May 2024 issue of 4X4 Australia is out now

'Take a quick glance at this LandCruiser and you might think there's nothing spectacular about it, but dive a bit deeper and it's anything but ordinary. A 1VD-FTV 4.5L quad-cam twin-turbo V8 diesel has been transplanted into this unassuming monster, as well as a suite of serious aftermarket gear including an ARB Deluxe bar, Stedi LEDs and an overhauled interior.

On the new car front, GWM recently launched its luxe off-road wagon dubbed the 500. It may be a similar size to the ever-popular Nissan Patrol and Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series, but is it worthy of consideration in this company? Matt Raudonikis drove the three-row seven-seater to find out.

We also headed to Texas in the south of the States to drive RAM's fifth-gen 1500. In a massive change for the burly ute, RAM has dumped its HEMI V8 for a 3.0-litre Hurricane straight-six. Has RAM buggered things up? Before you jump on the bandwagon, best read Chris Collard's review.

Speaking of big utes, we'd driven the 298kW/678Nm petrol-powered 2024 F-150 last year at the vehicle's local launch, but considering there was no off-road element to the test we were itching to properly dirty the big ute's tyres. So we took an XLT LWB variant to see how capable the vehicle is at 4x4 travel when driven directly from the showroom. It went about as expected...

Our Tradie Triton build continues, with the Mitsi receiving a pair of award-winning MSA 4x4 towing mirrors to help with rear vision. We also installed a Cel-Fi GO mobile booster to improve phone reception if we decide to head beyond the black stump once work duties are done for the week.

Now that our other build – the Ranger V6 – is all but finalised, it was time to upgrade its GVM with a Tough Dog GVM Upgrade Kit. With all the required certification now ticked off, the Ranger is ready to comfortably tour our vast continent.

On the travel front this month, Dan Grec aired down his Gladiator's tyres and took a ferry to paradise, also known as K'gari (Fraser Island); we venture to the vast expanses of Western Australia's ancient Pilbara region; and we also embark on an outback pub crawl to some of South Australia's famous watering holes.