23 cars we are looking forward to in 2023

We see a lot of cars here at Chasing Cars. Not only do we drive them, but analyse them, read about them and write a lot on them, too. 

As a team, we decided to work out a list of the cars we are most interested in getting to experience throughout 2023. 

So here are our top picks in order of popularity with the Chasing Cars crew on the 23 hottest new pieces of metal coming in 2023. 

1. BMW M3 Touring (March 2023)

BMW’s hotly anticipated super wagon is expected in March 2023, packing a twin-turbocharged straight-six petrol engine that produces 375kW/650Nm. It’s mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission and BMW’s xDrive all-wheel-drive system.

The M3 Touring will cost $177,500 before on-road costs here in Australia when it lands. 

2. Toyota GR Corolla (February 2023)

The Toyota GR Corolla was the talk of the town when it was announced last year. Very shortly, we will be able to see it up close and personal. The GR Corolla uses the same turbo triple as the little GR Yaris, however power has been boosted to 220kW, while torque remains at 370Nm. 

While Australian pricing has not yet been confirmed by Toyota, expect the hottest Corolla ever to be priced somewhere around $75,000. 

3. Ineos Grenadier (Q2, 2023) 

The Ineos Grenadier is the tough new off-roader set to make the Land Rover Defender look a little soft. The Grenadier is headed to Australia and will use a mix of BMW-sourced powertrains – both petrol and diesel options will be available. A 3.0-litre turbocharged straight-six petrol engine is our pick with outputs of 210kW/450Nm. 

The Grenadier will start from $84,500 before on-road costs when it lands on Australian shores. Pricing tops out at $96,495 for the Fieldmaster wagon five-seater. 

4. Ferrari Purosangue (Q4 2023) 

Ferrari have gone and done something they said they would never do: build an SUV. The Purosangue will feature a mighty V12 engine that produces 533kW of power and 716Nm of torque, making it the only V12-engined SUV on the market.

It’ll be a serious competitor for super-fast SUVs such as the Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT Coupe and the Aston Martin DBX707. Pricing hasn’t been lobbed, however expect the Purosangue to be a very expensive thing. 

5. Kia EV6 GT (January 2023)

Kia has announced its most powerful electric car yet, and it will be an important successor to Kia’s own Stinger GT car. The EV6 GT ramps power and torque up to 430kW/740Nm and adds a drift mode for some sideways, tyre-smoking fun. The EV6 GT is able to accelerate to 100km/h in just 3.5 seconds. 

Australia pricing for Kia’s flagship EV6 hasn’t been announced just yet, however a price tag of over $100,000 is expected. 

6. Volkswagen Amarok (April 2023)  

First, it was the Ford Ranger, now its related cousin, the Volkswagen Amarok, will arrive in dealerships around April this year. It’ll be available in a range of specifications and powertrain options, including a 2.3-litre turbo petrol and 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6 engine. New variant names will debut, too, including base, Life, Style, Panamericana and Aventura trims. 

Local pricing is yet to be released, however the Amarok is likely to be a little more expensive than the related Ranger ute that is already on sale here in Australia. 

7. Volkswagen Touareg R (Q2 2023)

Although initially expected to arrive in Australia during 2022, the Volkswagen Touareg R has been delayed and is likely to arrive during the second quarter of 2023. It’ll be the first plug-in hybrid model to launch for the Volkswagen brand and will combine a 250kW/450Nm 3.0-litre turbo petrol V6 engine with a 100kW/400Nm electric motor to make a combined hybrid system outputs of 340kW/700Nm. 

The Touareg R has a 14.3kWh battery pack onboard and will be able to travel an estimated 47km (WLTP) in electric mode. Pricing is yet to be confirmed for Australia, but stay tuned to the Chasing Cars website for all future details. 

8. BMW M2 (April 2023)

Last year, BMW finally lifted the lid on the second-generation M2 coupe. It’s now one of the most highly-anticipated models to arrive in 2023. The M2’s outputs have been lifted to 338kW/550Nm, while both a six-speed manual and eight-speed automatic transmissions will be offered. It’ll be rear-wheel drive, too, making it one of the last great sports coupes to be built. 

