Off road

Details for the Isuzu Ute D-Max electric ute in Thailand have just been revealed, and it could be a timely inclusion in Australia for the brand.The car starts from the equivalent of roughly $70,000 in Thailand, which is a massive reduction on the more than $115,000 equivalent price in the UK. This bodes well for Australia, which has a free trade agreement and close proximity to Thailand where the D-Max EV is built.It is powered by front- and rear-mounted electric motors, producing 140kW, with front motor torque at 108Nm and rear motor torque at 217Nm for a maximum 325Nm.The ute comes with a full-time four-wheel drive system.Its 67kWh battery offers a driving range of 263km (WLTP), which is comparable to the HiLux EVs 240km. Fast charging on the D-Max EV from 20-80 per cent takes around an hour, due to a maximum of 50kW charging on the Thai version. It will also have a 3500kg towing capacity, offering the same lugging capacity as many of its diesel competitors. The D-Max EV also has a payload exceeding 1000kg. The D-Max EV is nearing sale in many countries, including the United Kingdom, but its Thailand launch could be the final step before it lands Down Under.Sky high diesel fuel prices could speed up any potential EV ute launches in Australia, as they offer a cheaper-to-run and cleaner alternative in a segment potentially phasing out diesel in the coming years. The D-Max EV is likely to launch in Australia some time this year, but local timing has yet to be confirmed by the brand. A spokesperson for Isuzu Australia said there was no news confirmed.It will join a growing EV ute segment, with the electric variant of the KGM Musso already on sale, while MG’s U9 EV and the Toyota HiLux BEV will launch in the coming months. 

Ford has had many teething issues with its locally converted F-150 pick-up in Australia, which it is hoping to address with a long-awaited update.Ever since the Chevrolet Silverado, Ram 1500 and Toyota Tundra rival launched in Australia in 2023, there have been numerous recalls and stop-sales on the Ford F-150 in order to rectify issues.Examples included defective rear wheel hub bolts, a potentially defective rear-view camera system, non-compliant lighting, among other engine-related issues.Ford International Markets Group Program Director Iain Jones said the Blue Oval, plus its remanufacturing partner RMA Automotive, have added some extra quality control checks to ensure the conversion from left- to right-hand drive is seamless.“To handle this truck is a massive operation and the remanufacturing process is highly complex, and we acknowledge that there have been some teething problems in the first few years of this program,” said Jones.“Quality and safety are non-negotiable at Ford and that’s why we took voluntary actions last year to look after our customers.“Ford Australia and global product development engineers have collaborated with RMA to ensure Ford standards of quality are at the centre of every process that we’ve gone through.“We’ve left no stone unturned to address any issues identified and we’ve added some additional quality control gates and checks into the conversion process to deliver the best product for our customers.”When asked what exact quality control checks have been added, Jones didn’t note anything in particular, apart from saying every process has been checked and tuned.“We’ve gone through every process and really gone into minute details to protect our customers, and obviously some of those issues have also come from the left-hand drive vehicle,” said Jones.“It’s no secret, there’s been issues in the US as well, and … we’re not releasing that to our customers until they’ve got everything from both the US side and our side addressed.“So we’ve … tuned processes, we’ve tuned quality gates in the process and sign-off criteria, and gone through every process.”When asked about how Ford plans to regain trust from potential F-150 customers following the recalls and stop-sales, Ford Australia Product Communications Manager Ben Nightingale said since the last stop-sale lifted in November 2025, sales have been strong.“I would also say the trust is we stopped it,” added Jones.“We deliberately stopped it to protect our customers. And so when we found out there were issues, we stopped the vehicle and stopped the protection of that vehicle.“And so to me, that’s equally the trust. We made the tough call and stopped, and we spent a long time going through this truck and the remanufacturing process to validate everything and get it back to what our customers expect from our quality.”Compared to the pre-update model, this latest F-150 has received some slight changes to the remanufacturing process.One of the largest is the F-150 now operates on a newer electrical architecture. This also means there’s an updated steering rack that’s no longer a Ranger unit.There’s also a new steering calibration that’s been localled tuned, along with the advanced driver assist systems (ADAS).Additionally the headlights are now made as Australian-specification units from the factory and no longer require modifications locally to comply with Australian Design Rules (ADRs).Other tweaks include a new pre-wired high-beam loom, constant 12V power for a trailer plug, locally added fog lights on the XLT, preserved manual headlight adjustment, plus the addition of underbody protection.It still takes around 500 parts and components to remanufacture an F-150 from left- to right-hand drive, including parts for the steering, climate and lighting, among other recalibrations.Ford notes that it takes RMA 22-23 working hours to completely remanufacture an F-150 and currently has the capacity to remanufacture 22 F-150s each business day.There are now three trim levels in the F-150 line-up – XLT, Lariat and Platinum. Pricing starts at $114,950 before on-road costs and extends to $163,950 before on-road costs. Short- and long-wheelbase variants are now priced the same.All F-150s are powered by a 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine which produces 298kW and 678Nm. This is mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission with drive sent through a four-wheel drive system.Braked towing capacity is 4500kg across the line-up, whereas payload is between 704kg and 878kg, depending on the trim level and wheelbase length.

