Utes are Australia’s second most popular new vehicle type behind only SUVs, and it has been a big month for new ute reveals and news. This week saw the global reveal of the new Kia Tasman , and learned the price and details of the upcoming BYD Shark 6 , the ground-breaking plug-in hybrid 4×4 dual-cab that broke the Chinese brand’s Australian website when orders opened on Tuesday night. But among that crowd was a familiar name in the ute world: Isuzu.
The Japanese brand, or specifically Isuzu Ute Australia, has unveiled its latest top-spec model – the Walkinshaw-fettled, offroad-ready D-Max Blade . That got us thinking. It’s by no means the first time that a major auto brand has released a new dual-cab 4×4 ute variant designed specifically to tackle challenging off-road driving, in fact there are quiet a few to choose from.
So we asked the CarExpert team which off-road ute they’d buy for less than $100,000, and here’s what they said. But first, here are some of the most popular examples of the breed: 100s of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal.
Browse now . If I was in the market for a new, offroad-ready ute I’d buy a Tremor, since it’s the most hardcore version of the class-leading Ranger this side of the desert-eating Raptor, but will still travel 800km between refills, as well as carry 900kg and tow 3500kg. It’s also a fully factory-engineered and built vehicle based on the only Aus.