Looking at buying a Hybrid SUV petrol battery,

[Nuggetbuster]

Care to expand your comment mate?

Basically part of what the article that Grubstake linked to says. Not interested in how the strongly the sales are going, or what the equipment list is like on paper, or what a couple of (probably paid) motoring "journalists" choose to write... but from what I've personally seen, I'd be more concerned about stuff like this:

the current line-up of models built by fellow Chinese brand Great Wall Motors Haval is patchy in terms of quality and execution, and there remains a question mark over reliability, resale value, and road-holding.

and:

Where Great Wall Motors Haval falls down is the integration of the technology and the drivability. Its calibration of advanced safety systems is, frankly, way off the mark and borderline dangerous.

From this article that Grubstake linked to:

This article includes some interesting comments about Haval:
https://www.drive.com.au/caradvice/...if-i-opened-a-multi-franchise-car-dealership/
Relevant extract:

 

[Davent]

Would.you be confident driving it in remote locations? Proper 4x4 locations, no mechanic for 500 km or more? Where it is literally your life line?

 

[Mr Magoo]

Hey Macka.
Don't touch Chinese vehicles with a barge pole. Putting the resale value and street credibility aside. One of the biggest problems is getting access to repair information - code setting conditions and wiring diagrams etc. I pay for a subscription based service for this information and they struggle to provide any meaningful info on Chinese vehicles. I do a lot of workshop (independent) rejects and GWM's is probably top of the list.
A bit out of touch now, being remote for a while, but Toyota used to be the only true Hybrid. They used a planetary gearset gearbox that allowed either the petrol or electric motor could run independently or combined. The other manufacturers used software but were effectively hybrids.
Software is a major contribution now in vehicle/engine functionality but is never disclosed, so hard to judge a book by it's cover, but it does make a difference and more mainstream manufacturers are likely to use more refined software.
Me, I'd probably go Toyota or some other Jap brand. Boring but solid.

Yep! Done it again.

 

[Mackka]

Think I have found something interesting after watching Pat Callahan 4X4 yesterday. A great show of advertizing all Ozzie made stuff for ya 4b. Start out with a new Ford Ranger then travel around Oz getting it tricked up for a bush bash. It was a great insight into all the ad ons that seemed to be neccessary for a no worries to remote areas of Oz and I was impressed. Total cost of Ranger $70K plus ad ons another $70K so allup $140,000. So how many of you have a unit like his? so my search continues. Mackka

 

[user 7268]

Funny Mackka saw the same show and thought the exact same thing myself. I had to chuckle when he was with Mr Steinbauer the diesel chip man who had come out from Europe to do his car apparently He asked what performance increase he would get and the answer was
"I dunno" You can bet the price he paid if any, is certainly not the price you I or any other jo blo would be paying for the same mods
Was also noted that Mr Callahan when speaking of his mighty Ford Ranger made no mention of the following either strangely enough

https://fordauthority.com/2023/01/next-gen-ford-ranger-faces-more-teething-issues-in-australia/#:~:text=According to the report, the,first few months of ownership.

 

[Flash Jack]

Think I have found something interesting after watching Pat Callahan 4X4 yesterday. A great show of advertizing all Ozzie made stuff for ya 4b. Start out with a new Ford Ranger then travel around Oz getting it tricked up for a bush bash. It was a great insight into all the ad ons that seemed to be neccessary for a no worries to remote areas of Oz and I was impressed. Total cost of Ranger $70K plus ad ons another $70K so allup $140,000. So how many of you have a unit like his? so my search continues. Mackka

It's all about milking the enthusiest that's got more money than sense Mackka.

 

[Mackka]

Hey Bogger, I would lay pounds to peanuts that she was all paid for with free advertising, but that's just me being a cynic.
Flash Jack you are spot on mate, it's like mine's bigger than yours, same for boats, houses, cars etc. Never ending. Mackka

 

[Dave's Office]

Think I have found something interesting after watching Pat Callahan 4X4 yesterday. A great show of advertizing all Ozzie made stuff for ya 4b. Start out with a new Ford Ranger then travel around Oz getting it tricked up for a bush bash. It was a great insight into all the ad ons that seemed to be neccessary for a no worries to remote areas of Oz and I was impressed. Total cost of Ranger $70K plus ad ons another $70K so allup $140,000. So how many of you have a unit like his? so my search continues. Mackka

I haven't read any other replies Mackka, so apologies to you and anyone else who has responded, I think perhaps you might have been better off asking " How many of you could afford a unit like this" I'm not poor, but I couldn't afford a unit like that. Just Saying.

 

[Simmo]

Is the Ranger a Hybrid??

