Best Dual-Cab 4x4 Ute 2021: Comfort and convenience
You might pay a premium price for a top-spec ute, but some are better appointed than othersAssembling a set of near-identical premium 4x4 utes on price and spec is a thing of the past. Just the top end of the dual-cab pick-up market alone – never mind single and extended cabs – is incredibly diverse with all sorts of hero models such as the Ford Ranger Raptor down to special-editions that often boil down to cosmetic enhancements. No matter what the price point, the luxury and convenience items offered on top-tier models are important considerations, with some more worthwhile than others. So let’s dig into our 11 contenders for Best Dual-Cab 4x4 Ute 2021.
Among our contenders for this year’s award, we’ve included the premium versions of the 2021 GWM Ute, LDV T60 and SsangYong Musso, which each cost about one third less than the dominant top-selling players such as the 2021 Ford Ranger, Toyota HiLux and Volkswagen Amarok.
Then there’s the all-new Jeep Gladiator, a premium dual-cab ute that is $15K more expensive than the volume-selling utes here. While it’s a little left-field, the Jeep still merits inclusion as a luxury ‘one-tonne’ ute.
These are all premium-spec models, but the 11 dual-cab 4x4 utes on test here are surprisingly diverse in terms of not only price but also convenience and luxury features.
Our assessment concentrates on which utes in their respective standard premium specification gets the most worthwhile comfort and convenience equipment.
You’d expect to see a tub liner, tonneau cover and side steps as standard in a luxury ute, along with leather seat trim as an option (if not standard).
For example, the Toyota HiLux SR5 and Volkswagen Amarok Highline can both be optioned for relatively low cost with leather upholstery.
It’s interesting to see the contrast in features between the Isuzu D-MAX X-Terrain and its close cousin, the Mazda BT-50 GT. While the Mazda gets heated front seats not offered on the Isuzu, the Mazda’s exterior is relatively sparse. It gets a bare-painted open tray versus the Isuzu’s tray liner, shutter tonneau cover, rear hoop bar and roof rails.
It’s one thing to offer all the bling in a luxury ute, but it should also come with accepted convenience features.
So it’s no surprise then that all these utes feature dusk-sensing headlights, automatic wipers, alloy wheels (18-inch on all, except 17-inch on the LDV and 20-inch on the Volkswagen), a rear step bumper (integrated on Musso), air-conditioning (two-zone climate control for all except for the GWM Ute, LDV T60, Musso and HiLux, which have one zone) and keyless entry and start (except Amarok, which offers keyless entry but not start).
The Isuzu, Jeep, Mazda and GWM ute also offer remote engine starting via the key fob, while the Ranger’s FordPass Connect system allows you to track, lock/unlock and start the vehicle via the FordPass smartphone app.
You only get steering wheel tilt adjustment in the Ranger and Nissan Navara, while the rest have reach adjustment also. And speaking of steering, the Ranger Wildtrak will even steer itself with its self-parking feature.
Active cruise control is a convenience feature now expected in mainstream luxury passenger cars and SUVs, and although it’s growing common among utes, it’s not yet par for the course.
The Ford, GWM, Isuzu, Jeep, Mazda and Toyota all have active cruise control – but with stop-go function only on the Isuzu, Jeep and Mazda – while the LDV, Nissan, SsangYong, Volkswagen and the Mitsubishi Triton offer only conventional cruise control.
All have a rear hoop bar behind the cabin except for the Gladiator, BT-50 and Musso, while only the Gladiator, BT-50, HiLux and Amarok go without a bed liner. Of the rest, all have plastic bed liner inserts except the Ranger and GWM Ute Cannon-X, which have a spray-in liner.
You’d think a tonneau cover would be standard at this spec level but only the Ranger (power shutter), D-MAX (roller shutter) and Triton (vinyl) have them. For the rest, you have to delve into either manufacturer or aftermarket accessories catalogues.
The Musso is the only ute here not equipped with side steps.
Only the Gladiator, Navara and Amarok miss out on powered driver’s seat adjustment, while front passengers also get power adjustment on Ranger, T60 and Musso.
Leather seat trim is standard on all except HiLux and Amarok (which, as mentioned, can be optioned with them) while the Ranger’s seats are part-leather and Musso gets ‘synthetic leather’.
Heating elements for the front seats are standard in the GWM Ute, Gladiator, T60, BT-50, Triton and Musso (in which they’re also cooled).
Points of difference include a fold-down rear step ladder for the GWM Ute and heated steering wheel for the Gladiator and Musso. The Navara and Musso can be had with a sunroof, but only as an option.
Although we have not included this component in our point scoring, an important part of owning a ute is being able to dress it up with gear to make it a better proposition for work and play.
The largest genuine accessories catalogue belongs to HiLux. Toyota offers 210 different accessories, not including the additional 164 accessories for trays and associated accessories. Then there are 129 parts offered for trundle draws and 55 separate canopy part numbers.
Mazda has a catalogue of 108 accessories for the BT-50, while Ford offers 90 for Ranger. Isuzu and Jeep offer 70 accessories for D-MAX and Gladiator respectively. The Navara accessories list runs to 66, while the LDV T60 and VW Amarok both have a menu of 47 accessories.
SsangYong offers 29 accessories for the Musso, and Mitsubishi has 26 accessories listed for Triton. The just-released GWM Ute has a list of 21 genuine accessories, with more being developed.
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