Australia is an extremely saturated market. Only about a million cars are sold here each year, but just over 50 brands compete for a piece of the action.
While we recently saw Alpine, Chrysler, Holden and Infiniti leave, we’ve reached BYD, Cupra, Ineos and Polestar and welcomed Chery back. A few more Chinese brands will also come to our shores in the next few years.
Asking for any more brands to squeeze into this messy market would be greedy – but let’s be greedy.
These are the brands we want to see selling in Australia.
Anthony Crawford: Shelby
Honestly, while most people in the industry believe we have too many brands on sale in Australia, I would be selfish and ask for right-drive versions of Shelby Mustangs.
The Shelby Mustang GT350 R is the car I’d love to own, but Ford has always been slow to market so I can’t hold my breath.
Alborz Fallah: Alfa Romeo
Wait, what? Doesn’t the brand already exist in Australia!? Technically yes, but hear me out: what does it mean to be in the market? Does anyone think Alfa Romeo’s status in Australia is working?
So far in 2023, from January to May, the iconic Italian brand has sold only 181 vehicles. That’s about 36 cars a month on average. Even Maserati sells more cars (Jaguar too, remember?) Those sales numbers don’t make for a sustainable business.
Alfa Romeo is a brand that always seems to have a lot of potential but despite countless reboots, never seems to go anywhere in Australia.
The Italians love the idea of selling high-end luxury cars against the German trio but don’t seem to think our market is worth the investment to make it work, so it (barely) hangs. , in this downturn, where one of the world’s most iconic and beloved brands is almost forgotten, with little or no attention from consumers.
We bought a new Alfa Romeo Giulia in car consultant date to prove that it is reliable; unfortunately, it spent most of its time going back to the dealer, proving the opposite. So there are some things that need to be done right with brands and consumers seem to know it.
For example, there have been no independent dealers in Brisbane for the past few years, which recently existed in a small space inside an often deserted shopping centre. Meanwhile, Mercedes Benz has the largest dealership in the Southern Hemisphere in Brisbane (true story). In the world of luxury, experience and emotion are a big part of the product.
Please bring back Alfa Romeo. Not a fake today, but a real one. If that doesn’t happen, let it die properly.
Paul Maric: Rimac
As the fastest production car in the world, the Rimac Nevera needed to go to Australia. The Croatian brand has shown that they not only have the potential to create a supercar from scratch, but also have the confidence to become a spare parts supplier for several global car brands.
Most recently, Bugatti was renamed Bugatti-Rimac, with the Croatian company taking over the operations of the Volkswagen subsidiary.
I think it would be great if the fastest production car in the world was sold in Australia. Nevera shows you that trams can be so much fun!
Scott Collie: Cadillac
Cadillac had a successful launch in Australia once, and it’s time for a second.
In terms of electric vehicles, the Lyriq and Celestiq are suitable luxury flagships that will immediately give the brand some credibility alongside BMW and Mercedes-Benz. There’s also no risk of mingling with the crowd, given how different they look.
Then there’s the stuff that enthusiasts will love. Rear-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive super sedans with V8s are extremely rare in 2023, but Cadillac hasn’t given up yet.
The CT5-V Blackwing is Cadillac’s top-of-the-line internal combustion-engined passenger car in the US, with a 6.2-liter turbocharged V8 under the hood producing 498 kW and 893 Nm.
Forget all-wheel drive, the Blackwing is rear-wheel drive only. Although there is a 10-speed automatic transmission on offer, it is the 6-speed manual that is what enthusiasts crave most.
GM estimates a 0-60mph (0-96km/h) acceleration time of 3.7 seconds with the automatic transmission and a top speed of over 200mph (321km/h).
Inside, it looks suitably modern. Just because the powertrain is old fashioned doesn’t mean the whole car needs to be a dinosaur.
Jade Credentino: Insight
I’ve been following Lucid’s development for several years and still wonder why it’s only offered in a handful of markets. Rumor has it that China is the next market it intends to enter, which will be interesting to all the major electric vehicle players already based there.
The lucid vehicles look great, based on the videos, these cars work great and are a great alternative to mainstream EV brands like Tesla.
Lucid claims the Air offers a range of up to 830km and can produce between 358–828 kW, depending on the variant.
I’m keeping an eye on their expansion and hope to one day soon get the chance to get behind the wheel of a three-engine four-wheel drive model.
Derek Fung: Cadillac
GM is likely to bring Cadillac to Australia with a range of high-priced luxury electric vehicles. It is certainly developing a right-hand drive version of the Lyriq, which could be part of a long-debated European comeback.
