sports car. The cheapest BRZ now starts from $47,890 (before on-road costs), which is a $3600 jump based on 2025 pricing for the entry manual variant. It is almost $10,000 more than when the second-generation launched in 2022 at $38,990.Manual BRZ's are now the same price as automatic examples, having previously been a $1000 less.This price hike has been reflected across the range.The S variant is now $49,190 up from $45,490, while the tS starts from $52,790 - a $2600 increase.It is now nearly $4000 more than its mechanically identical counterpart, the Toyota GR86.The BRZ still comes in significantly cheaper than a comparative 2.3-litre petrol engine Ford Mustang.The Mustang leads the segment for sales, starting from more than $70,000.Subaru has released a special edition of its BRZ in addition to the announcement of these price hikes.It is called the Kiiro and only 95 units will be offered locally. The car is priced to start from $53,590 (before on-road costs), which is $800 more than the re-priced Coupe tS, which usually sits at the top of the range. This special edition BRZ gets an exclusive yellow paint, in line with the Japanese meaning for the word 'Kiiro', along with 18-inch matte back alloy wheels. There are suede and leather accented seats, with black and yellow elements. Yellow stitching is on the leather steering wheel and gear shift boot.There is an interior 'Kiiro' badge with the limited edition number of the specific car and ‘Kiiro’ badging is also visible in matte black on the rear of the car. It will be available in manual and automatic, keeping in line with the rest of the BRZ range. It will also be powered by the 2.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine, producing 174kW and 250Nm found in other BRZ models.The limited edition BRZ tS will hit showrooms later this month. 2026 Subaru BRZ pricing Australia

Chinese giant Dongfeng, which has joint-venture projects with Nissan and Honda, has announced it is entering late-stage trials for a new solid state battery, which it predicts will be in a production car by 2027.The brand says its new battery will grant electric cars a range of 1000 kilometres, and has established a limited production line for its new technology.Solid state batteries are still seen as the holy grail of electric car technology, promising to unlock massive driving range thanks to higher energy density, ultra-fast charging times, the ability to deal with temperature extremes and a safer, longer service life.The brand’s latest testing was for batteries with a 350Wh/kg density (current battery technology ranges from 180 - 300Wh/kg) in extreme cold, and the brand claims its testing sees the batteries maintain 72 per cent of their energy capacity at temperatures as high as 170 degrees celsius.Its next round of testing will see the batteries subjected to real-world conditions in the far north of China in temperatures as low as -40 degrees.The brand is aiming energy densities as high as 500Wh/kg, which would make them twice as dense as some EV batteries currently on the market. It also showcased an ultra fast charging 1200-volt electric platform concept, which is said to add 2.5km of range when charging every second.This will require a 2MW charger, which is unbelievable in Australia but much closer to reality in the Chinese domestic market where 1MW chargers already exist.Currently the fastest EV chargers in Australia are around 350kW, and even these are limited by high costs to install and rely on the local power grid being able to support such outputs.Dongfeng plans to put these new solid-state batteries in pre-production cars before the end of 2026, with a production run expected by 2027.The batteries are likely to debut in a vehicle from Dongfeng’s Yipai brand (styled eπ). The passenger sedans from the brand share their Tianyan platform with the Nissan N7, which has shot to relative popularity for the brand in its Chinese home market.Nissan also partners with Dongfeng to make the NX8 large SUV and the much-hyped Frontier Pro dual-cab plug-in hybrid ute, which many see as Nissan’s potential answer to the BYD Shark 6.Dongfeng is not the only brand that claims to be close to cracking the solid state battery code. MG is fitting semi-solid state batteries in its IM luxury cars and even its upcoming re-worked MG4. The brand has said the tech isn’t set for an Australian launch imminently, as it was still a work in progress for markets outside of China.China-based CATL is the world's biggest electric car battery maker and only expects to have small scale production of solid state batteries in 2027. It told Chinese media late in 2025 that large scale production is still as far away as 2030.Even Toyota is working on solid state, which it says will solve a lot of electric car problems in “a single stroke”. The Japanese giant has cast doubt on whether the technology will eventuate in the way we expect, with the brand’s Executive Vice President Hiroki Nakajima saying “development is always unpredictable. Franky, there’s no telling if it will work out or not”.Toyota’s aim was to have solid state technology in cars by 2027, while its rivals over in Europe have also been making progress, with prototypes being tested in some vehicles in the BMW and Mercedes-Benz line-ups.