New utes coming to Australia by 2027

Aussies love their utes. We just can’t get enough of them.

There’s just something about the way modern dual-cab 4x4 utes combine genuine workhorse utilitarianism and off-road capability with family-friendliness and increasing amounts of safety and luxury.

More than one in five new vehicles sold Down Under are utes, and sales across all sizes and configurations within the nation’s second most popular new-vehicle sales segment continue to rise.

Australia is now one of the world’s three biggest markets for hay-haulers, prompting more challenger brands to cash in on the lucrative business.

However, these challengers are being met with staunch resistance from the established favourites and their proven track records, not to mention the legions of loyal customers who will happily become repeat buyers.

So just how many and which new utes could come to the Australian market in the next couple of years?

In 2019 we listed 12 electric utes that could be launched here in coming years, including the full-size Tesla Cybertruck, Chevrolet Silverado EV and GMC Hummer EV. But there’s been no confirmation of an Australian release for any of them since then.

So now, in no particular order, here are the new or all-new utes and pick-up trucks that are either confirmed for local showrooms by the middle of the decade or strongly rumoured to be under consideration for Australia.

EVDirect, the former importer and distributor of BYD, made no secret of it late last year that a Ranger Raptor-rivalling Shark 6 variant was on the company’s wishlist for Australia.

Things have changed since, with the factory now assuming responsibility for the shipping and wholesaling of the brand locally, but there’s still a hope that the manufacturer would want a high-performance/hard-core off-road flagship ute to sell in Oz.

However, there’s no certainty that the Shark 6 MEG will go ahead. It hasn’t been unveiled globally, which normally indicates a local launch date would be years away. Yet, since the powertrain for the uncompromising ute already exists, and it sits under an SUV named the FangChengBao Bao 5 which is on sale in China, development time for the Shark 6 MEG might be much shorter than an altogether new model.

Release date: TBC 

An ex-factory right-hand-drive rival to the Ford F-150 and Chevy Silverado with a plug-in hybrid drivetrain and a China-sourced price is on the cards for Australia. It’s precisely the sort of product to strike fear in the hearts of local importers and modifiers of those big American utes.

If BYD has its way, such a vehicle will come here. It’s not certain that it would be named Shark 8, but let’s go with that until more information becomes available.

The larger BYD ute was confirmed to be under active consideration for Australia, but that was before the local distributorship of the Chinese brand was reacquired by the factory. Where that leaves plans for the ‘full-size’ ute remains anyone’s guess, but given the factory’s aggressive sales and marketing program for Australia, the Shark 8 is an odds-on prospect for launch here.

Release date: TBC

BYD is not the only Chinese brand working at breakneck pace to introduce a ute for the local market. Chery has also announced it expects to launch a ute to take sales from the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger in Australia. The new model is anticipated to offer more than one powertrain variant, with diesel/PHEV likely options.

Chery engineers have visited Australia to learn about our fondness for utes. This wasn’t just a boardroom seminar with three-piece suits and Powerpoint presentations. The Chinese execs went off-road and came back with a finer appreciation of what Australians want. As a result of that immersive experience, one of the key ingredients for the new ute when it arrives here will be its 3500kg towing capacity.

An interesting point of note: The ute for Australia is not anticipated to be based on the Chery Himla ute unveiled in Shanghai some months ago.

Release date: Second half of 2026

Ford Australia is already taking orders for its Ranger Super-Duty model, a no-beg-your-pardons workhorse that has the 70 Series Toyota LandCruiser in its gunsights.

Although a smaller package, the Ranger Super-Duty could even seduce buyers away from Ford’s own F-150. It boasts a rating of 4500kg for both its GVM and towing capacity, along with an 8000kg GCM. The ability to tow up to 3500kg and still pack a payload weighing 1000kg makes the Ranger Super-Duty practically unique in its market segment.

Ford is also offering the Ranger Super-Duty with a standard snorkel, larger (130L) fuel tank and a stronger chassis for serious off-roading. All that goodness doesn’t come cheap, however, with even the single-cab variant leaving little change from $100,000 after paying the on-road costs.

Release date: 2026

Foton Motors is set to re-enter Australia’s highly competitive ute market with the American-style V7 and V9 models. Local distributor Inchcape launched the Aumark S light truck late last year and is currently taking registrations of interest in its V7 and V9 utes.

Originally planned for launch in the first half of 2025, the two larger utes are now on the blocks for later this year. Although there’s little information available concerning local specs, the trade-oriented V7 is the heavyweight model, powered by a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine in a 48V hybrid system.

The same powertrain is adopted for the V9, which offers the added refinement of SUV creature comforts, full-time 4WD and coil-spring suspension.

