CarExpert.com.au, Australia’s number one new car marketplace and automotive publisher, has launched its first industry Award series, focusing on the humble dual-cab ute in a bid to find the best performing option on the market.
The inaugural awards are granted on vehicle performance across a set of gruelling, real-world tests. The first of the awards to be issued will be in the dual-cab ‘ute’ class, representative of the top-selling vehicle segments in 2022 where 4×4 and 4×2 utes accounted for 21% of all new vehicle sales.
The CarExpert awards were judged on performance across four key categories featuring three winners in each category. The Overall Winner was presented to the best in its class, Best Value was based on features and price, while Best Four-Cylinder considered both accessibility and price across the best-selling four-cylinder variant.
As four-cylinder utes are an economical option for a lot of dual-cab ute buyers and often considered in a class of their own for value and performance, the segment was judged in its own category for the 2023 Awards.
CarExpert 2023 Automotive Award Winners:
Ute of the Year 2023
Ford Ranger
Best Ute Off-Road
Overall Winner: Jeep Gladiator
Best Four-Cylinder: Nissan Navara Pro-4X Warrior
Best Value: Ford Ranger Raptor
Best Ute Performance
Overall Winner: RAM 1500
Best Four-Cylinder: Isuzu D-Max / Mazda BT-50
Best Value: Toyota HiLux
Best Ute Towing
Overall Winner: RAM 1500
Best Four-Cylinder: Isuzu D-Max / Mazda BT-50
Best Value: Ford Ranger Wildtrak V6
CEO for CarExpert, Damon Rielly, said “We are really proud to present an industry award series where winners are selected based on their performance and performance only. Unlike some other Car of the Year awards, we have genuinely tested each vehicle, putting them through the ringer to crown the most deserved winners.
Being able to award winners in the ute category early in the year means not only do we have the latest and greatest models for testing, but they are readily available for purchase by the consumer. It’s a win, win,” said Rielly.
