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Here’s everything you can expect to see touch down on Australian shores in 2021, and when!
The year 2020 was one that many would like to forget, and the automotive industry is no exception.
Lockdowns and economic slowdowns brought on by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic translated exactly as you’d expect for Australia’s new-car sales, with a staggering 48.5 per cent sales decline in April, contributing to an overall market down 13.7 per cent by the end of the year.
Despite the sales slowdowns and production delays caused by COVID-19, 2020 was still a relatively strong year in terms of new model launches, with highlights from the year ranging from the rapid Ford Fiesta ST and Mercedes-AMG A45 S hot hatches in the first half of the year, to the new-generation Isuzu D-Max and Kia Sorento toward the year’s end.
This new year of 2021 promises to be equally exciting, with this year set to host the launches of the controversial BMW M3 and M4, crucial new-generation Nissan X-Trail, and hybrid versions of the Kia Sorento and Hyundai Santa Fe SUVs.
However, much of the 2021 calendar remains unclear at this stage, with many new models due over the next 12 months yet to be revealed, or still to be locked in for our market. We expect any models you see below to arrive as described.
We’ll be updating this story weekly as new information comes to light, be it the reveal of a new model, or simply the announcement of its Australian launch date.
Below are the models we expect to launch inside a specific quarter of the year, as advised by each brand.
First quarter
Lexus LS facelift – early 2021 (revealed)
Maserati Ghibli Trofeo, Quattroporte Trofeo (revealed) – early 2021
Mazda CX-3 update (pricing) – late January
Mazda CX-9 update (pricing) – early 2021
Mazda MX-5 update (pricing) – January
Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S Coupe (pricing) – January
Mercedes-Maybach GLS (revealed) – March
Mercedes-Benz Vito facelift (revealed)
MG HS PHEV, 2.0-litre turbo – expected early 2021
Nissan Leaf e+ (details) – early 2021
Nissan Navara facelift (revealed) – February
Peugeot 308 mild facelift (details) – early 2021
Peugeot 3008, 5008 facelifts (3008 revealed) (5008 revealed)
Porsche Taycan (pricing) – February 2021
Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid MY21 battery upgrades (revealed)
RAM 1500 (new generation) (details) – January 2021
Range Rover (full-size) MY21 updates (revealed) (‘Fifty’ special edition revealed)
Range Rover Velar MY21 (details) – first deliveries March
Renault Captur (new gen) (details) – early 2021, expected January
Skoda Superb 162TSI (details)
Skoda Octavia (new gen) (revealed) (full overseas lineup details)
Subaru Outback (details) (revealed in the US)
Tesla Model 3 update (details) – first cars arriving over the December/January holiday period
Toyota GR Yaris Rallye limited edition (pricing) (details) – first 200 arrive in March
Toyota HiLux Rogue, Rugged X facelift (delay details) (pricing) – customer deliveries delayed to January
Toyota LandCruiser 200 Series Horizon special edition (details) – March
Volkswagen Touareg Wolfsburg (pricing) – March
Volkswagen Transporter, Caravelle, Multivan, California T6.1 (2021 timing details) (pricing) – first examples now in dealers, full range due by end of January
Walkinshaw-tuned Chevrolet Silverado 1500 (details)
Second quarter
Audi SQ5 TDI facelift (revealed)
Ferrari Roma (details)
Honda Civic Type R Limited Edition (details) (lottery details)
Land Rover Discovery Sport, Range Rover Evoque P300e PHEVs (revealed)
Jaguar F-Pace SVR facelift (pricing) – first deliveries April
Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series (pricing) (international review)
Mercedes-Benz S-Class (new generation) (revealed)
SsangYong Rexton (details)
Toyota Camry facelift (revealed) – officially confirmed for the first half of 2021, April arrival expected for four-cylinders and hybrid models (no V6).
Volkswagen Amarok W580 (revealed) – April
Volkswagen Golf Mk8 hatch (revealed) (initial local details) – first week of May
Volkswagen Golf GTI Mk8 (revealed) (initial local details) – second week of May
Volkswagen Passat full range (details)
Volkswagen Tiguan facelift (local details) (facelift revealed)
Third quarter
Maserati MC20 (local details)
Volvo B-series mild-hybrid petrol engines – July 2021, replacing conventional petrol and diesel engines (details)
Fourth quarter
Abarth 595 Pista (revealed)
Aston Martin DBX Bowmore Edition (revealed) – 18 available to order worldwide, first deliveries fourth quarter, 2021
BMW iX (revealed) – pricing to be released mid-2021, first deliveries in the fourth quarter
BMW M4 Competition x Kith (revealed)
Ford Escape plug-in hybrid (pricing) – late 2021
Lexus UX 300e (details) – November
Mercedes-Maybach S-Class (revealed)
Below are the models we expect to launch in either the first or second half of the year, as advised by each brand. More specific timing has not yet been offered for these models.
