THE LA Auto Show, the final major motor show of the year, is often the place where we get to see 2019 and 2020 models in the flesh, for the first time, and so it was in 2018, with Mazda, Toyota and Jeep all revealing new looks or new models.
For Mazda, the new Mazda3 was front and centre, in sedan and hatch version, with the fully redesigned model taking on a whole new look, which the company says is influenced by human interaction.
The integration of next generation Sky-Activ technology into the new 2019 model has dramatically enhanced the car’s fundamental driving attributes such that accelerating, turning and braking should feel completely natural.
Toyota has advanced the styling and technology of its hybrid halo model with the global reveal of an updated Prius, which will appear in Australian dealerships in April.
The new Prius brings cleaner, more engaging lines with revised front and rear-end treatments, headlamps, tail-lights, wheel designs and colour choices.
Inside, the cabin’s sensory quality is even more refined with new upholstery along with revisions to the centre console and some of the controls on the instrument panel.
The front-wheel-drive Prius also gains new features including an updated 7-inch multimedia touch screen with ‘pinch and flick’ gestures that will be familiar to smartphone users.
It’s the first new pickup, or as we like to call it, ute for Jeep in more than 20 years, and when it hits the market in 2020, the new Jeep Gladiator will offer an imposing, tough and almost brutal option for buyers.
It is expected to feature best in class towing and payload and will offer open-air freedom and Jeep’s well known 4×4 capability, and will have a pure focus on providing a vehicle built specifically for off-road.
An Australian release date for the 2020 Jeep Gladiator is yet to be determined. It has however been confirmed it will be launched globally.
