Off road

Chinese-made vehicles continue to arrive here, packed with features and offering impressive value-for-money opportunities for anyone looking for a sharply-priced 4WD that's comfortable and capable.The GWM Tank 300 impressed us and now the Tank 500 hits our shores. It represents a first for Australia because the Tank 500 is a petrol-hybrid 4WD. So, what's it like? Wouldn't you like to know...

The Jeep Wrangler Overland sits in the middle of the range with a list price of $84,950.Coming standard on the Overland grade are LED headlights, 18-inch alloy wheels, proximity key and push button start, premium McKinley power and heated front seats, 12.3-inch media screen, sat nav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a nine speaker Alpine sound system and dark tiny windows.Powering all Wranglers is a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder making 200kW and 400Nm. An eight-speed automatic transmission shifts gears and sends the drive to all four wheels.The Wrangler has three-star score from a possible five-star ANCAP safety rating.

The Jeep Wrangler Sport S is the entry-point into the range with its list price of $75,950. Standard features include LED headlights, 17-inch alloy wheels, proximity key and push-button start, heated front seats, A 12.3-inch media screen, sat nav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a nine-speaker Alpine sound system and dark tint windows.Powering all Wranglers is a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder making 200kW and 400Nm. An eight-speed automatic transmission shifts gears and sends the drive to all four wheels.The Wrangler has three-star score from a possible five-star ANCAP safety rating.

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.

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.

Jeep has shown off its new electric large SUV, the Wagoneer S, that will become its first globally available electric car when it launches in the US joining the electric Jeep Avenger in Europe. 

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. 

There appears to be a loophole in ANCAP’s testing policy so big you can drive a truck through it.

It’s funny, I always thought I had the controversial automotive topics down pat.