The days of simple 4X4s are gone. We killed them. Over the last four decades we’ve demanded more. More power. More comfort. More refinement. More capability. The result, while fantastic in every tangible way, is more complexity. It’s just physics. You can’t add new systems without adding complexity. With the Australian government recently announcing we’d be transitioning to Euro 6 compliant vehicles by December 2025 we have to ask the question. How much more complexity will it add, and is it really worth it?
So what actually is Euro 6?
The “Euro” emissions framework has seen a gradual tightening of allowable tailpipe emissions starting with Euro 1 in 1992. It seeks to set maximum allowable limits of Carbon Monoxide (CO), Nitrogen Oxides (NOx), Total Hydrocarbon (THC), Non-Methane Hydrocarbons (NMHC), and Particulate Matter (PM). Australia currently operates under Euro 5 mandates. We won’t rattle off all the specs, but there’s a handy little table below we’ve pinched from the Australian Department of Infrastructure and Transport. It shows the key changes between the Euro 5 compliant vehicles you can buy off the showroom floor, and what they’ll need to achieve for Euro 6 next December. Effectively, there’s no changes to the particulate matter requirements for a Diesel 4×4, but NOx levels need to drop by around 55%. Petrol engines are the opposite. The NOx levels aren’t changing, but the PM levels need to. There’s no requirement for how manufacturers achieve this, but emissions systems are becoming more refined so it’s safe to say it’ll be with the addition of AdBlue systems, Petrol Particulate Filters, and smarter Exhaust Gas Recirculation systems.
Are we jumping the gun here?
While Euro 6 may seem like the boogeyman, Australia has been following a “Euro” emissions standard for near on 30 years. We’ve followed the Euro framework with our Australian Design Rules, or ADRs as they’re commonly referred to. We’ve also had some sort of emissions standards since the 1970s. It’s worth noting too, that while this does seem like a giant leap the government are making, many of our peers throughout Europe, the US, and Japan have had Euro 6 or equivellant standards for over a decade. In fact, our emissions laws are worse than 80% of the world, including America. Yeah, the country that has 700hp full-size pick-up trucks has tighter emissions laws than Australia.
For good reason too.
A recent study by the University of Melbourne reckons over 11,000 Aussie’s meet their maker prematurely every year from tailpipe emissions. With nine out of ten Aussie’s living in urban centres it’s not surprising to hear tailpipe emissions are also responsible for over 12,000 hospitalisations every year for cardiovasulcar issues, 7000 hospitlisations for respritary issues, and 66,000 asthma cases a year directly linked to exhuast emissions, most of them children.
Considering how much we’re belted over the head with anti-speeding campaigns when the road toll consistenly hovers around 1200 a year you’ve got to wonder if speed cameras are for our safety or for revenue… but we digress.
Hang on, weren’t Diesels supposed to be better?
Well yes, and no. Y’see, there’s a variety of ways that internal combustion engines produce emissions. Some are bad for the environment, others are bad for us.
There are the obvious particulates. In Diesel engines, they’re easy to spot as black soot out the exhaust pipe. Although petrol engines do produce them too. There’s also NOx which directly causes smog (notice how cities are far less smoggy these days?), ammonia, hydrocarbons, and carbon monoxide. Diesels were originally considered better for the environment, they naturally produce less greenhouse gases in the form of carbon monoxide than a similar petrol engine. After a huge up-tick in Diesel passenger vehicles in the early 2000s concerns started to raise about the cancer causing potential of Diesel exhaust fumes, particularly NOx levels. Better for the environment, worse for us.
Do emission laws actually make a difference?
Look, we’ll be the first to admit in the early days emissions equipment was an actual nightmare. There’s a reason the late 70s early 80s were the death of muscle car performance and reliability. But these days, where most owners are barely aware they have a DPF or an EGR, are the results worth the extra effort if something does go wrong? We can’t decide for your specific needs, and sadly there’s no exemptions for people who live rurally, or stats on how often emissions gear has faults (zero so far in the Mr 4X4 Rangers and Everests) but on paper at least it seems the numbers do stack up.
