All the most important new cars coming this year & beyond

These are the cars we reckon are the ones to watch, illustrated by our spy shots and artist impressions of how they may look:

Audi is finishing work on a new track-focused special edition of the RS3 as it celebrates the car’s signature five-cylinder engine, which is under threat from forthcoming EU emissions regulations.

The new variant has been spotted testing on the Nürburgring Nordschleife for the first time ahead of its launch, expected to take place in early 2026.

Hyundai is preparing to make a major reinvention of the Tucson, which is its best-selling model. It will give the popular family SUV a boxy new look inspired by the larger Hyundai Santa Fe.

It's expected to go on sale in the second half of 2026, and we recently spotted development vehicles testing on the road in Germany.

In May 2025, Porsche registered the model names ‘Flachbau’ and ‘Flachbau RS’ as trademarks. The word “Flachbau” is Slantnose in English. The slantnose 911s of the 1980s with pop-up headlights were extremely rare and are today very valuable. But we recently spotted a new-generation of the cars out testing – these are based on the older 991 generation 911s, so whether they will launch in this form we shall see; they may just be a development exercise.

Volkswagen is working on the most powerful Golf it has ever made, with plans to fit a new 25th anniversary version of the Golf R with the same turbocharged 2.5-litre five-cylinder petrol engine used by the Audi RS3.

The model is expected to arrive in 2027 and will mark a farewell for the pure-petrol Golf before its move to electrification. As stated earlier, the engine is under threat from new emission regulations.

The new fourth-generation Twingo will arrive in mid-2026 as the new bargain-priced entry point to Renault’s expanding electric vehicle range, and a major rival to the Volkswagen ID 1. We recently spotted the car out testing in France.

McLaren has long resisted the idea of building an SUV, stating that it was a sports car maker, plain and simple. However, a new management team arrived in 2025 with new ideas, and as a result we believe an SUV will be part of the company’s range by 2030; this is our idea of what it might look like.

The second-generation DS 7 will arrive in 2026, and the new SUV will be sold exclusively with electric power. It moves onto a new platform, and it will be a competitor to cars like the new BMW iX3.

Arriving eight years after the current model first went on sale, it will be the latest addition to a new-look DS range headed by the new Nº8 flagship. 

Rivian’s R1T electric pickup trucks have been well received in America, and now a smaller and more affordable Rivian R2 SUV is due to arrive, and we recently spotted it out testing in the USA. 

The cars we spotted had massive BFGoodrich Trail-Terrain tyres and a brand-new rim design. We expect production to start in early 2026.

We spotted the new Range Rover Velar EV testing recently at the Nürburgring Nordschleife. It currently looks like the Velar Mk2 will only be available as an electric vehicle, with no conventional engine offering. However, it seems the car’s arrival will be delayed into 2026 – as will the arrival of the all-electric full-size Range Rover.

We’ve seen this new electric SUV out testing several times recently, but in these recent pictures the prototype cars have lost most of its camouflage. The side window line, side skirts, details at the front and rear, and the rest of the vehicle are undisguised and reveal most of the car. The car’s launch has been delayed by a slower take up of electric cars in Europe, and the existing petrol-powered Cayenne will continue in production for some time.

We expect the new Cayenne EV to be unveiled in November 2025, with first deliveries in early 2026.

Alpine is going to launch a supercar in 2028 with a turbocharged V6 hybrid powertrain producing more than 1000bhp. The new car was previewed by the firm’s hydrogen-powered Alpenglow concept, which also featured a V6. However, Alpine has opted to add twin electric motors on the front axle to create an all-wheel-drive layout and increase the power output.

Bentley will soon unveil a new Continental Supersports as a top-of-the-range pure-combustion V8 packing more than 640bhp; it will serve as a showcase for a line of new “extreme” performance cars.

We recently spotted the new model testing in Germany, with the prototype’s large rear spoiler and bold quad exhausts hinting at its performance edge. The test car otherwise sported standard bodywork, but we believe that the production version, set to be revealed in late 2025, will receive a far more dramatic makeover from the recently updated standard Continental GT.

Hyundai is currently developing an affordable rival for the Renault 4 as it looks to reinforce its position in Europe and get significantly closer to its Kia sibling in sales terms.

The imminent arrival of the EV, which is likely to be badged Ioniq 2, shows the breadth of Hyundai’s expanding line-up as it pushes into the fast-growing new electric hatchback segment. The move is intended to bring new buyers to the brand.

BMW is going to unveil the new iX3 SUV very soon. It will be the first model to feature the Neue Klasse design language, and we expect the car to feature a notably long range. We expect deliveries of the first cars at the end of 2025.

