Huge, powerful, capable and unmistakable – more and more full-sized American pickup trucks are appearing on Australian roads these days, rubbing shoulders with their smaller dual-cab ute cousins. We take a look at why these ‘Yank tanks’ are so hot right now.
As a motoring journo, I always pay attention to what kinds of cars people drive when I’m out and about, especially when I’m on holiday. For example, I was in Japan in May and loved spotting all the kei cars and weird JDM stuff on the roads over there. But after a holiday closer to home, I made a surprising revelation.
I went away for the King’s Birthday long weekend and went out to Mudgee, just over three hour’s drive outside of Sydney. It’s a beautiful part of the world: lots of wineries, farms and twisty roads. And also, a lot of American pickup trucks.
It felt like almost every second or third car I ran into out there was some sort of American ute: Chevrolet Silverados, GMC Sierras, RAM 1500s… It was surprising to see that many of them in what’s normally Toyota LandCruiser country.
And it’s not just Mudgee: drive around Sydney (or indeed any major Australian city) these days and you’ll run into plenty of American utes. I mean, they’re pretty hard to miss. We’re used to seeing plenty of dual-cab utes on our roads but they’re increasingly being joined by a growing number of big American trucks, too.
The sales figures bear that out, too. Data released earlier this month by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries reveals that both Chevrolet (GMSV) and Ram Trucks reported record sales figures last month – with the latter recording its ninth month in a row outselling its Stellantis stablemate Jeep.
That’s pretty impressive when you consider that these full-sized pickups, regardless of brand, all retail for well over $100,000 AUD. So why are Aussies buying these big cars? Well, when you look at what they offer, it actually makes a lot of sense…
Towing power
The biggest reason (pun not entirely unintended) Aussies are buying these full-size American pickups is because of their towing capabilities. While most dual-cab utes sold locally are rated for 3,500kg, these bigger American cars can tow as much as 5,000kgs.
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Whether you’re a tradie who needs to haul heavy equipment or a holiday-goer who wants to tow a big caravan or boat, there’s really no other alternative. That’s why they’re such a common sight at holiday parks across the country.
Off-road performance
Just like how many Aussies buy dual-cab utes because they offer impressive off-roading performance in a practical package, these big American trucks are also handy off-road, too – and have tricked-out, highly desirable top-spec performance models.
Models like the Ford F-150 Raptor or the Ram 1500 TRX and Warlock not only offer all-conquering off-road capability but also look tough as hell, with bold appearance packages and high-riding standard suspensions.
Another crucial point: you can still get V8s in many of these American pickups, which is something you can’t get in the current crop of smaller dual-cabs these days…
Luxuriously appointed
To many, the idea of an ‘American luxury car’ is something of an oxymoron. However, despite their agricultural origins, these American full-sized pickups actually properly bougie, especially in higher trim levels vehicles such as F-Series’ King Ranch or Limited trims or the Sierra Denali.
Acres of leather; heated and ventilated seats; sunroofs and ambient lighting; adaptive cruise control and other advanced driver’s aids and of course, more cupholders than you can shake a stick at… They might have a luxury vehicle’s price tag but they’ve also got many of the features you’d expect from a luxury vehicle, whilst being much more practical. They’re also much more luxurious than the smaller dual-cab utes on the market.
On top of that, they don’t have the sometimes negative cultural cache you’d get from driving a luxury car (tall poppy syndrome is still a big thing) – yet they’re still a status symbol, in their own way. Another important point: their huge size means they can also ferry around a whole family in complete comfort, too. You can’t get five adults in a Porsche 911.
Growing factory and aftermarket support
While the local firms that convert American trucks to right-hand drive are more than capable and produce OEM-quality products, we’re also starting to see the first-party manufacturers get in on the big ute game.
Ford Australia is now officially bringing the F-150 – America’s best-selling vehicle currently and of all time – to Australia, and Toyota Australia has also announced plans to bring the Toyota Tundra (which despite bearing a Japanese brand’s badge, is made in the US and is a competitor to the vehicles we’ve previously mentioned in this article) Down Under, too.
Even more importantly, local accessories manufacturers are also playing ball, with respected brands like ARB and Norweld offering an increasingly large range of bumpers, canopies and other crucial parts for these American cars. Being able to modify your ute is not only a practical consideration but also a cultural one; Aussie blokes like to make their utes their own, so the fact it’s become so easy to get kit for these big American utes these days is no doubt helping them sell.
There are only two negatives about these big American utes: they don’t exactly sip fuel, and their huge size makes them tricky to park. But many Aussies are willing to look past those small details thanks to these vehicles’ long list of positives. Just watch out in the Woolies carpark.