Welcome to the most important test we will conduct all year. In 2020 these five models, the Ford Ranger, Isuzu D-Max, Mitsubishi Triton, Nissan Navara and Toyota HiLux, accounted for 13 per cent of the overall new car market.
And that’s just the 4x4 versions. Add the less popular 4x2 variants and they account for 15.8 per cent of the market; this means one-in-six new cars sold in Australia is one of these five models. Like I said, important stuff.
As such, we want to get it right, so we’ve put each through the wringer, testing straight-line performance, load-carrying and towing capability, on- and off-road dynamics, infotainment, and comfort and convenience, all at the ex-GM Lang Lang proving ground, a venue purpose-built to torture-test vehicles.
Judges and writing team: Scott Newman, Byron Mathioudakis, Louis Cordony, Evan Spence, Tom Fraser
Photography: Ellen Dewar, Alastair Brook, Cristian Brunelli
VIDEO: Tune in on Thursday and Friday for our off-roading and comprehensive wrap-up videos.
Catch the full series here
THE CONTENDERS
86We’ve arranged our quintet as closely as possible – within the realms of manufacturer press fleet availability – so in alphabetical order we’ll start with the Ford Ranger XLT fitted with the optional 2.0-litre bi-turbo engine and 10-speed automatic.
