The last 12 months have been a turbulent time for car manufacturers: tariffs, cyberattacks, emissions laws, tax incentives and an influx of new brands all impacted the new car market.
Locally, we saw some big – really big – vehicle launches, including pulling the covers off a new Toyota HiLux, while arch-rival Ford bet the house on its new Ranger Super Duty.
With Toyota and Ford being the two leading brands, a replacement for Mazda’s second most popular model – the CX-5 SUV – was also introduced, while a Nissan Navara that was new in more ways than one was launched.
Here you can find out what will ensure there is no wind under our wings in 2025.
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Daily Sparkz: HiLux, low effort
I was surprised at how little effort Toyota put into the new HiLux.
It feels more like a major facelift than a truly brand new model, but the bizarre move to revert to a narrower track – after so much effort has been put into widening it for greater stability and performance – is a strange decision.
It feels like it was rushed to market to meet the Euro 6b emissions deadline of December 1st to avoid the need for AdBlue, and for that reason Toyota may not have been able to fit everything it wanted into the platform.
Sean Lander: The show lacks polish
What was my biggest disappointment in 2025? The Tokyo Motor Show. After seeing what Chinese brands were exhibiting at the Shanghai trade fair in April, Tokyo proved that the Japanese industry still has a lot of work to do.
The event felt like a showcase of “what we could do rather than what we will do,” as most of the vehicles on display were concepts that will never go into production – with notable exceptions like the new Mazda CX-5, Toyota RAV4 and Honda Prelude.
The Chinese are moving quickly – which I wrote about after the Shanghai trip – while the Japanese seem barely aware of the threat. I hope the next Japan Mobility Show proves me wrong.
Marton Pettendy: The “new” Navara
Everyone knows that Nissan is in a precarious financial position, and we already knew that Mitsubishi had been tasked with developing a new vehicle for both Japanese brands as part of its alliance with Renault.
Still, the unveiling of a Nissan-badged Mitsubishi Triton shocked most observers, myself included.
Changes that included little more than a grille and emblem were met with widespread criticism in the media and could well disenfranchise a generation of Navara owners.
Let’s hope the Premcar chassis magic can make it at least ride and handle better than the Triton.
William Stopford: Toyota continues to withhold products
Can I question the mighty Toyota? After all, it has been Australia’s number one brand for two decades, and by a wide margin – whoever comes second in a given year is always second by a long shot.
Toyota Australia product failures are rare – Avalon, Rukus, Fortuner… am I missing any? And the company’s unwavering commitment to hybrid vehicles has proven wise, even if its sole electric offering here lags well behind EV sales leaders.
But this Japanese giant could further expand its market share if it simply confirmed more vehicles for our market.
When it was first introduced, the LandCruiser FJ seemed like a given, but when it was officially introduced this year with an old-fashioned 2.7-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, it was immediately ruled out for Australia.
It was an opportunity to lure buyers looking for a small off-road SUV back into Toyota’s fold. And there are many other Toyotas sold abroad that could fill gaps here.
A Prado hybrid? A piece of cake. A 4Runner? An obvious replacement for the mediocre Fortuner. A right-hand drive Tacoma could slot right in between the HiLux and the Tundra. The Prius, Corolla Touring, Alphard/Vellfire and the wider Crown range would all be small series but would still provide more depth.
What makes this particularly annoying is the fact that many – although not all – of them are already available in right-hand drive.
I feel like I’m standing on Goliath here, but when Toyota has such a diverse global portfolio and we’re missing out on so much of it, it’s hard not to be disappointed.
Damion Smy: An F1 fumble and no answer to “Y”
Oscar Piastri misses out on F1 title due to stupid things; and the Tesla Model Y update. Chassis tuning is still an art, not a science. As well as team leadership, which Oscar learned.
Ben Zachariah: At least “HiLux”
As a previous owner of two Toyota HiLux, I’ve been a long-time fan, but the latest model feels like it hasn’t pushed hard enough.
