Utes

The new-gen Volkswagen Amarok has been on sale for about a year now so it's time to give the entry-level Core a run through to see exactly how tradie-friendly it is compared with its rivals.

The Ram DT 1500 is one of the world's greatest utes. From the considered design and sophisticated engineering to its comfy and user-friendly cabin, we're frankly hooked. The Australian-remanufactured right-hand drive conversion is first class. And the big Hemi V8 shines. But the base Big Horn that's under $20K less than our favoured Laramie grade is just too compromised in the name of price.

The Mitsubishi Triton has been a solid seller in Australia since the first generation L200 was launched in the late 1970s. We were recently handed the keys to assess the 'New-Gen' Triton from a tradie's perspective, to see if it has what it takes to challenge for top spot in the local ute wars.

BYD’s first foray into the popular ute market has made some waves.The plug-in hybrid dual-cab ute has recently been revealed and is likely to land in showrooms towards the end of 2024.The Chinese brand has revealed the price in Mexico, where the Shark made its global debut.It is priced from the equivalent of A$81,140 for the base version dubbed GL and $87,435 for the higher grade GS.We don’t know what the price will be in Australia but in Mexico the BYD Seal comes at a $20,000 premium compared to the Australian model and the smaller Dolphin hatchback is $10,000 cheaper here than in Mexico.This would put the BYD Shark’s starting point somewhere in the mid-$50,000 range before on-road costs in Australia if the company follows the same pricing, which would be cheaper than mid-tier versions of the Toyota HiLux, Isuzu D-Max and Ford Ranger.At that price the Shark becomes a very tasty proposition.It uses a 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine paired with an electric motor on the rear axle to deliver all-wheel-drive grip and make 320kW and 650Nm.That makes it more powerful than a Ram 1500 powered by a Hemi V8.BYD claims it can sprint from 0-100km/h in 5.7 seconds, which makes it faster than the Ford Ranger Raptor.It uses a 30kWh battery to feed the electric motor and provides a driving range up to 100km in pure EV mode.A total driving range - via the more generous NEDC testing cycle - is about 845km.Charging isn’t super speedy with the Shark able to replenish its batteries from 30-80 per cent in 20 minutes via a fast DC charger. That means it can accept a max charge rate of 45kW.It isn’t all good news, though.The Shark falls behind Aussie favourites with its 2500kg max towing capacity and a payload of 835kg. The Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux and others can tow up to 3500kg and have a payload of about one tonne.While full specs are yet to be revealed, we do know the Shark is fitted with a 10.25-inch driver display, joined by a 12.8-inch central touchscreen that can be oriented in landscape or portrait.“It's called Dual Motor Intelligence. And it's not a hybrid as you know them," BYD importer Luke Todd has told CarsGuide."For Australia, in my opinion, I'm so happy that we ended up bringing this one first and not the pure electric, which will come probably a year or so later."

Kia’s hotly anticipated Tasman ute has been caught testing with a petrol-powered V6 engine. But if you’re an Australian waiting for the local arrival of the Toyota HiLux competitor, then don’t get your hopes up.

Toyota has committed to making an electric version of the HiLux Revo BEV concept by 2025.Executive Vice President of Toyota Motor Asia Pras Ganesh told Reuters the company will build the vehicle in Thailand by the end of 2025.Thailand is a major hub for ute manufacturing with most of the utes sold in Australia built there.The South-East Asian nation is attempting to become a major hub for electric vehicle production, too.Isuzu has plans to build an electric version of the D-Max dual-cab ute in Thailand.Details on the electric HiLux are scarce but Toyota Australia had a prototype in Australia in 2023 for local assessment. The Toyota version is expected to be single-cab.Toyota Australia’s Head of Sales and Marketing Sean Hanley said at the time the electric HiLux concept is more city focused rather than a rugged off-road vehicle like the current diesel-powered model.“Our evaluation engineers and industry partners have confirmed that this city-focused HiLux BEV – while very much a concept vehicle – looks, feels and drives like a production model,” said Hanley.“I’ve also had the opportunity to drive it – and it’s clear the concept vehicle’s all-electric powertrain delivers the impressive torque you’d normally expect from a diesel engine,” he said.Toyota is working on solid state batteries and has previously stated it is aiming for the next-generation battery tech to be fitted in its cars from 2026.It is possible the electric HiLux could be one of the first vehicles fitted with that tech.Solid state batteries have numerous benefits: they are lighter, smaller, more energy dense and have a reduced risk of fire compared to conventional lithium-ion batteries.They are often touted as providing a driving range of more than 1000km, which would be necessary for a ute that is required to tow and carry a payload.There is no commitment to the vehicle coming to Australia after it enters production in Thailand, but Ganesh told Reuters the company is open to exporting the HiLux BEV.The Thai market is even more obsessed with utes than Australia with pick-ups making up a large chunk of domestic sales.Toyota could also have a plug-in hybrid version of the next-generation HiLux, which could use BYD’s technology.It is believed that Toyota will use the Chinese company’s plug-in hybrid tech in two or three vehicles in the next few years.

For the first time since the demise of the locally-made Holden VF Commodore Ute in 2017, smaller, sub-Ford Ranger-sized utes are returning to Australia, starting with the Hyundai Santa Cruz. CarsGuide understands that Hyundai previewed a so-called “Tucson Ute” at a recent dealer event, as part of a slew of upcoming new models earmarked for our market over the next few years.

The BYD Shark ute, which is expected to be released here by the end of this year, may not be the only dual-cab pick-up the company is preparing.

The BYD Shark has at least been revealed at an event in Mexico, with the Chinese plug-in hybrid ute to deliver more grunt than a V8-powered pickup, and a sharper zero to 100km/h time than a Ford Ranger Raptor.Power outputs for the the Shark, which will la

From towing and off-road crawling to carrying heavy loads and day-to-day family duty Mark Oastler has put the GWM Ute Cannon XSR dual cab 4WD ute through its paces over three months. Now it's time for his final verdict.