At some point down the track, Foton is anticipated to introduce the G7 EV, an all-electric Toyota HiLux-sized dual-cab that is expected to compare very closely with other electric utes from China.

Release date: 2025 (V7 & V9)

Revealed in concept form earlier this year, the GAC Pickup 01 will go into production, the Chinese brand has confirmed. Expect the wild looks to be toned down for the production version, but the core engineering of the design study will remain – as an alternative to Tesla’s slow-selling Cybertruck.

As a brand, GAC will launch before the end of this year, but the Pickup 01 won’t be in the vanguard of the extensive product offensive from the get-go. When or if it does arrive here, the Pickup 01 may offer petrol, hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains.

Release date: TBC

Previously intended to be marketed in Australia as the electric-only Geely Radar – the badge it wears in its homeland China – the forthcoming ute from Geely will now be sold as the Geely Riddara RD6, due to a conflict with a tyre brand that owns the Radar trademark in Australia. That’s assuming the light commercial vehicle will make it here.

Furthermore, any Riddara we see in Australia will be a new-generation model unveiled at the Shanghai motor show earlier this year. And the Riddara for Australia will be a plug-in hybrid, not a purely electric model.

The Riddara RD6 is unusual in being derived from a passenger car platform with a monocoque body. Ride comfort is helped markedly by independent rear suspension, but that places in question the Geely’s load-carrying and towing ability. Its car-like construction should be a boon to the Riddara’s crash safety if or when ANCAP gets around to testing it.

Release date: TBC

Despite being trademarked for Australia, the GWM Poer King Kong may not be released here after all, with local GWM executives now saying the Cannon Alpha ute will suffice for this market.

Occupying the segment above the Cannon Alpha, the King Kong is China’s cut-price answer to the RAM 1500, Ford F-150 and Chevrolet Silverado.

Supposedly aimed at ‘young entrepreneurs’, the 5635mm-long King Kong is more of a lifestyle ute than heavy-duty load-lugger and is powered in China by a 120kW turbo-diesel and 140kW turbo-petrol four-cylinder engines.

Release date: TBC

A classic case of the tail wagging the dog, Hyundai Australia badly wants the IONIQ T7 and T10 electric utes. But according to the mothership in South Korea, it can’t have it. Not yet, at least – and not for quite a while, it seems.

As much as the factory is holding the whip hand where product rollout is concerned, the Aussie arm has a lot of sway in calling for the factory to pull the finger out. After all, Kia is now in the market with the Tasman and BYD has hit the ground running with the Shark 6.

So, while the importer is busily pouring cold water on any talk of a Hyundai ute reaching Australia, there is undoubtedly lots of arm-twisting taking place behind the scenes. Word on the grapevine posits a Hyundai dual-cab ute launch in Australia during 2027 at the earliest. That’s the IONIQ T7.

Hyundai might opt for a separate US-oriented EV ute that’s believed to be larger still (the IONIQ T10) currently under development by both Kia and Hyundai.

Release date: not before 2027

Isuzu Ute Australia has officially confirmed that the D-MAX EV will be coming to Australia – presumably sometime next year, with right-hook deliveries for the UK starting early in 2026.

Unlike some of its competitors, the electric D-MAX will offer a full one-tonne payload. But being based on the existing internal-combustion set-up and dependent on a 66.9kWh battery, the dual-motor D-MAX is only rated at a WLTP range of 263km. That tends to limit the D-MAX to urban worksites only or towing the boat to a lake or open ocean within a short distance from home.

Release date: 2026

As recently as April 2025, the JAC T9 EV put in an appearance at the Melbourne Motor Show ahead of a nationwide tour to promote its credentials as a practical ute with all the promise an electric powertrain brings to that type of vehicle.

A decision on the likelihood of the T9 EV’s release in Australia is yet to be announced, but the importer is clearly keen to go ahead. The national tour is something other than just a focus group-style exercise. Whatever response the T9 EV receives from its target demographic will decide the viability of a business case.

But the importer plainly expects target buyers to be attracted by the T9 EV’s ability to haul 900kg and accommodate an Australian pallet between the wheel arches.

Release date: 2026?

A plug-in hybrid version of the Jeep Gladiator was announced last year, but to date the importer has not confirmed it will come to Australia.

Powered by a 2.0-litre petrol four-cylinder engine, the Jeep Gladiator 4xe is good for 30km of electric-only driving, courtesy of its 17.3kWh battery.

If brought to Australia, it would help balance the books for the Jeep brand to meet its target under the New Vehicle Emissions Scheme (NVES) mandate. And that is almost reason enough to think that it’s likely to be introduced here.

Release date: TBC

It’s already well established that Kia has been burning the midnight oil developing an electric version of the Tasman ute. But whether that electric powertrain will make it here remains uncertain.

