Best new cars for 2016
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From supercars to superminis, we round up the best new models to hit showrooms next year
Things are looking bright for car buyers and in 2016, with new cars appearing every month. Strong sales and growth this year means many manufacturers are busier than ever prepping new models, and every sector will have fresh market entrants.We'll see practical and fun small cars, bonkers hypercars, the latest generation of hybrid tech and all-electric SUVs, and all will hope to make an impact in increasingly competitive sectors.
Some models will put driving thrills first and foremost, while others will push the boundaries in terms of design. Technology will also get more and more prominent in the driving experience, with an increasing amount of autonomous features and connectivity.
If you’re in the market to buy a new car, don’t set foot in a dealership until you’ve read our rundown of the best cars for 2016...
The best new cars coming in 2016
Abarth 500X
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Fiat’s cheeky ad saw a 500 grow into a crossover after ‘swallowing’ a little blue pill. Well, now tuning arm Abarth is set to pump the 500X up further, creating a 200bhp rival to the Nissan Juke Nismo RS and MINI Countryman JCW, and our exclusive image shows how it could look.
Yet the Abarth 500X would get far more than just a flash bodykit, as it’s likely to use the Alfa Romeo 4C’s 1.75-litre turbo. That would mean 0-62mph in less than seven seconds with an extremely fruity soundtrack to match.
Alfa Romeo Giulia
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Alfa Romeo has been absent from the compact executive market for the past four years, and it’s been a less glamorous place as a result. While the brand’s last attempt at a BMW 3 Series beater was the sharp-suited 159, the new Giulia revives a classic Alfa name and uses sensuous looks in a bid to win sales.
Unusually, bosses revealed the hottest model first – the wraps came off the BMW M3-rivalling 4WD QV, with its 503bhp 3.0-litre V6 turbo, this year – but the range will include smaller-engined versions and numerous trim levels to battle the likes of the Mercedes C-Class, Audi’s new A4 and the Jaguar XE.
There’ll be a range of efficient diesels and turbo petrols to appeal to company buyers, and most Giulias will be rear-wheel drive to compete with rivals for thrills. The platform will also underpin Alfa’s new SUV.
Aston Martin DB11
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It’s been a long time coming, but the beautiful DB9 – a car at the heart of the Aston Martin range – will be replaced by the DB11, which is set to arrive in late 2016. Under the bonnet should be a substantial development of the existing 6.0-litre V12, likely turbocharged for added power and better efficiency.
The DB11 – illustrated here in our exclusive image – could also be available with a V8 engine. The likely candidate will be Mercedes-AMG’s latest 4.0-litre twin-turbo, taking advantage of Aston’s relationship with Daimler (the German company has a five per cent stake).
Plus, the interior could share components with Mercedes, with Auto Express spy shots showing a range of buttons and infotainment system from the S-Class. The DB11 will be the first in a new range of Astons, including an all-electric Rapide and DBX crossover.
Audi A5
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Audi will follow up its all-new A4 with a new A5 using the same platform. As our spy shot shows, it will be far more rakish and, as before, come first as a two-door coupé, then later as a more practical five-door Sportback.
As well as being lower and wider than the A4, it will be lighter and more efficient than the car it replaces, plus far more refined. The lower-powered 148bhp 2.0-litre TDI version will emit less than 100g/km of CO2 – and this in a coupé likely to set new quality benchmarks in the class.
Plus:
Audi S4 Price £40,000 (est) On sale Early 2016
Audi Q5 Price £32,000 (est) On sale Summer 2016
Audi Q1 Price £17,000 (est) On sale September 2016
Bentley Bentayga
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Bentley has been threatening to enter the luxury SUV market for years, but the EXP 9 F concept revealed in 2012 was poorly received. The better-looking final product, badged Bentayga, will finally hit dealers early in 2016, priced from £160,000, with the brand aiming to make it the fastest, most luxurious and most exclusive SUV in the world.
