New cars coming to Australia in 2025: Ute war to erupt

The year is half over but things are just getting started in the automotive industry, with a huge war about to erupt on our roads.

Despite the busy start to 2025, there’s no slowing down for the car industry as the flood of new brands and new models is set to continue unabated until Christmas.

And utes will be the headline attraction, with new offers across the spectrum set to appeal to anyone looking for a load lugger of seemingly any shape or size.

Here’s a look at what’s coming soon:

Ford Ranger PHEV

The new Ford Ranger is one of the most eagerly-awaited releases of 2025. Picture: Supplied

It will be spearheaded by arguably the single most-anticipated new model of the entire year, the Ford Ranger PHEV. As the name implies, this is a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) version of the most-popular new vehicle in the country, so naturally expectations are high.

Powered by a 2.3-litre turbocharged petrol engine supported by an electric motor and batteries, the Ranger PHEV will still have a 3500kg towing capacity, a payload up to 937kg but be able to drive on electric power alone for up to 49km.

It won’t come cheap though, with the most affordable variant, the XLT, starting at $71,990 (plus on-road costs), well above the $56,990 offer of the rival BYD Shark 6.

Kia Tasman

We’ve been hearing about the Kia Tasman ute for a while but it’s almost here. Picture: Supplied

If the Ranger PHEV was the most-anticipated new vehicle yet to arrive in 2025, then second place belongs to the Kia Tasman.

The long-awaited entrance into the ute market by the popular South Korean brand, the Tasman has already made plenty of headlines – but not always for the right reasons.

Its styling is polarising and its 2.2-litre turbo diesel engine sounds modest in comparison to rivals, but with an expansive range and competitive pricing (that begins from $42,990), it has potential to upset the established order. Kia will be hoping its star-studded television commercials, which feature a who’s who of Australian sporting superstars, will be enough to get the Tasman on at least the consideration list for as many potential buyers as possible.

MG U9

The LDV Terron9 will have some stiff competition. Picture: Supplied

Looming over both of these arrivals, in both a metaphorical and literal way, is the MG U9. The now Chinese-owned brand has big aspirations for Australia and knows the only way to reach the top of the sales charts is with a ute. So it has managed to leverage its considerable might and will offer its own version of the LDV Terron9 (which is also due in Australia this year) and call it the MG U9; as both are owned by Chinese powerhouse, SAIC.

This will be a half-size larger than the likes of the Ranger and Tasman, but not quite as big as the American Ford F-150 and Chevrolet Silverado.

While we know it will be powered by a turbo diesel engine, we don’t know pricing and specification yet, so it’s unclear just how strong MG’s chances are of making a mark on Australia’s competitive ute market.

SUVs

The Hyundai Ioniq 9 will join a growing EV market. Picture: Supplied

It’s not all utes though, with some important SUVs also on the “coming soon” list.

MG will have a new QS seven-seat SUV as part of its Australian expansion plans, while Volkswagen has confirmed the new Tayron SUV is coming.

The Tayron will slot between the Tiguan and Touareg in the German brand’s line-up. Subaru also has a new Forester, a long-time Aussie favourite, due in the coming months.

Despite slowing sales there are plenty of new electric vehicles coming too, and they too will span a broad array. From the family-sized Hyundai Ioniq 9 to the sporty but expensive Renault 5 E-Tech and the brand-new iM Motors presented by MG.