Ute (vehicle) facts for kids

A 2014 Holden VF Commodore ute, a type of car-based pickup

A 2016 Toyota HiLux ute, also known as a pickup truck

A ute (pronounced YOOT) is a special type of vehicle, mostly found in Australia and New Zealand. The word "ute" is short for "utility" or "coupé utility". It describes vehicles that have a cargo area, like a tray or bed, behind the passenger seats. You can drive a ute with a regular driver's license.

Originally, a ute was a car built on a passenger car frame, with the cargo tray connected to the main body, like a car's trunk. But today, the word "ute" in Australia and New Zealand is used for almost any vehicle with an open cargo area at the back. In other countries, these vehicles are usually called pickup trucks.

What is a Ute?

The word "ute" comes from "utility vehicle." For a long time, it meant a two-door vehicle that looked like a car but had a tray at the back. Famous examples include the Ford Ranchero and the Holden Commodore utes from Australia. These older Australian utes usually had power going to the rear wheels and their cargo tray was part of the car's body. This is different from a typical pickup truck, where the cargo bed is a separate piece attached to the frame.

However, in the 21st century, the meaning of "ute" has grown. Now, it often refers to any vehicle with a cargo tray at the back, even if it's what other countries call a pickup truck.

How Utes Started

The very first Australian ute: a 1934 Ford Coupe Utility

A Roadster Utility from 1927, an early type of ute

The idea of a two-door car with a tray at the back began in the United States in the 1920s. These early vehicles were called "roadster utility" models. They were soft-top convertibles, meaning their roof could be folded down. Most modern utes have a fixed metal roof.

Ford Australia made the first Australian Coupe ute in 1934. This happened because a farmer's wife wrote a letter in 1932. She asked for "a vehicle to go to church in on a Sunday and which can carry our pigs to market on Mondays." In response, Ford designer Lew Bandt created a special two-door body with a tray for the American Ford Model A car frame. This new model was called the "coupe utility." When this Australian design was shown in the US, Henry Ford jokingly called it the "Kangaroo Chaser."

In 1951, another big Australian car company, Holden, released its own "utility" model. It was based on their 48–215 sedan. With both Ford and Holden making utes, it started a long tradition of Australian-designed two-door vehicles with a tray, all based on regular car frames.

Utes in Australian Culture

A 2010 HSV Maloo R8, a high-performance ute

Utes are a big part of Australian culture, especially in country areas. There are even special events called ute musters where people show off their vehicles. It's common for people, especially in rural areas, to customize their utes. They might add things like strong front bars called bullbars, extra spotlights, large mudflaps, and special antennas for radio communication. Since 1998, a huge event called the "Deni Ute Muster" has been held in the town of Deniliquin. It attracts many visitors and ute fans.

Australia also had high-performance utes, like the FPV F6 and the HSV Maloo. These were powerful versions of regular utes. For example, the 2017 HSV GTSR Maloo had a supercharged V8 engine, which is a very powerful type of engine.

There was even a racing series in Australia called V8 Utes. It featured slightly changed production Holden and Ford utes racing against each other.

Utes from Australia

Australian car companies made many popular ute models over the years.

Ford Utes

A 1936 Ford Model 48 coupé utility with a soft top

A 1964/65 Ford XM Falcon Utility

A 2018 Ford Ranger dual cab ute

The ute version of the Ford Falcon was made from 1961 to 2016. For most of that time, it was a "coupe ute" style, meaning the tray was part of the car's body. But starting with the 1999 AU Falcon, the Falcon ute changed. Its cargo bed became separate from the cabin, even though it still used the Falcon car's front and cabin design. This change allowed Ford to make both "utility" and "cab chassis" styles more easily.

Ford also designed the Ford Ranger (T6) in Australia, though it's built in other countries. The Ford Ranger was one of the best-selling new vehicles in Australia in 2019 and 2020.

Holden Utes

A 1953-1957 FJ Holden Ute

A 1971-1974 HQ Holden Ute

Holden made "utility" models from 1951 to 1968, based on their popular sedans. From 1968 to 1984, the ute was part of the Holden Belmont/Kingswood range. Holden stopped making utes for a few years, but they returned in 1990. These newer utes were based on the VN Commodore car frame and continued to be made until Australian car production ended in 2017. In 2000, the Holden Commodore ute was the first Australian ute to have a special type of rear suspension that made the ride smoother.

In 2008, there was a plan to sell the VE Commodore Ute in North America as the Pontiac G8 ST. A test model was built, but the plan was stopped because of a big financial crisis around the world.

Utes from Asia

Isuzu Utes

2013 Isuzu D-Max crew cab chassis

Isuzu sells the Isuzu D-Max in Australia. Before this, the same vehicle was sold under the Holden brand as the Holden Rodeo.

Kia Utes

Kia Tasman is a new mid-size pickup truck that the South Korean company Kia plans to make in 2025.

Mazda Utes

2015 Mazda BT-50

Mazda has been selling the Mazda BT-50 in Australia since 2006.

Mitsubishi Utes

2012 Mitsubishi Triton cab chassis

Mitsubishi has sold the Mitsubishi Triton in Australia since 1978. In 2019, it was the fifth most popular new car sold in Australia.

Nissan Utes

Nissan sold the Nissan Sunny Truck as a ute in Australia from 1971 to 2008. Since 1985, Nissan has also sold the Nissan Navara, which is a pickup-style ute, in Australia.

Subaru Utes

1989 Subaru Brumby

Subaru made a small ute called the Subaru Brumby. It had all-wheel drive and was based on the second generation Subaru Leone car. It was sold from 1978 to 1993. In other countries, it was known by names like BRAT, Shifter, or MV. The Brumby was built in Japan but was never sold there.

Toyota Utes

A 1962-1967 Toyota Crown utility

A 1962 Toyota Corona pickup

A 1996 Toyota Hilux

Between 1960 and 1970, Toyota sold a ute version of their Corona car. It had a cargo bed built into the car's body. This was sold at the same time as the Toyota Hilux, which eventually replaced it. Toyota also sold a ute based on the Toyota Crown car, which was put together in Australia from parts.

Toyota currently sells a ute version of the Toyota Land Cruiser (J70). In 2011, the Toyota Hilux was the best-selling ute in Australia.

Utes from Europe

A 2017-2020 Mercedes X-Class

A 2011 Volkswagen Amarok

Mercedes-Benz Utes

From 2017 to 2020, the Mercedes-Benz X-Class was sold in Australia. It used the same frame as the Nissan Navara.

Volkswagen Utes

Volkswagen has been selling the Volkswagen Amarok, a pickup-style ute, since 2010.

From 1979 to 2004, Volkswagen also sold the Caddy, which was a small pickup based on the Volkswagen Golf car.

See also