MG's first ute to get shorter warranty
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7NEWS
22 minutes ago
- 7NEWS
Not every brand in Australia needs a ute, says Honda
Honda Australia says it doesn't need to join the flurry of brands adding dual-cab utes to their Australian lineups – not right now, anyway. The Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux utes have been the best-selling vehicles in Australia for the past decade – the HiLux from 2015 through 2022, the Ranger since. In 2025 alone, they've been joined by new entrants including the Kia Tasman – the South Korean brand's first dual-cab ute – as well as the Chinese BYD Shark 6 and LDV Terron 9.'Does every brand need one? No,' Honda Australia CEO Jay Joseph told CarExpert. 'Do we need one? Not necessarily, but if we have one it needs to be the right one.' CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. Above: Honda Ridgeline Among the top 10 best-selling brands in the first half of 2025, Hyundai and MG are the only not offering a dual-cab ute, but MG will introduce the U9 – twinned with the LDV Terron 9 – later this year, leaving Hyundai an outlier. Looking at the top 20 brands' sales to the end of June, only six don't have a dual-cab ute in showrooms. That includes Honda Australia, which finished 19th on the sales chart over the first six months of the year. The Japanese brand does make a dual-cab ute – the second-generation Ridgeline – which it manufactures and sells in the US, but it isn't planned for an Australia berth anytime soon. 'Regardless of what a brand needs, it doesn't make sense to bring one to market that doesn't suit consumer needs,' Mr Joseph said. 'The current Ridgeline – as it's configured in the United States – Australian customers expect more towing capacity than that offers, [and] obviously right-hand drive sort of takes it off the table, and it's not this product that's in its ninth year.' The Ridgeline uses unibody construction – like passenger cars – where the most popular dual-cabs in Australia use body-on-frame construction which is preferred for off-roading. At 5339mm length, it's only slightly longer than a HiLux, and is powered by a 209kW/355Nm 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine with a towing capacity of 2286kg – well short of the benchmark 3500kg tow rating of leading dual cabs sold here. 'In terms of a ute – and it's been a long question for Honda for many years – in some ways, yeah we'd love it and we'd love to have had it for a number of years, but it's not available,' said Honda Australia managing director Rob Thorp. 'We've seen growth opportunities in the market without that [a dual-cab ute] in our product portfolio right now.' 'Even when you look at the markets as they are, there's still a lot in passenger, in SUV, and there's a lot of opportunity in those segments that we are probably more nationally aligned to. 'If one's available [a ute], we'd look at it – but it's not something we desperately, desperately need to be successful.' Nikkei reported earlier this month that Nissan has commenced discussions with Honda to supply it with a ute out of an under-utilised plant in the US. Should this ute eventuate, it could potentially be related to Nissan's body-on-frame Frontier, however like that model it could be left-hand drive-only.
Perth Now
22 minutes ago
- Perth Now
Not every brand in Australia needs a ute, says Honda
Honda Australia says it doesn't need to join the flurry of brands adding dual-cab utes to their Australian lineups – not right now, anyway. The Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux utes have been the best-selling vehicles in Australia for the past decade – the HiLux from 2015 through 2022, the Ranger since. In 2025 alone, they've been joined by new entrants including the Kia Tasman – the South Korean brand's first dual-cab ute – as well as the Chinese BYD Shark 6 and LDV Terron 9.'Does every brand need one? No,' Honda Australia CEO Jay Joseph told CarExpert. 'Do we need one? Not necessarily, but if we have one it needs to be the right one.' CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. Supplied Credit: CarExpert Above: Honda Ridgeline Among the top 10 best-selling brands in the first half of 2025, Hyundai and MG are the only not offering a dual-cab ute, but MG will introduce the U9 – twinned with the LDV Terron 9 – later this year, leaving Hyundai an outlier. Looking at the top 20 brands' sales to the end of June, only six don't have a dual-cab ute in showrooms. That includes Honda Australia, which finished 19th on the sales chart over the first six months of the year. The Japanese brand does make a dual-cab ute – the second-generation Ridgeline – which it manufactures and sells in the US, but it isn't planned for an Australia berth anytime soon. Supplied Credit: CarExpert 'Regardless of what a brand needs, it doesn't make sense to bring one to market that doesn't suit consumer needs,' Mr Joseph said. 