Next year will see the crossover SUV segment become even more competitive, while there are some big-hitting performance arrivals, too. Oh, and a certain BMW-fighter from Jaguar.
AutoeBid will have the best new car deals when these shiny new models arrive – here are the most anticipated.
Audi TT Roadster
An open-top version of the Audi’s third-generation coupé goes on sale this month with a four-figure premium over the hard-top. The car’s acclaimed razor-sharp design features along with a folding fabric roof, and a top-spec TTS with 306bhp arrives early next year.
The TT Roadster will comfortably undercut one of its chief rivals, the Porsche Boxster, and will come well-equipped, with a 12.3-inch digital display in place of traditional dials and trick air-condition vents. The 2.0 TDI model is expected to be a best seller, with 182bhp, although a marginally more powerful 2.0 TFSI should be popular, too.
BMW M2
What a prospect the new BMW M2 is – people are already comparing it to the hallowed E30 M3 and it hasn’t yet even been revealed. A turbocharged 3.0-litre straight-six engine - related but not identical to that found in the sledgehammer M4 - is expected to develop around 370bhp and 384 lb ft torque.
Performance will likely be strong enough to show up various Porsches, and depending who you listen to 0-60mph will be dispatched in as little as 4.4 seconds. Base price for the two-door coupé is likely to be around £45,000, which puts the M2 roughly on a par with its modern-day successor, the rare 1M. Sales are scheduled for late 2015.
Fiat 500X
Fiat’s third variation based on the retro-styled 500 – following the original supermini and a quirky MPV – could be the most successful of the lot. Revealed at the recent Paris Motor Show, the compact crossover is attractive and nicely proportioned with tasteful chrome and tinted window glass.
Scheduled to arrive in the spring, the front-wheel drive 500X will be offered with 108bhp and 138bhp petrol engines and 94bhp and 118bhp diesel engines. Four-wheel drive versions will be available, too, as will an unprecedented nine-speed automatic gearbox. Prices are yet to be announced.
Ford Galaxy
Little is known about Ford’s upcoming people carrier, except that it will go on sale mid-2015 using the same basic skeleton as the new Mondeo. The fourth-generation car is likely to start at around £26,000, and will do battle with its old foe: the Seat Alhambra and Volkswagen’s Sharan.
Engine choice will be limited to the lively but frugal 1.5-litre and 2.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engines, while a 2.0-litre TDCi diesel will also be available. If you go for the petrol version there’s a choice of 148bhp or 177bhp.
Honda Civic Type R
The upper echelons of the hot-hatch segment are becoming increasingly competitive. The next Honda Type R will compete against Volkswagen Golf R, the Renault Megane RS 275 Trophy-R, a new Ford Focus RS, and Vauxhall’s lively Astra VXR. To give it a chance its maker will give The Type-R around 300hp from a turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol engine.
A lot is riding on the new car, which has been delayed time and again. Honda is promising great things, however, amongst them “the start of a new performance era for the brand” with a driving experience “unmatched against any previous Type R”. That sounds fun.
Jaguar XE
The British media has hyped this car up to extremes, but on paper – and to the naked eye – its seems Jaguar’s new BMW 3 Series-fighter may live up to its billing. The range includes a diesel capable of 75mpg all the way to a 355bhp supercharged V6 capable of hitting 60mph in 5.1 seconds. All in a focused, if understated, aluminium package.
Jaguar is already taking orders for its make-or-break model, with prices starting at £26,995 for petrol-engined cars and £29,775 if you’d like a diesel. The range-topping XE S will cost from £44,870. Cars reach dealerships in May.
Kia Sorento
Another Paris debutant was the 2015 Kia Sorento. The South Korean brand’s new SUV goes on sale early next year with at (as yet unconfirmed) price of around £27,000. Only one engine option – a 2.2-litre diesel with around 200bhp – will be available in the UK.
To help combat brand prejudices Kia has diligently honed the Sorento’s design. The result is a genuinely attractive car that will reportedly have far superior soundproofing and more linear steering than the outgoing model. Seven-seats, a smooth design, refinement, and excellent fuel economy ought to make this Kia a strong player.
Mazda CX-3
Expect the CX-3 to a be a pugnacious crossover that sits just below the larger CX-5, with Mazda’s excellent Skyactiv engines (powerful but incredibly frugal) and strong build quality. Aimed squarely at the Nissan Juke, prices are expected to start at around £13,500. The production version will make its debut at the Los Angeles Motor Show later this month.
It’s not yet known whether Mazda will offer four-wheel drive in the CX-3, but even front-wheel drive CX-5 models have excellent grip and are surprisingly fun to drive. Expect the new car to build on these attributes.
Skoda Superb
Sharper styling and more interior space are on the cards for the next generation Superb, which should help it build on an already stellar reputation. The saloon is set to share a platform with the Volkswagen Golf and Audi A3, so road manners should be impeccable. Skoda is still to release an engine lineup, but expect it to be inline with Volkswagen Group’s range of super-frugal to impressively powerful turbocharged engines. Don’t rule out a plug-in hybrid, either.
The new car is expected to arrive next summer, with prices starting at a similar point to the current model (around £18,700).
Volvo XC90
With the XC90 Volvo has an eye on its future. The firm’s all-new SUV features a sophisticated design, luxury interior materials, and – significantly – the option of a super-frugal plug-in hybrid powertrain. Volvo’s range of innovative four-cylinder engines is excellent if you don’t want to plug in, however, and includes a 222bhp twinturbo diesel capable of a combined 40.5mpg.
Volvo has enjoyed significant success with the current XC90, but a renewed focus on technology and design makes it clear the Swedish firm wants to eat into BMW and Mercedes’ market share. Prices start at £45,000 with deliveries scheduled for May.
