Last year was a huge one for new-model launches in Australia, with 2016 seeing the heroic new Ford Mustang land in January, before rolling through to the impressive new Subaru Impreza that made its media debut in late December.
Of course, many, many more new offerings appeared between.
The past year of international unveilings has also shown that 2017 promises to be a big year in its own right! We’ll see Maserati’s first SUV, the Levante, in January, while the other end of the year will give us Kia’s big new rear-wheel-drive Stinger sedan.
What can we expect in 2017, and what’s arrived so far? Catch our list below of newly launched models and everything that’s still to come. Everything we know about right now, that is!
We’ll update this page as the weeks and months roll by, with many models still to be given firm launch dates. And, while the details here have been confirmed by each brand, there are no doubt many models still to be announced – and don’t be surprised if launch dates shift over time.
The list below begins with month-by-month confirmed launches, before spreading out to the more vague ‘quarter’ and ‘half’ confirmations that each brand has offered.
Here’s what we know, so far!
LAUNCHED
January
Holden’s limited-edition Commodores (launch review)
Toyota Corolla sedan facelift (review)
Volkswagen Tiguan 162TSI (launch review)
February
Alfa Romeo Giulia (launch review)
Audi S4 sedan and S4 Avant wagon (launch review)
HSV GTSR W1 and 2017 HSV range (launch review)
Maserati Levante (launch review)
Mercedes-AMG E43 (launch review)
Mercedes-Benz E350e (review soon)
Nissan GT-R Nismo (launch review)
Porsche 911 GTS (launch review)
Porsche Cayenne Platinum editions
Porsche Panamera (launch review)
Skoda Superb Sportline (launch review)
Toyota Kluger facelift (first drive review) (comparison)
Volkswagen Amarok update (launch review)
March
Audi A5 (launch review), Audi S5 (launch review)
Hyundai Santa Fe Active X V6 (review soon)
Mini Countryman (launch review)
Nissan Navara Series II (launch review)
Nissan Pathfinder (launch review)
Porsche 911 S, wider range updates
Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo (deliveries due November) (first drive review)
Toyota HiLux TRD (launch review)
Volkswagen Passat Alltrack Wolfsburg
April
Ford Everest (pricing announced)
Ford Mondeo (pricing announced)
Hyundai Tucson (pricing announced)
Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV (launch review)
Volvo S60, V60 Polestar (review soon, pricing announced)
Infiniti Q60 3.0t Red Sport (launch review)
May
Audi A5 Sportback, S5 Sportback (launch review)
Audi Q5, Audi SQ5 (launch review) (SQ5 review)
Holden Trailblazer Z71 (pricing announced)
Honda Civic hatch (pricing announced)
Honda HR-V update (pricing announced)
Hyundai i30 (launch review, SR review, range review)
Jaguar F-Type V6 and V8 models (review soon)
Maserati Ghibli Sport (pricing announced, review soon)
Mercedes-AMG E63 S (launch review)
Mini Cooper Seven (pricing announced)
Nissan X-Trail (launch review)
Renault Clio update (pricing announced, review soon)
Renault Trafic (pricing announced)
June
Audi RS3 sedan (launch review)
BMW 4 Series (pricing announced), M4 (pricing announced)
Ferrari 812 Superfast (ahead of 2018 deliveries) (pricing announced)
Ford Mustang Performance Pack (review)
Holden Astra sedan (launch review)
Honda HR-V Limited Edition (pricing announced)
Hyundai Accent Sport (pricing announced)
Mercedes-Benz E-Class All-Terrain (launch review)
Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe (pricing announced) (review soon)
Mercedes-Benz GLA (launch review)
Mini JCW Countryman (pricing announced) (review soon)
Porsche 911 Turbo S Exclusive (pricing announced)
Renault Megane sedan, Renault Megane wagon (pricing announced)
Toyota 86 Limited Edition (pricing announced)
Volkswagen Golf 7.5 (hatch & wagon pricing, Alltrack pricing, drive-away launch pricing) (first drive review)
Volvo S90 R-Design (pricing announced)
Volvo V90 Cross Country (launch review)
July
BMW 530e iPerformance (review soon)
BMW M4 CS (pricing announced) (first drive review)
