Australia’s new-vehicle market is becoming increasingly more efficient, as carmakers downsize the size of their engines – both in capacity and cylinder count.
Advancements in turbocharging has resulted in the number of naturally aspirated 12-, 10-, eight- and even six-cylinder models on sale dwindling.
In the case of the latter, non-turbo six-cylinder engines are now scarce, reserved only for a handful of big SUVs and people-movers, plus some sports cars.
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While 10 years ago there were 18 brands selling naturally aspirated sixes, now it’s just five – and three of them are pulling at least one model from showrooms.
Here are the only remaining N/A six-cylinder cars you can still buy in Australia.
Hyundai
Amid a lineup of four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines – plus a handful of hybrids and electric vehicles – Hyundai continues to sell two naturally aspirated six-cylinder cars in Australia, but not for long.
The Hyundai Palisade large SUV and Staria people mover share the same 3.5-litre V6 petrol engines, powering only the front wheels.
In both models, you have to opt for a more expensive 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel to get all-wheel drive.
However, soon it’ll only be the Staria sold with a V6, as the new-generation Palisade will exclusively be powered by a turbocharged 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, available with hybrid assistance.
While the Staria V6 could be under threat from a hybrid version available in South Korea, Hyundai has yet to lock in this powertrain for Australia.
Jeep
Just five years ago, you could get Jeep’s ‘Pentastar’ petrol V6 in 3.2-litre guise in the Cherokee mid-size SUV, or as a 3.6-litre in the Wrangler, Gladiator and Grand Cherokee, but now only the latter pair offer the non-turbo bent-six.
The dual-cab Gladiator pickup has exclusively been available with N/A V6 power in Australia since its local launch in 2020, despite US examples having previously been offered with the option of a V6 turbo-diesel – arguably a better fit for our market, given the demand for diesel utes here.
A 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain will be offered in the Gladiator in the US, but remains unconfirmed for Australia.
The same PHEV powertrain can be had here in latest generation Grand Cherokee, marketed as the 4xe, but the 3.6-litre Pentastar V6 powers the rest of the range.
However, you’ll have to be quick to buy one, as last month the American off-road brand announced the death of the Grand Cherokee in Australia, due to the current model’s slow sales.
The current WL generation launched here in 2022, initially only in long-wheelbase, three-row L guise – the first Grand Cherokee to offer seven seats.
But while it offers greater practicality, the WL isn’t available globally with the turbo-diesel V6 of its WK2 predecessor, which accounted for around 57 per cent of Grand Cherokee sales in Australia.
Australian examples also haven’t been available with the 5.7-litre Hemi V8 offered in the US.
If you have a hankering for a Pentastar V6, Jeep is heavily discounting stock of the Grand Cherokee.
Kia
Like its parent company Hyundai, Kia only offers two N/A V6-powered models in Australia, where a 3.5-litre petrol engine is available in the Carnival people-mover and the Sorento large SUV.
The Carnival is the cousin to the Hyundai Staria, and also offers the same turbo-diesel engine as well as hybrid power, which is off-limits in the Hyundai for Australians.
Though the Sorento also offers seven seats like the Palisade, it’s based on a different platform, and can not only be ordered with the V6 (also only in front-wheel drive guise) but also the turbo-diesel, plus a series hybrid and a plug-in hybrid.
Kia is looking to bring in more stock of the hybrid variants, due to the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) – which becomes punitive from July 1, 2025 – which penalises carmakers for exceeding emissions targets, though it’s unclear what this means for the Korean brand’s V6.
Nissan
The Nissan Pathfinder is one of the Japanese brand’s slowest-selling vehicles in Australia, and though it’s the carmaker’s only model with a V6, the large SUV is on borrowed time locally.
Nissan’s current-gen Pathfinder was revealed in 2021 and initially due to arrive here in late 2021… then early 2022… before finally reaching showrooms in late 2022.
Built in the US and powered by a 3.5-litre V6, the new Pathfinder was meant to represent a marked improvement on its predecessor, however, it’s sadly been a sales flop, accounting for just 523 deliveries last year, making it the least popular Nissan apart from the Z sports coupe and the outdated Leaf electric hatch.
Things aren’t much better in 2025, with just 51 examples delivered in the first quarter of this year.
The Pathfinder also wasn’t included in Nissan’s 2027 roadmap for Australian showrooms, as the embattled carmaker focuses on the products which can keep it afloat.
Porsche
Unlike the rest of the brands on this list, Porsche doesn’t make V6 commuter cars, instead reserving its flat atmo sixes for its most driver-focused models.
With production of the petrol-powered 718 sports car (Cayman and Boxster) ending for Australia in September last year, and only limited stock remaining available across Porsche’s dealer network, the German performance brand now only offers an N/A boxer engine in the 911 – and even then it’s limited access.
Following the transition to the facelifted 992.2-generation, the 911 GT3 RS is no longer available to order, however, the updated 911 GT3 is.
Its big-bore 4.0-litre flat-six is now the only non-turbo engine on offer across the 911 lineup, and it’s capable of howling all the way to a 9000rpm redline.
Overseas reports have claimed the next-generation GT3 will finally become turbocharged, joining 911 GT variants like the lesser GTS and the upcoming GT2 RS flagship.
