I spent 5 years travelling around Australia in an AWD including extensively on unsealed roads including the Gibb, Plenty, Savannah Way etc etc. I spent 3 years travelling to & from a ex cattle property on the Tablelands which included across neighbouring cattle properties on unsealed roads to get there. At no point did I need a ute & what I was driving was a hell of a lot more comfortable.
It's an Australian ego thing that people need to drive utes.
