Honda Australia Director and Chief Operating Officer, Stephen Collins, has announced he is to resign as of next month.

Following Collins’ departure on November 4, Honda Australia has announced that existing Director and Honda Australia board member, Carolyn McMahon, will take over the COO position.

“Whilst I am saddened that my close colleague Stephen has decided to depart, I thank him for his substantial contribution to Honda and wish him, and his family, all the very best for the future,” McMahon said.

“As we start on the next phase for the company, we have a strong group of leaders at Honda Australia who are well placed to take the business forward”.

The move for McMahon comes after decades-long experience with Honda Australia, with Honda Australia’s CEO and Managing Director, Yoshitaka Okamoto stating: “Carolyn is a widely respected leader within Honda and her 27 years’ experience with the company puts her in a strong position to lead the future of Honda in Australia”.

1

One of the major capstones of Collins’ decade-long tenure with Honda Australia was his significant role in implementing an industry-first ‘agency model‘, setting in place a more centralised dealer network, stock management and set pricing.

Collins also, more recently, oversaw the unification of Honda’s local automotive business and Honda’s motorcycle/power equipment businesses after having operated independently of each other for the past three decades.

Along with the announcement of his forthcoming resignation, Collins stated: “It has been a privilege to lead the amazing Honda team for more than a decade and the business now has a strong foundation for the future.”

Toyota has confirmed the revamped 16th-gen Crown range will go on-sale in the US. The first new Crown to hit American shores is the Crossover, a lifted four-door sedan not unlike a sized-up Polestar 2.

The Crown nameplate emerged in 1955 and has been synonymous with luxury ever since, especially in its home market of Japan.

Unlike previous Crowns, the new four-prong Crown range will also target export markets, as evidenced by the Crown Crossover’s expected late-2022 North American launch. Other expansion markets have yet to be confirmed, but it’s likely the Crown will also head to China.

1

Broadening the appeal of the Crown series will boost profitability and production numbers at Toyota’s flagship Motomachi plant. The Crown range will be constructed alongside the new BZ4x and Lexus RZ electric SUVs.

In an interview with Automotive News, chief engineer of the Crown series, Akihiro Sarada, confirmed that the new lifted Crown four-door will effectively replace the Avalon in the US.

Production of Toyota’s new Crown sedan began on the first of September this year.

Toyota has plans to export the Crown series to over 40 countries and regions with an annual sales target of 200,000 units across four variants.

1

The renewed global focus for Crown should hugely bolster production at Toyota’s flagship plant that only managed to turn out 45,000 new cars in 2020 – a far cry from its 1990 peak of 445,000.

Australia will not be part of the Crown’s 40-country expansion initially, with a Toyota spokesperson telling Wheels in July this year it has “no plans” to introduce the Crown range.

What is the Crown?

Toyota has begun streamlining its model lines globally. Yaris has spinoffs – hatch, sedan and cross – as does Corolla. This is the plan employed for the flagship Crown range, but it’s yet to be enacted across the Camry and RAV4 size class.

1

The Crown range will comprise four body styles initially, all of which were shown off in July this year. There is potential for electrification too, with the Crown Athlete/Sport Type also debuted at Toyota’s EV showcase in December 2021.

The first car to launch, the Crown Crossover, will sit on Toyota’s TNGA-K platform, shared with Kluger and Camry.

In Japan, the Crown Crossover will be available with two powertrains: A familiar self-charging unit with 2.5-litre petrol engine and two electric motors.

1

A new ‘Hybrid Max’ powertrain is available, too. This pairs a 2.4-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder (otherwise found in the Lexus NX350) with two electric motors for 254kW of power.

Whether Toyota’s Crown range will be bolstered by pure electric models in the future is unconfirmed, but Sadara did say: “We don’t know about the timing, but we were thinking about the future and about multi-path carbon-neutral solutions”.

Of the four models that were teased in late-2021, Sadara suggested to Automotive News that the next most-likely Crown for export to the US would be the large SUV.

There’s also the potential the Crown Athlete, dressed in coupe-SUV bodywork, could prove successful in North America and Europe, where it would rival the Audi Q5, BMW X4 and Mercedes-Benz GLC.

Motorclassica, billed as the country’s premium concours event, came back with a vengeance this year after a two-year Covid-enforced layoff.

Held at the historic Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton, Melbourne, the 2022 Motorclassica show had no trouble filling the halls with premium classics.

Mark Jansen, Chief Curator for Motorclassica and proprietor of classic car business Oldtimer Australia, was upbeat about the return of the event.

“Normally we have around 120 cars. Of that, maybe 50 are curated and 70 selected from entries,” he explained.

1

“With all the pent-up demand of the event not being run since 2019, we received close to 350 entries for cars, which is mind-boggling.

