News

As the all-new Mazda BT-50 makes news, we step back and take a global view of the class-leading utility vehicle, with a close-up look at the current BT-50 variants and their specifications.

Foton pick ups and utility vehicles will not be distributed by leading independent vehicle importer and distributor, WMC Group.

Land Rover re-created a legend with the launch of the 1993 Defender in wagon and hardtop versions.

The recent Melbourne motor show was not only a showcase for the latest in supercars, concepts and alternative energy vehicles, but a new wave of 4WD light commercial and SUV vehicles.

July 1996 saw Toyota launch a new four-wheel drive onto the Australian market - a 4WD that 15 years later remains a force to be reckoned with and is perhaps even on track to overtake the legendary LandCruiser 200 Series wagon in sales.

In recent years, Volkswagen's passenger car and commercial vehicle ranges have gone from strength to strength in their Australian sales performance

\nToyota has marked the 700,000th HiLux sale in Australia with styling and safety upgrades. The upgraded range goes on sale in September. Significant is the adoption of anti-skid brakes as standard across the range.

Toyota has launched a special edition LandCruiser 200 Series, with extra gear including 18-inch alloy wheels, leather accented interior, power operated driver and front-passenger seats, and satellite navigation - over and above the GXL on which it is based. It also has a steering wheel with audio controls, front fog lamps and cool box - a feature traditionally reserved for top-of-the-range Sahara. Prices start from $80,190 plus on-road costs.

Preparing to unleash the Peugeot 4008 onto the global market, Peugeot has announced the release schedule for its distinctive all-terrain SUV.

With the new Citroen C4 just weeks away from its Australian arrival, Citroen has revealed that the new hatchback will be complemented by a crossover version in 2012 - and in a first-ever, a Citroen C4 version will include four wheel drive.

Want to add your name to Peter Brock's last race vehicle? Move fast, because the chance to put your name on the Brock 'Dakar Car' closes at 12 Noon this Thursday, October 6.

A new 2.2-litre diesel engine will replace the current 2.4-litre diesel in the 2012 Defender. The smaller capacity engine delivers the same power, torque and economy as the outgoing unit.

Earthcruiser Overland Vehicles have created a versatile off road machine that combines the luxury of a top end motorhome with the agility of a 4WD.

Consistency and Victorians Steve Riley and John Doble are the 2011 Australasian Safari champions after a week of racing through incredibly challenging terrain and covering distances that tested the mental and physical stamina of all competitors.

Quick times on both stages of leg 6 of the Australasian Safari from Craig Lowndes and John Panozzo look like they won't be enough to prevent Steve Riley and John Doble. With one leg left to run, the 2008 and 2009 are on track for a third win in this year's event.

Fifty years on from the first vehicle crossing of the forbidding Simpson Desert, some of the original participants are set to re-enact the historic event - in an identical Nissan Patrol G60.

Leg 5 of the 2011 Australasian Safari saw Craig Lowndes lose his four-leg lead after an accident in the PWR Holden Colorado. Lowndes and co-driver John Panozzo were attempting to manoeuvre around a tree close to the end of leg 5's first stage, when they tipped the Colorado on its side, damaging the vehicle.

The all-new Ford Ranger will hit the market in Australia next month. Built on a new global compact pickup truck platform, the updated model combines power, safety, fuel economy and comfort.

Leg 4 of the 2011 Australasian Safari was the longest of the entire event, covering 662 competitive kilometres in a looped course around Laverton in Western Australia's northern goldfields on the edge of the Great Northern Desert.

Subaru has slated early January 2012 as the Australian release date for its XV compact Sports Utility Vehicle.

Ssangyong's new concept ute, the SUT-1, has gone on show in a further-refined form, tantalising audiences at the 2011 International Motor Show in Frankfurt.

Leg 3 of the Australasian Safari included the Safari's longest stage, and was described by the route co-ordinator as so challenging it could be a complete Safari on its own. Over 560 competitive kilometres, the 11 remaining auto competitors left in the competition faced many twists and turns, incredibly challenging navigation across rocky breakaways, overgrown fence lines, twisted tracks, stone roads, flood plains, and tricky navigation around bores, tanks, and windmills.

The 2011 Australasian Safari's war of attrition continues, with Paul & Kees Weel forced to withdraw from the event after damaging their Holden Colorado on leg 1.

The first leg of the 2011 Australasian Safari was one of two halves, with Steve Riley & John Doble winning the leg's opening stage, but brake problems from the Victorian pair allowed Craig Lowndes and John Panozzo to take the second stage victory and the overall lead.