I would of thought the bench seats were preferable in a ute. In a van it was acceptable then to toss the extra passengers in the back when the need arose. I remember when people ordered bench seats in the sedan just in case Mom required the 6 seater for kids pickups. They were thought of as practical.

Blokes in utes always liked the benchy when you could slide the little lady over into the middle as you traveled along.

Mauser