Big Bad Utes ! Are they really that bad ? … and are they the vehicles they are purported to be in the media recently? This week we reflect on these comments and look at why our clients own utes . . . .
Utes Reflect A Desperate Macho Masculine Image
If the reports are true then the majority of us ute lovers are desperate to look more masculine and macho, desperate to show off our status symbols, and our utes serve no true purpose other than to be offensive to other road users and therefore should be taxed out of existence – and even banned from the roads. You may have guessed I’m a Ute owner.
Is that the reality of where utes are at in New Zealand? Well we don’t think so.
Look At The History Of Company Cars
If we took a look at company vehicles from a historical perspective we would see quite an interesting change in the type and style of vehicles that our dads (predominantly) would have been driving as work vehicles over the years.
In the 70’s it may have been the Ford Cortina, a Morris Marina, Austin Allegro or even a Hillman Hunter. The guys in senior management in later years would start getting into the bigger vehicles like the Ford Falcons and the Holden Commodores in sedan or wagon variants, which would be the large cars of the market in those days and these were the vehicles that would be used to do the “ heavy hauling “ if we were into our boating or owned a caravan.
If you think about it, it was only with the introduction of these types of large vehicles that were capable of towing bigger trailer boats that really got the small to medium sized boat market off the ground!
Utes And SUV’s became more freely Available In The Late 80’s
The rise of the ute didn’t really come along until the late 1980’s when they became more freely available from both the Japanese and Australian markets. Followed thereafter by an increased range of SUV’s which between 2008 – 2016 directly resulted in the demise of the large car sedan market as employees saw the potential for the crossover nature of SUV’s and then utes and the advantages they could provide.
Why Have Utes Become So Popular ?
So why did the Big Bad Ute cross into the non-traditional market? Well simply because of the cross over nature of utes and the huge benefits an all in one vehicle of this type presents to drivers and their families. When the handling characteristics and the interior fit out quality all came up to a level that was almost on par with the SUV of the time, it meant that fun loving Kiwis who owned boats, enjoyed the great outdoors, the beach, getting dirty and having fun in our amazing land could take advantage of a vehicle that covered all the bases – instead of potentially having to own multiple vehicles. Utes are the biggest selling vehicle in New Zealand overall and the multipurpose nature of it is the reason why. Check out this article here on vehicle sales.
The World Extends Past Ponsonby Road !
Life is short! A great number of us like to live it to the fullest and to do this we require recreational vehicles that we can use around town and also load full of gear, friends , family, surfboards and our favourite animals. It needs to be a vehicle that can offer us the ability to venture off road so we can enjoy this wonderful land that we live in. The world really does extend past the end of Ponsonby Road!
You secretly want one don’t you ! Well check out all the Utes currently available here at Driveline
