Ford Ranger Raptor

There are three certainties in life: death, taxes and white being the most popular car colour in the world. In United States-based coatings company Axalta's most recent Global Automotive Colour Popularity Report, white claimed 38 per cent of the global market, making it the most dominant car colour for 10 years running.

Nissan has unveiled a high-riding, high-powered ute in the US with cues from the Ford Ranger Raptor. However, it’s just motor show tease for now as Nissan's star of the 2019 SEMA auto exhibition. The Nissan Frontier is the equivalent to the Nissan Navara in the US, selling alongside the full-size Nissan Titan pick-up. For the auto show concept, Nissan swapped out the 4.0-litre V6 and replaced it with a 5.6-litre V8 found in the Nissan Titan – and our Nissan Patrol.

Australia's ute segment has continued its move upmarket, with Nissan Australia today revealing its new range-topping Navara N-Trek Warrior. Aimed at the the Toyota HiLux Rugged X, Ford Ranger Raptor and HSV SportsCat, the Warrior is a Navara N-Trek developed from the ground up with a range of off-road-ready components. "What's truly special is... this is not just a cosmetic change, this has really been done from the ground up," Stephen Lester, Nissan Australia managing director, told media.

Were you wondering whether buyers would take to the 2.0-litre bi-turbo engine offered in the new Ford Ranger? Wonder no longer, because it appears they're happily hopping aboard the downsizing train. Martin Gunsberg, Ford Australia communications head, today told media 50 per cent of Ranger XLT and Wildtrak buyers are opting for the new 2.0-litre bi-turbo diesel and 10-speed automatic transmission over the cheaper (and older) 3.2-litre five-cylinder oiler.

The automotive news wheel is always turning. If you’re not constantly checking CarAdvice – which you should be doing, by the way – it can be easy for some headlines to slip through the cracks. To make sure you haven’t missed anything important, we’ve gathered what we reckon are the hottest news stories from this week, right here. Check them out, and let us know what caught your eye. The 2018 Mahindra Pik-Up range has expanded to include four new variants, taking the total count to nine.