Utes

Why Chery could be the next one to watch in the off-roading space.

A senior Toyota Australia executive has confirmed the brand’s entire range, aside from GR performance models, will be electrified by the end of this decade, signalling the hybridisation of Australia’s most popular car.

There’s no nice way to say it - 2022 was a bad year for Nissan. The once-popular brand took a slide in the sales race, dropping more than 35 per cent of its total volume and plummeting from seventh in overall sales in 2021 to just 12th in ‘22. But there is good reason for Nissan executives to hope for a turnaround in ‘23, thanks to an almost entirely re-freshed line-up filling its showrooms.

Toyota in Japan may be about to give us our clearest look yet at what will power the 70 Series LandCruiser in years to come, with reports out of the auto giant's homeland suggesting V8 power is headed for the scrapheap.

Australia’s mining industry is about to get very slightly greener, with Australian-founded company SEA Electric seat to convert thousands of light commercial vehicles used on mines to electric power over the next few years.

Toyota's mini-HiLux ute could be revealed as early as June this year, with the city-friendly truck primed to take on the Hyundai Santa Cruz and Ford Maverick.

The new-generation e2 is the latest in a long string of new BYD products announced for release in 2023.

The Ford Ranger utility comes in seven grades: the XL, XLS, XLT, Sport, Wildtrak, Platinum and Raptor. The different Ranger body styles include Single Cab Chassis, Super Cab Chassis, Double Cab Chassis, Super Cab Pick-Up and Double Cab Pick-Up.The Ford Ranger specifications have changed for this new generation vehicle which arrived in 2022.Four engines are available in the Ranger line-up:  a 125kW/405Nm 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, single turbo-diesel; a 154kW/500Nm 2.0-litre, twin-turbo four-cylinder diesel, a 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel motor and a 292kW/583Nm 3.0-litre V6 twin-turbo petrol engine. The twin-turbo petrol is found exclusively in the Ranger Raptor which has a braked towing capacity of 2500kg. All other Rangers have a braked towing capacity of 3500kg.A six-speed automatic transmission comes with the single-turbo four cylinder diesel engine, while 10-speed automatic transmissions are mated to the other engines. The Ranger comes in two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive.Combined average fuel economy for the dual cab Ranger starts at 7.2L/100km with the 2.0-litre twin-turbo diesel 4x4, then increases to 7.6L/100km for the 2.0-litre single-turbo diesel 4x2 then steps up to to 8.4L/100km for the 3.0-litre turbo diesel 4x4.For the Ranger Raptor’s twin-turbo V6 Ford says you should see 11.5L/100km of diesel used after combination of open and urban roads.The fuel tank size is 80L for all Rangers, including the Raptor.The Raptor is the largest vehicle in the Ranger line-up and measures 1955mm tall, 1922 mm wide and 5381mm long.The rest of the dual cab Rangers are 5370mm long, 1918mm wide and 1884mm tall, with a wheelbase of 3270mm. All dual cab Ranger utes have a ground clearance of 234mm, while the Raptor has 272mm of ground clearance.Kerb weight ranges from 1789kg for the single cab chassis XL to 2431kg for the Raptor.Gross vehicle mass (GVM) for the Ranger extends from 3060kg for the single cab chassis in the XL grade to 3350kg for the dual cab Wildtrak. The GVM for the Raptor is 3130kg.The payload capacity ranges from 985kg in the Wildtrak to 1327kg in the single cab chassis XL with the 2.0-litre 'bi-turbo' engine.The Raptor has a 753kg payload capacity due to its off-road focused suspension set-up.The Raptor's suspension features performance Fox Racing 2.5-inch live valve shock absorbers and a Watts link and coil spring rear arrangement.The Raptor has a wading depth of 850mm.Wheel sizes range from 16-inch steel wheels on the XL grade, stepping up to 16-inch alloy wheels on the XLS, 17-inch alloys on the XLT and 18-inch alloy rims on the Sport and Wildtrak, while the Platinum has 20-inch wheels.The Raptor has 17-inch wheels with T285/70 R17 BF GoodrichK02 High Performance All Terrain tyres.The XL has front disc brakes and rear drum brakes, while the rest of the Ranger line-up has disc brakes front and back.Standard on the XL are halogen headlights, a 10.1-inch media display, digital instrument cluster, manual air conditioning and cloth seats.Stepping up to the XLS adds side steps, carpet floor and fog lights.The XLT grade has LED headlights, a proximity key, dual-zone climate control, sat nav and adaptive cruise control.The Sport adds leather upholstery, a powered driver's seat and wireless device charging. A 12-inch portrait multimedia screen is added on the Wildtrak and Platinum.The Raptor has the 12-inch portrait media display too, plus a 12.4-inch digital instrument cluster, and Ford Performance seats (with Raptor logo).All Rangers come with AEB with pedestrian, cyclist and vehicle detection. Lane keeping assistance with blind-spot warning and rear cross-traffic alert are standard, too. There are six body colours available for the Ranger - 'Arctic White', 'Luxe Yellow', 'Sedona Orange', 'Absolute Black', 'Meteor Grey' and 'Aluminium Metallic'.   

Five years on from the demise of the locally built Holden, Walkinshaw Automotive Group (WAG) is in an even better position than it was while producing Holden Special Vehicles (HSV) models.

A new year presents new opportunities. For Australia’s best-selling car brands, it also means there are some exciting new additions headed for local showrooms.