We’ve spotted the new M3 EV testing on the road in the past, but these are the first spyshots of the car testing on the Nürburgring. The prototype has taken off some of his front camouflage and reveals the air intakes in the front bumper.

To enable maximum flexibility, the model will also be available with petrol-hybrid power; we expect it in 2028.

Production of the petrol-powered 718 Cayman and Boxster will end in October 2025; the next-generation models will both be electric-powered only. They were due to arrive in 2025, but delays caused by engineering, software, and battery-sourcing problems pushed back the launch, probably into 2026.

The fifth-generation of Porsche’s flagship performance 911 has been spied testing around the Nürburgring Nordschleife – and looking very serious while it does so. The relatively undisguised GT3 RS- based prototype reveals widened body panels to accommodate a wider track, and a revised rear end that resembles that of the 911 Turbo.

For the first time, the GT2 RS will incorporate hybrid technology, and combined with a 3.8-litre twin-turbocharged flat six, the new model’s power output is anticipated to be north of 750bhp.

Production of the current-generation petrol-powered Macan will stop in the summer of 2026, and it will be replaced by a new model codenamed ‘M1’ that will be a sister car to the Audi Q5, the third generation of which arrived in summer 2024. That will speed its development programme, and also mean that for the first time in Porsche history it will offer a car that is biased towards front-wheel drive.

The DB12 has been around since 2023, and we recently spotted a new top-of-the-range S model testing at the Nürburgring; we expect this to launch towards the start of 2026.

Bentley’s first electric vehicle will arrive in 2026. The SUV will be one of 10 EV and plug-in hybrid models to be launched in the space of a decade.

The first EV from Bentley had been due in 2025 but, like other car firms, Bentley has pushed its timescales back, including its ambition to become electric-only, which is now set for 2035.

The radical new electric BMW 3 Series has hit the Nürburgring for testing for the first time, as the company gears up to take on cars like the Tesla Model 3 in 2026.

Expected to revive the i3 name, the electric 3 Series will be the second model to use BMW's new Neue Klasse modular EV platform, following the launch of the closely related iX3 SUV in 2025.

The new car will also get a wagon version, and this photo shows what we think it will look like.

Are small cars hot again? Perhaps. We thought Mercedes was going to drop the A-Class, but continued good sales – and poor sales of EVs – means that it will stay in production until 2028. However, the Audi A1 is not going to be replaced. Meanwhile, BMW remains committed to this market and will relaunch the 1 Series as an Electric Vehicle in 2028.

We recently spotted the next generation X5 testing on the public road for the first time, in Munich. It looks like the model also adopts the new BMW ‘Neue Klasse’ design language.  We also spotted it at the start of this year at BMW’s winter testing location in Sweden, where it got stuck in the snow. We expect this new model in 2026.

BMW will completely overhaul its current combustion-powered line-up to bring these models into line with a range of incoming Neue Klasse electric cars. The new-era EVs will begin with the unveiling of the iX3 at the Munich motor show in September and this will kick-start a rapid-fire refresh programme for BMW, which is working to ensure its current-generation models are not outpaced by newer siblings.

Before then, though, BMW will redesign and substantially upgrade models that are not yet due for replacement, to ensure a coherent, logical line-up. The first of these will be the 5 Series, due in 2026. Although the eighth-generation saloon was launched in 2023, recent spy shots reveal that it is already preparing to undergo a significant refresh. This update – which is also destined for the M5 – is centred on a striking, prominent new nose that will bring its design into line with the Neue Klasse models.

BMW has started testing the next iteration of the X7. A heavily camouflaged prototype has been spotted on public roads for the first time, revealing key details. It features a set of functional exhaust pipes, for instance, which confirms that it will stick with combustion power – although an EV is also on the cards. We expect this model to arrive in 2027.

We had assumed the first Ferrari EV would be a sports car, but in early 2025 we spotted the car out testing wearing modified Maserati Levante bodywork. This strongly suggests that Ferrari’s first electric car will be an SUV – but we’ll find out for sure when it’s unveiled on 9 October 2025.

We’ve been waiting to see what the Shelby versions of the new Mustang will look like, and we now have the answer: our spyshots suggest the new model will sport a super-aggressive look and make it clear that this will be a very special and exclusive Mustang. We expect the car to arrive later in 2025 as a 2026 model.

Genesis will soon launch a hot new version of its GV60 electric crossover. The track-inspired take on the high-riding hatchback – revealed as a concept in 2024 – is the first car from the Korean maker’s new Magma performance brand, touting Hyundai

It’s closely related to the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, so we assume it will also have a 89.0kWh battery and 641bhp dual-motor powertrain.

