BYD Shark 6 ‘new variants’
The Chinese brand enjoyed a successful first full year with its plug-in hybrid ute, finishing as one of the best-selling 4×4 utes. Crucially, the brand knows it can’t maintain that level of success without some additions, so there are plans to expand the range in 2026.
BYD hasn’t confirmed exactly what they will be, but have indicated it will likely be a more premium offering, to sit above the current $57,900 model, and cheaper, more fleet-friendly options too.
Toyota HiLux
It may have arrived in late 2025, but this year is when the HiLux will really make its mark. Toyota has decided against an all-new model and has instead taken a ‘grandpa’s axe’ approach to updating ageing underpinnings.
So it combines a proven platform but it does get fresh looks, from Toyota’s Australian design team, which should help maintain its place as a beloved ute. But will it be enough to get the better of the Ford Ranger, with the two utes locked in a year’s long struggle for ute supremacy in Australia.
Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series Hybrid
Call it a sign of the times, but even the big, tough and rugged LandCruiser 300 Series is going hybrid in 2026. A new petrol-electric powertrain will be added in the first half of the year, specifically in its higher-grade GR Sport and Sahara ZX variants.
It will be the same ‘i-Force’ powertrain already seen in the super-sized Tundra pickup, a 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine supported by a single electric motor. Toyota hasn’t confirmed final specification, but isn’t pretending this will be a fuel-sipping SUV and will instead position it as a more performance-oriented hybrid to try and broaden the LandCruiser appeal even further.
Subaru Outback Wilderness
Having flown under the radar for years, Subaru is looking to build on the popularity of its Outback wagon – by making it look less like a wagon.
The Japanese brand has taken a risk and will offer the seventh-generation Outback with a bigger, boxier, more SUV-like look. Subaru will also introduce the new Wilderness specification, which gets more rugged styling to set it apart from the rest of the range.
It will still be powered by four-cylinder boxer engines and has elements of wagon, so it should remain a key piece of Subaru’s arsenal in 2026 and beyond.
Chery Ute
There are still a lot of questions surrounding the new Chinese ute, but the fast-growing brand unveiled the production-ready Himla at the 2025 Shanghai Motor Show and it looked ready to take on the likes of the Ranger, HiLux and Shark 6.
Chery’s commercial sub-brand, Rely, has also shown off a new ute in 2026, so it has plenty of tough-looking options.
Whatever form it takes, it’s confirmed to arrive in Australia in 2026, but not exactly when. The new ute will likely have a plug-in hybrid powertrain, however, unlike the petrol-electric Shark 6, Chery has hinted it could be a diesel-electric PHEV – which would really set it apart.
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