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South Oz Out
MAY 2024
ISSUE NO.490
G
EXPLORIN
THE PILBARA
PLUS
TWIN-TURBO VDJ
POWER FOR THIS
CLASSIC CRUISER
Scan the QR code and watch our in-depth walkaround
video of the ARB Altitude Rooftop Tent.
FIND OUT MORE
arb.com.au/altitude
The next level in luxury touring
ARB’s Altitude Rooftop Tent represents the pinnacle of
luxury camping, with simplicity, convenience, and a restful
night’s sleep wherever you choose to set up camp, the
Altitude delivers an unparalleled camping experience.
• Total Automation allows the Altitude tent to open and close automatically with the push
of a button, requiring no manual interaction and ensuring setup in less than a minute.
• ARB’s SmartFold™ canvas hinge technology enables a completely automated operation
for a totally hands-free user experience.
• The Premium Ladder of the Altitude tent boasts the largest and deepest steps on the
market, and it includes a unique handrail, enhancing both ease of use and safety for
campers and their families.
FOR TERMS AND CONDITIONS, PLEASE SEE IRONMAN4X4.COM/BARFORBUCK
4mm Skid plate
2 x 5t Rated recovery points
12,000lb Winch ready
Optional extras include driving lights, light bars and colour-coding.
RAZR SHARP. CUTTING EDGE.
RAZR MT772
MAXXISRAZR.COM.AU
RAZR AT811
MAXXISTyresAustralia
@Maxxis.Tyres.Australia
Maxxis Tyres Australia
Contents
www.facebook.com/4x4aus www.4x4australia.com.au
THINK
TANK
Can the GWM Tank 500 blow a hole
in to the big seven-seat 4x4 wagon
market?
28
36
2025 Ram 1500
says goodbye to
the Hemi V8.
LC 80 Series hides
a 4.5L twin-turbo
V8 diesel within.
MAY 2024
FIND US
ONLINE AT
˸;˸$8675$/,$&20$8
PAGE
6
1
1
4
e best new 4x
Th
ow!
products out n
46
2024 Ford F-150
shows us its 4x4
credentials.
4cast
10
12
16
4WORD
LATEST NEWS FROM THE 4X4 WORLD
TRAVEL BULLETIN
4x4 Drive
62
20
28
36
46
122
GVM upgrades what to look out
for.
LAUNCHED: GWM TANK 500
2025 RAM 1500
CUSTOM: 80 SERIES LANDCRUISER
2024 FORD F-150 XLT LWB
READERS’ RIGS
4x4 Explore
72
82
92
K’GARI, QUEENSLAND
PILBARA, WESTERN AUSTRALIA
SA’S BEST OUTBACK PUBS
4x4 Gear
72
Drive the beaches
on this Qld island
‘paradise’.
58
60
62
102
104
108
112
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4X4 BUILT: TRITON’S MSA TOWING MIRRORS
4X4 BUILT: TRITON’S CEL-FI GO BOOSTER
4X4 BUILT: RANGER’S GVM UPGRADE
TESTED: CTEK CS ONE BATTERY CHARGER
TROOPCARRIER PROTECTION EQUIPMENT
TESTED: LIGHTFORCE BEAST LIGHTS
TESTED: PERTRONIX ELECTRONIC IGNITION
NEW PRODUCTS OUT NOW
THE SCORE
124
;
82
The ancient
landscape of WA’s
Pilbara awaits.
ALL THE STATS, FIGURES AND
PRICES OF EVERY 4X4 YOU CAN BUY
maxtrax partinG pic
130
YOUR SHENANIGANS CAUGHT ON FILM
EDITORIAL
Editor Matt Raudonikis
Art Director Jamie Burgess
Sub-Editor John Panozzo
Staff Journalist Tristan Tancredi
Editor-At-Large Ron Moon
Brand Sales Manager Scott Crowley
Staff Photographer Ellen Dewar
4WORD
MATT RAUDONIKIS
A
WHEELS MEDIA
Finance Director Marena Paul
Finance Business Manager Margaret Clantin
Accountant Sasha Wein
Head of Client Partnerships Paul McCaig
General Manager – Technology Tim Kenington
Publishing Director – Digital Mike Stevens
COAST TO COAST
T THE end of each magazine
production cycle, in the final
days before we send the files
off to the printer to create
the magazine, I sit down to
write this page. Sometimes I’ll have
something in mind and occasionally
it will have been something that
spurred me on to write the column
earlier in the process, but more
often than not I’ll look back over
what’s going to the printers to find
my inspiration.
Sometimes it’s a mind-blowing
custom build that I wish I could
make my own, while at other times
it’s a new product or an engineer
that I’ve met that has left an
impression that I want to share.
This month it was our destinations
and the diversity and uniqueness
of the Australian outback and
coastline that took my breath away.
From the World Heritage listed
K’gari (Fraser Island) in the east
to the red soils of the Pilbra region
in the west, you couldn’t imagine
two more different places to go
adventuring. Both regions are
magnets for overland travellers
for their natural beauty and their
unique landscapes. The azure waters
and snow-white sands of K’gari’s
Chief Executive Officer Christian Clark
CONTACT US
SUBSCRIPTION ENQUIRIES:
Ph: (02) 8315 2092 - Mon-Fri 9AM-5PM (EST)
Email: subscriptions@wheelsmedia.com.au
Web: secure.whichcar.com.au/4X4Aus
Post: Wheels Media, PO Box 161, Hornsby, NSW, 1630
Lake McKenzie contrasting boldly
with the rich red dirt and rocky
terrain of the far west, the country
couldn’t be more diverse!
You could spend a lifetime
exploring the dusty tracks of
Australia and not see it all, but what
would travelling be without our
iconic outback pubs? Like an oasis
in the desert, an outback pub is not
only somewhere to wash down the
dust of the day’s travels, but a place
to connect with locals and other
travellers, where you might just pick
up some local knowledge from the
publican, or tips on places not to be
missed on your journey ahead.
Not only have the team at Off
Track Wines created a great product
for overland travellers with their
wine in a can, but they regularly
get around the outback in an old
FJ47 LandCruiser, visiting hotels,
chatting with publicans, and
conversing with other travellers.
OTW’s Anna and Brett have shared
some of their favourite South
Australian pubs with us for this
issue, to whet your appetite for
somewhere to stop in between
Fraser Island and the Pilbara.
GENERAL ENQUIRIES
support@wheelsmedia.com.au
ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES
Scott Crowley
scott.crowley@wheelsmedia.com.au
Published by Wheels Media,
a division of Are Media Pty Limited,
ABN 18 053 273 546
© 2023. All rights reserved. ISSN: 0726-2418
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Head to
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or call (02) 8315 2092
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E
HOW MUCH DO YOU
TRUST YOUR CLUTCH?
INTRODUCING THE FORTIFIED PLUS CLUTCH
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vehicles and themselves, the forces moving through your clutch system
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4CAST
NEWS AND VIEWS
’25 INFINITI QX80 PREVIEWS NEW
PATROL WITH TURBO V6 POWER
TWIN-TURBO V6-POWERED INFINITI QX80 PROVIDES A GLIMPSE AT WHAT TO
EXPECT WITH THE INCOMING NISSAN PATROL
I
NFINITI has lifted the lid on its
QX80 in the USA, 4x4 wagon that
will share componentry with the
highly anticipated Nissan ‘Y63’
Patrol.
The QX80 – not slated for release
in Australia – will utilise a 3.5-litre
twin-turbo V6 petrol engine capable
of delivering up to 336kW of power
and 698Nm of torque, verifying earlier
reports that indicated the Patrol would
ditch its naturally aspirated 5.6-litre
V8 in favour of a twin-turbo petrol
V6. The V6 is mated to a nine-speed
automatic transmission, offering two
more ratios than the Patrol’s current
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seven-speed auto.
These claimed outputs of 336kW
and 698Nm represent an increase of
38kW and 138Nm on the current Y62’s
V8 engine (298kW and 560Nm). For
comparison’s sake, the 3.3-litre V6
turbo-diesel that powers the 300 Series
LandCruiser generates a claimed
227kW and 700Nm.
The four-model QX80 line-up
consists of Pure, Luxe, Sensory and
Autograph variants, with the lowerspec models equipped with either
rear-wheel drive or Infiniti All-mode
4WD. Top-tier Sensory and Autograph
variants feature standard 4WD, and
all models will have Standard, Eco,
Sport, Snow, Tow and Personal driving
modes. Refining the ride of the burly
SUV is the option of Electronic Air
Suspension and Dynamic Digital
Suspension, with the air suspension
lowering the vehicle by 30mm at
speed.
The premium styling of the
vehicle is headlined by the newest
iteration of Infiniti’s double-arch
grille, supposedly “inspired by the
organic shapes of a bamboo forest,
the grille shape hints at a powerful,
commanding driving experience” (I
want what they’re smoking!)
WHAT YOU GET
PURE
LUXE (ALL PURE
FEATURES PLUS)
SENSORY (ALL LUXE
FEATURES PLUS)
AUTOGRAPH (ALL
SENSORY FEATURES PLUS)
VR35DDTT ENGINE WITH 9-SPEED
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
DYNAMIC DIGITAL SUSPENSION
SEMI-ANILINE LEATHER-APPOINTED
SEATING FOR FIRST AND SECOND
ROWS
PROPILOT ASSIST 2.1
INFINITI INTOUCH WITH DUAL 14.3INCH SCREENS
ELECTRONIC AIR SUSPENSION
BIOMETRIC COOLING
SECOND-ROW MASSAGING SEATS
KLIPSCH 14-SPEAKER PREMIUM
AUDIO
HEAD-UP DISPLAY
KLIPSCH 24-SPEAKER REFERENCE
PREMIERE PREMIUM AUDIO
SECOND-ROW CONSOLE WITH
TOUCHSCREEN HVAC AND SEAT
CONTROL
FLUSH DOOR HANDLES
CLIMATE-CONTROLLED FIRST- AND
SECOND-ROW SEATS
INFINITI LIGHT PATH
SEMI-ANILINE LEATHERAPPOINTED, HEATED THIRD-ROW
SEATS
3D AROUND VIEW MONITOR
REMOTE CONTROL REAR SEAT
MASSAGING FRONT SEATS
FRONT CONSOLE COOL BOX
22-INCH WHEELS
PERSONALISED AMBIENT LIGHTING
(64 COLOURS)
IN-CAR CAMERA
DARK BROWN OPEN PORE ASH WOOD
TRIM
TWO-TONE ROOF
FRAMELESS SMART REAR-VIEW
MIRROR
DARK CHROME EXTERIOR TRIM
PROPILOT ASSIST 1.1
GOOGLE BUILT-IN
20-INCH WHEELS
• 8 USB PORTS
OPEN PORE ASH WOOD TRIM
WITH METAL INLAY
22-INCH WHEELS WITH UNIQUE
STYLING AND FINISH
The four-model Infiniti
QX80 line-up consists
of Pure, Luxe, Sensory
and Autograph
variants.
INFORMATION ON THE NEXT-GEN PATROL
IS SCARCE AT THIS STAGE, WITH OFFICIAL
WORD EXPECTED IN THE COMING WEEKS
Interior upgrades include the
addition of a 14.3-inch digital
instrument cluster and a 14.3-inch
infotainment touchscreen, which
are positioned side-by-side. Situated
below this is a 9.0-inch screen
for climate controls, heated and
ventilated seat functions and drivemode selection. Google is built into
the centre console, and the top-of-theline Autograph includes a coolbox in
the centre console. These changes,
while unconfirmed, could be mirrored
in the next-gen Patrol.
Luggage space has also increased
from the outgoing QX80, with cargo
room up 18 per cent behind the
second-row seats up and 30 per cent
behind the third-row seats.
The QX80 will officially debut at
the 2024 New York International
Auto Show, and it will arrive in US
dealerships toward the end of the US
summer (August-September). Pricing
for the QX80 starts at US$82,450
Information on the next Patrol is
scarce at this stage, with official word
expected very soon. A prototype was
spied testing in the USA (where it’s
known as the Armada) in October last
year.
4x4Australia.com.au
13
4cast
NEWS AND VIEWS
INEOS QUARTERMASTER
CHASSIS CAB RIPE FOR
CUSTOMISATION
INEOS LAUNCHES CHASSIS CAB VARIANT OF ITS
DOUBLE-CAB GRENADIER QUARTERMASTER
WORDS TRISTAN TANCREDI
I
NEOS Automotive has launched a
Chassis Cab variant of its Grenadier
Quartermaster, with pricing in
Australia to begin at $102,000 plus
on-road costs.
The five-seater double-cab 4x4 is aimed
at conversion specialists and has been
developed alongside the Quartermaster
pickup revealed in 2023.
However, unlike the pickup, the
Chassis Cab variant features an exposed
ladder frame behind the cabin as a blank
canvas for both commercial and leisure
aftermarket conversions.
“In the first year since the Grenadier
launched, we have already seen a number
of specialist conversions, particularly
with emergency services such as fire,
police and inshore rescue,” said George
Ratcliffe, commercial director, Ineos
Automotive.
“Launching the Quartermaster Chassis
Cab is a natural step to take our off-road
expertise into many commercial areas
that need a class-leading 4x4.
“The Grenadier’s body-on-frame
construction already provides huge
versatility for customisation, and we know
from customer configurations that our
vehicles are being used equally between
commercial and leisure users,” Ratcliffe
added.
“The ‘blank canvas’ Chassis Cab variant
allows even greater versatility, from
the basic trayback for agricultural use
through recovery and emergency services
to tourism, presenting an ideal platform
for an overlanding camper.”
Just like the Grenadier and
Quartermaster pickup variants, the
Chassis Cab will utilise BMW-sourced
petrol (210kW-450Nm) and diesel
(183kW-550Nm) six-cylinder engines,
both mated to an eight-speed automatic
transmission.
The Chassis Cab features a
3227mm wheelbase, the same as the
Quartermaster pickup but 305mm longer
than the Grenadier wagon. The vehicle
retains a maximum towing capacity of
3500kg, but payload capacities are yet to
be announced.
The Quartermaster Chassis Cab will be
built on the same production line as both
the Grenadier wagon and Quartermaster
pickup, in Hambach, France.
As is the case with the pickup variant,
the Chassis Cab will share a full boxsection ladder-frame chassis, heavy-duty
live axles, two-speed transfer case, and
feature up to three locking diffs.
Timing for Australian deliveries has not
yet been revealed.
INEOS QUARTERMASTER
DIMENSIONS
LENGTH 5440mm
WIDTH WITH MIRRORS 2146mm
WIDTH WITHOUT MIRRORS 1943mm
VEHICLE HEIGHT 2019mm
TRACK WIDTH 1645mm
FRONT OVERHANG 847mm
REAR OVERHANG 1328mm
WHEELBASE 3227mm
WEIGHTS
PETROL
DIESEL
GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT 3550kg
3550kg
KERB WEIGHT 2643kg
2718kg
DYNAMIC ROOF LOAD 120kg
120kg
STATIC ROOF LOAD 375kg
375kg
MAX UNBRAKED TRAILER LOAD 750kg
750kg
MAX BRAKED TRAILER LOAD 3500kg
3500kg
MAX TRAILER NOSE WEIGHT 350kg
350kg
OFF-ROAD SPECS
GROUND CLEARANCE 264mm
APPROACH ANGLE 35.5° petrol; 36.2° diesel
RAMP BREAKOVER ANGLE 26.2°
DEPARTURE ANGLE 22.6°
GRADEABILITY 45°
WADING DEPTH 800mm
FRONT AXLE ARTICULATION 9°
REAR AXLE ARTICULATION 12°
WHEEL TRAVEL 585mm
14
4x4Australia.com.au
TRAVEL
BULLETIN
ALL THE LATEST 4X4
NEWS AND EVENTS
Now is the time to get out and about to enjoy this great land and
support the communities. Experienced adventurer Ron Moon has listed
a few upcoming highlights, as well as essential track info.
As always, check with event organisers before locking in your plans.
Mount Little Station is just one
of many attractions you’ll find in
South Australia’s Flinders Ranges.
CAMP IN THE FLINDERS
RANGES (SA)
It’s now time to enjoy the
Flinders Ranges and all
the area has to offer.
Mount Little Station
– just 15 minutes
from Hawker via the
Outback Highway – is
a working sheep and
cattle station. It offers
tourist accommodation,
camping, tours, and
access to 4WD, hiking
and biking tracks with
varying degress of
complexity, plus a unique
station life experience.
There’s plenty to
16
4x4Australia.com.au
see and do as well as
exploring the Elder
Range or Mayo Gorge
or the Harvey’s Rocks
or heading to the top
of Mount Little for an
expansive 360° view.
Among other things
to do, is pay a visit to
the Goat & Goon Saloon,
which was erected by
a relative of the the
station’s previous owner
for ‘lad’s trips’ away
hunting goats in the
mountains.
For more information,
check out mtlittlestation.
com.au
RACING OUTBACK (NSW)
MUNDI MUNDI BASH (NSW)
The PJ O’Brien Memorial Race
Meeting in Walgett is a six-race
gathering which this year will be
held on June 15.
Apart from the races, there will
be fashions on the field for men
and women and children, along
with an bar and luncheon, as well
as smaller food stalls, novelty
races, live music and activities
for the kids. The entertainment
continues after the last race too
with dancing into the night.
There is ample parking and
shaded areas. Betting facilities will
be available on the day.
Head to www.facebook.com/
walgettjockeyclub for the latest
details on the club’s only race
meeting for the year.
As with previous events, this
year’s Mundi Mundi Bash will
be located just out of Broken
Hill, and will run from August
15 to 17, but it’s best to buy
tickets soon before they sell out.
The line-up of artists will
include James Reyne, the
Living End, Daryl Braithwaite,
Diesel and a whole lot more.
Mundiville is on private
property, a working sheep
station, and camping is not
usually permitted, so organisers
are privileged to have the
owner’s permission to hold the
Bash on the area’s beautiful red
dirt outback plains.
Click on mundimundibash.
com.au for all information.
Good time is now
to check on road
conditions if you’re
planning to head to
Cape York.
GOLDFIELDS ADVENTURE (WA)
The Goldfields Woodlands
National Park is located 60km
west of Coolgardie, to the
Great Eastern Hwy.
This park lies within the
Great Western Woodlands
which is the largest remaining
area of intact Mediterraneanclimate woodland left on earth.
A highlight is the spring
wildflowers, but autumn is also
a great time to visit.
There’s a natural landscape
of eucalypt woodlands, sand
plains, granite outcrops, salt
lakes and freshwater swamps,
and the area is great for
bushwalking, bird watching
and nature appreciation.
The 4WD Holland Track
crosses the park from
Diamond Rock to Coolgardie,
and is a great way to explore
the park.
Boondi Rock
Campground
and Woolgangie
Rock are close to the
Great Eastern Hwy, while
a 4x4 vehicle is
required to access
the park’s other
recreation and
camping sites.
See exploreparks.
dbca.wa.gov.au/park/
goldfields-woodlandsnational-park for further
details.
CAPE YORK TRACK
UPDATE (QLD)
If you’re heading to
Cape York and want to
use the Bloomfield or
CREB Tracks, both north
of Daintree, it’s best to
check if they’re open
after the rain and floods
that wrecked so much
infrastructure south of
Cooktown late last year.
The Facebook page
‘Local CREB Track
conditions’ is a good
place to start, while the
Douglas Shire road report
is another at douglas.qld.
gov.au
4x4Australia.com.au
17
THE ALL NEW
MSA POWER FOLD
TOWING MIRRORS
TM
THE POWER TO FOLD
When extended the large, single mirror allows
the driver to see beyond the caravan, trailer
or boat and avoids the confusion of multi-lens
mirrors for everyday driving.
u
s
o
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Y
Take With
MSA4X4.COM.AU | GEAR FOR LIFE
Available from over 800 stockists Australia wide.
®
FOUR DIFFERENT MIRROR
POSITIONS PERFECT FOR
ANY DRIVING SITUATION
MIRROR FOLD
CONTROLLER
Works with the original
fold in and out switch
FEATURES
• Power fold at the touch of a button
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MSA 4X4 has reached an exhilarating milestone,
by taking the next step in the development of the
highly popular, patented, SEMA award-winning, MSA
4X4 Towing Mirrors. The introduction of the much
anticipated, MSA POWER FOLD™ Towing Mirrors,
NOW bring the power to fold at your fingertips.
Crafted with an unwavering dedication to precision, the
MSA POWER FOLD™ Towing Mirrors offer a cuttingedge solution that enhances functionality and safety
during off-road travels.
Featuring the same, large single mirror that pivots on
a heavy-duty extension slide, as the original MSA 4X4
Towing Mirrors. Thus allowing the mirror to extend out
when towing and return to a normal driving position,
when not towing. Available in black or chrome.
L E T’S
TA
• Four different mirror positions
• Large, single mirror lens
• Adjustable viewing angles
• Vertical and horizontal adjustment
• Unique pivot design
• Fold inwards or outwards
• ADR Compliant
• Injection moulded and die-cast
aluminium components
DRIVE
GWM TANK 500
WORDS MATT RAUDONIKIS
GWM EXPANDS IT TANK 4X4 RANGE WITH THE LUXURIOUS TANK 500 WAGON
WM, the brand formerly known as Great Wall, has
launched a serious assault on the large 4x4 wagon
segment with its three-row, seven-seat, body-on-frame
Tank 500. Set to go head-to-head with the likes of Ford
Everest, Toyota Prado and Isuzu MU-X, the Tank 500
is a large 4x4 wagon measuring 5078mm in length and
1934mm wide. Thanks to its dimensions, some might even see it as an
alternative to the Toyota LandCruiser 300 and Nissan Patrol wagon.
To get your head around the size of the Tank, the soon-to-besuperseded segment-leading Toyota Prado 150 is 4930mm long and
1885mm wide, while the Ford Everest comes in at 4914mm long by
2207mm wide. Yep, the Tank is a big wagon, and you appreciate it when
you climb into its well-appointed cabin.
20
4x4Australia.com.au
4x4Australia.com.au
21
DRIVE GWM TANK 500
Ultra cabin feels
well-appointed,
but a lack of dials
and a reliance on
the screen makes
the interior not so
easy to use.
Driving modes for onand off-road use include
Eco, Normal, Sports,
Snow, Sand, Rock, Mud,
Auto and Expert.
WHAT YOU GET
THE Tank 500 is available in two grades; the
500 Lux at $66,490 drive away and the 500
Ultra at $73,990 drive away. Both of these
three-row, seven-seat models are powered
by a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine
hybrid powertrain that produces a claimed
combined 255kW of power and 642Nm
of torque, with a claimed combined fuel
consumption of 8.5L/100km.
Standard equipment in the Tank 500 Lux
includes auto-levelling LED headlights,
18-inch alloy wheels, a powered sunroof,
faux leather interior trim with heating and
8-way power adjustment on the driver’s
seat and 4-way power adjustment on the
front passenger’s seat, 14.6-inch touch
infotainment screen with 360° view monitor
and clear chassis view, 12.3-inch digital
gauge cluster, wireless CarPlay and Android
The Tank 500
is a big vehicle,
it's exterior
dimensions are
bigger than a
Prado 150, and
it's longer than an
Everest.
22
4x4Australia.com.au
phone mirroring, and an eight-speaker
audio system.
Step up to the Ultra and you’re adding
a panoramic sunroof, power deploying
side-steps, heads-up driver’s display, black
Napa leather accented interior trim (with
the option of blue/cream Napa leather),
64-colour ambient interior lighting, a
heated steering wheel, ventilated and
massaging front seats with memory, 6-way
power adjustment front passenger seat,
ventilated second-row outer seats with
window shades, power-folding third-row
seats, a 12-speaker premium Infinity audio
system, active cabin noise cancelling, and a
soft-touch closing tailgate.
The seven-seat
Ultra comes with
a panoramic
sunroof.
WHAT’S IT LIKE?
OUR drive was in an Ultra and the
cabin feels well-appointed and the
layout is anything but easy to use. A
lot of the HVAC controls are on the
screen but some of them are doubled
up with real buttons, albeit silver ones
that aren’t always easy to read when on
the move. It’s the same for the finish on
the plethora of buttons on the steering
wheel. Once familiar with the set-up
it’s relatively easy to use but initially
it took two of us several minutes
The 14.6-inch
infotainment
screen has 360°
view monitor and
clear chassis
view.
to find the buttons to adjust cabin
temperature. Despite the many buttons
both on the dash and in the screen,
there are no tactile dials for regularly
used functions like cabin temp and
audio volume, so you need to take your
eyes off the road to make adjustments.
The steering wheel has more buttons
than a typewriter.
The Tank 500 has not yet been
ANCAP tested but GWM’s internal
testing predicts it will achieve a 5-star
rating when it is. Standard safety kit
includes AEB, TPMS, and front, side-
centre and curtain airbags, EPS, ETC
forward collision and lane-departure
warnings, and all the other ADAS
features required to gain that top-level
rating.
One so-called safety feature is the
driver monitor which we found to be
more of a frustration than anything
else, as it was constantly barking out
warnings and advice that were worse
than a nagging passenger. If this is
what new car-tech has come to then you
can count me out. GWM is not alone in
providing this annoying technology.
Likewise the lane keeping was
also annoying when driving on gravel
roads without side marker lines,
again constantly spruiking warnings,
and occasionally making some wild
steering adjustments.
GWM TANK 500
ULTRA
A DEPARTURE ANGLE
B RAMPOVER ANGLE
C APPROACH ANGLE
D WADING DEPTH
E GROUND CLEARANCE
24˚
22.5˚
30˚
800mm
224mm
D
C
A
B
E
4x4Australia.com.au
23
DRIVE GWM TANK 500
POWERTRAIN
AS opposed to most of its large 4x4
wagon competitors, the Tank 500 only
comes with a petrol-hybrid powertrain
and before you scoff at the idea of a
2.0-litre Miller-cycle petrol engine, the
648Nm torque peak should make you
think again. The turbocharged petrol
engine produces 180kW and 380Nm
on its own but when boosted by the
78kW-269Nm electric drive it more than
makes up for any capacity deficit to its
diesel-fuelled competition.
The hybrid system is seamless and
something the driver doesn’t need to
consider. It has a few modes to suit the
driving you do including a sport mode,
which cuts back off-throttle power
regeneration, while in normal/eco mode
you can really feel the deceleration of
the regenerative braking system.
The engine is backed by a ninespeed automatic transmission with the
electric motor housed up front with
the torque converter. An electronic
gear shifter sits in the console and
shift paddles are mounted behind the
steering wheel.
Four-wheel drive comes via a Borg
Among the Ultra-model
features are powerfolding third-row seats.
