Sunday 7: Most anticipated SUVs

Australians love their SUVs. 

The high-riding family wagon is now the most popular new car purchase in the country, accounting for almost 43 per cent of all registrations in 2018. 

More and more car makers are jumping on the SUV bandwagon. This week saw uber luxury marque, Rolls-Royce, come to the SUV party with its first high-riding model, the Cullinan. 

The ultimate high roller shares its underpinnings with the brand's flagship Phantom sedan, which puts the Cullinan's intentions aimed squarely at the 0.1 percenters. 

Offering unapparelled luxury paired with a high-driving position, the Cullinan is sure to be a hit with the prestigious brand's growing younger demographic as the old-school brand continues to look for newer less traditional customers. 

However, while Rolls-Royce has developed a niche SUV, there are plenty of manufacturers set to offer more accessible SUVs over the next 12 months. Here are some of the models to look out for. 

Alfa Romeo Stelvio 

The Italian brand's revival is in full swing. 

Alfa Romeo is following on from the successful launch of the Giulia sedan with the Stelvio, the brand's first SUV. And it is not too extreme to say that the brand's future rests on the sturdy shoulders of the upcoming high-rider. 

The order books are open and the cars are getting ready to be delivered, so potential customers don't have to wait long if they want to get in the driver's seat. 

Alfa is launching the mid-size SUV with a simplified range with only an all-wheel drive diesel and petrol model offered initially, which is a far cry from some rivals epically expansive ranges. 

Prices start from $65,900 before on-road costs for petrol models and $67,900 for diesel variants. Both models are competitively priced against German competitors like the BMW X3 and Audi Q5. 

Petrol models feature a 148kW/330Nm 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder. Oil burning variants are propelled by a 154kW/470Nm 2.2-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder unit. All models are paired with an eight-speed automatically exclusively. 

Joining the two standard models by the end of the year is the high-performance Quadrifoglio variant that promises hair-raising thrills in a practical package. 

Powered by a Ferrari-derived 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 borrowed from its Giulia cousin, the Stelvio QV is set to make 375kW/600Nm and wear a price tag of more than $150,000. 

Mazda CX-8

In Australia, everything Mazda touches turns to gold.  And for this reason Mazda Australia is getting set to offer the CX-8 5+2 seater SUV.  

Initially the CX-8 was only designed to service the Japanese market as the larger seven-seat CX-9 SUV does not meet the size restrictions for the family-hauler's home market. 

The CX-8 will feature a diesel engine, something the larger CX-9 does not, filling a hole in the Japanese marque's local armoury. 

Mazda will use the 2.2-litre turbo diesel four-cylinder currently used by the CX-5. 

The new 5+2 seater will go head-to-head with models like the Skoda Kodiaq, Honda CR-V and Peugeot 5008 that offer part time seven-seat capacity in a mid-sized body. 

Details are still scarce, but Drive will get a chance to sample the upcoming compact family-hauler in June, with sales to commence in the second half of the year. 

Hyundai Santa Fe 

Similar to Mazda, the South Korean brand has the Midas touch after successfully transitioning itself from a cut-price brand to a mainstream player. 

Buoyed by the success of the new i30 small car, Hyundai's family-friendly new Santa Fe looks to join the local line-up in the middle of the year. 

The upgraded seven-seater will offer up more space and increased safety compared to outgoing models, including an industry first Safety Exit Assist that can temporarily lock the doors if the car detects it’s unsafe to do so because of oncoming traffic. 

Hyundai will offer a choice of either 2.2-litre turbo diesel or 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol. 

While local prices have not been announced the brand believes the SUV is in line for a small price increase. The current range kicks off at $40,990 before on-road costs. 

Jaguar I-Pace 

While the big German car makers are planning an electric offensive the British marque has quietly gone about executing the first stage of its electric future. 

Jaguar will bring its all-electric I-Pace mid-size SUV to market in October this year. 

Prices start at $119,000 for the entry level model, or up to $159,700 for the better equipped First Edition version. Though, the I-Pace should feature a rather expansive optional extras list. 

A pair of electric motors – one on each axle - are set to offer total outputs of 294kW and 696Nm, not quite Tesla Model X P100D levels but still impressive. 

Jaguar claims the I-Pace can be driven up to 500km on a single charge and has some degree of off-road ability. 

The leaping cat brand has also been dropping hints that the I-Pace will be a technological tour de force, which is sure to appeal to its target customers. 

BMW X7 

BMW has yet to reveal the BMW X7, with only a camouflaged prototype shown to the world so far. 

However, the German marque has started to reveal details of its flagship SUV that is set to enter production in 2019. 

The luxurious seven-seater will sit above the X6 in the German brand's SUV range and is expected to go head-to-head with the Mercedes-Benz GLS and short-wheelbase Range Rover. 

A range of petrol and diesel powertrains are expected with all-wheel drive 30d, 40i, 50i and 50d M models already slated to enter showrooms. 

BMW is also expected to offer a petrol-powered M performance model as well as a hybrid iPerformance variant after the vehicle's initial launch. 

The X7, along with the resurgent 8-Series, are part of a decision to move the German brand more upmarket. 

While the prototype car revealed to Drive in May, 2018, were disguised it is clear that the X7's styling remains close to the X5 but on a larger scale. 

The X7 will also give BMW access to larger families looking for greater seating flexibility as the German car maker's current X5 doesn’t offer a seven-seat layout. 

Prices should mirror those of the Mercedes-Benz GLS, which indicates a price range of $120,000-$200,000+. 

Skoda Karoq 

The Czech brand is preparing to launch its new small SUV down under in the coming months. 

A smaller version of the brand's 5+2 seater Kodiaq SUV, the Karoq will be built on the Volkswagen Group's flexible MQB platform that underpins the likes of the VW Tiguan and Audi Q5. 

The compact SUV will offer a range of petrol and diesel engine options as well as front- and all-wheel drive layouts. 

Skoda is also benefitting from its sibling's technology with the Karoq set to score a digital instrument display similar to that seen in various Audis. 

More details of the brand's local line-up will become available over the coming months. 

Holden Acadia 

It hasn't been the strongest of years so far for Holden, with the general public still adjusting to a fully-imported range at dealerships. 

But the lion brand hopes to turn around its flagging fortunes with its first genuine large, road-biased SUV to take on the likes of the Hyundai Santa Fe and Toyota Kluger. 

The Acadia is sourced from parent company's GMC brand, and the current version has been on sale in the US since 2016. 

Holden hasn’t revealed much in terms of mechanical specifications, however the brand has been putting the big family hauler through its paces at the company's proving ground in Victoria to tune it to local conditions. 

Australian spokesman Sean Poppitt told Drive in late 2017 that the Acadia will "add some real American swagger to the Holden showroom", hinting that it might be able to snatch sales from the likes of Jeep's Grand Cherokee.