Best Value Dual-Cab Utes

11 August, 2026

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If you are looking for proof you should never buy a new car based solely on its purchase price, look no further than the Foton Tunland V7-C.

On paper, the Foton is the third-cheapest dual-cab ute in the segment thanks to a sharp $42,990 (before ORC) price tag. Factor in ongoing ownership costs, however, and the Foton is actually the most expensive of the 19 dual cab contenders we ran numbers on. Sky high insurance premiums and servicing costs are the Foton’s undoing. It costs a whopping $13,600 more to own and run over five years than our segment winner, the BYD Shark 6.

An important distinction to note for dual-cabs is we crunched their fuel economy based on an annual driving distance of 15,300km. That’s higher than the 11,100km figure used in other categories, with both distances taken from official ABS data which classifies utes differently from passenger cars. That greater annual distance played a key role in the results, with a pair of plug-in hybrids rocketing up the rankings thanks to ultra-frugal fuel bills.In fact, providing you regularly top up their batteries, the BYD Shark 6 and GWM Cannon Alpha can save you around $12,000 over five years on diesel alone when compared with our third-placed KGM Musso ELX.

Still, the KGM represents great value if conventional diesel power is your preference. It’s low purchase price, decent depreciation and competitive insurance premiums all shine.

Notably, EV utes like the new Toyota HiLux BEV and KGM Musso EV face an uphill battle in the value stakes due to high purchase prices and steep depreciation costs. And be sure to consider on-road costs when shopping for a dual-cab.

While some models have cheap drive-away deals, other contenders like the Ford Ranger XLT PHEV can slug owners with over $7500 in on-road fees.

Winners and finalists

Best Value Cars 2026

BYD Shark 6 1.5 Premium

Category: Dual-Cab Ute

Drive-away price: $63,640
Depreciation: $33,540
Fuel/electricity: $2,896
Insurance: $10,296
Rego + CTP (Years 2–5): $6,246
Servicing: $2,489
Tyres: $1,120
Total: $56,588*

Drive-away price: $63,640
Depreciation: $33,540
Fuel/electricity: $2,896
Insurance: $10,296
Rego + CTP (Years 2–5): $6,246
Servicing: $2,489
Tyres: $1,120
Total: $56,588*

Best Value Cars 2026

BYD Shark 6 1.5 Premium

Category: Dual-Cab Ute

Drive-away price: $63,640
Depreciation: $33,540
Fuel/electricity: $2,896
Insurance: $10,296
Rego + CTP (Years 2–5): $6,246
Servicing: $2,489
Tyres: $1,120
Total: $56,588*

Drive-away price: $63,640
Depreciation: $33,540
Fuel/electricity: $2,896
Insurance: $10,296
Rego + CTP (Years 2–5): $6,246
Servicing: $2,489
Tyres: $1,120
Total: $56,588*

Highly Commended

Best Value Cars 2026

GWM Cannon Alpha 2.0 Lux PHEV

Category: Dual-Cab Ute

Drive-away price: $64,680
Depreciation: $33,480
Fuel/electricity: $2,462
Insurance: $11,870
Rego + CTP (Years 2–5): $6,374
Servicing: $2,790
Tyres: $1,468
Total: $58,444*

Drive-away price: $64,680
Depreciation: $33,480
Fuel/electricity: $2,462
Insurance: $11,870
Rego + CTP (Years 2–5): $6,374
Servicing: $2,790
Tyres: $1,468
Total: $58,444*

Highly Commended

Best Value Cars 2026

GWM Cannon Alpha 2.0 Lux PHEV

Category: Dual-Cab Ute

Drive-away price: $64,680
Depreciation: $33,480
Fuel/electricity: $2,462
Insurance: $11,870
Rego + CTP (Years 2–5): $6,374
Servicing: $2,790
Tyres: $1,468
Total: $58,444*

Drive-away price: $64,680
Depreciation: $33,480
Fuel/electricity: $2,462
Insurance: $11,870
Rego + CTP (Years 2–5): $6,374
Servicing: $2,790
Tyres: $1,468
Total: $58,444*

A white electric ute charging against a white wall

Highly Commended

Best Value Cars 2026

KGM Musso ELX

Category: Dual-Cab Ute

Drive-away price: $42,500
Depreciation: $24,900
Fuel/electricity: $14,750
Insurance: $9,991
Rego + CTP (Years 2–5): $6,246
Servicing: $2,411
Tyres: $1,036
Total: $59,335*

Drive-away price: $42,500
Depreciation: $24,900
Fuel/electricity: $14,750
Insurance: $9,991
Rego + CTP (Years 2–5): $6,246
Servicing: $2,411
Tyres: $1,036
Total: $59,335*

Highly Commended

Best Value Cars 2026

KGM Musso ELX

Category: Dual-Cab Ute

Drive-away price: $42,500
Depreciation: $24,900
Fuel/electricity: $14,750
Insurance: $9,991
Rego + CTP (Years 2–5): $6,246
Servicing: $2,411
Tyres: $1,036
Total: $59,335*

Drive-away price: $42,500
Depreciation: $24,900
Fuel/electricity: $14,750
Insurance: $9,991
Rego + CTP (Years 2–5): $6,246
Servicing: $2,411
Tyres: $1,036
Total: $59,335*

*Costs over five years

Full results

Select a criterion to filter the chart:

