From supercars to superminis and reborn classics to high-tech saloons, 2020 will see a huge array of new cars vying for your attention, says Chris Hall.
LAND ROVER DEFENDER
- Price: from £45,240
- On sale: spring
It’s been a long time coming, but the new Land Rover Defender is finally here. Sure to please and anger car enthusiasts in equal measure, the new Defender isn’t an exact replacement for the previous model, for the simple reason that the market has moved away from that farming essential of yesteryear. All Defenders will boast plenty of off-road ability and practicality along with easily recognisable styling cues. Also, there will still be Commercial versions for those after a workhorse. The longer 110 will arrive first, with the shorter 90 three-door version following soon after. Four accessory packs and 170 individual accessories mean you can build your own bespoke Defender, exactly how you want it. Mild hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions will join the range soon. We can’t wait to get behind the wheel.
PORSCHE TAYCAN
- Price: from £115,858
- On sale: now
Porsche has fully embraced battery power with this new Taycan, its
first fully electric sports car. A four-door saloon, the Taycan initially comes in Turbo or Turbo S forms (indicating their power levels)
with a marginally less powerful 4S model due later in the year. The immediacy of electric power combined with the Taycan’s four-wheel drive system means that its performance is at hypercar levels – the Turbo S covers the traditional 0-60mph sprint in only 2.8 seconds with a fully-charged range of 414km. Better yet, the Taycan handles beautifully and, despite the new technology, still feels like a Porsche, too. This year’s World Performance Car? We certainly wouldn’t bet against it.
VAUXHALL CORSA
- Price: from £15,550
- On sale: now
The Vauxhall Corsa has been one of the UK’s favourite superminis since 1993 and this fifth-generation model looks set to cement that position. Smarter and sleeker than its predecessor, it packs more equipment and technology than ever, along with greater interior space. Crucially, just as with its Peugeot 208 sister car, for the first time you’ll be able to buy your baby Vauxhall as an electric version in the form of the Corsa-e.
Its 50 kWh battery gives a 330km range on a full charge, meaning you can buy exactly the same car with a choice of petrol or diesel engines or an electric motor. If the Corsa isn’t shortlisted for next year’s World Car of the Year awards in the best Urban Car category, we’ll eat our fedoras.
KIA SOUL EV
- Price: £33,795
- On sale: March
Slowly but surely, Kia and sister company Hyundai are becoming forces to be reckoned with in the electric and hybrid market. As well as the existing Niro range, Kia will add to its electric line-up with this funky Soul EV in the spring. With a 450km range from its 64 kWh battery, the Soul EV will be available in a single high specification that includes a ten-speaker Harman Kardon stereo. Not only is the Soul’s range based on real-world driving, but at a fast charging point it can get an 80 per cent charge in only 75 minutes. We love its boxy looks and, together with its electric credentials, think it could easily develop a cult following in 2020.
JEEP RENEGADE HYBRID
- Price: est from £34,000
- On sale: June/July
For a company renowned for its tough, back-to-basics image, Jeep is about to switch things up in 2020. First is this new plug-in hybrid version of its baby Renegade, which will be swiftly followed by a hybrid Compass and then a hybrid version of the butch Wrangler 4×4. Details are sketchy at present but the Renegade will feature a 1.3-litre turbo-petrol engine alongside an electric motor to produce around 220bhp with an electric-only range of 50km and a 0-60mph time of seven seconds. With impressive emissions below 50g/km, it seems that this Renegade and other forthcoming hybrid models may be about to catapult Jeep into the future.
VOLKSWAGEN ID3
- Price: est from £30,000
- On sale: summer
Volkswagen will introduce the eighth-generation Golf into showrooms this year but most eyes are sure to be on this ID3. It’s the first of VW’s all-electric ID family, which will quickly grow with a compact SUV that is likely to be unveiled in spring and go on sale later in the year. This ID3 is a Golf-sized five-door hatchback that will initially be available in a First Edition guise, priced at just under £40,000, before the more affordable main range follows soon after. It will come with three battery options –
45 kWh, 58 kWh and 78 kWh – that will offer ranges of 205km, 261km and 550km respectively. Don’t be surprised if the ID3 outstrips sales of the ubiquitous Golf before long.
FERRARI ROMA
- Price: est from £190,000
- On sale: summer
A new Ferrari always gets the heart racing a little faster and this gorgeous new Roma is no different. Yes, it may look a little familiar to some of the most recent cars to come out of the Aston Martin stable, but the new Roma is little short of stunning to our eyes. Ferrari refers to the Roma as a “sports car that you can use every day”, which essentially means the same 3.8-litre twin-turbo engine as the Ferrari 488 with an eye-watering
611bhp, but in a rather more comfortable and less extreme package. There are digital displays for both the driver and front passenger, and while Ferrari calls it a two-plus seater, the reality is the rear seats are all but unusable. If you don’t already have your name on the waiting list, don’t expect to take delivery until at least 2021.
FORD MUSTANG MACH-E
- Price: est from £40,000
- On sale: late 2020
The name might be familiar but the car certainly won’t be. The emotive Mustang is known for its big-engined muscle car roots but the new Mach-E couldn’t be more different. For starters, it’s an SUV rather than a sports car and, second, it’s all-electric, so you can forget about the usual deep-noted V8 engine under your right foot. The Mach-E will be available with two battery options, either 75 kWh or 99 kWh, rear- or four-wheel drive and a fully-charged range of either 450km or 595km respectively. Also notable is its lack of traditional door handles – just buttons on the side to open the front and rear doors. You’ll also be able to open them with an electronic key on your phone.
VOLVO XC40 P8 RECHARGE
- Price: est from £50,000
- On sale: autumn/winter
Volvo is pushing ahead with its electrified model range with all of the new plug-in hybrid and all-electric models getting the “Recharge” name from now on. The XC40 P8 Recharge will be the Swedish firm’s first all-electric car when it arrives late in 2020. Over the next five years, Volvo will launch a fully electric model every year to fulfil its aim of half of its global sales being battery-powered by 2025. That will certainly be possible if they’re half as impressive as this XC40 looks on paper. Its 78 kWh battery effectively gives it 408 bhp with a 0-60mph time of only 4.7 seconds and a fully charged range of 400km. It’s not cheap for a small SUV, but it looks to be worth it.
MERCEDES EQS
- Price: est from £75,000
- On sale: December
The Mercedes S-Class has long been considered one of the best and most refined luxury saloons in the world. The next-generation S-Class, due in showrooms in late 2020 and based heavily on this EQS concept, will only build on that reputation.
As the flagship of Mercedes’ new EQ electric range of models (three will be launched in 2020 alone), the EQS gets a 100 kWh battery with a fully-charged range of about 692km. It will also underline its green credentials with a roof lining made from recycled ocean waste plastic, artificial leather for the seats, and other trim made from recycled plastic bottles. The new benchmark for luxury motoring and sustainability is here.