In the flesh, Lyriq is both special and fascinating. And, like the Lucid Air I recently raved about, the interiors feature a lot of screens, but they look like they’ve been designed with their environment in mind.
By moving into the premium market and no longer chasing (and failing to catch) German brands in their core segments, Cadillac actually had a chance to capture a unique and profitable market share.
The Celestiq and Lyriq will match the expensive Corvette and Chevrolet Silverados in GMSV’s local showrooms.
And while GM is at it, it should expand its Chevrolet presence Down Under.
No, they shouldn’t have brought the new Trax here. Send Blazer EV and Equinox EV instead. Both look great, especially the Blazer, and will allow GM to weather the last wave of EVs that have broken on Australian shores.
It is hoped that both of these cars will be developed in right-wheel drive as part of GM’s push to return to sales in Europe.
Quick Jack: Rivian
I remember when I started working as a reporter at auto expert Almost two years ago, one of the first car companies I contacted was Rivian about a possible launch in Australia.
Most people tried to get a response from Rivian to no avail, but to my surprise I got a response a few days later. Regardless, it doesn’t provide any insight but I’d be happy to hear back.
I have contacted Rivian several times since then, but the company has yet to confirm that it will come to Australia. The last thing we heard was that they plan to start expanding their presence into right-hand drive markets once deliveries in the US and Canada begin.
I am quite interested in the Rivian R1T because it seems to be a really handy electric car. My favorite feature the R1T has is the long tunnel between the cabin and the tub that can be used to hold long items.
I think if Rivian comes to Australia and launches with R1T, it will be very popular in Australia, car lovers. Finally, it will also give the LDV eT60 some competition.
You also can’t forget the R1S is unlike anything else available locally.
However, it seems likely that the company’s next-generation R2 cars due out in 2026 will be more targeted at export markets.
William Stopford: Cadillac
Rivian and Lucid immediately come to mind as the brands I’d like to see here, both offering compelling entries into the burgeoning electric vehicle market. Even Dodge – Dodge of all brands! – is set to deliver exceptional electric vehicles with unique features and impressive performance. They should all come here.
But there’s one brand I’ve been waiting to get here for most of my life, and that’s the one I had to pick: Cadillac. It came disappointingly recently in 2009, before the Global Financial Crisis and the bankruptcy of parent company General Motors caused things to derail. The vehicles, which were on the way, were then diverted elsewhere.
Here comes the perception that Cadillacs are large, floating barges and perhaps ignore the Escalade, which is simply not true. The company has been selling really impressive rear- and four-wheel-drive sports sedans since the 2000s – I rented a third-generation CTS a few years ago in Los Angeles and it was a fun drive. The excitement along Mulholland Drive showcased the talents of GM’s chassis engineers.
Honestly, half of its current roster isn’t helping me at all. I see no reason to buy any of its crossovers over crossovers from other luxury brands — rival Lincoln has nicer ones — and the Escalade is a bit too much for my taste.
Its latest sedans look a little uglier than their handsome predecessors, but in V Blackwing guise, they hold their ground against rivals from the BMW M and Mercedes- AMG.
Then there are its efforts in the electric vehicle space. The Lyriq is a luxury car that fits inside and out, and the Celestiq is a bold statement of intent with exclusivity and a price tag on par with Bentley.
I’ve been a Cadillac fan since I first drove the front-wheel drive Eldorado ETC around San Francisco back in 2012. Madness Center 2 like a child. It’s a brand that’s often a bit uneven, but it’s one that I like a lot.
I say that when I once again searched the online classifieds for a right-hand drive, second-generation CTS…
James Wong: Opel/Vauxhall
Yes, I know Opel has tried unsuccessfully to make a comeback in Australia, but the German marque continues to sell its latest models in New Zealand, so why not bring them here?
Opel and Vauxhall have local significance due to their historical ties to Australia’s GM Holden, particularly with brands such as Astra. Vauxhall’s British heritage means RHD by default as well as a fresh start to getting away from Opel leaving our market not too far away.
Now owned and operated by Stellantis, Opel and Vauxhall have a range of overhauled hatchbacks and SUVs, offering petrol, diesel, plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and electric (EV) options, based on the same platform and technology as Peugeot and Citroen vehicles.
The return of the Astra will be a great return story for the longstanding brand and provide another option in the compact passenger car segment to rekindle the battle between it and the likes of the Mazda 3 and VW. Golf.
I love the idea of Corsa-e and Mokka-e bringing new affordable, compact EV options, while the Astra and Grandland plug-in hybrid bring new electrification options to segments. bulk car.
Spain’s SEAT will come in second.
