The weight a ute can carry, usually including passengers, accessories, luggage, tools and towball download. A high tow rating does not guarantee high remaining payload.
Plain English
Ute buying glossary for Australia
Short explanations for common ute, safety, towing, payload and plug-in hybrid terms. Use this page when a comparison table looks simple but the underlying term carries fine print.
Towing and load terms
Gross Vehicle Mass. The maximum legal loaded weight of the vehicle itself, including people, fuel, accessories and cargo.
Gross Combination Mass. The maximum combined loaded weight of the vehicle and trailer together.
The maximum trailer weight when the trailer has its own brakes. It is the headline towing number most ute marketing uses.
The downward weight the trailer places on the towbar. It usually counts against payload and can reduce what you can carry in the ute.
The vehicle’s weight before passengers and cargo. Exact definitions can vary, so compare carefully across brands.
Safety and rating terms
The year attached to an ANCAP rating. A newer five-star rating may have been tested under tougher rules than an older five-star rating.
ANCAP sub-score focused on adult protection in crash scenarios.
ANCAP sub-score focused on child protection and child restraint-related assessment areas.
ANCAP sub-score covering pedestrians, cyclists and other people outside the vehicle.
ANCAP sub-score covering active safety technology such as AEB, lane support and speed assistance.
The number of recall notices or recall numbers. It should be read with affected units, issue severity and market scale.
Powertrain and range terms
Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. It can be charged externally and can run on electric power for shorter trips before using petrol or diesel hybrid operation.
The claimed electric-only driving range. Real-world range depends on speed, load, tyres, terrain, weather and test cycle.
A laboratory test cycle commonly used for fuel and electric range claims. It is more useful when compared with the same cycle.
An older test cycle that can produce more optimistic range figures. Avoid comparing NEDC directly with WLTP as if they are equal.
Lithium iron phosphate battery chemistry. Often discussed for durability and cost, but pack design and vehicle tuning still matter.
Onboard power output that can run tools or equipment. Capability depends on outlet rating and vehicle setup.