Australian pricing for the new BMW M2 has been locked in and will start from $119,900 before on-road costs. Several M Performance parts have also been announced that will make the M2 even sharper to drive than standard. 

9. Hyundai Ioniq 5 N (August 2023)

The Kia EV6 GT twin is certainly up there as one of the most anticipated cars for 2023 and Hyundai have told us that the Ioniq 5 N will have unique characteristics and will outlast the Kia EV6 GT on track thanks to both cooling and brake upgrades. Power and torque outputs are rated the same as the Kia – 430kW/740Nm. 

We are still yet to learn everything about Hyundai’s performance EV offering, including the Australian price, however more information should come to light in the coming months. 

10. Mercedes-AMG C63 E Performance (July 2023) 

Mercedes-AMG has done something we never thought would happen – it has taken the V8 out of its iconic performance C-Class. However, the new C63 E Performance is now much more powerful and uses hybrid technology. Outputs for the new midsize AMG are 500kW/1020Nm, making this new model the most powerful C-Class ever produced. 

We don’t know how expensive this new AMG sedan will be when it hits Australian shores, however what we do know is that it will be the heaviest and one of the most expensive C-Class’ to ever be built.

11. Nissan Patrol Warrior (September 2023)

Nissan has confirmed that an extreme version of the existing Y62 Nissan Patrol is in development and will be launched in September this year. So what makes us excited? Nissan has teased the cool new side-exit exhaust system that will arguably help the big V8 breathe even better than before. Expect beefier suspension, all-terrain tyres and blacked out exterior elements. 

The 5.6-litre naturally-aspirated V8 engine will retain the same outputs as the standard car, although 298kW/560Nm is nothing to sneeze at. 

Australian pricing hasn’t been revealed, however the Patrol Warrior is estimated to cost around $110,000 at launch. 

12. Ford F-150 (Q3 2023)

Ford confirmed to the public in 2022 that it would bring its large pickup truck, the F-150, to Australia in 2023 to compete with the likes of the Chevrolet Silverado and Ram 1500. What we know so far is that it will be powered exclusively by a 298kW/678Nm twin-turbocharged petrol V6 engine and will be able tow up to 4.5-tonne. 

The big ute is expected to cost between $90,000 to $110,000 depending on the grade chosen. Ford Australia says it has received over 8000 expressions of interest so far for the pickup.

13. Ford Mustang (Q4 2023)

Ford Australia has confirmed that the seventh-generation Ford Mustang will be in Australia by the end of 2023 with both four-cylinder and V8 engines. Biggest changes for the new Mustang include an electric drift handbrake, revamped interior and large 13-inch display powered by Unreal Engine. 

There isn’t any idea of price for Australia just yet, however the price range is likely to be similar to the current Mustang range that begins at $52,590 before on-road costs for the 2.3-litre Ecoboost manual variant.

14. Honda Civic Type R (February 2023)

Honda has yet again continued the Type R name with the latest FL5 iteration and it boasts more power than before – now 235kW/420Nm. It’ll be a serious competitor for the current Volkswagen Golf R, however the Civic is exclusively front-wheel drive. 

The new Honda Civic Type R has been priced at $72,600 driveaway here in Australia, however rumours are circulating that wait times for the highly-anticipated model are blowing out to at least 18 months already. 

15. Subaru Outback XT Turbo (February 2023)

The Subaru Outback is set to gain turbo power in 2023, boosting outputs to 194kW/375Nm. It’s set to be badged as an XT variant (much like the Forester XT of the past) and will offer much more performance than what is currently available in the standard Outback – 138kW/245Nm. 

Pricing for the all-wheel-drive Outback XT has been confirmed by Subaru Australia and will start from $52,190 before on-road costs for the Sport variant. 

16. Hyundai Ioniq 6 (Q2 2023)

Hyundai’s first electric sedan, nicknamed the “electric streamliner”, is set to launch in the first half of this year in Australia, bringing both a rear-wheel drive and an all-wheel drive variant. Outputs will be up to 239kW/605Nm depending on the variant. 

