Best new cars for 2018
Alfa Romeo 5 Series rival
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Price: From £35,000
On sale: Late 2018
The Giulia proved Alfa can seriously challenge market-leaders such as the BMW 3 Series, and the brand is now looking to repeat the trick with a rival for the BMW 5 Series and Mercedes E-Class. Alfa has stayed tight-lipped about the unnamed saloon, but our exclusive image shows how we think it will look. We expect it to share the Giulia’s style, using the same platform and engine range.
• Alfa Romeo's new BMW 5 Series rival
Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio
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Price: From £65,000 (est)
On sale: Summer
Alfa’s Giulia Quadrifoglio proved the firm can make superb high-performance cars, and the Stelvio Quadrifoglio looks like another hit.
It gets the same 503bhp 2.9-litre bi-turbo V6 and eight-speed auto as the flagship saloon, and they’re every bit as effective here. The Stelvio is an incredibly fast and secure performance SUV – and a worthy rival for the Porsche Macan Turbo.
• Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio review
Alpine A110
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Price: From £51,000 (est)
On sale: Now
You won’t find a better revival than the A110. This Porsche Cayman rival looks like its sixties’ namesake, but it’s a thoroughly 21st-century sports car, with a rear-drive aluminium chassis and superb agility. Order books are already open, and the first owners will take delivery in June. Those cars will be well-equipped Premiere Edition models – which will cost about £51,000 – but the range will expand in the future. It will certainly include some cheaper versions, plus a lighter and more powerful Sport.
Aston Martin DBS Superleggera
Price: £220,000
On sale: Summer
The above picture shows the new Aston Martin DBS Superleggera – the replacement for the Vanquish. It shares much of its profile with the DB11, but with 715bhp and 900Nm of torque being pumped out of its 5.2-litre twin turbo V12 expect the DBS to be a different kind of beast to its stablemate. Pitched by Aston as a bit of a "brute" the DBS will be able to hit 100mph in just 6.4 seconds – however it is expected to cost £225,000 when it goes on sale later this year.
Aston Martin V8 Vantage
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Price: From £120,900
On sale: Now
Aston Martin is back in the black and powering along nicely, with £87million profit recorded in 2017. The new V8 Vantage is now all set to give the firm another significant sales boost.
The latest car shares its basic aluminium architecture with the larger DB11, as well as its rear-wheel-drive layout and AMG-sourced 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8. In the Vantage this produces 503bhp and 685Nm of torque to give a 0-62mph time of 3.6 seconds and a top speed of 195mph.
With 50:50 weight distribution, an electronic E-Diff rear differential and adaptive dampers, the Vantage promises to offer handling to match its high performance.
• Aston Martin Vantage 2018 prototype review
Audi A1
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Price: From £15,000 (est)
On sale: Winter
Audi is gearing up to move its smallest car on to the same A0 version of the MQB platform as the new SEAT Ibiza and Volkswagen Polo.
As a result, the new A1, previewed in our exclusive image, is expected to be roomier than at present thanks to a 90mm-longer wheelbase. The engine line-up is likely to resemble that of the Polo, and include a 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol with a range of outputs. Audi could launch a BMW i3-rivalling plug-in hybrid A1 e-tron, too.
• All we know about the new Audi A1
Audi A6
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Price: From £35,000 (est)
On sale: June
Audi has held nothing back for its all-new A6, which moves the game on from the current car in every area. It’s bigger, for a start, and with an extra 12mm in the wheelbase, there’s more legroom without sacrificing any of the old model’s 530 litres of boot space.
The A6 also benefits from aluminium panels in order to counteract the weight gain brought about by the mild-hybrid powertrains across the range. Borrowing tech from the bigger A8 means buyers can specify air suspension for the smoothest ride possible, too.
Audi e-tron
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Price: From £60,000 (est)
On sale: Summer
We have yet to see a production version of Audi’s first pure EV, but the company did bring camouflaged e-tron prototypes to the recent Geneva show, no doubt to steal some of the Jaguar I-Pace’s thunder. The e-tron will be the first of a pair of all-electric crossovers built on the VW Group’s MLB platform.
We’d expect it to offer around 310 miles of range from a single charge – although it’s still feasible that Audi could offer it with more than one battery capacity.
Audi Q3
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Price: From £27,000 (est)
On sale: Autumn
It’s no surprise that Audi is busy putting the finishing touches to its new Q3, because the current version is now the oldest model in its range. The new Q3 will be marginally larger on the outside, and with a longer wheelbase, it should offer more interior space as the brand fights for sales against the BMW X1 and Volvo XC40.
