2013 Major Change Models

2013 is going to be a busy year for new models. Here is the expected schedule for 2014 Next Generation vehicles.

January 2013

The following models are expected in January 2013:

2013 Major Change Holden Cruze Wagon: Cruze wagon is likely to go into production at Holden’s Elizabeth plant in South Australia
2013 Major Change Land Rover Discovery: The 2013 Land Rover Discovery will arrive in Australia with minor price increases across the range but more equipment and better performance. The entry-level TDV6 replaces the old 2.7-litre diesel unit with a new 3.0-litre engine that produces 15kW more power yet reduces its fuel consumption by 17 per cent, while top-spec models with a more powerful SDV6 engine get a 5.4 per cent drop in fuel consumption
2013 Major Change LDV V80: The Shanghai Automotive Industry Association (SAIC) is the latest Chinese car-maker to confirm an Australian berth and will arrive on our shores with a fleet of vans. The LDV V80 range will feature turbo-diesel engines and come in a range of cargo and passenger variants
2013 Major Change Mitsubishi Mirage: Mitsubishi Australia will offer Thai-built light Mirage for budget-conscious drivers just slightly more expensive than the Nissan Micra. The reborn Mirage will be powered by a 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine that sips 4.6 litres of petrol per 100km in manual guise or 4.9L/100km with the optional CVT
2013 Major Change Nissan Pulsar sedan: Nissan will bring its iconic Pulsar nameplate back to Australia in early 2013, with a hatch variant to follow the sedan into showrooms shortly after
2013 Major Change Subaru Forester: The fourth generation of Subaru Australia’s best selling car, the Forester SUV, launches with a new set of engines including a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol to power the top-spec XT and a non-turbo 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine that will most likely power an entry-level variant

February 2013

The following models are expected in February 2013:

2013 Major Change Alfa Romeo Spider will be built in collaboration with Mazda and will be based on Mazda MX-5 Roadster. It will be built in Japan and tuned in Italy
2013 Major Change Hybrid Honda NSX Supercar. It is likely to be a 230 kw 3500 cc V6 with a 30 Kw electric motor. It will come with Honda’s first seven speed dual-clutch transmission

March 2013

The following models are expected in March 2013:

2013 Major Change Audi Urban Concept: Audi’s quirky, open-wheeled buggy-like Urban Concept will weigh less than 500kg thanks to a carbon-fibre cockpit construction. Its rear-drive electric powertrain reportedly offering a range of up to 60km. Sportback and Spider variants are definitely in the works , Sportback accessed by sliding back the roof, jet-fighter style
2013 Major Change Infiniti Q30: Nissan’s Japanese luxury brand Infiniti had a hole in its model range which this mall car will bridge. Q30 will be built by Austrian manufacturer Magna Steyr on the same platform as the Mercedes-Benz B-Class and A-Class. It will compete with the Lexus IS, BMW 1 Series and Audi A3
2013 Major Change Landrover Defender: 2013 Land Rover Defender is likely to be based on DC100 concept revealed in 2011 Frankfurt motor show
2013 Major Change Lotus Elise: The lightweight (1095kg) two-seater Elise will be available in both coupe and roadster form and continues with an extruded aluminium-bonded chassis and a Toyota-sourced engine – a supercharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder unit offering 235kW and 330Nm, and revving to 7800rpm.

May 2013

The following model is expected in May 2013:

2013 Major Change Nissan Townpod: The Townpod is expected to be a precursor to – or at least a potential derivative of – a light all-electric production van that Nissan could broaden the application of the company’s EV powertrain beyond the Leaf small car

June 2013

The following model is expected in June 2013:

2013 Major Change Toyota FCV-R. It will be powered by Hydrogen fuel cell powered FCV-R with a promised range of 700 km

July 2013

The following model is expected in July 2013:

2013 Major Change Lotus Eterne: Based on the looks and drivetrain of Lotus Elite, the Eterne four-door sedan offers the same blend of performance and technology with a Supercharged Lexus 5.0-litre V8 engine with hybrid system good for 456kW/720Nm. Packing slightly more weight than the Elite, it will reach 100km/h in a claimed 4.0 seconds, on its way to a 315km/h maximum speed

August 2013

The following models are expected in August 2013:

2013 Major Change Opel Electric Concept: Opel is developing all-electric, motorcycle-like two-seat ‘RAK-e’ commuter that is expected to cost less than $14,000. It is expected to have a top speed of 120km/h and zero-emissions driving range of almost 100km
2013 Major Change Peugeot HX1: Peugeot’s six-seater will come with a 2.2-litre diesel in the plug-in hybrid powertrain for a combined 220kW and a 30km zero-emissions range

September 2013

The following models are expected in September 2013:

2013 Major Change Audi A2: Next Generation Audi A2 will be ultra-light (possibly combining aluminium and carbon-fibre) and technology-packed, with petrol, diesel, range-extender and hydrogen fuel cell powertrains all being considered
2013 Major Change Smart Forvision: Forvision will showcase several new energy-saving innovation co-developed with chemical giant BASF such as a heat-shielding coating to reduce air-con load, transparent solar cells and high-tech insulation

November 2013

The following model is expected in November 2013:

2013 Major Change Lotus City Car: The Lotus City Car concept will be based on the Proton Emas family of small urban vehicle concepts that featured a Lotus-engineered range-extending plug-hybrid powertrain. The Lotus version should improve upon the performance of the Emas concepts, which combined a 38kW/107Nm 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine with a rear-mounted 75kW/240Nm electric motor.