5 Utes That Can Actually Tow 3,500kg in Australia (And the 7 That LEGALLY Can't)

📕 The Aussie Car Buyer's Bible — the brands ranked + my 10-minute inspection before you sign 👉 https://aussiemechanicgreg.com Three and a half tonne is not a lie. It is a maximum that assumes almost nothing else is in your ute — and the second number, the one that decides it, is printed on your own compliance plate. A Mazda BT-50 SP has 324kg left at a full 3,500kg tow. The van's ball weight is 350kg of that. Worst first: seven utes where the sum does not work, with each manufacturer's published GVM, GCM and kerb weight and the subtraction done out loud. Then the five that genuinely clear it, best last, and the $20 weighbridge check that settles it for your exact vehicle. What I cover: - The sum: your legal weight at a full tow is the LOWER of GVM, or GCM minus 3,500kg - BT-50 SP 324kg and D-MAX X-Terrain 330kg — the ball weight alone is more than that - The BYD Shark 6, split by model year: MY25 is rated to 2,500kg, not 3,500kg - Amarok Aventura 401kg, Cannon Alpha PHEV 435kg, Ranger PHEV 465kg — batteries and bar work - The new Navara: Nissan raised GCM from 5,910 to 6,250kg, and it is still short - Why the HiLux figure most people quote is out of date, and what Toyota actually changed - The HiLux factory GVM upgrade trap: GVM goes to 3,500kg, GCM stays 6,300kg - The five with real room: F-150, RAM 1500, Silverado 1500, LandCruiser 79 and Ranger Super Duty - The honest counter: a base Triton GLX beats every flagship dual cab here, because it is light FACT-CHECK: every GVM, GCM and kerb figure is the manufacturer's published number for the named variant and model year, with the arithmetic shown. Mazda BT-50 MY25 (brochure Feb 2026): SP kerb 2,176kg, GVM 3,100, GCM 6,000. Isuzu D-MAX 25.5MY: X-Terrain kerb 2,170, GVM 3,100, GCM 6,000. BYD Shark 6 (spec sheet 25 May 2026): MY25 Premium braked 2,500kg; MY26 Performance kerb 2,775, GVM 3,500, GCM 6,650, braked 3,500kg. VW Amarok MY25: Aventura TDI600 kerb 2,399, GVM 3,190, GCM 6,300. GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV: kerb 2,810, GVM 3,495, GCM 6,745; next-gen diesel listed at GCM 6,555, kerb 2,550, payload 945. Ford Ranger 2026.50MY: PHEV kerb 2,615, GVM 3,500, GCM 6,580; XLT V6 kerb 2,251, GVM 3,350, GCM 6,400. Nissan Navara D27: GVM 3,190, GCM 6,250, PRO-4X kerb 2,226 (the superseded D23 ran GCM 5,910 with payload reductions up to 410kg at a 300kg ball). Toyota HiLux (spec sheet 30 June 2026): GCM 6,300 range-wide, GVM 3,065-3,120, SR5 48V kerb 2,155; the factory certified GVM upgrade to 3,500kg on selected autos adds 372-435kg of payload and does not change GCM. Mitsubishi Triton 26MY: GVM 3,200, GCM 6,250, GLX kerb 2,003. Ford F-150: GVM 3,220/3,265, GCM 7,270/7,315, payload 685-794, braked 4,500kg. RAM 1500 Laramie Sport 2025: kerb 2,642, GVM 3,505, GCM 7,711, payload 863; a 2020 model is listed at GCM 7,237 and earlier 3.21-diff cars at 6,261. Chevrolet Silverado 1500 MY26i LTZ Premium: kerb 2,563, GVM 3,505, GCM 7,160, payload 942, braked 4,500kg on a 70mm ball — at that full rating payload drops to about 97kg. LandCruiser 79 Series: GVM 3,510, GCM 7,010, payload about 1,310-1,325kg. Ranger Super Duty 2026: GVM 4,500, GCM 8,000, braked 4,500kg, cab-chassis payload 1,825-1,982kg. INEOS Quartermaster: GVM 3,550, GCM 7,000, payload 803kg, kerb derived. Ball weight taken at 350kg (10% of a 3,500kg van). Weighbridge fees indicative and vary by state. DISCLAIMER: General information and my honest opinion — NOT purchasing, legal, insurance or safety advice. Every 3,500kg braked towing rating named here is real and legal; the limit discussed is Gross Combination Mass, which each manufacturer also publishes. No manufacturer is accused of overstating any figure, and nothing here says any vehicle is unsafe. Figures are for the named variant and model year and change between model years, grades and options — the compliance plate on your own vehicle and your owner's handbook govern, not this video. Get your own rig weighed and your own advice before you tow.