To that end, Auto Express understands Audi is also working on an all-electric version of the Q3 to sell alongside petrol and diesel models, and a plug-in hybrid e-tron. Despite such major changes under the bodywork, our exclusive images show that the Q3’s styling will be very much an evolutionary affair.
Audi Q8
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Price: £65,000 (est)
On sale: Late 2018
As part of the rapid expansion of its range of SUVs, Audi will be introducing a new flagship Q8. This will be the brand’s largest Q car, and is intended to be an all-out luxury 4x4 to rival the likes of the Range Rover.
Underneath, it’s based on the Q7, but the Q8 will have a more distinctive, coupé-like look; judging by the latest spy shots, it looks very much like the Q8 concept from the 2017 Detroit show. We also expect the car to be available with the e-tron plug-in hybrid petrol-electric transmission from the concept.
Audi SQ2
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Price: From £33,000 (est)
On sale: Mid-2018
We’ve been seeing spy shots for a while, but we expect Audi will finally introduce a hot Q2 later this year. The most recent pictures reveal tell-tale quad exhausts and enlarged air intakes, as well as large brake discs.
The SQ2 is likely to use a version of the four-cylinder turbo from the S3, and we expect it’ll offer around 250bhp, use all-wheel drive and feature a sportier chassis set-up. That would then leave the possibility of Audi introducing an even faster RS Q2 model, using the same engine as the RS 3.
Bentley Bentayga PHEV
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Price: From £150,000 (est)
On sale: Autumn
The hybrid Bentley SUV is said to be the first step to full electrification. It has a 3.0-litre V6 petrol turbo, electric motor and generator, and claims 75g/km CO2 emissions and a 31-mile EV range.
Other than a charging socket, it looks much the same as any Bentayga, but various functions – such as the instruments, sat-nav and smartphone app – have been tailored to suit the hybrid mode.
Bentley Continental GT
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Price: From £159,100
On sale: Now
Bentley’s Continental GT has always had help from the VW Group, but this car is based on the latest Porsche Panamera – and it shows. Its sheer breadth of abilities will take your breath away.
At more sedate pace, it’s more comfortable than ever, although on track in Sport mode the Conti is incredibly capable. And the cabin is supremely refined and classy, and packed with kit.
BMW 3 Series
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Price: From £28,000 (est)
On sale: Winter
Despite SUVs dominating the headlines, the new 3 Series is perhaps BMW’s most important car. It’s immensely popular for both private and fleet buyers, and has a rich bloodline to live up to.
As with the larger 5 and 7 Series, the next-generation 3 Series, previewed in our exclusive image, will feature an evolutionary design, so it’s fresh but familiar. Under the skin, however, this is a completely different car that is based on the German firm’s latest CLAR modular platform.
This means it will use innovative materials to save weight. The set-up also allows it to accommodate not only a new version of the current 330e plug-in hybrid, but potentially a fully electric 3 Series – to rival the Tesla Model 3 – at some stage as well. Of course, the 3 Series will be offered with petrol and diesel engines, too; the range is likely to kick off with a downsized 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo motor.
It’ll take a step forward in terms of technology as well, with much of the infotainment and driver assist features borrowed from the new 5 Series.
• BMW 3 Series specs, pics and full details
BMW 8 Series
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Price: From £65,000 (est)
On sale: Late 2018
Stand by to welcome a whole family of 8 Series cars, with a convertible, Gran Coupé and M8 set to join the regular coupé caught on test by our spies. Since the Concept 8 Series appeared last May, we’ve seen various cars on the road, suggesting the front end will be toned down for production. But the svelte bonnet grooves and slim laser headlamps remain.
The 8 Series is based on the same platform as the 7 Series, so expect the most popular cars to use smaller-capacity six and eight-cylinder engines.
BMW M5
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Price: £89,640
On sale: Now
Fans of fast BMWs may have been alarmed when the firm announced its M5 was going to have four-wheel drive. But this sixth-generation model has everything it takes to challenge the mighty Mercedes-AMG E 63.
The M xDrive system offers a bespoke calibration for the M5, and the benefit is huge traction, so you can deploy all of its performance. There are 4WD, 4WD Sport and 2WD modes, and in Sport, the active M diff on its rear axle helps to make the car feel more nimble than something this big and heavy has any right to.
BMW i8 Roadster
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Price: From £124,730
On sale: Now
The i8 Roadster costs £12,000 more than the coupé; and, as well as the electrically operated fabric roof, the open-top i8 has its own suspension set-up and an uprated petrol-electric hybrid powertrain that will also be introduced to the coupé variant.
It gives the four-wheel-drive roadster 33 miles of all-electric range, as well as a 0-62mph sprint time of 4.6 seconds. That’s slightly slower than the coupé, partly due to the extra 60kg of body strengthening the roadster carries to compensate for the loss of the roof.
