International launches its CV Series as a competitor to the latest US Pick-Ups. It’s being marketed as the small truck made by big truck people and that’s certainly not a description that can be used by International’s competitors to describe their own products. How you perceive the CV Series depends on your own perspective, but coming from a company that ...

Brenton O’Connor takes the wheel of the rear-wheel-drive Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 314 Long Wheelbase Van Late in 2018, Mercedes-Benz Australia launched the all-new Sprinter range. This included, for the first-time, front-wheel-drive offerings in addition to the rear-wheel-drive, all-wheel-drive, cab chassis and transfer bus options that Sprinter customers have come to expect. It’s this expansive product offering of 1700 variants that is ...

In a segment awash with four-cylinder turbo-diesels, the arrival of the new Ford Ranger with an in-line five-cylinder turbo-diesel was a welcome change in 2011. This venerable five-cylinder has served well in the Ranger, which ranks consistently at the top of Ford’s sales chart, thousands of units ahead of the second-placed Mustang. The bigger five-cylinder engine remains, offered in six-speed ...

Henry Ford set the trend with black paint for the Model T, with RAM continuing with the same thought process for the 1500 Black Pack It’s probably the least practical colour for any vehicle in Australia. But for those who appreciate its visual presence on the road, aligned with class-leading towing ability, the 1500 RAM Black Pack is the pick ...

VW’s Amarok adds horsepower, but does it add appeal? – Words by Stuart Martin. Horsepower wars killed the Phase IV Ford Falcon and a few other projects at Holden and Chrysler, and now the punch-up is on in the dual-cab ute segment. In the Euro/Japanese ute debate, it’s an all-German brawl this time as Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz trade V6 salvos, ...

A new look for Mitsubishi’s Triton – Words by Stuart Martin. The top-selling Mitsubishi so far this year sports a new face and upgraded safety features, in the latest incarnation of the Triton nameplate that stretches back more than four decades. Production has topped more than 4.7 million in that time, and, so far this year, sales volumes show no ...

Neil Dowling asks whether the latest upgrades to the Isuzu D-MAX range are enough to keep the seven-year-old ute competitive In a market in which dual-cab utes and SUVs are the undoubted kings of the road, any such new announcement turns a head. Which prompts the question: Does the updated 2019 model year Isuzu Ute range have the potential to ...

Can Ford regain lost ground with Transit? – Words by Chris Mullett Recent history shows that Ford Motor Company has been incapable of performing even basic marketing activities when it comes to presenting its light commercial range to the Australian buyer. Despite producing excellent products such as the Ford Transit Custom and Transit standard van that rank competitively against all-comers ...

Renault’s Trafic Crew blends business and pleasure – Words by Warren Caves, Images by Torque it Up.  The European assault on the hotly contested, 1.0- to 3.5-tonne van market continues to gain traction, with the likes of Mercedes Benz, Volkswagen, Fiat and Renault all taking firm swipes at traditional Australian consumer choices, Toyota’s HiAce and Hyundai’s i-Load. If you move ...

Warren Caves finds that Fuso is geared up to start work with pre-bodied options. Fuso plans to help customers to “hit the ground running “with its Built Ready range of pre-bodied trucks, centred around its hard-working Canter and larger Fighter models. As dependable as a pair of old boots, Fuso’s Canter range has been a common sight on Australian roads ...