Seven new car brands coming to Australia in 2022

These new car brands are coming soon to Australia – and some are already here. Get acquainted with them before they become household names.

The decision-making process for new-car buyers in Australia is about to get more complex from an already vast choice of automotive brands.

Australia is one of the most competitive new-car markets in the world, with more brands represented here per-capita than most other developed countries.

For example, the US has 30 or so brands for 17 million annual sales and the UK has 40 or so brands for 2.5 million sales.

Australia has about 50 new-car brands competing for about 1.1 million sales annually.

Now a number of new car brands are setting up shop locally. Some are already here, while others are planning to open showrooms in the next year or so.

From a Spanish purveyor of performance cars, to a Chinese brand making its Australian comeback, here are the the new car brands to keep an eye on.

BYD

About BYD

BYD is an electric car brand based in China. While it’s new to Australia, it was founded in 2003 by Chinese conglomerate BYD Co. Ltd. The initials BYD originally stood for ‘Build Your Dreams’.

Before it expanded into the automotive sector, BYD Co. Ltd. produced solar panels and rechargeable batteries.

In 2008, BYD received a major boost when US billionaire Warren Buffett’s holding company Berkshire Hathaway invested $US232 million.

Although it is relatively unknown in Australia, BYD Automotive has steadily grown to become one of China’s top-selling car brands.

In the first half of 2022, BYD outsold Tesla in global sales of electric vehicles.

BYD Australian launch timing

The first local deliveries for BYD’s debut offering, the BYD Atto 3, are expected to begin in August 2022, but if you place an order for a car now, you’ll get an estimated delivery window of December 2022 to January 2023.

Orders for the next two models – the BYD Dolphin and BYD Seal – are expected to open before the end of 2022, with deliveries commencing some time in 2023.

Where to buy BYD cars in Australia

BYD cars can be bought online at EVDirect.com.au, but BYD has also partnered with national dealership group Eagers Automotive to roll out ‘Experience Centres’ across the country where the cars will be delivered. These showrooms will also offer after-sales support, such as servicing.

BYD models and pricing

BYD Atto 3 compact SUV – from $44,990 drive-away
BYD Dolphin city car (expected in Australia in 2023)
BYD Seal sedan (expected in Australia in 2023)

Chery

About Chery

Chinese brand Chery launched in Australia in 2011, but had to withdraw from the local market after only four years due to poor safety ratings, weak sales, and an asbestos-related recall.

Chery was founded by the Chinese government in 1997 and – as of 2021 – it is China’s 11th best-selling car brand.

In 2012, Chery entered into a joint venture with Jaguar Land Rover to produce JLR vehicles in China for the Chinese market.

Chery Australian launch timing

Chery will return to Australia in November 2022, with an ambitious plan to rank amongst Australia’s five top-selling brands within five years.

Its first local model will be the Omoda 5 small SUV, which will serve as a rival to the likes of the Mazda CX-30, Kia Seltos, or MG ZS.

Where to buy Chery cars in Australia

Chery Australia will operate a dealership network, but has indicated online sales are also possible.

Showrooms will be rolled out in major cities, and according to internal documents seen by Drive, the company’s warranty is slated to span seven years for the vehicle, and 10 years for the engine.

Here’s everything you need to know about Chery’s impending launch.

Chery models and pricing

Chery Omoda 5 small SUV (expected in Australia in November 2022)
Chery Omoda 5 electric small SUV (expected in Australia in 2023)
Chery Tiggo 7 Pro medium SUV (expected in Australia in 2023)
Chery Tiggo 8 Pro seven-seat SUV (expected in Australia in 2024)

Cupra

About Cupra

Formerly the high-performance motorsport arm of Spanish automotive brand Seat, Cupra became its own entity in 2018 and is owned by the Volkswagen Group.

Cupra cars are manufactured in Spain, but the Ateca medium SUV is produced out of a factory in the Czech republic.

Cupra Australian launch timing

Cupra launched in Australia in July 2022 with three models – the Formentor, Ateca and Leon.

Where to buy Cupra cars in Australia

Cupra cars can be purchased online at the Cupra website for non-negotiable fixed prices, or through the brand’s network of showrooms, which is planned to cover every capital city bar Hobart.

Several showrooms are already operational, and you can see individual locations here.

Cupra models and pricing

Cupra Formentor small SUV (available now, with plug-in hybrid option) – from $54,990 drive-away
Cupra Ateca medium SUV(available now) – from $65,990 drive-away
Cupra Leon hatchback (available now) – from $43,990 plus on-road costs
Cupra Born electric hatchback (expected in Australia in early 2023)

Ineos

About Ineos

Ineos Automotive is a British start-up founded in 2017 by its parent company, global petrochemical manufacturer, Ineos.

