Despite the difficult times we’ve all been through, there are still lots of interesting and exciting new cars and vans being released in the next 12 months for us to spend our hard earned cash on.
Whilst its certain, that the car makers have shelved some of their plans because of the difficult market, it takes such a long time to develop a new vehicle and costs millions and clearly, it would be silly to dump a project that’s near completion and in which you’ve already invested a small fortune, so here is a list of what we know is on its way to us.
September 2009
BMW 316D – Cleanest, greenest and most economical 3 Series ever with just £35 a year RFT.
Skoda Yeti – Weird name for this 5dr SUV. Available in 2wd or 4wd. Choice of 5 engines and superb build quality. Aimed at taking part of the Nissan Qashqai market
BMW 740D – BMW’s most powerful diesel.
Infiniti G37 – Nissans luxury brand for over 20 years (think Lexus / Toyota) but relatively unknown in the UK, the new G37 will come in saloon, coupe and convertible versions, with just one engine option and that’s a 3.7ltr 320bhp V6. £30,000+ price tag has to be expected.
Toyota RAV4 – Same format, but more power, lower CO2, more economy, 2wd option returns.
Ford Ranger – A redesign of this old favourite with new front end and new interior.
VW Polo – All new mini Golf that’s more refined, more efficient, stronger and safer and has the VW family face. Polo has always been a good car, so expect no less from the new model.
Subaru WRX-S – Special “Pro-Drive” modified edition of WRX, with 255ps, 0-60 in 5.5 secs, although only a 130mph top end. The hatchback version hasn’t yet captured people’s imagination, so for the WRX-S Subaru re-introduces the fabulous “WR Mica Blue” paint.
VW Golf BlueMotion – Low CO2 of just 99g/km and claimed combined fuel consumption of 74.3mpg. It’s a Golf, but greener.
October 2009
Audi A5 Sportback – 5 door version of the pretty A5 Coupe, with similar space inside to the A4 saloon and a big luggage capacity of up to 980litres. Prices range from £25,440 up to £36,220.
BMW 5 Series GT – Looks like a coupe, but offers estate car practicality (that’s what BMW say). Two piece tailgate (like the Skoda Superb). Comes in 530d, 535i and 550i, all with 8 speed auto boxes. Amazingly, BMW’s latest 3.0-litre six-cylinder unit produces 245bhp and 398lb ft of torque in the 530i GT. It manages 0-62mph in 6.9sec and a 149mph top speed along with 43.5mpg and 173g/km (although I expect, not all at once). Prices range from £41,150 up to £53,490.
BMW X1 – Long awaited baby brother to the X3 and X5 and BMW’s smallest “sports activity vehicle”. Uses EfficientDynamics which includes Auto Start-Stop function. Available in 2wd or 4wd. Prices are to range from £22,600 up to £29,055.
Cadillac 210 CTS Sportwagon – Already in the states, the new car is an estate version of the current CTS. Nicely finished, quality materials, but no traditional customer base in the UK.
Kia Venga – B segment MPV with plenty of room inside due to high roof height and long wheelbase. Engines will be 1.4 and 1.6 petrol and diesel. Bound to be good value for money.
Cadillac SRX – A Caddy crossover that will do well in the U.S. but expect very few UK buyers to choose it, unless they simply want to be different!
Nissan NV200 – The first of the new generation “home grown” vans from Nissan. The mid-sized NV200 comes with 1.5dCi diesel and carries 4.1m3 and max load weight of 771KG.
November 2009
Peugeot 3008 – Another confusingly numbered Peugeot, but this ones a compact crossover. Choice of 6 different engine gearbox combinations and a hybrid 4wd version is also planned. Peugeot say it’s aimed at “sport loving couples, modern families and senior citizens” who want an alternative to a hatchback or MPV.
December 2009
Nissan Cube – Quirky 5 seat MPV like thing, but really very charming in its own way. Already available in some other countries, Nissan bring it to the UK, because of customer demand. Different to look at one side to the other side and we like it. Engines are 1.6 petrol or 1.5 diesel. This car already has a strong cult following, and Nissan may well create its own niche in the UK with the Cube.
Ford Fiesta ECOnetic Van – Ford showing vans can be cheap to run also as the CO2 of this van is just 98g/km (the lowest in its class) and a stonking fuel consumption of up to 76.4mpg.
Vauxhall Astra – Certainly the most important launch in the last part of the year, this mini Insignia is all new from chassis up. Plenty of engine choice and by all accounts, a pretty car and of major importance to its makers G.M.
January 2010
Jaguar XJ – Very pretty replacement for the old XJ which had been around far too long, but it’s a complete departure in terms of styling, but If you liked the XF, well you’re going to love the new XJ as it’s a big Jag that’s desirable to all ages (unlike the fuddy duddy XJ)
Mercedes Benz E-Class Estate – Following hot on the heels of the new E-Class saloon and its pretty coupe sibling, the estate completes the new E-Class line up. Available with a choice of 8 engines, all which deliver more power, yet better fuel economy. Good, easy to use, practical estate with adaptive damping, self levelling suspension, driver assistance systems and 9 airbags, oh and of course, that 3 pointed star.
