2020 has been a different year and it’s been a particularly difficult one for the motor industry. Lockdowns and general uncertainty, both Covid and Brexit related have decimated car sales all year.
Surely there’s brighter times ahead though and we can look forward to the 211 registration period with more confidence. There’s plenty of new and updated product to whet buyers’ appetites and whatever type of car you’re looking for, you’ll find it out there.
Alfa Romeo have nothing particularly new on sale but there is the Tonale on the horizon. This very good looking mid-size SUV ushers in plug in hybrid powertrains for the first time, with a petrol engine driving the front wheels and the electrics taking care of the rears to provide four wheel drive. It’s expected to be the Milanese firm’s best seller.
Audi are introducing a plug in hybrid version of their A3 Sportback. The 40 TFSI E features a claimes a useful electric range of 78km and a total output of 204bhp. There’s also a new Q2 small SUV which comes with LED headlights as standard.
On the pure electric side, a new e-tron Sportback has been introduced with coupé like styling. A range of just over 400km is on offer and with 150kW charging on board, an 80% charge can be achieved in just under half an hour. Sports models of the existing electric SUVs will also be on offer, using three electric motors to deliver 500bhp and 0-100 km/h times of 4.5 seconds.
It’s a sporty start for BMW with the launch of their first ever proper hot hatchback. The 128ti marks the return of a revered name plate and it adorns a front wheel drive hatchback with a 2.0 litre petrol turbo offering 265bhp. It’s a real rival to the also recently launched Golf GTi.
The whole 1 and 2 Series are new, with a switch to front wheel drive the major change. X1 and X2 models are the SUVs while the new and larger iX3 is on the way and that offers fully electric power, but not until later in 2021.
As well as a refreshed C3, Citroen will offer a brand new C4 early next year. This will be available with petrol and diesel engines and a fully electric e-C4. The range is said to combine the best features of a hatchback and an SUV.
Cupra is a name that’s still unfamiliar to most but it’s SEAT’s performance arm and up to now has produced sporty versions of regular SEAT models. The Formentor performance SUV is the first exclusive Cupra model offering a choice of a 2.0 litre petrol turbo with 306bhp and four wheel drive or a petrol plug in hybrid based around a 1.4 litre petrol turbo.
Around February, we can expect the all new Dacia Sandero and Stepway. Based on a new platform, they also feature more efficient engines and advanced driver assistance systems along with higher levels of standard equipment.
Ford resurrected a badge from their back catalogue with their new Puma. Instead of a Fiesta-based coupé, this time around we get a Fiesta-based small SUV. It comes with mild hybrid power as standard and also features an innovative storage solution in the form of a very deep well in the boot, making it easy to store taller loads easily.
Like the original Puma, this one also drives very well and there’s even an ST version with a 1.5 litre engine offering 200bhp.
A new Kuga has also joined the range and the exciting news is that the Mustang Mach-E, Ford’s first full production electric car will be here shortly. Although it’s a decently sized SUV, its styling echoes that of the Mustang and it really is an attractive proposition with the promise of a useful driving range.
Also on the electric theme is Honda with their Honda-e city car. When I first saw this in concept car a few years ago I was very impressed with the styling and in its transformation to a full production machine it’s lost little. The interior is equally impressive, dominated by screens all across the dashboard and the option of cameras instead of door mirrors to maximise aerodynamic efficiency and range. That said, the range isn’t huge in this car so it’s really aimed at city users.
There’s a new Hyundai i10, perennially at the top of the city car tree and a new i20 has also just arrived. The big news though is the new Tucson with its outrageous styling. At the front, the standard LED headlights are hidden to become part of the grille, disappearing completely when not in use. The look is really futuristic and hybrid power is also on the menu. Definitely one to look at.
Jaguar have refreshed pretty much the entire range with the XE, XF, E-Pace and F-Pace all facelifted with better equipment and technology.
Kia have a plug in hybrid version of their XCeed SUV, which also offers a different front suspension design over the Ceed hatchback, resulting in a more comfortable ride.
There’s a new Sorento too, which comes with a seven seat option and four wheel drive.
Of course, at Land Rover, it’s all about the new Defender, the replacement for the original, iconic Defender. Now the two cars are poles apart so it’s not really a true replacement. The new Defender is a sophisticated SUV with massive off road ability and credibility. It has lately been joined in the range by a smaller 90 model with two doors.
