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    We’ve produced extensive ute tests focused on towing, off-roading, and straight-up unladen speed and braking tests.

    But it’s time to crown Australia’s best performing utes and we’ve split this award into three categories – Best Ute Performance: Overall, Best Ute Performance: Four-cylinder and Best Ute Performance: Best Value.

    As with the result of the written megatest content this is designed to support our videos hosted by Paul, which we strongly encourage you to check out.

    MORE: Towing tests
    MORE: Off-road tests
    MORE: Performance tests and drag
    MORE: Dynamometer tests


    Performance tests unladen

    To set some controls, we put all of our utes on a high-speed bowl and VBox-tested their 0-100km/h acceleration time and 100km/h to zero braking distance. We also gauged their overtaking ability (80-120km/h) and time over a standing quarter-mile.

    0-100km/h

    1. Ram 1500 TRX: 4.4 seconds
    2. Ford Ranger Raptor: 6.4 seconds
    3. Chevrolet Silverado LTZ: 6.5 seconds
    4. Ram 1500 Laramie: 7.0 seconds
    5. Ford Ranger Wildtrak V6: 8.9 seconds
    6. Jeep Gladiator Rubicon: 10.3 seconds
    7. Toyota HiLux Rogue: 11.2 seconds
    8. Isuzu D-Max LS-U+: 11.3 seconds
    9. Mazda BT-50 SP: 11.4 seconds
    10. SsangYong Musso XLV Ultimate: 12.0 seconds
    11. GWM Ute Cannon-X: 12.5 seconds
    12. Mitsubishi Triton GSR: 13.1 seconds
    13. Nissan Navara Pro-4X: 13.2 seconds

    80-120km/h

    1. Ram 1500 TRX: 2.8 seconds
    2. Ford Ranger Raptor: 4.2 seconds
    3. Chevrolet Silverado LTZ: 4.3 seconds
    4. Ram 1500 Laramie: 4.8 seconds
    5. Ford Ranger Wildtrak V6: 6.7 seconds
    6. Toyota HiLux Rogue: 8.2 seconds
    7. Jeep Gladiator Rubicon: 8.4 seconds
    8. Isuzu D-Max LS-U+: 9.1 seconds
    9. Mazda BT-50 SP: 9.3 seconds
    10. SsangYong Musso XLV Ultimate: 9.8 seconds
    11. Nissan Navara Pro-4X: 10.3 seconds
    12. GWM Ute Cannon-X: 10.7 seconds
    13. Mitsubishi Triton GSR: 10.7 seconds

    1/4 mile

    1. Ram 1500 TRX: 12.8 seconds @ 158.9km/h*
    2. Ford Ranger Raptor: 14.6 seconds @ 154.5km/h
    3. Chevrolet Silverado LTZ: 14.7 seconds @ 153.9km/h
    4. Ram 1500 Laramie: 15.1 seconds @ 147.5km/h
    5. Ford Ranger Wildtrak V6: 16.5 seconds @ 136km/h
    6. Jeep Gladiator Rubicon: 17.3 seconds @ 126.3km/h
    7. Toyota HiLux Rogue: 17.8 seconds @ 127.1km/h
    8. Isuzu D-Max LS-U+: 17.8 seconds @ 124.4km/h
    9. Mazda BT-50 SP: 17.9 seconds @ 124km/h
    10. SsangYong Musso XLV Ultimate: 18.3 seconds @ 121.4km/h
    11. GWM Ute Cannon-X: 18.4 seconds @ 118.7km/h
    12. Mitsubishi Triton GSR: 18.6 seconds @ 118.8km/h
    13. Nissan Navara Pro-4X: 19.0 seconds @ 119.7km/h

    *Speed electronically limited to 160km/h due to tyres

    WATCH: Ute megatest DRAG RACE!

    Power-to-weight

    1. Chevrolet Silverado LTZ: 126.1kW per tonne
    2. Ford Ranger Raptor: 120.6kW per tonne
    3. Ram 1500 Laramie: 114kW per tonne
    4. Jeep Gladiator Rubicon: 95.2kW per tonne
    5. Ford Ranger Wildtrak V6: 78.8kW per tonne
    6. Toyota HiLux Rogue: 68.3kW per tonne
    7. Mitsubishi Triton GSR: 66.5kW per tonne
    8. Isuzu D-Max LS-U+: 66.2kW per tonne
    9. Mazda BT-50 SP: 63.4kW per tonne
    10. Nissan Navara Pro-4X: 60.9kW per tonne
    11. SsangYong Musso XLV Ultimate: 60.2kW per tonne
    12. GWM Ute Cannon-X: 59.3kW per tonne

    Acceleration with dyno trailer

    We got our hands on a state-of-the-art trailer dynamometer with a variable load retarder that allowed us to impart up to 10kN of resistive load to the tow vehicle.

