Brazilian competition to the Toyota LC 79 series?

[Franco Cozzo]

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NEWSMay 21st
Tough Brazilian dual-cab 4x4 ute for Aus

New military-strength off-road pick-up range to include Aussie-developed EV version
General Motors may have killed off its Hummer brand in 2010, but its spirit lives on in a range of hard-core Brazilian-built off-road 4x4 utes to be launched in Australia this week.

Bendigo-based mining industry supplier Safescape will this Friday launch the Agrale Marruá ute in single-cab, dual-cab and Australian-developed EV forms, following its debut at the Austmine Conference at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre over May 21-23.

Aimed primarily at the mining industry, the military-grade Agrale Marruá AM200 is Australian Design Rule compliant, road-legal and will become available to private customers, although for now the home-grown electric version dubbed Bortana EV is not.


The Agrale Marruá is a heavy-duty, diesel-powered Brazilian utility vehicle new to the Australian market. Traditionally used by the Brazilian armed forces and in the mining, forestry agriculture and firefighting industries, the Marruá is a robust, low-maintenance, corrosion resistant vehicle.

Including the all-new electric version called the Bortana EV – designed specifically for the mining industry by Safescape in collaboration with 3ME Technology and the METS Ignited Project industry-led Australian government initiative – Safescape says the vehicle will transform utility vehicle duty in the mining industry.

According to Safescape, the Australian hard rock underground mining industry consumes about 800 utilities annually and the average monthly cost of ownership of the vehicles is around $10,000.

https://www.trucksales.com.au/editor...for-aus-118570

Looks promising - 2.8L Cummins ISF under the hood, while the 79 series has a 4.5L TDV8 it's only rated to circa 430nm in factory trim or there abouts.