BMW X2
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Price: From £30,040
On sale: Now
The BMW X2 is a cross between an SUV and a coupé that should appeal to buyers in the market for a smaller and cheaper version of the German company’s X4 or X6. As with its larger siblings, the X2 is based on a conventional BMW SUV (the X1 in this case), but through a combination of style and a more exciting driving experience, it’s designed to attract younger buyers.
Sure enough, the result is an SUV that is even more agile on the road than the X1, and although passenger and boot space aren’t quite as generous, there’s still enough room for four people to travel in comfort.
BMW X4
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Price: From £42,900
On sale: Now
X marks the spot for BMW, with the X3, X2 and now X4 rushing to market within months of each other. As before, the new X4 is a coupé version of the X3, based on the same CLAR platform and with a similar 5 Series-inspired cabin. It’s longer than the outgoing X4 and has a lower roofline to ensure a sportier appearance, as well as 25 litres more boot space to give a total capacity of 525 litres. At launch there are 20d and 30d diesels, with BMW yet to say if it will sell petrol X4s in the UK.
BMW X7
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Price: From £70,000 (est)
On sale: Late 2018
BMW’S new Range Rover-rivalling X7 SUV is likely to arrive in dealers later on this year, possibly after making its production debut at September’s Paris Motor Show. We think it will stay pretty close to the Concept X7 iPerformance that was revealed at the Frankfurt show last September.
That means it should carry over the concept’s enormous kidney grilles and front bumper, as well as a similar tailgate and tail-light set-up. A seven-seat option should also be offered.
BMW Z4
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Price: From £35,000 (est)
On sale: Winter
The third-generation Z4 will go back to a soft-top roof as BMW aims to once again take on the Porsche Boxster and Mercedes SLC.
The new car has been developed with Toyota, which will launch the GR Supra using the same platform. Both will be rear-wheel drive, while Auto Express understands the Z4 will have the choice of 2.0-litre four-cylinder or 3.0-litre straight- six engines. BMW says most of the styling of 2017’s concept will make production.
Citroen C5 Aircross
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Price: From £20,000 (est)
On sale: Late 2018
It’s been a long time coming, but the Citroen C5 Aircross will finally go on sale at the end of this year. We first saw it at last April’s Shanghai Motor Show, and the European version will appear in the middle of this year before starring at the Paris show in October.
The C5 Aircross is based on the same platform as the Peugeot 3008 and Vauxhall Grandland X, and we expect the engine range to mirror the Peugeot’s. Citroen says it will offer class-leading space inside and new ‘Progressive Hydraulic Cushion’ suspension.
Cupra Ateca
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Price: From £35,000 (est)
On sale: Winter
As we’ve seen with the Cupra Ibiza, SEAT is taking its performance models to the next level with its standalone Cupra range. And the Cupra Ateca will be the first car from the new brand. The 296bhp, all-wheel-drive version of SEAT’s SUV features a 2.0-litre petrol turbo, seven-speed dual-clutch auto and adaptive suspension to give performance worthy of the aggressive bodykit.
The new brand claims its Ateca will accelerate from 0-62mph in just 5.4 seconds and have a top speed of 152mph, while a selection of driving modes will firm up the suspension and pipe more engine noise into the cabin. Setting the SUV apart visually are quad exhausts and 19-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels. Other Cupra cars based on SEAT vehicles are set to follow the Ateca, with the possibility of a standalone model from the marque, too.
Dacia Duster
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Price: From £9,995 (est)
On sale: Summer
Considering the new Duster SUV is based on the same platform as the car it replaces, Dacia has done an effective job of updating the looks, with a fresh honeycomb grille, LED daytime running lightsand raised bonnet line giving it a more upmarket feel.
The cabin has also been spruced up, with larger seats and a touchscreen system that sits higher on the dashboard to make it easier to use, although it’s worth noting that boot space has been reduced by 25 litres to 445 litres in front-wheel-drive versions. Dacia has carried over petrol and diesel engines from the previous car, albeit with improvements to refinement.
• New 2018 Dacia Duster review
DS 3 SUV
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Price: From £22,000 (est)
On sale: Winter
Following the recent launch of the DS 7 Crossback, PSA’s luxury brand will add a smaller SUV to its model range. It’s likely to be badged DS 3 Crossback, and the move is being seen within the company as crucial in order to give existing owners of the DS 3 premium hatchback a viable upgrade instead of losing their custom to cars such as the MINI Countryman and Audi Q2.