For the present, the importer has been occupied with bringing the conventional Tasman to market, and the market’s response to that model may be the encouragement Kia Australia needs to consider the EV variant for Australia.

Release date: TBC

Not to be confused with the internal-combustion Musso shortly to be superseded by an all-new model, the KGM SsangYong Musso EV is a bespoke electric ute that recently surfaced in its homeland of South Korea. Unlike its namesake, the Musso EV is built on a monocoque platform.

While the Musso EV is reportedly confirmed for Australia, there is no further information from the importer concerning the launch date, the specification or the pricing. It is known to be available in South Korea in basic front-wheel drive form, or as an upmarket all-wheel drive variant. It’s practically inconceivable that a company with a heritage like SsangYong’s would leave the dual-motor AWD model on the shelf back home.

Release date: TBC, 2026?

An electric version of the LDV Terron 9 is slated for release in Australia later this year.

The replacement for the LDV eT60, the eTerron 9, improves on the earlier model’s range on one battery charge by 100km – up from 330 to 430km, based on the WLTP standard.

While the eTerron 9 can’t match some rivals for payload, it promises to be a better drive, and more comfortable, due to its hybrid monocoque/chassis construction – something familiar to owners of Ford Falcon Utes from 1999 onwards, and VY-VZ Holden One Tonners.

Release date: Second half of 2025

Indian brand Mahindra has released images of its next-generation Pik-Up, a commercial vehicle trusted to rebuild the nameplate’s sales in Australia. The global launch for the new model will be next year and a local launch in Australia is likely to follow not long afterwards.

Mahindra has ruled out an all-electric version, but a hybrid variant is known to be currently under development.

Release date: 2026

Local importer MGMA confirmed back in April of this year that the MG U9 ute – based on the LDV Terron – would go on sale before the end of this year.

Plans thus far amount to launching with a dual-cab 4x4 variant powered by a 2.5-litre turbo-diesel that drives through an eight-speed automatic transmission – much the same setup as the Terron and matching that model’s towing capacity of 3500kg. The U9 has been tested in Australia and the importer suggests the MG driving dynamics will differ from that of the LDV donor model.

Next year, a plug-in hybrid variant will join the local range, but the importer shows little interest in a full electric version for the time being.

Release date: Late 2025

The sixth-generation Mitsubishi Triton was heavily delayed by COVID, and that has had a flow-on effect for other variants. Furthermore, a Ralliart version of the Triton – a proper competitor to Ford’s Ranger Raptor – is known to have been delayed by Australia’s adoption of NVES (New Vehicle Emissions Standards).

One way for the Ralliart version to side-step emissions penalties is by the adoption of plug-in hybrid mechanicals, a powertrain variant known to be in the works. But Mitsubishi is taking its time developing a PHEV version to ensure that the crucially important towing capacity is not severely compromised.

An EV version seems even further down the track, if it eventuates at all. So maybe it’s only right to presume a global launch won’t happen next year, but could be on the cards for 2027.

Release date: 2027

Strongly tipped to enter the local market and sell in showrooms alongside the next-gen Navara, the Nissan Frontier Pro PHEV is a Nissan-badged version of the Chinese Dongfeng Z9.

A combination of turbocharged 1.5-litre petrol engine and a single electric motor provides 300kW and 800Nm for easy towing. The Frontier Pro also delivers 135km range in electric-only mode, and an average fuel consumption of around 6.9L/100km. Three diff locks, a 3500kg towing capacity and wading depth up to 700mm, make the Frontier Pro a very significant threat to other plug-in hybrids in the market.

Release date: 2026

The successor to the current D23 Nissan Navara is primed to counter the PHEV system of its twin under the skin, the Mitsubishi Triton, with an uprated version of Nissan’s e-POWER hybrid system, which uses an internal-combustion engine purely to charge an on-board lithium-ion battery.

Electric motors then power the wheels with the all-wheel drive application known globally as e-4ORCE, an innovation Nissan says can react 10,000 times faster than a mechanical 4x4 system.

Like the Mitsubishi, you can expect an all-new platform, at least one new diesel powertrain and a sizeable jump in refinement. It’s not certain that the new model will retain the Navara nameplate.

Release date: Late 2025 or 2026

Built in China for Latin American markets from a badge-engineered design shared with Fiat and Peugeot, the RAM 1200 was previously expected to be badged the RAM Dakota.

While the RAM 1200 is yet to be officially confirmed for Australia, RAM has previously said that it was open to bringing in the HiLux/Ranger rival, even if it had to be converted to right-hand drive locally to do so.

Release date: TBC

Stellantis submitted the ‘Ramcharger’ name for trademarking in Australia earlier this year, pointing to an imminent launch for the range-extended variant of the RAM 1500. It has been a long time coming, however, with the RAM 1500 Ramcharger mooted to go on sale in Australia as long ago as its global introduction in 2023.

