Chasing Cars’ Hits and Misses 2024: what soared and what tanked in the year that was?

This yr saw but every other huge wave of switch in an already unsafe automobile exchange.

Recent opponents relish Zeekr entered the market, others relish Citroen threw their hands up and left after years of slack sales. We suspect they won’t be the final, both, as more and more brands compete for a diminishing slice of the pie.

We’re proud to safe coated the overwhelming majority of the unusual automobiles on sale in our frequent comprehensive vogue. Some automobiles excelled whereas others proved to be thoroughly disappointing.

Here, Chasing Vehicles’ workers and our contributors rob a discover about serve on the yr that used to be and pick our finest winner and the one who allow us to down the most.

Curt Dupriez – Deputy Editor

HIT – Lexus GX 550

It doubtlessly wants to be the Porsche Taycan Turbo S, without grief the quickest accelerating automobile I’ve ever pushed and one anxious simply a single circa-15-minute DC like a flash stamp to win it from Sydney to Melbourne.

Nonetheless no: my favourite automobile this yr used to be the Lexus GX 550 Overtrail. It simply pushed the total simply non-public buttons within the total simply locations for me. Purely subjectively. So what if its touring range isn’t intergalactic: I’ve received no plans to depraved the Nullarbor any time soon.

MISS – Poorly Tuned Security Programs

Any unusual automobile that got right here to the market anxious the driver disable any electronic system intent on disrupting occupant sanity thru unnecessary warning and monitoring programs, most regularly by process of multi-step processes and submenu digging. And, boy, there safe been some culprits.

Let’s originate with nearly any Hyundai– or Kia-branded mannequin unlock. Same, or presumably identical, technical infrastructure yields the identical incessant annoyances with nearly every mannequin nameplate. Aussie market utility is mostly blamed on roll-out as a result of European market regulations. We’re not in Europe. They’re not ADR mandated. Rating rid of them.

At least the Korean programs characteristic largely as supposed worthy of the time. Which isn’t very the case for many Chinese-made, most regularly Chinese-branded releases, which characteristic so-known as ‘safety’ and ‘convenience’ programs so poorly calibrated that they set aside automobiles downright unsafe and undriveable. And the more serious they win the more we’ll double-down with our criticisms.

Dan Gardner – Senior Contributor

Hit – Jaguar’s unusual corporate identity

No, I’ve not been on the eggnog. Jaguar’s staggering rebrand might per chance perhaps well discover about uncommon, it might well perhaps perhaps well alienate a little bit of it’s badly wanted target market and it might well perhaps perhaps well appear like the identity of a firm that sells anything else but automobiles, but it succeeds in an put that many rebrands fail – proper switch.

You’re talking about it, of us that couldn’t give a fraction of a rattling about automobiles are talking about it and I’m writing about it … over again. Cherish or abominate the unusual discover about, it’s generated unparalleled dialogue about a marque simply when it wants wants it most.

It’s k while you happen to don’t relish it, simply don’t call it woke and for ride don’t try to expose a automobile badge into a culture war – while you happen to guage it’s simply bad invent, abhor it and streak on. You’re doubtlessly not the scheme target market the unusual Jaguar has in its sights anyway.

High-tail away out – Subaru Forester STI Sport

There’s handiest one manner to more successfully offend a diehard Subaru fan than launching a mannequin of the WRX that isn’t on hand as a tuned-up halo STI version, and that’s by introducing a ‘special’ version of the Forester that has fully no performance enhancements aside from firmer dampers and slap the enduring red badge on its boot.

At finest, the Forester STI Sport dilutes a worthy-cherished and coveted performance stamp and at worst it alienates a core fanatic cohort that’s a must must Subaru. Petrolheads will also be as fickle as they are true and they won’t loaf spherical long within the event that they don’t win what they need.

Evan Spence – Logistics Supervisor

HIT – Toyota Prado 250 Series

If a 4×4 might per chance perhaps well embody the term level-and-shoot, it’d be the unusual Prado. It simply does the entirety you might per chance perhaps well presumably put a inquire of to of it wisely and without fuss. It’s very capable off-avenue, more than overjoyed on-avenue… it simply works. Lock the centre diff, and it happens without delay. Accumulate it in low-range, and it shifts simply away.

