The most expensive cars from Australia’s top mainstream brands

Max Davies

Australia’s 10 best-selling brands are just that because they have a range of affordable cars that appeal to mass-market buyers.

But we’re sure you’ve wondered how expensive things can get, especially when talking about brands that aren’t known for luxury products and steep price tags.

So to satisfy that itch, we’ve taken a look at the current top 10 brands in Australia and compiled a list showing off each of their single most expensive models.

We’ve also only listed the specific variant of each, because only one can be ‘the most’ expensive.

For this list, we’ve based our top 10 manufacturers on year to date (YTD) standings in the latest November 2024 VFACTS sales charts, as those are the most up-to-date figures we have for how each brand is performing.

You’ll notice a fair few electric vehicles (EVs) in this list, as well as a handful of American pickups and large SUVs. If you’re interested, the average price of the 10 cars on this list is a whopping $106,978.

Be sure to check out our article from last week too, where we looked at the cheapest models from a selection of Australia’s more luxury-oriented manufacturers.

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Make/model Starting price
Toyota Tundra Limited $155,990
Ford F-150 Lariat LWB $140,945
Mazda CX-90 G50e Azami $94,630
Kia EV9 GT-Line $121,000
Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV GSR $73,790
Hyundai Ioniq 5 N $110,383
MG Cyberster $115,000
Isuzu D-Max Blade $78,900
Nissan Patrol Warrior $105,160
GWM Tank 500 Ultra Hybrid $73,990

Click on a car’s name above to jump directly to its information on this page, or continue scrolling for the full list

Toyota Tundra Limited

Toyota’s newest and current most expensive vehicle in Australia may well be one of its priciest ever, as the American-bred Tundra pickup costs $155,990 before on-roads.

The pickup is shipped from the US to Australia and converted to right-hand drive by Walkinshaw Automotive Group in Melbourne, where it’s fitted with a new steering rack, brake pedal, instrument panel, firewall, headlights, and wiring harnesses.

It’s launching in Limited trim only, and is powered by Toyota’s i-Force Max powertrain. That comprises a 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine mated with an electric motor-generator, with power sent through a 10-speed automatic transmission to a part-time four-wheel drive system.

The big rig weighs just shy of 3.0 tonnes, and standard equipment includes 20-inch alloy wheels, a 14.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system, synthetic leather upholstery, as well as heated, ventilated, power-adjustable front seats.

As standard, the Tundra is covered by Toyota’s five-year unlimited-kilometre warranty, with servicing required every six months or 10,000km.

Interested in buying a Toyota Tundra? Get in touch with one of CarExpert’s trusted dealers here

MORE: Everything Toyota Tundra

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Ford F-150 Lariat LWB

Ford’s rival to the Tundra is the F-150, and in its Lariat long-wheelbase guise it’s the Blue Oval’s most expensive vehicle in Australia at $140,945 before on-roads.

Unlike the Tundra the F-150 is sold here in four variants, the cheapest of which is the XLT SWB at $106,950 before on-roads. All are powered by a 3.5-litre ‘EcoBoost’ twin-turbo V6 petrol, mated with a 10-speed automatic transmission that sends power to a full-time four-wheel drive system in the Lariat.

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Standard equipment the Lariat gains over the XLT includes chrome exterior accents, dual 12.0-inch screens for the digital instrument cluster and infotainment system, leather-accented upholstery, and 12-way power-adjustable front seats.

On top of that, customers get heated and ventilated front seats with heated outboard rear seats, as well as an 18-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system. Like the Tundra it’s also converted to right-hand drive locally, only in the Ford’s case by RMA Automotive in Mickleham, Victoria.

The F-150 is backed by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, with logbook servicing required every 12 months or 15,000km.

Interested in buying a Ford F-150? Get in touch with one of CarExpert’s trusted dealers here

MORE: Everything Ford F-150

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Mazda CX-90 G50e Azami

Mazda’s flagship seven-seat SUV is not only large, but also the most expensive car it currently has in local showrooms. It costs $94,630 before on-roads, and that’s before you get into the options.

Once it’s fully optioned up you’ll be paying more than $100,000 for your CX-90, but it’s loaded with plenty of features to keep you entertained. Such options include the $5000 SP Package, which adds Tan Nappa leather upholstery and captain’s chairs for the second row.

Over the two cheaper variants in the CX-90 range, the Azami gains 21-inch black alloy wheels, ambient lighting, a semi-autonomous Cruising and Traffic Support driver assistant, and front ventilated seats. For context, the range reaches as low as $74,550 before on-road costs for the base petrol Touring.

