Australian 4WD & SUV Buyer's Guide

In 2014, SUV sales were just over 352,000 and heading north at speed. SUVs are now predicted to outsell conventional cars by 2017. So we’re making a few changes to the magazine. There will be more tests, to accommodate as many new models as we can po

Byron is a car tragic. His love affair with cars predates memory, but a dream as a toddler of driving an Austin A35 pretty much sealed his fate. He held various jobs, including being a singing telegram, music video extra, a bartender and working in a

Our piggybank indicates a 4WD or SUV that we think represents good value for money against the others in its class. It may not necessarily be the cheapest but, taking into account factors such as standard equipment, safety, the way it drives, resale

Much of the Top End is freehold Aboriginal land and in the NT and WA you will often need a transit and/or entry permit. These are not difficult to get and are usually free from the following organisations: NT: Central Land Council: clc.org.au; Northe

• Resolve the big issues: how you want to live on the road, how remote (or not, as the case may be) you want to be able to go and how much you want to spend. • Get your maps and a GPS. www.hema maps.com.au. • Start a “Must see this/do that/go here” l

The 2.0 TDi turbodiesel quattro opens the Q5 range at $62,600. The 2.0 TFSi turbopetrol quattro is $63,600. The 3.0 supercharged V6 TFSi petrol quattro is $76,100 and the 3.0 V6 TDi turbodiesel quattro is $77,200. Finally, the 3.0-litre twin-turbodie

The X1 range opens with the 2.0-litre turbodiesel/eight-speed automatic sDrive (which in BMW parlance denotes rear-wheel drive) 18d, priced at $46,300. The 2.0-litre turbopetrol sDrive20i is $48,300. The same 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine/transmission

BMW’s X3, introduced in early 2011, is now much closer in size to the X5 and unless you need seven seats, it’s a great value alternative. The X3 lineup opens with the xDrive 20i, priced at a very attractive $60,765. It runs BMW’s 2.0-litre direct-inj

The 3.0 V6 TDi is $91,500, the 3.0 V6 TFSi is $96,700 and the 4.2 V8 TDi is $130,300. • The Q7 is made in Slovakia. • The body is of unitary construction. • The 3.0-litre V6 TDi produces 180kW of power at 4000rpm and 550Nm of torque from 1750–2750rp

The Ranger 4x4 lineup opens with the 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel XL six-speed manual single cab-chassis at $38,390. The 3.2-litre five-cylinder turbodiesel XL manual cab-chassis is $40,890. XL Plus is $46,280. Double cab-chassis models start

Ford’s Kuga range opens with the 110kW 1.5-litre turbopetrol/six-speed manual/ front-wheel-drive Ambiente, priced at $27,490. The six-speed auto is $28,990. All-wheel-drive models begin with the 134kW 1.5-litre turbopetrol Ambiente, with a six-speed

Holden’s Colorado 7 is a seven-seater wagon built on the Colorado one-tonner chassis, so compared with an SUV it has design and engineering limitations. However, when it comes to off-road and towing, it’s a class above. The same vehicle, with a diffe

The Hyundai Santa Fe features seven seats in all models. The 2015 lineup opens with the front-wheel-drive 141kW 2.4-litre direct-injection four-cylinder petrol/six-speed manual Active at $38,490. The six-speed auto is $40,990. The 145kW 2.2-litre tur

The Mercedes GLA SUV range starts at $48,300 for the 100kW 2.1-litre turbodiesel, front-wheel-drive GLA200 CDI. Opt for the sportier performance and all-wheel-drive grip of the 155kW 2.0-litre turbopetrol GLA250 and the price rises to $58,600. The 26

The Skoda Yeti, like VW’s Tiguan, is built on the Golf V platform and uses all VW components. The 2015 Yeti range opens with the 1.2-litre four-cylinder turbopetrol/six-speed manual/ front-wheel-drive 77 (as in kilowatts) TSi Active, at $23,490. The

Subaru cut prices on its fifth-generation Outback by up to $10,000 when it launched the car in late 2014. The Outback has always been one of the best mid-sized SUVs on the market, so big discounts and more equipment on the new model make it a compell

The LandCruiser 200 Series base 4.6-litre V8 petrol GXL eight-seater costs $80,990, the eight-seater VX is $90,990 and the eight-seater Sahara is $110,990. The 4.5-litre twin-turbodiesel V8 five-seater GX is $73,990, eight -seater GXL is $83,990, sev

D-Max 4x4 models start at $33,900 for the single-cab-chassis EX five-speed manual. Space cab-chassis base model is the SX, at $39,600. Crew cab-chassis SX is $42,100. Crew cab ute starts at $42,800 for the SX, the space cab ute LS-U is $44,000 and th

All variants are price competitive with the main opposition. The range starts at $33,500 for the front-wheel-drive (FWD) 2.4-litre, four-cylinder petrol Sport. At $39,000, the Longitude (called Latitude in northern hemisphere markets), swaps the four

The 2.0-litre petrol CX-5 range opens with the Maxx front-wheel-drive/six-speed manual at $27,190. A six-speed auto adds $2000 and is standard on all other models. The 2.0 Maxx Sport is $32,790. The 2.5-litre petrol all-wheel-drive Maxx is $32,190, M

The third-generation Mercedes M-Class introduced four-cylinder power to what had been an exclusively six- and eight-cylinder contest. The 2015 M-Class opens with the 150kW 2.1-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel/seven-speed automatic ML250 BlueTEC, price

The base Nissan X-Trail ST, at $27,990, is front-wheel drive (dubbed 2WD) and uses a 106kW 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine available only with a six-speed manual gearbox. The $30,490 ST gains the gutsy 126kW 2.5-litre unit that has served the s

Anthropologists know it refers to a nomadic people of Middle Eastern origin, but Nissan hopes Qashqai (pronounced “kash-kai”) becomes the byword for compact SUVs in Australia. Like the successful Dualis it replaces, the five-seater crossover is desig

By the time you read this, Mitsubishi’s new fifth-generation Triton one-tonner will be on sale. As we go to press, its official launch is still weeks away, but Australian 4WD&SUV Buyer’s Guide has been given an extensive pre-launch drive of the top-o

The NT Pajero 3.2-litre, four-cylinder, turbodiesel range opens with the five-seat GLX at $50,990. The seven-seat GLS is $58,990 and the Exceed is $65,990. These manufacturer’s list prices are pretty meaningless. Mitsubishi regularly advertises disco

The 3.0-litre twin turbodiesel TDV6 HSE and 3.0-litre supercharged petrol SCV6 HSE both cost $168,600. In Vogue specification,they’re $178,600. The 4.4-litre V8 turbodiesel SDV8 Vogue is $194,800, the Vogue SE is $216,800 and the Autobiography The 5.

The 3.0-litre V6 turbodieselpowered Macan S is $84,900, the 3.0-litre V6 turbo petrol version is $86,700 and the range-topping Turbo asks for $122,400. All three variants are fitted with Porsche’s exceptionally slick-shifting seven-speed dual-clutch

LandCruiser Prado wagons with the 4.0-litre V6 petrol engine/five-speed auto start with the GXL at $59,990. The VX auto is $72,990 and the Kakadu auto is $83,490. The 3.0-litre turbodiesel wagons include the GX manual at $51,990, GXL manual at $58,49