Mazda are another firm going electric with the launch of their MX-30, and one of the few physical launches to take place this year. I had the chance to drive the car around Dublin and the urban environment suits it down to the ground. It doesn’t have a huge range but it seemed very economical on charge when driving around town. Mazda have deliberately designed it to drive more like a conventional car than an electric car and in this respect, it succeeds and might suit a more conservative customer who is reluctant to embrace battery power. That said, the MX-30 has a very classy interior with high quality materials and it really is a pleasant drive.
Mercedes as ever have a raft of new models, including the GLA and GLB small SUVs. The GLB even includes a seven seater option, a rare thing in this sector.
There’s also a facelifted E-Class on the way, although that will be around the middle of the year and later still, the new S-Class will arrive.
Hybrids will become an increasingly important part of the range, starting with the E300de and E300e, in both saloon and estate variants. In all, 16 hybrid vehicles will be launched in the immediate future.
A name from the past is MG, now under Chinese ownership and coming to Ireland officially for the first time. They’re concentrating on electric cars and I had a sneak preview drive of their 5 EV over the summer. It’s a conventionally styled and attractive car and it makes for a very useable proposition. It should be competitively priced too.
Mini are yet another manufacturer dipping their toes seriously in the electric pond with the
Mini Electric, a car I first saw at the Los Angeles Motor Show last year. They’ve made enough changes to the exterior for it to stand out as something different from its internal combustion siblings but it keeps the famous Mini styling. A 270km range is joined by 50kW charging, offering an 80% charge in 35 minutes. 184bhp from the motor offers the prospect of 0-100km/h in 7.5 seconds.
Nissan’s much-improved second generation Juke will be joined next year by a new Qashqai, offering mild and full hybrid options and much later in the year, by the Ariya, an electric crossover with a range of up to 500km.
Opel, now under PSA ownership, launched their new Corsa at the start of the year. This car offers petrol, diesel or full electric options and they all look identical. In an unusual offer, Opel are offering buyers of the Corsa-e to try the car for six months. If they’re not happy, it will be taken back by Opel and exchanged for an Opel of similar value. They’re also offering a free home charger and the car itself has a range of up to 337km with 80% charge in just 30 minutes when using a fast charger.
There’s a new Crossland on the horizon too, the old Crossland X name has been dropped. It features a new front borrowed from the Mokka.
Peugeot have the sister car to the Corsa, the 208 and this is also available with petrol, diesel or electric powertrains. There’s also refreshed 3008 and 5008 SUVs and an electric e-2008.
Three recent launches from Renault are the Clio and Captur and the electric Zoe. To go along with these, there’s a refreshed Mégane. New E-Tech hybrid powertrains are being introduced across the range with a choice of mild hybrid or full plug in hybrid options.
There’s a completely new model, the Arkana, a coupé SUV, also on the way, although it won’t reach Ireland until the back end of 2021.
SEAT earlier this week held a virtual launch for their new Ateca and Tarraco FR SUV models. A plug in hybrid version will arrive in time for the second half of 2021.
Mainstay of the SEAT range, the Leon, was also replaced by an entirely new model this year and it has been very well received.
Sister company to SEAT, Skoda, have an equally brand new Octavia on their books and as ever, it majors on space for passengers and luggage. Plug in hybrids are represented by the new Superb iV, which combines a 1.4 litre petrol engine with an electric motor to give an EV range of more than 60kms, combined with spritely performance.
Skoda’s first electric car, the Enyaq, is on the way and although it won’t reach customers before June, pre-orders have just begun.
Subaru have launched the first Irish website to allow a new car to be ordered online for collection or delivery. It allows a dealer to be selected and it takes details of your trade in. Finance can also be arranged and all from the comfort of your home. It will be interesting to see if this new way of buying cars gains traction.
Toyota have a brand new version of their perennial favourite, the Yaris. This is available both with a conventional petrol engine and a hybrid option, which most customers seem to be choosing. An SUV variant, the Yaris Cross is also on the way, exclusively with hybrid power.
At the other end of the scale, there’s a new Land Cruiser, with a more powerful 2.8 litre diesel engine.
The ID.3 is Volkswagen’s brave new venture. Not their first electric car but the first to be purpose-built on a dedicated electric platform. It’s the precursor of a range of EVs, with the ID.4 SUV next in line. It’s certainly not conventionally styled but it’s a breath of fresh air and it’s a very capable car.
Fans of more conventional cars can look to the Mk 8 Golf with its new digital interior and a range of powertrains comprising diesel, petrol and the plug in hybrid GTE. There’s a new GTi also with even sharper performance.
Finally, while Volvo’s electric performance arm, Polestar, concentrates on blisteringly fast EVs, there’s an electric version of the XC40 on the horizon. As one of the nicest mid-size SUVs it was also conceived originally with electric power in mind so it should be a good electric option.