    What does this mean in real terms? Think of the trailer dynamometer as an anchor. Varying the dynamometer load allows us to change the weight of that anchor.

    This weighted anchor allows us to simulate a long steep climb for the tow vehicle, which ultimately puts immense load on the engine.

    WATCH: 12-ute towing megatest!

    This 1600kg trailer dynamometer is wirelessly linked up to a computer that lets the operator adjust the degree of resistance force as measured in kilonewtons (kN) – in our tests we set it to 3kN, which simulates a fairly steep ascent, but one that should be within each ute’s abilities.

    With this trailer attached we measured the 0-100km/h time, as well as the 0-90km/h time, because as you’ll see not all of the competitors made it to three digits. Then we did another fuel economy lap to see how hard the engine was working with the load active.

    Model0-90km/h0-100km/h
    Ford Ranger Raptor9.0s10.9s
    Ram 1500 Laramie9.6s11.5s
    Chevrolet Silverado LTZ10.2s11.2s
    Ford Ranger Wildtrak V612.7s15.9s
    Jeep Gladiator Rubicon16.1s28.9s
    Mazda BT-50 SP18.1sFAIL
    Toyota HiLux Rogue18.4sFAIL
    Isuzu D-Max LS-U+18.6sFAIL
    SsangYong Musso XLV Ultimate21.2sFAIL
    GWM Ute Cannon-X28.7sFAIL
    Mitsubishi Triton GSR28.7sFAIL
    Nissan Navara Pro-4X Warrior29.8sFAIL

    Brake test

    Model100-0km/h distance
    Ram 1500 Laramie41.8m
    Isuzu D-Max LS-U+41.9m
    Mazda BT-50 SP42m
    Chevrolet Silverado LTZ42.1m
    Toyota HiLux Rogue43.2m
    Mitsubishi Triton GSR43.2m
    Jeep Gladiator Rubicon45.9m
    Ford Ranger Wildtrak V646.6m
    GWM Ute Cannon-X46.6m
    Ford Ranger Raptor50.5m
    SsangYong Musso XLV Ultimate50.6m
    Nissan Navara Pro-4X Warrior53.7m

    Fuel efficiency test: Control versus with trailer

    We also measured the fuel economy at a constant 100km/h around the bowl – not to come away with a definitive efficiency number, but rather to set comparative figures. We then replicated this with the 3kN resistance trailer dyno.

    ModelUnladenLadenChange %
    Isuzu D-Max LS-U+9.1L/100km22.2L/100km144%
    GWM Ute Cannon-X10.5L/100km28.6L/100km172%
    Toyota HiLux Rogue10.2L/100km29.0L/100km184%
    Mazda BT-50 SP8.8L/100km26.4L/100km199%
    Mitsubishi Triton GSR9.7L/100km30.1L/100km210%
    Ford Ranger Wildtrak V69.0L/100km28.3L/100km214%
    Ford Ranger Raptor11.6L/100km36.5L/100km214%
    SsangYong Musso XLV Ultimate8.9L/100km29.7L/100km233%
    Ram 1500 Laramie11.2L/100km37.3L/100km233%
    Chevrolet Silverado LTZ10.4L/100km36.5L/100km250%
    Nissan Navara Pro-4X Warrior9.4L/100km33.3L/100km254%
    Jeep Gladiator Rubicon11.3L/100km42.7L/100km277%

    Power claim versus dyno result

    WATCH: 12-ute dyno megatest!

    In this part of our 4×4 ute megatest, we took the group to a rolling dynamometer (dyno) owned by our friends at Maxx Performance in the Melbourne suburb of Dandenong.

    The goal was to see how claimed engine outputs on the spec sheet compared to the reality of how much power was measured at the rear wheels.

    ModelFactoryDyno% Loss
    Toyota HiLux150kW122.2kW18.7
    Ford Ranger V6184kW145.6kW20.9
    Mazda BT-50140kW108.3kW22.6
    Isuzu D-Max140kW108.2kW22.7
    Mitsubishi Triton133kW101.4kW23.8
    SsangYong Musso133kW100.6kW24.4
    GWM Ute120kW90.2kW24.8
    Ford Ranger Raptor292kW210.3kW28.1
    Ram 1500291kW208kW28.5
    Nissan Navara140kW92.2kW34.1
    Chevrolet Silverado313kW203.6kW35
    Jeep Gladiator209kW121kW42.1

    Standings

    Overall winner: Ram 1500

    Best four-cylinder: Isuzu D-Max/Mazda BT-50

    Best value: Toyota HiLux

    MORE: CarExpert Ute of the Year Awards

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    Mike Costello
    Mike Costello is a Senior Contributor at CarExpert.
    2023 Ute of the Year
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