The brand was born after Ineos chairman Jim Ratcliffe “identified a gap in the market for a stripped back, utilitarian, hard-working four-wheel-drive engineered for modern day compliance and reliability”.

Ineos offers a single model, the Grenadier, which is named after the pub where Ratcliffe conceived the idea and is built in the former Smart car factory in Hambach, France.

Ineos Australian launch timing

Australian order books for the Ineos Grenadier are open now, with customer deliveries expected to commence in the fourth quarter of 2022.

Where to buy Ineos cars in Australia

Customers with an existing reservation can configure and order their car online, with a $5000 order fee to secure a build slot (fully refundable until a contract is signed).

Ineos models and pricing

Ineos Grenadier 4×4 utility (available to order now, in two or five-seat configuration) – from $84,500 before on-road costs

Ora

About Ora

Ora is an all-electric spin-off brand from Chinese giant Great Wall Motors – the parent company of the GWM and Haval brands that already operate in Australia.

The Ora division was founded in 2018. The company claims the name is an acronym for “Open, Reliable and Alternative”.

Great Wall Motors says the brand is a tribute to Swiss physicist and astronomer Leonhard Euler as a “leading resource technologies, strict quality standards, personality, people-oriented design concept, intelligent products, and a model advancing with the times”.

Ora Australian launch timing

While GWM initially planned to launch the Ora brand in Australia before the end of 2022, Drive understands this launch timing has been pushed back to 2023 amid supply constraints.

It’s expected than when Ora does launch in Australia, it will lead with its Good Cat city hatchback.

Where to buy Ora cars in Australia

No Ora dealership locations in Australia have been announced as yet, but it’s likely that – much like Haval – Ora could be sold via the existing GWM dealership network.

Ora models and pricing

Ora Good Cat city hatchback (also known as the Hao Mao, expected in Australia in 2023)
Ora iQ city sedan (launch TBC)
Ora Black Cat city car (also known as the Adora, launch TBC)
Ora White Cat city car (launch TBC)
Ora Punk Cat retro-style city car (launch TBC)
Future models include the Ora Big Cat SUV, Ora Lightning Cat sport fastback and Ora Futurist two-door coupe

Polestar

About Polestar

Polestar began its life in 1996 as the performance racing sub-brand of Swedish car maker Volvo.

It became its own all-electric performance brand in 2017, founded by Volvo Cars and China’s Geely multinational automotive group. Its debut model was the Polestar 1 hybrid performance coupe.

Polestar currently sells cars in Europe, North America, China and the Asia-Pacific. Although its headquarters are in Gothenburg, Sweden, vehicle production comes out of China.

Polestar Australian launch timing

Polestar launched in Australia in February 2022 with one model – the Polestar 2 high-riding electric sedan – which offers up to 551km of range.

In July 2022, the Polestar 2 claimed the title of Australia’s best-selling electric car, as Tesla deliveries slowed due to limited shipments.

Where to buy Polestar cars in Australia

Customers can configure and order Polestar cars online at Polestar.com – deliveries are then made via set locations in Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra and Brisbane, at Volvo dealerships in Perth and Tasmania and via temporary pop-up locations in Adelaide.

Test drives are available via the same network.

Polestar models and pricing

Polestar 2 electric sedan (available in Australia now) – from $63,900 before on-road costs
Polestar 3 performance SUV (expected in Australia in 2023)
Future models include the Polestar 4 mid-size SUV and Polestar 5 GT sedan

Tank

About Tank

As with Ora, Tank is another sub-brand from China’s Great Wall Motors, with a focus on off-road-ready models.

It was launched in 2020 with the goal of becoming “the number one global off-road vehicle brand”.

The logo consists of the letter ‘T’ and the letter ‘U’, standing for ‘Tank’ and ‘user’ (or the customer), respectively.

Tank Australian launch timing

GWM initially planned to bring the Tank brand to Australia before the end of 2022, but much like the Ora launch, that timing is understood to have been pushed back to 2023.

When it does land in local showrooms, it’s likely the debut models will include the four-wheel-drive Tank 300 and Tank 500 SUVs.

Where to buy Tank cars in Australia

No official sales model or local Tank dealership locations have been announced as yet, but it’s likely that – much like Haval – Tank will piggyback off the existing GWM dealership network.

Tank models and pricing

Tank 300 mid-size SUV (expected in Australia in 2023)
Tank 500 large SUV (hybrid option available, expected in Australia in 2023)

The post Seven new car brands coming to Australia in 2022 appeared first on Drive.