“We do have more cars here this year – just over 140 cars on the floor, which we’ve restructured.

“It’s exciting that there has been so much interest from the classic car world to get Motorclassica back.

“And we’ve had to say no to so many great cars, but not because they’re not worthy!”

1

Click any photo in this story to view our full gallery.

Jansen mentions that sometimes there are simply more cars of a certain type or model than the event can handle.

“There are lots of good cars that didn’t make it, simply because they didn’t fit with the classes we have this year and hopefully they can reapply next year.

“It’s a great position to be in for the event and reinforces the strength of the hobby, which quite frankly is as popular as it’s ever been.”

1

Among the highlights were a broad Ferrari line-up celebrating 75 years of the marque, and the Icons of Speed section featuring exotics such as Pagani, Bugatti and Koenigsegg.

This story first appeared on our sister site, TradeUniqueCars.com.au.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cjd6KcKh_1i/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CjZaCgBgPK9/

1

Click any photo in this story to view our full gallery.

Volkswagen’s Commercial arm is bringing the limited Multivan Edition to Australia before the end of 2022, with model-specific styling and enhanced features and value.

Just 250 examples will be brought to the Australian market, asking $76,990 (before on-road costs).

For a $7500 premium over the existing Multivan TDI340 Comfortline Premium SWB, those 250 buyers will net themselves rear captain’s chairs with in-built booster seat, a ‘wood-effect’ rear floor and eight-inch infotainment system with satnav and digital instrument cluster.

1

The Multivan Edition is powered by a 110kW/340Nm 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine, matched with Volkswagen’s seven-speed DSG auto transmission.

2023 Volkswagen Multivan Edition pricing

Pricing excludes on-road costs.

Options

Equipment-wise, Volkswagen’s Multivan Edition comes fully-loaded, with the only customer options being metallic paint.

Colour options include:

1

2023 Volkswagen Multivan Edition TDI340 features

Safety features include:

1

The 2023 Volkswagen Multivan Edition TDI340 represents the latest in a string of unique special edition models from Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, having previously released the Caddy California and California 6.1 Beach – with more vans to come.

VW’s latest special Multivan Edition will arrive on the local market during the fourth quarter of 2022. Stay tuned for updates.

UPDATE: We’ve extended this sale by a week, so make sure you get in to pick up any copies you’ve missed to complete your collection – or any you’d like to have as a backup! You don’t want your kids chopping up your only issues to glue all over their school diaries…

If you need to fill a few gaps in your collection, we’ve now got a load of ‘back issue’ mags available from the past 12 months across our Wheels, Motor, 4×4 Australia, Street Machine and Unique Cars titles.

Even better news is the pricing – UP TO 70% OFF ALL BACK ISSUES – making this a great deal for Christmas. (Yes, it’s time to start thinking about that…)

Bundle a few key issues with the models and stories and stunning covers that mattered most to you, your friends and your family, and get a ripper deal.

Here’s what you need to know

• Choose from any Wheels Media publications including Wheels, Motor, 4×4 Australia, Street Machine and Unique Cars
• Pick any 3 issues for just $25
• Any 6 issues for just $35
• Any 12 issues for just $45
• FREE SHIPPING
• Deal ends on October 17

REMEMBER: The discounts listed above will be applied at checkout, so don’t be confused by the displayed single-issue cover price.

Here’s a few of my own faves…

1

Street Machine, August 2022

This month’s cover car is an absolute burger with the lot – a genuine LC GTR Torana loaded with a fire-breathing twin-turbo LS7, incredible fab work, a paddle-shifted transmission and all the mod cons. Fresh from its debut at Meguiar’s MotorEx, Michael Ellard’s BEAMS-powered Corolla van won us over with its amazing attention to detail.

Jason Waye’s Barra-swapped Foxbody Mustang is a street and strip car par excellence, as is Chris Vassilis’s killer LX Torana hatch, which runs eight-second passes the old-fashioned way – sans turbo. We’ll take you along to the nitro-scented Summernats Slam event at Heathcote, as well as Sydney’s premier indoor show, the Hot Rod and Custom Auto Expo. Tech-heads will also love the deep dive on Larry Perkins’s recently rebuilt Iron Lion – the last Holden V8 to win Bathurst!

1

Wheels, May 2022 – Car of the Year

The Wheels Car of the Year issue is here for 2022, later than usual but absolutely jammed with the best new cars on sale in Australia as our judges examine, analyse, fuss over, and ultimately determine the effectiveness of each contender.

There is only one 2022 Car of the Year, but boy, it came close. Also this issue, we test new models like the Ineos Grenadier overseas and the Audi A3 here in Australia, while the usual features and our news section covers the big stories you need to know.