It’s also available with a pair of 3.3-litre inline six powertrains with 48V mild-hybrid assistance – one petrol, one diesel. The petrol G50e is the dearer of the two in Azami spec, and it’s the most powerful series-production Mazda engine ever made.

The CX-90 is covered by Mazda’s five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, with servicing required every 12 months or 15,000km for petrol models, and every 10,000km for diesels.

Interested in buying a Mazda CX-90? Get in touch with one of CarExpert’s trusted dealers here

MORE: Everything Mazda CX-90

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Kia EV9 GT-Line

As seems to be a trend so far with this list, the EV9 is Kia’s most expensive model ever offered in Australian showrooms. In top-spec GT-Line guise, it costs $121,000 before on-roads.

The GT-Line gets an dual-motor AWD setup, with a 0-100km/h time of just over 5.0 seconds. It’s powered by a 99.8kWh li-ion battery and is capable of a claimed WLTP range of 505km, though it is significantly pricier than the other two variants in the range.

Bringing up the bottom is the EV9 Air, priced at $97,000 before on-road costs. The GT-Line gains upgraded standard tech equipment like parking collision avoidance, 21-inch alloy wheels, digital side mirrors, a dual sunroof, augmented reality head-up display, as well as heated, ventilated outboard rear seats.

Additionally, you gain a black suede headliner and two-tone GT-Line synthetic leather upholstery, as well as a V2L exterior outlet.

As with the wider Kia line-up, the EV9 is covered by a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, while the high-voltage battery and motor are covered for seven years or 150,000 kilometres. Maintenance is required every 12 months or 15,000km.

Interested in buying a Kia EV9? Get in touch with one of CarExpert’s trusted dealers here

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MORE: Everything Kia EV9

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Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-in Hybrid EV GSR

Mitsubishi’s largest SUV is also currently its most expensive vehicle in Australia, and its top-spec plug-in hybrid (PHEV) GSR variant is priced at $73,790 before on-roads.

The Japanese brand offers a fairly expansive Outlander line-up, which is at its cheapest with the base-spec non-hybrid ES at $37,740 before on-road costs. All Outlander PHEVs are powered by a 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, mated with dual electric motors and a 20kWh li-ion battery.

There’s a lot to be gained by moving up the range though, with features like adaptive cruise control, a panoramic sunroof, tri-zone climate control, and a nine-speaker BOSE sound system only coming on the more expensive variants.

Enhancements to the GSR are aesthetic-only, with features like 20-inch black alloy wheels, gloss black exterior accents and badging, and silver interior stitching added.

The Outlander is covered by a five-year, 100,000km warranty which can be extended to 10 years, 200,000km if you service within Mitsubishi’s dealer network. PHEV batteries are covered by an eight-year, 160,000km warranty, and maintenance is required every 12 months or 15,000km.

Interested in buying a Mitsubishi Outlander? Get in touch with one of CarExpert’s trusted dealers here

MORE: Everything Mitsubishi Outlander

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Hyundai Ioniq 5 N

Hyundai’s most expensive car in Australia is the Ioniq 5 N hot EV, which rings up at $110,383 before on-road costs.

The Ioniq 5 N sits in a class of its own, powered by a dual-motor AWD powertrain with nearly 450kW of power and 750Nm of torque. All of that is good for a standard 0-100km/h time of 3.5 seconds, which can be trimmed to 3.4 seconds with N Grin Boost activated.

As it sits at the top of the range, standard equipment is expansive. Highlights include 21-inch forged wheels, sizeable brakes, launch control, a dual 12.3-inch infotainment and instrument cluster screens, Alcantara and leather upholstery, and metal pedals – just to name a few.

For context, the standard Ioniq 5 lineup ranges in price from $69,800 to $88,800 before on-roads. They boast considerably less power but a claimed WLTP EV range of up to 570km, compared to the N’s 448km.

The Ioniq 5 lineup is covered by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre vehicle warranty and an eight-year, 160,000km battery warranty. Maintenance is required every 24 months or 30,000km.

Interested in buying a Hyundai Ioniq 5? Get in touch with one of CarExpert’s trusted dealers here

MORE: Everything Hyundai Ioniq 5

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MG Cyberster

The first thoroughbred MG sports car under Chinese ownership is the marque’s most expensive vehicle ever, while being Australia’s first convertible EV since the Tesla Roadster. It’s priced at $115,000 before on-road costs.