24
4x4Australia.com.au
Warner full-time, dual-range transfer
case, while a rear differential lock
is standard on both models and the
Ultra adds a front locker as well. The
LandCruiser GR-Sport and 70 Series
range are the only other large 4x4
wagons to offer front and rear lockers
as standard kit, so it’s impressive to see
it on the Tank 500.
Off-road performance is bolstered
by the usual ETC but the Tank also has
crawl control and tank-turn functions,
again features only found elsewhere on
LandCruiser.
Driving modes for both on- and
off-road use include settings for Eco,
Normal, Sports, Snow, Sand, Rock,
Mud, Auto and Expert. The Expert
modes allow you to tailor the settings
of the throttle control, steering feel,
transmission and other parameters to
your own specific tastes.
The off-road component of the launch
drive included some rutted and rocky
climbs that would have been a test
for any standard modern 4x4 vehicle
and the Tank 500 conquered them all
without needing to engage the lockers.
In fact we left it in the Auto setting on
the drive modes and it got on with the
job with relative ease.
On sealed roads the Tank 500 delivers
a level of refinement that none of
its diesel-fuelled rivals can match,
especially not the four-cylinder diesel
powered ones, while the performance of
the combined hybrid powertrain would
be a revelation to anyone used to diesel
performance. Acceleration feels more
like a Nissan Patrol when you put your
boot down but without the heavenly V8
engine roar.
The suspension is firm and the Tank
can get a bit flustered over small
bumps and corrugations but it deals
with larger holes and bumps much
better, while body roll is well-controlled
when cornering. Low-speed suspension
compliance is better than higher speed
treatment of smaller bumps in the road.
Just because it’s a tech and feature
loaded hybrid vehicle doesn’t mean
that the Tank 500 is light duty. It uses a
traditional body-on-ladder-frame chassis
and has a 790kg payload capacity and
3000kg towing capacity. While the
towing might not match the 3500kg that
many of its rivals offer, it’s still decent.
5 YEAR
WARRANTY
DRIVE GWM TANK 500
SUMMARY
THE GWM Tank 500 might not be
everyone’s cup of tea, but there’s
no denying it offers a lot of features,
space, comfort and capability for
the money, giving buyers access
to features and luxury that cost
a lot more in its rivals’ top-spec
models.
Where the Tank falls short is in
the calibration of some key systems
such as steering feel and autonomous
steering, suspension refinement, and
some of the switchgear and controls
that are not as simple as they should
be.
The Tank brand is still emerging and
we’re sure that it will improve these
shortcomings in future updates and
new models.
The smaller Tank 300 is already
proving popular with buyers, thanks
no doubt to the value-for- money
equation. The Tank 500 continues
along this path but in a bigger,
more feature-laden segment that
is a favourite with Australian
families.
26
4x4Australia.com.au
The GWM Tank 500 carries
its spare on the back door,
something the new Prado will
not have.
The Tank 500 rolls on 18-inch
alloy wheels, while Ultraspecific features include
automatic electric side-steps.
GWM TANK 500 ULTRA
PRICE $73,990 (drive away)
ENGINE Petrol-electric hybrid
CAPACITY 1998cc
MAX POWER 225kW at 5500 to 6000rpm
MAX TORQUE 648NM at 1700 to 4000rpm
TRANSMISSION 9-speed automatic
4X4 SYSTEM Full-time, dual-range 4x4
CRAWL RATIO 54.45:1
CONSTRUCTION 5-door wagon on ladder-frame chassis
FRONT SUSPENSION IFS, double wishbones, coil springs
REAR SUSPENSION Live-axle, multi-link, coil springs
TYRES 265/60R18
KERB WEIGHT 2605kg
GVM 3395kg
GCM 6705kg
TOWING CAPACITY 3000kg
PAYLOAD 790kg
SEATS 7
FUEL TANK 80L
ADR FUEL CONSUMPTION 8.5L/100km
ON TEST FUEL CONSUMPTION N/A
TOUGH REDEFINED.
PREMIUM BULLBAR & ACCESSORIES TO SUIT THE 2023 AMAROK
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AVAILABLE NOW – AUSTRALIA WIDE
HEAD TO YOUR NEAREST STORE OR ENQUIRE ONLINE.
ADVENTURE DRIVEN™
CALL 1800 624 444 VISIT OPPOSITELOCK.COM.AU
DRIVE
2025 RAM 1500
WORDS AND PHOTOS CHRIS COLLARD
FEW years ago I drove a Ram
Rebel 1500 from California
to Tuktoyaktuk, a small Inuit
settlement on the frozen shores of
the Arctic Ocean. For three weeks
I relished the sweet timbre of the
5.7-litre HEMI V8 as I navigated
more than 11,000km of snow-covered
pavement, the desolate Dempster
Highway, and the famous Mackenzie
River ice road. With heated seats and
steering wheel (nice when it’s -30°C),
solid handling, and a phenomenal ABS
system (100km/h to zero, no-handson-the-wheel, dead-straight full-brake
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stops … on the ice) I hoped the brand
would never change this platform.
At the launch of the refreshed
fifth-generation 1500 in Texas, I about
fell out of my boots when I cracked
the hood and read Twin Turbo on
the engine cover. Did Ram turbo the
HEMI? Not the case, my V8-loving
friends. We’ll get into a host of other
upgrades, but the big news is that
2025 marks the end of a multi-decade
run for the HEMI-powered 1500.
The question is, have they buggered
things up?
4x4Australia.com.au
29
DRIVE 2025 RAM 1500
EYE OF THE HURRICANE
IN the HEMI V8’s place will be a version
of the 3.0-litre Hurricane I-6 SST (Straight
Six Turbo) introduced with Jeep’s
Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer. Scoff
if we will, but this pint-sized mill outproduces the 5.7 by a stretch, churning out
313kW and 638Nm versus the HEMI’s
295kW-558Nm respectively. But curious
minds want to know how they did it.
Tapping the latest in technology and
engineering practices, they started
with a forged crank and connecting
rods, which are mated to cast 10.4:1
compression cast-aluminum pistons
wrapped with DLC (diamond-like
carbon) coated rings. Main bearing caps
are cross-bolted (vertically and laterally)
to a deep-skirt cast aluminum block,
and cylinders are plasma spray-bored
to minimise friction. An aluminum head
supports hydroformed tubular cams that
independently manage four valves per
cylinder. Aspiration is via a pair of turbos
Part of the Hurricane’s
magic is a pair of smalldiameter, high-rpm turbos.
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and a common-rail direct-injection system
primed by a high-pressure pump that
generates up to 350 bar. Output numbers
are impressive, but more impressive is its
smooth and balanced run-up from idle to
the 5800rpm redline.
For those who like to push the
adrenaline envelope, the optional HO
variant (Longhorn, Limited and Tungsten
models only) generates a G-inducing
403kW and 706Nm of torque. Both
powerplants are backed by the venerable
TorqueFlite 850RE 8-speed automatic and
Borg-Warner transfer case, which offers
on-demand or full-time four-wheel drive
depending on model. An electronic rear
locker is standard on Rebel and available
on all models, and all I-6 versions have
3.92:1 gearing. The Pentastar 3.6-litre V-6
eTorque mild hybrid is the baseline engine
in the USA, and while I’m a fan of the
Pentastar, if I’m buying a full-size truck I’d
opt for the performance and grunt of the
more powerful mill.
A passenger-side LCD, which
is not visible to the driver,
allows the co-pilot to manage
navigation, monitor the 360-degree
camera system, or watch a
movie.
The new 14.5-inch centre
screen features higherresolution LCD, and all vehicle
controls and apps are within easy
reach of the driver.
TECH, INTERIOR & TOYS
BEING a blue-collar guy at heart, I started
the weekend in a RAM Tradesman, moved
to the luxurious Tungsten, and ended up in
my happy place off-piste in the Rebel. The
Tradesman is a work truck and appointed
accordingly, but the Tungsten and Limited
up the ante when it comes to luxury and
technology. Premium models include a 14.5inch high-resolution Uconnect 5 command
centre with multiscreen capability. A
new 10.25-inch passenger-side LCD
allows the co-pilot to manage navigation,
entertainment and monitor exterior
cameras. The instrument cluster has also
been enlarged to 12.3 inches, and steeringwheel thumb controls allow you to toggle
through a dozen screen options. All are
interconnected via an advanced electrical
architecture, which boasts higher operating
speeds and enhanced memory capacity.
At the front of the console is a dualstation wireless phone charger, and a
heads-up display on the windscreen offers
five data zones. If you want to rupture
an eardrum, crank up the bazillion-Watt
(1228), 23-speaker Klipsch audio system.
Add 24-position adjustable seats, back
massager, power lumbar support, leather,
and multi-zone climate control, and you’re
all set for a tracklside nap.
Although we take cutting-edge safety
features for granted, Ram is introducing
more advanced autonomous driving
systems in the USA; Active Driving Assist
and Hands-free Driving Assist (Level 2). On
select sections of highway it utilises radar,
360-degree cameras, and lane-centering to
literally drive itself. But if you reach back
to swat your rugrats, the annoying drowsy
driver alarm will bring your attention back
to the road. Fun fact. I trust a computer to
land a 747 at night in low-vis conditions,
but taking control of my vehicle on a
highway filled with knuckleheads? No
thanks. Besides, I actually like the ‘driving’
part of driving.
The 1.8kW inverter makes charging
devices or running power tools a breeze.
I also like the fold-back rear seat, which
provides flat, door-to-door storage. Optional
Ram Boxes on the bed rails are great for
stashing tools or fishing gear, but I’d wager
they could also hold a case of coldies.
Lastly is the multifunction tailgate. It opens
like a standard gate or ambulance style,
features power open and close, and has key
fob remote operation.
Hand-stitched leather seats
and steering wheel, aggressive
bolsters and good view of your
surroundings, give the Rebel’s
cockpit a race-truck feel.
4x4Australia.com.au
31
DRIVE 2025 RAM 1500
ROAD & TRAIL
WITH plenty of seat time in the Rebel, we
are well familiar with its dirt performance.
It’s not a rock crawler, but does admirably
well for a full-size truck. In my opinion, its
happy place is Baja-style high-speed desert
roads. Multiple drive modes, a nimble
suspension and rear e-locker remain intact,
and the camera system allows you to view
oncoming obstacles when they disappear
under the end of the bonnet. In short, it
retains the off-road capability we’ve come
to appreciate from the Rebel.
The most notable change from the
HEMI is the Hurricane’s quieter notes and
smoother transition through the power
curve. Interestingly, with the sunset of the
TRX and its fire-breathing 523kW Hellcat
mill, the Rebel steps in as the brand’s
primary dirt offering. But rumour has it
that Ram will be releasing the RHO in
2025 (Rebel High Output?) which is said to
be incorporating the TRX’s suspension.
The Hurricane 3.0 is no slouch on the
tarmac, pulling off the line with purpose
when you squeeze the skinny pedal. On
twisting two-lane roads, the 1500 displayed
predictable tracking and reasonable body
roll during aggressive constant-radius
turns, an example of well-balanced front
and rear damping. I’d rate yaw damping
at 0.5 – how quickly the vehicle returns to
a neutral position during emergency lane
Though nowhere near the
1500’s maximum towing
capacity of 4990kg, I was
pleasantly surprised with how well
the Hurricane six-banger hauled
a 2800kg Airstream.
32
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change scenarios – settling after one full
cycle. The Tungsten, with its low-profile
tyres and stance, excelled over the Rebel
in this genre, but both are simply fun to
drive. Turbo lag is almost a thing of the
past, and the Hurricane will spin the
speedo well past the legal limit at a nearly
linear rate.
We hooked up a 2800kg Airstream
trailer to a Limited for a drive through a
mix of country roads and 100km/h highway.
Towing capacities range from 3675kg
Pentastar to 5245kg with the standard 3.0
Hurricane (the HO drops to 4870kg). My
personal tow rig is a ’99 Dodge Ram 2500
with a Cummins 5.9-litre and am chagrined
to say the Hurricane-powered 1500 would
leave my old 24-valve in the rearview
mirror.
Whether braking hard, carving turns
or accelerating, I could definitely feel the
load, but never was the tail wagging the
dog. Although I don’t have issues backing
up or navigating tight corners the Auto
Hitch Assist which guides the receiver to
the ball, is super handy. And, when you
activate a turn signal the rear side-camera
view is displayed on the centre LCD. A 100litre fuel tank is standard, but the optional
125-litre unit will extend your range by
200km (or so) on the highway – EPA fuel
economy estimates are forthcoming.
Tire package for the Rebel
includes 275/70R18 Goodyear
Wrangler Duratrac all-terrains
wrapped around 18-inch alloy
wheels.
Optional Ram Boxes
are the ideal place to store
tools, fishing gear or recovery
equipment.
TRUSTED
AUSTRALIA WIDE
Developed in the USA and tested in Australia’s toughest conditions,
Cooper Tyres have earned a reputation for strength, high mileage and
uncompromising quality backed by a unique mileage guarantee.
WHY IS THE COOPER RUGGED TREK AUSTRALIA’S MOST TRUSTED 4WD TYRE?
When choosing a 4WD tyre you would normally pick between an all-terrain or a mud tyre. An all-terrain would be good onroad, gravel and some off-road, but would lack traction in the mud. A mud tyre would be great off-road, noisy on-road, and
give you lower mileage. Cooper has solved the age-old problem by introducing the RUGGED TREK as a hybrid tyre.
The Cooper RUGGED TREK has all the characteristics you look for in an aggressive mud tyre, while still giving you the mileage
and performance from an all-terrain. It features a 4-rib design, open shoulder blocks and sidebiters for off-road traction.
The Cooper RUGGED TREK comes with a massive 14.7mm of tread and a mileage guarantee of up to 80,000kms*.
62 %
MORE TREAD DEPTH
A full 14.7mm of tread
compared to 9mm on many
Original Equipment tyres
means longer tread life.*
14 %
LARGER FOOTPRINT
Increased surface
contact for longer tyre
life, improved stopping
power and superior
traction.*
25 %
MORE LOAD CAPACITY
Super High-Tensile body plys - 15%
stronger for improved towing and load
carrying.*
*Compared to original equipment tyres, T&C’s apply.
GUARANTEED
TO LAST
UP TO
80,000KM
ON-ROAD. OFF-ROAD. AUSTRALIA WIDE
coopertires.com.au
1300 COOPER (266 737)
DRIVE 2025 RAM 1500
COMPLAINTS
DEPARTMENT
OUR world of 18- and 20-inch wheels drives
me nuts. Although they (and their lowprofile tyres) reduce road noise and rolling
resistance, enhance fuel economy and
are great in most conditions, when in soft
mud, snow or sand there is no substitute
for airing down and increasing the tyre’s
footprint. On the flipside, big-wheel
packages accommodate massive 380mm
twin-piston disc brakes, one of the many
factors that contribute to the 1500’s solid
road manners and towing stability. Another
beef is the lack of a console shifter … and
manual cogs. Call me old school, but a truck
with the sportiness of the Rebel deserves
a proper shifter. A few other grievances
include the HO requiring 91-octane fuel,
and there’s no replacing the guttural tone of
a good ol’ HEMI (RIP).
WHAT’S NEXT?
IN addition to the RHO, 2025 will reveal
the first fully electric 1500, the REV, along
with the extended-range Ramcharger, in
which a Pentastar 3.6-litre petrol mill will
generate juice to power a pair of electricdrive motors.
RAM Truscks Australia tells us that the
Hurracane powered 2025 RAM 1500 will
be arriving sometime in ’25 but couldn't
confirm timing/ We suspect that they
already have prototypes here undergoing
the conversion to RHD
Standard output for the 3.0-litre
mill is 313kW (420hp) and 638Nm
(469 lb-ft) of torque. Move up to the
HO variant and the numbers rise nearly
20 per cent to 403kW (540hp) and
706Nm (521lb-ft) respectively.
POWERTRAINS BY THE NUMBERS
HURRICANE TWIN-TURBO
3.0-LITRE I-6
Power: 313kW
Torque: 638Nm
Payload: 866kg
Towing: 5245kg
34
4x4Australia.com.au
HURRICANE HO
Power: 403kW
Torque: 706Nm
Payload: 621kg
Towing: 4870kg
Superior construction and performance;
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CUSTOM
80 SERIES LANDCRUISER
WORDS DEX FULTON IMAGES ELLEN DEWAR
WHAT LURKS
BENEATH
IT MAY LOOK LIKE A FAIRLY STANDARD (IF CLEAN) 80
SERIES, BUT DIVE A LITTLE DEEPER AND YOU’LL FIND
A MONSTER BELOW THE SURFACE
36
4x4Australia.com.au
J
ASON Robson is what
psychiatrists like to call a nut.
A Toyota nut that is. To label
him a fan of the brand would
be underselling his passion
for these vehicles. In fact, at the time of
writing, this tidy HDJ80 is his 16th Cruiser.
He’s owned them all too, from an old
V8-converted HJ47 to utes to Troopies to
several 80s to no fewer than six (!) 200s to
the 300 Sahara … get the picture?
Right around when COVID was locking
us all up and the Great Toilet Paper Wars
of the early 2020s were being waged, Jason
decided he wanted a project to distract him
from the Spicy Cough, so he went hunting
for a factory turbo-diesel 80 (which for non-
Cruiserheads is the pick of the model run).
He found this beaut example with 350K
on the clock and an upgraded Sahara-spec
interior. The ideal blank canvas.
Looking to build a tourer and a bit of a
fun toy for quick missions into the High
Country and longer trips up to Queensland,
Jason set about turning this wagon into
the 80 Toyota really should have built from
the get-go. The result? Pretty damn hard
to fault, really. Heaps of power, plenty of
comfort and the timeless sex appeal of
1990s body panels. Perfection.
Here’s how he turned an old favourite
into an unassuming monster …
4x4Australia.com.au
37
CUSTOM TOYOTA 80 SERIES LANDCRUISER
THAT ENGINE
THE first stop was made at Off Track
Concepts in Cobram, where the 1HD-FT
was surgically removed from the engine
bay and the frame rails were prepped
for its replacement. Now, you could be
wondering why you’d rip out a perfectly
good 1HD, and what you’d even replace it
with, but after having owned half a dozen
200 Series Cruisers Jason knew just how
good the 1VD-FTV 4.5L quad-cam twinturbo V8 diesel could be.
The team at Off Track got to work.
Being the first 1VD into an 80 Series,
there was a lot to contend with. As with
most conversions, getting the engine
mounted (on custom mounts) is actually
the easiest part. Wholesale Automatics
provided the AB60 six-speed auto from
the two-hundy to factory 80 transfer
case adapter, and once that was sitting
in the chassis, all that was left to do was
everything.
A one-off airbox and fan shroud was
Jason's 80 Series is as
much a solid tourer as it
is a fun toy.
38
4x4Australia.com.au
built by Off Track as were the numerous
other little mounts for things like the
turbo and injector drives, the ECU and the
custom intake piping. Race Radiators built
a new cooling pack around a PWR core,
while custom AC lines and a vacuum pump
from an LC79 were recruited to supply
vacuum to the brake booster.
The fun was only just getting started.
From there the sump was exchanged for
an LC79 unit to clear the front diff, but
that too required extensive custom work
to miss the turbo and allow the turbo oil
pickup and a drain tube to be grafted in.
Oh, and then the dipstick hole was covered
up, so that needed to be relocated as well.
The auto transmission did not fit in
the 80 Series tunnel, so that necessitated
reshaping and plenty of modification
for the shift lever and new transfercase location – which in turn led to
the tailshafts needing shortening and
lengthening respectively.
This was all before the wiring side of
things. One of the biggest challenges
was getting around the immobiliser
and CANBUS system on the 200, which
needed extensive ECU tuning to get
Mickey Mouse. Then a custom loom
had to be made in order to get all of
the dash and factory features working
harmoniously. But that’s the price you pay
when you’re pushing the envelope.
After all of the countless hours, custom
parts and freshly made-up swear words,
the final package is nothing short of
amazing. With a Just Autos tune (with
multiple maps able to be dialled in)
the VDJ280 is now punching out an
impressive 340hp at 3100rpm and 875Nm
on the dyno rollers. To top it all off, a
VDJ79 Scoop was grafted into the 80’s
bonnet, which is really the only giveaway
(other than the cranky burble from the
custom three-inch exhaust) that this thing
is an absolute ball-tearer. It all looks
factory too; such is the quality of Off
Track’s work.
Behind the ARB Deluxe
bar are cool-looking and
super-bright JTX LED
headlights.
The 1VD-FTV 4.5L quadcam twin-turbo V8 diesel
now pumps out 340hp
and 875Nm.
4x4Australia.com.au
39
CUSTOM TOYOTA 80 SERIES LANDCRUISER
IT’S WHAT’S INSIDE
THAT COUNTS
JASON’S 80 had copped a Sahara interior
upgrade by the previous owner, which is
the fancy-pants Cruiser model. As such,
he didn’t really need to do much to the
cockpit to make it a nice place to spend a
few hundred kays. The Sahara seats look
after the lower back, the Sony head unit
with Pioneer sub and speakers take care
of the ears and the 340hp under the right
boot takes care of the mental health.
The cargo area was massively churched
up with the addition of an Off Track
Concepts aluminium twin-drawer system.
40
4x4Australia.com.au
The 3D scanned, designed and CNC cut
and folded set-up features a pull-out table
with cutlery storage, pull-out pantry,
inbuilt cargo barrier, and a parcel shelf,
and it’s powder coated in gloss white
with black accents. It even has space to
incorporate the Boab water tank and
the 200Ah of lithium battery goodness
tucked down the side. The 12V trickery
is overseen by a Renogy 50amp DC-DC
charger and Victron battery monitor,
while a 2000W Renogy inverter supplies
240V should Jason feel like plugging in
a microwave or charging up any stranded
Teslas.
Sahara seats look
after the lower back,
and Sony head unit
with Pioneer sub
and speakers take
care of the tunes.
The cargo area
includes an Off Track
Concepts aluminium
drawer system with
fridge space.
JASON’S 80 HAD COPPED A SAHARA
INTERIOR UPGRADE BY THE PREVIOUS
OWNER, WHICH IS THE FANCY-PANTS
CRUISER MODEL. AS SUCH, HE DIDN’T
REALLY NEED TO DO MUCH TO THE
COCKPIT TO MAKE IT A NICE PLACE
4x4Australia.com.au
41
CUSTOM TOYOTA 80 SERIES LANDCRUISER
THE BOLT-ONS
AN ARB Deluxe bar leads the way, with
after-dark illumination by a pair of Stedi
LED driving lights. Speaking of lights, the
stock kerosene lamps were ditched and
replaced with some JTX headlights, which
score all of the cool points and put out a
butt-load more light while they’re at it.
There’s also a Carbon 15,000lb low-mount
winch should Jason find himself doorhandle deep in the High Country mud,
something that doesn’t happen too often
thanks to the Air Lockers slotted in the
diffs at either end.
The suspension, given the rest of the
vehicle’s modification level, is surprisingly
stock. Jason bolted in a set of 50mm coils
and Pedders shockies, which was enough
to clear the 315/75R17 Maxxis Razrs
wrapped around the trick 17x9 Dirty Life
Roadkill beadlocked alloys. Larger brakes
from a late-model 80 were also bolted up
in order to bring the whole show to a halt
in a timely manner.
Jason also made his own rear bar from
an SDF Bars DIY kit … because it wouldn’t
be right for a welder’s vehicle not to have
some sort of custom bar work.
A fresh paint job had the VDJ
Cruiser looking shmick for
our photos shoot.
42
4x4Australia.com.au
CUSTOM TOYOTA 80 SERIES LANDCRUISER
WHAT’S UP NEXT?
IT’S been a long and extensive process
to get the big 80 to where it is, so Jason
wants to get out and enjoy the fruits of
his labours, with a couple of trips up
north in the works as well as his usual
forays into the Victorian bush.
Jason wanted to thank the guys from
Off Track Concepts, Race Radiators,
Wholesale Automatics. Laurie Alan from
PPG Australia, Just Autos, and Rheece
Whitehead from Diffco in Frankston for
their help along the way. And we’d like
to thank Jason for setting the bar, if not
for 80 builds, then at least for engine
conversions for the next little while.
Onya mate!
The 315/75R17 Maxxis Razrs are
wrapped around trick 17x9 Dirty Life
Roadkill beadlocked alloys.
44
4x4Australia.com.au
INTELLI-CHARGE DC TO DC DUAL BATTERY CHARGER
MAX CHARGE
TO 75˚C
ULTRA EFFICIENT
MPPT SOLAR
IP68 &
IP69K
5
YEAR
WARRANTY
The most connected DC-DC charger ever made is
just the start of Projecta’s new Intelli-IQ ecosystem.
Once connected to Projecta’s new Intelli-IQ Smart Display, or IQD2,* with a single wire,
the IDC25X’s true benefits are unlocked.
Utilising LINbus technology, the Intelli-IQ ecosystem allows you to set up, monitor and control
the IDC25X from the Smart Display or remotely via your smartphone. You can create your own
custom charging profile and install firmware or software updates without uninstalling the unit.
This allows for future upgrades in functionality, increased MPPT efficiency, and adding new
charging profiles for future battery technologies.
The Intelli-IQ ecosystem also adds the capability to combine up to five IDC25X units for greater
power and connects the unit to accessories for greater control of your entire power ecosystem.
projecta.com.au/idc25x
ASK AN AUSSIE POWER EXPERT.
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*Intelli-IQ ecosystem features can only be activated via an Intelli-IQ Smart Display Screen (Part No. IQD2), sold separately.
DRIVE
2024 FORD
F-150 XLT LWB
46
4x4Australia.com.au
AUD
ATT R
DS M
R
O
W
ONIK
IS PH
ELLE
OTOS
WAR
N DE
RD NEW
O
F
N
CA RALIA’S
AUST BE AN D OFFF-150 MPLISHE 4X4?
ACCO TOURING
ROAD
F
ORD Australia’s relaunch of
the iconic F-150 pickup in this
country has come with a few
hiccups, with several recalls
so far in 2024 including a ‘stop
ship and sell’ notice, and alerting owners
to stop driving them immediately,
interrupting sales and owners’ usage.
Some of the recalls have related
directly to the left- to right-hand drive
re-engineering that was done locally by
Ford’s chosen partner RMA Automotive.
The most recent recall was for side
indicator lights on LWB F-150s that were
not ADR compliant.
Notwithstanding the hiccups, we were
keen to get back behind the wheel of the
F-Truck following our initial launch drive
last year. More specifically, we were keen
to test its off-road capabilities as there
was no off-road component to the initial
launch drive.