'The current Ridgeline – as it's configured in the United States – Australian customers expect more towing capacity than that offers, [and] obviously right-hand drive sort of takes it off the table, and it's not this product that's in its ninth year.' The Ridgeline uses unibody construction – like passenger cars – where the most popular dual-cabs in Australia use body-on-frame construction which is preferred for off-roading. At 5339mm length, it's only slightly longer than a HiLux, and is powered by a 209kW/355Nm 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine with a towing capacity of 2286kg – well short of the benchmark 3500kg tow rating of leading dual cabs sold here. 'In terms of a ute – and it's been a long question for Honda for many years – in some ways, yeah we'd love it and we'd love to have had it for a number of years, but it's not available,' said Honda Australia managing director Rob Thorp. Supplied Credit: CarExpert 'We've seen growth opportunities in the market without that [a dual-cab ute] in our product portfolio right now.' 'Even when you look at the markets as they are, there's still a lot in passenger, in SUV, and there's a lot of opportunity in those segments that we are probably more nationally aligned to. 'If one's available [a ute], we'd look at it – but it's not something we desperately, desperately need to be successful.' Nikkei reported earlier this month that Nissan has commenced discussions with Honda to supply it with a ute out of an under-utilised plant in the US. Should this ute eventuate, it could potentially be related to Nissan's body-on-frame Frontier, however like that model it could be left-hand drive-only. MORE: Explore the Honda Australia showroom MORE: Is Honda planning a proper ladder-frame ute to take on the Ford Ranger?
7NEWS
2 hours ago
- 7NEWS
2026 Toyota HiLux: Redesigned interior revealed in leaked patent diagrams
The heavily updated Toyota HiLux will supposedly launch by the end of the year, and these patent diagrams give us our first glimpse of the interior. We found these images on the cars_secrets Instagram account, which claims they are from a patent filing. These patent sketches match with recent spy photos showing that the 'new' HiLux is actually just an upgraded version of today's ute, but with a new front and rear. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. What we see for the first time is the HiLux's interior, which looks as though it will be a nicer and more modern place to be. The dashboard and centre console are all new, and in the centre of the dashboard is a widescreen infotainment display, likely the same 12.3-inch unit fitted to many recent Toyotas. It's possible lower-spec versions of the HiLux will have a smaller screen in the same spot. Below are the central vents and climate controls, although the patent images image give no clue as to whether it will have physical or capacitive controls. The set of vents and switches used in the LandCruiser Prado would fit in well with this HiLux's dash design, though. In the centre tunnel there's a chunky gear shifter, and what might be a set of drive toggles beside it. We can't see a hand brake anywhere, so it's likely to have been replaced by an electronic switch or maybe it's obscured by the centre arm rest. There seem to be cupholder slots in front of each side vent. Like the current HiLux there's a second covered storage area on top of the glove box. Back to the exterior, which features carry-over doors and roof. There is, however, a new front end with slim headlights, while at the rear the tail-lights wrap around further into the flanks. The model pictured here has slim, angular plastic wheel arch protectors, but judging from earlier spy photos, these won't be present on all model trims. Underneath it all is the IMV platform, which dates back to 2004. This will disappoint those looking for a more modern Toyota ute, and are unwilling to move to the US for such a privilege. The latest versions of the Tacoma, as well as the larger Tundra that's re-manufactured locally in right-hand drive, both ride on the TNGA-F body-on-frame architecture that also does duty under the latest LandCruiser and LandCruiser Prado, as well as their Lexus siblings. This means it's less likely the new HiLux will feature some of the more interesting power plants available in those cars. The Tacoma, for example, is available with a 2.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine available in three outputs: 170kW/329Nm, 201kW/420Nm, and 207kW/430Nm. There's also a hybrid version making 243kW/630Nm. And for those who want to dream a little bigger, the Tundra is sold with a 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol making 260kW/549Nm or 290kW/650Nm, as well as a hybridised version pumping out 326kW and 790Nm. By comparison, local versions of the current HiLux are available with 2.4- and 2.8-litre turbo-diesel engines, topping out with the 150kW/500Nm V-Active mild-hybrid and the GR Sport's 165kW/550Nm. The sole petrol offering here is a 122kW/245Nm 2.7-litre four-cylinder. The 235kW/376Nm 4.0-litre V6 sold in the Middle East isn't no longer available Down Under.
