Five baby utes we want for NZ

Monday, 15 July 2019

Big utes are big business in New Zealand. But tiny utes are even bigger business in South America.

Based on FWD or AWD small car platforms (so proper utes!), we reckon they'd go down well here too. Here are five tiny utes we really want..

Ford Courier

While our Courier became the Ranger in 2006, the Courier name lived on in Brazil on a tiny Fiesta-based ute. Built on a stretched version of the Fiesta platform, the Courier was also sold in Europe, originally appearing there in 1998, but stayed in production the longest in Brazil. A van version was also sold in Europe, but it wasn't anywhere near as cool as the neat little ute.

* Meet the Tarok: the friendlier ute

The Brazilian Ford Courier from 1998 was a 'proper' ute based on the small Fiesta. Ford is considering a Focus-based ute for the North and South American markets - could we see it here?

* Is Ford going to reintroduce the half-tonne ute?**

While Ford has never officially confirmed it has stopped production, none have rolled off the production line since 2013, but Ford have confirmed it is working on a new baby ute based on the Focus platform that it is even considering for the US market. And here please Ford.

VW Saveiro

The Saveiro is based on the Brazilian-market Gol, a small hatch that uses the older VW A0 platform that sat under cars like the fourth generation VW Polo from 2001.

Available in either single or extended cab variants, the Saveiro has a longer wheelbase than the Gol and can carry 700kg in its tiny little tray.

While the Saveiro is still in production, like Ford, VW has also confirmed it is working on a small ute based on the MQB platform (Golf, Tiguan) that will replace it, but that the company is also considering for other global markets.

Fiat Strada

Tiny FWD utes are a seriously big thing in South American, so Fiat also built one in Brazil since 1996.

The Strada (not to be confused with the very cool Fiat Ritmo hatch that was sold in some markets as the Strada as well) is based on the positively ancient Fiat Uno platform from 1983. It is available in single and double (yes, really!) cab variants, including the brilliantly over-the-top Adventure version that gets chunky 4X4-style body cladding, despite being only available in FWD…

But the coolest version is sold in Mexico, where it is rebadged as a Ram 700.

Fiat Toro

While the Strada is still in production, it was supposedly replaced by the Fiat Fullback (a rebadged Mitsubishi Triton), but Fiat saw fit to add to the confusion by also building a new baby ute - the brilliantly odd Toro.

The Toro supposedly sits in between the Strada and Fullback, and is a more lifestyle-oriented ute based on the Fiat 500X/Jeep Renegade platform.

Also awesomely sold as a Ram (the 1000) in Columbia, the Toro is one of the few baby utes that is available with AWD.

It has been ridiculously successful, with more than 100,000 being sold in Brazil in the first two years after launch there.

Renault Duster Oroch

Renault's wonderfully quirky budget brand Dacia has a brilliantly utilitarian small SUV called the Duster that has also spawned a ute variant for itself and its parent brand.

The Oroch is sold by Renault in South America and actually looks remarkably like a scaled down Volkswagen Amarok. It is only available as a double cab, it's wheelbase is 155mm longer than the Duster SUV and it can carry 650kg in its tray.

Like most other baby utes it is only available in FWD, but is one of the few that has the option of a 2.0-litre engine, with most baby utes packing 1.3 to 1.6-litre engines.