1

And, obviously: MOTOR, July 2022 – The final issue

Covering 68 years of MOTOR’s history in one issue isn’t easy but we’ve picked out a selection of marquee road tests and features and mixed them in with opinion from previous MOTOR editors plus a look back at highlights from Car of the Year and Bang For Your Bucks events.

Luffy tells some tall stories from his years with the title and we go for a last drive our undefeated champion – the only car that won COTY, BFYB and every comparison test it ever entered. And no, it’s not a Porsche.

• Choose from any Wheels Media publications including Wheels, Motor, 4×4 Australia, Street Machine and Unique Cars
• Pick any 3 issues for just $25
• Any 6 issues for just $35
• Any 12 issues for just $45
• FREE SHIPPING
• Deal ends on October 17

Electronic Arts has announced the next chapter in its iconic Need for Speed series, titled NFS Unbound.

The title-cased marketing guff reads: “Graffiti Comes to Life as Players Dial Up the Risk in Every Race, Outsmart the Cops and Showcase their Unique Signature Style in Convention-Breaking Single and Multiplayer Experiences”.

The new game promises “the most realistic looking cars in the franchise’s history”, along with the usual bright and lively street scenes loaded with high-energy music and street-art vibes.

23

Unbound follows the usual NFS formula, with a campaign mode that sees players start with an underwhelming garage, faced with the challenge of working their way up through the street racing world.

However, the new game takes on an almost like GTA-like story aspect, kicking off with a robbery at a family-owned workshop and a “priceless” stolen car.

EA promises “true consequences with impactful risk and reward for every race, decision and side bet made”.

NFS Unbound is available to pre-order now through to November 29, priced at $89 in Australia.

The retail launch date is set for December 2, but gamers who choose to pre-order will receive “an exclusive pack of Unbound content, including a driving effects pack, decals, licence plate, banner artwork, stickers, and $150,000 Bank in their wallet when they first join multiplayer and more”.

NFS Unbound is the first game in the series to be developed for 4K 60FPS, and it will be available on PlayStation 5, XBox Series X and Series S, and PC. No surprise, Nintendo Switch owners miss out, due to the popular console’s less capable hardware.

Earlier this week Maserati unveiled the new 2023 GranTurismo coupe and confirmed a cabriolet would follow.

That got us thinking: What would a third member of the Maserati family look like? Digital artist Theottle’s rendering gives us a pretty good idea.

1

The front end is pure GranTurismo, but the rear end is clearly inspired by the Ferrari FF. It’s a classic breadvan shooting brake silhouette – or Freno di Tiro in Italian.

Maserati doesn’t have any plans to build a Ferrari FF on a budget like this. Instead, its range will expand with the introduction of this new coupe and its Porsche Macan-sized Grecale SUV.

It’s quite a lineup the revamped Maserati has going on after the all-new MC20 supercar.

1

Were it to come to fruition, this GranTurismo shooting brake would – like the coupe – utilise the Nettuno V6 debuted by the MC20 in either 360kW or 410kW trim as Maserati eschews the Ferrari-derived V8 from Quattroporte and previous Granturismo in favour of less cylinders.

In case you missed it, the new GranTurismo also comes with an electric powertrain. Two motors, all-wheel drive and 610kW of power. That would surely shake up the Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo.

Of course, this is just a dream, but it’s exactly the kind of SUV antidote driving enthusiasts want from brands like Maserati.

2

We almost certainly won’t see something like this make production, but we can dream. Would you have one? Leave your opinion in the comments.

The truck of the new generation could soon be delivering the taste of a new generation, with Elon Musk posting this week that the Tesla Semi’s first customer, Pepsi, will receive an initial 100 trucks in December 2022.

Although not detailed above, Tesla’s page for the Semi claims the 500-mile (800km) driving range is based on a fully-loaded truck – measured at 82,000lb Gross Combination Weight, or about 37 tonnes.

For reference, Australian transport regulations allow for a maximum road weight limit of 42.5 tonnes – including the combined weight of the truck, trailer, container and cargo.

There are more than a few unanswered questions regarding the Tesla Semi, though – most of them regarding range and charging times. The trucking industry is famous for its time pressures and strict regulations, so it remains to be seen how Tesla – and its customers – will address the question of delays caused by charging times.

Trucks travelling from Melbourne to Sydney would need at least one charging stop – although not necessarily a full recharge, with the claimed 800km range coming close to the 880km travel distance on the Hume.

Tesla claims the Semi will reach 70 per cent of a full charge in about 30 minutes. Assuming the 800km fully-loaded range proves accurate, drivers could conceivably make do with one 15-minute charging stop on the Melbourne-Sydney drive, which should fit in with mandated rest stops.

1

For longer-haul drives, it has been suggested a new paradigm will come into play, with drivers swapping their trailers to a waiting freshly charged truck, allowing their previous truck to be charged for the next driver.