4x4Australia.com.au
47
DRIVE 2024 FORD F-150 XLT LWB
While the Ford F-150 and its full-size
‘half-ton’ competitors, the Ram 1500
and Silverado 1500, are not great offroad vehicles due to their size and
weight, many buyers will still purchase
them and modify them to improve that
situation, delving in to the extensive
range of aftermarket equipment
available for them.
The SWB F-150 XLT is the lowest
priced full-size American pickup
offered by the manufacturers in
Australia at $106,950 plus ORC. For
this drive we had the slightly more
expensive entry-level LWB F-150 XLT,
which starts at $107,945 plus ORC.
Long-wheelbase Effies are 304mm
longer between the axles and offer
a larger cargo bed than their shortwheelbase counterparts.
There's an engine
underneath all that plastic
and it's a cracking twin turbo
V6 mill.
48
4x4Australia.com.au
All F-150s sold by Ford Australia are
powered by a 3.5-litre petrol-fuelled twinturbo V6 engine backed by a 10-speed
automatic transmission. There is no V8 or
diesel engine offered by Ford AU, nor any
hybrid nor EV option … yet!
The local Effies are 4x4, with the XLT
making do with a conventional part-time
dual-range four-wheel drive system, while
the Lariat is equipped with a transfer
case that adds a 4x4-auto setting to
allow all-wheel drive on sealed and hardpacked road surfaces, just like the system
found in the higher specification Ford
Ranger models. The added traction of
the on-demand/full-time 4x4 on the Lariat
model is especially beneficial for anyone
towing a heavy trailer, a task many will be
calling on their F-150s to do.
Towing is what these full-size American
trucks do well and the F-150 will haul up
to 4500kg when equipped with a 70mm
tow ball or 3500kg on a standard 50mm
tow ball. The GCM for the Effie is 7765kg,
so even if you were to load the trailer to
the maximum rated 4500kg you would
still have a usable 700kg+ payload for
passengers and cargo. Try doing that in a
Ranger or any other midsize 4x4 ute.
We didn’t tow anything on this drive but
have done previously, and the F-150 made
light work of a 3000kg trailer.
All Australian delivered F-150s come
equipped with the Tow Pro pack which
includes a reinforced chassis, Australianspec tow bar and a trailer-reversing system
that allows the driver to guide the load
backwards using a dial on the dash while
viewing the screen for guidance, instead of
using the steering wheel.
PULLING POWER
THE 298kW and 678Nm petrol engine
is powerful and smooth delivering
heaps of get-up and go when unladen,
and plenty of grunt for towing and
carrying loads. It’s reasonably frugal as
well considering the truck’s 2450kg heft,
returning 12.1L/100km over our week of
driving with a day off road.
The 10-speed automatic transmission
does its thing without bringing
attention to itself. The XLT has a
column gearshifter with manual control
buttons on the end of the stalk that are
less than ideal, but otherwise the set-up
is well-suited to day-to-day use as it’s
right there next to your hand on the
steering wheel. The F-150 Lariat model
gets a console mounted T-bar shifter in
its more up-spec interior.
ALL F-150S SOLD BY FORD
AUSTRALIA ARE POWERED BY A
3.5-LITRE PETROL-FUELLED TWINTURBO V6 ENGINE
The entry-level LWB F-150
XLT will set you back from
$107,945 plus ORC.
4x4Australia.com.au
49
DRIVE 2024 FORD F-150 XLT LWB
WHAT’S INSIDE?
SPEAKING of the interior, the XLT
misses out on a few features that the
Lariat gets as standard, and some of
these might be deal-breakers for some
buyers. Notably, the 8-inch infotainment
screen in the XLT is far less legible and
usable than the 12-inch one in the Lariat.
Both models have Apple CarPlay and
Android Auto phone mirroring as part
of their kit, as well as inbuilt satnav
as part of Sync4, but the XLT lacks
the 360° camera and wireless phone
charger of the top model. Also missing
from the XLT is the Lariat’s adaptive
cruise control with stop-and-go and
lane centering evasive steering assist,
speed-sign recognition, and front parking
sensors.
The XLT gets cloth seats and a
standard but acceptable audio system,
while the Lariat gets acres of leather
and a kick-arse B&O sound system with
active noise cancelling and synthetised
engine sound, the latter providing the V6
with a fake V8-like bellow under load.
The big cabin provides plenty of room
for passengers, especially across the back
seat that will comfortably accommodate
three adults. As someone who drives a
lot of Ford Ranger and Everest models, I
certainly appreciated the extra space in
the F-150’s driver’s compartment.
Safety kit includes AEB, pre-collision
assist, ABS, ETC, six airbags, ESC, BLIS
with cross-traffic alert and trailer tow
coverage, rear-view camera and parking
sensors, lane-keeping aid and driver alert
system that doesn't nag you.
The XLT comes with halogen
headlights that are adequate but can’t
hold a candle (pardon the pun) to the
LED lights that the Lariat is equipped
with.
I CERTAINLY APPRECIATED THE
EXTRA SPACE IN THE F-150’S
DRIVER’S COMPARTMENT
It's a big cabin providing plenty of room for
passengers, especially in the back seat that will
comfortably accommodate three adults.
50
4x4Australia.com.au
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DRIVE 2024 FORD F-150 XLT LWB
DIRTY STUFF
WE said from the outset that these trucks
are not great in off-road conditions, but
we still wanted to test its capabilities
for ourselves, so we pointed the F-150 at
some familiar dirt tracks and climbs.
Although the XLT misses out on the
Auto 4x4 setting of the Lariat, it is easy
enough to switch between 2WD and 4x4
high range while on the move once you’ve
left the sealed roads. Straight away this
reduces the wheelspin and axle tramp
from the rear end, making the vehicle far
more balanced on loose surfaces.
The 6.2m length of the LWB Effie
makes it a challenge to manoeuvre
in tight spaces and it requires more
multi-point turns than you’d be used
to in smaller utes. The LWB model also
rides 14mm lower than the SWB model,
meaning that not only is ground clearance
affected but also the approach, departure
and breakover angles, the latter more so
because of the greater distance between
the front and rear axles. This means
the side-steps and undercarriage are
particularly vulnerable to scrapes and
damage, so you need to be extra careful
in uneven terrain. A set of side-rails in
52
4x4Australia.com.au
lieu of the factory steps would be a great
start to your off-road modifications.
The view over the big bonnet (or hood
if we’re talkin’ trucks) can be challenging
when negotiating and cresting hills and
humps. This is where the Lariat’s 360°
camera comes in handy, but you have to
plan ahead for yourself in the XLT.
Steep climbs pose no problem for the
F-150’s powertrain, however, the tractioncontrol system feels and sounds like it’s
a few generations old and as such it can
be a bit slow to react and limit wheelspin.
There’s a standard differential lock fitted
in the rear axle which helps, while a
front locker is available from the usual
aftermarket suppliers.
If you are planning to do a bit off-road
driving in your F-Truck you will want to
become good mates with your off-road
store and start talking about suspension
and tyre upgrades. The standard
suspension does what it’s meant to do
and dynamically it is surprisingly good,
but increased ground clearance will be
high on your agenda prior to any off-road
adventures.
If it was up to us, we'd dtich the factory sidesteps for more rugged side-rails.
DRIVE 2024 FORD F-150 XLT LWB
FORD F-150 XLT LWB
PRICE $107,945 +ORC
ENGINE Turbocharged petrol V6
CAPACITY 3496cc
MAX POWER 298kW at 6000 rpm
MAX TORQUE 678Nm at 3100 rpm
TRANSMISSION 10-speed automatic
4X4 SYSTEM Part-time, dual-range 4x4
CONSTRUCTION Aluminium 4-door ute cabin and tub on a steel ladder-frame chassis
FRONT SUSPENSION IFS w/ coil springs
REAR SUSPENSION Live axle on leaf springs
TYRES 275/60R20
WEIGHT 2451kg kerb
GVM 3220kg
GCM 7720kg
TOWING CAPACITY 4500kg
PAYLOAD 794kg
SEATS 5
FUEL TANK 136L
ADR FUEL CONSUMPTION 12.5L/100km combined
ON TEST FUEL CONSUMPTION 12.1L/100km
FORD F-150
XLT LWB
A DEPARTURE ANGLE
B RAMPOVER ANGLE
C APPROACH ANGLE
D WADING DEPTH
E GROUND CLEARANCE
54
4x4Australia.com.au
26.3˚
19˚
24˚
N/A
225mm
D
C
A
B
E
PRACTICALITIES
WITH acres of interior space, a huge
cargo tray and massive towing potential,
the F-150 is a practical truck for anyone
wanting to travel the country … and who
doesn’t have to negotiate supermarket
car parks. Where it falls short, as do most
of these 1500 trucks, is in its payload and
GVM.
Put the maximum trailer on the back
with around 400kg on the tow ball and
you’ll already be eating into most of the
available 794kg payload. This is where
your new best mate at the off-road
accessories shop comes in with upgraded
suspension giving a GVM increase, in
addition to extra ground clearance. He or
she will also have a catalogue full of other
useful accessories that they will be only
too happy to sell you for your truck.
While 20-inch wheels might be large
A step in the right direction is this nifty access
system for accessing the tub.
Cargo bed is massive and includes tie-down
points, with the Lariot getting a 12V outlet.
on smaller utes, they are standard fare on
these US trucks, and there are plenty of
off-road tyre options to suit them.
The cargo tray is massive and includes
tie-down points and a 12-volt power outlet
in the Lariat grade, but not offered in the
XLT. The clever step that slides out of the
tailgate is standard fare in both models,
however, and you’ll be surprised at how
easy it makes accessing the tray.
Want more functionality from
your F-truck? Several service-body
manufacturers are now offering
configurable rear storage/accommodation
options for these trucks, transforming
them into formidable full-size touring
vehicles.
Like everything these days, the options
for building your perfect F-150 are
only limited by your budget and
imagination.
LIKE EVERYTHING THESE DAYS,
THE OPTIONS FOR BUILDING YOUR
PERFECT F-150 ARE ONLY LIMITED
BY YOUR BUDGET AND IMAGINATION
4x4Australia.com.au
55
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GEAR
FITTED – MSA TOWING MIRRORS
LOOKING BACK
A PAIR OF MSA 4X4 TOWING MIRRORS ENSURE WE ALWAYS KNOW
WHAT’S GOING ON BEHIND US WHEN WE HAVE A TRAILER HITCHED
TO OUR MITSUBISHI TRITON
WORDS AND PHOTOS JAMIE GRAY
A
FTER gearing up our tradie Triton with a Pedders
GVM and brake upgrade to ensure it was raring
to go for towing, it was time to fit a set of MSA
4X4 towing mirrors so we could see exactly what
was going on behind us.
It’s easy to overlook the significance of gear like
decent towing mirrors when you’ve been focused on
the bigger-ticket items like suspension and tray. The
legalities here in Australia state that the driver must
be able to see 20m past the widest point of the towed
vehicle which, with standard factory mirrors, is not
possible when towing wide trailers.
MSA 4X4’s award-winning towing mirrors provide
an excellent rear view when you need it but don’t stick
out like most other towing mirrors when you don’t. This
is because the mirrors simply extend on a heavy-duty
extension slide, which allows them to be quickly and
easily pulled out when towing or slid back in once you
have unhitched the trailer.
To test the mirrors, we hooked up an excavator
to the back of the Triton, then for something really
wide we hitched up a catamaran, and the mirrors
provided excellent visibility in both the vertical and
58
4x4Australia.com.au
horizontal positions.
The mirrors offer four easily adjustable positions
that can be set to suit the type of towing you’re doing,
because they can be rotated as well as extended. In other
words, they can be retracted or extended, and set with a
vertical aspect or a horizontal one. On the driver’s side,
the mirror can be extended and rotated without even
getting out of the seat, which proved particularly handy
at the boat ramp, and when backing the excavator into
the shed.
Regardless of the extension or rotation, the mirrors
retain nearly all of their factory electric adjustment
capability, thanks to a mirror actuator that automatically
adapts to the selected position.
The large single-lens mirrors provide a fantastic,
undistorted view, and a dual-action folding mechanism
minimises the chance of damage if the mirrors are
bumped in a car park or when driving off road.
It’s easy to think of traditional towing mirrors as being
great for towing but a bit of a pain for everyday use,
particularly when parking in tight spaces, but the
adjustability of the MSA 4X4 towing mirrors overcomes
any such drawbacks.
DESIGN
The MSA
mirrors are
another worthy
edition to our
Triton Tradie Ute
Project.
EXTENDED
The extendable
MSA mirror
does away with
the need for
separate towing
mirrors.
FOUR VIEWS
RATED
The mirrors
offer four
adjustable
viewing
positions.
AVAILABLE FROM: msa4x4.com.au
RRP: $889
WE SAY: Great looking towing mirrors that don’t
look like elephant ears when you don’t need them
and offer a fabulous rear view when you do.
4x4Australia.com.au
59
GEAR
FITTED – CEL-FI GO MOBILE BOOSTER
RATED
RRP
$1429.69-$1520.23
AVAILABLE FROM:
powertec.com.au
WE SAY:
An out of sight and unobtrusive mobile
phone booster that provides improved
reception where signals are weak.
NOW HEAR THIS
THE CEL-FI GO MOBILE BOOSTER WILL KEEP EMAILS, MESSAGES AND CALLS
COMING THROUGH TO YOUR DEVICES WHEN EVERYBODY ELSE IS HEARING
CRICKETS
WORDS JAMIE GRAY
W
HEN on the hunt for improved mobile reception in
our Triton, Powertech guided us to the all-new Cel-Fi
GO, a 5G roaming vehicle cellular mobile signal
booster/repeater amplifier. The Cel-Fi GO Roam R41 is
compatible with both Telstra and Optus allowing users to
switch between networks, so future-proofing the device should an
owner decide to switch providers at any stage.
The Cel-Fi GO Roam R41 is claimed to be the first Australianapproved multi-carrier 5G-ready cellular signal booster device. To
be clear, the Cel-Fi booster won’t give you a signal where there isn’t
one, but it will provide improved connectivity on your cross-country
trips when limited coverage might otherwise cause issues.
The Cel-Fi GO Roam R41 selects either 3G, 4G or 5G depending
on the best signal available in the area for voice and data
applications. This improves reception for those working in regional
or rural areas where there is patchy coverage.
The Cel-Fi GO Roam R41 comprises a central unit that can be
concealed anywhere in your vehicle, such as under the seat, behind
the glovebox or under the dash, and two antennas, both of which
60
4x4Australia.com.au
need to be connected to a 12V power supply.
On the 4X4 Australia Triton we fitted the external antenna
on the passenger side of the vehicle, between the base of the
windscreen and the rear edge of the bonnet. This antenna picks up
any available phone signal. The second antenna mounts inside the
vehicle and in the case of the Triton, it fit neatly behind the gear
lever on the centre console. This internal antenna retransmits the
boosted cellular signal within and around the vehicle. Once fitted,
the whole set-up is unobtrusive as it is mostly hidden from view.
Although we are yet to fully test the Cel-Fi GO Roam R41, I have
driven through a few areas around town where the mobile coverage
is usually a bit patchy, and the phone signal remained strong
throughout.
This system is ideally suited to anyone who works out of their
vehicles and who rely on a strong mobile phone signal to conduct
their business, as well as those who regularly travel outside of
major centres on a recreational basis. Even where there is poor
mobile phone reception, the Cel-Fi GO Roam R41 allows for the
free-flow of messages, emails and calls so you can stay in touch.
3G 4G
performance to overcome poor cellular coverage.
This innovative device ensures uninterrupted
communication wherever your journey takes you.
GEAR
TESTED – FORD RANGER GVM UPGRADE
WEIGHTLIFTING
WORDS MATT RAUDONIKIS
INCREASING THE GVM OF YOUR 4X4 SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN LIGHTLY,
BUT BY THE SAME TOKEN SHOULD NOT BE AVOIDED IF YOU NEED IT. WE
GO THROUGH THE PROCESS ON OUR FORD RANGER TO EXPLAIN HOW TO
GET IT RIGHT
G
VM (Gross Vehicle Mass) upgrades seem to be a
subject of constant conversation whenever you’re
hanging out with anyone building up a new 4x4 to
carry lots of gear and tow large trailers. But what
is GVM and why does it matter? And do you really
need to upgrade the GVM on your vehicle?
After recently jumping through the hoops of a GVM
upgrade on our FordRanger we thought it time to look at
the topic again, and ghopefully make your choices easier.
Gross Vehicle Mass is the maximum weight your
vehicle can legally be when driving on the road, including
fuel, accessories, passengers, cargo and any weight on
the towbar. The GVM is not a figure that the authorities
pluck out of the sky to ping you on, but is set by the
vehicle manufacturers as to what they have designed and
62
4x4Australia.com.au
engineered the vehicle to safely and competently carry
on and off road.
The figure relates to many things including the weight
of the components, the driveline’s capability, the rating of
the axles, the tyres fitted to the vehicle, which have their
own load rating, and what the vehicle is designed to do.
Load your vehicle in excess of the stated GVM and you
are taking it beyond its safe rating, and should anything
go astray when driving over weight, you could be liable
for any damages, injuries or even deaths that might occur
as a result of your actions.
It’s up to the driver to know the GVM of the vehicle
they are in control of and the weight it is carrying at any
time. Pleading ignorance on the side of the road after
an accident won’t hold sway with authorities, or your
KIT
In the Tough
Dog kit are 500kg
rated leaf springs and
front struts with new
springs and foam
cell shocks all
around.
insurance company, and you could be in for a world of
pain as a result.
Before we go on we’ll mention Gross Combined Mass
(GCM). This is the maximum weight your vehicle and
trailer can be including all cargo, passengers, fuel,
accessories and everything else. Again this weight is set
by the vehicle manufacturer and must be strictly adhered
to for all the same reasons as with GVM.
Let’s look at our 2022 Ford Ranger V6 Sport as an
example here. Ford lists the kerb weight of the Ranger
at 2264kg and gives it a GVM of 3280kg, so theoretically
you can put 1016kg of people, luggage, cargo, and ball
weight on and in it. But that doesn’t always correspond
with the rated payload, which in the case of the Ranger
is listed at just 934kg. Confusing? Yes, but this is the grey
world we live in.
PRO job
The team at Opposite
Lock is a Tough Dog
approved fitter and took
on the job of replacing
our suspension.
HEIGHT
RIGHT?
Checking ride height
following the upgrade
is fitted.
4x4Australia.com.au
63
TESTED – FORD RANGER GVM UPGRADE
LASTLY
When we built
the Ranger
we left the
suspension
selection and
installation as
late as possible
so that we knew
what we were
dealing with.
BUILDING IT BIG
FOUR-WHEEL drive accessories are big business, and
we all love to equip our rides to tackle more difficult
tracks and rugged terrain, protect them against animal
strikes and tree branches, and to extract ourselves from
tricky situations. We also like to take everything away
with us when we travel, including the kitchen sink, and
also load the family in the vehicle, and all this stuff
quickly adds up and eats into your payload and GVM.
A bullbar with winch and steel underbody protection
adds a heap of weight to the front of the vehicle and
much of it is hanging out in front of the axle where it’s
really felt when driving. Throw in some scrub bars and a
few spotlights and an extra battery in the engine bay, and
NEW LEAFS
Fitting the new
500kg rated rear
leaf springs.
64
4x4Australia.com.au
you could be looking at a couple of hundred kilograms on
the front axle.
The same out back; replacing the ute tray with a
canopy like we did on the Ranger not only adds weight
but moves the mass rearwards so it’s further behind the
rear axle. Mount a spare tyre or two up high on the back
of the canopy and it’s in the worst place you could want it,
hanging off the back of your chassis.
Where you put your fridge, drawers, water tanks
and everything else inside the canopy also needs to be
considered, and ideally mounted forward of the rear axle.
Even your oversized mud-terrain tyres add to the
vehicle’s overall weight, even though they are carrying
the vehicle and not being carried by it.
canopy
carrier
New rear leaf springs
and shocks in place.
WEIGHING IT UP
WHEN we built the Ranger we left the suspension
selection and installation until as late as possible so that
we knew what we were dealing with, and could choose
the ideal suspension kit accordingly. The replacement
springs and shocks supplied by Tough Dog were chosen to
carry the weight comfortably, and were the components
used in the brand’s GVM upgrade kit for Rangers.
The Tough Dog kit includes 500kg rated rear leaf
springs and complete replacement front struts with new
springs and foam cell shocks on all corners. A centre
bearing kit is part of the package to accommodate
the raised ride height, and we chose to add Tough
Dog’s replacement upper control arms to keep all the
alignment angles in check.
Once equipped with its new suspension the vehicle
was wheel aligned, and it rode better than ever over all
the terrain we could throw it at. We were happy as Larry!
But when we put the Ranger on the scales it came in at
3152kg, which didn’t leave a lot left of our 3280kg GVM.
More worrying was 1436kg across the front axle, which is
only rated to 1450kg, and 1716kg across the 1959kg rated
rear axle. If we loaded up the Ranger with any gear we
would soon be exceeding the legal limit.
No worries, we thought; the upgrade kit takes the
GVM up to 3750kg so we’ll just get it certified and be
right as rain … or so we thought.
STRUTS
Front struts
now with new
springs, foam
cell shocks,
and Tough Dog
upper control
arms.
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65
TESTED – FORD RANGER GVM UPGRADE
PRE- OR POST-REGO UPGRADES?
WHEN people talk about GVM upgrades you might hear
them refer to both pre- and post-registration approvals.
As the names suggest, the main difference here is one
is performed before (pre) the vehicle is first registered,
while the other is done at any time post registration.
Pre-rego upgrades are the way to go if you have your
kit in order as this is a nationally approved, and done as
part of the SSM (Second Stage Manufacturer) scheme.
Post-rego GVM upgrades are done at a state level, and
need to be approved by a local state-approved engineer
or company. The approval still goes on a national register
against the vehicle’s VIN but the certification may need
to be updated if you move or sell the vehicle interstate.
We bought our Ranger as an ex-demo model and it was
already registered with 6000km on the clock, so a prerego GVM upgrade was obviously not possible. But this
gave us the benefit of building up the Ranger first and
knowing exactly what weights we’d be working with.
Whether pre- or post-registration, your approval goes
through the relevant state and national bodies and, as
with any big show, things are never as simple as they
should be. Our Ranger was fitted with all the correct
components for the Tough Dog GVM upgrade but as
they were ordered individually and not as the approved
GVM kit (which carries its own specific part number) we
couldn’t get approval on it.
This meant we had to get the Tough Dog GVM-upgrade
kit with its specific kit part number and show that that
was what was fitted. It also had to be fitted by someone
approved to fit the GVM-upgrade kit; unless you are an
approved GVM-upgrade kit fitter you can’t do it yourself.
Luckily for us the team at Opposite Lock in Epping
is a Tough Dog approved fitter and took on the job of
replacing our suspension. The front struts, rear shocks
and leaf springs all carried the exact same part numbers
as those that were removed, but they were now from the
GVM-upgrade kit.
What we didn’t have, which is included in the kit,
were the blue approval sticker, the replacement tyre
placard, and the new vehicle weights sticker, which
were all affixed to the driver’s door
jamb. The kit also includes the front
side indicators that are needed for
vehicles with a GVM of 3500kg
or more, and these come with the
wiring patch and a template to suit
the vehicle that makes it easy for
the guys to drill the holes and fit
them in the right place on the front
guards. All in a day’s work for the
proficient team at Opposite Lock.
Once the GVM upgrade hardware
has been fitted, it needs to be
inspected and approved by an
approved engineer, who in our
case was Linda Hitch of Hitch
Engineering Services.
Linda first checked the vehicle’s VIN and chassis
numbers, to make sure they match what is in the system,
then she sighted all the part numbers of the suspension
components to make sure they matched those that
are approved in the upgrade kit. She also checked the
ride height of the vehicle at each wheel to ensure it is
within the allowed specification, sighted that the new
placards and indicators were in the correct places, and
checked the tyres for clearance on the body, ensuring
that they don’t rub on anything at full steering lock and
suspension travel.
Driving tests are not required at this point as the
kits are tested and approved beforehand by the
manufacturer, in this case Tough Dog Suspension.
This federal pre-approval and certification means that
individual vehicles needn’t be put through test drives
provided that all the exact components of the kit are
utilised; you cannot mix and match parts in a GVMupgrade kit.
Once Linda had all her information logged into the
system, it was just up to us to take the paperwork and
vehicle to VicRoads, where an inspector again gave it a
once over before the updated weights were entered into
the system.
EASY FIT
Front side indicators
came with a template
to make fitting easier.
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STAMPED
The allimportant GVM
upgrade docs
for VicRoads.
REQUIRED
Front side
indicators are
needed for
vehicles with a
GVM of 3500kg
or more.
Piranha's new driving lights are built tough with
die-cast aluminium housings, OSRAM chips,
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SCAN TO VIEW
MORE PRODUCTS
TESTED – FORD RANGER GVM UPGRADE
DO YOU NEED A GVM UPGRADE?
SPENDING the day with Dave Hadley and the team at
Opposite Lock and later with Linda, it gave us a chance
to ask what sort of people were asking for and fitting
GVM kits.
Dave was quick to tell us that GVM upgrades were
some of the most common products he gets asked about,
but first he questions customers why they think they
need one, and what are their plans for the vehicle.
“People come in and say they have bought a new 4x4
and that they need a (pre-registration) GVM upgrade,”
said Dave. “I ask them what they are going to be fitting
to the car, what are they towing and what sort of use will
the car get.”
Installing a GVM upgrade
with its heavier rated
INSPECTION
Engineer Linda Hitch
of Hitch Engineering
Services insepcts the
new upgrade.
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suspension to a vehicle that is not carrying a load will
ruin the factory ride quality and dynamics. In the case
of our Ranger’s Tough Dog kit the rear springs are rated
for a constant 500kg load and as such are very firm and
stiff, but they are perfect for the weight of our canopy
and everything that is permanently carried inside it. The
Tough Dog kit even comes with a recommendation to
have a “permanent payload of no less than 300kg to assist
in safe and stable driveability”.
“Some people fit a GVM upgrade because they read
online that they need it, and then they complain that the
car rides like an old cart,” said Dave.
It pays to speak to the right people before you get your
new 4x4, go through your plans for it and what you want
to fit and carry in it, and get a true indication of what
your vehicle needs.
Linda does a lot of work with Caravan Industry
Victoria, so she deals with van manufacturers and the
people who tow vans. She pointed out that someone
towing a heavy van might want to look at a GVM
upgrade.
“If you have a big van and are putting 300kg
download on your towball, that (weight) comes
straight off your GVM,” said Linda. For many new
4x4 wagons, 300kg is a large percentage of the
payload.