The federal government’s emergency fuel plan could devastate ute and 4WD owners.Documents acquired by former crossbench senator Rex Patrick reveal the government’s emergency fuel response plan, which could include fuel rationing.The documents, which paint a worst case scenario, show a $40 limit on fuel would be enforced. This would limit workhorse utes to extremely short daily driving ranges.Average diesel fuel price in NSW on Thursday 25th of March is $2.957, which buys you about 13.5 litres of diesel.Most dual-cab utes have 80-litre fuel tanks, which means $40 fills up about 16 per cent of a tank.More concerning is that drivers could be restricted to a little more than 100km of driving.Most dual-cabs use somewhere in the vicinity of 8.0 litres of fuel per 100km driven, according to lab tests.In the real world those figures are much higher. CarsGuide’s GVM road tests — which includes significant driving time at the vehicle’s maximum payload — paints a far worse picture.In those tests fuel usage on popular utes such as the new Toyota HiLux and the Volkswagen Amarok jumped to 10 litres per 100km.So, if you use a ute to haul a load or equipment or if you tow, you could be sweating if fuel rationing is enforced in Australia.Factor in a lot of tradies living in major city urban fringes and regional areas and any measure could slam the brakes on those industries.Energy Minister Chris Bowen has currently ruled out implementing the $40 fuel limit, and told Sky News the proposal is out of date.“This plan has existed since 2006. It’s got various ways things might roll out, which governments can work with. It’s sort of a suite of options.“I’ve pointed to this plan in the past and been saying, look there are preparations in place for the very worst case... in that sense, it’s a bit of an out of date document in terms of that $40 approach,” he said.

Nissan’s new Navara lands about a year after the Triton it’s based on, but some extra local engineering work on the ute sees the brand calling the D27 generation of this model more suited to Australia. We head to its local launch in Canberra to see if that really is the case.