Of course, the cost of maintaining hundreds or even thousands of extra trucks to accommodate this strategy would not be insignificant.

Although not part of the Tesla Semi’s design, battery swapping would seem an obvious solution – or, in the case of the new Mercedes-Benz and Volvo joint-venture Cellcentric, a hydrogen-fuelled approach could make more sense for the freight industry.

Get more on the ideas and tech behind hydrogen FCEV trucks at the links below.

The story to here

September 5: Tesla Semi gets a design update for functionality

The long-overdue Tesla Semi truck will supposedly launch later this year, and to keep interest up, the company has this week released images of a near-production design.

Revealed in 2017, the Tesla Semi was originally expected to hit the road in 2019.

Then, a late-2021 date was promised, and now, Tesla boss Elon Musk says we can expect to see the Semi pulling freight in 2022, with an 805km driving range targeted.

Overpromising on launch dates is not unusual for Tesla, however, with its Cybertruck pickup and new Roadster both well past their originally announced launch dates.

As for the Semi, these new images show a longer glassed area with new rear quarter windows reaching further towards the back of the cab.

New large mirrors can also be seen – likely a result of conforming to regulations – and a conventional door handle replaces the familiar pop-out style used on other Tesla models.

1

Perhaps the most obvious exterior changes are to the wheels, with the front rims losing their black aerodynamic design and the twin-axel rear now also exposed. Again, both are likely to satisfy regulations and safety standards.

The interior appears largely unchanged, with massive twin displays still flanking the steering wheel. A new set of controls can now been on the left, however, where a simple glossy panel was previously set.

That’s all Tesla is offering for now, so watch for more details to come later this year. If, indeed, the new schedule sticks.

1

November 2021: Tesla Semi due for late 2021 launch

The Tesla Semi prime mover could begin its first customer deliveries before the end of 2021, according to the CEO of PepsiCo.

In an interview with US news broadcaster CNBC on Monday, PepsiCo boss Ramon Laguarta said the food giant is expecting to begin receiving the first of its battery-powered Tesla trucks.

The food and beverage giant reserved 100 Tesla Semis back in 2017 as a way to reduce the company’s emissions. Other corporations, such as Walmart, also have orders with the electric vehicle company.

Despite the news, Tesla stock fell by 4.84 per cent in daily trading on expectations CEO Elon Musk could sell around 17 million shares of the company.

Following widespread criticism of his opinions on US tax law, Musk took to Twitter to ask if he should sell 10 per cent of his personal stake in Tesla.

1

“I only have stock, thus the only way for me to pay taxes personally is to sell stock,” Musk wrote.

The Tesla boss does not take a salary from the company, but has stock released to him in tranches when sales targets are met.

The poll received more than 3.5 million participants, with 57.9 per cent voting ‘yes’. Musk said he would abide by the results of the poll “whichever way it goes”.

It’s expected the sale would amount to US$20.8 billion (AU$28 billion) before taxes.

Even after the drop in the company’s share price, Tesla’s market capitalisation is estimated at US$1.17 trillion (AU$1.58tn), having reached the one trillion dollar mark on October 26 – an increase of 16.8 per cent within a fortnight.

November 2023: Subaru Solterra Australian pricing confirmed

The Solterra has been priced below key electric midsized SUV rivals, with a starting point of $77,990 before on-road charges.

October 2022: Toyota BZ4x and Subaru Solterra resume production after fears of wheel loss

The 2023 Toyota BZ4x and 2023 Subaru Solterra electric SUV twins will resume production later this month.

It comes more than three months after a joint recall was issued following concerns the wheels could loosen and fall off, and manufacturing in Japan was halted (full details below).

The issue affected more than 4000 units globally – spilt between approximately 2700 Toyota BZ4x and 1600 Subaru Solterra vehicles – just eight weeks after the vehicles went on sale.

1

According to industry journal Automotive News, the issue stemmed from Toyota underestimating the instantaneous torque of an electric motor, combined with the extra weight of a battery pack.

It is claimed Toyota was made aware of the issue following a report from Taiwan in late May, followed by two instances in the United States.

The report states the hub bolts attaching the wheels could become loose due to vigorous driving, such as “turning sharply or braking aggressively”.

1

“It is embarrassing to say that we had done various assessments, but we couldn’t detect this problem because we didn’t conduct the assessments based on a premise that the quality of wheels would be so off in the assessment process,” said Toyota’s chief technology officer, Masahiko Maeda.

“We will respond firmly to regain trust in the safety of Toyota vehicles.”

To fix the issue, engineers have reportedly added a washer to the hub bolts.

1

The brand has also improved the friction of the wheel surface, which was initially “too rough with wide variances in processing quality.”

