1980 Toyota Stout Reviews

The head of Nissan in Australia has revealed he would buy the latest version of the ageing Y62 Patrol now rather than wait for its Y63 replacement to arrive late next year, because there will not be another one like it.Nissan Oceania Vice President and Managing Director, Andrew Humberstone, believes that, as the last of the affordable V8 SUVs on the market, putting one away for a rainy day may end up being a prudent investment.“Personally, selfishly, this is the car to buy, now,” he said.“That’s the one I would keep and not sell, because I think residual values are going to go through the roof, because I think that’s what people are going to want… if I was into any sort of boating, or any sort of camping or any sort of boating.”Humberstone may have a point, with Patrol sales down only 4.2 per cent year-to-date in Australia, compared to nearly 38 per cent for the much-newer (and V6 twin-turbo-only) Toyota LandCruiser 300, in an Upper Large SUV segment that has stumbled 27 per cent.While the international car-industry veteran is quick to point out the advances that the upcoming all-new Y63 Patrol with its twin-turbo V6 will have over its 15-year-old Y62 predecessor, he admits that the V8 will be missed.“The Y63 is an amazing vehicle,” he explained. “But I’m old-school still. I have to manage my conscious with one electric car and then one V8, and then I can say I’m neutral, I’m doing my bit for the environment in that way.”So, why is Nissan even releasing an updated old Patrol when a new one is already on sale in other parts of the world, including in the Middle East and in North America (as the Nissan Armada)?Humberstone revealed the facelift coming out at this time was always part of a larger plan, to maximise its appeal and give consumers both existing and new-to-the-series a reason to revisit the Y62 in 2025… especially now that Toyota does not offer a V8-powered LandCruiser as an alternative.“It was a little bit more strategic, because at the end of the day, we were aware of our Y63, we were aware of the kind of demand that would generate, and we wanted to optimise on the specification,” he said.Furthermore, Nissan timed the MY25 Patrol launch very carefully, so there is still up to 18 months before the Y63 Patrol – which has yet to be produced in right-hand-drive guise – arrives in Australia, making the purchase now and then again for another one from 2027 justifiable in the minds of consumers as well as commercially prudent for the carmaker.“On the run out of the V8, we were aware of what the competitors were doing,” Humberstone said. “We had a pretty good idea of what was happening with the V8 space in the V8 market.“So, we knew we'd have a window of opportunity, and we wanted to optimise on the (partly redesigned for MY25) dash, and the technology on the vehicle as best as we could.”Nissan’s big step up in ownership, that includes the availability of a conditional 10-year/300,000km warranty and lower-priced servicing, as well as having an in-house finance arm to facilitate the buying process, have also played a part in the MY25 Patrol strategy.“So, building up the spec, arguably giving the best product, or the best version of the Patrol V8 at the end of its life cycle is…strategic,” Humberstone added.

Toyota has just proven it can sell a lot of electric cars.The bZ3X was launched in China several months ago, with prices starting at about the equivalent of A$24,000. That’s a shockingly cheap EV.It is also slightly cheaper than the BYD Atto 3 in China, which is a better comparison, indicating it would be closer to $40,000 if it ever landed here.It has proven immensely popular in China, with more than 20,000 units delivered to customers and a total of 30,000 orders, according to the brand’s official Weibo social media post.Toyota Australia’s sole electric car, the bZ4X, is not a strong seller with only 427 units finding a new home through the first six months of this year.The bZ3X is produced by Toyota’s joint venture with Chinese maker GAC. It shares its underpinnings with GAC’s Aion V electric SUV, which was due to go on sale in Australia this year.In China the bZ3X is available with three different sizes of lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) batteries: 50kWh, 58kWh and 68kWh. Driving range is either 430km, 520km or 610km depending on the size of the battery. All these ranges are calculated using the more lenient China Light-duty vehicle Test Cycle (CLTC), expect range to be about 20 per cent worse if using the benchmark WLTP measurement. It is powered by a single electric motor that makes either 150kW or 165KW, depending on the variant, and drives the front wheels.It is also fitted with advanced self driving technology, which is a major selling point in China. Inside there is a huge 14.6-inch central multimedia display and a smaller digital driver display.Toyota has given no indication the bZ3X will be sold outside of China, but if it continues t be a red hot seller, it may prove too good to ignore.