Bentley’s familiar 6.0-litre W12 engine will deliver 600bhp and 900Nm of torque, enabling it to get from 0-62mph in four seconds and top nearly 190mph. With those figures, the Bentayga will accelerate as quickly as a Porsche Cayenne Turbo S, but a claimed 22.1mpg and 292g/km of CO2 mean it’ll be costly to run. In time there will be a higher-powered Speed version, as well as more economical diesel and hybrid models.
Plus:
Bentley Grand Convertible Price £300,000 (est), On sale Late 2016
BMW 5 Series
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With the current 5 Series still at the top of the class, the new model seems to have come around quickly. But 2016 will see it arrive with improved efficiency, a cutting-edge chassis and connectivity, and a sleeker profile.
The tech includes a carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) body similar to that used in the i3 to keep weight down, but improvements strength and safety, and a plug-in hybrid drivetrain that will see a 530e model surpass 100mpg. Three-cylinder petrol engines will also feature.
BMW M2
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The eagerly awaited successor to the 1 Series M Coupé is almost with us, offering a rapid, slightly smaller and cheaper alternative to the M4. As our picture shows, it adds some muscle to the familiar 2 Series body.
Unlike the 1M, though, the M2 will be available with manual and automatic gearboxes. Under the bonnet lies an uprated version of the M235i’s turbo straight-six engine, but with 370bhp. That means 0-60mph takes 4.5 seconds for the manual and 4.3 seconds for the auto.
Plus:
BMW i8 Plus Price £150,000 (est), On sale Late 2016
BMW 330e Price £35,000 (est), On sale Early 2016
BMW X4 M40i Price £55,000, On sale Late 2016
BMW M4 GTS Price £122,500 (est), On sale March 2016
Dacia Duster
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Unusually, the Dacia Duster facelift was revealed in 2013 but went on sale only in left-hand-drive European markets. From 2016, though, we’ll get a cleaned-up Duster in the UK, benefiting from smart-looking daytime running lights housed in an altogether neater, tidier-looking grille.
Refinement will be improved with the introduction of a new 123bhp 1.2-litre turbo petrol, which even in the 4x4 Duster will approach 50mpg. A welcome and classy makeover for the French-Romanian budget SUV.
Fiat Tipo
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Fiat will once again compete with the likes of the Ford Focus and Vauxhall Astra with its new compact hatch, which sees the return of the Tipo badge to the UK. Previewed by the Agea concept – a name the saloon version will wear only in Turkey – it’s due in September of next year, and will be available as a spacious five-door and a more practical estate.
The model should come with 1.4 and 1.6-litre petrol engines, and Fiat is likely to offer 1.3 and 1.6-litre diesels, too. Fiat will be pitching it at the lower end of the hatchback segment, so expect prices from under £15,000
Ford Edge
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The Euro-spec Edge finally broke cover at the recent Frankfurt Motor Show. It’s based on the new Mondeo and will sit above the EcoSport and Kuga SUVs in Ford’s current model range.
It’s designed as a cut-price alternative to cars like the BMW X3 and Audi Q5, and will major on space and practicality, with five seats and a big boot. Much of its dashboard and interior design is borrowed from the Mondeo, with tech such as inflatable seatbelts and Active Noise Cancellation carried over, too.
It’ll launch with a pair of 2.0-litre TDCi diesel engines, with either 188bhp or 207bhp. The latter is only available with a six-speed auto gearbox, while the entry-level car makes do with a manual. Trim levels range from Trend, through Sport and Titanium – with 80 per cent of buyers expected to opt for the range-topping model.
Plus:
Ford Ranger Price £19,000, On sale 2016
Ford GT Price £250,000 (est), On sale Late 2016
Honda NSX
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On one side of Honda’s production range is the zero emissions FCV; on the other is the Ferrari-baiting NSX supercar. Development has been protracted – the original came in 1995 and this replacement arrives next year after being announced in 2007 – but the wait will be worthwhile.
The car combines a petrol V6 and three electric motors to deliver 550bhp via a twin-clutch gearbox, and promises physics-defying handling. Yet fuel economy will be on par with that of a diesel family hatchback. Everyone’s a winner.