Tradie

Mazda might be set to lose its long-held place as Australia’s second favourite automotive brand, but the company’s local brass isn’t too concerned.

Chevrolet's Silverado 2500 HD is in a full-size pick-up battle with Ford's F-150 and the RAM 2500. We know it's big and powerful but how does it cope with a typical working load? And what about navigating day-to-day city traffic? Specialist contributor Mark Oastler puts this heavy hauler through its paces to answer these questions and a whole lot more.

After the locally converted Ford F-150 was removed from sale in Australia to address non-compliance issues, the Department of Infrastructure has officially released a series of recalls for the American-built pick-up truck. The recalls concern lighting features and the autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system. Owners will be contacted and can then organise the issues to be rectified at Ford dealerships.Those who took delivery of, or were contracted before, May 6, 2024 are being offered compensation in the form of a five-year/75,000km servicing package. According to the recall notices, the total number of affected vehicles is 2070. Industry sales data from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries shows 1085 F-150s have been registered since going on sale in October 2023. Ford promises all vehicles sold from now on at dealers will be fully compliant with Australian Design Rules (ADRs), with the Chevrolet Silverado, RAM 1500 and Toyota Tundra rival now installed back on the Ford Australia website. Each recall concerns one of the four F-150 variants on sale: XLT standard ($106,950) and long wheelbase ($107,945) models along with the Lariat in both wheelbases ($139,950 and $140,945, all before on-road costs).For lighting, the F-150 is not compliant with ADR 06/00-Direction Indicators and ADR 13-Installation of Lighting and Light-signalling Devices. The recalls list issues with the ‘fog lamps’, ‘daytime running lamps’ and ‘indicators’.Ford’s website notes that the ‘rear centre high-mounted white courtesy lamps’, ‘tailgate courtesy lamp’ and ‘side mirror mounted indicator lamps (LWB only)’ have been disabled on the XLT, while the Lariat also has its ‘lower daytime running lamps’ turned off. Additionally, the F-150 was determined in breach of ADR 98-Advanced Emergency Braking for Passenger Vehicles and Light Goods Vehicles. The issue being that the AEB function “may not reactivate after an ignition cycle as per the requirements set out under ADR 98”.A Ford spokesperson told CarsGuide “Repair instructions relating to vehicles impacted by the Stop Sale are now being made available to enable dealers to complete work on impacted units. After the rectification work is completed on each vehicle, it can be delivered to the customer.”So far, the F-150 has been hit by three product safety recalls and two sales pauses in less than 12 months. US-built F-150s are converted locally by partner RMA automotive. RAM and Chevrolet products are also swapped to right-hand drive and revised for Australian standards locally by Walkinshaw, while Toyota is running an extended evaluation program on its Tundra pick-up. The facelifted F-150 went on sale in its United States home market in September 2023 and is expected in Australia by the end of the year. 

In 2024, some new, very big heavy hitters are having their time in the sun, from brands as established in this field as Toyota, Isuzu, Ford and Mitsubishi.

It seems like the blink of an eye but Ford’s current, all-conquering Ranger ute has been on sale in the Australian new-car market for two years.

The Kia Tasman could in Australia even sooner than we thought, with the start-of-production for the hotly anticipated dual-cab ute locked in for late 2024, according to new reports from Korean media.Kia in Australia has always said the Tasman would arrive

