Opinion

Kia's Tasman might be controversial - but here's why it might actually be the future of 4x4s

Toyota would be stupid not to bring the new FJ Cruiser to Australia. And if there is one thing Toyota Australia isn’t, it’s stupid.

Back in 1995, the most popular SUV in Australia was the then-new and pioneering Toyota RAV4, way down at number 43. How things have changed, with SUVs sat at seven of the top-10 spots, and then (mostly diesel-powered) ladder-frame-chassis utes making up the difference. Here are 10 reasons why Australia’s (and the world’s) SUV obsession have made motoring worse than in past decades for people who love cars.

That’s it, I’m calling it. We’re now entering the post-bling era of cars. The less is more period, where it’s cooler to have basic but customisable interiors with smaller screens (if any), fewer features (like heated steering wheels and even stereos) and no extravagant touches like ambient lighting and burr walnut trim. How do I know? Hold that thought, I’ll tell you.Recently Romanian car maker Dacia announced its Hipster concept. It’s an embarrassing naming decision and reeks of the Steve Buscemi 'How do you do, fellow kids?' meme, but the idea behind it is genius, from a business, tech and car culture point of view.The Hipster (cringe) is a small electric trucky-looking people mover, kind of like the Nissan Cube only ready for Armageddon. Currently it's a concept and Dacia is trying to see if a production version will pass European rules and regulations.The Hipster (ugghh) is seriously basic in that the interior is just four seats, a speedo and a steering wheel. A phone holder means you can use your own sat nav and play music (there are optional Bluetooth speakers). The interior is modular and you can option add-ons you might need, but not door handles - they’re just straps hanging from the outside and the windows slide manually.I love it and think the next generation of car buyers currently terrorising the streets on e-bikes will love it, too, because only their great- grandparents were impressed by polished wood trim and power windows.Dacia thinks it has cracked the popular car code with the Hipster (eewww), which it says draws on the simplicity of cult favourites like the Citroen 2CV and Land Rover Defender.There’s a good deal of marketing spin going on here because there’s something else behind the plan, which I’ll get to. So, yes, the 2CV was basic - I used to have one. And the Land Rover Series 1 was also agricultural. But that’s because both were built with agriculture in mind - for farmers who needed simple vehicles with few things to go wrong and an engine that was easy to work on. That doesn’t explain why my 2CV broke down every time we drove it somewhere, but anyway the utilitarian nature of these simple workhorses was appealing and they became as dependable, as hardworking and as charming as the farm dog. The vehicles were ridiculously popular and became business success stories for Citroen and Land Rover.  The cult status came later after city people chose one of these utilitarian vehicles to give them a tough or whimsical look, while making a statement to the rest of the world that they cared not for luxuries like doors that stayed closed when you go around a corner (true story).Dacia is trying to cut straight to the end game and make lots of money from the city types (hipsters, I guess) without doing the hard yards on a farm.There are already new cars out there that have achieved this. The Suzuki Jimny is the perfect example of a small, hardy little off-roader that’s been around forever, has a cult status and probably driven by more people in cities than the bush.What stops me thinking Dacia is being disingenuous is it has stated that the core reason behind a basic car is to reduce the weight of an electric vehicle thereby increasing its driving range because it doesn’t use as much energy. That's as good a reason as any and a very electric era approach to providing a better product to customers.I hope Dacia can make this work. I also hope it changes its mind about the name. I refuse to write it again.Taking a similar approach is the Slate pick-up from United States company Slate Auto. It’s a modular little ute that’s highly customisable and can even be converted into an SUV. Think cool e-bike but in mini-truck form right down to the standard matt black and grey colour. Like the car Dacia wants to build, the Slate Truck doesn’t come standard with a media screen but has a phone holder and wind-up windows (power ones are an option, as are speakers for music). An SUV kit can be optioned which gives you two seats which slot into the tray and a canopy.It looks much better than it sounds and I think the demand will be there from people wanting a car as different from their parents’ Lexus as possible.The aim of increasing driving range through better energy efficiency, along with the bling backlash will be catalysts for more basic cars you can customise. We’re right at the start of this exciting era that will begin as a niche and possibly become a lot bigger.Just don’t call it the Hipster.