The new DS 3 Crossback could be a pioneering model for a number of reasons. For starters, it could be the first car to use the group’s new CMP small car platform (if Peugeot doesn’t get there first with its next-generation 208). And on top of that, it could be the first all-electric DS. The indications are that an EV version of the DS 3 Crossback would use a 50kWh battery to deliver a range of around 280 miles from a single charge.
Ferrari 488 Pista
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Price: From £210,000 (est)
On sale: Now
The name is derived from the Italian word for ‘track’, and that’s where many of the 488 Pista’s lightweight parts and aerodynamics were developed. Oh, and the 710bhp the 3.9-litre engine produces makes this the most powerful V8 Ferrari ever.
It manages 0-62mph in 2.85 seconds, while the ‘Ferrari Dynamic Enhancer’ makes the most of that performance, adjusting the brake pressure at the calipers to give the car extra pace and predictability when accelerating through and out of corners.
• New Ferrari 488 Pista lands as the brand's most powerful V8 ever
Ferrari Portofino
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Price: From £166,180
On sale: Now
Ten years after the California T arrived, it’s been replaced by the Portofino – and after our first taste we said it was hard to fault. The new front-engined, rear-wheel-drive roadster not only has more power, but also a new chassis with revised suspension.
Rather than its on-the-limit handling, what first strikes you is how comfortably it rides on its electronic suspension, which helps to make this an everyday Ferrari. It’s also capable of dramatic performance, with a suitably spectacular noise to accompany it.
Ford Edge
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Price: From £32,000 (est)
On sale: Nov 2018
Never mind the backlash against diesel; Ford’s revised Edge won’t be available in petrol form when it goes on sale later this year. What it will get is a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder twin-turbodiesel, badged EcoBlue and producing 235bhp, plus sporty ST-Line trim. Other versions are Titanium and the more luxurious Vignale.
The facelift includes reshaped headlamps and grille, plus a raft of extra safety kit. And a new front-wheel-drive model with a less powerful engine could bring down the starting price of the range.
Ford Ka+
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Price: From £10,795
On sale: Summer
The Ka+ hasn’t been on sale for very long, but a revised version will hit Ford dealers this summer.
Yet this is far more than just a facelift. As well as the revised grille, headlamps and daytime running lights, there is a new infotainment system and fresh engines, with a three-cylinder 1.2 petrol replacing the old four-cylinder, and a 1.5-litre diesel joining the line-up.
Also, a new top-spec Ka+ Active, with a 23mm increase in ride height and SUV-inspired looks, will rival Kia’s Picanto X-Line and Vauxhall’s Viva Rocks.
Ford Fiesta ST
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Price: From £19,000 (est)
On sale: May
Talk about having big boots to fill. The new Fiesta ST takes over from one of the best fast Fords there’s ever been, its task made even more difficult by the fact that it uses a smaller engine than its predecessor.
Small doesn’t have to mean weak, however; Ford has demonstrated this by squeezing an additional 17bhp from the ST’s 1.5-litre three-cylinder unit than it did from the old four-cylinder 1.6. That gives a total of 197bhp, which in turn is enough to get the new ST from 0-62mph in 6.7 seconds. Let’s just hope the car has the ride and handling to match; we’ll find out when we get behind the wheel in the coming weeks.
• Ford Fiesta ST specs, performance, price and video
Ford Focus
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Price: From £19,000 (est)
On sale: Spring
The new Focus will continue to use Ford’s Global C-car platform, but with a revised cabin and sleek styling, previewed in our exclusive image. Ford wants to recapture the Mk1’s handling magic, so it’s employed the team responsible for the new Fiesta and Ka+, both of which mix fun with a smooth ride. Alongside the standard car, there’ll be a sporty ST-Line, luxurious Vignale and a jacked-up Active model.
Ford Mustang
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Price: From £35,995
On sale: Summer
Ford’s facelifted Mustang is due to go on sale in the summer. It’s not a major revamp, but styling tweaks include sharper headlights and bumper, a reprofiled bonnet and new C-shaped tail-lamps, while inside the company has installed a new set of digital dials.
There are more customisation options to choose from, too, and at the same time both engines have been tweaked and are now available with a 10-speed auto. Finally, the chassis has been revised in an effort to make the car even more engaging to drive.
Ford Ranger
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Price: From £23,000 (est)
On sale: Late 2018
Following its debut at January’s Detroit Motor Show, a facelifted version of Ford’s Ranger pick-up will arrive later this year. It’s only a very minor nip and tuck, with reshaped headlamps and a slimmer front grille, while the Ranger name has been stamped into the tailgate.
Details on the UK model range are scarce, but in the US the new car comes with a 2.3-litre turbocharged EcoBoost petrol engine, linked to a new 10-speed auto box. Ford claims this combination delivers V6 performance with the fuel efficiency of a four-cylinder.
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