Ford F-250 Super Duty (Performax)
Land Rover Discovery (launch review)
Mercedes-Benz C-Class update (review soon)
Subaru WRX (pricing announced) (review soon)
August
Honda Jazz (pricing announced) (review soon)
Hyundai Santa Fe (pricing announced) (review soon)
Renault Clio RS (pricing announced) (review soon)
Subaru Levorg (pricing announced) (review soon)
STILL TO COME
August
Audi A5 Cabriolet (potentially September)
Mercedes-Benz G300 CDI Professional
Peugeot 3008 (pricing announced)
Skoda Fabia 1.0 TSI (previously July)
Volkswagen Golf 7.5 GTI update (pricing announced) (first drive review)
Volkswagen Golf 7.5 GTI three-door (pricing announced)
Volkswagen Golf 7.5 R update (pricing announced)
September
BMW 1 Series (timing not locked in)
Skoda Superb (pricing announced) (previously August)
October
Honda Civic Type R (pricing revealed) (first drive review)
Hyundai Kona (quick drive review)
Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 (pricing announced)
Mercedes-AMG GT R (previously July)
Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet (first drive review)
Volkswagen Arteon (Australian specs confirmed)
Volvo XC60 (details) (first drive review)
November
BMW 3 Series (pricing announced)
Hyundai i30 N (prototype drive review) (i30 N revealed at last)
Jaguar F-Type four-cylinder
December
Jaguar XF Sportbrake (possibly November, with pricing due in July)
Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk (details)
Mercedes-AMG E63 (pricing revealed)
Mercedes-AMG GLC63 (confirmed)
Subaru Liberty – revealed (possibly January rather than December)
Subaru Outback – revealed (possibly January rather than December)
THIRD QUARTER
Hyundai Sonata facelift (details) (originally second quarter)
Kia Stinger / Stinger GT (leaked details) (first drive review)
McLaren 720s (pricing announced)
FOURTH QUARTER
Aston Martin DB11 V8 (pricing announced)
McLaren 570S Spider (pricing announced) (first drive review)
Mercedes-Benz S-Class (first drive review) (S63 first drive review)
Porsche 911 GT3 (pricing announced)
Range Rover Velar (pricing announced) (first drive review)
MID YEAR (FIRST/SECOND HALF CUSP)
Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk (previously first half)
Skoda Octavia RS (pricing announced)
Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace (previously first half)
SECOND HALF
Maserati Levante S (details) (launch review)
2017 LAUNCH CONFIRMED, TIMING UNCLEAR
Peugeot 5008 – now confirmed for sometime in 2017 (as of 23/01)
MAYBE, BABY?
Models not listed above, but queried by you, our readers, in the comments section below.
Audi A8 – mid-2018 is currently the official word. (Revealed in July.)
BMW X3 – 2018 launch confirmed, but exact timing unclear. (Revealed in June.)
BMW X5 – no confirmation, but likely to be revealed in 2017.
Citroen C3 (previously third quarter, now unclear)
Citroen C5 Aircross – under consideration for Australia, but not confirmed.
Ford Fiesta – no confirmation, this looks like a tricky one…
Ford Mondeo facelift – no word, but it’s only been revealed in North American ‘Fusion’ form, so far.
Ford Mustang – Revealed in January, the new-look ‘Stang will be here in 2018.
Ford Transit Custom – Ford says we won’t see this update “in the near future”.
Haval H7 – Chinese SUV brand’s latest offering will be here next year.
Holden Acadia – the new Captiva-replacing Acadia goes on sale next year.
Holden Commodore – the new-generation Commodore will go on sale next year.
Honda Accord – Honda’s playing quiet on this one. No word yet on local timing.
Hyundai i30 Fastback – regular models a no-go for Australia, but N variant likely.
Jaguar XJ – updated range, with XJR575 hero, lands in early 2018.
Kia Niro – local arm is hopeful, but no confirmation yet.
Lexus LS – Australian launch of new model set for sometime in 2018. Timing to be confirmed.
Lexus NX facelift – 2018 launch confirmed.
Maserati GranTurismo update – 2018 launch confirmed.
Mercedes-Benz E-Class updates – Australian timing still to be confirmed.
Mercedes-Benz X-Class – Australian production begins in late 2017 for a 2018 launch.
