TITLE Fight

AUSTRALIA'S TWO TOP SELLING 4X4S GO HEAD TO HEAD IN A BATTLE OF THE BEST MID-SIZE UTES

- WORDS MATT RAUDONIKIS

They’ve been Australia’s bestselling new vehicles for years and, by a long margin, they lead the 4x4 sales charts.

So it’s big news when one of the top two delivers a new model.

That’s exactly what happened at the end of 2025 when Toyota dropped the ninth-generation HiLux. It’s a major overhaul of the enduring Toyota ute, even if it’s not an all-new model.

The big question is whether Toyota has done enough with the updated HiLux to wrest the number-one seller position back from the Ford Ranger, which has owned the title in recent years.

To put the two midsize utes head to head, we compared two of the more popular variants. The mid-range SR5 has long been a go-to in the HiLux range for both professionals and enthusiasts, and the same could be said for the Ranger XLT. We have the HiLux SR5, but Ford was unable to supply an XLT Ranger for this test, so instead we have the Ranger Sport, which sits one step higher in the lineup. Coincidentally, the Ranger Sport V6 topped the charts in our 2025 Ute of the Year battle.

Part of the reason Ford couldn’t supply an XLT is that the company is preparing to roll out its MY26.5 Ranger update. Among the changes, it will mark the end of the 2.0-litre bi-turbo diesel, while availability of the V6 diesel will expand across the lineup, alongside a single-turbo 2.0-litre for lower grades.

At the time of writing, a Toyota HiLux SR5 automatic double-cab ute had an RRP of $65,990 plus on-road costs, while a V6 Ranger XLT was $69,090+ORC and the V6 Sport tested here was $71,340+ORC.

Add the $2500 Premium Pack to the HiLux SR5 and you score leather-accented upholstery, an eight-way powered driver’s seat with lumbar support, and a nine-speaker JBL premium sound system, bringing it closer to the Ranger Sport in both price and specification.

With that out of the way, let’s take a look at the two utes.