The Ford Ranger is the best choice for brand spanking new ute patrons throughout Australia, with 63,356 examples bought in 2023.
Lengthy Australia’s second best-selling ute, it overtook the once-dominant Toyota HiLux final yr.
The winds of change are persevering with to assemble pace, nevertheless.
A wave of recent and progressive utes is predicted to roll in over the following 12 months, driving competitors in an already sizzling dual-cab market.
Electrification is the following massive factor in business autos, and let’s not overlook in regards to the probably inflow of American pickup vans that Australians have come to adore.
So, is it price holding out for the following era? In the present day, members of the CarExpert editorial crew take their decide of tomorrow’s utes.
Paul Maric: BYD Shark
I’m actually excited to see the place BYD lands with the Shark. The idea of it seems fairly good and if the pricing is respectable, it ought to promote properly in Australia.
I don’t understand how assured I’m within the 1.5-litre petrol engine operating the present when the batteries run low, nevertheless it’s one thing I’m eager to check out after we lastly get our fingers on one.
William Stopford: Ford F-150
The Ford Ranger is my favorite automobile in its phase, with the Volkswagen Amarok a really shut second. Each are about as snug to drive as you will get on this phase, whereas their non-compulsory turbo-diesel V6 is a candy mill that places rival fours to disgrace.
Nonetheless, I’ve develop into a giant fan of full-sized pickup vans of late. The Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Ram 1500, and Ford F-150 are all excellent, however solely the latter two are receiving updates imminently (the Chevy simply had one not way back).
The 2025 replace to the F-150 brings bigger screens inside, whereas the crappy halogen headlights of the present XLT are getting the chop. In any other case, Ford doesn’t appear to have messed with the profitable F-150 components.
The Ranger could also be a good household automobile for one thing in its phase, however the F-150 is subsequent degree with regards to journey consolation and cabin house.
Ford Australia has needed to cope with some embarrassing recollects and setbacks with the rollout of its F-150, however right here’s hoping they’ve been capable of push previous these issues.
If the query was which upcoming utes am I most excited to check drive, it will get quite a bit more durable for me to reply.
LDV’s upcoming electrical ute guarantees to be a vastly extra interesting successor to as we speak’s eT60, whereas the Ford Ranger PHEV and BYD Shark are shaping to be fascinating alternate options to as we speak’s petrol and diesel utes – although we nonetheless don’t understand how a lot they’ll value.
Let’s not overlook, both, the opposite PHEV ute confirmed for Australia: the GWM Cannon Alpha Hi4-T.
Josh Nevett: BYD Shark
BYD has confirmed to be a polarising model since lobbing on Australian shores, however my experiences with its array of aquatic creatures have been overwhelmingly optimistic.
That has me very enthusiastic about what the Chinese language producer can deliver to the ute phase when the Shark arrives later this yr.
Apart from distinctive styling inside and outside, it’s truthful to anticipate BYD will spec the Shark very generously, because it does with different fashions throughout the lineup.
Then there’s the powertrain. The 320kW plug-in hybrid drivetrain is able to propelling the Shark from 0-100km/h in 5.7 seconds – a enjoyable celebration trick that tradies will undoubtedly take pleasure in.
Fitted with a 30kWh battery pack, electrical vary is a claimed 100km, whereas claimed mixed vary from the PHEV system is 850km, and gasoline consumption as little as 1.5 litres per 100km is feasible with a charged battery.
Such versatility is nice for the worksite, but additionally for these available in the market for a way of life ute. With a rumoured beginning value of sub-$70,000, the Shark is an thrilling prospect on paper.
Jordan Mulach: Kia Tasman
Amid rising competitors from China, I’d have to show to South Korea for a ute.
You simply get the sensation that Kia understands Australia and is pulling no punches in ensuring the Tasman is nearly as good as it may be for native circumstances when it goes on sale.
The cynic in me does suppose the long-running teaser marketing campaign to construct hype is simply that, however the reality they’re doing a lot testing in Australia throughout varied circumstances reveals it is a precedence for Kia.
Add in that it’ll probably have a confirmed turbo-diesel engine and a seven-year guarantee, it’s going to be laborious to go previous.
