Once upon a time, four-wheel drives used to be seen as a little too big and bulky to be cruising around town with. We’re now living in an era where SUV’s and 4WD’s in particular seem to be all the rage, regardless of whether you live in the city or the country. The Toyota Hilux and Ford Ranger were the top two new cars sold in Australia in 2017, and the trend is continuing.
If you’re in the market for a 4WD in 2018, this could be your year with a plethora of new arrivals due in. Here’s our top four for your pleasure!
Toyota Hilux Rugged X
As the name suggests, the Rugged X looks rugged, and tough! This model is a step up from the SR5 as is the Rogue and the Rugged versions of this top selling 4WD. Included as standard is an alloy bash plate, front and rear recovery points, snorkel and winch-ready bull bar. It also has LED lights known as Daytime running lamps. First introduced in Europe to stand out in the fog, now you see these lights everywhere! 2.8 Litre Turbo Diesel. Estimated due date: End of financial year. Estimated price: $60k and up!
Ford Ranger Raptor
In the same vein as the Rugged X, the Ford Ranger Raptor is also tough! No rollbar, no bulbar, just tough. This vehicle is a proper off road vehicle with a ground clearance approach of over 280mm. It also possesses front and rear Fox Racing Shox dampers, coil springs and a solid rear axle. Off road drive modes include Grass/Gravel/Snow, Mud/Sand, Rock/Baja. 2.0 Litre Twin-turbo Diesel. Estimated due date: New financial year. Estimated price: $75k and up!
Holden Colorado SportsCat by HSV
Same same but different. The Colorado doesn’t quite match the classy reputation of it’s Hilux and Ranger counterparts however it does pack a decent punch. Holden have completely redesigned the front end, to look more like a hybrid version of a Rugged and a Raptor really! Having said this they have made a few changes, increasing the ride height by 2cm, adding fatter wheel arches and a bonnet bulge as well as a rear swaybar that automatically decouples when in low-range, avoiding any impact to the off-road ability of the vehicle. 2.8 Litre Turbo Diesel. Estimated due date: New financial year. Estimate price: $60k and up!
Mercedes-Benz X-Class
Good different? Mercedes-Benz have entered the Utility market! Due to arrive within the next month, there will be thirteen different trims and variants available, giving consumers the option to mix luxury with leisure and practicality. Compared to tried and tested vehicles such as the Ranger, it’s still a long way behind in terms of capability, however as time goes on one can only imagine this vehicle will develop. Ground clearance sits at 222mm at the moment. Jury still out. 3.0 Litre Turbo-diesel. Estimate due date: One month. Estimated price: $65k and up!
Happy shopping!
