Off road

A chunky little SUV with more-than-usual off-road capability has achieved something few have ever been able to achieve consistently – attract more genuinely new customers than returning ones.The Renault Duster has cracked the sales conquest code that is considered the Holy Grail by every manufacturer, with up to three-out-of-four buyers for the little off-roader new to the carmaker in Australia.According to Renault Australia General Manager, Glen Sealey, this turns the usual ratio on its head, meaning the small SUV will bide well for the longevity of the product in this country.“With Duster it’s almost all conquest,” he revealed to CarsGuide.“For Symbioz (a larger mid-sized SUV coming to Australia in the final quarter of this year to act as an indirect replacement to the now-discontinued larger Koleos SUV), we see greater loyalty.“That’s because the Renault customer of the last 10 years is expecting a higher level of premium, whereas Duster customers are happy with what they've got.”This reflects the series’ massive success in Europe since the original Duster was launched to acclaim as a tough, basic crossover in 2010, where it is built and sold by Renault’s Dacia value brand from Romania using many off-the-shelf parts (namely from the Clio) to keep prices down.Sealey admits that the Duster still has some way to go, with only around 300 units sold in Australia so far this year, compared to well-over 10,000 registrations for the similarly priced Hyundai Kona.“It's going to take some time for that vehicle to find its place in the marketplace,” he concedes.“But we do see the people that didn't buy Duster would buy Symbioz. It's all conquest. More than any other car we've got. Which is a good thing. Brings new people to the brand.”Reasons for the Duster’s broad appeal is its accessible pricing, chunky styling, versatile and hardy interior, handy extra ground clearance and off-road-enhancing technology in the optional 4WD model.This positions this Renault model halfway between every other small SUV like the Chery Tiggo 4 and tough, proper off-road mini 4WD Suzuki Jimny – something that the French brand has been keen to exploit.“I'd say we're not unhappy with Duster,” Sealey added. “We're very conscious that Duster walks into a very competitive market.“If I look at (the Suzuki) Jimny, it took 21 years before it actually started to sell any volume. Duster is a new nameplate for a smaller brand in a very crowded market place.“We think Duster will continue to grow and we think it’s going to find its space,” Sealey believes.“And what we've seen, from every person who's bought one, is that they love it. They love the fact that it's fun to drive. It delivers a very honest and unique driving experience. Absolutely, and that (sales growth) will happen like that. But and it will be osmosis.”

Mercedes-Benz has given the first glimpse of the upcoming G-Class Cabriolet with its roof folded down, hinting the convertible luxury off-roader’s arrival is imminent.In December last year Mercedes-Benz announced that it would be bringing its G-Class Cabriolet back after the previous version had been discontinued in 2013. The images that were released officially at the time were of a camouflage Cabriolet model with the folding roof in place. Now Mercedes-Benz has released a series of teasers on its social media accounts showing the G-Class Cabriolet folding down its roof automatically.Although nothing is really left to the imagination Mercedes-Benz has persisted with using camouflage around the rear of the G-Class Cabriolet.It is clear the roof folds automatically and quickly, although not quite as compactly as some might have hoped. Rather than storing itself away neatly behind the rear seats, the folded roof sits as high as the top of the spare wheel cover mounted on the tailgate.Mercedes-Benz has not announced when the G-Class Cabriolet will make its global debut, but it is expected to arrive before the end of this year.CarsGuide has reached out to Mercedes-Benz’s local arm asking for confirmation of the Cabriolet’s arrival and the launch timing Down Under, but the company is yet to respond.The signs are positive for an Australian arrival with Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Kallenius saying at the 2025 Munich motor show that the new Cabriolet will be “sold in almost every market around the world”.Details are scarce, but the model in the teaser video appears to be the top-of-the-range twin-turbo V8-powered G63. Buyers of a Cabriolet version can expect to pay a premium over the current hard-top G63, which starts at $368,400 (before on-road costs). The cabriolet body style may only be available in the range-topping G63 specification and if it does come to Australia it will join the line-up, which starts with the diesel powered G 450d before stepping up to the fully electric G 580.Mercedes-Benz introduced a Cabriolet version of its short wheelbase two-door G-Class in 1979 with production running until 2013.  Mercedes-Benz says the reason for the two-door Cabriolet G-Class’s axing was due to low demand and increasing safety requirements.A four-door version was continued to be made but only available in the exotic Mercedes-Maybach G650 Landaulet specification. This was also discontinued in 2018.