A study by Harvard in the US showed that in 2017 there were 19,800 premature deaths stateside due to air pollution from vehicle emissions. That’s down from 27,700 in 2008 due to tighter emission laws, even though there were far more vehicles on the road. The same study showed without the tighter laws brought in there would have been 48,200 deaths in the same period.
Back over in Europe, the Society of Motor Manufacturer and Traders have claimed “It would take 50 new cars today to produce the same amount of pollutant emissions as one vehicle built in the 1970s.”
For the cynics amongst us, if you really want to see how the government works, have a read of the report below. It’s interesting, that even 24 years ago the government were well aware of the effects of tailpipe emissions on our health, but they had to work out if it was financially worthwhile to keep us alive or not. The numbers don’t lie.
What vehicles will be affected
There’s a lot of concern about these changes effectively outlawing vehicles, but the average punter won’t notice THAT much of a difference. Let’s take Ford’s Ranger, Everest, and Ranger Raptor for example. Australia side with our current Euro 5 regulations they’re available in a 2.0 bi-turbo diesel, 3.0 twin-turbo diesel, and 3.5 twin-turbo petrol. The same engine combinations are all available in Europe in Euro 6 configuration. While the Petrol Raptor is down significantly in power from 392hp in Australia to 290hp in Europe, it’s actually up to 405hp in the U.S. despite even stricter emissions laws. The diesels fare far better. The class leader V6 diesel drops 5kW to 179kW, while the 2.0 bi-turbo drops just 1kW down to 153kW, both received minor changes with the addition of AdBlue. You’d notice more of a drop in performance by fitting bigger tyres, and Euro 6 versions can still be tuned by the aftermarket for more grunt.
Other manufacturers don’t necessarily fare so well. Mitsubishi’s Triton in Euro 6 configuration drops down from 133kW and 430Nm to 110kW and 400Nm. Isuzu’s D-MAX and MUX drop from 140kW to 120kW and 450Nm to 360Nm. As to would the BT50 with its shared Isuzu platform. Nissan did sell the NP300 with a Euro 6 compliant engine but has since discontinued the model due to poor sales. The Y62 was never available in Europe so it remains to be seen if they’ll shelf the 5.6L V8 petrol or spec it up to Euro 6 compliance. The Y62 is well overdue a re-vamp so expect a new engine.
Toyota on the other hand with their 2.8L turbo-diesel available in the Fortuner, Prado, HiLux, and now the 70 Series have had no changes in performance between Euro 5 and Euro 6, the addition of AdBlue dropping emissions without dropping performance. Unfortunately, the aging 1VD-FTV V8 from the 70 Series is nowhere to be seen, expect the 70 to drop the V8 altogether within the next few years rather than be brought to Euro 6 compliance. There’s currently no version of the 300 Series on sale in Europe or the U.S. but with the 3.3L twin-turbo diesel only a few years old it’d be surprising for the Japanese manufacturer to not bring it up to Euro 6 compliant.
Will I have to sell my GQ?
Fear not, whether you’re driving a 2024 Ranger Raptor or a 1964 40 Series, the incoming Euro 6 mandates will only affect new vehicles sold, just like the current Euro 5 mandate didn’t bump any older rigs off the road. The mandates will take affect in a roll out as of next year. By December 2025 any new models will need to meet Euro 6 standards. So, for example, if Toyota gets the new Prado on the market in December it can be Euro 5 for years, a month later and they’d need to be Euro 6 immediately. Then, in 2028 any new vehicle sold will need to comply. So, for example, the current Rangers can remain unchanged until 2028, then they’ll need to meet Euro 6 after that. Unless Nissan plans on reintroducing the GQ Patrol (stranger things have happened) it won’t affect them, or any other 4X4 produced before December 2025.
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