2026 CarExpert Choice winner: Best Ute

The Ford Ranger has been named Australia’s best ute in the second year of the CarExpert Choice Awards.

The Blue Oval's Australian-developed global ute also won this award in the inaugural CarExpert Choice Awards last year.

It beat out two finalists this year, the Kia Tasman and Volkswagen Amarok.

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Voting was conducted by the CarExpert editorial team before we had a chance to get behind the wheel of the updated model year 2026.50 (MY26.50) Ranger, but we'd still consider the Blue Oval's ute worthy of the gold following this refresh – even if the Bi-Turbo four-cylinder diesel engine has been axed.

Australia's best-selling ute and new model overall (for the past three years) offers a wide range of configurations like many of its competitors, but it's also available with a smooth and powerful turbo-diesel V6 engine that only one of its competitors can match – the related Volkswagen Amarok – plus a high-performance, twin-turbo petrol V6-powered flagship, the Raptor, which has no competition to speak of.

The Ranger was engineered in Australia, something that's evident in the way it rides, handles and steers. Though new competitors have come along since the current Ranger's launch in 2022, including the impressive if aesthetically challenged Kia Tasman, we'd argue none can better it dynamically.

Its in-car technology remains exceptional in this segment, and it offers competitive payload and towing capacity figures, as well as benchmark off-road capability. That means the Ranger is a capable workhorse, in addition to proving comfortable as a family hauler and a go-anywhere adventure machine.

With wider V6 availability for MY26.50, the Ranger not only remains the best model in its segment, but has become even more tempting.

2026 CarExpert Choice: Best Ute

• Winner – Ford Ranger
• Finalist – Kia Tasman
• Finalist – Volkswagen Amarok

To see all the CarExpert Choice winners, click here.

MORE: Explore the Ford Ranger showroom