We all secretly knew it, but now it's official: Ute and four-wheel-drive owners rarely use their vehicles as intended.Utes and rough-and-tumble 4WDs are some of the best-selling vehicles in the country, and if you have ever spent any time on the road you'll see it is dominated by Ford Rangers, Toyota HiLuxes and Pradoes and a range of newer vehicles such as the BYD Shark 6, GWM Tank 300 and Denza B5.Now new data from Continental tyres shows most high-riding and rough-road-ready vehicles rarely make it out of the suburbs.The survey polled 2000 Australian ute and 4WD owners across the country aged 18-years-old and above.Only 18 per cent of those surveyed said they had used their vehicle’s off-road capabilities frequently, while 22 per cent said they never went 4WDing.A further 21 per cent said they had gone off-road once or twice, and shockingly two per cent said they weren’t even aware of their car’s off-road ability.Of the drivers surveyed, 33 per cent said they take their vehicle off-road every few months, while 22 per cent said they never take their ute or 4WD off-roading. Twenty one per cent said once a year and only six per cent said every weekend,Surprisingly only 22 per cent of respondents said they bought their ute or 4WD for its off-road ability, with towing capacity (21 per cent) and space for the family (20 per cent) also the main reasons for the purchase.But if people aren't going off-road regularly, what are they using them for?The most common use of the vehicle was for grocery runs, with 57 per cent of those polled stating they do that on a weekly basis.This was followed by commuting to work (52 per cent) and weekend getaways (41 per cent).Only 20 per cent said they used the vehicle for camping or off-roading weekly.And the most common off-roading use in suburban areas was to tackle gravel or dirt carparks followed by grassed areas at local parks or sports fields.And the biggest challenge for utes and 4WDs? That’s parking in tight carparks and driving in poor weather conditions, followed by hitting a pothole.

Land Rover is about to axe its cheapest model.The brand will end production of the Discovery Sport luxury mid-size SUV in December 2026 after a more than 11-year run, according to United Kingdom magazine AutoCar.The car is also no longer listed for sale on Land Rover’s Australian website, essentially verifying its imminent departure from the market."Discovery Sport production will end in December 2026, in line with normal product lifecycles," a spokesperson for Land Rover Australia told CarsGuide. "As part of this transition there will be a managed sunset of manufacturing, ahead of this date, for certain markets."It comes with petrol or plug-in hybrid power, starting from $78,454, before on-road costs, with top-spec examples costing in excess of $100,000.The Discovery Sport is a cheaper rival to the Audi Q5 ($81,000) and BMW X3 ($87,300).The 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine produces up to 184kW and 365Nm, while the 1.5-litre-turbo petrol plug-in hybrid set-up produces 227kW and 540Nm.The Discovery Sport has not been a prolific seller for Land Rover, with the more expensive Defender proving to be the brand’s most popular car.The bigger Defender SUV is the key driver of sales for the brand globally, eating into the previously popular Discovery name.Land Rover increased the price of the Discovery Sport by nearly $5000 last year in a minor refresh for the model.It has been one of Land Rover’s longest-running models in production, but the brand is now taking a different direction.Land Rover has hinted at the more rugged Discovery taking on greater responsibility within its lineup as part of a commitment from Jaguar Land Rover Chief Executive Officer P.B. Balaji.“Discovery is very much part of our ‘House of Brands’,” Balaji told United Kingdom outlet Auto Express in May 2026.“You should expect to hear from us, future plans on Discovery, sooner rather than later.“We are as committed to the Discovery as any of our other brands.” 

The Mitsubishi Pajero is getting closer to Aussie buyers.The highly-anticipated 4WD will be officially revealed in Japan on the 2nd of September 2026, according to Japanese magazine BestCar via a dealer source.This sets it up to land on Australian shores not long after.The Pajero’s price in Japan should be revealed as part of this announcement, which will indicate how much it could cost in Australia. The returning Nissan Patrol and Toyota LandCruiser competitor is expected to arrive Down Under by November, with it already approved for sale. It will be based on Mitsubishi’s Triton ute.It will employ the same 2.4-litre twin-turbo four-cylinder petrol engine, making 150kW and 470Nm.The car will have a six-speed automatic transmission as well as a rugged four-wheel drive system. The Pajero will be available in four different trim levels. The GLX, GLS, Exceed and GSR, mirroring elements of the Triton’s lineup.  It will also feature a digital recreation of its iconic triple analogue instrument meters that were found on previous generations of the Pajero called a ‘Multi Meter’.Mitsubishi’s Chief Vehicle Engineer Takaaki Matsumoto recently told CarsGuide that there are high hopes for its new model. "In the development of the new Pajero, we aimed to inherit and evolve the vulnerability and comfort that successive Pajeros have been about," Takaaki said. "This is the embodiment of Pajero, which developed the 4WD, which was for working cars until now, as an all-round 4WD that anyone can run comfortably on any road. On top of that, we worked together to make a big jump up in how to make this Mitsubishi Motors' flagship.”"I can confidently say that the new Pajero has been able to raise both static and dynamic quality to a very high level. If you open the door and get into the car, you should want to stay in this car forever, drive forever, and own it forever."

