Hoovey689

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PickupTrucks.com stages global shootout with new Ranger, Colorado, Hilux and Amarok

Midsize pickups are big in Australia. Without full-size trucks like the Ford F-Series available, Australia’s “utes” — like the Toyota Hilux and Ford Ranger — are used for everything from carting the odd hay bale to lugging heavy equipment.

They are known as “one-tonners” in Australia, a reference to their ability to carry at or close to a metric ton (2,205 pounds), or 1,000 kilograms.

These used to be no-fuss machines and were as rough as guts. But over the past decade, manufacturers have upped the ante, and utes got better and better, with more refined engines and cabins. And in some ways, they started to gain features previously found only on cars.

Australian buyers started to snap up crew cabs, which could lug their work gear and then transport their children and all kinds of toys on the weekends.

Diesels have always been the engine of choice here, and these have dramatically improved in recent years, with common rail injection and variable geometry turbos for a much more progressive torque-delivery feel.

One-tonners have become so popular that the Hilux often pops up as the best-selling vehicle in Australia, beating small hatchbacks and big locally made sedans, as well as other car-based utes.

The Hilux, which has a reputation for toughness, has been the top-selling workhorse ute in Australia for as long as anyone can remember, and it remains a popular choice even though it hasn’t changed much since the current generation was introduced in 2005.

More recently, Toyota was forced to slash prices, add equipment and offer a cosmetic face-lift to the Hilux because the company recognized its ute was facing its toughest competition to date, with new players from Volkswagen, Ford, Mazda, Holden and Isuzu.

For this Shootout, we brought together the Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger, Volkswagen Amarok and Holden Colorado. Three of the four (VW, Ford and GM) have been redesigned since the last-gen Hilux debuted, and one (GM) will soon be sold in the U.S.

Our Australian affiliates tested these trucks in and around the Victorian city of Melbourne as well as at a nearby 4x4 park, which offered a mix of winding dirt and tarmac roads that run down toward the Surf Coast.

They scored this Shootout in four equal parts: on-road, off-road, design and value, totalling their assessments in each category with simple values (10 points for first place, 9 for second, 8 for third, and 7 for fourth), adding them up to determine a winner. This method will let you value and weigh your scoring system to determine your own winner if you choose.

Due to a few logistical constraints and timing issues, we weren’t able to be as exhaustive in this test and data collection exercise as PUTC would have liked, but we think there is still plenty of valuable info here. Enjoy.


The Ranger (and the near-identical Mazda BT-50) was developed in Australia, but the utes are produced in Thailand. The Ranger is the closest thing Australians can get to the full-size F-Series.

The crew-cab version is available with two turbo-diesel engines (originally from the Ford Transit van). The entry-level unit is a 2.2-liter four-cylinder that makes 148 horsepower and 277 pounds-feet of torque, while the top-shelf power plant is a 3.2-liter five-cylinder that pumps out a hefty 197 hp and 347 pounds-feet of torque — one of the best torque numbers in the class. Transmission choices are a six-speed manual and a six-speed automatic.

Tow ratings are near the top of the class at 7,385 pounds, while the payload for the crew cab is almost 2,300 pounds. Its cargo bed measures 61 inches long and 62 inches wide. The wading depth is set at a substantial 31 inches.


At first glance, this Colorado shows us GM is serious about this class of utes. Instead of sourcing a vehicle from Isuzu and making some minor changes to the existing Holden truck, GM did much more of the work this time around. Although the Colorado’s chassis is shared with the Isuzu D-Max, the body and engines are unique.

The Colorado is a diesel-only player, with two units from Italian company VM Motori. The entry-level 2.5-liter four-cylinder generates 148 hp and 258 pounds-feet of torque, while the 2.8-liter version (still a four-cylinder) makes a decent 177 hp and 347 pounds-feet. (We should note that the manual transmission, due to gearing, requires the engine to be de-rated to 325 pounds-feet of torque.) Transmission options include a five-speed manual or a six-speed automatic.

