Utes

The realm of high-end, high-performance utes is an increasingly competitive slice of the new vehicle market. The latest Ford Ranger Raptor to enter the arena has a V6 engine, an upgraded suspension set-up and drive modes aimed at further bolstering its growing reputation as a built-for-purpose adventure machine.But does the Raptor have serious potential as a touring 4WD?

The Kia Tasman was one of the most hyped new car reveals of 2024, but has it hit the mark with Australia ute shoppers? Kia Australia’s marketing chief, Dean Norbiato, said the brand is aiming to get eight to 10 per cent of the market in Australia, which is about 20,000 to 25,000 sales.

The reports of the death of petrol and diesel cars have been greatly exaggerated.

What is the cheapest ute in Australia?At the time of publication the cheapest ute in Australia is the Toyota HiLux Workmate 4x2. A key reason for the HiLux’s sustained success is Toyota’s decision to ensure every end of the market is covered, from the humble Workmate to the plush Rogue and dynamic GR-Sport. The Workmate 4x2 starts at just $26,475 (plus on-road costs), retaining its title as cheapest new ute Australia despite the influx of new cheaper offerings from China and India in recent years. As the legend goes, utes were originally intended to be a vehicle to take farmers to church on Sunday and the market on Monday. Therefore, they were designed to be an affordable, working class vehicle that appealed to a limited audience.Fast forward nearly 100 years and the ute has become a defining feature of Australian automotive society and culture. The ute is now no longer just going to the church and the market, it drives people to building sites, office blocks, the beach, the motocross track, the local shopping centre and just about anywhere else a modern car goes.As the ute has become ubiquitous it has evolved into many different forms and become increasingly expensive. The popular Ford Ranger Raptor starts at more than $90,000, while the new breed of locally-converted American ‘pick-ups’ can cost more than six-figures, with the Ram 3500 Laramie a whopping $177,950.But what if you’re still after an affordable ute that won’t break the bank? Well, we’ve got you covered. In this article you’ll find a list of the cheapest utes Australia has to offer at this moment in time (December 2024).While the market has shifted more upmarket in recent years, the good news for Australian buyers is there are still plenty of affordable utes available. As the Toyota HiLux Workmate proves, these aren’t from just newer brands like GWM, Mahindra and LDV. Instead, (if you don’t need 4x4) you can get into an Isuzu, Nissan, Mazda or Ford for under $40K.Beyond the usual factors you consider when buying a new ute - price, payload, towing capacity, etc - one of the key considerations when looking for a budget ute is reliability and future ownership credentials. For example, the Tata Xenon was the cheapest ute Australia offered a few years ago, starting at just $19,990. However, the brand did not last long and exited the Australian market, which leaves owners with an uncertain future.All the brands on our list below are now firmly established in the local market, so should not suffer a similar fate to Tata, but it still pays to consider the company you’re buying from and what reputation it has for reliability and ownership in the ute sector.  The HiLux was the best-selling ute (and one of the most popular new models, period) in Australia for a very long time and the Workmate has a lot to do with that.It may be powered by a humble 122kW/245Nm 2.7-litre turbo-diesel, have a single cab chassis and only be 4x2, but for buyers looking for a cheap, hard-working ute it ticks all the right boxes - it can tow up to 2500kg and has a payload of up to 1145kg. While Toyota may have a diverse HiLux range now, it has never forgotten the need to cater to the budget end of the segment, even in the face of the arrival of GWM, Mahindra and Tata with some very cheap utes in recent years. But while some have come and gone, the Workmate has remained.The D-Max is one of Australia’s favourite utes, typically finishing behind only the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux in the sales race. A big part of that popularity is its affordability, which is led by the entry-grade SX Single Cab. It’s powered by a 110kW/350Nm 1.9-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel paired with a six-speed manual transmission. While it has a small engine, it has a braked towing capacity of 2800kg and a payload capacity of 1400kg (without a tray), so it can still work hard.You’ll be noticing the theme here is single cab chassis models, because the bed adds to the cost and bumps them out of the most economical ute discussion. The Navara SL is another example of this, taking a no-frills approach and only offering the important elements.That includes a 2.3-litre twin-turbo diesel good for 120kW/403Nm and paired with a six-speed manual gearbox. This is enough to give the Navara SL a 3500kg braked towing capacity, which is on par with more expensive 4x4 models, and also a payload of 1350kg.The Chinese brand has made its mark with its affordable range of Cannon utes, which begins with this cab chassis option. It has the same 120kW/400Nm 2.0-litre turbo-diesel as the rest of the range but misses out on the four-wheel drive. That gives it enough to tow up to 3000kg and the payload is rated at 1050kg.What it does have over the previous utes on this list is a back seat, with a dual cab body and it also gets the aluminium tray out the back included in the price. It also gets some other nice touches not common at this price point, such as an eight-speed automatic transmission and alloy wheels. The Indian brand has been in Australia longer than most people probably remember, first arriving back in 2007. The Pikup has been its staple since then and after the cut-price S6+ and S10 models laid the foundation, this newer S11 has arrived to carry on the legacy of affordable utes from Mahindra.While it’s the most expensive of the five on this list, it’s the only 4x4 and the only dual cab of its kind for under $40K.Powered by a 103kW/320Nm 2.2-litre turbo-diesel the Pikup S11 can tow up to 2500kg and has a 1035kg payload.