While it has yet to commence production, the issue also affected the related Lexus RZ electric SUV.

Both the Toyota BZ4x and Subaru Solterra are expected to arrive in Australia in 2023, with pricing and final details to be announced closer to launch.

Jordan Hickey

August 8: Suffering BZ4x owners can sell their cars back to Toyota

Toyota of America has offered to buy back the BZ4x EVs it has already sold, in response to a delay in resolving a fault that could see its wheels come loose and separate from the vehicle.

1

Owners affected by the risk had been notified in June and were advised to not drive their cars until a solution was found – a ‘caution’ message which ran counter to the usual type of recall that would normally see owners invited to return to their dealership for an immediate repair action.

Now, months later, Toyota has yet to arrive at a solution for the issue, moving the company to give owners the option to sell their vehicle back – although it’s unclear whether they will be fully reimbursed.

To Toyota’s credit, the company has provided a loan vehicle to each affected owner at no cost, while also reimbursing all fuel costs. The company has also provided a credit of US$5000 towards loan or lease payments.

In its communication to owners, Toyota said: “The terms for the repurchase may vary, depending on your state and particular circumstances”.

The full letter sent to owners is posted below, as shared by an owner on social media website Reddit.

Hat tip to CarScoops for this story

1

June 24: Toyota and Subaru recall new EVs over risk of wheels coming loose

Japanese manufacturers Toyota and Subaru have been forced to recall their jointly-developed BZ4x and Solterra electric vehicles only a handful of months after launching.

According to Reuters, both electric vehicles have been recalled due to a risk of the wheels coming loose and falling off, affecting more than 5000 units worldwide.

The Japanese Government’s safety regulator has said sharp turns and sudden braking could cause a hub bolt to become loose, with drivers urged to stop using their vehicles until a permanent fix is worked out.

1

For the Toyota BZ4x – the manufacturer’s first dedicated EV – roughly 2700 examples have been recalled with 2200 of those units in Europe, 260 in the United States, 20 in Canada and 110 in its local Japan.

Around 2600 units of the Subaru Solterra have been impacted by the recall, but it’s worth noting neither model is available yet in Australia, although both are slated to hit the local market next year.

Toyota has said its BZ4x will come to Australia “sometime” in 2023, potentially allowing Subaru to introduce the Solterra first with a planned mid-2023 launch date.

Dual-cab ute safety is somewhat of a chicken or the egg question.

Did dual-cab utes become the best-selling vehicles on Australian roads because they have increasingly offered the safety of conventional passenger cars? Or did their popularity, especially as family transport, mean that manufacturers needed to offer more and more safety kit to maintain their competitive advantage?

There are outside influences, too, including the Federal Government mandating of electronic stability control (ESC) on light commercial vehicles (LCVs) from the end of 2017, and demands for five-star ANCAP ratings for Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) from industry.

Remember, the dual-cab you see as your ‘family car’ is still classified as an light commercial vehicle by the Government and lower-spec variants are often used in work roles.

1

The upshot is that the popular dual-cabs sold today have much more safety kit than dual-cabs of 10 years ago. Interestingly, there’s considerable disparity in the amount of safety kit fitted to these popular dual-cabs with most of them achieving a five-star ANCAP rating.

Some safety kit such as anti-lock brakes (ABS) and electronic stability control (ESC) is of course universal, while advanced safety features such as autonomous emergency braking (AEB) are only just finding their way onto dual cabs. And there are inherent design features such as full-time 4×4 that contribute to safety, but aren’t often recognised as safety features.

All safety features, whether inherent or added on, either help prevent an accident occurring in the first place (primary) or reduce the consequences of an accident if one does occur (secondary). Here’s a rundown of the key safety features.

Eds. note: We’ve largely left the Volkswagen Amarok out of this updated article as the new model doesn’t arrive until 2023. We’ll update it once it has.

1

Dual-cab ute airbags

Also known as Supplemental Restraint System (SRS), airbags first started to appear in US cars in the 1970s. In part they were a response to the fact that, while seatbelts were mandatory fitment on cars in the US by that time (and had been around for 20 years), it was more difficult to mandate people to wear them.

Where seatbelts require active participation from the driver, an airbag doesn’t, so the airbag solved the problem of the reluctant seat-belt wearer. Interestingly, the state of Victoria was the first jurisdiction in the world to make seat-belt wearing compulsory for the driver and front-seat passenger.

Initially airbags were just for the driver and installed in the steering wheel. Next came the front passenger airbag installed in the dashboard. Both these airbags protect the head and upper body. Side airbags, installed in the seats and designed to protect the torso from side impacts, and driver’s knee airbags to protect the obvious soon followed.

These have been more recently joined by curtain airbags, installed in the body’s window and/or door pillars, and designed to shield the occupants’ heads from side impacts.

