LA MOTOR SHOW: Five cars we won't get

There were a few significant new model debuts at this year’s Los Angeles motor show, but an even bigger number of world-first reveals of cars that won’t be coming Down Under.

The new 2019 Mazda3 and Porsche 911 – and the all-new 2020 Jeep Gladiator and Rivian electric ute and SUV – will be significant players in the Australian automotive scene.

But an even bigger number of models unveiled in LA this week are unlikely to ever grace Aussie showrooms – and that’s a pity because some of them look like cracking new offerings.

Take for example the 2020 Lincoln Aviator – an all-new large SUV from Ford’s US and Chinese luxury brand, which looks as classy as the concept that previewed it earlier this year.

The big new American seven-seater rides on the same rear- and all-wheel drive platform as Ford’s next Explorer, which could come to Australia, and the top-shelf Grand Touring model will come with a plug-in hybrid powertrain pumping out around 335kW of power and 815Nm of torque.

But even the mainstream versions will get a 298kW/542Nm twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6 as standard, driving the rear or all four wheels via Ford’s 10-speed automatic transmission.

Inside the leather, wood and metal-clad interior, luxury tech that will eventually flow down to other Ford models includes 12.3-inch configurable instruments, Wi-Fi hotspot, 30-way power seat adjustment, 28-speaker Revel Ultima 3D sound system, phone-as-a-key functionality and wireless phone charging.

There’s also an adaptive front suspension system that uses a forward facing camera to scan the road ahead for bumps, plus traffic jam assist, evasive steering assistance, automated parking and autonomous braking in reverse.

The redesigned 2020 Kia Soul – including the first electric version -- also made its world premiere in LA, but Kia Australia says it’s unlikely to be sold here.

Unlike in the US, where the original Kia Soul was a smash-hit, the unconventionally styled urban runabout never took off in Australia.

The longer new model will be available Stateside in six trim levels – LX, S, X-Line, GT-Line, EX, EX Designer Collection – and with both 2.0-litre atmo and 1.6-litre turbo four-cylinder petrol engines, while the first Soul EV.

The battery-powered Soul EV gets a 147kW electric motor and liquid-cooled lithium-ion polymer 64kWh battery with Combined Charging System (CCS) DC fast-charge capability as standard.

US pricing and EPA driving range won’t be announced until closer to its on-sale date in the first half of next year.

Kia has the Telluride and now Hyundai has the Palisade – a seven- or eight-seat large SUV positioned above the Santa Fe to rival crossover wagons like the Mazda CX-9.

Due for US release in mid-2019, the 3.8-litre V6-powered Hyundai Palisade measures 4981mm long but is built in left-hand-drive-only, ruling it out for Australian sales.

Debuting new tech that should trickle down to other models, Hyundai’s new SUV flagship packs new 10.25-inch infotainment system, 12.3-inch fully-digital instrument cluster and shift-by-wire transmission shifter on the centre console.

Instead, Australia will get an all-new large SUV from Hyundai post-2020, based on the same new ladder frame that underpins the Korean brand’s first global pick-up.

Another large SUV designed and built just for North America in left-hand drive is the Honda Passport, which made its global premiere in LA too.

Claimed to deliver more off-road capability than the longer, US-only Honda Pilot seven-seat crossover, the Passport will be positioned above the CR-V (a hybrid version of which revealed for Europe earlier this month; it’s not coming here either).

Despite its off-road pretensions, the 3.5-litre V6-powered Honda Passport will be offered to Americans in front- and all-wheel drive, and with 20-inch alloys as standard.

There’s no real new tech here, but top-spec versions score three-zone climate control, LED exterior lighting, an 8.0-inch touch-screen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, wireless smartphone charging and Wi-Fi hotspot.

Nissan Australia killed off both the Murano luxury SUV and Maxima large sedan years ago, and the current generations continue to be produced only in LHD.

Facelifted versions of both models were shown for the first time this week in LA, bringing updated exterior designs at each end, upgraded interiors and more safety tech.

Five variants of the 2019 Nissan Maxima will hit US dealerships in mid-December – just like the 2019 Nissan Murano, which also scores a more prominent V-motion grille, new LED headlights, tail-lights and fog lights, fresh wheel designs and extra paint colours.

Both 2019 models score Nissan’s new Safety Shield 360 tech suite including reverse autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning and high-beam assist, plus adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition and driver fatigue monitoring.