This frequent of performance applies for the duration of the board – there aren’t many bad things I’m capable of claim about the 2024 Prado, aside from I don’t own one. Would possibly presumably well even be time to streak my FJ Cruiser on, ‘eh.

High-tail away out – Suzuki Jimny XL

This one hurts, because I relish Suzuki 4x4s – especially long-wheel heinous Zooks. I’ve owned many, and restful safe an mature Sierra I’m spinning spanners on. So please don’t send me hatemail for saying the Jimny XL used to be a miniature of a let down.

And why? Smartly, the manner the seats don’t fold flat is a overlooked different for camping and off-avenue followers. Moreover not offering more power within the girthy (for a Suzuki) XL used to be a mistake in my eyes.

Suzuki will safe made this a terribly special automobile. I’ll in actuality must rob one on a avenue outing to examine if my mind changes, nonetheless in my watch, I’d stick with the 3-door Jimny – which is an absolute ripper of a four-wheel drive.

Iain Curry – Senior Contributor

HIT – Hyundai Ioniq 5 N

No other automobile launched this yr has moved a sport on so critically. Electric automobiles are (rightly) criticised for offering a bland, homogenised, heavy and non-emotional drive journey, despite how like a flash they’ll streak in a straight line.

The Ioniq 5 N changes all that. It’s the main EV to put driver involvement at its core and this wrathful hatch oozes character. It owns its false engine noises and spurious equipment shifts, and also you won’t care when exploiting the wrathful performance from its 448kW/740Nm twin motor setup. A riot on scheme, and surprisingly cosy on avenue. If handiest it didn’t stamp $111,000.

MISS – Jaguar’s ad advertising and marketing campaign

This one’s a TBC. The Brit stamp’s “Replica Nothing” teaser advert and repeat of its huge, ultra-dear plan EV is both the worst or the finest advertising and marketing campaign in ancient past. If it desired to win the field’s attention, job performed. If it wants to sell automobiles – you recognize, to be sure Jaguar’s survival – the jury’s out.

Colossal, dear electric automobiles simply aren’t promoting. Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Porsche, Rolls-Royce and more safe had to quietly gash prices globally to try to shift them. I anxiousness for Jaguar’s future.

They’d to withhold out something radical (attempting to compete with the Germans hasn’t worked in decades), but there’s a heritage stamp and jobs on the road right here. I am hoping they exhibit me inferior.

Jez Spinks – Editor and Head

HIT – Dacia Sandero

Australia is desperately brief of choices for honest correct fee range-priced automobiles from Europe, but the answer might per chance perhaps well also simply wisely come from Dacia – or not much less than the automobiles that can be rebadged as Renaults for this market in 2025.

We don’t but know which Dacias will come right here, and native importer Ateco might per chance perhaps well also simply prioritise SUVs, but my drive of the Sandero hatchback within the UK this yr bodes wisely.

The Sandero is ridiculously low-stamp in England – priced from the identical of roughly $28,000 – but the tiny automobile brings done engineering with its gorgeous on-avenue behaviour and willing 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo and likeable six-scamper handbook gearbox (it’s also on hand with a CVT auto).

Yes, the inner affords match up to the worth level but the cabin affords overjoyed seats and generous condominium front and rear.

MISS: BYD Seal Efficiency

After the surprisingly likeable Atto 3 SUV, I hoped BYD’s mid-sized sedan would exhibit to be a noteworthy rival for the Tesla Mannequin 3. In flagship guise, the Seal Efficiency no doubt has some wonderful numbers on paper: 390kW, 670Nm, 0-100km/h in a Taycan S-whipping 3.8 seconds, and fascinated about much less than $70,000.

Nonetheless on the avenue, the Seal Efficiency proves to be a automobile you’d moderately not be so lickety-split.

The guidance is stodgy, the brake pedal is complicated to modulate, throttle response isn’t thoroughly linear, the paddle is restless, a lack of chassis composure in corners depletes driver self belief, and the lane-help succor will also be overly aggressive to the level of attempting to wrench the guidance wheel out of your hands.

