The new-vehicle landscape has evolved a lot in the last couple of years, but one thing hasn’t changed: New Zealanders still absolutely love their utes.
The Ford Ranger remains the number one new vehicle of any kind… and the Toyota Hilux is number two.
One-tonners (as we sometimes call them) remain firm favourites for work and play.
We’ve chosen five we reckon are worth consideration for a variety of reasons: popularity, fresh design, sheer capability and even fuel efficiency.
FORD RANGER
What can we say about the Ford Ranger? Probably nothing new to be honest, given it’s been a smash hit in the market and winner of the 2022 AA DRIVEN Car of the Year award.
There’s an astonishing amount of choice, with four different engines (three turbo diesels, one petrol, two fours and two V6s) and a model range that covers the gamut of work and play, starting with a simple cab-chassis and working right up through practical double cabs to more lifestyle/sport oriented models.
Ford NZ has been filling out the top end of the lineup more comprehensively in recent months. In addition to the ever-popular Wildtrak there’s the more off-road-oriented Wildtrak X, as well as the luxury Platinum.
The V6 models and Wildtrak X feature an automatic AWD setting.
And of course the rorty Raptor biturbo-V6 petrol remains a hero model for the Ranger nameplate, with Ford NZ just announcing the return of the four-cylinder diesel Raptor to join (not replace) the rowdy V6.
ENGINES: 2.0-litre single or biturbo diesel fours, 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6 and 3.0-litre biturbo-petrol V6
POWER: 125kW/405Nm, 154kW/500Nm, 184kW/600Nm, 292kW/583Nm
GEARBOX: 6-speed or 10-speed automatic, part-time 4WD or AWD
CONSUMPTION: 8.3-12.8l/100km (3P-WLTP)
PRICES: $56,490-$95,990
TOYOTA HILUX
Toyota NZ has always been firm about the Hilux being a more functional ute than some of its flashier rivals.
That’s still the case, with plenty of practical single cab, extra cab and double cab variants to choose from. Toyota also continues to offer quite a bit of choice in the Prerunner series, with two-wheel drive for those want the carrying characteristics of a ute but don’t need extreme off-road ability.
Toyota’s agency sales setup and the no-discount Driveaway Price (TDP) policy means Hilux is also hard to beat on value for money.
However, Toyota’s truck has also become more lifestyle friendly in recent times (the name does mean “Hi-luxury”, after all). There are dressier SR5 models and a recent addition is the wide-track SR5 Cruiser, which has a huge on and off-road presence with 140mm extra width and beefed-up suspension.
There’s also a smart-looking new Hilux GR Sport – based on the SR5 Cruiser, but with more power and off-road ability.
ENGINE: 2.8-litre turbo diesel four
POWER: 150kW/420Nm, 150kW/500Nm, 165kW/550Nm
GEARBOX: 6-speed manual or automatic, part-time 4WD
CONSUMPTION: 8.2-9.4l/100km (3P-WLTP)
PRICES: $43,390-$76,490
VOLKSWAGEN AMAROK
The newest ute on the backblock, and the flashest too? Ford Ranger fans might have something to say about that, so we’ll leave it to you to decide.
It’s no secret that the Amarok is based on the Ranger, but VW has put a huge amount of work into its version, with new body panels, a new interior and even its own operating system for the dashboard and infotainment electronics.
There are four tiers to the Amarok lineup, all double-cab though: the work-oriented Life with a single-turbo engine (as with all Amarok diesels, borrowed from Ranger), the Style which upgrades to the biturbo four and then a couple of hero V6 models. The Pan Americana is dressed for success off-road, while the Aventura is more road-focused and with a bit more bling.
There’s a novel sidebar to the Amarok: VW NZ is also planning to bring in a small number of Aventuras with the 2.3-litre four-cylinder petrol-turbo engine (as used in the Ford Focus ST and Mustang). Pricing is yet to be confirmed, but it’ll likely be the same as the Aventura V6 diesel.
ENGINES: 2.0-litre single-turbo and biturbo diesel fours, 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel or 2.3-litre turbo-petrol four
POWER: 125kW/405Nm, 154kW/500Nm, 184kW/600Nm, 222kW/452Nm
GEARBOX: 6-speed or 10-speed automatic, part-time 4WD or AWD
CONSUMPTION: 8.3-9.6l/100km (3P-WLTP)
PRICES: $65,000 to $90,000
MITSUBISHI TRITON
The quiet achiever of the ute market, the Mitsubishi Triton is the third best-selling ute in the country and the only other ute outside the Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux to feature in the top ten sellers overall.
And there is a very good reason for that – superb value for money. Starting at just $34,990 for the 2WD single cab chassis auto and topping out at $53,990 for the 4WD VRX double cab with everything, the Triton undercuts its rivals in the top ten by a considerable margin (in fact, the top spec Triton VRX is actually cheaper than the entry level Ford Ranger, while still offering good levels of standard equipment.
And because the Triton was one of the best utes in terms of ride and handling when it first came out, it is only comparatively recently that those rivals have caught up, meaning that while it may be the oldest of the three, it can still hold its own with the others.
ENGINE: 2.4-litre turbo diesel four
POWER: 135kW/437Nm
GEARBOX: 6-speed automatic, part-time 4WD or AWD
CONSUMPTION: 9.5-9.8l/100km (3P-WLTP)
PRICES: $34,990 to $53,990
MAZDA BT-50
The BT-50 is notable for a new model just introduced by Mazda NZ: a 1.9-litre turbo-diesel engine option for the 2WD versions, which Mazda NZ claims makes it the lowest-CO2 diesel ute on sale (205g/km).
The new powerplant is fitted to the GSX and GTX 2WD models and makes 110kW/350Nm, which is 30kW/100Nm down on the 3.0-litre engine that powers the 4WD models. Tow rating is also down 500kg for the 1.9 to 3000kg, but payload actually increases to 1150kg for the GSX and 1130kg for the GTX thanks to the lighter engine.
ENGINE: 1.9-litre or 3.0-litre turbo diesel four
POWER: 110kW/350Nm, 140kW/450Nm
GEARBOX: 6-speed manual or automatic, part-time 4WD
CONSUMPTION: 6.7-9.2l/100km (NEDC)
PRICES: $48,740-$70,290