Happy New Year! 2025 is going to be another big year for new 4x4 vehicles and the aftermarket industry

Happy new year from the crew at 4X4 Au!

It looks like 2025 promises to be another big year for new 4x4 vehicles, and in turn the accessories to equip them, and we’re getting stuck into it already. In fact, two of the key pillars of 4X4 Australia are 4x4 vehicles and the aftermarket accessories industry. Another is vehicle based travel, but I want to talk about the first two now.

Both the new 4x4 vehicle market and the 4x4 aftermarket industry have snowballed in growth over the past 30 years. One feeds the other as the growing number of new 4x4s being bought by consumers feeds the appetite to accessorise them, to make them better suited for touring and off-road adventures. Sure, not everyone wants to accessorise their new vehicle but a huge percentage of owners do, and if you’re reading this, I’m guessing you’re one of them.

The right accessories make your 4x4 more capable so you can take it on tougher tracks, make it more resilient to the harshness of rough roads and tracks, and easier to live with during weeks or months on the road. Thankfully, the Australian 4x4 aftermarket industry is considered globally to be the best in the world, designing and producing the foremost gear and accessories on the planet. While we have some well-established brands that have been around for many decades and are known for their quality and innovation, we’re now also seeing a lot of new companies popping up to feed the growing demand for gear.

What I’ve found really interesting in the last few years is that vehicle manufacturers are now collaborating with the aftermarket producers to kit out their customers’ 4x4s. Previously, dealers were seeing owners take delivery of their shiny new 4x4s and then driving them around the corner to the local accessories store where they’d spend tens-of-thousands more equipping them. This left the car dealers wondering how they could get a slice of the action.

Ford has made the biggest move partnering with ARB to have OEM-backed and fitted accessories for its 4x4s both here in Australia and in the USA. Now we see ARB kit filtering through to the Volkswagen Amarok, which is really a no-brainer considering the shared parts between the Ford and VW… but VW Australia also did its own testing and certification to make sure the products meet that company’s standards.

Check out the Volkswagen Amarok 10 Deserts Edition we drove recently that is equipped with gear from ARB, Rhino-Rack and other quality aftermarket accessories. The other interesting partnership we’ve seen at the end of 2024 is Ironman 4x4 partnering with newcomer BYD to create a range of off-road accessories for the brand’s Shark 6 ute.

The Shark 6 is certainly making waves in the 4x4 ute pond and the first deliveries will be going out to owners early in the new year. This BYD/Ironman 4x4 collaboration will be a very interesting one to watch. Stick with us for the ride!