Nissan Qashqai – 2018 launch confirmed.
Skoda Karoq – Unveiled in May 2017, but won’t hit Australia until the second quarter of 2018.
Subaru Forester – no word, but a 2017 international unveiling is possible.
Suzuki Swift Sport – local timing not confirmed, but first half of 2018 is expected.
Tesla Model 3 – not expected to land until 2019, but we’ve now driven it.
Volkswagen Polo – revealed in June, won’t arrive until early 2018.
Volkswagen T-Roc – Global debut confirmed for August 23, but Australia likely a no-go until 2019.
Volkswagen Touareg – spied testing in August ’16, we expect a Frankfurt motor show unveiling in September. A 2018 debut looks likely.
Watch for further updates to come in the weeks and months ahead.
Reckon we’ve missed any new models? Sing out in the comments below!
Now that you know what’s coming, how do you decide which car is best for you?
In terms of model and manufacturer choice, Australia has one of the biggest new-car markets in the world.
It is also one of the most sophisticated car markets in the world, with all manufacturers offering several variants of each model. At the time of writing, there are 67 manufacturers offering 205 models, divided into 23 different categories.
These categories include micro, light under $25k, light over $25k, small under $40k, small over $40k, medium under $60k, medium over $60k, large under $70k, large over $70k, Upper large under $100k, upper large over $100k, people movers under $60k, people movers over $60k, Sports cars under $80k, Sports cars over $80k, Sports Cars over $200k, small SUVs under $40k, small SUVs over $40k, medium SUVs under $60k, medium SUVs over $60k, large SUVs under $70k, large SUVS over $70k, upper large SUVs under $100k, upper large SUVs over $100k.
Just reading the list of new-car categories gives you an idea of how confusing it can be to select the right car for you. After all, not all buyers are checking in with CarAdvice every morning and night. Even within these categories of new cars you have the option of hatches, coupes, sedans, convertibles and station wagons.
When you have decided on the body style, you need to consider how many people you are going to be carrying on a regular basis. Does your new car need to have two, four, five, seven or even eight seats? If you need more than eight seats, you should start looking in the mini-bus people-mover category, which is a whole other world. Will your new car need to carry child seats, and how many? Does it need to have a big luggage capacity? Obviously, these factors will have a bearing on which new car suits your needs.
And all of this is before you even consider the engine size or type! Do you want your new car to be powered by a petrol or diesel engine, or are you looking for something greener like a hybrid or even electric? Where is the car going to be driven, and how many kilometres are you going to be driving each year? Will you take it off-road or even out of the city limits?
It’s no wonder so many find buying a new car a daunting task. So, how do you find the best new car for you, or even keep up with all the latest models hitting the market virtually weekly? Right here, CarAdvice provides a great record of all the latest models due to be released and when. It also is a great source of all the latest news in the lead up to the release of these new model.
If the manufacturer is planning to fit a new engine, new technology – either safety or for entertainment, CarAdvice will provide comprehensive coverage of all those changes. But, most importantly, CarAdvice prides itself on driving every new car so it can provide you with all the information you will need when it comes your turn to make a new car purchase.
Whether you are looking for a small and cheap hatch to simply get you to the shops and back, or for a large SUV capable of towing a boat, caravan or horse float or a people mover that will carry a growing family you will find all the information you will need on CarAdvice.
We don’t just test new cars, we put them into real life situations so we can tell you how they perform, towing or tackling the toughest outback tracks. We also take them shopping, use them to drop the kids off at school, and when the right vehicle arrives we even take them out on a racetrack to see just how well they perform.
Just as importantly, we pit them against their closest competitors so you can see how they stack up in regards to features, new technology, driveability, useability and, one of the most important considerations when it comes to purchasing your new vehicle, price.
So, no matter what type of new car you are looking for, or are interested in, CarAdvice can provide you with all the relevant information you need to help you make the right choice for you and your family.
And, right here on this page, our new car listing is also a great way to keep an eye on the latest models coming onto the market and what new cars manufacturers are planning to launch in the future.
So, whether you’re looking to buy your first or tenth new car, or you’re simply a motoring enthusiast who wants to keep up with all the latest cars coming onto the market, the CarAdvice New Car Calendar will keep you up to date with every new car from every manufacturer.