The Seal’s flaws are extra emphasised by the excellence stumbled on in varied locations within the phase – as well to the Mannequin 3, the Hyundai Ioniq 6 and Polestar 2 are also lovely electric four-doors.

Olek Novak – Journalist

HIT – Toyota Camry

It might per chance per chance perhaps perhaps well be in actuality easy to select one of the most more intriguing automobiles I’ve pushed this yr, relish the Porsche 911 GT3 RS, or what’s arguably the most spectacular EV I if truth be told safe ever pushed, the Porsche Taycan Turbo S, but I’ve decided to streak at the side of one of the most ‘frequent’ automobiles I might per chance perhaps well presumably drive: the unusual Toyota Camry.

First impressions depend loads on this job and right here used to be a automobile where the entirety worked the minute I hopped in. The overall bodily buttons, controls and switchgear fell where you wanted, the set aside and refinement wasn’t some distance off a Lexus, and it used to be a confident, musty, relaxing and gimmick-free automobile to lead.

The truth Toyota has simply taken a ‘staunch enchancment’ scheme with the Camry as in opposition to reinventing the wheel has resulted in what’s only about the total automobile anybody might per chance perhaps well ever need, with excellent gasoline efficiency.

Granted, I used to be within the slay-spec SL and it’s that you just might per chance perhaps well presumably judge of my reaction might per chance perhaps well also simply not safe been as sure within the more ‘Uber-spec’ lower neat grades, but in a sea of SUVs, the truth the unpretentious and quietly confident Camry sedan restful exists as an different to the total ‘discover about at me’ whizzbangery provided by so many other brands is rather refreshing.

The dream spec for me nonetheless? Put collectively for the mandatory auto journalist cliche: an SL wagon version!

MISS – Alfa Romeo Milano/Junior

I regarded as just a few choices for this one. The Kia Tasman originate? Smartly, I if truth be told don’t abominate the invent, and let’s wait unless we if truth be told drive it. The Jaguar rebrand? Sure, I fragment a stage of nerves spherical it, but let’s search for what the utter manufacturing automobiles discover about relish first.

That left me with my most cheap leave out of 2024 – the Alfa Romeo Milano, sorry – I mean Junior! Granted, I haven’t pushed it, but what a spectacularly attractive debacle this used to be.

Proudly and loudly promoted for months prior to its repeat, the Milano tiny SUV used to be scheme to be Alfa Romeo’s first EV sooner than a public stoush with Italy’s executive for the duration of the legalities of naming the automobile after an Italian metropolis when it’s if truth be told made in Poland.

And so, nearly on queue within the week of the automobile’s unveiling, Alfa issued a comically passive-aggressive statement renaming the automobile because the ‘Junior’. Whereas that title does safe some ties to Alfa’s of mature, I’ve spoken to not much less than one more ‘senior’ Alfisti who reckons they’d depraved it off their consideration checklist for having that title on my own. I am hoping it drives wisely!

Tom Baker – Founder

Hit of the yr – the return of noteworthy unusual automobile deals

For me, 2024 used to be a subdued yr by manner of spectacular unusual automobiles that launched to Australians – despite the indisputable truth that I thought there safe been just a few indispensable mentions: the exceptionally mammoth unusual BMW 5 Series range, the Lexus GX, the Polestar 3 and the critically upgraded Tesla Mannequin 3 safe been among the many finest automobiles I examined for the duration of the yr.

Whereas it used to be a aloof yr by manner of fresh metal, it used to be gorgeous (but not vastly honest) to examine the return of engaging unusual automobile deals that lastly changed into the tables of the unusual automobile market serve in favour of Australian investors.

After a range of years of backlogs, precipitated by COVID and present shortages – and associated grasping behaviour by sellers – the pendulum swung serve to investors in 2024, laborious.  Nonetheless it no doubt wasn’t all rosy, with sustained moderately high hobby charges conserving financing dear and limiting the pool of fresh automobile investors.

High-tail away out of the yr – fence-sitting on the EV charging community

Australia pumped EV sales in 2024 by process of the federal executive’s waiver of fringe advantages tax on salary-sacrificed leases of electrical and dawdle-in hybrid automobiles, conserving search data from afloat despite jitters in varied locations, and successfully tempting carmakers into offering greater collection of sub-$100K EVs – all positives.

