Australian 4WD & SUV Buyer's Guide September Issue #38 2021

Most ute makers are now claiming up to 3500kg towing capacity. Don’t believe it. Sure, a ute may be able to pull that weight, but when you also load it up with accessories, passengers and gear, chances are you will exceed the legal maximum Gross Combined Mass, or GCM, of the ute and trailer hitched together. Which means you can be fined, and your insurance company will refuse to pay up if you have a crash and make a claim. It also defies common sense that a two tonne ute can safely pull a three and a half tonne trailer. The tail shouldn’t wag the dog. I hope you enjoy the magazine and that it helps you choose the 4WD, SUV or ute that works best for you. Feel free…

JOSHUA DOWLING Joshua Dowling is the National Motoring Editor at caradvice.com.au and a World Car of the Year judge. Joshua is renowned for his consumer-first approach and you can also read his regular rants on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling. In this issue, he tests the Hyundai Tucson, Isuzu MU-X, Mazda MX30, RAM DT1500 and Toyota Kluger. JOHN CAREY John is a former editor of Overlander, a contributor to Wheels magazine where he is a Car of the Year judge, and publications in the USA and UK. He lives in Bergamo, Italy, and covers new model launches for us from Europe. BYRON MATHIOUDAKIS Byron is a car tragic. He claims that a dream as a toddler of driving an Austin A35 sealed his fate. Byron writes for goauto.com.au and Wheels, where he is…

In our tests on the following pages we have used symbols to give you a quick indication of the strengths of each vehicle and star ratings to indicate in more detail how each stacks up in its class. Here’s what the symbols and stars mean: Our piggybank indicates a vehicle that we think represents good value for money against the others in its class. It may not necessarily be the cheapest, but taking into account factors such as standard equipment, safety, the way it drives, resale values and quality, it shapes up as a good deal. A capital S indicates a vehicle that scores five stars out of five for occupant protection in ANCAP crash tests. Go to www.ancap.com.au. for more information If you’re after a safe, practical vehicle to…

Prices are supplied by manufacturers and do not include on-road charges, which vary from state to state. Note that advertised prices must now include all on-road costs. The best way to get a good deal on a new car is to do your research, test drive each of your shortlisted cars, then decide exactly the make, model, specification, colour and any options you require. Then you simply get a price from a few dealers on that car. If you have a trade in, you want what is called a changeover price. Check current prices and deals at carsales.com.au. Redbook future values in each test are average wholesale prices after three years/60,000km and five years/100,000km for a vehicle in average condition. Go to redbook.com.au for a valuation on your 4WD…

It’s not the Second Coming. No, this is an event of much greater significance than that… Toyota’s new LC300 Landcruiser has now arrived, and given its vastly superior specification, especially performance and economy, over the 200 Series it replaces, you have to wonder if a few of those V8 tragics who went and paid well above full retail to secure the last of the 200s may now be feeling just a little less happy about their purchase. The headline act is under the bonnet, where a “V8 beating” (according to Toyota) 3.3-litre twin turbo V6 produces 227kW of power and 700Nm of torque, increases of 27kW and 50Nm over the 200’s 4.5-litre V8. It’s worth noting that the new engine, despite being 1.2-litres smaller and having two fewer cylinders, produces…

BMW was among the first carmakers to dive into electric vehicles way back in 2013, when it introduced the i3 hatchback. Its latest EV is the iX3, which, as the name implies, is an electrified variant of the midsized X3 SUV. Priced from $114,900, iX3 has a performance focus, with pretty big numbers by EV standards, rear wheel drive, and the M Sport package as standard. iX3 is powered by an 80kWh battery and its electric motor generates 210kW of power and 400Nm of torque. Claimed 0-100km/h time is a sprightly 6.8 seconds and claimed range is up to 460 kilometres. The iX3 will be built in China. Charging times vary from a couple of days on a 10 amp household power point, to 32 minutes (10 to 80 percent…