We’ve seen some substantial modifications to the Australian automotive market over the previous 18 months, not least the regular proliferation of latest manufacturers onto the scene.

Now we’re previous the midway level of 2023 it appeared an opportune time to take a breath and consider the efficiency of every, and revisit what’s to return.

BYD

Of all the brand new or newish manufacturers on sale, rising Chinese language electrical vehicle-focused behemoth BYD has had probably the most outsized early affect on the Australian automotive market – racing to number-two within the electrical automobile (EV) gross sales charts behind Tesla earlier than even clocking up 12 months in-market.

Whereas the Atto 3 EV rollout was not with out its snags – specifically a cease/sale resulting from BYD’s importer failing to tick all of the Australian Design Rule test packing containers – it’s now up and working, and prospects right here have already obtained a number of over-the-air updates.

The corporate has already imported greater than 10,000 models of the Atto 3, with 6196 of these gross sales recorded throughout 2023. Solely the Tesla Mannequin Y (14,002 gross sales) and Mannequin 3 (11,575) have offered in higher numbers this yr, with BYD nabbing about 14 per cent EV market share.

A lot of that is all the way down to its capability to flood the market. Since BYD makes its personal chips and batteries, it’s much less buffeted about by international provide chain snags. It additionally pivoted to drive completed automobiles off the manufacturing unit line into delivery containers, skirting quarantine-related port delays.

BYD’s masterplan is to attain 50,000 annual gross sales right here over the following few years, supported by an growth of its EV line-up – together with the sub-$40k Dolphin, the BYD Seal sedan, one other SUV, and an electrical ute, which we’ve already captured deep in testing.

With this in thoughts, Australian publicly listed automotive vendor large Eagers Automotive Ltd introduced this week that it had plowed an extra $70 million right into a retail joint-venture to promote BYDs each on-line and in shops.

MORE: BYD information and evaluations

Chery

Bear in mind Chery? It had an unsuccessful crack on the Aussie market between 2011 and 2014 with the finances J1 and J3 hatchbacks, and J11 small SUV, by means of a take care of unbiased distributor Ateco.

However Chinese language manufacturers transfer quick, and its merchandise have come a hell of a good distance contained in the previous decade. As somebody unlucky sufficient to have pushed a J1 many moons in the past, that’s good to see, as a result of it was a shocker.

The primary automotive launched underneath its new factory-owned operation is a small SUV known as the Chery Omoda 5, a sharp-looking competitor for the top-selling MG ZS and GWM Haval Jolion – all Chinese language-made finances runabouts which might be storming up the charts.

The Omoda 5 is off to a fairly sturdy begin after just a few months on sale, with gross sales figures displaying 1612 of them are already out-and-about on Aussie roads. With 603 deliveries in June, the Chery outsold luminaries just like the Nissan Qashqai and (provide hit) Mitsubishi ASX.

What comes subsequent? Naturally sufficient, two extra SUVs, known as the Chery Tiggo 7 and Tiggo 8 – each of that are slated to return with petrol and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrains. In 2024 it can launch a completely electrical Omoda 5 EV to compete with the Atto 3 and MG ZS EV.

“We’re getting precedence cargo, we’re getting precedence manufacturing; everyone seems to be watching us. So it offers us a number of confidence that the operations globally are geared and prepared for us,” Chery Australia advertising director James Curtis informed us.

MORE: Chery information and evaluations

Cupra

Cupra is a part of the Volkswagen Group, like Skoda or Audi. However this Spanish subsidiary model units itself aside with a sportier feel and appear, and in Australia a higher vary of electrical and PHEV choices.

The corporate opened its order books to Australians in July 2022, which means we’re nearly a yr to the previous day that. Over this time period the corporate has offered 2700 autos, together with 1586 over the primary half of 2023 – greater than Peugeot, Genesis and Fiat.

Cupra says it’s really taken greater than 3000 orders since opening for enterprise in Australia – a 3rd of that are for its all-electric Born, and PHEV Formentor and Leon. The Cupra Born is the primary mainstream EV from the Volkswagen Group to hit Australia.

The upstart goals to have 15 of its Cupra Garages in operation all through Australia by the top of this yr, up from the present 9, which in its phrases “units us up actually properly for that 2025-26 wave of latest product as effectively”.

Cupra’s staff has indicated it needs to have an annual gross sales quantity of 7000 autos within the Australian market by 2025 (it additionally has a 500,000 unit goal worldwide), with the second wave of latest fashions coming mid-decade.

These next-generation fashions are anticipated to incorporate a brand new entry electrical hatchback known as the Cupra Raval, the Tavascan crossover EV, and the bigger Terramar mid-sized SUV, anticipated to return with with a selection of petrol or plug-in hybrid powertrains.

MORE: Cupra information and evaluations

Polestar

Polestar started life as a enterprise between Volvo Automotive and its Chinese language dad or mum Geely, which subsequently offered off a stake through IPO to drive its product improvement – headlined by the purpose of making a completely “local weather impartial” automotive by 2030.

In its first yr on sale in Australia it offered a powerful 1524 models of its sole launch automobile: the Polestar 2 electrical liftback, a rival for the Tesla Mannequin 3. That made it the fourth top-selling EV total behind the Mannequin 3 and Mannequin Y, and BYD Atto 3.

The corporate offered an additional 1147 Polestar 2s over the primary half of 2023, has rolled out over-the-air updates to present automobiles reminiscent of this one, and branched out past online-focused ordering with its first flagship retail location at Melbourne’s large Chadstone Procuring Centre.

Earlier than the launch of one other mannequin, the Swedish-Chinese language model will as an alternative launch a closely up to date Polestar 2. Not like Tesla which is chopping costs, the brand new mannequin prices a couple of grand greater than earlier than, however has extra vary and extra driver-assist options.

These coincide with vital mechanical updates, together with a nearly unheard-of mid-life change from front- to rear-wheel drive for single-motor variants.

What comes subsequent? The Polestar 3 massive SUV (which shares a platform with the new Volvo EX90) arrives in early 2024 priced round $140,000, forward of the Porsche Macan-rivalling Polestar 4, and the Polestar 5 GT, billed as a Porsche Taycan and Audi e-tron GT rival.

MORE: Polestar information and evaluations