First half
Genesis G70 facelift (revealed)
Genesis GV70 (revealed)
Hyundai i20 N (revealed) (prototype review)
Hyundai i30 N hatch facelift (revealed) (DCT prototype review) – likely March or April, according to leaked dealer document
Hyundai i30 Sedan N (teased)
Hyundai Kona Electric facelift (revealed)
Hyundai Tucson (all-new generation) (revealed)
Mahindra Thar (revealed)
Mazda MX-30 mild-hybrid (details)
Porsche 718 GT4, GTS 4.0, Spyder PDK automatic option (details) – first deliveries early 2021
RAM 1500 (new gen) – expected early 2021
Renault Koleos update (details)
Renault Megane RS facelift (details)
Toyota Kluger (new-generation) (details) – originally expected in 2020, now pushed out to first half, 2021
Mid-year
Audi Q2 facelift (revealed)
Audi SQ2 facelift (revealed)
BMW iX3 (revealed)
Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Trail Boss
Mazda MX-30 all-electric (details)
Peugeot 3008 plug-in hybrid (details) (revealed)
Ram 2500 Heavy Duty (2500/3500 details)
Second half
Audi E-Tron S (details)
Audi A3 hatch and sedan (revealed)
Audi S3 (revealed)
Audi Q5 Sportback (revealed)
Audi SQ5 Sportback TDI (revealed)
Chevrolet Corvette (details)
Chevrolet Silverado 2500
Citroen C4 (revealed)
Isuzu MU-X (revealed) – expected mid-to-late-2021
Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid (details)
Nissan X-Trail (revealed) – expected second half
Peugeot 2008 GT (details)
Renault Arkana (Australian details) (revealed) – replacing the slow-selling Kadjar
Subaru BRZ – confirmed for Australia, expected (though not confirmed) in the second half of 2021 (revealed)
Subaru Levorg (new generation) (revealed) – expected in the second half of 2021
Tesla Model S Plaid (details) – first deliveries slated for late 2021, according to the brand’s online configurator
Toyota GR Yaris (details) – second batch of cars due to arrive in the second half of 2021
Volkswagen Caddy (European launch details) (revealed)
Volvo XC40 P8 Recharge EV (revealed)
Volvo V60 Cross Country (revealed)
Below the models we expect to see in Australia sometime this year, but with no specific timing or confirmation offered by the relevant brands.
Sometime in 2021
Alfa Romeo 4C Spider 33 Stradale Tributo (revealed)
Ford Mustang Mach 1 (pricing) (details) – sometime in 2021, likely first half
Hyundai Ioniq 5 (teased) (45 concept revealed) – full unveiling due in early 2021
Hyundai Nexo – government trial in the ACT for now, ahead of a full public launch in 2021 (details)
Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross plug-in hybrid (facelift) – third quarter of 2021 expected
Jaguar F-Pace facelift (pricing) – available to order, first deliveries expected in 2021
Jaguar F-Type Heritage 60 Edition – available to order, first deliveries expected sometime in 2021 (revealed)
Polestar 2 (details)
RAM 1500 TRX (details)
Rolls-Royce Ghost (revealed) – Australian timing unclear, but first deliveries expected sometime in 2021 (likely Q1)
Skoda Kamiq Monte Carlo, Limited Edition (pricing) – delayed until 2021, as both models awaiting a software update to solve electrical issues. (delay details)
Skoda Scala (pricing) – delayed until 2021, awaiting a software update (delay details)
SsangYong Tivoli (details) (facelift revealed) – relaunch due to happen in 2021, likely in facelifted form
Toyota Mirai – 20 examples to arrive for testing in 2021 (details)
The models below have either not yet been confirmed for Australia, or have already been ruled out.
MAYBE, BABY?
Alpina B3 (pricing) – timing unconfirmed, expected sometime in 2021
Audi RS E-Tron GT (previewed) – expected mid-2021
Audi SQ5 TFSI facelift (revealed) – revealed in the US, but Australian plans yet to be confirmed
Audi TTS updates – under evaluation for Australia (revealed)
Bentley Bentayga Hybrid (revealed) – confirmed for Australia, but timing yet to be announced
BMW X3 xDrive30e – originally due second quarter, new timing unclear
Ferrari SF90 Spider, Portofino M – timing unconfirmed
Ford Bronco, Bronco Sport (Bronco revealed) (Bronco Sport revealed) – not available in right-hand-drive… yet
Ford Puma ST (revealed for Europe) – no plans for an Australian launch
Haval, Great Wall (GWM) – nothing new confirmed for 2021, though H6, Big Dog, Tank 300 all rumoured to be under consideration.
Honda Civic (new generation) (sedan concept revealed) – sedan not for Australia, regular and Type R hatch models only. Timing remains unconfirmed, however – the current model will be phased out locally in mid-2021, so expect a new model to arrive at a similar time.
Land Rover Discovery facelift (pricing) – available to order, but timing unconfirmed
Land Rover Discovery Sport update (pricing) – available to order, but timing unconfirmed
Lotus Evija (details) – yet to be certified for sale in Australia
Mazda CX-5, CX-8 MY21 updates (both revealed for Japan) (CX-5 revealed for the US) – unclear for Australia
Mitsubishi Outlander (new generation) (teased and leaked) – reveal confirmed for February 2021, timing TBC
Nissan 400Z (Z Proto concept reveal) – expected between 2021 and 2023, looking near-identical to the Z Proto concept
Nissan Note E-Power (new generation) (revealed) – no plans
Nissan Qashqai, Pathfinder SUVs (new generations) – reveals expected in the next 6-9 months, with Australian debuts expected to occur in the 12-18 months after. No timing officially confirmed.
Peugeot 208 (details) – initially set for a 2020 launch, but now looking likely for 2022.
Range Rover Evoque updates (pricing) – available to order, first deliveries expected in 2021
Renault Kangoo (all-new generation) (revealed) – confirmed for Australia, launch timing expected to be announced in 2021
Renault Trafic safety upgrade (details) – sometime in 2022
SsangYong E100 electric vehicle (teased) – yet to be confirmed for Australia
Tesla Model Y – timing yet to be confirmed
Volkswagen ID.4 (revealed) – expected in 2022 or 2023.
Volkswagen Golf Mk8 wagon, Alltrack (revealed) – not coming to Australia
Volkswagen Golf R, Tiguan R, T-Roc R – 2022 (Golf R revealed)
Volkswagen Arteon facelifts – timing now TBC
Volkswagen Touareg R, eHybrid – Australian launch previously confirmed to be off the table
Reckon we’ve missed something? Let us know in the comments below!
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