Rolls Royce RR4 – OK, it’s billed as the first “baby Rolls Royce”, but it’s a very strange baby, as it’s fitted with a 500+ HP 6.6ltr Turbo V12 engine and 8 speed box. Owned by German car maker BMW, this new Roll’s has been described as “being more dynamic and involving for those owners who want to drive the car themselves, providing a new emphasis on driving entertainment”. So get yours on order.
Chevrolet Camaro – Retro 60’s muscle car given the 21st century touch. Convertible version to follow later. Pretty looking thing and it will turn heads, but depreciation is bound to be awful.
Volvo S60 – Revised stalwart of the Volvo line up. If the production car looks like the concept, its going to have a very swoopy coupe roofline and attract new people to the brand.
Chevrolet Beat – Replacement for the aging Matiz, this new supermini was first shown as a concept car in 2007 to rave reviews with 1.9 million on-line voters voting for it in a US poll based on appearence. Its intended that the car will be sold globally in around 100 countries and it will need to look good to grab a chunk of the supermini market. Chevy’s new city car should hit our streets in early 2010
February 2010
Peugeot 5008 – Oh those numbers! This time, it’s a compact people carrier and both 5 and 7 seat versions will be available. Fold it all down and you get 1247 litres of luggage space. Aimed at the C-Max market.
Kia Sorento – Longer and lower than the current car with a much more spacious cabin and what Kia describe as “stand out looks”. Kia are doing well now, but its primarily due to the stack-em high sell-em cheap small cars they build, but buying a bigger Kia? I am not so sure.
VW Golf Estate – Basically, it’s the Golf estate we all know, but it’s now on a mark 6 Golf.
Citroen DS3 – Zany DS3 is first to use Citroens “different spirit” approach to the exterior and interior design. We have seen pictures and if it gets onto the showroom floor like that, it’s a car you’re just going to notice. It’s said it’s aimed at the mini buyer.
Audi A8 – We all know the current A8, well this ones better looking and more up to date. Whilst official shots are not around yet, in terms of styling, its evolution rather than revolution and anyone who has driven a modern Audi will know just what a lovely thing they are, so expect the flagship saloon to be a stonker.
April 2010
Peugeot RCV Coupe – Stunning looking coupe with double bubble roof! Comes with a number of engine and gearbox options, including a 200bhp Turbo version and even a low CO2 version with just 139g/km. Once you see the car, you will realise instantly it’s an Audi TT rival. Said to be a great driver’s car. It’s also the first Peugeot without a number prefix (ah, shame). Peugeot have been finding the market tough, so maybe this Audi TT rip off might find them some new customers.
June 2010
Nissan Micra – Indian built, by a plant in Chennai, it’s still estimated many cars will be exported to Europe. Whilst we are likely to get the 1.2 version, there will be different engine sizes for other markets. Early pictures (lets hope they are not to be believed) show a slightly restyled old Micra with a nose job.
Nissan Qazana – Striking cross-over vehicle, first shown as a concept several years ago. Be very exciting if it looks anything like the concept. Nissan are very good at building this kind of car, so expect the Qazana to build on the success of the equally strange named Qashqai. The Qazana will be built in Sunderland, so deserves our support, as it really is pretty much as close as you can get to buying a British car now days.
Bentley Mulsanne – At an estimated £250,000, the new Bentley is definitely for the money bags amongst us, this is Bentley’s flagship and comes with an 8 litre engine and I guess you would say it’s pretty enough. Somehow obscene though that some people can afford to pay more for a car than most normal people pay for their house.
July 2010
Audi A1 Sportback – Much waited for quality small car that will rival the likes of the Mini and BMW 1 Series. The A1 is a 5 door hatchback and will come in either a 1.6 130bhp in 2wd format, or have the 1.4 TwinCharger 170bhp in the AWD Quatro version.
November 2010
Ford Focus – Already arguably the best car in its class, but new Focus promises even more as it promises to re-write the rule book with a combination of stunning good looks, driver appeal and the most modern technology around. Currently, maybe the Focus is a touch reserved in its appearance, but it’s a fantastic car, so to use a popular phrase “things can only get better”.
Ford C-Max – All new version of the C-Max. OK, the first C-Max was a little boring to look at, but subsequent cars have just kept improving and the C-Max for 2010 is all new and will offer a choice of 5 seat or 7 seat versions. The C-Max has always driven very very well, so expect this new car to be a honey, and knock the opposition for six.
Other Cars, without confirmed dates:-
Honda CR-Z Sports Hybrid – Spring/Summer 2010. A new vision, aimed at a new market, trying to prove that a car does not need to look a dull as ditch water to be a hybrid.
Aston Martin Rapide – Spring 2010. A 4 door Aston Martin with a 6.0ltr V12, that’s what it is
Aston Martin Cygnet – 2010. Crazy this, it’s an Aston Martin based upon a tiny Toyota IQ. Aston says it’s for customers that want the internal refinements of an Aston Martin, but in a car that’s suited to the city commute and heavy traffic. Don’t get to like it though, as its only going to be available to existing Aston Martin customers.