TOUR READY
Now with our
Tough Dog GVM
upgrade, our
Ranger is ready
to tour our vast
continent.
BEFORE YOU BOOK YOUR NEW 4X4 IN FOR A PRE- OR POSTREGISTRATION GVM UPGRADE IS TO KNOW WHAT’S INVOLVED IN
THE UPGRADE, AND WHAT TO EXPECT OF THE MODIFIED VEHICLE
TAKE AWAY
THE thing we took away from this experience, and we
hope we’ve passed on to you here, is that before you
book your new 4x4 in for a pre- or post-registration GVM
upgrade is to know what’s involved in the upgrade, and
what to expect of the modified vehicle.
Do your research and find out the weights of the
accessories you plan to fit to the vehicle, how many
passengers you will be carrying and how much cargo you
will load up with. This will give you a rough guide as to the
overall weight of your built 4x4, and how close you might
be to its GVM.
If you are not close to GVM or won’t be carrying the
weight all the time, you might want to reconsider the
upgrade to find an alternative that better suits your needs,
rather than impacting negatively on the ride and handling
of your vehicle.
TOUGH DOG LOAD CAPACITY
GROSS VEHICLE MASS (GVM)
3750KG
GROSS COMBINATION MASS (GCM)
6400KG
FRONT AXLE CAPACITY (FAC)
1650KG
REAR AXLE CAPACITY (RAC)
2100KG
4x4Australia.com.au
69
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WITH A STEEL
FRAME MADE FROM
EXPLORE
K’GARI, QLD
ISLAND
PARADISE
NEAR THE TOP OF THE BUCKET LIST FOR EVERY
AUSSIE FOUR-WHEEL DRIVER, K’GARI IS PACKED
WITH STUNNING HIGHLIGHTS AND BOASTS SOME
OF THE BEST BEACH DRIVING IN THE COUNTRY
WORDS DAN GREC PHOTOS KATIE HARRIS AND DG
F
OR decades many have referred
to Fraser Island as paradise,
which coincidentally is the
meaning of the island’s original
Aboriginal name K’gari, which it has
recently readopted.
K’gari is the world’s largest sand
island, and is made of 113 cubic
kilometres of the stuff. Much more than
just sand, however, K’gari also boasts
rainforests, wildlife, 1000-year-old trees
and more than 865 species of plants.
This incredible island paradise was
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UNESCO World Heritage Listed in 1992,
and virtually the entire island can be
explored with a well-equipped fourwheel drive vehicle.
Always on the lookout to include
family, Katie and I meet up with my
Uncle Ron, and together we load up on
all the supplies we can carry in nearby
Hervey Bay. We have 10 days on K’gari
ahead of us, including a criss-crossing
route from south to north with the aim
of visiting all the highlights and out-ofthe-way corners the island has to offer.
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73
EXPLORE K’GARI, QLD
FERRY TO
PARADISE
Dan and Ron
on the ferry to
‘paradise’.
K’GARI sits barely a kilometre off the
mainland, and multiple barges and
ferries regularly make the crossing,
transporting an armada of 4x4s and
their grinning drivers. Many of the
decked-out vehicles could easily be on
the cover of a magazine, and they’re
all packed to the brim, ready for
adventure.
The excitement is palpable as we
join the line-up of vehicles before
reversing on to the ferry. Loading the
ferry in reverse means we’re lined up
to drive straight out on arrival, which
makes life much easier. The crossing
takes barely 20 minutes, and we are
quickly off the ferry and on the island.
Driving on an island entirely made
of sand means we need to air down to
16psi all around. At these pressures
the contact patch is increased
enormously and will provide plenty
of grip in the soft sand. It’s reassuring
to know we can still go a lot lower
if the need arises, but for now we’ll
walk the line between traction, fuel
consumption and speed.
While crossing the island I’m
impressed to see enormous eucalyptus
trees forming a dense jungle that
allows very little light to penetrate to
the forest floor. Tracks are rutted sand
criss-crossed with tree roots, washouts
and rubber matting designed to
prevent further erosion.
We arrive on the far eastern side of
the island during a rising tide, almost
the worst possible time to start our
first beach drive. We must drive a
few kilometres south to our first of
many beach campsites, and we’re all
on edge as we race the incoming tide.
Thankfully we make it through with
only one small splash of saltwater,
and we’re elated to see we have our
pick of the sites tucked in behind the
dunes – there’s not another living soul
in sight.
Driving K’gari’s east
coast sand highway
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Sunrise to another stunning day
on K’gari.
PARADISE ON
EARTH
FROM top to bottom, K’gari is dotted
with spectacular places to visit, each
of which are a worthy destination in
their own right. After just our first
night camping behind the dunes I
wonder if 10 days will be enough to see
everything we want to see, and so to
squeeze the most out of every day we
rise before the sun and don’t crawl into
bed until long after sunset.
The aptly named 75 Mile Beach runs
along most of the east coast of the
island, and is designated a main road
complete with speed limits and police
radar. The sand road is so consistently
good it is also used as a runway for
light planes, which makes for some
interesting decision making while
navigating its length. It’s not often I
have to also concentrate on the sky
while driving.
Halfway along the east coast of the
island we stop at the famous wreck of
the passenger ship, the SS Maheno. In
1935 the ship was caught in a strong
cyclone about 80km off the coast of
Queensland while being towed to a
scrapyard. The ship became beached
on the east coast of the island where it
has remained ever since, slowly rusting
away in the corrosive saltwater.
Swimming in the ocean off K’gari
is ill-advised due to the toothy locals
and massive swell, but thankfully
mother nature has provided the perfect
alternative to combat the intense
Australian sun. A series of inland
lakes boast white-sand beaches and
crystal-clear water, and are the ideal
places to spend time during the heat
of the day. Just north of the Maheno
wreck on the east coast, Eli Creek flows
into the ocean and provides not only
a refreshing swimming hole, but also
hours of entertainment for the whole
family. The crystal-clear creek flows
at a rate of 80 million litres per day,
which provides plenty of flowing water
allowing you to drift downstream on
just about any kind of inflatable or pool
noodle.
Cutting across the island to the west
coast we arrive at the breathtaking
Awinya Creek camping area where
paradise is elevated to a whole new
level. With white sand stretching to the
horizon, and sunset painting the sky
and sand every shade of red, orange
and yellow that can be imagined, we’re
more than happy with our plan to camp
here for consecutive nights.
At sunrise Katie and I hike inland
to an enormous sand blow, a unique
natural feature created by strong
winds that endlessly blow sand inland
where it accumulates into huge pristine
sand dunes. In a constant battle with
vegetation these dunes grow and shrink
each year, shifting with the wind. It
takes us almost an hour to walk up just
a small part of the sand blow, and we’re
staggered by the size of the enormous
dunes.
Back on the east coast we continue
north, rounding Indian Head for a visit
to Champagne Pools. This series of
natural rock pools provide a sheltered
swimming area in the otherwise
unforgiving ocean. When the tides are
timed just right, the largest waves crash
over the rocks into the swimming pools
in spectacular fashion, creating plenty
of foam and excitement for those
swimming in relative safety.
Each night we tuck in behind the
dunes to camp, and each and every
night we are alone, with just the sound
of the crashing waves to lull us into a
deep sleep.
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75
EXPLORE K’GARI, QLD
The Jeep in the keyhole.
It’s wave-dodging time at
Ngkala rocks.
NGKALA ROCKS
CAREFULLY studying tide tables, we
arrive bright and early at the infamous
Ngkala Rocks, one of Australia’s most
notorious 4x4 obstacles. Immediately
we are greeted by a scene of carnage.
A group of young guys are standing
around looking sheepish while they wait
for a very expensive tow truck. It takes
a good deal of coaxing to get the story
out of them, which finally comes out in
a flood. Using a huge amount of right
foot through the rocks, one of the drivers
managed to tear a front wheel and hub
off his HiLux, completely blocking the
narrow rock canyon. With no better
option they used the other vehicles to
drag it through the rocks, folding the
wheel underneath and ripping the tyre
off the now severely battered and scarred
rim. The tow truck is en route from the
southern tip of the island, and will cost
upwards of $1000, even before any repair
work can begin.
Ron and I are already thinking of
skipping the rock section, and when we
learn of another stricken vehicle at the
far end of the sand climb our decision
is easy. Wanting to see the entire sandy
climb and descent for myself, I walk the
length of the rough rock section and
then the very long, soft and steep sand
corridor. I’ve seen hundreds of photos
and videos of vehicles hopelessly stuck
to the chassis rails in this very sand, and
I feel a strong sense of déjà vu despite
never having been here before.
On the far side I find another large
group assessing the damage to an older
Nissan Patrol. The clutch has burnt out in
the soft sand, and the team are devising
a plan to use three vehicles to pull the
dead Patrol up and over the sandy climb,
which they do with plenty of engine
revving and wheel-spinning.
When our turn comes we time the
crashing waves and drive on the beach
below the rocks, darting around just
before the next wave crashes in. While we
avoid the rocks, the extremely soft sandy
section is mandatory. Lowering our tyres
to 14psi increases the contact patch, and
I have no trouble moving forward through
the soft sand up and over the climb. Ron,
on the other hand, is not so fortunate, and
I dash back with recovery boards in hand
to help extract his bogged HiLux.
After lowering tyre pressures to 12psi
Ron has no problem moving forward,
and together we drive down the other
side on to the remote northern beaches.
Continuing north the coastline becomes
much more wild and remote, and my
jaw drops as we round Sandy Cape at
the northern tip of the island where
enormous sand dunes drop right into the
ocean, leaving just a small strip of beach
sand for us to squeeze past at low tide.
AT THE INFAMOUS NGKALA
ROCKS, IMMEDIATELY WE ARE
GREETED BY A SCENE OF
CARNAGE
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It’s sundowner time on
K’gari’s western beach.
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77
EXPLORE K’GARI, QLD
FAMILY TIME
AFTER exploring the remote corners
of the Americas and Africa, I chose to
explore Australia so I could include
family in my adventures. There’s
no doubt my Uncle Ron had a huge
influence on me growing up, and I
have fond memories of fishing, hunting
and camping with him as a teenager.
Ron was my only relative with a fourwheel drive, and he always took me
out on adventures when we spent time
together. I’m certain my love of remote
exploration is in no small part thanks to
him, and I’m extremely happy to spend
10 days together on this adventure.
One of the downsides of being a
global traveller is the lack of time I
spend with my family, and so I try my
best to soak in every minute we have
together.
We find a stunning campsite just
above the high-tide line at the northern
tip of the island, and the sense of relief
that washes over Uncle Ron is clear to
see. I pushed to get us above Ngkala
Rocks and he was a bit stressed racing
the waves and driving in the soft sand.
We’re all happy we made it through
with no damage, and so we cook a feast
to celebrate our stunning campsite.
After dinner the skies open and let
loose with a torrential downpour, and
we scramble to set up our awnings to
enjoy the night while staying warm and
dry. We tell stories and reminisce late
into the night, listening to the gentle
swish of small waves while soaking in
the incredible stars as they peek out
from behind the retreating storm clouds.
Dan and Uncle Ron with
their respective offroaders of choice.
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Bird prints in the sand.
VISITORS TO
CAMP
AFTER brewing a pot of coffee
early the next morning, Ron tries
to quietly tell me about unwelcome
guests in camp overnight, hoping
that Katie won’t overhear. Of course
Katie instantly hears our whispers, so
we all sit down to get the story.
While we slept soundly in our new
campsite, Ron explains how he woke
in the night to find the three dingos
standing over his swag, growling
and baring their teeth. Maybe they
heard his snoring as a challenge, or
maybe they just want us off their
turf. Whatever the reason, Ron went
from dead asleep to wide awake
in a single heartbeat, and it took a
lot of convincing to get the dingoes
to move off. Not surprisingly, Ron
says he lay awake for many hours
afterwards.
Dingoes are extremely common
across the island, and sadly the three
hundred or so resident animals have
become quite habituated to humans.
While driving the beaches it is all but
guaranteed you’ll see them prowling
the shoreline searching for any tasty
morsel they come across. In the late
afternoons and evenings they have
learned that humans and campsites
mean food, so they move up into the
dunes where they inevitably come
into close contact with people.
Attacks on adults are exceedingly
rare, though dingoes have attacked
and seriously injured children on
more than a few occasions over the
years. During the daylight hours we
are not scared of the many dingoes
that come towards our camp, and
so far yelling, clapping and shooing
has moved them along. Overnight,
however, they are not so easily
deterred.
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79
EXPLORE K’GARI, QLD
FISH THE BITE
BACK
K’GARI is famous for its superb fishing,
especially along the eastern coastline
directly into the South Pacific. Some
of my earliest memories of fishing are
with Uncle Ron, when we would fourwheel drive along sandy tracks before
continuing on foot into remote beaches
around Southern Australia. Ron is a
master at reading the waves, tides and
beach sand to find the deep channels
and gutters to fish, and more often than
not we trudged off the beach carrying a
fish too big for me to carry.
Eager to relive past fishing trips Ron
brought all his gear and each afternoon
we set up on the sand, throwing our lines
out repeatedly into the crashing waves
as we enjoy catching up on all the years
that have passed. Try as we might, the
days roll by without catching a single
thing – in fact, they roll by without so
much as a single bite.
With pride on the line, it all comes
down to our final night on the island,
and as Ron casts out our final strip of
bait into the dark night we both agree
we have done everything we can. A few
seconds later the line is screaming off
the reel and the fight is on.
Over the next 15 minutes Ron plays
the game of allowing the fish to run
before winding in whenever possible. It’s
a fine balance to avoid breaking the line,
and he works hard at the fight. Under
the glow of our headlights we finally
land a thresher shark that is about one
metre long. Catching the shark on our
last strip of bait seems fitting, and we’re
both happy we can call it quits. Back in
camp we spend an hour carefully cutting
up the delicious flesh before packing
Ron’s freezer to the brim.
The boys hook dinner
on the last bait of
the day.
Rounding Sandy Cape,
the most northerly point
of K’gari.
ALL GOOD
THINGS …
I’VE seen countless photos and
videos of K’gari over the years, and
in retrospect I have no hesitation in
saying not one of them did the island
justice. From my very first minutes
on the island I was constantly blown
away by the breathtaking beaches, the
enormous inland forests, the lakes,
the rivers, the rocks and the wildlife.
Camping directly behind the beach
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dunes night after night is impossible
to beat, and tackling the continuously
shifting sand and changing conditions
kept us on our toes behind the wheel.
With bacon and eggs for breakfast,
tales of world adventures, beach
fishing, hiking and plenty of laughs
and smiles around the campsite, Uncle
Ron was a welcome addition to our
time in Australia, and I’m immensely
happy we were able to spend so much
time on this adventure together.
Naming an island ‘paradise’
might seem a bit over the top but in
this case, I think it’s completely
justified.
I’VE SEEN
COUNTLESS
PHOTOS AND
VIDEOS OF
K’GARI, AND IN
RETROSPECT
I HAVE NO
HESITATION IN
SAYING NOT ONE
OF THEM DID THE
ISLAND JUSTICE
FRASER ISLAND
K’GARI FACTS
ABORIGINAL NAME:
K’gari (pronounced ‘gurri’)
EUROPEAN NAME: Fraser Island
UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE
LISTING: 1992
COASTLINE: 316km
AREA: 1840km²
PERMANENT INHABITANTS: 182
DINGO INHABITANTS: About 300
Our beach camp on the
island’s western shore.
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81
P
EXPLORE
THE PILBARA, WA
WORDS AND PHOTOS KEV SMITH
THE PILBARA IS THE VERY
DEFINITION OF BIG COUNTRY,
AND THERE IS PLENTY TO SEE,
DO AND ENJOY IN THIS ANCIENT
LANDSCAPE IN WA’S RUGGED
NORTHWEST
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83
EXPLORE PILBARA, WA
MAGINE a destination
that covers more than
170,000km² and is made up
of ancient landscapes, an
idyllic coastline, heritagelisted sites, some of the
oldest rock art on earth and,
importantly, contains some
great four-wheel driving
opportunities.
The Pilbara region of
Western Australia dates back 4.3 billion
years and is twice the size of the United
Kingdom. It is regarded as the oldest
place on earth and has deep red rock
formations so ancient that it predates
fossil remains.
It is thought Pilbara is the Aboriginal
name for a mullet that’s found in a
creek off the Yule River. As the area is
so vast, I wasn’t sure how to tackle it,
and really wasn’t expecting to see as
much as I did. I spent a few days in the
southern part of the Pilbara exploring
Four-wheel driving
around Dampier.
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Millstream Chichester NP and across
to the mining area near Pannawonica,
and then back to Onslow to explore the
coast.
Nicknamed ‘Cyclone City’, Onslow has
been subjected to more than a dozen
cyclones in which wind speeds have
been measured as high as 232km/h.
Originally built for pearling, mining
and pastoral use, Onslow is a sleepy
town that attracts tourists year round.
Officially, Europeans travelled through
here in 1861 when an expedition was
led through the Pilbara, but prior to
that Abel Tasman visited the islands off
Onslow in 1644.
Onslow is an interesting town with
a heritage trail and free riverside
camping at Five Mile Pool. As well as
a visit to the old Onslow town ruins,
make sure you check out the huge
salt lakes that cover 90km², and from
which 2.5million tonnes of table salt is
produced every year.
My remote riverside
campsite.
Off-roading through
pristine Pilbara
wilderness.
4x4Australia.com.au
85
EXPLORE PILBARA, WA
A statue pays homage
to Pilbara’s famous
Red Dog, the inspiration
for the film of the same
name.
EXPLORING
THE COAST
HEAD north and you’ll arrive at
the fast growing city of Karratha,
which is not only the base for
the Pilbara’s massive iron ore
operations, but also the gateway
to the rich Dampier Archipelago.
Established in 1968, Karratha is a
busy city that is home to 40 per cent
of the region’s population. Built to
provide accommodation and services
for the massive mining operations,
Dampier Salt and the NW gas and oil
projects, Karratha has a lot to offer.
The Yaburara Heritage Trail to the east
follows steep hills, passes a number of
Aboriginal sites and overlooks the town
and out to the coast.
Another must-do is a visit to the
North West Shelf Project Visitors
Centre where you can view models
of the operation and view the giant
domes that hold natural gas before
it is shipped overseas. Not far down
the road at Burrup Peninsula you’ll
be able to study up to an estimated
10,000 indigenous rock engravings
that are said to be 30,000 years old.
These petroglyphs include animals
and human shapes, as well as some of
extinct animals that once roamed the
area. Notably, these are claimed to be
the oldest and largest concentrated
BUILT TO PROVIDE ACCOMMODATION AND SERVICES FOR THE
MASSIVE MINING OPERATIONS, DAMPIER SALT AND THE NW
GAS AND OIL PROJECTS, KARRATHA HAS A LOT TO OFFER
KARRATHA
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EXPLORE PILBARA, WA
It’s 4WD only along
the Banjima Road.
collection of petroglyphs on earth.
There’s also plenty to see and do
at nearby Dampier, where you can
not only overlook the huge port that
has been constructed to cater to the
mining activities in the area, but
also head to a lookout that provides
a spectacular view of the 3km-long
trains that cart ore from the mines
to the port. Make sure you visit the
Red Dog statue, made famous by the
movie of the same name that tells the
story of a dog that roamed across the
Pilbara region. For those who like to
cast a line, the offshore fishing here
is next-level, and there are dozens
of islands lined with stunning white
beaches all throughout the Dampier
Archipelago.
FORTESCUE RIVER
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Not far north of Dampier are the
towns of Roebourne, Cossack and
Point Samson. Cossack was once the
original port for the pearl luggers
before they moved north to Broome,
and with this the town slowly died.
Today the beautiful old buildings
are being restored for the growing
tourism trade and the history buffs
that visit the area. Roebourne, the
oldest settlement in WA’s north
west, has a fascinating heritage trail
to explore and was once the most
important town in the Pilbara …
before a rail line was built to Port
Hedland. Head out to Point Samson
for a wander along the stunning white
beaches and spot the lighthouse that
was built here in 1888.
Rail carts taking ore
to Karratha.
OFF-ROAD
ADVENTURES
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EXPLORE PILBARA, WA
HEADING INLAND
AS soon as you head inland, the
Pilbara’s red dust gets into your skin,
your clothes and every nook and cranny
of your 4x4, but a highlight of travelling
through the Pilbara is driving along
one of the many rail-access roads and
seeing the enormous 3km-long iron-ore
trains that run 24/7 from the mines
to the facility plants at either Port
Hedland or Dampier. You need a permit
to drive these roads, but they are easily
available online after watching an
induction video and answering some
safety questions.
Two notable and popular national
parks in the area are Millstream
Chichester NP and Karijini NP. In the
former you can relax beside tree-lined
pools, swim in crystal-clear rivers and
camp in remote areas, and in the heart
of the park you’ll find a homestead that
was built in 1920 and is open to visitors
to discover the pastoral history of the
region and learn about the Yindjibarndi
people. The latter, Karijini NP, is the
second largest national park in WA
and it attracts visitors from around the
world. In it you will find amazing rock
formations with pools of cold water that
never see sunlight, dramatic waterfalls
and amazing colours when the sun hits
spectacular gorge walls.
Nearby is Tom Price, WA’s highest
altitude town, which is tucked in beside
the Hamersley Range. The range itself
is considered to be one of the earth’s
oldest weathered surfaces, and this area
dates back to the Ice Age. Activities
in the area include mine tours and
a drive up the 4x4 track to Mount
Nameless, which is one of the highest
mountains in WA. From the top you’ll
enjoy views overlooking the area’s
mining operations, the town itself and
the beautiful Pilbara landscape to the
horizon in all directions.
Nearly 300km away to the east, and
again on the fringe of the Hamersley
Range, is the town of Newman, the
largest inland town in the Pilbara.
Predominantly a mining town, where
BHP pulls thousands of tonnes of iron
ore out of the ground every day, it’s still
a good base from which to explore the
surrounding area. Mount Whaleback is
the largest open-cut mine in the world –
it’s so big that it can be seen from space
– and there are daily tours into the
heart of the operations. Away from the
mines, the 4x4 track to Eagle Rock Falls
is a great drive as the narrow winding
track heads into the hills of the Pilbara,
passing Kalgan Pool where volcanic
rock has been pushed out of the ground
millions of years ago, resulting in an
amazing backdrop to the pool.
Just over an hour away the tiny
township of Nullagine sits idle,
AS SOON AS YOU HEAD INLAND, THE PILBARA’S RED DUST
GETS INTO YOUR SKIN, YOUR CLOTHES AND EVERY NOOK AND
CRANNY OF YOUR 4X4
HARDING RIVER
The rich red of
Pilbara’s rocks is stark
in colour.
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Karijini NP, is the second largest
national park in WA.
KARIJINI
PILBARA, WA
ESSENTIALS
surrounded by red granite hills, gorges
and waterholes. Gold was found here in
the mid 1880s, but it’s also known for
being the first place in Australia where
diamonds were found. Heading west
from Nullagine, the Skull Springs Road
takes you to the remote yet stunning
Running Waters waterhole where warm
water seeps out of the ground year
round. Up the road, Carawine Gorge
offers one of the best riverside camp
areas I found in the Pilbara, where
a massive water system is lined with
sheer rock walls that are lit up by the
morning sun.
My last stop was at Marble Bar, known
as Australia’s hottest town, where back
in 1924 the daytime temperatures never
dropped below 38°C (100°F) for 161
days. Today it’s a quiet town compared
to the gold rush of 1891, which was
short-lived as richer fields were soon
found at Kalgoorlie. The Marble Bar
Heritage Trail takes you around town,
visiting 18 places of interest, heading up
to lookouts and dropping by the Marble
Bar Pool at Coongan River. It was here
that a rich coloured rock was found
that was thought to be marble, but
disappointingly was jasper. When wet,
the colours come alive in the Archaean
rock, which has been classed as some
of the oldest in the world. Big fines are
issued if rocks are stolen.
I only spent four weeks exploring the
Pilbara and I don’t think I even
scratched the surface. This area feels
like the soul of the earth and it holds
many hidden treasures, and no matter
where you roam you’ll be pleasantly
surprised with what the Pilbara has to
offer.
WHERE
The Pilbara region is 1500km north of
Perth in Western Australia. It covers a
huge 170,000km² and the landforms
date back 3.6 billion years. It is known
for the biodiversity across its ancient
landscape. It is extremely rich in
mineral deposits. There are major
airports at Karratha and Port Hedland,
with direct flights from across the
country that make exploring this area
easy.
WHAT TO SEE AND DO
The deep red landscape and
iridescent skies make the Pilbara
a photographer’s dream. There are
National Parks to explore, stunning
waterfalls and swimming holes to cool
off in, beautiful coastal campsites to
enjoy and plenty of history and ancient
rock art to absorb.
OTHER INFORMATION
Both Port Hedland and Karratha
are the main centres of the Pilbara,
and both towns service the mining
companies that operate in the area.
There are major shopping centres and
most services are available. Smaller
towns such as Tom Price, Newman,
Roebourne, Dampier and Onslow
have basic services for travellers.
Information centres in most towns
can offer advice and steer you in
the right direction for tours and
attractions. Planning, permits and
other information can be found online
at exploreparks.dbca.wa.gov.au
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91
PUBS
OUTBACK PUBS, SA
OUTBACK
WATERING
HOLES
WORDS ANNA FISHER PHOTOS BRETT FISHER & GLENN MARSHALL
SINCE OFF TRACK WINES WAS LAUNCHED,
OWNERS ANNA AND BRETT FISHER HAVE DRIVEN
MORE THAN 20,000KM UP, DOWN AND ACROSS
AUSTRALIA SPRUIKING THEIR WINES-IN-A-CAN
MADE FOR CAMPING. THEY DROPPED INTO PLENTY
OF OUTBACK PUBS ALONG THE WAY AND THESE
ARE THEIR SOUTH AUSTRALIAN FAVOURITES
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W
HEN travelling
in the outback,
there’s no more
welcome sight than
a pub. For Aussies, the pub is the
ultimate symbol of civilisation and
hospitality, often the only remaining
commercial building in a small rural
town, and a place where you can cool
down with a cold cold beer or warm
up with a hot meal. The pub is also
a fantastic resource where you can
find out what is happening in and
around a town, from the bartender
and the locals.
Here are our five favourite pubs in
outback South Australia.
4x4Australia.com.au
93
PUBS OUTBACK PUBS, SA
The Cradock is a grand
outback pub operated
by Dave and Amy.