Australians love off-road-ready four-wheel drives, but Ford has kept its biggest and baddest examples off limits Down Under.This could change if there’s enough local customer demand for the Ford F-150 Tremor and Raptor, the Blue Oval will consider launching them in Australia.“It’s one of those things … with the program because of the complexity … you’ve got to re-engineer that whole series again,” said Ford Australia Product Communications Manager Ben Nightingale.“So it’s all customer led. If we get enough demand from the customer saying, ‘Hey, we want this,’ then you realise that we’ve got to look at it but it’s got to make sense.”Noting specifically the F-150 Raptor, Nightingale added it’s a “challenging product to bring in at a price point that’s acceptable”.As it currently stands the F-150 Tremor and F-150 Raptor start at US$64,195 (~A$91,600) and US$79,005 (~A$111,500), respectively. There’s also the fire-breathing F-150 Raptor R with its 5.2-litre supercharged V8 engine, which is priced from US$110,930 (~A$156,500).It’s worth noting that if the F-150 Tremor, Raptor or Raptor R did eventually come to Australia, they would likely be much more expensive as they’re shipped over from the US and converted from left- to right-hand drive in Australia by RMA Automotive.They would also have to be engineered to comply with Australian Design Rules (ADRs).The entry-level, Australian-specification F-150 XLT currently starts at $114,950 before on-road costs.The fire-breathing Ram 1500 TRX, when it was last offered locally, was priced from $249,950 before on-road costs.This discourse regarding the local potential of the F-150 Tremor and Raptor follows Ford’s decision to introduce the luxurious Platinum flagship trim level to the Australian F-150 line-up with the latest update.It’s priced from $163,950 before on-road costs, which is $20,000 more than the now mid-spec Lariat trim and $49,000 more than the entry-level XLT trim.When asked about why Ford went down this route of bringing the F-150 Platinum Down Under instead of the likes of the Tremor or Raptor, Ford Australia Product Marketing Manager Peter Zikas said Australia is a “high series market” for F-150 and even Ranger.“We’ve also had a lot of background feedback from our dealer network that’s consistently from the get go requested more of a high series spec.“So from that perspective, it was a no-brainer that was the way to go.“In a market where it can’t be all things you can’t have multiple series that’s afforded from the US, it was about being pretty granular about it and effectively Platinum is the one that delivers on all those key points.”While Ford could potentially bring the F-150 Tremor and Raptor if there’s enough local demand, the Blue Oval seemingly poured cold water on the larger F-250 or F-350 Super Duty coming to Australia to rival the Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD and Ram 2500/3500.“The whole remanufacturing process would have to be looked at, but it’s like the Raptor conversation … whatever the business case is to do that,” said Ford Program Director International Markets Group Iain Jones.“When you start getting into 250s and 350s, then it really starts the big trucks.”“I can honestly say we haven’t had much of that approach around ,” added Zikas.“So for us at the moment, it’s 150 and … Super Duty, essentially … to carry the big load in terms of capability.”

Toyota’s mini LandCruiser FJ has finally launched overseas, with a very sharp price.The rough and tumble 4WD has launched in Thailand — where it is built — with prices starting at the equivalent of about $55,900 Down Under.That puts the mini 4WD on par with lower grades of the new RAV4 hybrid, which unlocks off-road adventuring at a bargain price.Toyota is still blocking the FJ LandCruiser for coming to Australia for now.Toyota Australia’s former Vice President of Sales and Marketing Sean Hanley told CarsGuide at the 2025 Tokyo Motor Show it would not be available to Australia because the 2.7-litre petrol engine only adheres to Euro 5 emissions regulations.“The LandCruiser name in Australia would be very appealing, but the hardcore reality we are facing in our country… variable regulations, new criteria, new vehicle efficiency standards,” said Hanley.“It’s not about NVES, it’s just about regulations.“We’re moving to Euro 6 emissions standards. That’s the reality,” he said. The culprit is a 2.7-litre petrol engine, which was previously found in entry-level HiLux variants, that makes 120kW and 246Nm in the FJ LandCruiser.There are rumours out of Japan Toyota may install the same 2.8-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine with mild hybrid assistance as the current Toyota HiLux ute and Prado 4WD.This would likely deliver a huge performance bump to a max of 150kW and 500Nm, but a detuned version could be used to further lower emissions.Any diesel FJ LandCruiser won’t be available until at least 2029, according to reports.Hanley said at the time if the FJ LandCruiser’s engine did meet Euro 6, which the HiLux’s engine with AdBlue does, the company would be more likely to consider it for Australia.“If it was Euro 6, I would reconsider it,” said Hanley.“If it does turn out to be a Euro 6 engine, and if it does turn out to be that way, which it could… then that’s something we could re-examine.”Pocket-sized off-roaders are the flavour of the month, with Mercedes-Benz and Land Rover working on a small G-Wagen and Defender, respectively.Both those are expected to be electric, with plug-in hybrid power a possibility depending on buyers’ tastes.BYD’s Denza has shown 4WDs are willing to embrace plug-in hybrid power for off-roading, with the recent launch of the B5 and B8 Prado and LandCruiser 300 Series rivals.