Ford has rolled out massive discounts across its vehicle range, including on Australia’s best-selling vehicle.  Variants of everything from the low-volume E-Transit to market-leading Ford Ranger ute are on special, with the family-favourite Everest SUV also on offer. 

The GWM Cannon Ute range is in runout with sales of between $2000 and $6000 for private buyers – and even larger discounts for ABN holders – as the brand readies its next-generation model.

Is this the car that could turn Peugeot’s fortunes around in Australia? It’s a ute, the category of vehicle that has been the best-seller in Australia since 2016 with either the Toyota HiLux or Ford Ranger taking top honours. 

The final Ram 1500 pick-up powered by a Hemi V8 rolled down the production line In Melbourne last Friday, ahead of the switchover to the new six-cylinder engine, Ram Trucks Australia has announced.The last of the 'Hemi' V8s found its way into a Ram 1500 limited with Granite Crystal paint, the 28,495th RAM pick-up to be remanufactured in Australia.The departure of that iconic V8 engine will be a sad goodbye for many fans of the Ram and Mopar brands in the United States, the 1500 has already made the switchover to the new 'Hurricane' six-cylinder powerplant due to emission regulations.This means the vehicles that arrive for remanufacturing from now on will have them, too. “All good things must come to an end and it’s time for us to farewell the iconic Hemi V8,” said Ram Trucks Australia General Manager Jeff Barber.“Australians love their utes and they love their V8s and the Ram 1500 delivered the best of both worlds.“Our customers – many of whom have come from traditional utes and four-wheel-drives – tell us they appreciate the extra space, the extra comfort, and the stronger towing performance, and clearly that’s why these vehicles are so popular.”The 5.7-litre petrol V8 Hemi makes 291kW and 556Nm, while the incoming 3.0-litre twin-turbo inline six makes 309kW and 470Nm.The good news is that there is stock remaining of V8 Hemi-powered Rami 1500s.“We have been overwhelmed by the response to the HEMI V8 runout, and we understand some buyers who want one of the last V8s may miss out,” said Mr Barber.“However, we hope to have enough stock to fulfil most orders.“We will have a very worthy successor next year powered by a new-generation turbocharged six-cylinder petrol engine, but we will have more to say about that closer to local showroom arrivals.”Ram Trucks Australia has been remanufacturing US pick-up trucks since 2018. In the case of the Ram 1500 once the production facility in Clayton Victoria takes delivery of a vehicle it’s converted from left to right-hand drive — using 400 locally made parts — in a process which takes 200 workers 14 hours to complete a single vehicle. The Ram 1500 has been a big success story for the brand in Australia with 2962 year-to-date sales. Whether the introduction of the six cylinder affects the appeal and popularity of the pick up remains to be seen. The Hemi isn't the first V8 to go, with key rivals including the Ford F-150 and Toyota Tundra both launching in Australia with turbo 'sixes. It leaves the Chevrolet Silverado as the only remaining big ute to pack a V8.    

Could an SUV top the sales charts in Australia for the first time ever this year?

So you want to have the biggest ute on the road? You’ll have to pay for it.  Just like here in Australia, the best-selling vehicles in the United States are pick-up trucks. In their case, it’s the home-brewed Ford F-150 and has been for over 40 years. In Australia the F-truck’s Ford Ranger cousin will take top honours this year.