Best small SUVs and crossovers arriving in 2023

Alfa Romeo Tonale – June

The Tonale will sit under the Stelvio SUV in the Alfa line-up.

Hitting Australian shores in mid-2023, the Tonale sits under the Stelvio SUV in the Alfa line-up and competes with the likes of the BMW X3, Mercedes-Benz GLC, Lexus NX and more.

Powertrain choices for Australia are a mild hybrid petrol and a flagship plug-in hybrid variant.

Subaru Crosstrek – May

The Crosstrek adopts a sharper design over the XV.

Time to say goodbye to the XV name as Subaru adopts its North American Crosstrek moniker for its third-generation small SUV that debuts in Australia in 2023.

The Crosstrek adopts a sharper, yet evolutionary design over the model it replaces and only grows slightly in length.

It's underpinned by the familiar Subaru Global platform and will be offered with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine with some level of hybridisation.

Honda ZR-V – Mid-2023

The ZR-V is roughly the same size as a Mazda CX-5.

Honda's newest nameplate, the ZR-V, is expected to fill a gap in the brand's line-up left by the CR-V which has grown for its latest generation.

The ZR-V - which is confusingly called HR-V in the US - is roughly the same size as a Mazda CX-5 so will compete with small and medium SUVs.

While the American version gets a 2.0-litre petrol engine, the Australian ZR-V is expected to come with 131kW/240Nm 1.5-litre turbo-petrol, and 135kW/315Nm ‘e:HEV’ hybrid powertrains.

Hyundai Kona - Mid 2023

Hyundai's new-generation Kona has an even more radical design than the current one, but it borrows cues such as the front LED light bar from Hyundai models like the Staria people mover.

It is longer and wider than before and, thankfully, has a longer wheelbase (+60mm) which will mean more interior space.

The new Kona will start to roll into Australian showrooms from mid-2023. There will be a number of drivetrains offered, including an internal combustion version, a performance-focused N-Line, a hybrid version, and a fully electric version.

Ferrari Purosangue - Late 2023

After years of speculation, Ferrari is finally releasing a SUV.

Iconic Italian marque Ferrari has finally jumped on the SUV bandwagon with the chunky Purosangue that will launch in Australia late in 2023.

It is powered by a naturally aspirated 6.5-litre V12 punches out 533kW/716Nm, driving all four wheels via an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, and can accelerate from zero to 100km/h in 3.3 seconds.

It will take on the Lamborghini Urus, Bentley Bentayga, Rolls-Royce Cullinan and other hyper SUVs.

Nissan Qashqai - January

Try as they might, Nissan was unable to get its Qashqai crossover into local showrooms before the end of 2022, so we will start seeing them on Aussie roads from early 2023.

Launching in four grades with petrol power, an e-Power hybrid version will come to market at a later date to top the Toyota Corolla Cross, Hyundai Kona and Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross rival.

Given the popularity of the outgoing Qashqai and the huge spike in interest for SUVs, expect this one to add quite a few sales to Nissan's bottom line going forward.

Chery Omoda 5 - March

After a 10-year hiatus, China's Chery has re-emerged and is planning to compete at the affordable end of Australia's new-car market.

Its first offering is the Omoda 5, an MG ZS rival that's priced from less than $30,000 and packed with features. But can it compete with established brands?