This SUV EV will be the flagship Genesis brand when it launches in 2026, and we recently spotted it testing at the Nürburgring in Germany. It’s a sister car to the new Hyundai Ioniq 9, and like that car will have three rows of seats and a healthy range of up to 385 miles.

The Infiniti QX55 hasn’t been selling very well, and is set to be replaced by the QX65 coupe-SUV towards the end of 2025. Powered by a 2.0-litre petrol engine, it will be built by Nissan at the company’s Tennessee factory – handy as that will help it evade new US import tariffs.

Kia’s three-row SUV has been a hit in key markets like the USA, and now it’s out testing a second-generation car. The headlights and tail-lights are almost completely uncovered, revealing clean, modern styling. The overall shape shows similarities to its Hyundai Palisade sister car. We expect this car to be formally unveiled later in 2025.

Land Rover is going to capitalise on the success of its Defender model by expanding its range and introducing a smaller electric-powered Sport model in 2027. It’s possible that this car will effectively replace the ageing Discovery Sport model in Land Rover’s range.

Mazda is going to launch a large all-electric SUV, to be called Mazda CX-6e, and we recently spotted it testing in Germany. We expect it launch in later 2025 or 2026.

The new electric GT 4-Door Coupé super-saloon will feature around 1000bhp, and is therefore poised to become one of the firm’s most powerful road cars yet. Expected soon, we spotted it testing once again recently, and it’s certainly very low and very long.

A concept car (top left) previewing the new model was revealed in June 2025, and it recently set a new electric car record by covering 3405 miles in 24 hours; this occurred at the Nardo test track in Italy.

Testing has started for the next generation GLB which will launch in 2026. The new model will be launched as either a petrol hybrid or EV. The prototype pictured here is electric.

The GLB will share a platform with the new CLA; both will be available with rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive. The 800-volt architecture should be able to charge with up to 320 kW and generate a range of around 250 miles in 15 minutes. The long-range model with a large battery is expected to have a range of up to 466 miles.

The Mercedes GLC model will become an EV in 2026. We do know that the car will be based on the MB.EA platform and we gather it will have an architecture that will  allow a range of 440 miles and recharging to 186 miles in just 10 minutes.

Mercedes will use its new MB.EA platform to create the first all-electric C-Class model, due to arrive in 2026. The company is working hard to improve its efficiency, which should yield a range of over 400 miles.

Mercedes-AMG is working on a new electric GT SUV, which will be among the most powerful cars the brand has ever made, with around 1000bhp. It’s the first SUV that AMG has developed independent of Mercedes-Benz.

The SUV will be heavily focused on road-going performance but insiders have said that it will offer variable ride height control to improve ground clearance in off-road use. We expect the car to the on the road in 2027.

This will be a new small SUV EV that will get the rugged looks of the full-size G-Class but be sized for city driving. It will be sister car to the GLB and new CLA models. We expect it in 2027 or 2028.

Mercedes-AMG is set to roll out advanced new electric motor technology across a new range of “hyper-performance” models - starting with 500bhp-plus successors to the CLA 45 4Matic+ Saloon and Shooting Brake. The new motors were developed in partnership with Yasa, a British-based engineering firm acquired by Mercedes-Benz in 2021.

Porsche race driver Lars Kem is putting the latest fast Porsche through testing at the moment.  For this special Taycan model, Porsche has partnered with tuning specialists Manthey Racing. The car features a widened body (over the standard car) and has various bodywork changes to make it both easily identifiable and improve its handling at high speeds.

The notion of the powerful 911 GT3 engine in a drop-top is an exciting prospect, and it looks like that is what we’ll get with the new 911 Speedster, which we spotted out testing recently. At first it may resemble a standard Cabriolet model, but in fact features special items like centrally-located exhausts, GT3-style. The front bumper and vented bonnet are also GT3 features. We expect this model in 2026.

The first electric Range Rover will be crucial to finding sales volume and perhaps helping convert a new group of buyers to EVs. The company says 62,000 people have expressed an interest in buying the new model.

Most notably, this prototype has a completely redesigned grille from the current petrol and diesel version of the car. It’s been delayed again because of the slow market for EVs. We now expect the car to be unveiled in 2026.

In addition to the all-electric Range Rover EV and the future Range Rover Velar EV, the Range Rover Sport will also be available as an all-electric model. We expect the car to be on the road in late 2025, also.

The next-generation Renault Clio is set to ditch pure-petrol engines and go hybrid-only when it arrives in late 2025. It will also introduce several new design cues, as shown in our pictures of a new prototype spotted testing on public roads. These include a more prominent nose as well as twin-decked lip spoilers at the rear.