Despite the terrible ride quality, it’s still a very good small car, but it’s essentially a facelift of a ten-year-old model – and it feels like Toyota has done the bare minimum to keep it viable in today’s crowded small car market.
James Wong: Mazda’s regression
I know it’s not on the road yet, but I was completely blown away by the unveiling of the new Mazda CX-5 and the first details about the brand’s best-selling model worldwide.
A design that I personally consider to be a step backwards, no movement in the powertrain department at launch, and the fact that I fell into the trap of removing physical buttons left me scratching my head.
For a company that’s been on a roll when it comes to design and technology integration, it feels like the new CX-5 – which won’t be available here for another 12 months – could fall behind before it even lands Down Under.
Yes, Mazda promises big things from its all-new Skyactiv-Z gasoline engine with in-house hybrid system in 2027, but that’s still a long way off. Meanwhile, the CX-5’s direct competitors will offer a mix of mild hybrid, hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains – not to mention electric alternatives.
I hope Mazda Australia pushes for an accelerated rollout of electrified technology for its new mid-size SUV and that there are enough stocks of the aging current model to fill the gap until the replacement arrives.
Josh Nevett: jaded Japanese
Given the influx of Chinese rivals in recent years, one would think that Japan’s front-runners would be keen to put their best foot forward in Australia. That doesn’t seem to be the case – at least in the case of Toyota and Mitsubishi.
One could argue that Toyota has little to worry about given its huge market share, but that doesn’t excuse the “new” HiLux, which was unveiled to great groans back in November.
As brands like BYD shake up the ute segment, Toyota is launching a HiLux based on 21-year-old underpinnings. And that aging platform still houses a 2.8-liter four-cylinder turbodiesel carried over from the previous model. Come on, guys – seriously? And to think we’ve been waiting 10 years for this.
Mitsubishi, on the other hand, has committed a slightly different sin. Months after discontinuing half of its model range due to new safety regulations, the Japanese brand announced a replacement for its best-selling ASX – a renamed Renault Captur.
That’s not necessarily a bad thing. The old ASX was clearly past its best, and Renault makes a decent car.
However, for some reason, Mitsubishi decided to give its once budget light SUV a European price tag. The result is an inconspicuous racer that is around 50 percent more expensive than before. The ASX now starts at $37,740 before on-road costs and tops out at almost $47,000 – more than most rivals, including hybrid and electric alternatives.
Time will tell whether either the HiLux or the ASX are successful locally, but both give the impression that established brands are falling by the wayside in the face of increasing competition.
Max Davies: Victoria’s car theft crisis
It is deeply disappointing, disheartening and frankly disgusting to see the level of car crime in Victoria. Car theft is nothing new, but the fact that many of today’s cars appear to be easier to steal than those of 30 or 40 years ago is absurd.
After purchasing one of my (sadly endangered) dream cars this year, I have become very aware of the problem and seeing others lose their cars is really sad.
The lack of care towards relics of Australia’s motoring tradition is particularly painful, particularly when it comes to Holdens being destroyed for a quick buck. Of course, things aren’t any better for people who have just invested in a new Toyota or Subaru.
What’s worse is how long it took for manufacturers – particularly Toyota – to publicly acknowledge the problem, even as many have been working on solutions behind the scenes. However, I don’t put the main blame on the brands.
Instead, it is Victoria’s justice system that is allowing this problem to not only persist, but to grow. I don’t want to get political, but when repeat offenders are repeatedly released on bail only to re-offend, it speaks volumes.
It should not be up to manufacturers to compensate for system-related failures. I hope the situation improves, but given that little has changed in the last three years – and with the problem now spreading to Queensland – I am not optimistic.
Daily Sparkz
I always have to sit in the back seat of a Polestar 2 when I take an Uber from the airport. There’s so little legroom and then I have to explain to the driver what a terrible mistake he’s made. It can be tiring, but it’s a good cause.
