The automotive industry is going through a transformation, the delivery times are long and neither Corona nor the energy crisis nor even the Ukraine war have been overcome. Nevertheless, there are many exciting innovations on the car market. Here are the most important.
In politics, the much-vaunted turning point may still be a long time coming, depending on one's perspective. But things are different on the road: the horsepower industry is in the midst of change and will continue to fuel it in the new year with many new models and even a few new brands. If you take all the official announcements, the many indiscretions and the knowledge of the manufacturer's model cycles together, there are over 100 entries for the novelty plan. We have compiled the most important of them here.
The vast majority of new products now have a plug. But of all things, the probably most prominent premieres are still built for the fuel pump. Because the first dance at the Debutante Ball in 2023 will be three cars that have been at the top of the registration statistics for decades:
Mercedes promises a new edition of the E-Class as a sedan and station wagon and later also as a coupé and convertible. And at VW, the successors to the Passat and Tiguan are in the starting blocks. And even though all three models will of course be available as plug-in hybrids, some with an electric range of more than 100 kilometers, they all come from the old world.
But don't worry: The "new world" of Generation E will counter with a few "big shots" - sometimes even from the same ranks: Because VW is providing the new Passat with the ID.7 as an electric alternative in the style of the aero study .
With the EQE SUV, Mercedes brings the fourth electric luxury class model. And BMW is once again open to technology with the premiere of the next five. Because the Bavarians are again building combustion engines, plug-in hybrids and purely electric versions on the same platform and with the same design.
Deliveries of the new Smart begin among small cars
Something is also moving in the class above it - even if the most important models get an update at best, such as the VW ID.3 or other engine variants such as the Opel Astra, which is now also becoming a Stromer. But from France, the Citroën ë-C4 X, which is only available electrically in Germany, and the Peugeot 408 are pushing onto the market at the top end of the Golf class, the latter also being electric in the medium term.
Anyone who has committed themselves to the SUV in this segment has many more premieres to choose from: the bZ4X, the first all-electric Toyota from Japan, and a new C-RV from Honda, the handy crossover Z-RV and the all-electric e :Ny1.
The new BMW X2 and two Ford models based on VW's MEB electric platform are warming up from Germany. Hyundai is riding the SUV wave with the next Kona. Jeep is the first pure Stromer to send the Avenger into the race.
China spices up the SUV soup with the Aiways U6 Coupé and Renault is launching the Austral, which will be available in a long version at the end of the year as the successor to the Scénic.
Classic vans, on the other hand, are still an endangered species and are accordingly having few offspring - only Mercedes EQT and Nissan's electric Townstar at the beginning of the year and the long version of the ID. Buzz and the Ford Tourneo Connect at the end of the year are flying the astronaut flag.
Can it be a little bit more? Then, in the upper middle class, you will see the successors to the top Skoda models Kodiaq and Superb, the newcomers Nio EL7 and ET5, the Stromer from BYD and the upcoming Mazda flagship CX-80.
At the charging station you will also encounter the streamlined sedan Hyundai Ioniq 6 for the first time, the also fully electric large-capacity SUV EV9 from Kia, the large Volvo EX90 and its sporty cousin Polestar 3 as well as the RZ 450e, with which Lexus is now turning completely to electromobility .
And the Seat offshoot Cupra is also growing and is providing the handy Born with a large electric SUV, the Tavascan. Not premium enough? Then, at the end of the year, Audi will launch the Q6 e-tron, the first electric model based on the new electric architecture, the so-called PPE platform.
BMW lures petrolheads with the XM (up to 748 hp) with the most powerful production model in factory history and Rolls-Royce climate-conscious super-rich with the electric Spectre. Mercedes is offering the first electric Maybach version of the EQS SUV. Maserati is electrifying its SUV Grecale. And if buyers prefer to wear adventure clothes rather than suits, a few US originals are recommended.
In addition to the new Mustang, Ford is also bringing the legendary Bronco into the country for the first time, and Jeep is bringing the small Recon and the large Wagoneer. On the border between lifestyle and loading ramp, the Ford Ranger and the VW Amarok derived from it want to roll up the pick-up segment again.
If you miss sportiness with all the electricity and dirt, we recommend a look to the south: A short distance away is Stuttgart, where a new AMG GT is doing its last test laps at Mercedes.
In addition to a new edition of the Panamera, Porsche is also planning numerous model and engine variants of its 911 and 718 sports cars. A little further south, BMW is unleashing a new M2.
And in the long run you end up in Emilia Romagna. There, Lamborghini is already building the first copies of the Aventador successor as a super sports car of all kinds. And Ferrari is now building its first SUV, the Purosangue, the last luxury manufacturer to do so.
