Drive Car of the Year 2026 – Best Dual-Cab Ute Under $60K finalists announced

The votes have been tallied, and we have our three finalists in one of the two four-wheel drive ute categories. There are three contenders for Best Dual-Cab Ute under $60,000 in 2026, including one carry-over champion.

That is – of course – the KGM Musso. From the artist formerly known as Ssangyong, this Korean four-wheel-drive ute has had a distinguished run in our annual awards. It's fresh from an update as well, scoring a new look for the top-spec Ultimate trim level.

Value has always been at the heart of Musso and it's appeal, with a price that starts at $42,500 drive-away. Pricing at the top of the run has increased with the recent update though, with a price $53,000 drive-away for the Ultimate XLV.

And that's the model that represents KGM in the 2026 running of Drive Car of the year.

The 2.2-litre turbocharged diesel engine (133kW/420Nm) is a strong performer, and the general driving decorum of the Musso – especially for a ute at this price – is perhaps the most impressive part of the whole package.

But the big question here is whether the Musso still has the goods to defend its title yet again in 2026, against an equally impressive range of competitiors.

It's another four-wheel-drive ute from South Korea, setting Australian tongues wagging for so many reasons: The star-studded marketing campaign, the long build-up, the challenging aesthetics.

It's fair to say, the design of the Tasman hasn't been a slam dunk.

But for those who are willing to look past the looks, there is a lot to like in Kia's first-generation four-wheel-drive ute. And in a price that makes it eligible for this sub-$60,000 category, the Tasman SX packs a solid punch.

Firstly, there's a lot of important stuff here that is shared with more expensive top-spec Tasman X-Pro: like the punchy 2.2-litre diesel four (which feels faster than the 154kW/440Nm suggests), an automatic four-wheel drive system and smart eight-speed automatic transmission, twin 12.3-inch screens on the dashboard, and an interior that is spacious, comfortable and well designed.

There's also Kia's seven-year and unlimited kilometre warranty, and an asking price of $54,490 before on-road costs that makes a compelling combination of value and quality.

The Kia Tasman goes into to bat here, as well as the higher-priced ute segment under $90,000. But perhaps it's here, in the domain of cloth seats and rubber floor mats, that the Tasman feels the strongest.

Designers from SAIC in China must have heard the phrase 'go big or go home', and really took it to heart with the new LDV Terron 9 ute. Towering over the T60 stablemate, LDV's new plus-sized ute bridges a gap between regular-sized utes and big American metal, with dimensions that aren't too far behind the likes of a Ford F-150.

But it does it at a price that would make a Ford Ranger wince.

Pricing starts at around $53,000 drive-away for the LDV Terron 9 – and goes even lower for ABN holders – for the Origin trim level that we have here.

There is a 2.5-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine under the bonnet, with solid outputs of 163kW and 520Nm running through and eight-speed automatic transmission.

On the inside, you have twin 12.3-inch displays, a surround-view monitor, and a cabin that feels every bit as big as it is. There's a locking rear differential here, and a leaf-sprung rear end that sets it apart from the coil-sprung MG U9 and give a four-figure payload.

For those who want a few more niceties, Evolve swaps out the 18-inch wheels for 20s, adds in another locking differential, and an upgraded interior. There's heated front and rear outboard seats, along with a ventilated driver's seat, heated steering wheel and eight-speaker sound system.

While the GWM Cannon is still available in Australia with the smaller 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel engine, it's new new 2.4-litre option that is the pick.

Outputs are solid at 135kW and 480Nm in this case, running through a nine-speed automatic transmission. There's also a low-range transfer case and locking rear differential, with a range of driving modes to choose from.

But it's outright value for money – and that low-priced barrier to entry – that the Cannon strikes the strongest blow.

There's single-cab and cab-chassis variants available, with the 2.0-litre Cannon Premium available for less than $40,000 as a dual-cab model.

But it's the higher-spec Cannon Ultra – which gets the big-block and upgraded interior features – that still provides impressive bang for buck.

The list of standard kit reads similarly to a Ford Ranger Platinum, with heated and ventilated seats, electric adjustment, surround-view monitor, and a big infotainment display.

But with a price of $44,490 drive-away, you can see how appealing the GWM Cannon ute is for Australian buyers.

The Drive Car of the Year Best Dual Cab Ute Under $60K winner will be announced in February 2026.

Utes are an interminably popular choice of car in Australia, for work, family and recreational use.

And in this Drive Car of the Year category, it's all about providing that broad spectrum of capability and utility, but doing it with a good sense of value.

Cabins must provide good amenity and comfort front and rear, with a design that is modern and practical. Technology and equipment is good to have as well, provided that it is easy and seamless to live with. Diesel engines need to be pliable and torquey, but also efficient and cost-effective to keep maintained.

The driving experience in a modern-day ute cannot be too coarse or uncomfortable either, but elements like payload and towing capacity must remain intact. And equally, off-road performance is an important discipline that cannot be forgotten about, rounding out a category that is being pulled in more directions than any other in the modern day.

Drive’s rules require that, for a car to be eligible, it must:

1. Be all-new (or significantly updated), or a winner of its category in the preceding awards year.
2. Be on sale with customer deliveries commenced by 1 December 2025.
3. Retail examples be made available for Drive to road test before that cut-off date.
4. Pricing cut-offs exclude discounts and limited-time offers.

Eligible to compete are models with an RRP of less than $60,000 before on-road costs – even if the drive-away price pushes above this mark – and as with any existing DCOTY category, cars must be all-new or significantly updated since they last contested for the award win.

Some of the contenders in this category offer model variants that are priced above $60,000 before on-road costs. Only trim grades that fall below the price cap will be eligible.

The winner of the Drive Car of the Year 2026 – Best Dual-Cab Ute Under $60K will be announced in February 2026.

An overall Drive Car of the Year award will be awarded in February 2026.

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Sam Purcell has been writing about cars, four-wheel driving and camping since 2013, and obsessed with anything that goes brum-brum longer than he can remember. Sam joined the team at CarAdvice/Drive as the off-road Editor in 2018, after cutting his teeth at Unsealed 4X4 and Pat Callinan’s 4X4 Adventures. Off-road writer of the Year, Winner - Sam Purcell

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