Want an exciting new car? Here are Drive’s favourites

The Australian automotive industry moves quickly. It’s as though you can look away for a short moment, and in that time another three new vehicles have launched in our market. There are more than 50 brands trying to win over buyers, with countless models on sale, but not every model captures our attention.

It takes something special to raise an eyebrow and impress us, which makes this group of vehicles all the more worth lusting after. It could be its innovation in furthering electric vehicle technology, a luxurious interior like none other, or an outright blast of fun to drive on roads (and off).

Here are Drive’s favourite new releases that have gone above and beyond in testing over the last six months, and which have piqued our interest for all the right reasons.

The rebirth of a sports car icon is always cause for celebration, but the way Nissan has been able to recapture some of the original’s magic is impressive. Especially in today’s age of electrification. Now with a twin-turbo V6 under the bonnet, it’s the most powerful Nissan Z car to date – a fitting send-off for what will likely be the last petrol version before a switch to electric power.

While it sits on the old 370Z’s platform, the throwback styling is sure to delight all Z-car fans, and Nissan has done more than enough to ensure the entire package keeps things current. It’s brilliant fun with sharp reflexes through corners, and a powerful near-300kW engine is just what this platform needed.

There were just two variants in the Nissan Z range from launch, though that count is now down to one after the Z Proto edition sold out. Pricing is an identical $73,300 (plus on-road costs) for either six-speed manuals or nine-speed automatics, but we’d be picking the former of the two.

On the same performance plane but offering all-wheel drive traction and a hatchback body is the Volkswagen Golf R. It’s widely known as being savagely fast in all weather conditions, but its predecessors haven’t stood out when it comes to the fun factor. The Mark 8 generation changes that, and then some.

With outputs totalling 225kW/400Nm, the Golf R is as fast as ever and specifies a new trick torque-vectoring differential that makes it a joy to deploy through corners. Conversely, key to the Golf R’s success is the way it’s able to settle down when needed and act as a comfortable daily driver.

The Golf R comes in both hatch and wagon body styles priced from $66,990 before ORCs. If you want uncompromising performance, choose the hatch, but if you want added practicality, go the wagon.

You could call out any number of the BMW i7’s attributes worth getting excited over, but the fact it’s all enveloped in one gargantuan tech-infested package is worth getting excited about.

From the automatic-closing doors to the Swarovski crystal headlights, or the wool-cashmere blend seats to the incredible 31.3-inch rear entertainment screen, the BMW i7 is all about excess and we love it.

It’s backed up by a serene driving experience you’d expect from the 7 Series nameplate, with air-cushioned ride comfort and savage all-electric acceleration whenever you want it. It’s a one-variant range priced from $297,900 (plus ORCs), but it’ll leave you wanting for nothing in terms of specification and equipment.

On the other end of the electric-car price spectrum is the BYD Atto 3, one of the most affordable electric-powered cars on sale in Australia. But while it’s entry-level in its positioning, this car is proof that an affordable electric car can surprise and delight with the best of them.

The styling is eye-catching both inside and out, while the space on offer for the price is worth commendation. It’s smooth and easy to drive, and will go roughly 420km between each full battery charge. If you’re after an affordable electric car that does things differently, look no further than the BYD Atto 3.

Prices begin just below $50,000 for the Standard range variant, or just over $50,000 for the Extended range. Considering it’s just a $2000 price difference between each variant, we’d opt for the slightly more expensive Extended range and sleep easy knowing there’s an extra few kilometres of up the sleeve.

It’s long been said that when new technology debuts on the flagship Mercedes-Benz S-Class, it eventually finds its way down the range to the C-Class. Now in its fifth generation, the story is no different with the W206 model.

Inside the cabin you’re presented with an all-encompassing Mercedes-Benz User eXperience (MBUX) operating system displayed on a portrait-mounted 11.9-inch screen. There’s an unmatched level of configurability to the system that has wowed us in past testing, plus it comes extremely well equipped with features, even from the base model.

Its ride quality is a standout attribute, while the mild-hybrid powertrains remain frugal and powerful in equal parts. Currently, the 2023 C-Class range comprises a C200 ($78,900) and the C300 ($90,400), both before on-road costs.

If you want every drive to be an adventure, sitting behind the wheel of the Ford Ranger Raptor is a good way to go about it. It’s sure-fire proof that car companies still want to have some fun, with the gargantuan, go-anywhere dual-cab impressing us in every single review we’ve published since its launch.

Its predecessor rewrote the rulebook at its debut, but the new generation ups the ante once again with a 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 that makes 292kW/583Nm. While able to shift the 2.4-tonne body to 100km/h in 6.0 seconds – stratospherically fast for a ute – it's also smooth, quiet and loping when cruising.

It’s pricey for a dual-cab ute, starting at $86,790 plus ORCs, but the Ranger Raptor’s cabin is well finished and the driving experience is like no other. Not only is it capable off-road, but it manages to incorporate a whole load of fun into even the most mundane commutes.