Ute
From Wikislippy
Ute is the Australian English word for utility vehicle (short for "utility"). Australian utility vehicles differ from those found in North America. Current utes include the Holden Ute and the Ford Falcon Ute. Utes are similar to coupe utility vehicles found in North America.
Explanation
In Australia, two common forms of ute exist. The type of vehicle commonly referred to as a "ute" is a two or three seater version depending on the seating style (buckets or bench seat) similar to a coupe, but featuring a ute-type integrated tray back, comparable to the El Camino or Ranchero. This body style is formally called a coupe utility. A typical modern-day example would be the Holden SS Ute.
The vehicle is optimized for carrying loads in rural Australia where the roads tend to be very flat. Although in other environments the vehicles have somewhat questionable value as most feature very low ground clearance and conventional road tires. Many young drivers customize their utes, resulting in many not willing to scratch the paintwork doing anything utilitarian. However, other drivers customize their utes in the opposite direction, complete with spotlights, over sized mud flaps, exhaust pipe flaps and UHF aerials.
Different Utes
The other type of vehicle is commonly Japanese-built, such as the Holden Rodeo or the Toyota Hilux. These come in a variety of forms – two and four-wheel drive, single or dual cab, ect. These kinds of vehicles are also common in New Zealand, where they are also referred to as "utes". These utes are similar to the American-style utility vehicle.