Hyundai has added rain sensing wipers and Bluelink connected services to its 2025 Staria van and people mover range.Bluelink gives owners the ability to geo-fence their car, adds voice recognition, live weather info, remote control of the HVAC system, send-to-car navigation directions and more.Staria Elite and Highlander people mover trims, along with the Premium van, also benefit from a new key fob.All Staria Loads now get aluminium badging and extra USB-C charging ports with a $500 price increase across the board. The Hyundai Staria and Staria Load range now spans $49,500 to $67,500 before on-road costs.Also changed is the blind-spot safety, with the Korean brand introducing a new system with audio and visual warnings for the five-star ANCAP rated people mover.A front-wheel drive 3.5-litre V6 petrol making 300kW and 331Nm is available on all three people mover trims. There is no update on the Staria hybrid for Australia at this time.The basic Staria people mover is equipped with 18-inch alloy wheels, cloth upholstery and an 8.0-inch touchscreen, while the Staria Elite adds power sliding doors, larger 10.25-inch multimedia touchscreen, push-button start and leather-appointed seats.The top-spec Highlander gets a larger digital driver's display, heated and ventilated seats, premium cabin trims and a dual-pane sunroof.Meanwhile, a 2.2-litre turbo-diesel (130kW/430Nm) paired with all-wheel drive is a $3000 option. This is the only engine choice for the Staria Load van.The Load is offered in two and five-seat configurations, with the Premium van equipped with 18-inch alloy wheels and LED headlights to distinguish it from the base model.Hyundai's van has a wide range of rivals, which include the Kia Carnival, LDV Mifa, Volkswagen Caravelle, Ford Transit Custom and Toyota Hiace.“2025 Staria and Staria Load bring enhanced convenience and style while continuing to give customers a range of spacious and comfortable vans and people-movers with class-leading standard safety features,” said Hyundai Australia CEO Ted Lee.2025 Hyundai Staria pricingAll prices are before on-road costs.2025 Hyundai Staria Load pricingAll prices are before on-road costs.

Electric passengers cars are everywhere these days, and electric utes are on the horizon, but there are already a few electric light trucks available. This new one, the Foton T5, aims to take the shine off the forthcoming Isuzu N Series EV, but does China's latest commercial offering deliver the goods?

Peugeot has released final pricing and specification for its updated Partner small van from $39,990 before on-road costs.That's a $9000 lift over the previous Partner City manual which has been erased from the facelifted range.A rival for the Volkswagen Caddy and Renault Kangoo, the combustion-engined Partner models arrive first with no pricing or timing for an updated electric model.Like Peugeot did with the E-2008, the brand has current E-Partner models on discount with $10,000 off the MSRP. The Partner's new fascia closes off the upper grille, replacing it with a strip of body colour material that fades into the headlights.Inside, the cabin is updated with a new multi-function leather appointed steering wheel, 'e-Toggle' gear shift, and 10-inch multimedia touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto alongside connected services.Fabric upholstery remains as does the three-seat cabin configuration and under-seat 'MultiFlex' cabin storage.There is a fresh 10-inch digital instrument for the cluster and digital rear-view mirror in all Partner trims.On the safety front, the Partner receives improved AEB, cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, front and rear parking sensors, auto high beam, rain-sensing wipers and a 360-degree surround view camera.This is why pricing for the $39,990 (before on-road costs) Pro variant – the new entry grade – has climbed $2000. It is available in short (SWB) or long wheelbase (LWB) guise.The Premium adds keyless entry with push-button start, dual-zone climate control, an extra 12V socket (two total), body coloured bumpers, 16-inch alloy wheels and LED headlights,The Partner's engine is an unchanged 1.2-litre three-cylinder 'Puretech' turbo petrol engine developing 96kW and 230Nm.It drives the front wheels via an eight-speed automatic. Payload is capped at 896kg for the SWB and 998kg for LWB models.In 2024, the Peugeot Partner has accounted for 43 per cent of sales in the small van segment, a long way ahead of the Renault Kangoo and just behind VW's Caddy.“We’re excited to unveil the new Peugeot Partner van, a highly capable workhorse that doesn’t compromise on comfort, safety and practicality," said Peugeot's General Manager, David Owen.“Championing Peugeot's bold new design ethos and an array of cutting-edge technologies, drivers of the new Peugeot Partner can enjoy intuitive control at their fingertips," he added.2024 Peugeot Partner pricingPrices are before on-road costs 

GWM upgrades its popular ute overseas, but there's no word yet on when its new engine and upgraded interior tech will launch in Australia.