Ute
From Wikislippy
Ute (pronounced yoot, rhyming with "boot") is the Australian English word for utility vehicle (short for "utility"). Australian utility vehicles are different from those found in North America. Utes are similar to coupe utility vehicles found in North America. Current utes include the Holden Ute and the Ford Falcon Ute. Utes are usually derived from existing coupe or sedan, not from a pickup truck. Such as the Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon respectively.
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[edit] 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 an integrated open cargo area at the rear. Utes are 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.
[edit] Racing
Utes are raced in Australia, similar to the NASCAR Truck Series. The primary vehicles used are the Holden Ute and the Falcon Ute. The series is called V8 Utes Racing Series.
[edit] 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 such as 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.
