Keen to wash away memories of 2020 with a new car in the driveway? Well, you’re in luck.
The world’s car manufacturers, which are just as eager as the rest of us to move onto a better, brighter 2021 – will introduce some exciting models to Australian showrooms over the next 12 months. We can expect to see everything from fresh iterations of familiar and iconic franchises to all-new names that hold their maker’s future hopes on their shoulders.
Here are five new arrivals destined to make a big impact, whether it’s on the sales chart, the hearts of car-loving Australians or the future of motoring itself.
1. Hyundai Tucson
Hyundai has a huge 2021 planned that will include new offerings from its Genesis luxury division and soon-to-be-standalone Ionic electric-vehicle (EV) brand. This sharp-looking new number is likely to strike a chord with a lot more buyers. Built to make a splash in the hyper-competitive mid-sized SUV segment – home to Toyota’s RAV4, Mazda’s CX-5 and some of the country’s other biggest selling vehicles – the new Tucson delivers a big lift in technology, safety and sheer class, as well as the prospect of fuel-sipping petrol/electric hybrid drivetrains down the line.
Expected: First half of 2021
2. Mercedes-Benz S-Class
Benz’s luxury model has been a technology bellwether for decades, giving the car world everything from crumple zones and anti-lock brakes to stability control. The latest seventh-generation version introduces a host of world-firsts, from an augmented-reality head-up display that overlays vital information onto the outside world, to a centre-front airbag and suspension that automatically lifts the body to protect occupants in a collision. If history is any guide, these will all be standard fare in your garden-variety car of the 2030s.
Expected: Second quarter
3. Mazda MX-30
Mazda is set to enter the burgeoning mainstream EV market with this intriguing new contender. It bucks the ‘more-is-more’ EV orthodoxy with a single 107kW electric motor, modest-sized battery pack and similarly modest 224km claimed driving range. Mazda says the result is less cost, less weight, faster charging times and still-sufficient range for the urban buyers it’s targeted at. A mild-hybrid MX-30, combining a regular petrol engine with a 24-volt electrical system to improve economy, arrives ahead of an EV sibling in the second quarter.
Expected: Mid-year
4. Chevrolet Corvette Stingray
What is General Motors’ plan for Australia now it’s put our home-grown Holden brand out to pasture? Well, in addition to selling king-sized Chevrolet Silverado utes to niche markets through its new General Motors Specialty Vehicles (GMSV) dealer network, we’ll be seeing this iconic US sports-car name before the end of the year. Not just the first Corvette to be built in right-hand-drive and sold Down Under, it’s also the first to place its engine – a fiery 369kW 6.2-litre V8 – midship rather than up front, a la Ferrari and other exotic sporting fare.
Expected: Fourth quarter
5. Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series
The trusty LandCruiser is intrinsically linked to Australia, from its packhorse role in the nation-building Snowy Mountains Hydro scheme to its perennial position as our top-selling large heavy-duty 4WD. While Toyota is keeping details of the still-to-be-revealed Cruiser close to its chest, it’s expected to ditch the current model’s petrol/diesel V8s for more high-tech, fuel-efficient V6s and introduce an even thriftier petrol/electric hybrid option down the track, all while retaining its hardcore off-road and towing abilities.
Expected: Fourth quarter
Viva Energy Australia Pty Ltd (“Viva Energy”) has compiled the above article for your general information and to use as a general reference. Whilst all reasonable care has been taken by Viva Energy in compiling this article, Viva Energy does not warrant or represent that the information in the article is free from errors or omissions or is suitable for your intended use.