Nissan Australia is waiting for more information before making any guesses about what the increasing conflict around the Persian Gulf might mean for Australian deliveries of its iconic 4WD.The new-gen 2026 Nissan Patrol is anticipated to be extremely popular in the Gulf region, in particular the United Arab Emirates (UAE), in line with its historic popularity there.But given the increasing effects of the US-Israeli war on Iran, there’s a possibility the UAE won’t be as interested in the full-size 4WD when it launches later this year.It raises the question as to whether, even though the UAE is a left-hand drive market and Australia a right-hand market, Nissan might shift its priority to supply Australia as the other major destination for the Patrol until the demand for Patrol in the Arabian Peninsula is clear.Nissan’s outgoing Managing Director for the Oceania region, Andrew Humberstone, told CarsGuide he doesn’t foresee the conflict affecting Australia’s supply of the Patrol yet.“In theory? No,” said Humberstone.“In theory, we have a product line that's coming, left-hand drive market, right-hand drive market.“So it's planned for when we're getting our product, the unveil is officially around September, October, end of the year.”In 2025, the ageing Y62 Nissan Patrol was the second-best selling model behind the Toyota HiLux, with 16,769 sales to its name. In Australia, 6263 sales over the same period saw it tail the Toyota LandCruiser by half alone excluding the 70 Series pick-up.Given the anticipated demand for the new-gen Y63 Patrol and the larger historical sales volume in the UAE, even a slight shift could mean much more comparative supply for Australia.“Is there a chance to anticipate ? I would welcome it. As a market, we would welcome it. “Yes, there's a lot going on in the Middle East. There's a lot of volume in the Middle East. “If that allows us additional productivity, let's see if they can do anything quicker.”While Humberstone didn’t foresee major changes to the plans already in place, he added the caveat that a protracted war in the region would obviously mean different circumstances that he wouldn’t be drawn to estimate.“But it's early days. It's only six-seven weeks. If it becomes three or four months, it'd be a different conversation, too early for me to say, and it's way above my pay grade. “But I would welcome the idea.”

Hyundai’s Kona, now Australia’s best-selling small SUV, is set for a deeper upgrade than first expected, if a test mule spotted in its South Korean home market is anything to go by.Spotted by South Korean YouTubers, ShortsCar a camouflaged version of the the incoming new Kona has significant design changes more in line with a next-generation offering than the facelift it was expected to be.Among the changes highlighted by the channel, there’s a completely new light signature at the front, an even boxier profile, as well as a completely new roofline and door shapes.The Korean YouTubers point out that the test mule under scrutiny must be a Kona as it has markers on its wheels indicating it is a test model for the European market, where other models (like the smaller Creta or Venue) are not sold.The wheels also carry the expected code-name of the upcoming next-gen offering, SX3.As ShortsCar points out, this Kona test mule has many of the design signatures of the Crater concept car Hyundai displayed in 2025. This is indicated by the boxy bonnet features, new light profile, bulges over the rear wheel arches which appear to include the rear light clusters, and a pronounced spoiler piece over the tailgate.Interestingly the spotted car also features active aero pieces, and very short overhangs. There are also sporty blacked-out 18-inch wheels and sunken aerodynamic door handles.Korean media is also speculating the Kona will launch Hyundai’s upcoming Pleos Connect operating system from the Korean giant’s recently-established dedicated software brand, designed to lean into the ‘software defined vehicle’ concept.The Pleos Connect suite was shown in 2025 on what now appears to be a concept version of what could be the Kona’s new interior. The brand earmarked a quarter two, 2026 launch for the suite, and expects it to be available on “20 million vehicles by 2030".Based on Android Automotive, Pleos Connect is designed to completely overhaul the in-car software and will feature a refreshed interface, deeper over-the-air features (with the ability to tweak drivetrain features with a software update), new developer and fleet management tools, and the ability to collect mass amounts of data to train Hyundai’s future self-driving tech.Expect to learn more about the next-generation Kona imminently if it expects to meet its international launch window of mid-2026.Such a revolutionary change so soon after the launch of the existing Kona is also a risk for Hyundai. The small SUV was the top-selling small SUV in Australia last year, no doubt helped by a diverse powertrain offering and price points.It's priced from just $33,700 before on-road costs with a 2.0-litre petrol engine and continuously variable transmission (CVT), while the fuel-efficient hybrid is $36,950. It is available in fully electric form, starting from $54,000, with the range topping out with the Electric N-Line Premium at a whopping $71,000.Hyundai has emerged as a hybrid hero, taking second position last year for hybrid sales in Australia, tallying 28,819 units. This is double the previous year, and a positive sign for the Korean brand as its major models are nearly all more than 50 per cent hybrid by sales.However, its lack of solid EV sales (only two per cent of Hyundais sold in 2025 were EVs) thanks to its relatively expensive electric models meant the brand still managed to attract a penalty under Australia’s tough New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES), which tightens the vice on high emitters every year from now until 2030.

