The cars that could change Australia's ute market: Why the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux need to make way for the Ford Maverick, Hyundai Santa Cruz, Honda Ridgeline and Renault Duster Oroch | Opinion

It feels like, in recent years, all we talk about is the take-over of the dual-cab ute. 

The idea of a ute is nothing new but since the Toyota HiLux took over the best-selling accolade in 2016, they have changed dramatically in how they’re used. 

It isn’t farmers, miners or road-workers driving the Aussie ute boom, it’s those who use these vehicles for both work and play. For family duties and forest exploration, but the current crop of utes are tied to their commercial heritage and compromised as a result.

Over the years there have been some takes that simply wouldn’t have flown here: the hideous 207-based Peugeot Hoggar, the Golf-based VW Saveiro and Chevrolet Montana don’t get the blood rushing like a Ford Ranger Raptor, that’s for sure. 

But this “half SUV, half dual-cab ute,” Ford bosses told CarsGuide of back in 2020? That could be revolutionary. About a year later, the new Ford Maverick was born based on the same underpinnings as the Escape and Bronco Sport SUVs. 

2025 Ford Maverick Tremor

Pretty much since then, we’ve been asking why Ford hasn’t been able to bring Maverick Down Under. The Ranger is still the one to choose if you need carrying capacity, towing ability or extreme off-road ability but for city and suburban folk, the cleaner burn petrol engine and more SUV-like ride of the Maverick could be the perfect tonic. 

Oddly, Ford Australia is keeping very quiet about the Maverick. Apparently it’s too popular in the US to consider right-hand drive, for now. 

Hyundai, however, has trickled the scoop down to dealers that its Santa Cruz pick-up, based on the Tucson mid-size SUV, is coming to Australia some time in 2026. 

Hyundai Tucson ute render (image: Thanos Pappas)

Like the Maverick, the Santa Cruz has proved a hit with US pick-up buyers, combining car-like comfort with outdoorsy styling and carrying ability in an affordable, fuel-efficient package. 

The other benefit of SUV-based utes is the ease of engineering a hybrid system. For Hyundai and Ford, plug-in and plugless hybrids already exist in their passenger cars. Next stop, funky utes.

The Maverick and Santa Cruz could pave the way for Honda’s entrant, the Ridgeline. A tough-looking SUV-based ute.

2024 Honda Ridgeline Sport HPD package

With a bit more size and punch, the Ridgeline is aligned more closely with Ranger and HiLux, rather than the smaller Santa Cruz and Maverick. That could change come 2026, when its expected replacement arrives.

Then there are the models we haven’t seen yet. Most exciting might be the Renault Duster Oroch — otherwise known as the Dacia. The budget-oriented brand is eyeing an Australia launch in the near future and a ute could be the ticket to instant sales success. 

Gawky in its first-gen form, the new Duster design lends itself perfectly to a ute version. Just look at this speculative render by Kolesa of the Renault pick-up. A 650kg payload is targeted, about 300kg down on the dominant dual-cab segment but still plenty more than your average medium SUV. 

Renault Duster Oroch render (image: Kolesa / Instagram)

Finally, we’d love to see Subaru return to this segment with a Brumby revival — or Brat, for you North Americans. The ute name is an icon here and abroad and, with Subaru’s latest Outback taking a step closer to ruggedness, it would be the perfect spin-off. 

As always, we’re talking about this ‘new breed’ of utes as if they’re groundbreaking. They aren’t so much in Australia, with Ford and Holden both famous for car-based utes.

Holden even tried to steal a bit of rugged HiLux love, dipping its toes (rather unsuccessfully, mind you) into the segment with the lifted Crewman Cross 8 and its HSV Avalanche relation. Toyota also toyed with a car-based ute with the vibrant X-Runner concept of 2003.