Toyota makes a lot of different cars, but we want more. Where’s the small off-roader? A baby LandCruiser? Where’s the reborn Celica? And where’s the new-gen Tarago? Don’t even get me started on the missing electric cars, either…You’d think that for the most successful and biggest selling car company in the world Toyota wouldn’t have a single gap in its line-up. We can forgive the likes of Subaru or Mitsubishi for having missing pieces, but Toyota? Nope, I’m not buying it. Toyota has more than 22 models on sale in Australia and it could probably discontinue half of them and still hold onto the No.1 spot. It’s easy: lose Corolla Cross, same with bZ4X, put Fortuner out of its misery, same with 86 - it was good but the party’s over, Camry is part of a dying species in mid-size sedans, Supra now exists for Supercars but it should go, Tundra is prohibitively expensive, same for the Yaris and the C-HR was never going to work, was it?That leaves HiLux, RAV4, Kluger, Prado, Corolla, Camry, Kluger, LandCruiser in both 300 and 70 Series forms and the Yaris Cross. More models than most brands and the combined annual sales of them all is about 210,000, which would still make it far and way the biggest-selling car brand in Australia.That makes it easier to see what essential models might be missing. A mini LandCruiser is one.We’re talking a Suzuki Jimny rival and if the rumours are true the LandCruiser FJ is on the cards for Toyota, with the brand not planning to use the TGNA platform that underpins the Prado and LandCruiser 300 but the IMV-O platform used in emerging markets.Next is one gap in the line-up so obvious that before anything else it should be filed — a people mover. The family favourite Tarago was retired in 2019 and replaced by the Granvia, which while plush was more airport transfer shuttle than practical suburban people mover that could rival the Kia Carnival.The Granvia’s sales were woeful and last year only 112 were sold, compared to 10,080 Kia Carnivals. The Granvia was the wrong choice and Toyota should have brought in the Alphard people mover, which already had an importer fan following in Australia despite it never being sold here. It would be hard for Toyota to sit and watch Kia have the entire national people mover market all to itself and it would be wise to get Alphard here and start stealing some sales back. Should it be renamed a Tarago? Sure why not, just hurry up and get it here.Finally, can we talk about a two-door Toyota sportscar that isn’t a BMW? Don’t get me wrong, I love the Supra. It looks delicious and it’s great to drive, but I think Toyota is big enough to do its own sportscar. Again the rumour mill says a reborn Celica is coming. A mid-engined 300kW petrol four-cylinder powered, 1.2m tall GR Celica with a strange-looking windscreen. I’m here for it.So that’s just three cars Toyota’s sorely missing from a line-up that’s too fat. Don’t even get me started on how Toyota needs a mid-sized SUV with seven seats — A RAV4 7 — to compete with the Mitsubishi Outlander and Kia Sorento.  And then there’s the complete lack of electric vehicles, but that’s another opinion piece.  

Mazda has globally revealed its new third-generation CX-5 mid-size SUV ahead of it arriving in Australia in 2026.

Is Toyota about to spring a reborn Celica on us? A mid-engined 300kW GR Celica that’s just 1.2m tall with a weird windscreen? The rumour mill is working around the clock right now, but our friends at Japanese auto publication Best Car Web, who are often on the money, say they are receiving inside information about an almost ready new-gen Celica that’s very exciting.

Toyota is working on a solution to some of the biggest issues facing electric cars. Toyota Executive Vice President, Hiroki Nakajima, opened up about the importance of solid-state batteries in a recent interview.

Toyota’s family-friendly Kluger SUV is due a facelift. The seven-seater is now approaching the half way point of its eight-year lifespan, which means big changes are on the way.

Most of the 2025 Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series line-up has undergone a recent comprehensive update - along with price increases to match - but while the third-from-top Sahara gets a $1119 price rise, it has received no updates this time around.Can the 300 Series stay viable in an increasingly competitive 4WD market? More importantly, is this Toyota 4WD wagon still an off-road champ?

Toyota is brewing a new HiLux that it hopes will get it back on top. The HiLux is showing its age and has been shown up by the far newer Ford Ranger in the past few years, so what is Toyota going to do about it?

Which Mitsubishi do you wish would make a comeback? Pajero? Lancer?  Well, Mitsubishi is currently undertaking a massive overhaul of its Australian line-up with several new models to come to fill the gaps. So while they're at it we’ve put together our wishlist of cars they really should really revive or bring here. The changes to the Australian Design rules (ADRs) in March this year meant Mitsubishi had to axe three vehicles from its local lineup.  These were the ASX small SUV, the bigger Eclipse Cross SUV and the Pajero Sport off-roader. This leaves Mitsubishi with just two cars on sale in Australia — the Triton ute and Outlander mid-sized SUV. Meanwhile Toyota has 23 models on sale.Now we're not suggesting that Mitsubishi needs another 21 models, Ford is managing just fine on pretty much the Ranger, Everest and Mustang, but I definitely think there are some essentials the brand could use and a few dream cars while we're at it.Probably the most obvious model Mitsubishi needs right now is the Pajero. Yep once-upon-a-1990s the Toyota Prado and Mitsubishi Pajero wrestled for dominance all over Australia, from the outback to suburbia. The Pajero eventually lost the battle and was axed by Mitsubishi in 2020 … or so we thought! Imagine the comeback. Just when the new generation Prado had arrived and was still gloating, the Pajero could make its return. Sure the Pajero Sport is coming back in 2026, but that’s a Ford Everest rival. The beauty is Mitsubishi could easily plonk another, posher-looking SUV body on the ladder frame and call it the Pajero. And they’ve already got the badges made up. You just just take the “Sport” bit off. Think of the savings.Next on our wish list is not really a car that would sell in high numbers, but it'd be the halo car in many ways the brand needs so badly right now —  a reborn Lancer, and yes, with an Evolution grade as well. Or maybe just a standalone Lancer Evo XI. I think we’re up to XI, I can't remember but I tested the very final one in 2015.Back in the final glory days of Ford Falcon versus Holden Commodore there were two other tribes going to war: Subaru WRX v Mitsubishi Lancer Evo. These days the WRX lives on, but it looks so lonely without the Lancer EVO to play with.Finally, and given the number of grey imports we see of this car, Mitsubishi needs to add the Delica people mover to its Aussie line-up. What’s not to like about a high-riding all-wheel drive six-seater van?A sixth-generation of the people mover is expected in the next two years and whether it looks anything like the futuristic and silly Delica concept Mitsubishi revealed at the 2023 Tokyo Motorshow is yet to be seen.A wishlist for Mitsubishi could go one forever, who wouldn’t want to see the Colt come back, or the Cordia Turbo? Or the 3000GT?In reality the ASX will be back and so too will the Pajero Sport, and that might be all Mitsubishi needs as it faces bigger problems.  Challenges like how on Earth will it adapt to a rapidly changing market that’s been inundated with excellent electric vehicles from brands which hardly existed five years ago. Currently Mitsubishi doesn’t even sell one purely electric vehicle in Australia at all.