As Hyundai’s game-changing dual-cab ute inches closer, more details of just what to expect from the brand’s answer to the Kia Tasman, Toyota HiLux, Ford Ranger and BYD Shark 6 are beginning to surface.The clock is ticking, though, as a new wave of utes from China wash over the Aussie new car market.New utes are big news, and so we here at CarsGuide have once again popped on our detective hats to bring you everything we know about Hyundai’s first ute in Australia.What sort of engine will the Hyundai ute have?The one thing we know for certain is that it won’t be powered by a diesel engine. Unlike the Tasman (and the vast majority of utes sold in Australia, for that matter), Hyundai is ditching the diesel, rightly predicting that the world will have moved on by the time its ute arrives."Australia doesn't need another diesel ute,” Hyundai's new local chief, Don Romano, has previously told us. ”I think we have to look at options. And I can't tell you whether that's a PHEV, a HEV or a BEV, but I think those are options that have to be considered. And I think those are the areas that will give us an opportunity for expansion.”It’s a decision no doubt solidified by the success of the BYD Shark 6, and its petrol plug-in hybrid powertrain, and it seems Hyundai will be taking a different approach, only sans one plug.It is increasingly likely — in fact, I’d say it’s almost certain — that the Hyundai pickup will debut a new Hyundai REEV powertrain that’s nearing its launch. Details are skinny for now, but expect an electric-first powertrain supplemented by a petrol engine, with the latter used to recharge the battery or power the electric motors. Hyundai says a total range of 1000kms is possible, and expects to launch the technology in 2027. The technology appears tailored for ute use, too."The beauty of EREVs lies in combining EV driving characteristics — instant high torque and serene cabin space — with a longer range. It’s kind of a modern hybrid: You can use it as an EV on a daily basis, but if you have to take a long trip, and you don’t want to carefully plan your route around EV charging stations, it provides seamless driving with the ICE generating electricity for you. This freedom is generating a lot of excitement around the world,” says Manfred Harrer, Head of the Vehicle Development Tech Unit at Hyundai Motor Group."But there’s more to EREVs than range. There’s also the ample power for towing capacity — the energy to tow something like a horse trailer — which remains an unsolved issue with EVs.Will the Hyundai ute be based on the Tasman?This is where the mystery deepens. When news of Hyundai’s ute first broke, Mr Romano made special mention of the brand’s global partnership with GM, and the commitment Hyundai HQ had made to co-develop two utes, largely for South and Central America.That remains on the table, but given the expense poured into the Tasman, and the fact that it too is being prepped for electrification, it seems crazy that Hyundai wouldn’t at least use that ladder frame platform as a base for its ute."If we used the body-on-frame, that's the Tasman, made from our factory in Korea, that could be sooner,” Mr Romano has said. ”We are looking at different drivetrains, and all of that adds time. So it's going to be step one; Tasman, diesel, ok, change the engine, ok, let's look at what else we have available from GM, ok, what's the timing on that?Will it be capable on- and off-road?Short answer? Yep. Hyundai’s ute offering will be a ladder-frame solution at least partly tailored to our markets and conditions, and that means a ute that can carry, tow and hold its own off-road. "We're continually feeding into HQ and other regional offices about what our requirements would be. We've been studying for 15-odd years and the proposal continually updates,” says Hyundai's Product Development Manager, Tim Rodgers."There's a huge portfolio of information that HQ has about our market, our market requirements, how we view the market, what would be successful, what would be a differentiated offering, what would be a mainstream offering.”When will the Hyundai ute launch?Happily, the window is shrinking. What began as a 2030 timeframe has been reduced to 2028, with Hyundai Australia COO Gavin Donaldson confirming that was now the rough window. 

I think I have pressed something by accident, but no sound is evident in my 2024 LDV D90. No indicator sound, no volume on the radio or any other media. I think I have tried everything but am not exactly computer savvy.