The rise of the anti-EVs: Mitsubishi, Nissan, Toyota, Kia and more fuelling mega ladder-frame SUV and ute revival through models like the 2026 Pajero, Y63 Patrol, Tasman and HiLux

The long-promised electric revolution appears to have been pushed back, at least for a couple more years, with established brands and Chinese newcomers alike doubling down on big ICE-powered SUVs and utes – some without any electrification at all.

With Australia's NVES (New Vehicle Emission Standard) now in place, and with it the ability to level fines at manufacturers who exceed fleet emission targets, it was expected that 2025 would be the year that vehicles powered exclusively by petrol and diesel would begin to die off, replaced by hybrid, plug-in hybrid or full BEVs.

But in many cases, the opposite is true, with some of our biggest nameplates – and some unknown ones, too – embracing ICE, at least for the time being.

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Nissan, for example, might be slowly running-out the V8-powered Y62 Patrol, but the new one – the hotly anticipated Y63 – won't be be arriving with a plug. Instead, it will be powered by a potent twin-turbo V6 petrol engine, albeit one a claimed 24 per cent more efficient than the eight-cylinder engine it replaces.

News this week also broke that Nissan is plotting a ladder-frame recovery plan, at least in the USA, with a person with knowledge of the strategy told Automotive News the brand is developing a “comprehensive body-on-frame product strategy” for one of its US factories, including two new ute-based SUVs. What will be powered them remains a mystery, but you'd have to think they'd be ICE, hybrid or plug-in hybrid, rather than fully electric.

One option is the SUV version of the recently revealed Nissan Frontier Pro plug-in hybrid ute, which develops a substantial 300kW and 800Nm from its 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine and a single electric motor.

Toyota, too, seems to be pumping the brakes on developing any full-electric workhorses. Hybrid tech is now confirmed for the LandCruiser 300 Series, but the new HiLux is expected next year, and evidence points to Toyota tinkering around the edges of the current model, recycling the platform, the engine, the key dimensions and much of the body. That means diesel power lives on, aided as it is by the 48-volt mild-hybrid system.

Mitsubishi Pajero render (Image: Best Car Web)

Then there's Kia, with its diesel-only Tasman ute. A plug-in hybrid version is in the works, but it's some way off, which means the Tasman will power on with diesel for the foreseeable.

The other big question mark is Mitsubishi, with rumours getting stronger of a new Pajero powering into the large SUV space. It may well be a plug-in hybrid, but it certainly won't be all electric. What might come sooner, though, is the replacement for the Pajero Sport, which will again ride on the Triton's underpinnings, and so is likely again share its diesel engine.

The electric future is coming. But as of right now, it seems a little further away than we first thought.