The big Holden has the best tow rating in the class, with 7,700 pounds, and it also can handle a payload of just over 3,300 pounds. The crew cab’s cargo bed is small at 58 inches long and 60 inches wide. Its official wading depth is 23.6 inches, though Holden fitted our test ute with a snorkel for greater protection.

The Colorado is produced in Thailand at a different factory from the one that produces the D-Max.


The Hilux has a reputation for durability, and it is all you see (along with the aging 70 Series Land Cruiser) when you head to certain parts of the desolate Australian Outback. Resale values are traditionally the best in the class. The Hilux raised the bar back in 2005, doing a good job of mixing capability and comfort, but it now lags behind in some key areas.

The 3.0-liter four-cylinder turbo-diesel makes 169 horsepower and 254 pounds-feet of torque, which is fairly modest for an engine of that size. Toyota also offers a gas engine throughout the range, a rarity in this class. It’s a big 4.0-liter V-6 making 235 hp and 254 pounds-feet of torque.

Both engines are mated to five-speed manuals or five-speed automatics, while some rivals are using six-speed manuals and six-speed automatics. In fact, VW just introduced an eight-speed auto.

The tow rating for the top-spec SR5 crew cab is about 5,500 pounds, which is the lowest in the class, and the payload is just over 2,200 pounds. The bed is almost a perfect 5-foot square, and the wading depth is just over 27 inches. Australian Hiluxes are made in Thailand.

Volkswagen Amarok

Volkswagen’s first proper ute was developed with South American, European, South African and Australian markets in mind. It is made in Argentina (and soon Germany).

The Amarok was all-new for the 2010 model year, and VW introduced a different engine concept for this class. The Amarok runs a smallish engine — a 2.0-liter four-cylinder diesel (from its Transporter van lineup) — that gets one or two turbochargers depending on the model. The twin-turbo unit we tested makes 161 hp and 295 pounds-feet of torque; a new version making 177 hp and 310 pounds-feet of torque is available with an automatic, but it is only available with an all-wheel-drive system that runs full-time and does not have a low-range gear. The standard transmission is a six-speed manual.

Tow rating for the Amarok is over 6,600 pounds, and the payload for the crew-cab version is just over 2,200 pounds. The cargo bed is wider and longer than its rivals, at 61 inches long and 64 inches wide, because it wasn’t designed for Asia, where narrow bodies are preferred for tight laneways. The Amarok can wade to a depth of 20 inches.

ON ROAD PERFORMANCE:

SEGMENT RANKING:

First: Ranger

Second: Amarok

Third: Colorado

Fourth: Hilux

http://special-reports.pickuptrucks....rformance.html

OFF ROAD PERFORMANCE:

SEGMENT RANKING:

First: Colorado

Second: Ranger

Third: Hilux

Fourth: Amarok

http://special-reports.pickuptrucks....rformance.html

DESIGN, INSIDE AND OUT:

SEGMENT RANKING:

First: Ranger

Second: Amarok

Third: Colorado

Fourth: Hilux

http://special-reports.pickuptrucks....nside-out.html

OVERALL VALUE:

SEGMENT RANKING:

First: Colorado

Second: Amarok

Third: Ranger

Fourth: Hilux

http://special-reports.pickuptrucks....all-value.html

RESULTS:

First: Ranger

Second: Colorado

Third: Amarok

Fourth: Toyota Hilux

http://special-reports.pickuptrucks....t-results.html

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Fantastic results for the Ranger! wooo!

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Really wish we'd see some of these trucklets make it stateside. The Colorado/Canyon are *** awful and need the new Colorado stat. Ford needs to bring the Ranger back. Toyota should scrap the Taco and bring over the awesome Hilux. Nissan needs to do something with that aging Frontier. Honda Ridgeline? What's that hah. VW should bring the Amarok and test it here. I doubt it'd be a big seller but would be nice to see a whole lot of choices in this segment