We have been musing over the runaway success of the diesel double cab ute sector for a few years now. It’s no secret that these tough trucks align well with the outdoorsy Kiwi lifestyle. No secret, either, that the refinement and urban usefulness of the ‘DDC’ has ramped up hugely over the past decade or so.
For many, a DDC is the modern equivalent of a big station wagon with the added attraction of off-road and all-road capability. For others, it’s a work tool and has to perform as such without faltering.
That was the driving force behind this dual test. Was Ford’s Ranger still king among workhorses, or might its position be under threat? We brought the Ranger XLT together with Isuzu’s respected D-Max to thrash out some answers.
The D-Max has long outgrown its ‘young contender’ role and is a firm favourite among tradies and contractors, but for many the ‘next Gen’ Ranger is still arguably top dog in a very hot market segment.
New Zealand is the only country in the southern hemisphere where diesel double cab utes are consistently the best-selling passenger or commercial vehicle.
Ranger and Hilux, Navara, D-Max and Triton all fight it out month by month. There’s a lot of tribalism at play: Ranger owners will look to update into a new Ranger, Hilux the same. It’s possible that brand loyalty is at its most fierce among the diesel double cab ute buyers.
They say ‘there is only room at the top for one’ and the Ford Ranger has been ‘the one’ for a long, long time, helping cement the diesel double cab ute as the vehicle Kiwis want to drive.
This stoush has been the catalyst for a massive commitment from the local Ford design and engineering teams as the Blue Oval seeks affirm its market dominance.
Out in rural New Zealand, though, there’s a growing following for the Isuzu D-Max.
But the big move for ute brands now is two-fold: seduce buyers away from rival brands; and draw people out of hatchbacks and sedans into a 4WD that better suits the Kiwi lifestyle.
So should we be also putting utes under the microscope in a different way? Though a ute does indeed suit the family and recreational needs of Kiwis, they are also expected to be handy in business. Towing ability, onboard payload and in some cases off-road/all road capability must all be considered. A diff lock becomes important.
Ground clearance, approach and departure angles, ramp-over must all be considered.
Visibility too. How much is visible over the bonnet? Can the front seats be raised to give a better view of terrain? Can the door mirrors be adjusted to give a real-time view of what the rear wheels are dealing with? Does the ute have digital cameras that give a whole-environment view when off the beaten path?
Does the ute deliver all of what a working owner expects and requires?
NZ4WD took a day with these two premium utes to explore the idea of a ‘best work ute’. That doesn’t mean we avoided recreation and leisure – a trip to the NZ Warbirds hangar at Ardmore and a play on the rocky foreshore at Orere Point gave us that context.
The highlight, though, was the afternoon spent on Duncan Munro’s farm, tracking up through muddy trails and bush blocks to higher paddocks with calf-length grass and breath-taking views.
Our crew for the day was Sean Willmot (driver), Noema Bristow (driver), Mark Baker (editor, NZ4WD), Hannah Willmot (photographer) and of course Duncan Munro, who guided us in the ‘farm track and trail’ section of the drive and entertained us with talks of farming and 4WD-ing. He has a Jeep Cherokee and a classic Land Rover 110 County wagon. The guy is a serious 4WD fan.
