With bushfires, lockdowns, recession, isolation, and plenty of uncertainties, 2020 is a year most of us will be overjoyed to see the back of. With the pandemic under control in Australia, vaccines to prevent it on the way and the economy looking up, next year is already looking better.
We’ve got a lot to look forward to and one of them is the exciting range of new vehicles that are hitting the market in 2021.
For potential SUV buyers there’s Hyundai’s next-generation Tucson. The company’s new mid-size model is one very stylish vehicle with heaps of safety and other technology and the choice of a 2.0 litre petrol engine, a turbocharged 1.6 litre petrol and a 2.0 litre diesel.
Overseas buyers get a choice of a 2.5 litre petrol engine and hybrid versions, but so far they’re not on Hyundai Australia’s order list.
For those yearning for the great outdoors there’s the new Subaru Outback.
Now in its 6th generation, the latest Outback will be powered by a 2.5 litre horizontally opposed Boxer engine. It will offer upgraded safety, infotainment and driver assistance technology and a new large touchscreen in an interior that’s been redesigned and improved.
Hot Golf
If you’re yearning for the frisson of a hot hatch, well they don’t come much hotter than the Mark 8 Volkswagen Golf GTI, with its 2.0 litre turbocharged engine and the choice of a dual-clutch automatic or manual transmission.
Long the benchmark of hot hatches, the new GTI boasts a stiffer chassis, improved electronics and new vehicle dynamics systems and is ready to take on its challengers, like the Renault Megane RS and Hyundai i30N in the hot hatch stakes.
It’s an exciting new Golf but there’s a chance that supply issues could yet prevent it landing Down Under, so watch this space.
Ultimate luxury
When it comes to luxury and out-there technology, the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class is the pinnacle of the luxury German carmaker.
The seventh-generation model that’s destined for our shores comes with a massive augmented reality head-up display that Mercedes compares to a 195cm TV sitting 10 metres in front of you. It projects a wealth of information and instructions onto the surroundings before your eyes in glorious 3D.
And that’s just the start of it in a car that’s loaded with technology that’s almost beyond belief. Tell the car you’re tired and the seats will give you a massage while it adjusts the air-conditioning. You can open the sunroof with a hand gesture and lowering the rear window blind is as easy as looking over your shoulder.
Electric Mazda
In a sign of changing motoring times, Mazda is introducing electric and mild-hybrid versions of the 2021 Mazda MX-30.
The electric model is Mazda’s first and should get here in the second half of the year, following the launch of the hybrid variant. The former is powered by a 107kW/271Nm electric motor powering the front axle with a 35.5kWh lithium-ion battery pack, giving it a range of 200km on a World harmonised Light vehicle Testing Procedure (WLTP) cycle.
While Mazda reckons that’s enough to cover the daily driving needs of most Aussies, it’s well below the Hyundai Kona Electric’s 449km on the same cycle.
Slowly but surely electric cars are making their way to Australia, with Mazda just one of at least seven carmakers, including Audi, Volvo, Tesla and Nissan introducing new or upgraded models next year.
If you’re in the market for one of these exciting new vehicles, or any other one for that matter, then you owe it to yourself to check out the money-saving advantages of a Fleetcare Novated Lease. It’s the perfect way to get behind the wheel of the vehicle of your choice while reducing your tax load each pay day. For more information call Fleetcare today on 134 333.