Embargoed until 9am Monday 20th February 2023
CarExpert, Australia's leading 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 4x4 and 4x2 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 are 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 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 wringer 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.
Judges included an expert panel of senior CarExpert editorial staff who provided their automotive expertise to the mix, supported by the consumer opinion of several CarExpert readers, representing an impartial mix of industry professionals and real-world buyers to ensure 'real winners' were awarded based on real test, actual performance and unbiased judgement.
Ute of the Year 2023 winner, the dual-cab Ford Ranger , was crowned by judges as "top of its class", not only outperforming on-road but off-road and as a work tool as well.
Best off-road category winner, the Jeep Gladiator Rubicon, was praised for taking out-of-the-box four-wheel driving to another level with class-leading capability in Rubicon trim as well as its staggering off-road performance, living up to the brand's heritage.
The RAM 1500 which took out overall winner for performance and towing not only demonstrated how a hybrid V8 drivetrain can perform in a straight line, but it also boasts incredible stopping ability in damp conditions.
This model proved not only useful across challenging hill climbs while towing, but also boasts enough power to move a herculean dyno cell with ease.
There is no better option than the RAM 1500 for buyers wanting an all-rounder that has towing at the top of its list of capabilities.
All video coverage of the judging process and crowning of individual category winners can be seen on CarExpert.com.au.
ENDS
Car Expert is the leading new car marketplace and automotive publisher in Australia, founded by Anthony Crawford, Alborz Fallah and Paul Maric in 2019.
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Web: carexpert.com.au
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