Dual-cab ute anti-lock brakes

1

Anti-lock brakes, or ABS, as it’s abbreviated from the German term ‘Anti-Blockier System’ as coined by automotive-systems manufacturer Bosch, came into use in aircraft in the 1950s to help them stop on wet or icy runways, and appeared 10 years later in cars.

The original systems on both planes and cars were mechanical, but once electronic anti-lock brakes were developed for the groundbreaking faster-than-sound Concorde passenger jet in the 1960s, the ‘electronic’ die was cast and electronic ABS began to appear on cars in the early 1970s.

Anti-lock brakes, as the name suggests, stop the brakes from locking up the wheel and the tyre skidding on the road surface. For emergency braking, ABS can modulate the braking pressure to provide maximum braking, which occurs just before wheel lock-up. This reduces stopping distances and, more importantly, allows the driver to maintain some degree of steering control, which is not possible with locked front wheels, and can even be difficult with locked rear wheels.

ABS uses wheel-speed sensors to tell it what speed each wheel is doing, how quickly it’s slowing down and whether it’s about to lock. That information is fed to an electronic control unit (ECU), or the ‘brain’ of the system, which then activates valves that modulate the hydraulic pressure at each of the individual brakes. ABS also uses a hydraulic pump to maintain the fluid pressure in the system.

The wheel-speed sensors are a simple, but significant, part of active safety technology and also underpin electronic traction control (ETC) and electronic stability control (ESC).

1

Dual-cab ute brake assist

Brake assist, or BA, sometimes called EBA (for emergency brake assist) or BAS (for brake assist system), helps maximise braking effort in an emergency. It does this by measuring the speed of the brake application and if that speed exceeds a threshold that suggests the driver is trying to execute an emergency stop, it will apply maximum braking effort if the driver hasn’t already done so.

Research suggests that some 90 per cent of drivers fail to apply full brake pressure when faced with an emergency. BA works up to the point where the anti-lock brakes (ABS) take over and is only fitted to vehicles that already have ABS.

Dual-cab ute electronic brake-force distribution

Electronic brake-force distribution (EBD) automatically varies the brake force on each wheel depending on the road surface, the speed and, importantly for utes, on the load, as this affects the attitude (nose up or nose down) of the vehicle.

Under most circumstances, and especially when a ute is unladen, the front wheels carry the most load and do the most braking, so less braking effort is applied to the rear wheels so they don’t lock up. With more load in the tub or tray, more braking effort is directed to the rear wheels. Like BA, EBD works in conjunction with ABS.

Dual-cab ute electronic traction control

1

The development of electronic traction control (ETC), starting in the 1970s, followed hard on the heels of anti-lock brakes. ETC shares the same basic hardware as ABS – wheel-speed sensors, a hydraulic pump and valving system – but requires new software programming, for where ABS stops a wheel from locking under braking, ETC stops a wheel from spinning under acceleration.

ETC was a response to increasingly more powerful cars and their propensity to break traction under acceleration on slippery roads common in winter in North America and Europe. Initial ETC systems used brake pressure on an individual wheel to stop it spinning, but ETC developed from there to a system that can also limit the engine power to bring wheelspin under control. ETC is also beneficial off-road. It’s like having an effective limited-slip differential at both ends of your 4×4.

Second-generation ETC systems for 4x4s add off-road ability and are specifically calibrated for off-road use. As such, off-road specific ETC is more like a locking diff than a good limited-slip diff in the off-road benefit it provides.

Dual-cab ute electronic stability control

1

Electronic stability control, or (ESC), goes under a large number of brand-specific names such as electronic stability program, vehicle dynamic control and dynamic stability control, but they all attempt to do the same thing with varying degrees of finesse.

ESC first appeared on production cars in the 1980s and built on ABS and ETC using many of the component systems already in place. However ESC introduces crucial new elements in the mix in the form of steer-angle, yaw, roll and lateral-acceleration sensors.

With information from those sensors, the ESC system is able to work out if the vehicle is heading in the direction steered by the driver, as measured by the steer-angle sensor, or heading somewhere else, as determined by the yaw, roll and lateral-acceleration sensors, as when happens when a vehicle goes into a slide or skid.

If the ESC determines this is the case, which it can do often before the driver realises anything is awry, it will work to counteract the skid or slide by applying the brakes on one or more wheels, often to varying degrees on each wheel, or by cutting the engine power.

While ESC is well proven as one of the most significant safety advances, it can be a hindrance off-road in sand or mud, so not what you necessarily want in a 4×4 when heading off-road.

The problem is that in sand or mud, where you’re counter-steering to correct any small slides, the ESC’s reaction is to apply the brakes and/or cut engine power, neither of which you want when momentum is critical, as is generally the case in sand or mud. Typically ESC is automatically disabled when low-range is engaged and there’s also a switch to manually disable the ESC for sand or mud driving.

