.jpg)
.jpg)
Australia has long been one of the most competitive car markets in the world, often with more than 60 brands fighting it out for sales. And there seems like there’s no chance of its slowing down either, even with the loss of Holden.
In recent years, we’ve seen an influx of new brands from China, including MG, Haval and LDV, as well as new/revived American makers, Chevrolet and Dodge, through local right-hand-drive conversion operations.
Most recently, Volkswagen Group announced it would introduce the Spanish Cupra performance brand in 2022 and Chinese electric car maker, BYD, has also confirmed it will begin selling cars here next year.
So, with that in mind, we’ve decided to take a look at new or dormant car brands that could play a role in the local market. We’ve opted for brands that we think have a genuine chance of making a success here and could sell in respectable volume (so no niche players like Rimac, Lordstown Motors, Fisker, etc haven’t made the cut).
Who: Rivian
What: The American brand has been grabbing plenty of attention with its pair of prototype electric vehicles, the R1T ute and R1S SUV. Both Ford and Amazon have invested hundreds of millions into the company to help get both models into production as soon as this year.
Why: What makes us think Rivian would work in Australia? Well, while EVs are still very much in their infancy in the local market, the two types of vehicles Aussies love are utes and SUVs. The R1T and R1S have been designed to deliver genuine off-road capability (355mm of ground clearance, 4.5-tonne towing), while still boasting the kind of on-road performance we expect of an EV (0-160km/h in 7.0 seconds).
While they would be positioned at the high end of the market, with prices likely to start near or over $100k, Rivian could give the likes of the Audi e-tron, Mercedes EQC and Tesla Model X a run for their money.
While there hasn’t been a formal announcement, there’s every indication Rivian will come here too, with chief engineer Brian Gase telling CarsGuide in 2019 that the brand would look to launch in right-hand drive markets approximately 18 months after it begins sales in the US.
Who: Lynk & Co
.jpg)
What: Part of Geely’s stable of Automotive brands, Lynk & Co was officially founded in Gothenburg under the watchful eye of Volvo but launched in China first; and with a very different way of doing business. Lynk & Co offers a direct-to-consumer sales model (no dealerships) as well as a monthly subscription program – so you don’t have to buy a car, you can effectively rent one instead for a flat fee.
Why: Lynk & Co has already expanded into the European market, with plans to be in the UK by 2022, which means right-hand-drive models will be available for Australia. Local Volvo officials have already expressed an interest in having the more youthful-orientated Lynk & Co available in Volvo showrooms.
The Lynk & Co line-up of compact SUVs and small sedans based on Volvo’s ‘CMA’ architecture would make a worthwhile addition to the local market.
Plus, working alongside Volvo would help put Lynk & Co in the more prestige space, which would be a point of difference over the existing Chinese brands.
Who: Dodge
.jpg)
What: The American brand faded out of the Australian market several years ago with barely any attention. That’s because there was very little reason to notice the previous Dodge range of uninspiring models, including the Caliber, Journey and Avenger. In the US, though, Dodge has rediscovered its mojo and these days its range consists of the V8-powered Charger sedan and Challenger coupe, as well as the muscular-looking Durango SUV.
Why: All three of those models mentioned would have appeal to local customers. In fact, the Dodge trio would make an ideal affordable performance brand for the now expanded Stellantis conglomerate.
The Charger would make a suitable replacement for those still missing the locally made Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon - especially the red-hot SRT Hellcat model - and that includes the various police forces around the country (which is a potentially strong market).
The Challenger would make a nice alternative to the Ford Mustang, offering a similar American muscle car vibe, but in a different package and, again, with the potent Hellcat engine.
The Durango is also available with the Hellcat V8 and would, in many ways, make more sense than the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk given Jeep’s focus on off-road performance.
The biggest hurdle now (and in the past) is the lack of right-hand-drive availability, but if Stellantis is serious about making its brands successful around the world, then including RHD in the next generation of Charger, Challenger and Durango is crucial. If they do that, Dodge would be a no-brainer for Australia.
Who: Acura
_0.jpg)
What: Honda’s luxury brand has enjoyed varied success overseas, particularly in the USA, where it competes against the likes of Lexus and Genesis, but the Japanese brand has always kept it out of Australia. For a long time that was because Honda had achieved a level of premium appeal, so Acura was effectively unnecessary.
That’s not the case anymore, with Honda sales declining, the company is set to switch to a new ‘agency’ sales model with less dealers and fixed prices. So, does that leave the door open for Acura to return?
Why: While Honda says the goal of its new sales strategy is to make the brand a ‘semi-premium’ player with a focus on quality over quantity, it still has a long way to go to be accepted as the ‘BMW of Japan’ as it was before.
Which means, with this new streamlined sales model, it could introduce key Acura models such as the RDX and MDX SUVs to Australia and position them directly as affordable premium vehicles in a similar fashion to Genesis. The company even has a hero model ready to go, the NSX supercar, which failed to find buyers wearing a Honda badge and a $400k price tag.
Who: VinFast
What: It’s a new company, but one with deep pockets and big plans. In less than two years, the company has become a best-seller in its native Vietnam and has set its sights on global markets, and that could include Australia.
VinFast’s initial models, the LUX A2.0 and the LUX SA2.0, are both based on BMW platforms (the F10 5 Series and F15 X5 respectively), but the company has plans to expand and develop its own vehicles, with a new range of bespoke EVs.
To that end it, bought Holden’s Lang Lang proving grounds in 2020 and will establish an engineering base in Australia to ensure its future models are capable of being competitive in markets around the world.
But that’s not all, even before it bought Lang Lang, VinFast had established an Australian engineering office, employing a number of former Holden, Ford and Toyota experts.
Why: While VinFast hasn’t announced any plans for right-hand-drive production, but given it has already established strong engineering ties to Australia, it seems likely the brand will eventually enter the market.
The company is owned by Vietnam’s richest man, Phạm Nhật Vượng, so funding for expansion shouldn’t be an issue, and he appears to have big ambitions, with its website calling it a “global intelligent mobility company” and stating it will “launch our smart EVs globally in 2021”, so watch this space.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
Comments