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Rank	Vehicle	New price	On-road costs	Drive-away price	Depreciation	Fuel/electricity	Comprehensive insurance	Registration (Years 2–5)	CTP (Years 2–5)	Servicing	Tyre replacement set (same as OEM tyre fitted)	Total five-year ownership cost
1	BYD Shark 6 1.5 Premium	$57,900	$5,740	$63,640	$33,540	$2,896	$10,296	$2,644	$3,602	$2,489	$1,120	$56,588
2	GWM Cannon Alpha 2.0 Lux PHEV	$59,990	$4,690	$64,680	$33,480	$2,462	$11,870	$2,644	$3,730	$2,790	$1,468	$58,444
3	KGM Musso ELX	$40,140	$2,360	$42,500	$24,900	$14,750	$9,991	$2,644	$3,602	$2,411	$1,036	$59,335
4	GWM Cannon 2.0 Premium	$37,490	$3,000	$40,490	$24,090	$14,236	$10,817	$2,644	$3,730	$2,520	$1,468	$59,505
5	MG U9 2.5 Explore	$52,990	$0	$52,990	$25,890	$13,550	$11,384	$2,644	$3,730	$2,775	$1,408	$61,381
6	LDV T60 Max Pro	$45,253	$0	$41,042	$25,142	$13,893	$12,099	$2,644	$3,730	$2,350	$1,696	$61,554
7	Kia Tasman 2.2 S	$49,990	$3,703	$53,693	$28,393	$13,035	$9,395	$2,644	$3,730	$2,897	$1,816	$61,910
8	Mitsubishi Triton 2.4 GLX	$51,640	$5,888	$57,528	$31,028	$13,207	$8,457	$2,644	$3,730	$2,705	$1,008	$62,778
9	KGM Musso EV	$61,014	$2,986	$64,000	$34,000	$6,464	$13,139	$2,644	$3,602	$1,547	$1,436	$62,833
10	Isuzu D-Max SX	$52,200	$5,913	$58,113	$31,313	$11,320	$10,463	$2,644	$3,730	$2,445	$1,008	$62,922
11	Mazda BT-50 2.2 XS	$55,220	$5,748	$60,968	$32,668	$11,320	$9,091	$2,644	$3,730	$2,347	$1,136	$62,936
12	JAC T9 Osprey	$42,662	$4,261	$46,923	$28,123	$13,035	$12,290	$2,644	$3,602	$2,324	$1,468	$63,486
13	Nissan Navara 2.4 SL	$53,348	$5,763	$59,111	$31,811	$13,207	$8,596	$2,644	$3,730	$2,495	$1,028	$63,510
14	Ford Ranger XL	$51,400	$6,023	$57,423	$31,023	$12,349	$11,677	$2,644	$3,730	$1,975	$1,188	$64,585
15	Toyota HiLux 2.8 Workmate	$53,990	$5,893	$59,883	$32,183	$12,692	$9,211	$2,644	$3,730	$3,950	$1,136	$65,546
16	LDV Terron 9 2.5 Origin	$53,674	$0	$53,674	$31,274	$13,550	$11,819	$2,644	$3,730	$2,350	$1,672	$67,038
17	Ford Ranger XLT PHEV	$71,990	$7,540	$79,530	$40,730	$3,910	$14,156	$2,644	$3,730	$1,995	$1,188	$68,353
18	Toyota HiLux Electric SR	$76,490	$7,011	$83,501	$43,301	$5,022	$10,725	$2,644	$3,730	$2,200	$1,076	$68,698
19	Foton Tunland 2.0 V7-C	$42,990	$5,448	$48,438	$30,938	$13,893	$14,236	$2,644	$3,730	$3,468	$1,352	$70,260

How we crunch the numbers

Purchase price
The NSW drive-away price, not the manufacturer suggested retail price, reflects the actual cost for consumers. Redbook’s ‘drive-away’ calculator is used for consistency and promotional drive-away deals are included where relevant. Prices are correct as of June 30, 2026.

Depreciation
Data is sourced from AutoEdge and based on the vehicle’s estimated trade-in value after five years/60,000km.

Fuel costs
For combustion vehicles, the five year figure is calculated using the official combined fuel economy, NSW average fuel price (minimum RON for each car) and average annual driving distance. ABS data was used for annual distance figures, while pricing is based on NSW average fuel costs over the first six months of 2026.

Electricity costs
For electric vehicles, a blended model is used – 70 per cent home charging, 20 per cent public charging and 10 per cent solar. This creates a realistic national average of 32.5c/kW. The formula is calculated using combined energy consumption (kWh/100km) and weighted electricity cost over 55,500km.

Insurance
The comprehensive insurance premium from NRMA Insurance is based on a 30-year-old male living in Chatswood and using the car for personal use, with a clean driving history and $1000 excess.

Servicing and maintenance
Our servicing costs are the total spend for the first five services. These figures don’t include consumables like fi ters, which can change the price depending on your individual vehicle. LDV is the only brand without capped price servicing, with those figures based on dealer estimates.

Registration and CTP
The figures are based on NSW ownership over years 2-5, as these costs are already included in on-roads for the first year.

Total cost
The ownership cost is effectively everything you spend over five years, minus what the car is still worth if you were to sell it.

Tyres
One replacement set is included over five years. Tyroola provided pricing as of June 30, 2026, with replacement tyres being the same spec and brand as fitted from the factory.