One of the most keenly anticipated dual-cab utes, the Renault Niagara, will not come to Australia – at least, not any time in the near future.This is despite distributor Ateco Automotive initially expressing strong interest several years go in importing the likely successor to the Renault/Dacia Oroch (which is what the Niagara seems to be), as well as the previous Nissan D23 Navara-based Alaskan that eventually went out of production last year.According to Renault Australia General Manager Glen Sealey unexpected hurdles have hurt the business case for all utes, including the Niagara, for our market.“If you'd asked me five years ago if I would like a pick-up, or ute, I would have said yes,” he told CarsGuide. “But, today, that's a very crowded, tough market (that) we'd be entering.“I think it's pretty grubby market, to be honest, at the moment. That pick-up 4x4 segment today starts at $35,000 drive-away for a fairly well-specified pick-up 4WD ute. And that's a hard market to compete in.”With Chinese brands (including LDV that Ateco also distributes, ironically for Renault) entering the bottom end of the ute segment last decade with models like the Great Wall (now GWM) Stead, the chances of a new, premium competitor like the Alaskan succeeding was deemed too great a risk by the time Ateco took over Renault distribution here after Nissan Australia relinquished it in 2021.This is especially true when you consider that the Alaskan was only available from Europe despite being of Japanese heritage.“You’re never going to get (competitive pricing against the Chinese brands) out of the supply sourcing that they we are utilising, which for the Alaskan, came out of Spain,” he elaborated.“So, I think (Renault HQ) realised that, and certainly for us to participate in that market, it would have to be a very sharp, aggressive product, because that is a sharp, aggressive segment today.”In the coming Niagara’s case, insufficient right-hand-drive sales volume forecasts, along with its expensive sourcing from Argentina, have knocked it out of contention for Australia.Unveiled in 2023 in concept guise, the Niagara will be unveiled in final production form in early September. It will again be a monocoque car-based pick-up, but is set to be larger and far-more technically advanced, with much higher safety standards, to better take on rivals like the highly-successful Ford Maverick.It is likely the successor to the ageing, car-derived monocoque ute spin-off of the previous-generation Romanian Dacia Duster, known as the Oroch, which never had sufficient safety to ever be seriously considered for Australia.And what about other utes made in Asia by the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance?The Mitsubishi Triton-based D27 Navara is off the table as well, despite its more-cost-effective Thai sourcing, and so is the completely unrelated Navara Pro plug-in hybrid ute from China co-developed with Nissan-Dongfeng.“Today, (a Triton-based ute) not an option for us,” Sealey revealed… “and we’re not getting the Dongfeng.”

My 2014 Mazda BT-50 twin-cab gear lever won't select gears. It just sits in the neutral position.

I own a 2016 Volkswagen Amarok. The driver’s side headlight is not working, the driver’s side travel light isn't working and, just now, the passenger’s side travel light is not working. I've been told that I have to remove the grille and the air cleaner so the globes can be replaced. The picture in the Owner's Manual is totally different to what is actually fitted to my Amarok now. Any help would be appreciated.