Chasing Cars speculates that pricing will start at around $70,000 before on-road costs, with the flagship variant costing closer to $80,000.  

17. Mazda CX-60 (June 2023)

Mazda’s first dedicated luxury SUV is not far from being launched and will utilise a range of engines including new petrol and turbo-diesel straight-six engines, as well as a plug-in hybrid variant. Mazda is aiming to produce more luxury cars, targeting competitors such as Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz. 

Pricing has been confirmed for Australia and starts from $59,800 before on-road costs for the Evolve six-cylinder turbo and tops out at $85,500 before on-road costs for the flagship Azami PHEV variant.

18. Toyota Hilux GR Sport (Q3 2023)

Toyota has at last announced it will bring a more performance-focused Hilux to market in 2023, targeting the Ford Ranger Raptor. Performance from an existing 2.8-litre engine has been boosted to 165kW/550Nm, along with significant suspension enhancements and beefier brakes. 

Pricing has not yet been determined by Toyota Australia, however it is expected to be priced around $80,000, potentially undercutting the Ford Ranger Raptor ($85,490).

19. Tesla Model 3 (Q3 2023)

Despite being one of the world’s most popular EVs, the Tesla Model 3 has remained relatively unchanged since its introduction in 2017. We saw a minor update come to the Model 3 in 2021, and it seems that the upcoming update will follow a similar theme. 

Tesla will reportedly focus on simplifying the complexities of the Model 3’s interior in this upcoming update, which will likely follow in the footsteps of the Model S.

Considering that production of this revamped Model 3 isn’t set to start until Q3 of 2023, we wouldn’t be surprised to see it in the country next year. As for pricing, the Model 3 just received a cut which puts the entry-level EV at $63,900, and we’d expect pricing to stay in this region. 

20. Lotus Emira (Q1 2023)

As Lotus’ last ICE car, the Emira represents the end of an era, and it’s clear that the British brand has made something very special. 

Initially powered by a Toyota-sourced supercharged 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine, the Emira will make 298kW of power and 420Nm of torque. In standard Lotus fashion, this will be sent to the rear wheels exclusively, and buyers will have the choice between a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission. 

Later production vehicles will get a Mercedes-AMG sourced turbocharged 2.0-litre engine, which will be shared with the A45, and make use of the same dual-clutch transmission. 

A track-ready Emira GT4 will also come to Australia, and while it will make use of the same Toyota V6, it will get a paddle-operated xTrac sequential gearbox and a limited slip differential.

We can expect to see the Emira land in Australia within the first quarter of 2023, with pricing starting from $184,990 for the Emira First Edition.

21. MG MG4 (Q2 2023)

Though MG has made a splash in Australia with electric vehicles such as the ZS EV and the HS Plus EV, performance wasn’t a target. This is something that will likely change when the MG4 lands, as it’s tipped to possess supercar-like performance in its ultimate guise.

In standard form, this all-electric, single-motor MG4 is set to replace the outgoing MG3 hatch, and offer up 450km of range. There’s also talk of an upcoming high-performance model, which packs around 300kW, and will hit 100km/h in just three seconds.

This MG4 is set to land within the first half of this year, and although pricing is yet to be confirmed, we’ve speculated that it will come in under $50,000 at its entry level. 

22. Renault Megane E-Tech (Q2 2023)

Thanks to an eagle-eyed Chasing Cars reader, we know that there is already at least one Megane E-Tech in Australia, completing testing work. 

Considering that it’s a relatively low-weight electric SUV at 1575-1650kg, this Megane E-Tech should be an interesting drive. We’ve previously speculated that Renault will launch with the 55kWh model, which comes with a range of 429km. 

Considering what it will come up against when it lands in Australia, we’ve estimated that this 55kWh Megane E-Tech will cost between $60,000 and $70,000.

23. Porsche Macan EV

Porsche’s all-electric Macan has been in the works for some time now, but 2023 promises to be the year that the world finally sees the finished product. 

Sitting on the all-new PPE platform, it’s estimated that peak figures will sit in the 450kW/1000Nm ballpark, making it a seriously fast SUV. 

As for when the Macan EV will break cover and how much it will cost still remains anyone’s guess.