1
CRADOCK
HOTEL
WE love the Cradock Hotel. It is a quaint
pub in the Southern Flinders Ranges
where we always feel at home, so much
so that we often plan our trip itineraries
so we can stay at the Cradock. It’s a great
place to drop in on the way to/from the
Bendleby Ranges, which we’ve visited
several times to drive their fun and
challenging 4WD tracks.
We first met Dave and Amy at the pub
a while back, when they were relatively
new there; this was long before we had
created Off Track Wines. Their warm
hospitality is amazing and genuine. We
reconnected when they visited us at the
Adelaide Caravan & Camping Show and
they became our first outback customer.
The Cradock Hotel has three hotel
rooms with air-con, three without, with
free camping out the back for patrons for
the cost of a very welcome beer or meal.
The camping is pretty basic – it is just a
flat area really, but the toilets are always
clean and there are coin-operated hot
showers for a couple of bucks.
If you’re a parent of younger kids,
you’ll love the fact that there is a fenced
outdoor nature playground coming off
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the dining room. It’s rustic timber with
a group swing and balancing beams
and climbing nets. The kids will be
entertained while you relax with a drink
while waiting for your meal. That’s worth
a lot when you’re travelling as a family.
It offers good pub food with a changing
menu – burgers, parmies and pies, that
kind of thing, cooked by Dave. The Big
Hat right out the front is always good for
a photo at sunrise too.
The hotel was built from stone in the
early 1880s when the government opened
settlements for crop farming north of
Goyder’s Line. Sadly, after the initial
‘wheat rush’ were four years of crop
failures which led to a sharp decline in
the town’s population. The historic town
is a testament to the difficulty faced by
farmers in our drought inclined land.
If you love a good ghost story, the locals
swear that old Lorrie walks the hallways
of the pub and you can hear his footsteps
creaking the floorboards late at night.
Apparently, publican Laurence Reardon
passed away at the hotel in the early
1900s and loved the place so much he
never left.
Ghosts aside, Cradock as a town is on
the up. The pub was renovated about
eight years ago, and someone has just
bought the old church and it has been
renovated too. Like many towns, the
pub provides a real focal point for
the community to come together and
socialise. It runs a Christmas pageant and
Anzac Day ceremony, with the pub still at
the heart of the town’s activities.
CRADOCK HOTEL
WHERE: Main Street, Cradock, SA
WEBSITE: www.thecradockhotel.com.au
PHONE: (08) 8648 4107
PUBLICANS: Dave and Amy Wallis
OPEN: 6 days 11am to late. Closed Mondays.
BEERS: On tap, includes the Coopers range
FOOD: Lunch and dinner - all good; typical pub
fare, with prices ranging from $14 kids meals to
steak at $36
ACCOMMODATION: 3 hotel rooms with air-con,
and 3 without. Prices range from $90-$140 a
night. Or camp for the cost of a beer.
WIFI: Good Wi-Fi available
Other services: n/a
2
MUNGERANNIE
HOTEL
MUNGERANNIE Hotel is the selfproclaimed ‘Centre of the Universe’,
halfway along the Birdsville Track,
about 200km north of Marree and
313km south of Birdsville. It’s the only
fuel stop on the Birdsville Track, but
there are lots of other reasons to stop
and stay.
New owners took over in 2023, giving
the pub a freshen up while maintaining
its outback character. If you’ve been to
Mungarannie in the past, you need to
go back and experience it now. We are
thrilled to see people investing in small
towns in the middle of nowhere.
The hotel is separately owned from
the adjacent Mungerannie Station,
with whom there has been a bit of a
water fight over access to the bore at
the station which had been previously
shared with the pub.
The humans are not the only things
vying for water rights, the birds are too!
For nature lovers, there is a seasonal
wetland out the back of the pub that
supports an impressive array of birdlife.
Mungerannie Hotel has a fantastic
campground and facilities with hot
showers and toilets. It’s a huge camping
area with some protected sites amongst
the trees if you need the shade as it can
be pretty dry and dusty out there. There
is also accommodation on site with 16
basic but clean and air-conditioned
motel rooms available.
If you are into motor history like
my husband Brett (who restored his
vintage HJ45 Troopie ‘Borr’ himself)
there’s a cool collection of old rusty
trucks there. They reflect the era of
vehicle that would have been used by
famed outback mailman Tom Kruse (the
subject of the 1954 documentary film
The Back of Beyond) to deliver mail and
goods to stations along the Birdsville
Track in the 1930s to 1950s.
Publican Darren Murray loves talking
about vehicles, especially Land Rovers,
and his partner Vivienne is from Chile
and she loves talking about wine, so we
all had a good yarn about both.
We give the food a big thumbs up.
During the season (April to November)
there is breakfast (toasties and coffee)
as well as a lunch and dinner menu.
Apart from a wide selection of burgers,
there are some interesting international
dishes like jambalaya, butter chicken,
beef cheeks and slow cooked lamb
ragout to tempt the taste buds. If you
miss meal time, you can always get a
toasted sandwich.
Apparently, Mungerannie is an
Aboriginal word for “big ugly face”, but
we only found friendly faces here!
MUNGERANNIE HOTEL
WHERE: Lot 10, Birdsville Track, Northern SA
WEBSITE: www.mungeranniehotel.com.au
PHONE: (08) 8675 8317
PUBLICAN: Darren Murray
OPEN: 7 days
HOURS: 7 days a week from 8am until the last
patron leaves. Sometimes closes over the off
season/summer
BEERS: Good range of beers and Off Track Wines
FOOD: Breakfast, and lunch and dinner menu
($25-$35)
ACCOMMODATION: 16 motel rooms available from
$95 basic double or $120 en suite. Camping is $10
per head per night
WIFI: Free Wi-Fi in pub and motel via Starlink
OTHER SERVICES: Post service (via weekly mail
plane) a service station with diesel and ULP, tyre
sales and repairs.
4x4Australia.com.au
95
PUBS OUTBACK PUBS, SA
Patrons whoop it up at the Tranny.
3
TRANSCONTINENTAL
OODNADATTA
EVERYONE knows the Pink Roadhouse
at Oodnadatta, not just because of its paint
job. It’s open during the day for travellers
to get fuel, takeaway, supplies and the
necessary souvenirs for the Oodnadatta
Track. It also has a caravan park with
unpowered and powered sites ($25/$40
respectively). A bit up the road there is
free camping.
The awesome people behind the
famous Roadhouse – Peter, Jenny and
Simon – renovated and reopened the
Transcontinental Hotel Oodnadatta at
the start of the 2023 season, after it had
been closed for a few years. The Tranny
is a tiny pub that literally consists of a
bar, a pool table and a small seating area.
They serve dinner during the season; the
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menu consists of your basic pub fare: fish
and chips, schnitzels, etc plus whatever
Simon decides to cook that day. In terms
of accommodation, the pub has five airconditioned rooms with shared en suite
bathroom. If you are trying to phone to
book a room using the number shown in
the Google listing, forget it. The place
is so remote that Telstra says they can’t
find it on a map so they cancelled the
number. Ahh, the joys of being in the
outback! Anyway, it’s best to just call the
Roadhouse which is the telephone number
provided in the breakout column.
One totally unique thing is the ‘OodnaUber’ which is the local version of a
ride-share service, in a vintage Land
Rover. Fly-in visitors can get a lift from
the airstrip to town; or jump in for the
short trip between the Roadhouse and the
Tranny; or call for an Oodna-UberEats
pizza delivery around town. Locals can
even get a lift home if needed after pub
closing time.
There are very few hotels still trading
in Australia that can boast a welldocumented and colourful history over the
last 133 years like the Transcontinental,
which Peter shared with us recently:
“Built in 1890 to provide food,
accommodation, entertainment and
alcohol to Overland Telegraph and Railway
personnel, it soon became a thriving if
not boisterous hub for outlying cattle
stations within a 400km radius. Tall tales
and true as told by descendants of station
TRANSCONTINENTAL
OODNADATTA
WHERE: Main Street, Oodnadatta, SA
WEBSITE: No website but this is the unofficial
Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/
profile.php?id=100091509540753
PHONE: (08) 8670 7822 (The Pink Roadhouse)
PUBLICANS: Peter and Jenny Moore
MANAGER: Simon
OPEN: During the season, open Wednesday to
Sunday. Wed-Fri 4pm to close, Sat-Sun 1pm to
close
Out of season, hours are very limited
MEALS: Dinner only Wednesday to Sunday. (See
the Roadhouse for lunch!)
They are happy to open outside of these times
(including for dinner) by appointment for
bigger groups so it’s best to call them via the
Roadhouse.
Accommodation: 5 air-conditioned rooms
available with shared en suite at $50 a head
WIFI: Nope. When you can’t get a phone number,
Wi-Fi is a pipe dream!
OTHER SERVICES: Oodna-Uber Pub Truck ride
share.
Pete and Jen with
Oodnadatta's version of a
ride-share service, the Oodna
Uber Pub Truck Land Rover.
barons droving their cattle to Oodnadatta
for the next 40 years until the railway
finally continued to Alice, their families
would be waiting for up to three months
in their Oodnadatta holiday homes. While
the drovers took it in turns to frequent
the pub, stories of brawls, gunfights and
altercations with locals abound.
“(In) 1932 saw the pub destroyed by fire
in suspicious circumstances and a new
modern premises was hastily erected. And
then, during the Second World War, the
hotel and town became a major staging
point for aircraft, troops, equipment and
American scientists on their journey to
Darwin.
“In 1980 the hotel was purchased by the
local Dunjiba people and had a succession
of good, bad and indifferent managers.
After the cessation of the railway, Adam
and Lynnie Plate created the identity
of the Oodnadatta Track which has
sparked ongoing interest in exploring the
indigenous and colonial history of the area.
“The story does not end here, my
friend. In 2003 a local police officer was
forced to fatally shoot a patron who was
discharging firearms into the pub, and the
bullet holes are still obvious. Then in 2017
another patron who was refused service
belligerently drove his car right into
the bar, narrowly missing drinkers and
destroying the bar.
“It was also central to the filming of
the Last Cab to Darwin film which was
released in 2015.
“In 2022, after rebuilding and
renovating, two experienced publicans
with 50 years in pubs between them
(Simon and Peter) have leased the Tranny
and are continuing in true outback
tradition with tall tales and true, making
the pub and Oodna a must-do on anyone’s
bucket list.”
It’s definitely worth a stop in
Oodnadatta, and if you can, try to coincide
your visit with one of the various events
the town has throughout the year such as
the races, outdoor cinema, or a football
match between stations versus local
residents. Call the Roadhouse or follow on
Facebook to find out what’s happening.
The management are fun people and the
Tranny provides a real hub for the locals.
4x4Australia.com.au
97
PUBS OUTBACK PUBS, SA
MOUNT DARE HOTEL
WHERE: Witjira National Park, SA
WEBSITE: www.mtdare.com.au
PHONE: (08) 8670 7835 or contact via UHF
Channel 6
PUBLICANS: Graham and Sandra Scott
MANAGED BY: Shayme
OPEN: 7 days (during summer 8am-7pm only)
BEERS: None on tap but a big range of stubbies
and a good wine selection including Off Track
Wines cans
FOOD: Pub menu including signature scotch
fillet. Cooked breakfast (ranging from $14-$30),
lunch ($6 to $22) and dinner ($28-$42), and allday snacks available
ACCOMMODATION: 8 renovated units including 6
standard units starting at $100-$115 per double
and 2 en suites starting at $140 a double.
Camping costs $25 per car
WIFI: No public Wi-Fi
OTHER SERVICES: Post office (mail service
comes on Wednesday), National Parks and
Witjira passes, mechanic service station, 4x4
recovery service, airstrip, UHF repeater
Remote Mt. Dare Hotel,
almost smack bang in the
middle of Australia.
LOCATION. Location. Location! If you
were to draw a dot in the middle of
Australia, you’d pretty much put a pin in
Mount Dare Hotel. It is 10km south of the
SA-NT border, on the edge of the Simpson
Desert. It’s probably our favourite outback
pub because it is such an amazing location,
just 70km from Australia’s best natural
hot tub of Dalhousie Springs.
So many of our most memorable
adventures have started and ended here.
If you haven’t already, do the Binns track
to the north of Mount Dare; you can drive
all the way to Alice Springs and it is one of
most beautiful tracks in Australia.
Anyway, back to the pub. We’ve been
to Mount Dare Hotel many times over the
years, seven times we think, as we’ve done
multiple trips through the Simpson with
different groups of friends. Previously,
back in 2021, we’d left some prototype
samples of our red wines in a can with
one of the staff at Mount Dare Hotel for
them to try. In November 2022 when Brett
arrived with the new Off Track Wines
cans, Graham remembered that he had
the earlier samples and pulled out the
prototypes from two years earlier. They
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drank them together and they still tasted
great, with Graham calling the wine
“restaurant quality”, which is exactly
what we intended when we created them.
We wanted to drink the same quality wine
when camping as we did when at home, in
the convenience of a can.
In terms of history, Mount Dare was
originally a remote cattle station, but the
land was bought by National Parks in 1984
and became the Witjira National Park.
Five years later, the homestead was leased
out for tourism and became the Mount
Dare Hotel. It pretty much serves as a NP’s
office where you can purchase park passes
to visit Dalhousie Springs and the Simpson
Desert and get up-to-date information on
the local road/track conditions there.
This is a really important place when it
comes to safety in the central Australian
outback. Mount Dare Hotel has a
workshop for vehicle repairs and a 4x4
recovery service if you get stuck. It has
two airstrips and avgas available to buy by
the 200L drum. The Hotel also operates a
UHF Repeater for long-distance comms
and monitors Ch6 for safety.
Even for visitors not needing help,
it’s just a great place to stop. In terms of
accommodation, there are basic cabins:
two with en suites, four without and some
dorm-style too, and bookings are essential.
The campground is set in native bush in
a protected area and has unpowered sites
with shady trees, and close to amenities
including toilets and hot showers. You can
see dingo prints where they have patrolled
the perimeter fence around the camp.
Camping is available even when the pub is
closed and bookings are not required.
Generous meals are served at the bar,
with scotch fillet being the signature dish
– it was a cattle station, after all – and the
fully cooked brekky is a godsend before
you pack up and head in to the Simpson.
Alarmingly, Mount Dare was hit by a
huge storm recently; apparently it was like
a cyclone and brought 75mm of rain. The
wind knocked all the accommodation off
their blocks and smashed all the windows;
one unit was completely destroyed, and
the pub flooded. Fortunately, some of the
guests stranded there helped them clean
up, and some of their tradie friends flew in
from Melbourne so everything is fixed up
and ready to go for the coming season.
5
INNAMINCKA
HOTEL
INNAMINCKA means “watering hole”,
and there is no better name for this little
gem on the banks of the Cooper Creek
surrounded by the Strzelecki Desert to
the south and Sturt Stony Desert to the
north.
From the outside, the hotel looks
like a big square iron hut. The Front
Bar remains largely untouched since
1999 and is adorned with outback and
historical memorabilia.
You can dine in the front bar or at
the ‘Outamincka’ bar which is a large
air-conditioned restaurant area, with
different lunch and dinner menus. It’s
the normal pub-style meals, with some
creative changes whenever supplies
of some ingredients run short due to
unpredictable road conditions. There is
an awesome roast served on a Sunday.
There’s even a mini golf course coming
off the restaurant area, so the kids have
something to do at the pub too.
Accommodation is motel-style rooms,
with modern facilities which out here
means air-conditioning, hot shower,
TV and a bar fridge. They also have
bunkhouse-style accommodation for
large groups or for people who are happy
to enjoy communal-style living, which
makes it cheaper but also a lot more
social. Finally, there are separate huts
which are nice for single travellers.
You can also pay at the pub to camp on
the town common, which is the camping
area next to the Cooper Creek. The pub is
walking distance from the common if you
want to return for a counter meal once
you’ve set up camp.
Along the creek there are some bigger
permanent waterholes where you can just
about always catch a fish or two.
The original pub was built in 1885 at
which time it was popular with drovers
and shearers working up and down the
Strzelecki Track, but this was washed
away in a massive flood in 1956. The
hotel wasn’t rebuilt until 1973 when 4x4
visitors to the region revitalised the town.
At that time, it was called Cooper Creek
Hotel-Motel and renamed Innamincka
Hotel in 1989. The current owners bought
and began renovating the iconic pub in
1999, with later additions being newer
motel rooms, water filtration system and
solar power.
The Innamincka Hotel serves Off Track
Wines on their Cooper Creek riverboat
cruises. The team also arranges tours to
visit the memorial sites for Burke and
Wills whose tragic outback tale brings
many a history loving visitor.
INNAMINCKA HOTEL
WHERE: Lot1 South Terrace, Innamincka,
Northwest SA
WEBSITE: innaminckahotel.com.au
PHONE: (08) 8675 9901
PUBLICANS: Kym and Jo Fort, and David and
Nell Brook
MANAGER: Nichelle
OPEN: Monday to Friday 10am to 9pm. Saturday
12 pm to 9pm. Closed Sundays.
RESTAURANT: Breakfast 7.30-9am, Lunch 11.302pm, Dinner 6pm-8.30pm. Closed Sundays.
(These hours are during tourist season)
BEERS ON TAP: One Fifty Lashes Pale Ale,
Carlton Draught, XXXX Gold, Great Northern
Super Crisp
FOOD: Normal pub menu with steak, parmies,
schnitzels, burgers. Lunch: prices start at $8 for
wraps, $22 burger. Dinner from $30
ACCOMMODATION: 16 motels rooms starting at
$180 for a double. 6 single huts starting $130.
Bunkhouse has 8 bedrooms at $105 for a single
WIFI: No public wifi available but there is good
4G phone reception in the town
OTHER SERVICES: None. But the pub is next
door to the shop that sells fuel
The Innamincka
Hotel's front 'beer
garden'.
4x4Australia.com.au
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GEAR
TESTED – CTEK CS ONE BATTERY CHARGER
MONITORED
Countdown
function shows
when you have
enough power to
start the vehicle
and the remaining
time until the
battery is fully
charge.
SMART CHARGER
CTEK HAS INVENTED ONE CHARGER TO RULE THEM ALL …
WORDS MATT RAUDONIKIS
W
HEN you own multiple vehicles including some that
don’t get driven all the time, a quality battery charger
becomes an invaluable piece of kit. And if your vehicles
range from your family car to your weekend 4x4, and
your motorcycles and boat, you can end up needing
multiple chargers to suit the different vehicles and their batteries.
Not only that but with 4x4s we will often have different types
of batteries in the one vehicle, with a lead-acid or AGM starter
battery and a lithium auxiliary battery, and these will require
specific battery chargers to suit.
The latest charger from Swedish manufacturer CTEK is a game
changer in that it adapts to whatever battery type it’s connected
to.
I have run a couple of its CTEK battery chargers over the years,
swapping between bikes and cars that don’t get used enough to
keep the batteries charged and maintained. One of the great
things about these chargers is how easy they are to use, but you
still need to choose the right charger to suit the battery being
charged.
The new CTEK CS ONE, however, simplifies charging even more
by automatically adapting to whatever battery you connect it to.
The CS ONE is an 8amp, 12-volt charger with multiple modes
automatically chosen depending on the needs of the battery it is
hooked up to. It looks like no other battery charger; its sleek black
102
4x4Australia.com.au
housing has no buttons so there’s no way to manually select what
type of battery you are connecting it to, and nor can you manually
select a charging mode. But you don’t need to, as the CS ONE does
it all for you.
Also foreign are the alligator clamps that attach to the battery,
as they are both black and there is no differentiation between
positive and negative. You can fit them to either pole on the
battery and the unit automatically senses the polarity and adjusts
to it. That’s ONE less thing that the user needs to think about,
not that it was ever that difficult to match red to red and black to
black; + to + and - to -.
When you plug in the CS ONE and power it up, it ‘talks’ to
the battery to find out its type, the polarity you have hooked the
clamps to, the state of charge or condition of the battery, and what
is needed to charge it. CTEK calls this APTO Technology.
The CS ONE is suitable for charging any 12V lead-acid or
lithium (LiFePO4) battery, and APTO automatically selects the
charging program to suit according to the information it has
gathered. There is a circle of LEDs on the top indicating the state
charge and how long it will take to fully charge the battery.
Once the battery reaches full charge, the LEDs start to pulse,
indicating that the CS ONE has switched to a battery management
program to keep the battery in peak condition.
It really couldn’t be any easier to use!
CORRECT
CONNECT
You don’t have
to worry with
hooking up the
black leads to
the battery.
The CTEK
adjusts itself
to the correct
polarity.
which saves me from having to remove the seat whenever I need
to access the battery for charging. That cable is also available
separately, as is a wall mount and storage case that fits the charger
and all accessories.
Despite my troubles with the Bluetooth connection to the app,
the CTEK CS ONE remains the cleverest and simplest battery
charger I have ever used. It takes away any guesswork when
hooking the charger up and diagnosing battery faults, and its
ability to operate with all the popular battery types makes it
priceless. I’ve been using it on my motorbike and my 4x4 (with its
dual AGM batteries) and it’s worked flawlessly.
That said, the CTEK CS ONE ain’t cheap; it will cost you $399
from your local Repco store and other auto parts outlets, but it is a
quality product backed up by a five-year warranty.
RRP: $399
RATED
APTO also recognises if the battery
has a dead cell or has de-sulphated, and
will indicate such a fault. If your AGM or
lithium battery has dropped to a state of
charge where it has entered ‘sleep’ mode,
you can access ‘Wake Up’ mode via the CTEK
app. Also in the app is a RECON mode to
recondition batteries that have sat discharged
for excessive periods and a SUPPLY function
that provides 12-volts to maintain the vehicle’s
clock and settings if and when you need to disconnect the main
battery.
Unfortunately, I was unable to connect the CTEK app to the CS
ONE despite trying many times, using a few different methods as
per the user manual and the online tutorials, so unlocking those
extra features, some of which would be useful for four-wheel
drivers using auxiliary batteries, weren’t available to me.
Another thing that might be an issue for some users is the CS
ONE is only made to charge 12-volt batteries and not the battery
in your old 6-volt car or bike.
With this experience, I reckon that the CS ONE would be
better off having buttons and controls on it so that it can be fully
functional without the need to use a phone app.
What I am left with is a great, simple to use battery charger but
one that I can’t use to its full potential.
There is a range of accessories available from CTEK for the
CS ONE including a rubber ‘bumper’ that fits around the unit’s
plastic case to protect it. We reckon this should be standard and
it gives the CS ONE a feeling of higher quality. A CS Connect
adaptor cable allows you to use other CTEK products with the CS
ONE; in my case this allows me to fit the CS ONE directly to the
CTEK plug I have permanently fitted to my motorcycle’s battery,
AVAILABLE FROM: www.ctek.com/au
WE SAY: A clever battery charger that’s easy to use
and automatically adapts to all 12V battery types,
but Bluetooth app connectivity is problematic.
4x4Australia.com.au
103
GEAR
TESTED – TROOPCARRIER PROTECTION EQUIPMENT
ON THE DEFENSIVE
WORDS AND PHOTOS RON MOON
RON FITS BAR WORK AND A WINCH TO HIS TROOPCARRIER TO PROTECT IT
FROM THE DANGERS OF OUTBACK TRAVEL AND OFF-ROAD TREKKING
W
HEN the ARB bullbar finally arrived for our
TroopCarrier – it had been on order for several
months – we took the Troopie to Outback
4WD in Bayswater and had it fitted as soon as
possible, along with a set of ARB side-rails and
side-steps.
This bullbar is unique to the 70 Series in that it is
large tube version of ARB’s Deluxe Bar, so it has 60mm
tubing for the outer frame and 47mm tubes for the lower
crossbar sections, resulting in a gutsy bar that’s up to
the rigours of off-road work that 70 Series Cruisers are
called upon to do.
Large driving-light tabs allow for the fitment of a wide
range of lights, while three tabs on the upper bar allow
for up to three antennas to be fitted. Of course, this allsteel bar isn’t light, tipping the scales at around 80kg
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4x4Australia.com.au
(without a winch) but the Troopy will soon be given a
GVM upgrade, so the added weight of the bullbar won’t
be problematic.
Fitting a bullbar is not as straightforward as it once
was. As well as having to consider winch fitment, airbag
compatibility and inbuilt LED lighting, even the 70
Series now comes with forward-facing radar as standard,
adding to the complexity of bullbar fitment. As a result,
the list of extra parts required has also lengthened, and
includes a wiring extension harness for the radar unit
and a wiring extension kit for the winch.
We opted to fit a Carbon Tank 12,000lb electric winch
for a number of reasons. Firstly, it weighs less than most
other 12,000lb winches, and secondly, my son Trent has
been using one for the past 12 months while leading
expeditions for Moon Tours and he swears by it. We’ll
RADAR
The 70 Series
ARB bar now
comes with
forward-facing
radar as
standard.
KAYMAR
BAR
Fitting up the
Kaymar rearstep tow bar.
bring you a full report once we have put this unit
through its paces in the back blocks of Australia.
As well as the bar itself, we fitted a set of ARB siderails and side-steps, and these are about the only things
that don’t require an electrical wiring harness or an
additional ECU to be added. I’ve run ARB side-steps on
all of my vehicles since 1988 (at least) and I wouldn’t
drive my vehicles off-road without the protection they
add.
Down the rear end of the Troopy we fitted for a
Kaymar rear-step tow bar. Over the years I’ve run three
Kaymar rear bars, one on an earlier Troopy and a couple
on my GU Patrols. The Kaymar rear bar is impressive
and I can’t fault it for strength and reliability. The
machining processes have improved over the years and
while not so obvious with the 70 Series bars, Kaymar’s
bars for 200 and 300 Series Cruisers are
more appealing to the eye than they once were,
and they blend harmoniously with the vehicles to which
they’re fitted.
We’ve added a couple of swing-away spare-wheel
carriers and a high-mounted work light to the rear bar,
the latter for those evenings in the bush when we’ll
need some extra lighting to carry out repairs or just to
cook an evening meal. While I opted for the twin sparewheel carriers, you can also choose to fit a double jerrycan holder instead of the left-side wheel carrier for
those times you are travelling long distances between
fuel stops, or when you want to carry a bit more water.
Kaymar bars are now available with auxiliary
reversing sensors, which locate four sensors in the bar
with a warning buzzer under the dash. We went with
REAR
SENSORS
The foursensor Kaymar
reverse-sensor
kit.
