Utes

I’ve road-tested 48 cars this year alone and I’ve seen the weird, the wonderful and everything in between. So, out of all of the cars I’ve been fortunate to be in, these were my favourites (in no particular order).

The Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series is so popular that it has a waiting list so big the Japanese giant has stopped taking orders for the V8-powered off-roader. Despite that, customers are still lining up to spend more than $75,000 on one of these rugged machines - which come in ute, Wagon and Troop Carrier forms.

Full-sized US pick-ups, considered gas-guzzling monstrosities by some in our country, have found favour in the Aussie market with those who need a big comfortable work-and-play vehicle that is capable of towing more than the Aussie mainstream ute benchmark of 3500kg.

Giant American pick-ups like the Dodge Ram and Chevrolet Siverado are proving so popular right now in Australia, but the next big thing could be little utes with Suzuki’s Aussie boss contemplating a Jimny-based ute or even the return of the Mighty Boy.Speaking with Suzuki Australia’s General Manager Michael Pachota at the launch of the new Jimny XL, CarsGuide asked if the new little off roader could be turned into a ute, given the longer wheelbase.“The thought did cross my mind,” Pachota laughs. “Let’s cut the back off an XL and make it an X-Ute. Could be cool.“I’d love to say it’s a consideration for Suzuki Global but I’m just not that close to that side of things,” he says.Asked if there’d be enough buyers for a small Jimny ute in Australia to convince Suzuki’s head office to build it, Pachota said that he could see it being popular not just locally, but world-wide.“I think from a global perspective there’s enough demand to say that it's a good export model and/or local introduction.”It wouldn’t be the first time Suzuki had made a Jimny-based ute. A long-wheel based Suzuki Sierra ute called the Stockman was sold in Australia during the 1980s and ’90s.The Stockman had a wheelbase of 2375mm, while the Jimny XL's is 2590mm.The 1980s also saw a two-door micro ute called the Suzuki Mighty Boy cause a stir on Australian streets.  “I would love to reintroduce the Mighty Boy,” Pachota says. “Can you imagine a new spec of the Mighty Boy?"The Suzuki Mighty Boy measured just 3195mm end to end making it eligible for Japan’s smallest kei car vehicle category.Its tray measured 1100mm long, 600mm wide and 300 deep, and despite the obvious impracticalities the Mighty Boy was seen as a fun and cheeky island in the conservative automotive ocean of the 1980s. “It’s a similar story to the Jimny as well in terms of its popularity back in the day and really unique characteristics,” Pachota says. “If there’s one available I’ve definitely got my hand up for it, without a doubt.”If they are ever to become a production reality, the Jimny ute and new Mighty Boy could see the Australian automotive landscape return to a retro 1980s trend, with Subaru also thought to be thinking about bringing back its small Brumby ute which was sold in Australia from 1978 to 1994.A new-gen Brumby could be possible now that Subaru and Toyota are sharing technology. Toyota’s sub-HiLux Stout pickup could form the basis of a 21st century Subaru Brumby.If the enormous sales of Ford’s Maverick baby Ranger ute and the Hyundai Santa Cruz in the United States are anything to go by the same success could be seen in Australia.“Are we considering it from a global perspective? I don’t think so. We’re a small car specialist,” Pachota says. “We definitely see ourselves continuing that kind of type of brand philosophy in terms of being small car specialists.”So for now despite the jokes we probably won't see a Jimny ute or Mighty Boy, and Aussies will continue to buy big utes. But if the market does change Pachota says Suzuki will, too.“As different markets progress, there will be a difference in terms of the demand for size of cars, so we would adapt to the market.”

Whether you’re planning on buying an off-road SUV or ute as your family car with the intention of never leaving the paved stuff, or you have some big toys that you need to tow regularly, there are things you should be conscious of before you begin your adventure.

In a judgement handed down by the High Court of Australia this week, Mitsubishi Motors Australia Ltd (MMAL) has been cleared of ‘engaging in misleading conduct’ relating to a fuel consumption label on a Triton ute a dealer sold a customer, who sought compensation as the purchase price of the vehicle.

While it might seem odd on the surface that the Mazda BT-50 is being recalled for exactly the same issue as the Isuzu D-Max only days later, those who know the two utes shared their development will understand.

Toyota’s long-awaited right-hand-drive Tundra has finished its Walkinshaw-led remanufacturing program, with the US-built pick-up truck now being delivered to customers in Australia.

Larger, stronger, roomier, safer and more comfortable, the sixth-gen Triton for 2024 elevates Mitsubishi's mid-size ute to fresh heights for the brand. And while its lack of V6 diesel and/or hybrid availability is disappointing, the all-new chassis's Australian-specific tune is a big step forward. We won't know how it behaves on-road, but a stint off-road shows how far this ute has come.

Towing a caravan is our final long-term test exercise for the 1.9-litre 4x2 version of the Isuzu D-Max, and it's performance, not to mention fuel-economy, raises questions about the worth of the 3.0L version.