Nostalgia can be a wonderful thing and may bring on a deep-seated hankering, if you will, for paisley shirts, disco balls, and, later, grunge music.This bitter-sweet sentimental longing can also be a terribly misleading mindset that leads to disappointment because nothing is ever actually as great as you remember it.The same applies to vehicles. What you recall to be such an awesome car is actually ordinary at best and mediocre at worst.But there’s a big market for nostalgia in the car realm and a chosen few new-ish vehicles, such as the Ineos Grenadier, Suzuki Jimny and Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series, all hark back to a bygone era, with their unabashed retro styling conjuring strong images of a supposedly better time.However, you’d best exercise caution if buying into any nostalgia-based product because it’s often not everything you’d imagined it to be — sometimes for better, sometimes for worse. Read on.While not technically an ‘old’ 4WD, the Ineos Grenadier and its ute stablemate the Quartermaster are part of a new wave of old-school-style 4WDs that mix a chunky traditional-style appearance with plenty of substance, namely in the form of a ladder frame chassis, live axles front and rear, permanent four-wheel drive, and the option of front, centre and rear locking differentials.It’s powered by either a BMW 3.0L turbo petrol, straight-six engine or BMW 3.0L twin-turbo diesel, straight-six engine and eight-speed automatic transmission.The Grenadier shares the upright squared-off look of the Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series, Land Rover Defender and Suzuki Jimny, but it’s exactly that simple straight-forward appeal to our sense of yesteryear that draws us in, whether we’re viewing the past through rose-coloured glasses or not. The Grenadier's design is a clear homage to the Land Rover Defenders of old — and it’s arguably the Defender Landie lovers actually wanted the new-gen Defender to be.The Grenadier’s looks also encompass strong nods to the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen, the Land Rover Discovery and even a sly tip of the hat to the Suzuki Jimny and Mitsubishi Pajero. But that appearance can be polarising so prepare yourself for numerous admiring glances but steel yourself for just as many disapproving glares.The cabin continues that no-nonsense work-and-play theme by way of a nicely laid-out interior with retro styling, myriad quirky touches and comfortable seats.But beyond its charming exterior and spartan but welcoming interior, this new, old-school (in spirit, at least) off-roader is also surprisingly pleasant to drive on sealed surfaces — for such a heavy, blocky 4WD anyway. It’s planted, somewhat comfortable (on heavy-duty coil-spring suspension), and refined (again, for a 4WD).There are trade-offs, though.It’s not dynamic (no surprise for a long and heavy solid-axle four-wheel-drive). If you haven't spent a lot of time or any time in vehicles like this, such as the Toyota LandCruiser 70 series or of that ilk – big heavy old-school 4WDs – then many of the Grenadier’s driving characteristics will likely rattle you.It’s not particularly quick off the mark either, unless you stomp your right foot to the floor. Again, no surprise for a big 4WD.Steering is slow, and there is a lot of play to it, especially off-centre. It feels floaty and it takes a lot of effort and constant micro-corrections when you're driving to keep it on track, whether that’s on a sealed surface or on a dirt track.These are big, heavy vehicles so they take considered driving to steer around – it has a turning circle ranging from 13.5 metres to 14.5 metres, depending on whether you’re driving the wagon or ute – but that's not to say those dimensions and those characteristics ruin it on- or off-road because they don't. These vehicles simply require more thought when you're driving it.That steering and concentrated driving style can be exhausting for some people. Keep that in mind.I can forgive the Grenadier for those characteristics because I reckon four-wheel driving should be a fully immersive experience, you should always be directly involved in the process and in the Grenadier you really are.And, of course, it’s handy off-road.The Grenadier has a dual-range transfer case, electronic traction control, and up to three diff locks (front, centre and rear as standard in Trialmaster and are able to be optioned up in other variants), and it's an effective mix of traditional mechanicals and driver-assist tech. The 3.0-litre petrol or diesel engines and eight-speed automatic transmission work well in on-road situations and it's also a cleverly smooth pairing for off-roading.But I think a lot of people, swept up in a nostalgia fever dream, buy vehicles like the Grenadier without realising what they’re getting into.As I’ve warned people about the ute version of the Grenadier, the Quartermaster, it’s a very capable four-wheel-drive ute and there's a lot to like about it, but the issue with a vehicle like this is that people may come into it not understanding exactly how it rides, how it drives and how involved you actually have to be. And also they don’t acknowledge the fact that there are lots of compromises to make, indeed some sacrifices.You're not getting as much driver-assist technology as you get in other contemporary vehicles, and it doesn't drive as precisely or perhaps as comfortably as some other modern 4WDs.Driving the Grenadier is an all-encompassing experience, good and bad. And if you get in one of these vehicles, you have to be ready for the bumps and the discomfort and the effort it requires, but all of those things add to the appeal of these vehicles, rather than detract from it.In being faithful to the spirit of old-school 4WDing, Ineos has shown its willingness to forgo those very things that people have come to arbitrarily expect. As a result it may attract not only urban explorers and dirt-track explorers, but also those who have little experience of how 4WDs ride and handle on bitumen, how they perform daily-driving duties and how to actually drive a 4WD off-road. I reckon some will get a rude shock.

It doesn’t take a 360-degree parking system with sensors and cameras to realise the Federal Government is backing itself into a difficult corner.

What if electric cars and hybrid utes aren’t the next big thing? Should you buy one or wait for hydrogen? Or do you just stick to petrol and diesel?

Driver-assist technology is supposed to do just that – assist the driver – but sometimes the application of it in the real world ranges from annoying to bloody atrocious depending on the vehicle you’re driving at the time.

Is the electric ute running out of charge already? Ram’s recent decision to scrap plans for an electric-powered version of its popular 1500 pickup may prove to be a turning point for the broader ute community.

What feature of your car annoys you the most? I’ll go first. Our eight-year old Skoda locks itself after about 30 seconds. Sounds good, but it isn't. It’s led to all manner of annoying moments, but locking itself while the keys were inside the car probably wins — don’t ask.