4x4Australia.com.au
105
TESTED – TROOPCARRIER PROTECTION EQUIPMENT
FITTING & EQUIPMENT
Outback 4WD: www.outback4wd.com.au
ARB: www.arb.com.au
Bullbar: $2285;
Side Rails and Steps: $1662
Carbon Winches: carbonoffroad.com.au
Carbon Tank 12,000lb winch: $1499
Kaymar: kaymar.com.au
Wheel carriers: $2507
Rear sensors: $225
Work light: $344
The Kaymar bar
fitted with two
wheel carriers
although just
the stock spare
is mounted
there for now
Kaymar: www.redarcelectronics.com/au
Brake controller kit: $593
this option and although we wondered if it would be
more of an annoyance than anything else, it has proven
to be beneficial, especially when reversing into a tight
parking space. It also makes it safer to reverse when
people, especially kids, are around. The power for the
sensors is picked up off the vehicle’s reversing light
wire, and while the control box can be located basically
anywhere, it will fit thanks to long leads; the warning
buzzer needs to be positioned under or close to the
dash. In addition to the wiring for the reversing sensors,
the LED lights in the bar need a resistor box so they will
work correctly.
When wiring in the trailer plug for our camper, we
added a Redarc Tow-Pro Elite brake controller, which
I reckon is the bee’s knees of brake controllers for any
SOLID
Wrap arond
protection for
the front end.
106
REAR END
4x4Australia.com.au
4x4 vehicle. And, we’ve also added an Anderson plug
outlet for when the camper is on the back of the Troopy,
to help keep its batteries charged and the fridge cold.
Fitting the bullbar, winch, rear-step bar and tyre
carriers demands a lot more equipment, time and
expertise than what most people have at home, and I
never fail to be surprised at how much electrical work is
required these days for fitting just about anything.
Luckily the crew at Outback 4WD know what they are
doing and have plenty of experience in fitting
equipment like this. While I’ve been taking my vehicles
to Outback 4WD for years, wherever you are, make sure
you have a good 4x4 workshop as your backstop for all
accessory fitting, repairs and servicing.
D O N ’ T G E T B O X E D I N W I T H O U T D AT E D D E S I G N S
1300 AFN 4x4| www.afn4x4.com.au
sales@afn4x4.com.au | 85 Kabi Circuit, Deception Bay, Qld 4508
facebook.com/AFN4x4australia
VISIT WWW.AFN4X4.COM.AU FOR A DEALER NEAR YOU
GEAR
TESTED – LIGHTFORCE BEAST DRIVING LIGHTS
UNLEASH THE BEAST
WORDS MATT RAUDONIKIS PHOTOS CRISTIAN BRUNELLI
LIGHTFORCE BEASTDRIVING LIGHTS AREN’T AFRAID OF THE DARK, NO
MATTER THE CONDITIONS …
T
HE team at South Australian
lighting manufacturer Lightforce
has been at it again, raising the bar
for vehicle auxiliary lighting.
The newest product from
Lightforce is the Beast, a 222mm roundish driving light that uses 36 Osram LEDs
to offer a light with multiple modes
of beam to suit the conditions you are
driving in.
Rather than having a specific lamp
with a flood beam and another one for
spot, the Beast allows you to select modes
for each via a simple press of the dash
button. Alternatively, hold the button
in for a few seconds to engage Beast
Mode which gives you both at once for
108
4x4Australia.com.au
maximum reach and spread of light.
While the ability to offer multiplebeam outputs from a single LED light is
not new to the auxiliary lighting market,
it’s new to Lightforce, and in this product
it comes with the brand’s Australian-made
solid design and construction. In fact, the
team came up with a whole new light to
implement the multi-beam feature.
The Beast features a lightweight diecast aluminium housing for optimal
strength and heat dissipation, while the
36 LEDs sit in front of a black reflector
for a unique look in the almost octagonal
housing.
The lights are rated IP69K for dust and
water ingress and use a Gore membrane
on the breather, and Lightforce claims
the Beast driving lights will operate at
a depth of 1.5m under water for an hour
without leaking; will run continuously
between -40°C and 85°C; can survive
temperature spikes up to 125°C; and
will handle a 400g rock strike on the
lens at 100km/h or a 1kg rock strike
at 60km/h. The lights are made to US
Military standard MIL-STD-810H 514.4
for vibration and shock, and claimed to
resist seven days of the IEC 60068-2-52
salt spray with no rust or damage to the
coating, so they should be able to cope
with the rigours of sitting up the front
of your 4x4 for many years. Lightforce is
confident enough in the Beast to offer a
BEAST KIT
Everything you
need is in the
box to have
your 4x4 looking
like a Beast.
LIGHT DUTY
The Lightforce
Beast utilises 36
LEDs through
three lighting
modes.
five-year warranty on them.
The wiring harness that’s supplied in
two-light kits contains everything required
for fitment and use of the Beast lights,
and the harness is easy to understand and
instal, featuring high-quality plugs and
components. Only a single cable needs to
run through to the dash for the switch that
is supplied with the harness.
The depth of the lights has been kept to
a minimum to allow fitment between the
grille and bullbar of most 4x4 vehicles.
The solid mounting brackets are reversible
for more mounting options, and anti-theft
mounting bolts are available as an option.
The Beast lights have four modes in total
including the daytime running light (DRL)
function which is designed to illuminate
as soon as the ignition is switched on.
With the vehicle’s high beam on, a
single tap of a dash button activates
the long-range spot mode of the driving
lights, punching out a claimed 1 LUX at
1497m with a beam width of 60m.
A second press of the button engaged
flood or wide beam, projecting a claimed
1 LUX at 778m with a 140m beam width.
Holding down the button for a few
seconds initiates Beast Mode, resulting
in a claimed 1 LUX at 1375m with a wide
140m beam width.
On the bushy Victorian tracks we’ve
been driving lately in the LandCruiser, the
flood mode has proved most suitable, while
4x4Australia.com.au
109
TESTED – LIGHTFORCE BEAST DRIVING LIGHTS
BEAST
SPOT
FLOOD
the long-range spot beam will no doubt come in
to its own out in wide-open spaces.
These are the best driving lights I’ve had
on the Cruiser since the original HTX lights
from Lightforce, which combined older HID
technology with LEDs. The improvements in
LED technology and reflector design have
made HID redundant, and the Lightforce Beast
offers even better lighting performance, all in a
tough Australian-made package.
The Beast is available in a single-lamp or
two-lamp kit with harness. There’s a range of
accessories available including black, tinted
and clear filters/covers, and the aforementioned
anti-theft lock nuts.
Australian-made quality doesn’t come cheap
but at $599.50 for a single Beast lamp or $1349
for the two-lamp kit, covers, harness and
instructions that make installation simple, they
are comparable to other products in terms of
cost.
RATED
RRP: $599.50 (one lamp);
$1349 (two-lamp kit)
110
AVAILABLE FROM: au.lightforce.com/products/
beast-driving-light
WE SAY: A top-quality Aussie-made driving light
with variable lighting modes to suit all conditions.
4x4Australia.com.au
BEST BEAST
Beast mode will
have you seeing
long and wide.
GEAR
TESTED – PERTRONIX ELECTRONIC IGNITION
RATED
RRP: $295
AVAILABLE FROM: patrolapart.com.au
WE SAY: An easy and quick replacement for points
ignition systems in older petrol-powered rigs
resulting in more reliable ignition and smoother
running.
BUT FIRST ...
The metal collar
will require a little
grinding down to
accept the new
Pertronix parts.
Use a die grinder
and you’ll knock it
over pretty quick.
SPARKING FURY
KIAN GIVES HIS GQ PATROL’S IGNITION SYSTEM A MUCH NEEDED UPGRADE
WORDS AND PHOTOS KIAN HEAGNEY
P
OINTS ignition is the automotive equivalent of Latin –
so outdated nobody out there can understand them, and
there’s no bloody reason to have them around anyway.
Unfortunately, Nissan didn’t get that memo with the
GQ Patrol. My ’88 wagon and its carby TB42 was slung
with points from the factory, and it has been the only major
downfall of this rig. If I had a dollar for the amount of times
I’ve jumped on the UHF mid-track to ask for a ‘spark break’
because the points had stalled out on me, I’d be able to afford
a new set of points.
Luckily, an electronic ignition conversion is pretty easy
for these Patrols. Pertronix makes a universal kit that fits
the Patrol distributor with some minor modifications, which
I sourced from Patrolapart for $295. There isn’t much in the
kit, just the electronic ignitor, a few ring terminals and that’s
about it.
Nissan put the TB42 dizzy in a pretty good spot, and there’s
plenty of instructional videos online showing the fitment
process. In short, you’ll need to remove the cap, rotor button,
dust cover and the points. If you have a 1762 kit like mine,
you’ll need to grind down the shaft of the distributor a few
millimetres to fit the magnetic excitor for the Pertronix.
That can be done with a basic die grinder. Reuse the rubber
112
4x4Australia.com.au
grommet for the wiring in the side of the dizzy, and then
reassemble.
Wiring is easy, but for the TB42 you will need to extend it
slightly. Connect the black negative wire from the Pertronix
to the negative on the coil, and the red positive to the
positive (white) wire on the ballast resistor, and that’s it. Easy
peasy!
Hit the key, and you should have life. I noticed the
difference straight away, with no more rough running, and
the tacho had stopped jumping around (a common sign of an
ignition fault). I took it for a quick drive around the block
and the engine ran super smooth compared to how it ran with
the points. For the first time ever I could take off from an
intersection with the air-con on (yes, it actually works in my
ol’ GQ) without stalling and making a melon of myself.
Once I got to my mate’s, we checked the timing and found
it was sitting at 20 degrees before top dead centre (TDC).
Nissan recommends it to be more around 10 degrees before
TDC, so we set it there and she was purring. For the sake of
around $300 and a few hours work, it’s a no brainer for
anyone still running points in an old petrol rig. Now, to hit
the tracks!
THE
ULTIMATE
JUMP STARTER
W
e’ve all experienced that dreadful
feeling of getting in your car only to
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THIS MONTH WE TALK
FLASHLUBE
Flashlube’s strength has always been in
being able to think through the problem
and really offer the vehicle owner a unique
solution many years ahead of competitors
that naturally follow in. Several times this
has meant that we have been the first to
market, and created a category that did not
exist previously.
We are also the only company in our industry that can take a hardware solution and
match it with a fluid solution to approach a
problem more completely, and that isn’t an
easy thing to bring together as they are two
very different fields.
Tell us a little bit about the history of the Flashlube brand?
Flashlube’s original Valve Saver Fluid
and Valve Saver Kit was developed in
Melbourne by German CSIRO Scientist,
Wolfgang Kluenner in 1986,
Wolfgang had purchased a vehicle that
ran on LPG and was suffering from Valve
Seat Recession, where the valves wore
down due to the vehicle not being design to run on the very hot and dry LPG,
so he set about finding a solution.
Wolfgang retired in 1995 but the Flashlube Valve Saver kit remains the only
proven solution to Valve Seat Recession
in the world. These kits continue to be
100% made in our Head Office in Melbourne, and over 1 million of them have
been sold into motor vehicle, farming,
industrial and transport markets across
the world, including Australia, Europe,
North America, South America, South
East Asia and India.
In the late 1990’s a 50ml Valve Saver
Fluid bottle was created for the Lead Replacement market, that could be added
directly into the tank of older vehicles
when filling up with unleaded fuel, and
can still be found in many petrol stations
in Australia today
2 words that describe your
Product or Service?
Innovative and necessary
Who uses your products?
Anyone who really cares for their vehicle.
There are Flashlube products to suit pretty
much any vehicle, from the older show and
club vehicles that run on LPG, right through
to newer diesel engine 4WDs. So really, any
owner or fleet operator who can’t afford
down time or is simply smart enough to see
the long-term financial gains.
What makes you different
from your competition?
Where is the company at now?
We have 18 warehouses internationally, with
our 8th overseas branch having opened in
Chile this year, however all these years later,
Flashlube products are still almost all made
in our head office here in Melbourne.
Our kits are all put together by our team
in Tottenham and our fluids are all bottled
there.
The product has evolved over time, in particular when the fuel industry began to modify
its Diesel Fuel and supply only Low Sulphur
Diesel Fuel. Although environmentally beneficial, the new standard caused concern for
older diesel vehicles, and Flashlube Diesel
Conditioner was introduced into the market
after extensive R&D, using a sulphur free formulation to lubricate older Diesel engines in
the way that original diesel fuel had done.
We are heavily into Diesel Technology at the
moment and have added what we call the
“Next Generation” of Flashlube products, consisting of hardware such as Catch Cans and
Diesel Pre-Filters, which work cohesively with
the existing range additives and lubricants.
It has been interesting to see Australia really
leading the way in this field in the aftermarket.
What products are in
development now?
We are always developing more fitting kits
for our Catch Can and Diesel Filters, for new
vehicles as they’re released.
In 2022 we expanded the range to include
some really great Grease products and
already this year we have added Radiator
Coolants, both Concentrate and Premix,
as well as Distilled Water. We’ve also got
AdBlue being launched very soon, and a
number of other products in the works.
In this industry there are so many ways we
can improve a vehicle. We do try to hold
back and focus on one project at a time until we’re happy that we’re putting the best
product out to market, but we have some
exciting things happening with Flashlube
at the moment.
What’s your greatest
achievement?
We have won the Australian Automotive Aftermarket Innovation Award several times
for products such as our Diesel Conditioner and Catch Can Program, as well as the
Poland LPG Awards 5 times for innovation
in that field.
Awards are always nice, but to see our
address on a product made in our building, sitting on the shelf of filling stations in
places like Germany, Norway and Portugal
always makes us smile!
For more info visit: flashlube.com
FLASHLUBE DIESEL
CONDITIONER
FLASHLUBE
HIGH TEMP GREASE
FLASHLUBE ADBLUE ®
DIESEL EXHAUST FLUID
¾EWLPYFIGSQ
¾EWLPYFIGSQ
¾EWLPYFIGSQ
Call 1300 888 444
FLASHLUBE RADIATOR
COOLANTS
PROMOTE YOUR
AUSTRALIAN MADE
PRODUCTS HERE
0410 221 434
¾EWLPYFIGSQ
Call 1300 888 444
PROMOTE YOUR
AUSTRALIAN MADE
PRODUCTS HERE
ASK US HOW
Scott Crowley Brand Sales Manager 4x4 Australia
E Scott.Crowley@aremedia.com.au
Scott Crowley
Brand Sales Manager 4x4 Australia
E Scott.Crowley@aremedia.com.au
M 0410 221 434
GEAR
PRODUCT TESTS & NEW STUFF
YAKIMA MAJORSHADY 270 AWNING
The Yakima MajorShady 270 awning provides 7.4m²
of sun and weather protection and is made from
420D ripstop poly-cotton fabric with a PU waterproof
coating for protection from sun, rain or snow.
The awning features robust aluminium support
poles with solid bolted pivot points for durability. A
taut line offers additional stability, connecting to the
awning’s crossbar for windy conditions, and
additional support poles and stakes
are included.
The awning mounts to
vehicles via rugged off-road rated
L-brackets that are easily attached to
Yakima’s HD Bar, JetStream, LockNLoad
Platform or any other aftermarket T-slot crossbar.
The MajorShady 270 is available in driver-side
or passenger-side models (RH and LH), and
there is a wall kit available, offering further
protection from the elements and added
privacy.
RRP: $1099
WEBSITE: www.yakima.
com.au
HEMA GREAT DESERT TRACKS
ATLAS & GUIDE
Hema Maps has released the 6th Edition of its
bestselling Great Desert Tracks Atlas & Guide.
This latest edition features three new tracks
– the Buntine Highway, Sandover Highway
and the Talawana Track – plus extensive
research from author Glenn Marshall based
on his years of desert travel experience.
Whether you’re a seasoned desert
enthusiast or gearing up for an adventure on
Australia’s iconic 4WD tracks, this guide is an
indispensable companion for traversing the
arid heart of the continent.
Within its pages, discover comprehensive
track profiles that detail elevations, distances
and key points of interest, along with
essential information on camping areas and
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supply points.
In addition to its practical track
information, this edition provides crucial
pre-trip reading, guiding you on how
to effectively prepare for your desert
trek. Learn about safety measures in
the outback and master essential driving
techniques, making this guidebook a
must-have for those contemplating desert
exploration. It also includes essential
emergency information such as latitude/
longitude, what3words positioning,
detailed fuel types, opening times,
contact numbers, permit information, and
much more.
RRP: $69.95
WEBSITE: www.hemamaps.com
TIE IT DOWN TIGHT WITH
TORKSTRAP M500 RED
The TorkStrap M500 is said to combine the
best features of a ratchet, bungee and lashing
strap in one, making it the ultimate cargo
transport solution.
The TorkStrap M500 Red has a safe working
load of 225kg and a maximum breaking
strength of 680kg. It is 3m long and 25mm
wide, and as there are no clunky mechanisms,
you can say goodbye to complicated, heavy
ratchets and hello to TorkStrap’s simple and
easy-to-use pull design.
Ratchet straps provide a static tension, so
they rely on a fixed amount of force to hold
cargo in place, and if the load shifts or sinks
during transport, the straps can come loose.
TorkStrap’s proprietary power-band technology
is claimed to provide dynamic tension, so you
can drive with peace of mind knowing that your
load is secure and that the strap won’t come
loose … even if cargo shifts or sinks during
transport.
RRP: $76 (two-pack)
WEBSITE: www.essential4x4.com.au
MSA DELUXE COFFEE KITS
The Deluxe Coffee Kit is the perfect solution
for the coffee lover who wants a quality cup
of coffee anytime and anywhere, whether at
home, in the office or on the go.
The kit consists of a French press-style
coffee plunger; two cups with a clear rubbersealed lid; two sealable storage canisters to
hold coffee, sugar or creamer; a measuring
spoon; two teaspoons; and a cleaning cloth.
All components are presented in a stylish,
spill and water-resistant storage bag. A mesh
pocket on the underside of the lid creates an
ideal place for the unique MSA 4X4 branded
teaspoons and sugar sachets. The durable
powder-coated stainless-steel construction,
with double-wall vacuum insulation, is designed
to keep coffee or other drinks hot or cold.
The coffee plunger allows for a rich and
flavourful brew … anytime, anywhere.
RRP: From $230
WEBSITE: www.msa4x4.com.au
4x4Australia.com.au
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GEAR
PRODUCT TESTS & NEW STUFF
GVM UPGRADES FOR FORD
RANGER
DMW’s 3800kg and 4250kg GVM upgrade
packages for the Ford Ranger provide increased
load-carrying capacity without compromising
performance or handling. Both upgrades are
claimed to have been meticulously engineered
through Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and
comprehensive brake testing.
The 3800kg upgrade comes with Federal
SSM Certification (pre-rego), a Dobinsons
suspension package, enhanced shackle pins
and U-bolts, polyurethane bushes, a tailshaft
spacer, HD airbags,
Cat 6 indicators, and
engineering. It
provides a lift of 40-50mm depending on vehicle
load and weight distribution. Single- and spacecabs will require chassis bracing at extra cost.
The 4250kg GVM upgrade adds chassis
bracing to essential sections. Diff bracing is also
installed on the rear housing, and axle loads are
reinforced. To certify, upgraded wheels and tyres
with a minimum load of 1320kg are required.
Available via DMW’s Australia-wide network.
RRP: From $7925
WEBSITE: www.dmwindustries.com.au
OPPOSITE LOCK PREMIUM
BULLBAR FOR AMAROK
The Opposite Lock bar to suit the Volkswagen
Amarok offers maximum frontal impact
protection and features for the fitment of a wide
range of off-road accessories.
The Three Loop Premium Bullbar is
constructed with 50mm tube for the top loops
and heavy-duty overriders to protect the front of
the bar against nudging. There is a central split
air dam to help maintain airflow and improve
strength in frontal impacts.
The front underbody protection plate is a
three-piece design and the bullbar has three
antenna mounts and high-lift jacking points.
Driving light mounts are standard and the bar is
compatible with all tech features of the Amarok.
RRP: $1999
WEBSITE: www.oppositelock.com.au
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MORRFLATE TENSIX PSI PRO
PORTABLE AIR COMPRESSOR
When paired with the MORRFLATE 4 Tyre
Inflation and Deflation Kit, the TenSix PSI Pro is
claimed to air up a set of 35-inch tyres from 10
to 40psi in less than five minutes.
The TenSix PSI Pro is programmable for
inflation via a digital panel, and tyre pressures
can be set via plus and minus buttons to
automatically inflate from 10 to 120psi, or you
can inflate manually from 1 to 150psi. During
auto inflation, the TenSix PSI Pro will shut down
for a few seconds as the manifold pressure is
higher than the tyres, and will pause to equalise
before continuing. The TenSix PSI Pro also has
a thermal cut-off switch and purge valve.
Rated at 10.6CFM at 0psi, this dual-cylinder
compressor can pump out a claimed 6.5CFM
at 30psi. The extended braided hose has a
quick-connect fitting, and the universal coupler
is suitable for ¼-inch fittings. At its peak, the
compressor pulls 90amp.
The MORRFLATE TenSix PSI Pro is supplied
with a canvas storage bag with pockets.
RRP: $499
WEBSITE: www.essential4x4.com.au
STRATUS OUTDOORS BENCH
NAMED BARRY
Barry, a utilitarian piece of camp kit
that’s the newest member of the Stratus
Outdoors range, is a lightweight bench
made with 3mm bead-blasted aluminium
and stainless-steel fixings.
Weighing in at 5kg with a seated weightload capacity of 200kg, Barry can be
used as a step-up, a bench seat, a coffee
table or a handy out-of-the-dirt campfire
cooking companion. Hot pans won’t hurt
Barry, and he won’t overheat in the sun.
Barry has a simple and compact fold-flat
design, is easy to carry and move around
as needed, and has open dimensions of
400mm (h) x 270mm (w) x 1000mm (l),
and folded down it measures 50mm (h) x
270mm x (w) x 1000mm (l).
An optional heavy-duty rPET waxed
canvas bag fits two Barry benches. Stratus
Outdoors offers a three-year warranty, and
Barry is recyclable at the end of life.
RRP: $275 Barry; $69 canvas bag
WEBSITE: www.stratusoutdoors.com.
au
INVICTA 200AH SUPER SLIM
LITHIUM BATTERY
The Invicta Super Slim lithium battery has
a slim 65mm depth for easy fitment in tight
spaces. Housed in a metal case it is designed
to handle any knocks or bumps and it features
a prismatic cell construction.
Features include an integrated BMS with
protections, high-discharge rate with overrated
Anderson plugs, Bluetooth monitoring, 1800W
or 3000W inverter compatibility, and a five-year
full replacement warranty.
Thanks to its Bluetooth monitoring platform
you can monitor battery performance on your
Android or Apple smart devices, including
current, voltage, status, cycles and capacity.
RRP: $3099
WEBSITE: www.invictalithium.com.au
4x4Australia.com.au
119
GEAR
PRODUCT TESTS & NEW STUFF
APEX DESIGNS COMPACT REEL
SYSTEM
The Apex Designs USA Compact Reel System
is a game changer when it comes to mobile air
inflation. Compact and universal, the reel works
in a wide variety of applications.
The high-impact DuPont glass-filled nylon
66 reel guide is highly resistant to UV and
chemicals, while the body is made from
6061-T6 aluminium with a wear resistant and
fade-free hard anodised surface. Viton seals
are used to perform in high-temperature
environments and are resistant to chemicals.
The Compact Reel System can be used with
compressed air or fresh water and is available
in 6m or 10m versions.
RRP: $429 (6m): $575 (10m)
WEBSITE: www.ovs4wd.com.au
TOP END CAMPGEAR GAS
BOTTLE HOLDERS
Travelling with gas bottles has never been an
easy task, but Top End Gas Bottle Holders have
been designed to make it safer, and they have
been tested on the dustiest corrugated roads
throughout Australia.
The Gas Bottle Holders are designed to
accommodate various sizes of Swap ’n’ Go
gas bottles. The 3kg, 4kg and 9kg Base Mount
Gas Bottle Holders are all compatible with
platform-type roof racks, and attachment slots
on the base allow them to be mounted in any
orientation or position on your roof rack.
RRP: From $169
WEBSITE: www.topendcampgear.com.au
HEADSPACE CAMPERS
ROOFTOP CAMPER
The Headspace Campers Rooftop Camper is
available for Land Rover Defender 90 and 110
models, and Toyota LandCruiser TroopCarrier
75/78 models, and all retain the vehicle’s
original roof to maintain a factory aesthetic.
Headspace Campers conversions weigh
in at only 95kg for the TroopCarrier and add
a mere 70mm of height to the vehicle with a
roof tilt of 43 degrees. This allows the user to
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not only stand up and get changed upstairs,
but also sleep with their head at the hinge
end, thus making exiting the bed as simple as
shuffling along and climbing down.
The total mattress area is roughly 1250mm
wide x 2500mm long, 500mm of which are
the access doors. Headspace claims its
tallest customers to date (6ft5in) have been
able to stand up on the mattress when the
roof is open, as well as sit in the driver’s seat
comfortably, even with a hat on.
Prices include installation, with the ability to
mix and match features from various packages
such as timber or suede lining, ceiling fans,
USB charging ports, wrap-around side
awnings, insect-repellent lights, and air-assist
lifting apparatus.
Headspace Campers also manufactures a
large 270-degree awning sold exclusively to
roof conversion customers.
RRP: From $15,825
WEBSITE: www.headspacecampers.com
TAGE OUTDOORS UPRIGHT
FRIDGE CADDY
The Upright Fridge Caddy from Tage
Outdoors is made from quality Australianmade 12oz canvas and features a range
of different mesh pockets to keep your
camping set-up organised. Each fridge
size has slightly different-sized pockets
with the same concept in mind; large
caddies (650mm or higher) have four rows
of pockets, and small caddies (shorter than
650mm) have three rows.
The Caddies are designed to suit small
and large Bushman upright fridges, small
Kings upright fridges, and small Dometic
upright fridges. They allow you to store
things right where you need them, and they
attach using Velcro hooks and loops.
RRP: $110
WEBSITE: www.tageoutdoors.com
CGEAR QUICKSAND MAT
The Quicksand Mat is a ‘sand-free’ soft and
lightweight beach mat that easily folds away
into a small bag when not in use.
CGEAR says that thanks to ‘SANDLITE’
technology, the Quicksand Mat provides a
completely sand-free experience.
Available in a range of vibrant colours and
eye-catching patterns, the mat mat is also
non-absorbent, UV stabilised, lightweight and
portable.
As well as at the beach, the Quicksand mat
can be used for picnics or any other outdoor
occasion. CGEAR says a spilt drink will bead
on the surface and wipe off easily, and the
mat’s patented construction means the open
weave allows wind to go through the mat rather
than the mat flying up on windy days.
