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Seven seats or less, these are the large SUVs coming to Australia in 2024 and 2025. Which will be the most compelling for Aussie car buyers? Read on...
Looking for something a little smaller? Check out our Medium SUV and Small SUV lists to see what's coming for those segments in 2024.
JUMP AHEAD
- Cadillac Lyriq (electric)
- Skoda Kodiaq
- SsangYong Torres
- Genesis GV80 Coupe + SUV facelift
- Lexus GX
- Lotus Eletre
- Mazda CX-80
- Mercedes-Maybach EQS
- Mitsubishi Pajero Sport
- Toyota Prado
- Volvo EX90 (electric)
- GMC Yukon
- Nissan Patrol
Cadillac Lyriq: Early 2025
Spearheading the Cadillac comeback – which will be an all-electric brand in Australia – is the $150k Lyriq, which despite its Large SUV measurements is being pitched as a mid-size luxury SUV.
With elegant styling and attention to detail inside and out, the Lyriq is the brand’s first foray into the luxury EV SUV segment globally. It rides on General Motors’ Ultium scalable architecture which allows batteries from 50kWh to 200kWh capacity – the Lyriq uses a 102kWh version.
While the local line-up is yet to be finalised, the Lyriq is offered in three trim levels in the US, starting with the Tech, then mid-spec Luxury and range-topping Sport.
The Tech uses rear-wheel drive and a single-motor powertrain in the US. The Sport shown to Wheels in November 2023 wore a ‘600e4’ designation, for 610Nm, electric and dual-motor four-wheel drive. Cadillac claims a 505km range for the Lyriq rear-wheel drive, and 10km less for the all-wheel drive.
Skoda Kodiaq: Early 2025
The second-generation seven-seat Kodiaq is bigger, sleeker, and adds a hybrid powertrain to its global line-up but will start off with a single petrol model when it arrives in Australia.
An evolutionary design plays host to a 150kW/320Nm version of the familiar 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder EA888 engine – up from 132kW – and is teamed with a seven-speed dual clutch automatic.
The cabin sees the gear selector relocated to the steering column, freeing up space, where there’s a larger 12.9-inch centre screen and wireless charging with seven seats and nine airbags standard. There’s a larger cargo area, up from 270 to 340 litres, expanding to 845 litres with the third-row down, while a new Dynamic Chassis Control system will be optional.
SsangYong Torres: OUT NOW!
The first new SsangYong in Australian showrooms for more than five years, the Torres is a mid-sized SUV to rival the Toyota RAV4 and Hyundai Tucson.
Torres’ styling has clear Jeep influences but also harps back to SsangYong’s Musso sold here in the late 1990s, but unlike the Musso, the Torres – we’re led to believe – runs an updated version of the Korando platform, making it a monocoque chassis.
The Torres launches with an opening price of $38,000 for the front-wheel drive Torres ELX, and is offered in a three-tiered range that tops out at $47,000 for the Torres Ultimate AWD. In the middle lies the $43,000 Torres Adventure which, like the ELX, is only offered in front-drive form.
Lexus GX: OUT NOW!
The luxury version of the new Toyota Prado arrived in Australian dealerships in May, ahead of the vehicle it’s based on.
The GX550 starts from $116,000 before on-road costs, with all variants powered by a 260kW/650Nm 3.5-litre twin-turbocharged V6 petrol.
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The GX can be had in five-, six- or seven-seat guise, with individual captain’s chairs offered in the second row.
The Overtrail variant is sold as a five-seater with all-terrain tyres, black wheel arches, skid plate and the Electronic Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System from the 300 Series Landcruiser. The GX arrived with a 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 and 10-speed auto, ahead of a 2.4-litre turbo-petrol hybrid expected to be added later on.
MOREEverything Lexus
Lotus Eletre: OUT NOW!
Famed British sports car brand Lotus is making a genuine comeback – finally – and is showing it means business with the Eletre luxury SUV.
While it’s made in China, the Eletre – which means ‘coming to life’ in Hungarian (!) – uses the new Lotus-developed Electric Premium Architecture (EPA) and brings a convincing exterior and cabin finish.
Three variants – the $189,990 Eletre, $229,990k Eletre S and $279,990 Eletre R – use a 109kWh lithium-ion battery pack, with 450kW/710Nm in the entry level model bumped up to 675kW/985Nm for the Eletre R, which has a 0-100km/h claim of 2.95 seconds.
Eletre is uncharacteristically heavy for a Lotus, weighing up to 2640kg, but it also breaks with tradition with usable storage space in a 688-litre cargo area split between a boot and frunk (front-trunk).