A new adventure-focused SUV is now available in right-hand drive.The Jetour T1 from Chery's off-road sub-brand has gone on sale in Malaysia, a common stepping stone for Chinese brands on the way to Australia. The T1 is on the larger end of the mid-size SUV segment, measuring at 4705mm long, 1967mm wide, 1840mm high, with a wheelbase of 2800mm.It is dimensionally similar to the GWM Tank 300 affordable off-roader that has been a confident seller in Australia so far. The T1 could take on a similar mantra to the Subaru Forester as a boxy SUV for urban or all-terrain activities.This version of the T1 is equipped with either a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine, producing 125kW/270Nm or a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol unit, with 180kW/375Nm. It will be available in either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. Both are paired to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. It is a scaled down version of its bigger off-road-ready sibling that is powered by a hefty plug-in hybrid set-up. The smaller T1 also features an electrically upward swinging powered tailgate as opposed to a side-hinged one. Inside, there is a 12.8-inch central touchscreen and 10.3-inch digital driver display as standard, along with an eight-speaker audio system and 50W wireless phone charger. The AWD variant upgrades cloth seats to synthetic leather and adds a panoramic sunroof.It also introduces a 15.6-inch central touchscreen and 10.3-inch digital driver display, as well as a premium Sony nine-speaker audio system. The T1 has officially launched in Malaysia, but it is unclear whether it will make its way to Australia in the future. Jetour is scheduled to launch in Australia next year as its own operation. It will not be directly connected to the Chery Group set-up like Omoda Jaecoo and the incoming Lepas sub-brand.Its Malaysia arrival confirms it will be available in right-hand drive, which improves its chances of a local launch, but its petrol-only set-up could attract emissions fines.The PHEV T1 could be a better fit for our market.Expect more details on the T1’s potential Australian future in the next few months as Jetour gears up to tackle the market Down Under. 

The Mitsubishi Pajero has got an official launch window, with the brand promising the model will make its global debut in the Japanese autumn, so between September and November this year.That sets the clock officially ticking for the hugely anticipated model's arrival, as its chief engineer vows "this project will be successful".That's the word from Takaaki Matsumoto, the new Pajero's Chief Vehicle Engineer, who has published a series of statements in the lead-up to the Pajero's launch.In them, he promises the new model will be "amazing", and has already silenced doubters inside the company."When it was decided to take on this heavy responsibility as the person in charge of development, it was a strange feeling of a mixture of expectations and anxiety," he says. "You can design a model that symbolises Mitsubishi Motors. There is no more rewarding a job than this. At the same time, can it create something that exceeds the weight of Pajero's history, the thoughts of employees in various positions, and above all, the expectations of fans who are eager to revive around the world? I still remember well that various emotions were intertwined."The most difficult thing for the development was that all the staff involved in the development shared 'what Pajero should be like' and put it into a specific plan. Since you call yourself Pajero, there is a performance that must be achieved."Where do I need to rebuild to do that? It is a (difficult) process to check them one by one and move forward step by step while absorbing the company's policies. At first, some staff members would have been hesitant."However, as the skeleton of the design was decided and it was dropped into the parts, I felt that the development team was making something amazing. And when I felt that the development team was full of confidence when I saw the first prototype car, I was also able to be convinced that this project will be successful."The chief engineer went on to describe the feeling he wanted the Pajero to deliver, promising a car that blends comfort with capability, and that allows anyone to tackle off-road tracks. "In the development of the new Pajero, we aimed to inherit and evolve the vulnerability and comfort that successive Pajeros have been about," he says."This is the embodiment of Pajero, which developed the 4WD, which was for working cars until now, as an all-round 4WD that anyone can run comfortably on any road. On top of that, we worked together to make a big jump up in how to make this Mitsubishi Motors' flagship."In order to shape the designer's commitment to the interior, we considered various construction methods with the design and production departments. And with the skills of craftsmen, we were able to embody an elaborate design that is difficult for mass-produced cars."I can confidently say that the new Pajero has been able to raise both static and dynamic quality to a very high level. If you open the door and get into the car, you should want to stay in this car forever, drive forever, and own it forever."It's a thought echoed by Mitsubishi's chief product specialist, Kunitoshi Itagaki, who says the new Pajero will be ready for adventure."A sense of high-quality quality, as a Mitsubishi Motors SUV, the driving performance and reliability that anyone can go anywhere with confidence, and the fact that all occupants can enjoy moving comfortably. Each of these leads to a sense of security that this car is fine, and it boosts the desire to go with adventure and challenge, just like the Pajero so far," he says.Finally, Norihiko Yoshimine, the Pajero program design director, promises that the Pajero blends history with evolution, and will pull the brand from now on. "I aimed not only to inherit Pajero's design philosophy, but also to evolve it to lead to the future," he says."Since the start of development, we have accumulated inheritance and innovation, and we were finally able to put it together into one package called the new Pajero."The new Pajero will definitely be the one who will pull Mitsubishi Motors from now on. We would like not only those who know the successive Pajero, but also the younger generation to experience the new Pajero."