RRP: $149
WEBSITE: www.cgear.com.au
4x4Australia.com.au
121
READERS
RIGS
WANT TO SEE YOUR 4x4
PUBLISHED IN THE MAG?
SEND US A PIC VIA OUR
FACEBOOK PAGE!
WILL KARAS
2015 TOYOTA
PRADO 150
I only recently purchased the vehicle and have
only been as far as Mount Buffalo, Victoria, but
I’m planning a trip from Melbourne to Perth at
the end of the year, so slowly gearing up for that.
A few more upgrades and we should be ready.
It currently has an ARB bullbar; Stedi light bar
and spotlights; Tough Dog lift kit; Ultimate9
EVC throttle control; and Maxxis RAZR A/T
tyres.
MICHAEL THOMPSON
2005 NISSAN GU
PATROL
I’m currently building a 2005 Series 4 GU Patrol
super tourer with all the goodies, and I will have
it finished within 10 to 12 weeks. Mods include
Dobinson remote res shocks and springs;
heavy-duty arms all around; all braided lines;
rear tower braces; Emuwing gullwings; 35-inch
tyres; custom bar work built by myself; fourinch snorkel and airbox combo; roof rack with
270-degree Darche awning; LRA long-range
tank; 24V lithium battery system; 12V dualbattery system; and plenty more!
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4x4Australia.com.au
4X4AUSTRALIA.COM.AU
@4X4AUS
@4X4AUSTRALIANMAG
BEN ANDERSON
2021 MITSUBISHI TRITON
Mods include a PIAK Elite front bar, rear bar and side-steps/brush
rails; 9-inch spotties and underbody lighting; Wedgetail platform;
Ironman 4x4 2-inch lift and GVM upgrade; Kuluin Mufflers 3.5inch DPF back exhaust; Rhino lined rear tub; GME UHF; and a
Kenwood head unit upgrade with speakers and sub.
CHRIS DORR
TOYOTA
LANDCRUISER
TROOPCARRIER
This Troopy has travelled 1,200,000km and is
still going today, and it has been the best 4x4 I
have ever owned!
EMMA-LEE COLE
1993 TOYOTA
LANDCRUISER
PRADO VX GRANDE
She is sitting on a constant two-inch lift that
sits around three inches tall. She is equipped
with a roof rack; side awning; high-lift jack;
rear drawer set-up; snorkel and diff breathers;
an RGB light bar; and whips with LED halo
headlights. One of my favourite memories is
when I took the wrong line and got bogged to
my door steps, and my 4x4 ended up a different
colour covered in mud. It wasn’t fun to clean
off!
4x4Australia.com.au
123
THE ESSENTIAL NUMBERS AND PRICES OF EVERY 4X4 ON SALE IN AUSTRALIA
REAR VIEW
4X4 AUSTRALIA LOOKS BACK AT THE CHANGES IN THE INDUSTRY, THE RISE IN
OUTBACK TOURING, THE EVOLUTIONARY SOPHISTICATION OF 4X4S, AND MORE
30 YEARS AGO – MAY 1994
Headlining this issue was an in-depth yarn on
two diesel contenders, the then latest Land Rover
Discovery versus the latest Mitsubishi Pajero,
with our reviewers giving the Pajero the nod.
Other vehicles tested included the Discovery V8
and Isuzu’s top-spec Monterey.
Getting the travel bug itching we enjoyed yarns
the length and breadth of the Northern Territory
with Murray White taking us around the more
remote places surrounding Alice Springs, while
tropical north expert, Dick Eussen, gave us an
in-depth look at the Kakadu region of the Top End.
Meanwhile Craig Lewis wandered along the Old
Andado Track in our monthly trek series. All those
places are still well worth visiting, even though
they would be a little more crowded today.
You have to have a bit of a chuckle over
the GPS units we examined back then; while
they were class leading for the time, now they
wouldn’t even rate. Other technical stuff we
looked at included independent front suspension
systems and how to look after spark plugs. Do
you even have to worry about spark plugs these
days?
20 YEARS AGO – MAY 2004
With our love affair of 4x4 utes just beginning to
explode we took a look at the marketplace and
tested and rated every ute available in Australia.
Back then Ford had the Courier and Holden had
the Rodeo, and while those nameplates are gone
most of the others in the line-up are still around
today, albeit in more powerful, roomier and safer
versions. We also checked out some entry-level
Jeeps, and we were sad to lose our long-term
test vehicle, a top-of-the-line Prado.
Amongst our destination yarns Moonie
continued his journey to the sea driving along
a somewhat treacherous beach to the Victorian
border where the sand became a no-go zone with
a big sign stating such.
In other adventurous stories we explored the
Brindabella Ranges, and took a Holden Adventra
(remember that short-lived model?) along the
Gunbarrel Highway to see if it would make the
journey and return in one piece.
Equipment wise we tested the latest camper
from South Africa, the Oryx, while we went and
saw what work was involved in fitting a turbo to
an old HiLux.
10 YEARS AGO – MAY 2014
With 4x4 utes setting the sales figures alight (even
back then) we compared the three top sellers:
the HiLux SR5, the Triton GLX-R and the Navara
ST-X. While today the HiLux battles it out with the
Ford Ranger for top billing in the sales charts, both
the Triton and the Navara languish well behind. It
shouldn’t come as a surprise either, that the HiLux
took the top spot amongst our tired and road-weary
judges.
Other vehicles we drove and reviewed this issue
included a 79 Series Cruiser-cum-camper, a Toyota
Kluger and a Porsche Macan.
On the tech front we had a look at the Harrop
ELocker, Ride-on tyre sealant, a Sy-Klone precleaner, and Trailblaza Fridge, while Scott Heiman
checked out a range of largish and large knives, ideal
for survival in the jungle or desert.
Talking of deserts, we had a yarn on travelling the
mighty and still super popular Simpson Desert, and
also headed to Cape York with Moonie and Steve
Starling. Farther south we explored the Deua National
Park in southern NSW and the Little River region of
Victoria. Just reading those names gets us wanting to
pack the truck and head out on to the open road!
JUST THE FACTS
RANGER & EVEREST ON TOP
Top-selling 4x4s in March 2024
Source: VFACTS
VEHICLE
1: Ford Ranger
2: Toyota HiLux
3. Ford Everest
4: Isuzu MU-X
5: Isuzu D-MAX
6: Mitsubishi Triton
7: Toyota LC300
8: Mazda BT-50
9: Nissan Navara
10: Toyota LC70
UNITS
5135
3555
2264
1886
1847
1675
1219
1105
993
940
Top-selling 4x4s to March 2024
Source: VFACTS
VEHICLE
1: Ford Ranger
2: Toyota HiLux
3: Isuzu D-MAX
4: Isuzu MU-X
5: Ford Everest
6: Toyota LC300
7: Mitsubishi Triton
8: Toyota Prado
9: Toyota LC70
10: Mazda BT-50
UNITS
14,240
10,920
6382
4854
4499
4260
3920
3210
3133
3104
THE Ford Ranger continues to blitz the sales charts and was Australia’s bestselling overall vehicle in March 2024. A total of 5661 new Rangers (4x4 and
4x2) were sold in in March, placing it well ahead of the Toyota HiLux which sold
3995 units. As a result, the HiLux slipped out of the Top 3 on the sales charts,
falling behind the Toyota RAV4 (5070 sales) and Tesla Model Y (4379 sales).
Even excluding 4x2 variants, the Ranger remains atop the sales charts
with a total of 5135 4x4s sold in March 2024. Specific to the 4x4 charts, it’s
followed by HiLux (3555 sales) and Isuzu D-MAX (1847 sales). Year-to-date, the
Ranger 4x4 has now outsold HiLux 4x4 by 3320 units (14,240 versus 10,920).
In another tick for the blue oval, Ford’s Everest wagon had a stellar month,
selling a total of 2264 units (up 129.8 per cent compared to March 2023).
This result made it the best-selling 4x4 wagon for the month, ahead of the
Isuzu MU-X (1886) and Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series (1219). And, as Toyota
prepares for the launch of its nex-gen Prado, sales of existing Prado stock
continues to decline, with only 446 units sold in March 2024.
Zooming in on the budget offerings, GWM’s Ute sold a total of 774 4x4 units,
placing it ahead of the LDV T60 (446) and SsangYong Musso (306).
At the other end of the market, the RAM 1500 (313) just pipped the
Chevrolet Silverado (309) and Ford F-150 (238).
The total number of sales for Light Commercial Vehicles landed at 23,061
for the month, which was up 1049 units (+4.8 per cent) versus March 2023. As
a result LCVs accounted for 21 per cent share of the total market for March. So
far in 2024 the LCV market has a 22.1 per cent share, with 67,426 units sold.
Breaking it down further, 17,629 4x4 utes (PU/CC) were sold in March 2024,
up from 16,474 sales in March 2023, for a 16.1 per cent slice of the market.
Across the board, the SUV market is up a whopping 20.7 per cent compared
to March 2023; the Passenger Vehicle market is up 2.5 per cent; and the Heavy
Commercial Vehicle market is down by 4.1 per cent.
The strength of the market is unprecedented, with the best-ever firstquarter results for new vehicles (January to March) – a total of 304,452 sales,
representing an increase of 13.2 per cent versus Q1 2023.
“This is a terrific result for the sector; however, all car brands are well aware
that these results cannot be taken for granted,” said FCAI chief executive,
Tony Weber. “We need to factor in the ongoing cost of living pressures and the
challenges for industry and consumers that will emerge with the introduction of
the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) in less than nine months.”
4x4Australia.com.au
125
thescore
4X4 MARKETPLACE
FORD
INEOS www.ineosgrenadier.com/en/au/
5-year/unlimited km www.ford.com.au
GRENADIER
RANGER
Ineos brings back the simple, durable 4x4 vehicle that adventurers and organisations want for serious offroad travel, available with both petrol and diesel powertrains and two-seat (2s) or five-seat (5s) interiors.
The next-gen Ranger took the best-seller crown away from HiLux in 2023. Full-time 4x4 is offered on
all V6 models and the 2.0TD Wildtrak X. There is a price hike across the range this month.
PRICE
ENGINE
TRANS TORQUE
POWER
WEIGHT
LOAD
TOWING
FUEL
Single XL C/C
47,980
BiT4/2.0
A10
500
154
1903
1327
3500
80
Super XL C/C
50,480
BiT4/2.0
A10
500
154
2007
1223
3500
80
Super XL P/U
52,380
BiT4/2.0
A10
500
154
2167
1063
3500
80
Double XL C/C
48,980
SiT4/2.0
A6
405
125
2046
1144
3500
80
Double XL C/C
51,780
BiT4/2.0
A10
500
154
2072
1158
3500
80
Double XL P/U
50,880
SiT4/2.0
A6
405
125
2190
1000
3500
80
Double XL P/U
53,680
BiT4/2.0
A10
500
154
2216
1014
3500
80
PRICE
ENGINE
TRANS
TORQUE
POWER
WEIGHT
LOAD
TOWING
FUEL
Utility wagon 2s
109,000
I6P/3.0
A8
450
210
2618
932
3500
90
Fieldmaster 2s
122,000
I6D/3.0
A8
550
183
2693
857
3500
90
Trialmaster 2s
122,000
I6P/3.0
A8
450
210
2643
907
3500
90
Station wagon 5s
110,000
I6P/3.0
A8
450
210
2643
907
3500
90
Trialmaster 5s
123,000
I6P/3.0
A8
450
210
2643
907
3500
90
Fieldmaster 5s
123,000
I6D/3.0
A8
550
183
2718
832
3500
90
ISUZU UTE
Double XLS P/U
55,430
BiT4/2.0
A10
500
154
2216
1014
3500
80
Super XLT P/U
61,390
BiT4/2.0
A10
500
154
2178
1052
3500
80
D-MAX
Double XLT P/U
63,390
BiT4/2.0
A10
500
154
2225
1005
3500
80
Double XLT C/C
65,690
V6/3.0
A10
600
184
2129
1151
3500
80
D-MAX has cut its links with GM and is an all-Isuzu affair. The latest model is a huge step up with
class-leading safety tech, more power and torque from the 3.0L, and fresh, aggressive styling.
Double XLT P/U
67,590
V6/3.0
A10
600
184
2285
995
3500
80
Double Sport P/U
65,890
BiT4/2.0
A10
500
154
2242
988
3500
80
Double Sport P/U
70,090
V6/3.0
A10
600
184
2300
980
3500
80
Dbl Wildtrak P/U
69,390
BiT4/2.0
A10
500
154
2295
985
3500
80
Dbl Wildtrak P/U
73,590
V6/3.0
A10
600
184
2353
997
3500
80
Dbl Wildtrak X P/U
76,890
BiT4/2.0
A10
500
154
2432
918
3500
80
Dbl Platinum P/U
79,390
V6/3.0
A10
600
184
N/A
N/A
3500
80
Dbl Raptor P/U
89,190
V6P/3.0
A10
583
292
2431
753
2500
80
EVEREST
Second-gen Everest’s four variants are joined by a fifth – the Wildtrak – sitting between Sport and
Platinum and available with the 3.0-litre TDV6 donk. There’s also a price increase for this month.
PRICE
ENGINE
TRANS TORQUE
Ambiente
58,990
L4TD/2.0
A10
Trend
66,790
L4TD/2.0
Sport
720,490
Wildtrak
Platinum
6-year/150,000km
TRANS TORQUE
www.isuzuute.com.au
PRICE
ENGINE
POWER
WEIGHT
LOAD
TOWING
FUEL
SX Single c/c
40,200
I4TD/3.0
M6
450
140
1780
1310
3500
76
SX Single c/c
42,200
I4TD/3.0
A6
450
140
1790
1310
3500
76
SX Space c/c
43,700
I4TD/3.0
M6
450
140
1850
1250
3500
76
SX Space c/c
45,700
I4TD/3.0
A6
450
140
1860
1240
3500
76
LS-M Crew c/c
53,800
I4TD/3.0
A6
450
140
2030
1070
3500
76
LS-U Crew c/c
59,500
I4TD/3.0
A6
450
140
1970
1130
3500
76
LS-U Space p/u
58,000
I4TD/3.0
A6
450
140
2000
1100
3500
76
SX Crew c/c
48,700
I4TD/3.0
A6
450
140
1910
1190
3500
76
SX Crew p/u
49,900
I4TD/3.0
A6
450
140
2035
1065
3500
76
LS-M Crew p/u
53,300
I4TD/3.0
A6
450
140
2030
1070
3500
76
LS-U Crew p/u
59,000
I4TD/3.0
A6
450
140
2045
1055
3500
76
LS-U+ Crew p/u
63,500
I4TD/3.0
A6
450
140
2115
985
3500
76
X-Terrain Crew p/u
67,500
I4TD/3.0
A6
450
140
2130
970
3500
76
POWER
WEIGHT
LOAD
TOWING
FUEL
500
154
2367
733
3500
80
A10
500
154
2383
717
3500
80
V6TD/3.0
A10
600
184
2454
696
3500
80
74,704
V6TD/3.0
A10
600
184
2488
662
3500
80
MU-X
79,490
V6TD/3.0
A10
600
184
2492
658
3500
80
Isuzu’s seven-seat wagon based on the D-MAX ute underpinnings, but with a smooth-riding coilspring rear suspension. Uses Isuzu’s respected 3.0-litre TD engine.
F150
Ford Australia has brought the F150 back to our shores with two models available in two wheelbases.
The long wheelbase adds $995 to the price and also gets you a longer cargo bed.
PRICE
ENGINE
POWER
WEIGHT
LOAD
TOWING
FUEL
XLT
106,950
V6TP/3.5
A10
678
298
2451
769
4500
136
Lariat
139,950
V6TP/3.5
A10
678
298
2555
710
4500
136
GWM
TRANS TORQUE
LS-M
LS-U
LS-T
JEEP
Formerly Great Wall but now calling itself GWM, the brand's latest Ute is available in double-cab and cabchassis configurations – all with the 2.0-litre engine and eight-speed auto.
TRANS TORQUE
Cannon
38,990*
L4TD/2.0
A8
Cannon C/C
39,990*
L4TD/2.0
Cannon-L
42,490*
L4TD/2.0
Cannon-L C/C
43,490*
Cannon X
TRANS TORQUE
A6
A6
A6
450
450
450
POWER
WEIGHT
LOAD
TOWING
FUEL
140
140
140
2092
2142
2157
658
608
593
3500
3500
3500
80
80
80
5-year/unlimited km www.jeep.com.au
JL Wrangler has true off-road credentials and great versatility. In Rubicon-spec, the Wrangler is an
absolute off-road weapon.
UTE
ENGINE
ENGINE
L4TD/3.0
L4TD/3.0
L4TD/3.0
WRANGLER
7-year/unlimited km www.gmwute.com.au
PRICE
PRICE
54,900
61,400
65,900
Rubicon (2D)
PRICE
ENGINE
83,950
I4TP/2.0
TRANS TORQUE
A8
400
POWER
WEIGHT
LOAD
TOWING
FUEL
200
1762
551
1497
81
POWER
WEIGHT
LOAD
TOWING
FUEL
400
120
N/A
1050
3000
75
A8
400
120
N/A
1130
3000
75
A8
400
120
N/A
1050
3000
75
GRAND CHEROKEE
L4TD/2.0
A8
400
120
N/A
1130
3000
75
Jeep’s fifth-gen Grand Cherokee five-seater runs a grunty V6 petrol engine across most models, with
a PHEV powerplant available on the new 4xe variant.
45,490*
L4TD/2.0
A8
400
120
N/A
1050
3000
75
Vanta
46,490*
L4TD/2.0
A8
400
120
N/A
1050
3000
75
Night Eagle
77,950
V6/3.6
A8
344
210
2167
N/A
2813
87
Cannon-XSR
52,990*
L4TD/2.0
A8
400
120
N/A
N/A
N/A
75
Limited
83,950
V6/3.6
A8
344
210
2167
N/A
2813
87
Overland (4D)
84,950
I4TP/2.0
A8
400
200
1900
560
2495
81
Rubicon (4D)
90,450
I4TP/2.0
A8
400
200
1992
570
2495
81
PRICE
ENGINE
TRANS TORQUE
POWER
WEIGHT
LOAD
TOWING
FUEL
TANK 300
Overland
98,450
V6/3.6
A8
344
210
2167
N/A
2813
87
The Tank 300’s duo of 2.0-litre petrol-electric hybrid versions are now joined by two 2.0-litre petrol-only
powered rigs at significantly lower asking prices.
Summit Res. 4xe
129,950
L4PHY/2.0
A8
637
280
2536
N/A
2722
72
PRICE
ENGINE
TRANS TORQUE
Tank 300 Lux
46,990
L4TP/2.0
A8
Tank 300 Ultra
50,990
L4TP/2.0
Tank 300 Lux H
55,990
L4HY/2.0
Tank 300 Ultra H
60,990
L4HY/2.0
GRAND CHEROKEE L
POWER
WEIGHT
LOAD
TOWING
FUEL
380
162
2155
N/A
2500
75
A8
380
162
2155
N/A
2500
75
A9
640
224
2331
N/A
2500
75
Night Eagle
82,750
V6/3.6
A8
344
210
2190
N/A
2813
87
A9
640
224
2331
N/A
2500
75
Limited
88,750
V6/3.6
A8
344
210
2190
N/A
2813
87
Overland
103,250
V6/3.6
A8
344
210
2270
N/A
2813
87
Summit Reserve
119,450
V6/3.6
A8
344
210
2270
N/A
2813
87
GMSV www.gmspecialtyvehicles.com.au
The seven-seat Grand Cherokee runs V6 petrol power exclusively. Four variants on offer, with Overland and Summit Reserve featuring Jeep's Quadra-Lift air suspension.
PRICE
ENGINE
TRANS TORQUE
POWER
WEIGHT
LOAD
TOWING
FUEL
CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500
GLADIATOR
For 2023 Chevrolet dropped the previous entry-level model, the LT Trail Boss. A new hero ZR2 model is
now positioned at the top of the two-model range. Both powered by a 6.2-litre petrol V8.
Jeep's double-cab pick-up comes in two spec levels, with the Pentastar V6 and 8-speed auto in both.
The Night Eagle is the entry level while the Rubicon is the better equipped off-roader.
PRICE
ENGINE
TRANS
TORQUE
POWER
WEIGHT
LOAD
TOWING
PRICE
ENGINE
POWER
WEIGHT
LOAD
TOWING
FUEL
Night Eagle
78,250
V6/3.6P
A8
347
209
2104
693
2721
83
Rubicon
87,250
V6/3.6P
A8
347
209
2215
693
2721
83
FUEL
LTZ Premium
130,500*
V8/6.2
A10
624
313
2543
757
4500
91
ZR2
138,000*
V8/6.2
A10
624
313
2583
717
4200
91
TRANS TORQUE
LAND ROVER www.landrover.com.au
DEFENDER 90
Defender 90 range closely mimics the 110 wagon range but in a shorter three-door wagon body. Right
from the four-cylinder petrol motors, through the various diesels, and up to the stonking V8.
PRICE
ENGINE
TRANS TORQUE
D90 P300
$80,540
I4/2.0P
A8
D90 S P300
$88,870
I4/2.0P
D90 S D250
$96,170
D90 SE P400
P530 LWB 7s A/B
330,400
V8/4.4
A8
750
390
N/A
N/A
3500
90
P615 SV
385,100
V8/4.4
A8
750
452
N/A
N/A
3500
90
P615 LWB SV
432,050
V8/4.4
A8
750
452
N/A
N/A
3500
90
LDV
POWER
WEIGHT
LOAD
TOWING
FUEL
400
221
2074
N/A
3500
90
T60
A8
400
221
2074
N/A
3500
90
I6/3.0D
A8
570
183
2303
667
3500
89
Chinese ute brings five-star safety to the budget-priced dual-cab segment. Revamped in 2021, with the
Pro variants bringing more power and redesigned front-end.
$110,870
I6/3.0P
A8
550
294
2141
N/A
3500
90
D90 X P400
$146,920
I6/3.0P
A8
550
294
2141
N/A
3500
90
D90 P525
$220,020
V8/5.0P
A8
625
386
2470
N/A
3000
90
7-year/200,000km www.ldvautomotive.com.au
PRICE
ENGINE
Max Pro (manual)
41,042
I4/2.0
M6
Max Pro (auto)
43,148
I4/2.0
A8
Max Luxe (manual)
45,780
I4/2.0
DEFENDER 110
Max Luxe (auto)
47,884
A Defender by name only. The new wagon from Land Rover is all-new and shares nothing with its
predecessor. Still a bare-bones 4x4 with plenty of ability, just now wearing a shiny new suit.
Mega Tub
49,463
PRICE
ENGINE
TRANS TORQUE
POWER
WEIGHT
LOAD
TOWING
FUEL
P300 S
91,270
I4/2.0P
A8
400
221
N/A
N/A
3500
90
P400 S
97,970
I6/3.0P
A8
550
294
N/A
N/A
3500
90
D300 SE
106,720
I6/3.0D
A8
650
220
N/A
N/A
3500
90
P400 SE
114,120
I6/3.0P
A8
550
294
N/A
N/A
3500
90
P400 HSE
128,370
I6/3.0P
A8
550
294
N/A
N/A
3500
90
D300 HSE
121,520
I6/3.0D
A8
650
220
N/A
N/A
3500
90
D300 X
148,420
I6/3.0D
A8
650
220
N/A
N/A
3500
90
P400 X
150,620
I6/3.0P
A8
550
294
N/A
N/A
3500
90
P400e SE
126,275
I4PH/2.0P
A8
640
297
N/A
N/A
3500
90
P400e HSE
137,975
I4PH/2.0P
A8
640
297
N/A
N/A
3500
90
P525 V8
224,970
V8/5.0P
A8
625
386
N/A
N/A
3500
90
DEFENDER 130
LEXUS
POWER
WEIGHT
LOAD
TOWING
FUEL
500
160
N/A
935
3000
73
500
160
N/A
925
3000
73
M6
500
160
N/A
935
3000
73
I4/2.0
A8
500
160
2900
925
3000
73
I4/2.0
A8
500
160
N/A
N/A
3000
73
5-year/unlimited www.lexus.com.au
LX
Now with two powerplant options – the diesel is a trick twin-turbo V6; the petrol is rorty, if not as glorious as the previous-gen V8 – and improved dynamics, this is now capital “L” for luxury with bite.
LX500
LX500 SL
LX500 SL (7-seat)
LX500 F Sport
LX600
LX600 SL
LX600 SL (7-seat)
LX600 F Sport
LX600 Ultra Lux
PRICE
ENGINE
TRANS
TORQUE
POWER
WEIGHT
LOAD
TOWING
FUEL
151,561
168,561
171,161
174,561
155,061
172,061
175,861
178,061
213,561
V6TTD/3.3
V6TTD/3.3
V6TTD/3.3
V6TTD/3.3
V6TTP/3.5
V6TTP/3.5
V6TTP/3.5
V6TTP/3.5
V6TTP/3.5
A10
A10
A10
A10
A10
A10
A10
A10
A10
700
700
700
700
650
650
650
650
650
227
227
227
227
305
305
305
305
305
2690
2690
2690
2690
2660
2660
2660
2660
2660
TBC
TBC
TBC
TBC
TBC
TBC
TBC
TBC
TBC
3500
3500
3500
3500
3500
3500
3500
3500
3500
80
80
80
80
110
110
110
110
110
MAHINDRA
The largest-ever Defender is here and brings with it a lot more rear cargo space, along with some
sweet powerplant options for this biggest of Brit off-roaders.
TRANS TORQUE
TRANS TORQUE
PRICE
ENGINE
POWER
WEIGHT
LOAD
TOWING
FUEL
D300 X-Dyna SE
126,670
I6/3.0D
A8
650
220
N/A
N/A
3500
90
P400 Outbound
136,870
I6/3.0P
A8
550
294
N/A
N/A
3500
90
P500
240,270
V8/5.0P
A8
610
368
N/A
N/A
3500
90
5-year/unlimited www.mahindra.com.au
PIK-UP
Now dual-cab only and still with the option of tub or no tub, this tough and reliable farm truck is proving popular out bush and is good bang for your workhorse bucks.
Dual Cab
PRICE
ENGINE
TRANS
TORQUE
POWER
WEIGHT
LOAD
TOWING
FUEL
39,990*
L4TD/2.2
A6
330
103
1940
1210
2500
80
DISCOVERY
SCORPIO
Land Rover Discovery combines excellent on-road dynamics with impressive off-road capability.
Strong performance comes courtesy of state-of-the-art four-cylinder and V6 turbo-diesel engines.
It may be missing some key safety technology, but the Scorpio six-seater isn’t just a good value-formoney package, it’s a good rig overall.
