The new Ford Escape mid-sized SUV will be the first model from the Blue Oval in Australia to gain a sporty-ish ST-Line variant when the mildly updated 2018 model-year line-up lands in showrooms in September.

Kia will reveal a new Rio light car in Q3 of 2018, with the welcome return of a six-speed automatic transmission on a freshly-minted, mid-range Sport version aimed at private buyers.

Mercedes-Benz will keep its segment sales-leading C-Class medium sedan and wagon range fresh with an update due in the third quarter, with some minor visual tweaks, added active safety features, and extra interior flourishes.

After months of teasing and speculation, Renault outed its fourth-generation Megane RS hot hatch, boasting a new 1.8-litre four-cylinder turbocharged engine producing 205kW of power and 390Nm of torque.

Subaru’s top-selling Forester will receive a complete makeover, as the Japanese car-maker attempts to put it back among the SUV segment leaders.