Local distributor Ateco has remained hush-hush concerning the RAM 1500 Ramcharger, and the full electric RAM 1500 REV which was confirmed for Australia has been delayed.

Like the Ramcharger nameplate, the RAM 1500 RHO badge has been trademarked for Australia. This sub-five-second (to 100km/h) performance variant is on track for sale here.

In the USA, RAM CEO Tim Kuniskis has hinted that the V8-engined RAM 1500 TRX may be revived in 2026. If that should happen, it would be an obvious choice for Australia. Any announcement concerning future RAM product in Australia is contingent on the ease of locally converting the new variants to right-hand drive.

Release date: TBC

America’s Rivian brand has been playing hard to get with local consumers since 2021. And mystery surrounds the unexplained appearance of two R1S (SUV) models in Sydney last year.

But with the announcement of two new small (R3) and mid-sized (R2) SUVs and right-hook production pending, the long-awaited R1T electric ute could still be in the frame for a factory-backed local launch. In the meantime, buyers can console themselves with the purchase of a used R1T in mining spec, although buying any vehicle that has worked in mines would not be our recommendation...

Release date: TBC

Volkswagen is soon to pull the wraps off production-ready electric 4x4 models to be marketed under its newly minted ‘Scout’ brand. Design studies for the Terra dual-cab ute and its SUV counterpart, the Scout Traveler, have surfaced ahead of production starting in 2027.

As far back as 2022, Volkswagen in Australia had raised its hand to market Scout here, just as it does already for Audi, Skoda and Cupra.

Hampering the importer's plans, the Scout brand will only produce vehicles in left-hand drive, and specifically for the American market. Volkswagen Australia does have a relationship with Walkinshaw, which not only converts large American utes to right-hand drive for local consumption, but also tweaks the performance-oriented Amarok W-Series on behalf of the German brand. But as seductive as that thought may be, Volkswagen’s powers that be in Wolfsburg must first be convinced of a business case for Scout in Australia.

Release date: TBC

Suzuki Australia has been selling as many units of its Jimny SUV as it can bring into the country, and it could sell more still – five years after the current car’s entry into the Australian market.

And that’s not a situation peculiar to Australia. Global sales of the Jimny are rocketing along as well. So that begs the question: does Suzuki need to develop different body style variants – including a ute?

Asked about a ute for the Jimny range, Suzuki Australia GM Michael Pachota retorted that “The project, I would say, is not dead.”

That hardly sounds promising – and it’s not. As much as antipodean buyers might love to lay hands on a Jimny ute, there’s no evidence of Suzuki addressing that sector of the market. It might happen yet, but it’s just as likely not to happen.

Release date: TBC

The next Toyota HiLux could well be the single most important launch of the decade for the nation’s number one auto brand, given the current model remains Australia’s best-selling vehicle – and it has been a decade since the previous HiLux launch.

Toyota Australia is playing a major role in the development process, with prototypes subjected to testing on Aussie soil.

It had been rumoured that the new HiLux would be an all-new model based on a variation of the TNGA-F ladder-frame architecture that underpins the Toyota Tundra and LandCruiser 300 Series.

That seems less likely and the smart money is now placed on the 2026 HiLux being a heavily reworked model based on the same platform. It has been suggested that the HiLux will score the eight-speed automatic transmission from the Prado.

Release date: By 2026

The Chinese wave has barely hit Australian shores, only to be followed by a Vietnamese ripple, in the form of the VinFast VF Wild.

Expected to go into production in 2026, the VF Wild is on track for an Australian release, albeit some way off in the future. While the brand is yet to establish itself here, it has committed to setting up in 50 distinct markets. Its models will be built in right-hand drive also, which paves the way for relatively simple ADR homologation.

Release date: 2026 or later

Walkinshaw Automotive has announced it will tweak the current second-generation Volkswagen Amarok for extra performance and that enhanced variant will be available from very early next year.

The Amarok will be given a makeover in Walkinshaw’s new facility in Dandenong South and it may spawn other Walkinshaw-fettled variants. At this point in time, it’s expected that the Amarok W-Series will be powered by a lightly modified version of Volkswagen’s 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6.

Release date: 2026

Volkswagen first mentioned an electric-vehicle variant of the Amarok more than three years ago, with plans to roll out the EV in or around 2027.

There has been little word since, although rumours have surfaced that VW has progressed no further and is contemplating a joint project with Ford to electrify the Amarok, or adopt an in-house solution.

Whatever the case, the prospect of traipsing into the local VW dealer to purchase an electric Amarok looks to be receding into the future.

Release date: TBC

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