On the different hand, Australians snappy cottoned on to the worth of cease to-zero proper hobby EV loans, and the waiver is costing the taxpayer about $250 million per yr in relinquished tax earnings.

All in all, this used to be a predominant commitment to incentivising EV uptake, but enthusiasm for solidifying Australia’s EV charging community used to be lacking.  Given the inquire of “where will I stamp this thing?,” holds serve some EV investors (many flat dwellers integrated), a dialogue about whether a greater proportion of incentive spending wants to be in infrastructure, deserved more attention.

And, given the taxpayer most regularly chips in to charging operators’ prices, might per chance perhaps well also simply restful the manager more fiercely put into tag reliability standards, and set aside charger pricing less complicated to match?  To this point, we’ve heard basically crickets on the laborious stuff.

Tom Divulge – Production Specialist

HIT – Lexus GX 550

Across the identical time the unusual Toyota Prado rolled onto driveways for the duration of the country, its Lexus GX twin rolled onto mine and I snappy changed into smitten.

Whereas Toyota slammed the defibrillator on its 2.8L turbo-diesel to withhold it going for but every other decade or so, Lexus has nestled the sweetest of dual-turbo V6 engines between the arches of what is a fantastically tender but restful body-on-frame chassis.

The initiating stamp ain’t low-stamp at $116,000 but it’s loaded to the gills with frequent facets and when the Prado Kakadu now asks for six-figures, it starts to set aside a amount of sense. What’s more, that rugged Overtrail spec Curt adores handiest adds but every other $6500 to the driveaway stamp….

MISS – Ford Mustang Mach-E Top fee long termer

So most regularly on this job, half the fight is attempting to select out who precisely a automobile is for. Don’t bother asking automobile makers as they’ll simply negate ‘everyone’. For 3 months, I attempted to select out who would buy my longer term Ford Mustang Mach-E Top fee and, later, I asked myself why.

The Mach-E Top fee isn’t right here because it’s a bad automobile, it’s right here because it might well perhaps perhaps well’ve been an even one. The plain title, the fidgety paddle, the panoramic sunroof with no closeable coloration and worst of all, the astonishingly uncompetitive circa-$90K driveaway stamp – and that used to be after two stamp cuts, mind you.

Nonetheless it no doubt used to be fun to drive, regarded kinda frigid and used to be a surprisingly savory commuter thanks to its soft seats, vivid stereo and wisely-tuned adaptive cruise system.

Within the conclude I delivered my closing verdict: ‘don’t buy it’; and I felt relish I used to be inserting down the family canines, I didn’t must withhold out it, but it used to be the simply thing to withhold out.

Zak Adkins – Journalist

HIT – Porsche 911 GT3 RS

I’ve pushed so many automobiles this yr, but this speed music-ready Porsche is one I be aware most of all. It’s a laborious automobile to put into phrases, largely because it’s such an emotional journey. If there safe been ever to be a automobile that acted as an extension to your body, the Porsche 911 GT3 RS does it, and does it very, very wisely.

The visceral sound of the 4.0-litre flat-six, the beautiful guidance, the seating region, the manner the automobile wraps spherical you, the throttle response… I might per chance perhaps well streak on and on.

No longer handiest used to be driving this Porsche my finest day at work at Chasing Vehicles to date, but additionally what I’d relish to call a career benchmark: you simply don’t win an journey relish that in quite loads of different automobiles within the Australian unusual automobile market.

MISS – GWM Cannon Alpha Hybrid

Being the main hybrid ute to sell on Australian shores, the GWM Cannon Alpha used to be a ute I used to be in actuality taking a discover about forward to. Marketed as a greater, better and more top fee offering, I stumbled on the Alpha in its hybrid neat to as an different safe sad unladen paddle quality, vivid common packed with life safety assistance and a hybrid powertrain wanting more bite.

And despite the indisputable truth that GWM is actively rectifying some components with this greater Alpha ute, this used to be for me the one automobile that can perhaps perhaps well safe been so loads better in 2024.