With its 375kW/725Nm dual-motor AWD setup, the MG Cyberster is claimed to be capable of zipping from 0-100km/h in a blistering 3.2 seconds. Powering it all is a 77kWh li-ion battery, and it’s claimed to be capable of travelling 443km on a charge based on WLTP testing.

It’s only available here in one trim level, which packs 20-inch alloy wheels, Brembo brakes, Alcantara and synthetic leather upholstery, launch control, four driver-oriented interior displays, dual-zone climate control, and four regenerative braking modes – but no wireless smartphone mirroring.

The Cyberster is backed by MG’s 10-year, 250,000km warranty, as well as a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre anti-perforation and paint warranty.

Interested in buying an MG Cyberster? Get in touch with one of CarExpert’s trusted dealers here

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MORE: Everything MG Cyberster

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Isuzu D-Max Blade

Isuzu’s newest D-Max variant is currently its most expensive in Australian showrooms at $78,900 before on-road costs. You may have seen a previous price for the Blade of $76,990 drive-away, but that was an introductory offer.

The Blade is coincidentally the second vehicle with Walkinshaw involvement on this list, only this time no conversion from left- to right-hand drive was necessary. It’s based on the run-of-the-mill D-Max LS-U+, which means it gets the same 3.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel and six-speed automatic transmission.

It also benefits from off-road gear like a rear differential lock and selectable low-range gearing, with Walkinshaw’s mods focusing on protection and aesthetics. These include 17-inch black alloy wheels with Goodyear all-terrain tyres, a 29mm suspension lift, 3mm bash plate, black exterior accents and decals, 8.0-tonne rated recovery points, and a black one-piece sports bar.

On the inside, it maintains gear like a 9.0-inch infotainment system, dual-zone climate control, heated front seats, leather-accented upholstery, and powered front seat adjustment. The standard LS-U+ is priced at $65,500 before on-roads, while the cheapest D-Max costs $32,700 before on-roads.

Isuzu backs the D-Max with a six-year, 150,000km warranty, with servicing required every 12 months or 15,000km.

Interested in buying an Isuzu D-Max? Get in touch with one of CarExpert’s trusted dealers here

MORE: Everything Isuzu D-Max

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Nissan Patrol Warrior

There are three Patrol variants currently on sale, and the most expensive is the Australian-fettled Warrior at $105,160 before on-roads.

Instead of the two Australian organisations involved in three of the previous cars, the Patrol and Nissan’s Navara ute, are both modified into their Australian-specific Warrior forms by Premcar in the Melbourne suburb of Epping.

Under the Patrol’s bonnet is a 5.6-litre petrol V8, which is mated with a seven-speed automatic transmission with four-wheel drive and selectable low-range gearing. All models feature tech like adaptive cruise control, a 10.1-inch infotainment system, leather-accented upholstery, a sunroof, powered tailgate, and 18-inch alloy wheels.

Premcar’s additions include a unique front bumper and bash plate, bi-modal exhaust with side exit pipes, rear recovery points, Alcantara door and dash trim, and gloss black interior accents.

The cheapest Patrol is the Ti, which costs $88,900 before on-roads. All Patrols are covered by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, with servicing required every 12 months or 100,00km.

Interested in buying a Nissan Patrol? Get in touch with one of CarExpert’s trusted dealers here

MORE: Everything Nissan Patrol

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GWM Tank 500 Ultra Hybrid

GWM’s answer to the Toyota Prado is the Tank 500, and its top-spec Ultra Hybrid variant is the Chinese brand’s most expensive vehicle currently on sale in Australia. At $73,990 drive-away, it also works out to be the cheapest on this list.

The body-on-frame SUV is powered by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder 48V hybrid powertrain, mated with a nine-speed hybrid automatic transmission and full-time four-wheel drive. It has a suite of off-road tech too, including an All-Terrain Control System with 11 drive modes, selectable low-range, and an electronic rear differential lock.

Equipment on the the Ultra Hybrid includes 18-inch alloy wheels, a sunroof, Nappa leather upholstery, a 14.6-inch touchscreen infotainment system, wireless Apple CarPlay, power side steps, adaptive cruise control, and an electronic front diff lock.

The Tank 500 range is priced as cheap as $66,490 drive-away for the base Lux, but buyers of the lower-grade model won’t be missing out on too much standard equipment apart from a handful of the interior gear.

GWM backs the Tank 500 with a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty.

Interested in buying a GWM Tank 500? Get in touch with one of CarExpert’s trusted dealers here

MORE: Everything GWM Tank 500

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