DETROIT MOTOR SHOW: The SUVs Australia won’t see

The freezing climes of Detroit, USA, are a long way from Australia’s scorching summer. And these SUVs are a case in point.

While the annual Detroit motor show has yielded a cast of inbound vehicles for the Australian market, there are several unveilings that sadly won’t be making it down under. That’s despite new alliances being forged between car-makers and a constant focus on the global market.

In any case, these SUVs have been ruled out for Australia primarily because they’re not available in right-hand drive.

Ford Australia has enjoyed significant success with the US-built Mustang and Endura, but there are no such plans to ship the Chicago-produced Explorer to local showrooms.

The new Ford Explorer seven-seat SUV sports a fresh new look inside and out, new safety and tech features along with a rear-drive platform and updated four- and six-cylinder turbocharged engines, paired to a 10-speed automatic transmission as standard.

Based on a monocoque chassis like the Holden Acadia, Toyota Kluger and Hyundai Santa Fe seven-seat SUVs, the Ford Explorer should handle more like a car than a rugged ute-based SUV like the Ford Everest.

Engine options for the all-new 2020 Ford Explorer will be exclusively turbo-petrol, starting with a recalibrated version of the 2.3-litre four-cylinder Ecoboost motor in the Ford Focus RS and Ford Mustang which is tipped to belt out around 225kW (300hp) and 420Nm.

Top-shelf Ford Explorer models will be offered with a 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine that the Blue Oval says will grind out around 270kW (365hp) and 515Nm, making it the most potent Explorer to date – no V8 and all.

Four-cylinder Explorer are claimed to tow up to 2400kg while the V6 will haul just over 2500kg.

Boasting a modern yet conservative design that won’t upset rusted-on buyers in the USA, the new Ford Explorer comes with the usual safety tech and driver assistance features, the main one being autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian detection, which can pump the brakes faster than the driver can react – and without their input.

The interior of the new 2020 Ford Explorer has been jazzed-up with a digital instrument cluster, underpinned by a large 12.3-inch LCD screen.

Family-friendly features include dozens of cup and bottle holders, storage cubbies and ISOFIX child seat anchorages for both the second and third rows. The boot will offer almost 2500 litres of cargo space, which is quite a lot, while a power-operated rear tailgate is standard.

There’s also a FordPass Connect system which runs a WiFi hotspot for up to 10 devices, plus there’s a four USB ports plus 12V and 110V sockets to power devices.

However, there are “no plans to produce the vehicle in right-hand drive, so that limits the opportunity for Australia,” according to a Ford Australia spokesman.

Developed alongside the Hyundai Palisade – another Aussie no-show - the eight-seat Kia Telluride is the largest vehicle to ever wear a Kia badge, the Korean car-maker claims.

Designed, developed and built chiefly for the US market, the Kia Telluride is based on a robust ladder-frame chassis and is powered by a 3.8-litre V6 that produces 217kW and 355Nm of torque.

Channelling its power through an eight-speed automatic transmission in most circumstances the large SUV acts as a front-wheel drive vehicle, until the all-wheel drive (optional) detects slip when up to 50 per cent of its torque can be shuffled rearwards to restore traction.

Featuring a ‘snow’ mode and an AWD Lock mode, that fixes torque split 50:50 front/rear, the large Telluride also has a ‘sport’ setting that divides torque 65:35 front to rear.

Built to be rugged, the Telluride can tow up to 2267kg, Kia claims.

However, it won’t be making its way to Australia any time soon.

“We would certainly be interested if the Telluride were available but at the moment it is limited to the North American market,” Kia Australia spokesman Kevin Hepworth said.

It might not be gracing our roads in a production capacity, but Australia can in fact lay claim to the Cadillac XT6’s global development.

The US-bound SUV was designed and engineered by General Motors’ Australian subsidiary. Not only was the lead designer Andrew Smith, whose local accolades include the Holden Commodore VU ute, the XT6 clocked up thousands of kilometres on Victorian roads during its development.

A relative to the Holden Acadia underneath, the XT6 employs a familiar 3.6-litre naturally-aspirated V6 good for 231kW and 367Nm, sending drive via a nine-speed automatic.

Standard features include an 8.0-inch infotainment touchscreen, wireless phone charging, LED headlights, 21-inch wheels, six USB ports, head-up display, surround view camera system and a 14-speaker Bose sound system.

The Caddy’s safety repertoire comprises autonomous emergency braking, lane keeping assistance, night vision and adaptive cruise control.

Think of it as a slightly upscale version of the Holden Acadia.