The one factor we completely don’t but know? A value, and that’ll be a giant issue for lots of patrons.
Max Davies: BYD Shark
Whereas the Ranger is an objectively sturdy bundle, it’s under no circumstances the “proper” selection for everybody – particularly in the event you’re after a plug-in hybrid.
With that in thoughts, I’m to see what BYD has to supply when its Shark washes up on Australian shores someday later this yr.
It’s the model’s first ute, not to mention its first plug-in hybrid ute. Whereas it’s unmistakably taken some design inspiration from the Ranger up entrance, there’s lots that ought to pique the curiosity of these wanting a ute with a extra economical method.
The Shark has beefy energy outputs because of its entrance and rear motors, a claimed complete vary of greater than 800km with the assistance of a 30kWh battery, and the most recent in BYD’s inside design language that appears to be fairly the stylish bundle.
Higher but, it’s been indicated at the very least one variant might value $68,000 earlier than on-roads, undercutting a number of Ranger and Toyota HiLux fashions within the course of.
It’s anticipated to beat the Ranger to the punch on plug-in hybrid tech too, so why wait when you can make the leap sooner?
Jack Fast: Ram 1500 Ramcharger
It hasn’t been confirmed for Australia but, however the Ram 1500 Ramcharger is a ute that would revolutionise how we see and use one of these automobile regionally.
The American pickup additionally intrigues me as a supersized Ranger PHEV rival because it probably gives significantly extra electrical vary because of its ginormous 92kWh battery pack.
This pickup is powered by a sophisticated plug-in hybrid range-extender powertrain comprising a 3.6-litre V6 petrol engine that by no means immediately powers the wheels and as an alternative acts as a generator for 2 electrical motors. Whole system outputs are 487kW and 834Nm.
Ram is presently focusing on a complete vary of 1110km, together with 233km of electric-only vary.
One most important cause why the 1500 Ramcharger might transform how we use utes in Australia is the vehicle-to-load (V2L) potential. Positive the Ranger PHEV gives V2L, nevertheless it doesn’t have 92kWh of battery to attract from.
This implies you can use the battery all day lengthy to energy no matter you want, however then nonetheless have the petrol engine kick on to ensure you make it house.
Scott Collie: Toyota Tundra
The Tembo Tusker is tempting purely for alliterative causes, however Toyota Tundra is nearly as satisfying to say – and strikes me as a extra thrilling decide.
The HiLux is rock strong, nevertheless it feels old-school inside. It’s additionally down on punch in comparison with the Ford Ranger V6, and even the range-topping GR Sport lacks presence in comparison with the Ranger Raptor… not to mention a Chevrolet Silverado, or Ford F-150.
That’s the place the Toyota Tundra is available in. It guarantees a extra refined, luxurious tackle the go-anywhere toughness that constructed the HiLux legend, and introduces a hybrid powertrain that factors to what we’re hoping for from the LandCruiser and Prado sooner or later sooner or later.
Positive, it’s no oil portray, however there’s no denying it has a presence on the street.
These massive American pickups aren’t for everybody, however they serve a objective for loads of Australians. The Tundra will make what’s already an fascinating nook of the market much more fascinating.
James Wong: BYD Shark or Kia Tasman
The Ford Ranger is definitely the dual-cab ute benchmark in Australia, and in the event you’re in want of a brand new ute urgently it needs to be in the direction of the highest of your listing.
Should you can wait, the slew of incoming electrified choices are actually fascinating, together with Ford’s personal Ranger PHEV that may lob in 2025.
However I’m significantly within the BYD Shark and Kia Tasman, given they’re shaping as much as be fairly compelling alternate options to the vary of phase stalwarts which are beginning to really feel a bit lengthy within the tooth.
The BYD will deliver a robust plug-in hybrid system with heaps of vary and the kinds of tech largely unprecedented in phase.
In the meantime, the Kia will lastly put the rapidly-growing Korean model within the preventing ring with its Japanese contemporaries within the ute house, probably with a extra refined and SUV-like providing than the likes of the HiLux and D-Max.
Should you can wait, I’d maintain my breath for six months or so to see what comes subsequent…