 

[user 7268]

Is the Ranger a Hybrid??

Hybrid being two distinct types of power, by default it appears to be a true Hybrid

 

[Ridge Runner]

The range of those toyota hybrid is not that great at just over 1100 ks, My Van has a possible range of 1362.16ks, I have averaged 1355.80ks per tank ( 60 litres ) @ 63.9mpg. Which works out at 4.42542 L /per 100ks. baring in mind it is a 1.6L Turbo Diesel.

 

[Moneybox]

I didn't see the program but people should be aware that if a vehicle is going to break down (car or 4WD) in most cases it's the modified components that fail. Most well built unmodified vehicles are virtually unbreakable. However modified engines, exhausts, suspensions, electrical systems, bumper/roobars etc are usually just a breakdown waiting to happen. If you want a good reliable vehicle to travel into remote places then buy something that has been made to do the job.

 

[Ridge Runner]

Although my Van is great I have been thinking of getting the petrol version even though the engine is smaller and it does less mpg because where I go and play the Ambient temps are a lot lower and Diesel with the winter additive is only good for around -15*c then it starts to Gel where as Petrol is good for close to -60*c.

 

[user 12139]

Total cost of Ranger $70K plus ad ons another $70K so allup $140,000.

another $70K on top of the car price to have it bush ready, I aint heard so much ******** in all my life Makka. Typical ******** 4WD TV **** if ya ask me!
The 4WD community are a bunch of ******s, they change out gear that is perfect just to go up a hill the wrong way and play in mud like a 12 year old kid, all in a $70k vehicle, more bloody money than sense.
I drove around NE South Australia, SE QLD & NT outback through all seasons in my early career back in the 1980's. All we ever did in the ol' 75 series Tojo's was wheels, tyres, bullbar, driving lights, 2 way and maybe heavy duty leaf springs - thats it! Not once did I not go down or up a track because the vehicle wasn't suited. Sure I drove it like I stole it.. hey it was a company car, but it never once let me down. I'm lying, I got bogged once and walked 25kms for help.
If you cant kit out a brand new 4WD with ~$20K and have it ready to go anywhere in Oz, then dont do it because you yourself are not suited one bit.

 

[Mackka]

Wise words BigL . Mackka

 

[user 7268]

another $70K on top of the car price to have it bush ready, I aint heard so much ******** in all my life Makka. Typical ******** 4WD TV **** if ya ask me!
The 4WD community are a bunch of ******s, they change out gear that is perfect just to go up a hill the wrong way and play in mud like a 12 year old kid, all in a $70k vehicle, more bloody money than sense.
I drove around NE South Australia, SE QLD & NT outback through all seasons in my early career back in the 1980's. All we ever did in the ol' 75 series Tojo's was wheels, tyres, bullbar, driving lights, 2 way and maybe heavy duty leaf springs - thats it! Not once did I not go down or up a track because the vehicle wasn't suited. Sure I drove it like I stole it.. hey it was a company car, but it never once let me down. I'm lying, I got bogged once and walked 25kms for help.
If you cant kit out a brand new 4WD with ~$20K and have it ready to go anywhere in Oz, then dont do it because you yourself are not suited one bit.

Big L spot on the money. The perfect example being Gunshot on the OTT. You can simply drive around it? But no, one must proceed to rip their mirrors of and do all sorts of damage as they dive into the abyss with never a thought of how far they are from help if they disable the vehicle To many times to count have been on Fraser in the 1K dunger having just crossed Eli Creek at windscreen depth and noted another 4B coming down the beach. It looked like it come straight of the cover of a 4B magazine with every conceivable extra hanging off it like a xmas tree. They turn around and go back
Now in honesty who with a brain, hundreds of kilometres from anywhere would drive their vehicle into this not forgetting you can simply drive around either side of it ???

 

[Mackka]

More money than sense!

 

[Peterng1]

Thanks Grubstake, I will have a read. One thing I noted with this brand is the Warranty and Service Agreement compared to the other well known brands on the market. I was looking at a Subaru Forrester hybrid but it didn’t read to well in the reviews for the amount of money they want. I am in no hurry . Mackka

I have heard through the grape vine via mates in the repair game…parts for these Chinese vehicles are really hard to come by. Blokes have been waiting months for panels, electronic and engine components, the Covid lock downs in china have eased but the issue is that it’s a 3rd party importer bringing these vehicles into Australia and not a subsidiary set up by the manufacturer. So with other countries having higher demand and market share for their vehicles against Australia small market..the bigger markets get first dibs on the spares whilst the Australian importer is getting shafted..that’s the talk doing the rounds at present in the repair industry.