Fantastic Fourby: The cheapest new 4x4s on the market

Like most things these days, new vehicles are getting increasingly expensive to buy, so much so entire segments have had to be redefined by the industry just to keep track of which models compete with one another.

Four-wheel drives (4x4s) are among the worst offenders here with the average dirt-friendly family wagon costing well over $60,000 by the time it’s on the road, with the same largely true of their ute equivalents.

An entry-level Isuzu MU-X LS-M 1.9L 4x4 for instance is $59,900 drive-away in WA without any accessories whatsoever, or $62,030 drive-away for the gutsier 3.0-litre version – throw in a bull bar, tow bar and some floor mats and you’re knocking on the door of $68,000.

It’s little wonder then things like the GWM Tank 300 and LDV T60 Max are proving so popular with their value-driven asking prices, but what exactly is Australia’s cheapest new 4x4, and what other models offer all-terrain adventures for wallet-friendly prices…

Available from just $34,990 drive-away, the 2024 Suzuki Jimny Lite is Australia’s most-affordable 4x4 and comes with nothing more than the bare essentials for an adventurous off-roader.

The little three-door rides on a ladder-frame chassis, features a part-time 4x4 system, high- and low-range gearing, manual air-conditioning, cruise control, Bluetooth, halogen headlights, 15-inch steel wheels and 210mm of ground clearance.

With a kerb weight of 1095kg and a wheel in each corner, the Jimny Lite makes do with open differentials front and rear and can only be had with a five-speed manual transmission.

Quite a bit bigger and upping the versatility stakes massively is the 2024 GWM Ute Cannon 4x4 which carries a list price of $36,490 drive-away and is one of two models in this list backed by a seven-year warranty.

The big GWM is powered by a modest 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine (120kW/400Nm) which drives all four wheels via a full-time 4x4 system and an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission, backed-up off-road road by low-range gearing and a rear differential lock.

Ground clearance is rated at a 232mm, the wading depth is 500mm and the key off-road angles comprise a 27-degree approach, 21.1-degree breakover and 25-degree departure angles.

Comfortably the oldest model on this list, the 2024 Mahindra Pik-up has been around in one form or another since late 2017 and now starts from $38,500 drive-away.

This frumpy-looking Indian ute is powered by a 103kW/320Nm turbo-diesel engine and employs a six-speed automatic transmission to send drive to a part-time 4x4 system and dual-range transfer case.

It matches the Jimny for ground clearance at 210mm, has an 80-litre fuel tank and rides on 16-inch alloy wheels as standard.

The other model here backed by a seven-year warranty is the 2024 SsangYong Musso ELX, thus far the only Korean pick-up on on the market – until the Kia Tasman lands next year.

Priced from a neat $40,000 drive-away in short-wheelbase form, the Musso’s 2.2-litre turbo-diesel engine is paired with a six-speed automatic transmission and part-time 4x4 system offering the traditional 2H, 4H and 4L settings, however its rear differential is a self-locking unit as opposed to proper driver-selected locker.

The 215mm ground clearance is par for the course, however the 350mm wading depth, 22.8-degree, 23-degree breakover and 23.4-degree departure angles leave something to be desired against its competition off-road, though the optional Iron Man suspension kits go some way in improving these metrics.

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