Cars & Concepts: New or refreshed offerings from Mercedes, Lexus, Hyundai and more

The first performance hybrid crossover from Mercedes-AMG will arrive in Canada in early 2024. The 416-horsepower GLC 43, shown above, gets a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder and a 48-volt mild hybrid system. It’s set to go on sale in the first quarter of next year. The 671-horsepower plug-in hybrid GLC 63 S E Performance also uses a 2.0-litre four-cylinder and will follow in the third quarter. Both vehicles have exterior details typical of Mercedes-AMG models, such as AMG-specific grilles with vertical bars, large front inlets and deflectors that can block airflow to the engine compartment to boost aerodynamics. Pricing has not been released.

2024 LEXUS RX 450H+

Lexus has added a plug-in hybrid option to the RX series a year after the fifth-generation luxury crossover launched in Canada. The plug-in was available in other markets, but Canada received only the nonplug-in hybrid and the internal-combustion versions. The RX 450H+, rated at 60 kilometres of electric range, is now available, exclusively in the top-end Executive trim. It starts at $90,235, including $2,205 delivery.

2024 HYUNDAI SANTA FE

The brand’s midsize crossover will get a major facelift for 2024. Official renderings of the fifth-generation model teased in July show a boxier silhouette, chunky fenders and new H-shaped headlights. The restyling gives the Santa Fe, which was last redesigned for the 2018 model year, a distinctly premium appearance. Hyundai said the vehicle will have a longer wheelbase and a roomier interior. Specifications and details on availability are expected at the official launch in August.

2024 SUBARU BRZ tS

The automaker is bringing back the top-level tS performance trim of the BRZ coupe after dropping it in 2020. The 2024 BRZ tS will be available in Canada early next year with an improved suspension and better brakes. It also comes with the company’s EyeSight active-safety suite of technology, a first for a Subaru model with a manual transmission. Pricing has not been released. The BRZ was jointly developed with Toyota, which sells the GR86.

2024 TOYOTA LAND CRUISER

Toyota will return the storied Land Cruiser nameplate to its lineup for 2024, more than three decades after it was last available in Canada. The new off-roader, which will be equipped with a hybrid powertrain, shares a platform with body-on-frame SUVs and pickups from Toyota and Lexus. Canadian pricing has not been released, but Toyota said the Land Cruiser will start at a “more accessible price point” than the most recent version, which was available in the United States until 2020 starting at US $86,880. The Land Cruiser will arrive in spring.