Audi’s new third-generation Q7 SUV is set to arrive in dealerships in later 2025. It will be powered by petrol and diesel engines; Audi has been revising its schedule recently, and it looks like it will continue selling conventional ICE cars for longer than previously thought. A fast SQ7 is also being developed (pictured right).

Alongside the new Q7, a new larger three-row Q9 model will arrive, probably in 2026. We spotted the high performance SQ9 model hurtling around the Nürburgring earlier in 2025.

We spotted a range of new Audi models testing in the Arctic Circle. This model is the new A6 Allroad, and will have conventional engine options. All-wheel drive is standard, and we expect the car to arrive in 2025.

Audi Sport is to resurrect the RS6 saloon as an electric-powered rival to the likes of the recently unveiled BMW i5 M60 saloon and the Mercedes-AMG EQE 53 saloon. An RS6 E-tron Avant variant is also anticipated.

However, an ICE-powered RS6 Avant, based on the recently unveiled ninth generation A6, is also on the way. It remains to be confirmed whether the new petrol-powered RS6 will have six or eight cylinders, although plug-in hybrid technology is highly likely regardless of which powerplant is chosen.

The new Audi RS5 Avant is due in late 2025 as a fast sports estate that will kick off a move into electrification by the Audi Sport performance division. The first plug-in hybrid from Audi Sport will be a successor to today’s 2.9-litre V6 RS4. It will keep that engine, but the additional electric motor should boost power beyond the 444bhp currently available. In our new spy shots, the two RS oval tailpipes can be seen close to the centre, unlike previous Audi RS models.

Skoda has begun testing on its new 7-seat SUV electric vehicle at the Nürburgring. It will arrive in 2026 to compete with models like the Kia EV9.

We first saw this all-electric compact SUV as a concept car in 2024, and now we’ve spotted the production version out testing. It will be a sister car to the VW ID.2 and Cupra Raval, and we expect it to arrive in 2026.

Toyota is testing a road-going version of its new GT3 race car. We suspect it may be a successor to the famous Lexus LFA supercar, and as such may receive the name LFR. Our photographer watched as the car moved silently before a conventional engine kicked in, suggesting this car will be a hybrid, with a V8 engine. Two camouflaged prototypes were seen at the 2025 Goodwood Festival of Speed, and it’s possible one was electric and the other conventionally powered.

A striking concept car (pictured top left) seemingly previewing the new model was unveiled at the recent Monterrey Car Week in California.

The new Volvo EX60, which is set to arrive in 2026, will be the first car to sit on an advanced new platform that is highly scalable and features advanced computing technology.

The EX60 will be a key model for Volvo’s electric switch as the EV equivalent of the hugely popular XC60 family SUV, which has long been the Swedish firm’s best-seller.

Volkswagen could revive plans to launch a highly capable electric off-roader by using a new platform being developed by Scout Motors. The new American brand, owned by Volkswagen, is currently developing an SUV and a pick-up truck.

The Terra pick-up and Traveler SUV will both be offered with electric and range-extender powertrains and will benefit from software developed by Volkswagen’s new joint venture with Rivian. The models will be built at a new US plant under construction in South Carolina, and are due to be launched in around 2028.

Volkswagen is scheduled to reveal a chunky, supermini-sized electric crossover called the iD 2X at the Munich motor show in September 2025. Previewed as a concept car in 2024, the iD 2X is a higher-riding sibling to the Volkswagen Polo-sized iD 2, which is due to be launched later this year, and will effectively serve as an EV alternative to the T-Cross.

Volkswagen is considering launching an electric compact MPV to replace the Touran and offer a practical alternative to SUVs for family car buyers. Volkswagen may draw inspiration from earlier concepts, including the Budd-e of 2016, which was based on an early version of the MEB platform that today underpins the brand's electric cars.

Volkswagen has announced that its new small EV will arrive in 2026. The front-wheel-drive ID 2 GTI is due on sale towards the end of 2026 with around 223bhp from VW’s new APP550 electric motor. But we recently learned that engineers at VW’s research and development centre in Braunschweig, Germany, are also working on a more potent and focused range-topper, targeting a peak output of 282bhp.

Alongside the additional power, this flagship – in keeping with the hot Golf Clubsports that have gone before – is being conceived with a series of mechanical and electronic upgrades.

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Volkswagen will deliver on its long-held goal of an ‘affordable’ small electric car in 2027 with the arrival of the new ID 1.

Described by Volkswagen as a model “from Europe for Europe”, the new car will serve as the successor to the Up as a city car and become the entry point to the German firm’s range of bespoke electric ID models. Volkswagen claims the model will offer a single-charge range of at least 155 miles.