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Mazda CX-80: OUT NOW!
Mazda’s ‘premium push’ continues with the CX-80, a three-row SUV that, in tandem with the CX-90, replaces the 2017 Wheels Car of the Year, the Mazda CX-9.
The seven-seat CX-80 sits between the five-seat CX-60 and three-row CX-90 in terms of size and price, with all three using the same large SUV architecture and muscular styling direction.
The CX-80 is priced from $54,950 and the range is available with either a 3.3-litre straight-six mild hybrid petrol engine or a 3.3-litre straight-six diesel engine.
MOREEverything Mazda
Mercedes-Maybach EQS: OUT NOW!
The ultra-luxury Maybach brand’s first electric model, the 5.2-metre long EQS 680 SUV sports the signature two-tone exterior colour scheme, dripping with chrome accents and 22-inch wheels polishing its vault-like look.
The Nappa leather-laden cabin steps up Mercedes’ opulence by adding a Maybach mode that animates the digital instrument cluster, with the back seat serving up twin 11.6-inch touchscreens which allow passengers to modify the navigation, among other commands.
Maybach claims the all-wheel drive electric powertrain delivers 484kW/950Nm and approximate 600km range, with the price expected to be well above $400k – cheap for a Maybach, really…
Mitsubishi Pajero Sport: 2025/2026
More space, more pace: a new Mitsubishi Triton means a new Pajero Sport SUV spin-off, with the SUV to take full advantage of Triton’s wider track, longer wheelbase and refreshed powerplants.
That means the same 2.4-litre diesel four-cylinder and eight-speed automatic, with 150kW (+17kW) and 470Nm (+40Nm), with improved towing capability – potentially 3500kg compared to the current car’s 3100kg – given Triton’s added muscle.
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2024 Mitsubishi Pajero Sport imagined by Theottle | © Wheels Media
The line-up is expected to be the same, with the starter GLX 4x2 price leader through to the sport-tiled Pajero Sport GSR 4x4.
More cabin space and improved refinement should be by-products of the larger dimensions, but the question is – will there be a follow up to those wild taillights?
Toyota Prado: OUT NOW!
The 2025 Toyota LandCruiser Prado has officially launched in Australia, with the all-new SUV boasting a five-model line-up: GX, GXL, VX, Altitude and Kakadu.
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The 2.8-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine, assisted by 48-volt V-Active technology, produces peak outputs of 150kW and 500Nm, and it's mated to a new eight-speed automatic transmission and a full-time all-wheel drive system, dual-range transfer case and a centre lockable limited slip differential.
The Prado starts at $72,500 in GX trim and tops out at $99,990 for the Kakadu.
Volvo EX90: Mid 2025
The Volvo EX90 is the electric alternative to the diesel-powered XC90.
It rides on the dedicated electric SPA2 architecture that enables a host of advances including bi-directional charging and a LIDAR scanner enabling full self-driving capability down the track.
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The EX90 will launch here packing a single powertrain using a dual-motor system producing 380kW/ 910Nm with a 111kWh battery pack and all-wheel drive.
Volvo says it has a 600km range but is yet to confirm charging rate – or performance figures, both expected to be similar to the Polestar 3’s – but its bi-directional charging means it could power your home for set periods.
Pricing is expected to be around $140k.
GMC Yukon: Early 2025
GMC has announced plans to bring its large Yukon SUV to Australia.
Only one variant will be available to purchase in Australia – dubbed the Yukon Denali – and it’ll be equipped with a mountain of premium products, headlined of course by the same powertrain which drives the Silverado 1500: a 313kW/642Nm 6.2-litre V8 petrol engine, mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission.
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Inside, the SUV is outfitted with a 16.8-inch infotainment touchscreen, a panoramic sunroof, a head-up display, and Bose speakers embedded in the headrests. The second row offers a premium experience as well, with captain’s chairs featuring the same leather upholstery and headrest speakers. The right-hand drive conversion will be handled by the Walkinshaw Group.
Nissan Y63 Patrol: 2026/2027
The new Nissan 'Y63' Patrol is on its way to Australia, with the seventh-generation model officially unveiled in Abu Dhabi in September 2024.
While it no longer features a V8 engine, Nissan has confirmed the Y63 Patrol will be powered by a 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo, delivering 425hp (317kW) and 700Nm of torque, alongside a 3.8-litre naturally aspirated V6 producing 236kW and 386Nm. Although it’s no longer equipped with V8 power, the Y63 becomes the most powerful Patrol ever to come from the factory!
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