THE 22 of '22
FINALLY After the most tumultuous and challenging two years in living memory, the world is slowly but surely returning to some semblance of normality.
Factories have restarted, car production is up, stocks are rising and – most importantly – a host of exciting releases are heading to Australia in 2022, to usher in a new era of motoring for consumers tired of waiting for life to resume since the beginning of this decade.
While electrification will play a bigger part than ever before thanks to a wave of interesting EVs heading our way, a large number of established favourites have been or are about to be redesigned, improved and/or updated, as car manufacturers go all-out of satisfy the pent-up demand for vehicles across the globe.
These include the final-ever locally designed and engineered mass-market ute, the hybridisation of a much. loved small SUV, a head-turning retro restyle of a sports car legend and the rebirth of a slew of motoring icons. The pandemic may have halted the pipeline for a while, but now the industry is back with a vengeance.
So, whether you’re in the market for a fresh set of wheels right now, or planning to make a move sometime in the near future, here’s our coverage of the most appealing, intriguing, provocative and straight-up compelling newcomers scheduled for the coming year.
01 22 Range Rover
DUE Q4 2022 MODELS D300, D350, P400, P530, P510e PRICED FROM $216,000 – $420,000
THE 2022 Range Rover, new from the wheels up, is the most luxurious and technologically advanced Rangie in history.
Codenamed L460, the fifth-gen Range Rover is built on Jaguar Land Rover’s (JLR) all-new aluminium-intensive MLA-Flex architecture where torsional stiffness is up 50 percent over the outgoing Rangie, and structural-borne noise is down 24 percent. The L460 is also 52mm longer overall, rolls on a 75mm longer wheelbase, and has an 11mm lower roofline.
In Australia, Rangies will start from $215,900 and offer five powertrains: three mild hybrids (MHEV), a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) 3.0-litre turbocharged straight-six in either petrol or diesel form, and a BMW-sourced 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 that delivers 390kW/750Nm and can scoot the big Rangie to 100km/h in 4.6seconds.
The V8-powered models will be badged P530. P400 marks a petrol Ingenium MHEV with 294kW/550Nm. The D300 and D350 badges mean diesel Ingenium MHEVs with 220kW/650Nm and 257kW/700Nm, respectively. All engines drive an eight-speed automatic transmission with a two-speed transfer case.
Take it to the opera, or raise the air suspension for max clearance and scramble over rocky outcrops
An intriguing option will be the P510e, which features a 294kW petrol six combined with a 105kW e-motor mounted between engine and transmission. Its lithium-ion battery has a useable 31.8kWh capacity and offers between 80-100km of electric driving, limited to 140km/h. Rated at 375kW/700Nm, the P510e claims a 5.6-second 0-100km/h sprint and a realworld driving range
