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AUSTRALIANS are falling back in love with rugged, go-anywhere large SUVs, with official VFACTS sales figures showing a sharp rise in interest in capable four-wheel-drive wagons.

The sales increase for these harder-core off-roaders is being led by a slew of recent arrivals – and some old favourites – that are based on the underpinnings of popular 4×4 pick-ups.

In general, the popularity and practicality of more urban-oriented, family-focused (and often prestige) wagons has driven the dramatic growth in SUV sales in Australia.

As GoAuto has reported, the gap between passenger cars and SUV registrations has narrowed significantly, with sales to the end of April revealing that just 15,000 units separate the two market segments – 155,095 (passenger) to 140,152 (SUV).

Market Insight - Click to enlarge

Market Insight – Click to enlarge

This has led to many in the industry bringing forward their forecasts of when SUV sales will overtake passenger cars, which could be as early as this year.

In the 1980s, ‘90s and some of the early noughties, models from mainstream brands such as the Mitsubishi Pajero, Nissan Patrol, Toyota LandCruiser/Prado, the Holden Jackaroo, Ford Explorer and even the Hyundai Terracan offered buyers loads of space and the ability to head off-road.

Jeep has also continued to trade heavily on this combination with stalwart models like Grand Cherokee and Wrangler.

For most manufacturers, however, their 4×4 wagons – now universally accepted as SUVs – have generally softened up in terms of off-road capability, catering to more urban-centric buyers looking for a high ride height, flexible cabin and in some cases, seven seats, but without requiring the ability to cross the Great Dividing Range.

Top pick: Isuzu Ute’s MU-X is the most popular ute-based SUV in the country so far this year, edging out key rivals including the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport, Toyota Fortuner, Ford Everest and Holden Colorado 7.

Top pick: Isuzu Ute’s MU-X is the most popular ute-based SUV in the country so far this year, edging out key rivals including the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport, Toyota Fortuner, Ford Everest and Holden Colorado 7.

Three models that launched in the past 12 months have helped drive interest in the genre of fair-dinkum off-roaders – Toyota’s HiLux-based Fortuner, Mitsubishi’s Triton-based Pajero Sport and Ford’s Australian-developed Everest that shares its T6 platform with the popular Ranger ute.

They were, however, preceded by Holden’s Colorado 7 – based on the Colorado pick-up – that launched toward the end of 2012, and Isuzu’s related MU-X that lobbed a year later.

Given that the Toyota, Mitsubishi and Ford all arrived at different times during 2015, the best barometer of their popularity is 2016.

The Colorado 7 is the oldest of the five, but will be replaced by a significantly facelifted version in the third quarter of the year that will usher in the global Trailblazer nameplate. Holden says the update will also bring an interior upgrade and safety and comfort features not seen in the model previously.

Holden Colorado 7

Holden Colorado 7

To the end of April, the Colorado 7 is trailing its four direct rivals with Holden shifting 968 units, representing a 31.3 per cent lift over the same period in 2015. This is a big increase compared with its January-to-April results in 2013 and 2014 when it found 559 and 517 homes respectively.

Holden’s former marketing chief Bill Mott admitted to GoAuto in late 2014 that the company had failed to properly market the Colorado 7, and that it would work to improve its standing in the marketplace. The strategy has clearly worked, with sales almost doubling inside two years.

Ford’s much-hyped Everest finally landed in showrooms in October as part of the company’s rejuvenated line-up that included a refreshed Ranger, new Mondeo, facelifted Focus and, of course, the Mustang pony car, all arriving over a 12-month period.

The Blue Oval’s local executives said at the Everest’s launch in Thailand that the company was not expecting it to shift the same sort of numbers as the Australian-built Territory, and their predictions were correct.

Ford Everest

Ford Everest

But the locally engineered, Thai-built Everest has been a useful contributor, garnering praise from the motoring media, winning a number of high-profile awards and developing a following from a mix of private and business buyers. In the first four months of trading this year, Ford has sold 1234 units.

The loss of the locally built Territory come October, when Ford Australia closes its manufacturing operations, could push SUV buyers in the direction of the Everest, although the company has promised a direct replacement that is widely believed to be the Canadian-sourced Edge.

At the moment the Edge is only available as a five-seater form the Ontario factory, but a seven-seat version will be built in China. Ford Australia has gone on the record to state that it will not source cars from China, so the Everest could be the company’s sole seven-seat option for a while.

Toyota’s Fortuner got off to a strong start when it arrived in October last year, and to the end of April this year it has notched up 1394 sales to sit in third place.

Mitsubishi Pajero Sport

Mitsubishi Pajero Sport

Earlier this month, Toyota announced that its capable FJ Cruiser SUV would be discontinued from August, and the retro wagon’s demise could have a positive impact on Fortuner from buyers that are drawn to the Toyota badge.

Mitsubishi’s Pajero Sport replaced the ageing Challenger in December last year and has proven to be a hit for the Japanese car-maker, shifting 1445 units to the end of April.

It is currently trading at around the same mark as its larger and much older Pajero stablemate, but this could change by the end of the year.

The success of the Pajero Sport is interesting as it is the only one of these vehicles that is not offered with seven seats. A Mitsubishi Motors Australia Ltd spokesperson told GoAuto last week a variant was “not far away” and that the company “hopes to make an announcement soon”. This would no doubt lift the Pajero Sport’s sales even further.

The undisputed sales leader, however, is the Isuzu MU-X. The Japanese brand’s big wagon has been a slow burner since it launched in late 2013, but with the help of clever marketing and a growing dealer network, it has built up a loyal buyer base.

Isuzu’s pricing and positioning has likely had an impact on its sales result as it is the only one out of the five models mentioned that is available in entry-level two-wheel-drive guise. Pricing ranges from $40,500 plus on-road costs for the base 2WD LS-M auto and rises to $54,000 for the top-spec LS-T AWD auto.

The price of the flagship MU-X is less than the opening price for the base Everest, which starts at $54,990 and tops out at a hefty $76,990 for the Titanium.

Mitsubishi’s Pajero Sport ranges in price from $45,000 to $52,750, the Fortuner starts at $47,990 and tops out at $59,990, while the Colorado 7 is priced from $47,990 to $51,490.

With rumours of more ute-based SUVs on the horizon – Nissan, for example, is reportedly looking at a new off-road wagon based on Navara after taking the Pathfinder in a different direction – the resurgence of mountain-hopping SUVs show little sign of waning.

By Tim Nicholson

Toyota Fortuner

Toyota Fortuner