The problem with ESC off-road is one of the reasons why some 4x4s are fitted with terrain-specific chassis-control systems (like Land Rover’s ground breaking Terrain Response). When, for example, you select the ‘Sand’ mode on one of these systems, the ESC is desensitised, or even completely disabled.

Dual-cab ute trailer sway control

1

Trailer sway control builds on electronic stability control (ESC) and is a specific software program that works within the broader ESC system to counter any vehicle instability that arises from towing.

Typically that means towing caravans, boats, horsefloats, off-road trailers or anything similar, and is particularly relevant for utes given they are so popular for towing. When towing something that’s heavier than the tow vehicle, Trailer Sway Control is even more useful.

Towing instability can result from a tow rig where the weight distribution isn’t as good as it could be, or can come about with crosswinds, rough roads, higher speeds, off-throttle deceleration through corners or a myriad of other circumstances. If the towed element starts to sway from side to side, that causes an opposite-direction yaw moment at the rear of the tow vehicle which, unchecked, can increase in amplitude until the vehicle-trailer combination ‘jack knifes’ or possibly rolls.

When the trailer sway control detects the beginnings of this type of oscillation it can brake individual wheels or cut engine power to help restore the stability of the vehicle-trailer combination.

Dual-cab ute lane keeping assist

Lane keeping assist is one of the newer safety technologies designed to help counter what can only be called poor driving, be that through inattention, distraction or allowing drowsiness to set in.

Lane keeping assist is distinct from lane departure warning. Where the latter will warn the driver, generally with audible or visual alerts, that the vehicle is veering out of its lane, the former will actually help steer the vehicle back into its lane if the driver doesn’t.

In the case of the Ford Ranger, with its programmable electric power steering (EPS), this is very easy to achieve. In the case of the Toyota HiLux, which doesn’t have EPS, selective brake application is used to create a yaw moment that steers the vehicle back into line.

Dual-cab ute blind-spot monitoring

Blind-spot monitoring uses cameras to detect vehicles that are potentially hidden in the driver’s blind-spots to the rear and side. The warnings are generally via a visual alert in the side mirrors and an audible chime. Blind-spot monitoring is most useful on multi-lane roads and for detecting smaller vehicles such as motorcycles.

1

Dual-cab ute reversing camera

Reversing cameras are now standard fitment on all the popular dual-cab pick-ups, and even on some cab-chassis variants. The impetus for reversing cameras came from child injuries and deaths in driveway accidents.

Dual-cab ute rear cross-traffic alert

Rear cross-traffic alert uses what is effectively a sophisticated wide-view rear camera to alert the driver, via the screen image and audible warnings, of traffic approaching at right angles across the rear of the vehicle. It’s a particularly useful feature in country towns with nose-to-kerb angle parking.

1

Dual-cab ute tyre pressure monitoring system

Tyre pressure monitoring system, or TPMS as it’s generally abbreviated to, keeps a check on the air pressure in each tyre using pressure sensors in each wheel.

The driver can bring up a display of the pressures in each tyre, but more usefully the system will warn the driver if a tyre is losing pressure generally well before the driver realises there is a problem. This potentially saves the tyre from completely deflating and being damaged beyond repair by being driven on when it is flat. Better still, it can help prevent a flat-tyre induced accident.

Given punctures and tyre damage is very much a commonplace event when driving off road, especially on showroom-stock tyres, TPMS is an extremely worthwhile safety feature for a 4×4.

Dual-cab ute autonomous emergency braking

1

Autonomous emergency braking (AEB) is the key new safety technology that’s beginning to find its way into dual-cab utes and it will be mandatory technology on all new cars sold in Australia from March 2023.

AEB is another of the newer safety technologies designed to counter inattentive driving and it provides a safety net to counter the same.

AEB uses radar and/or laser technology to ‘see’ what’s in front of the vehicle and to monitor the distance to whatever’s in the vehicle’s path, be that another vehicle or even a pedestrian or cyclist. If the system decides that a collision is possible it will warn the driver via visual and/or audible alerts.

If the driver doesn’t react by braking, and the system decides that a possible collision has become a probable collision, and the situation is critical, it will automatically apply the brakes without any intervention from the driver. AEB is distinct from forward collision warning, which warns the driver of a possible collision but cannot apply the brakes.

1

Dual-cab ute full-time 4×4

Often overlooked as a safety feature, perhaps because it’s mechanical and not electronic, and a ‘built-in’ rather than added-on feature, full-time 4×4 offers a considerable safety benefit over part-time 4×4 and is a key safety divide in today’s dual-cab ute market.

