Five potential game-changers coming soon

There are some very important new models headed to the Australian market in the next 12-24 months – too many to list here – and among them are a handful of newcomers with the potential to rewrite the rulebook within their particular segments.

Whether it’s due to sheer value, new-age technology, sharp aftersales care, segment-first powertrain application, sales potential or the expectation of class-leading driving performance, here are five upcoming models we expect to be game-changers when they’re released Down Under.

Kia Tasman

The 2025 Kia Tasman has a lot riding on it as the Korean brand’s first global pick-up, backed by what’s understood to be an Australian-led development program, this all-new ute should be a strong competitor for the homegrown Ford Ranger and next-gen Toyota HiLux.

Not only is it expected to be one of the best mid-size utes to drive, but it should also be the first in its segment to offer a genuine seven-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty.

And with multiple body styles and drivetrain configurations in the works, the Kia Tasman will likely be the vehicle that elevates Kia into second place on the annual auto brand sales chart – surpassing 100,000 units per annum in the process.

The fact that a battery-electric derivative of the Tasman is due to arrive about a year later in 2026 will also be a key factor in its hype.

BYD pick-up

Sticking with the pick-up truck theme but attacking it from two very different angles is the 2024 BYD ute, which is due Down Under by the end of this year with formidable plug-in hybrid performance and segment-busting pricing.

BYD officials have promised the upcoming ute will blow the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger “out of the water” on pricing when it’s released, and that’s including a PHEV system that itself will be a first for the segment.

The same officials have also confirmed the local release of genuine workhorse versions of the still-unnamed dual-cab ute, in addition to the fruitier lifestyle offerings.

Dacia Duster

Tipped to arrive in Australia as soon as next year as the 2025 Renault Duster, this compact Romanian-made SUV is in with a serious shout of success with its no-man’s-land positioning as a very capable but civilised little family bus – if it’s priced appropriately.

The latest Duster looks to offer much better than average off-road capability – without quite scaring the ladder-frame Suzuki Jimny – in tandem with all the usual comfort and refinement associated with monocoque construction.

Hyundai IONIQ 5 N

At the other end of the scale is the 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 5 N, which is looking to rewrite the EV performance rulebook and, more specifically, electric vehicle fun factor.

The Porsche Taycan has long been regarded as the ultimate driver’s EV, but the IONIQ 5 N is coming in hot with a virtual dual-clutch transmission, variable torque bias, genuine synthetic powertrain noise, N Drift Kick and a whole heap of other gismos designed to make electric motoring fun.

It’s not cheap at $111,000 plus ORCs, but that’s still less than half the price of a similarly-powered Taycan.

Lexus GX

For decades now the Toyota Prado has had things its own way with no serious direct rivals to speak of in the large off-road SUV sector, but the Ford Everest has started to change that and now it will face competition from within, in the form of the all-new 2024 Lexus GX.

Quite literally an upmarket next-gen Prado, the new GX will up the ante with more luxury appointments and, crucially for our market, a twin-turbo petrol V6 – something unavailable in the new Prado or the 300 Series LandCruiser.

The GX may therefore be the forbidden fruit for local Toyota fans: more tech and gear than the latest Prado and, theoretically at least, superior on-road performance compared to the flagship LandCruiser.

It will also provide aspiring Lexus LX customers a more affordable option without having to give-up the Lexus badge.

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