PRICE
ENGINE
TRANS TORQUE
POWER
WEIGHT
LOAD
TOWING
FUEL
D300 S Dynamic
108,670
I6TD/3.0
A8
PRICE
ENGINE
POWER
WEIGHT
LOAD
TOWING
FUEL
650
221
2109
831
3500
89
Z8
41,990*
L4TD/2.2
A6
400
129
1900
525
2500
D300 SE Dynamic
122,920
I6TD/3.0
57
A8
650
221
2236
814
3500
89
Z8L
45,990*
L4TD/2.2
A6
400
129
2100
510
2500
D300 HSE Dynam
129,020
57
I6TD/3.0
A8
650
221
2236
814
3500
89
P360 S RDynamic
105,200
I6TP/3.0
A8
500
265
2236
814
3500
89
D360 SE Dynamic
122,070
I6TP/3.0
A8
500
265
2236
814
3500
89
D360 HSE Dynam
128,220
I6TP/3.0
A8
500
265
2236
814
3500
89
TRANS TORQUE
*This is a nationwide drive-away price, not a list price, and includes on-roads.
MAZDA
5-year/unlimited km www.mazda.com.au
BT-50
RANGE ROVER SPORT
The BT-50 has stepped away from its Ford roots, as Mazda partnered with Isuzu for the new
model. That means Isuzu powertrains and class-leading safety wrapped in a svelte Mazda skin.
There are six Rangie Sport models to choose from in this latest incarnation, with both the diesel (in three
different outputs), and petrol powerplants featuring mild-hybrid tech.
POWER
WEIGHT
LOAD
TOWING
FUEL
350
110
1935
1165
3500
76
M6
450
140
1186
3500
76
I4TD/3.0
A6
450
140
1186
3500
76
46,870
I4TD/3.0
M6
450
140
1135
3500
76
49,953
I4TD/3.0
A6
450
140
1135
3500
76
Dual XT c/c
51,960
I4TD/3.0
A6
450
140
1096
3500
76
RANGE ROVER
Dual XT c/c
49,460
I4TD/3.0
M6
450
140
1106
3500
76
Bespoke personalisation and new hybrid powertrains herald in revised Range Rover line-up.
Dual XT p/u
52,580
I4TD/3.0
M6
450
140
1095
3500
76
Dual XT p/u
55,080
I4TD/3.0
A6
450
140
1090
3500
76
Dual XTR c/c
57,730
I4TD./.0
A6
450
140
1190
3500
76
Dual XTR p/u
56,630
I4TD/3.0
M6
450
140
1080
3500
76
Dual XTR p/u
60,623
I4TD/3.0
A6
450
140
1070
3500
76
Dual GT p/u
57,090
I4TD/3.0
M6
450
140
1075
3500
76
Dual GT p/u
62,510
I4TD/3.0
A6
450
140
1065
3500
76
Dual SP p/u
63,090
I4TD/3.0
M6
450
140
2198
902
3500
76
Dual SP p/u
68,510
I4TD/3.0
A6
450
140
2208
892
3500
76
Dual Thunder p/u
73,945
I4TD/3.0
A6
450
140
2213
887
3500
76
PRICE
ENGINE
TRANS TORQUE
D250 SE
157,046
I6TD/3.0
A8
D300 SE Dynamic
170,116
I6TD/3.0
D350 HSE Dyn
188,966
D350 Autobio
213,851
P460 SE Dynamic
P460 HSE Dyn
PRICE
ENGINE
Dual XS p/u
52,930
I4TD/1.9
A6
80
Single XT c/c
43,370
I4TD/3.0
3500
80
Single XT c/c
46,733
3500
80
Extra XT c/c
720
3500
71
Extra XT c/c
720
3500
71
POWER
WEIGHT
LOAD
TOWING
FUEL
600
183
2390
830
3500
80
A8
650
221
2390
830
3500
I6TD/3.0
A8
700
258
2435
785
I6TD/3.0
A8
700
225
2435
830
194,060
I6P/3.0
A8
660
338
2730
203,355
I6P/3.0
A8
660
338
2730
PRICE
ENGINE
TRANS TORQUE
POWER
WEIGHT
LOAD
TOWING
FUEL
D350 HSE
250,350
I6/3.0
A8
700
258
N/A
N/A
3500
80
P460e HSE
254,516
I6e/3.0
A8
660
338
N/A
N/A
3000
72
P460e LWB HSE
263,100
I6e/3.0
A8
660
338
N/A
N/A
3000
72
P530 HSE
282,500
V8/4.4
A8
750
390
N/A
N/A
3500
90
P460e A/B
286,850
I6e/3.0
A8
660
338
N/A
N/A
3000
72
D350 A/B
289,700
I6/3.0
A8
700
258
N/A
N/A
3500
80
P460e LWB A/B
290,750
I6e/3.0
A8
660
338
N/A
N/A
3000
72
D350 LWB A/B
295,400
I6/3.0
A8
700
258
N/A
N/A
3500
80
D350 LWB 7s A/B
296,900
I6/3.0
A8
700
258
N/A
N/A
3500
80
P530 A/B
322,750
V8/4.4
A8
750
390
N/A
N/A
3500
90
P530 LWB A/B
328,750
V8/4.4
A8
750
390
N/A
N/A
3500
90
TRANS TORQUE
1910
thescore
4X4 MARKETPLACE
MERCEDES
3-year/200,000km www.mercedes-benz.com.au
G-CLASS
With triple diff locks, long-travel coil suspension and rugged construction, Merc’s Gelandewagen is offroad heritage writ large. Unfortunately, so is the price tag on an updated 30-year-old design.
PRICE
ENGINE
TRANS TORQUE
POWER
WEIGHT
LOAD
TOWING
FUEL
G63 AMG
259,600
V8/4.0
A9
850
430
2560
640
3500
100
G400d
233,776
I6/2.9
A9
700
243
2489
661
3500
112
MITSUBISHI
Dual SL p/u
47,350
L4TD/2.3
M6
450
140
1823
1087
3500
80
Dual SL p/u
47,550
L4TD/2.3
A7
450
140
1928
982
3500
80
Dual ST-X p/u
55,945
L4TD/2.3
M6
450
140
1917
993
3500
80
Dual ST-X p/u
58,270
L4TD/2.3
A7
450
140
1921
989
3500
80
Dual SL Warrior
58,750
L4TD/2.3
A7
450
140
2169
1081
3500
80
PRO-4X
58,905
L4TD/2.3
M6
450
140
2186
724
3500
80
PRO-4X Warrior
68,265
L4TD/2.3
A7
450
140
2151
1019
3500
80
RAM
RAM 1500
7-year/150,000km www.mitsubishi-motors.com.au
You'll find Ram trucks here from various importers, but the official distributor is Ram Trucks Australia.
Currently selling the DT Ram 1500.
PAJERO SPORT
Pajero Sport replaced the Challenger in Mitsubishi’s 4x4 range. It’s still on a Triton ute chassis but with
rear coils under the back and bespoke bodywork. 2020 refresh added Dynamic Shield front end.
PRICE
ENGINE
TRANS TORQUE
POWER
WEIGHT
LOAD
TOWING
FUEL
GLX (5-seat)
49,940
L4TD/2.4
A8
430
133
2145
630
3100
68
GLS (7s)
55,190
L4TD/2.4
A8
430
133
2195
580
3100
68
GLS Deluxe (7s)
57,440
L4TD/2.4
A8
430
133
2204
571
3100
68
Exceed (7s)
60,690
L4TD/2.4
A8
430
133
2209
566
3100
68
GSR (7s)
62,440
L4TD/2.4
A8
430
133
2209
566
3100
68
PRICE
ENGINE
POWER
WEIGHT
LOAD
TOWING
FUEL
Express
98,950
V8P/5.7
A8
556
291
2620
830
4500
121
Warlock
109,950
V8P/5.7
A8
556
291
2630
820
4500
98
Laramie
137,950
V8P/5.7
A8
556
291
2617
833
4500
98
Laramie Sport
141,950
V8P/5.7
A8
556
291
2671
779
4500
98
Limited
153,950
V8P/5.7
A8
556
291
2749
701
4500
98
TRX
209,950
V8P/6.2
A8
882
523
3033
767
3500
125
MR Triton consists of a four-model line-up that tops out with the GSR. All models get a 2.4-litre,
turbocharged diesel engine with a six-speed transmission.
ENGINE
GLX Single c/c
33,240
L4TD/2.4
GLX Single c/c
37,490
GLX Club c/c
39,940
GLX ADAS Club c/c
TRANS TORQUE
The 2500 is the first of the heavy duty Ram models and is only available in Laramie specification in
Australia. Powered by the Cummins in-line six, the 2500 is a torque monster and towing champion.
2500 Laramie
POWER
WEIGHT
LOAD
TOWING
FUEL
TRANS TORQUE
RAM 2500
TRITON
PRICE
3-year/100,000 km www.ramtrucks.com.au
PRICE
ENGINE
172,950
I6d/6.7
TRANS TORQUE
A6
1152
POWER
WEIGHT
LOAD
TOWING
FUEL
276
3660
835
4500
117
RAM 3500
The 1500 is the standard model while the 2500 and 3500 Rams are the Heavy Duty versions packing HD
drivelines, Cummins diesel engines and huge lowing capacities. New HD models also coming soon.
M6
430
133
1660
1235
3000
75
L4TD/2.4
A6
430
133
1665
1235
3000
75
L4TD/2.4
M6
430
133
1765
1135
3000
75
39,040
L4TD/2.4
A6
430
133
1780
1120
3000
75
GLX Dual c/c
41,440
L4TD/2.4
M6
430
133
1795
1105
3100
75
SSANGYONG
GLX ADAS Dual c/c
39,790
L4TD/2.4
A6
430
133
1795
1105
3100
75
MUSSO
GLX+ Club p/u
45,440
L4TD/2.4
A6
430
133
1930
970
3100
75
GLX Dual p/u
37,490
L4TD/2.4
M6
430
133
1920
980
3100
75
Thrifty South Korean dual-cab has been reborn with more subdued styling and an unbeatable warranty.
XLV variant adds segment-topping tray length to the line-up’s killer pricing.
GLX Dual p/u
44,690
L4TD/2.4
A6
430
133
1920
980
3100
75
GLX ADAS Dual p/u
38,540
L4TD/2.4
M6
430
133
1951
949
3100
75
GLX ADAS Dual p/u
41,040
L4TD/2.4
A6
430
133
1956
944
3100
75
GLX+ Dual p/u
44,940
L4TD/2.4
M6
430
133
1915
985
3100
75
GLX+ Dual p/u
43,490
L4TD/2.4
A6
430
133
1915
985
3100
75
GLX-R
41,990
L4TD/2.4
M6
430
133
N/A
N/A
3100
75
GLX-R
47,940
L4TD/2.4
A6
430
133
N/A
N/A
3100
75
GLS Dual p/u
45,440
L4TD/2.4
M6
430
133
1935
965
3100
75
GLS Dual p/u
49,690
L4TD/2.4
A6
430
133
1935
965
3100
75
REXTON
GLS Premium
52,790
L4TD/2.4
A6
430
133
2042
848
3100
75
The South Korean manufacturer’s large wagon now has three variants and a smooth-shifting eightspeed auto gear box. It is loaded with kit and comes with a lean price tag.
GSR
56,940
L4TD/2.4
A6
430
133
1999
901
3100
75
NISSAN
EX
EX
ELX
Ultimate
ELX XLV
ELX XLV
Ultimate XLV
Ultimate Luxury
Ult. Luxury XLV
ELX
Adventure
Ultimate
Ultimate Sport
5-year/unlimited km www.nissan.com.au
PATROL Y62
In a segment that drinks diesel, top-spec Patrol is available in V8-petrol guise only. Fully independent
suspension is backed by electronic traction aids. Updated model launched late in 2019.
TRANS TORQUE
Laramie Crew
PRICE
ENGINE
POWER
WEIGHT
LOAD
TOWING
FUEL
Ti
Ti-L
84,900
97,600
V8/5.6
V8/5.6
A7
A7
560
560
298
298
2812
2708
688
746
3500
3500
140
140
PRO-4X Warrior
101,160
V8/5.6
A7
560
289
2884
736
3500
140
NAVARA D23
ENGINE
177,950
I6TD/6.7
PRICE
ENGINE
$30,490
$32,490
$40,000
$45,000
$33,990
$41,500
$46,500
48,000
49,500
L4TD/2.2
L4TD/2.2
L4TD/2.2
L4TD/2.2
L4TD/2.2
L4TD/2.2
L4TD/2.2
L4TD/2.2
L4TD/2.2
PRICE
ENGINE
50,000
54,000
58,000
60,000
L4TD/2.2
L4TD/2.2
L4TD/2.2
L4TD/2.2
SUZUKI
TRANS TORQUE
A6
1152
400
400
400
400
400
400
400
400
400
TRANS TORQUE
A8
A8
A8
A8
WEIGHT
LOAD
TOWING
FUEL
276
3596
1713
6170*
132
7-year/unlimited km www.ssangyong.com.au
TRANS TORQUE
M6
A6
A6
A6
M6
A6
A6
A6
A6
POWER
441
441
441
441
POWER
WEIGHT
LOAD
TOWING
FUEL
133
133
133
133
133
133
133
133
133
2177
2192
2192
2192
2160
2170
2170
2170
2170
703
688
688
688
1025
1025
880
880
880
3500
3500
3500
3500
3500
3500
3500
3500
3500
75
75
75
75
75
75
75
75
75
POWER
WEIGHT
LOAD
TOWING
FUEL
148
148
148
148
2233
2233
2233
2233
727
727
727
727
3500
3500
3500
3500
70
70
70
70
3-year/100,000km www.suzuki.com.au
JIMNY
Pint-sized cult classic returns in fourth-gen guise. Live axles front and rear and retro styling means it
will remain a favourite on the off-road scene.
3-door Hardtop
3-door Hardtop
The latest iteration of Nissan's D23 Navara ute range arrives with a bolder look and a revised line-up.
Pro-4X Warrior has to be the best navara produced ever!.
PRICE
PRICE
ENGINE
28,490
29,990
L4/1.5
L4/1.5
TOYOTA
TRANS TORQUE
M5
A4
130
130
POWER
WEIGHT
LOAD
TOWING
FUEL
75
75
1095
1110
340
325
1300
1300
40
40
5-year/unlimited km www.toyota.com.au
Single SL c/c
45,550
L4TD/2.3
M6
403
120
1614
1296
3500
80
King SL c/c
46,550
L4TD/2.3
A7
403
120
1727
1183
3500
80
PRADO
King ST-X p/u
58,445
L4TD/2.3
A7
450
140
1908
1002
3500
80
The 150 Prado has been Australia's best-selling 4x4 wagon for the better part of 10 years. In late 2020 it
copped a welcome power/torque upgrade. An all-new replacement is on the way in 2024.
King SL p/u
48,350
L4TD/2.3
A7
450
140
1941
969
3500
80
King ST-X p/u
58,445
L4TD/2.3
A7
450
140
1944
966
3500
80
80
Dual SL c/c
128
45,550
L4TD/2.3
4x4Australia.com.au
M6
403
120
1759
1147
3500
PRICE
ENGINE
TRANS TORQUE
GX
62,830
I4TD/2.8
A6
GXL
69,530
I4TD/2.8
A6
POWER
WEIGHT
LOAD
TOWING
FUEL
500
150
2150
835
3000
150
500
150
2325
665
3000
150
VX
76,848
I4TD/2.8
A6
500
150
2435
555
3000
150
Kakadu
87,468
L4TD/2.8
A6
500
150
2435
555
3000
150
VOLKSWAGEN
5-year/unlimited km www.volkswagen.com.au
AMAROK
FORTUNER
The second-gen Amarok shares much of its underpinnings with the next-gen Ford Ranger. Four engines
are on offer in the line-up including the V6 shared with the Ford, as well as a 2.3-litre petrol.
Toyota’s HiLux-based seven-seat wagon competes with Ford Everest, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport and Isuzu
MU-X. Smaller than a Prado but still a proper 4x4 wagon.
PRICE
ENGINE
TRANS TORQUE
GX
53,775
I4TD/2.8
A6
GXL
58,895
I4TD/2.8
A6
Crusade
66,755
I4TD/2.8
A6
POWER
WEIGHT
LOAD
TOWING
FUEL
500
150
2175
625
3100
80
500
150
2185
615
3100
80
500
150
2190
610
3100
80
LAND CRUISER 300 SERIES
It's out with the V8s and in with an all-new V6 diesel engine in the new 300 Series Land Cruiser. There
are now six models in the range including the new GR Sport and Sahara ZX models.
PRICE
ENGINE
TRANS TORQUE
POWER
WEIGHT
LOAD
–TOWING
FUEL
GX
94,301
V6TD/3.3L
A10
700
227
2495
785
3500
110
GXL
106,101
V6TD/3.3L
A10
700
227
2580
700
3500
110
VX
118,301
Sahara
135,501
V6TD/3.3L
A10
700
227
2630
650
3500
110
V6TD/3.3L
A10
700
227
2630
650
3500
110
GR Sport
142,101
V6TD/3.3L
A10
700
227
2630
650
3500
110
Sahara ZX
143,101
V6TD/3.3L
A10
700
227
2610
670
3500
110
LAND CRUISER 70
PRICE
ENGINE
TRANS TORQUE
POWER
WEIGHT
LOAD
TOWING
TDI405 Core
50,990
L4TD/2.0
M6
405
125
2185
1065
3500
80
TDI405 Core
52,990
L4TD/2.0
A6
405
125
2208
1042
3500
80
TDI500 Life 2.0
56,990
L4TD/2.0
A10
500
154
2242
988
3500
80
TDI500 Style
66,990
L4TD/2.0
A10
500
154
2271
1009
3500
80
TDI600 Style
70,990
V6TD/3.0
A10
600
184
2319
1031
3500
80
TDI600 PanAm
75,990
V6TD/3.0
A10
600
184
2319
1031
3500
80
TDI600 Aventura
79,990
V6TD/3.0
A10
600
184
2332
858
3500
80
TSI452 Aventura
79,990
L4P/2.3
A8
452
222
2228
872
3500
80
2024 JAC T9 PRICING
MODEL Price
JAC9 OASIS $42,662
JAC9 HAVEN $45,630
Prices exclude on-road costs
The 70 Series Cruiser’s torquey TDV8 makes it a load-hauler extraordinaire. Available as long-wheelbase
Troopie or five-door, mid-wheelbase wagon.
PRICE
ENGINE
POWER
WEIGHT
LOAD
TOWING
FUEL
WorkMate Troopy
74,950
V8TD/4.5
TRANS TORQUE
M5
430
151
2320
980
3500
180
GXL Troopy
78,150
V8TD/4.5
M5
430
151
2335
965
3500
180
WorkMate wagon
71,000
V8TD/4.5
M5
430
151
2220
780
3500
90
GXL Wagon
75,100
V8TD/4.5
M5
430
151
2190
810
3500
90
LAND CRUISER 70 CAB-CHASSIS
With its TDV8 powerplant, the Land Cruiser ute is better than ever. Optional Toyota diff locks make it
super-capable off-road.
PRICE
ENGINE
POWER
WEIGHT
LOAD
TOWING
FUEL
WorkMate single c/c
72,550
V8TD/4.5
TRANS TORQUE
M5
430
151
2045
1003
3500
180
GX single c/c
74,550
V8TD/4.5
M5
430
151
2010
1013
3500
180
GXL single c/c
76,650
V8TD/4.5
M5
430
151
2020
1023
3500
180
LAND CRUISER 79 DOUBLE CAB
Tough-as-nails and with room for five, the LC79 dual-cab has the same V8 manual torque and difflock option as other 70s to make for an almost unstoppable off-road workhorse.
PRICE
ENGINE
TRANS TORQUE
WorkMate dual c/c
75,100
V8TD/4.5
M5
GXL dual c/c
79,200
V8TD/4.5
M5
POWER
WEIGHT
LOAD
TOWING
FUEL
430
151
2205
900
3500
130
430
151
2215
900
3500
130
–
HILUX
The N80 Hilux with a new 2.8-litre engine, six-speed transmissions and a beefed-up towing capacity.
A facelift and more power for the 2021 model adds to its appeal.
PRICE
ENGINE
TRANS TORQUE
POWER
WEIGHT
LOAD
TOWING
FUEL
W'Mate Single c/c
40,965
I4TD/2.4
M6
W'Mate Extra c/c
46,665
I4TD/2.4
A6
400
110
1775
1225
3200
80
400
110
1890
1110
3000
W'Mate Dual c/c
48,735
I4TD/2.4
80
A6
400
110
1915
1085
3000
80
W'Mate Dual p/u
48,235
W'Mate Dual p/u
48,790
I4TD/2.4
M6
400
110
2045
955
3200
80
I4TD/2.4
A6
400
110
2045
955
3000
80
SR Single c/c
SR Single c/c
44,035
I4TD/2.8
M6
420
150
1795
1205
3500
80
44,590
I4TD/2.8
A6
500
150
1795
1205
3200
80
SR Extra c/c
48,695
I4TD/2.8
M6
420
150
1890
1110
3500
80
SR Extra c/c
48,250
I4TD/2.8
A6
500
150
1895
1155
3200
80
SR Dual c/c
48,510
I4TD/2.8
M6
420
150
1955
1045
3500
80
SR Dual c/c
50,660
I4TD/2.8
A6
500
150
1955
1045
3200
80
SR Dual p/u
52,455
I4TD/2.8
M6
420
150
2050
950
3500
80
SR Dual p/u
52,010
I4TD/2.8
A6
500
150
2045
955
3200
80
SR5 Extra p/u
59,970
I4TD/2.8
A6
500
150
2045
1005
3200
80
SR5 Dual p/u
57,920
I4TD/2.8
M6
420
150
2040
960
3500
80
SR5 Dual p/u
60,490
I4TD/2.8
A6
500
150
2045
955
3200
80
Rogue Dual p/u
70,760
I4TD/2.8
A6
500
150
2174
826
3200
80
Rugged X Dual p/u
69,990
I4TD/2.8
A6
500
150
2252
748
3200
80
GR Sport
73,990
I4TD/2.8
A6
550
165
N/A
N/A
3500
80
FUEL
JAC OUT OF THE BOX
THE 2024 JAC T9 four-wheel-drive has arrived in Australia as another budgetfocused ute entrant.
JAC Motors – short for Jianghuai Automobile Group – is a Chinese brand,
which has launched in the Australian market with the T9 ute via a new thirdparty distributor, LTS Auto.
It is available in two variants, which are priced between $42,662 before
on-road costs for the base ‘Oasis’ and $45,630 before on-road costs for the
top-of-the-range ‘Haven’.
Under the bonnet, the JAC T9 features a 125kW-410Nm 2.0-litre singleturbo four-cylinder matched to an eight-speed automatic and a part-time
four-wheel-drive system. It has a 3.5-tonne braked towing capacity.
Fuel consumption is rated at 7.6L/100km on the combined cycle with a
76-litre fuel tank, allowing for a theoretical 1000km range.
Standard equipment for the JAC T9 Oasis includes 18-inch alloy wheels,
highway tyres, a 10.4-inch infotainment system, six speakers, Apple CarPlay
and Android Auto, DAB+ digital radio, keyless entry and push-button start, and
a wireless phone charger.
The Oasis is also equipped with exterior LED lights, black leather-accented
upholstery, a 7-inch digital instrument cluster, a cooled or heated centre
console, rain-sensing wipers and tyre pressure monitoring.
Active safety features include forward and reverse autonomous
emergency, lane-keep assist, lane-departure warning, lane-change assist,
blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, traffic-sign recognition, a driver
monitoring system, and adaptive cruise control with traffic-jam assist.
All variants have seven airbags, including a front-centre airbag. It is
understood that JAC is aiming for a five-star ANCAP safety rating.
All JAC models will be covered by a seven-year/unlimited-kilometre
warranty. The brand will also offer roadside assistance and capped-price
servicing coverage, though exact details haven’t been confirmed.
Customer deliveries of the 2024 JAC T9 four-wheel-drive ute will
commence in Australia around May or June.
4x4Australia.com.au
129
PARTING
PIC
SEND TO OUR FB PAGE: @4X4AUS
We all have that one mate who manages to get in to
strife on every 4x4 trip, whether they are the first one
to get bogged, roll the car or just get lost. Well, here’s
your chance to show the world their embarrassing
predicaments and give yourself a chance to win a
$300 voucher for MAXTRAX recovery gear.
CAUGHT UP
AT K’GARI
DAVID
BEARMAN
> K’GARI (FRASER ISLAND)
David Bearman was touring the
majestic K’gari (Fraser Island) in his
2016 Toyota HiLux. And, as luck would
have it, he drove all over the island and
never got bogged – until he sunk down
to the axles near a shop entrance, right
in front of a tour bus.
“It was my own fault,” David said. “I
came in on an angle and not straight-on
and didn’t think it was that soft. I got
three-quarters along, then that was
it. I tried going back and forward and
started to get deeper.”
He had no luck attempting to dig out
of trouble with a set of MaxTrax, and
by then traffic had started to build up
behind him. Rangers near the entrance
T&Cs
• Voucher can only be redeemed through
www.maxtrax.com.au
• When using the voucher, any outstanding
balance can be paid as normal.
• If you don’t spend the whole thing, the
remaining balance can be used on your
account in the future.
• The voucher will expire 3 years from the
date of activation.
130
4x4Australia.com.au
came across to lend a hand but didn’t
have any success either.
“I was going to get my winch out,
but the bus driver jumped out and said
he would snatch me out, so he hooked
me up,” Dave added. “So he pulled me
out backward, which was great, then
hooked me up again and snatched
me through the entrance ... the
embarrassing part was people on the
bus and everyone else was taking video.
I was so grateful, I went and bought him
a few beers.”
Dave told us that more and more
people got bogged at the same spot,
even the truck that pulls people out.
“Funny part was, he got himself out but
everyone behind him got bogged and he
drove off,” Dave said.
Dave’s 2016 HiLux has a two-inch
lift kit; snorkel; bullbar; driving lights;
winch; tow bar; roof rack; awning; diff
breathers; dual-battery system; longrange fuel tank; CB radio; and a drawer
system.
“I still haven’t learned. I’m too lazy to
drop the air pressure on my tyres,” he
said.
RAZR SHARP. CUTTING EDGE.
RAZR AT811
RAZR MT772
MAXXISRAZR.COM.AU
MAXXISTyresAustralia
@Maxxis.Tyres.Australia
Maxxis Tyres Australia
4X4ABC11122023
For a full range of suspension components and packages visit our website.
www.ironman4x4.com