The shortfall of part-time 4×4 compared to full-time 4×4 is most apparent on wet or otherwise slippery bitumen roads. Having just the rear wheels rather than all four wheels delivering drive means there’s more demand on electronic traction and stability control systems to prevent wheel spin or skidding.

Full-time 4×4, unlike part-time 4×4, can be used on all road surfaces, so doesn’t require any expertise to use as does part-time 4×4, where the driver has to decide when a road surface is slippery enough to engage high-four without risking potential damage to the transfer case.

As such, full-time 4×4 provides a greater safety benefit for less experienced or less knowledgeable drivers as it reduces the level of decision making required by the driver in variable (dry to wet; sealed to unsealed) road conditions.

Running the ruler on safety

Almost all the popular dual-cab 4x4s have five-star safety ratings, but they are far from equal in safety equipment.

1

It’s impossible to give a definitive one-to-10 safety ranking of all the popular dual-cabs as it’s impossible to assign a definitive weighting of all the safety features against one another.

For example, is blind-spot monitoring more important than lane departure warning, or a driver’s knee airbag? And is a primary safety feature like full-time 4×4 more important than a secondary safety feature like curtain airbags? What’s more, while all the dual-cabs have, for example, electronic stability control, the calibration and therefore the effectiveness of the individual systems may not be identical.

In the same way, not all autonomous emergency braking (AEB) systems will work in exactly the same way in terms of judging the critical point of intervention. That’s something that will have been programmed into the system using a set of protocols developed by individual engineering teams and will vary from ute to ute.

1

The good news is all of today’s utes are underpinned by a substantial raft of well-proven and effective safety technology, much of which didn’t exist on utes not all that long ago.

Importantly, all of the popular dual-cabs have electronic stability control (ESC), a well-proven safety advantage. ESC also brings trailer sway control, which is significant given utes are the default tow vehicles of today and towing anything heavy obviously brings considerable risks not involved when not towing.

It goes without saying that all of the popular utes also have anti-lock brakes and the other brake-related safety functions such as brake assist and brake-force distribution.

Go beyond this baseline safety and more significant differences start to emerge in as much as AEB, which is considered to be the pointy end of today’s vehicle safety and is only currently available on Ford Ranger, Triton and HiLux, being standard on the HiLux across the range, and on all but lower-spec Ranger and Triton variants.

1

2022 Dual-cab ute safety test verdict

Taking joint top spot in this test were the two Ford Rangers. Both performed well (having identical safety specifications) with nine airbags (the most of any model on test), three-point lap/sash seatbelts all round, childproof door locks, intelligent adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring with cross-traffic alert and trailer coverage, speed limit recognition, lane-keep assist with road edge detection and driver alert, and pre-collision assist with autonomous emergency braking (AEB).

Both XLT and Sport variants have front and rear parking sensors plus a rear-view camera. A 360-degree camera is optional on the Sport.

The Ranger now has a five-star ANCAP rating.

The twins-under-the-skin the Isuzu D-Max LS-U and Mazda BT-50 GT both did admirably, sporting eight airbags apiece, a raft of active safety tech and each earning a five-star ANCAP safety rating in 2020.

1

An honourable mention goes to the GWM Cannon-X as it has the most recent five-star ANCAP rating, and also gains the Chinese marque’s full suite of safety systems including AEB, forward collision warning, lane departure warning, lane-keep and lane-change assist, front and rear parking sensors, seven airbags, a 360-degree camera and rear door child locks.

Meanwhile, the Nissan Navara and Toyota HiLux both occupied the middle ground with slightly older ANCAP ratings and seven airbags balanced against healthy spec lists.

The Navara was tested by the safety watchdog in 2015, but its rating applies to vehicles built from December 2020 onwards because a mid-life update was introduced locally in early 2021. The HiLux’s ranking however dates back to 2019.

1

Earning last place was the SsangYong Musso XLV. While its equipment list is respectable – featuring lane departure warning, AEB with forward collision warning, six airbags, front and rear parking sensors, driver attention warning, rear-cross traffic alert and blind-spot monitoring – it is unrated entirely by ANCAP and has a lap belt for the middle rear passenger, which seems outdated and unsafe in the modern age.

Only slightly ahead were the Mitsubishi Triton GSR and GLX+ pair. While the GSR receives the Japanese marque’s full kit list, its five-star safety rating goes back to 2015 and even that will expire at the end of this year – leaving one of Australia’s more popular utes unrated until a new model arrives.

Though the GLX+ gets a forward collision mitigation system with pedestrian detection, it misses out on lane departure warning, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert. Both have six airbags – joining the SsangYong and LDV in the lowest number on offer from our array of utes.

The LDV also lost points for its number of airbags, less extensive feature list and 2017 ANCAP test date.