The best new cars coming in 2024 and beyond

These are the ones we reckon are the ones to watch – and we preview some cars to come beyond this year as well, illustrated by our spy shots and artist impressions of how they may look:

Electric hot-hatch-crossover will be Abarth’s second hot EV. It looks set to adopt the Fiat 500e’s 152bhp motor and will almost definitely gain an array of lurid paint schemes and a stiffened chassis. We expect the 600e to come with a Scorpion Track driving mode, like its smaller sibling. It will likely be good for a 7.0sec 0-62mph time.

Classic Cobra package gets a radical reinvention thanks to a 654bhp V8 and carbonfibre body. The Cobra GT Roadster is made by AC, its first new model since it appointed Swiss financial backer David Conza as CEO in May 2022. It has a bespoke aluminium spaceframe chassis designed in Italy by Icona Design Group and Cecomp. It’s set to be built in the UK.

The spirit of Renaultsport has been revived for a rework of the upcoming Renault 5 with extra power, differential-simulating torque vectoring on the front axle, hydraulic bump stops and A110 brakes. Could it be the first truly great electric hot hatch?

Renault performance brand taps into the mainstream with a sporting compact SUV based on the electric Mégane’s platform. Don’t expect a jacked-up A110 - it’ll be much more like a Lotus Eletre or Polestar 3. It will likely utilise a second motor on the rear axle, much like Nissan’s range-topping e-4orce Ariya, which is also on the Mégane platform.

The new Aston Martin Vantage coupe was unveiled in February 2024 and features a very powerful 656bhp 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbo engine, alongside a much-improved interior. We expect the convertible version to feature the same when unveiled later in 2024.

The combustion A4 will be renamed A5 when it’s replaced with an all-new model in late 2024 as Audi will designate internal-combustion-engined cars with odd numbers. The new A5’s styling is an evolution of the current model, with more angular headlights and a flatter front grille. The A5 will continue to offer petrol, diesel, mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid engines. Well-placed Igolstadt insiders say the range-topping RS5 will be a hybrid.

This high-performance S5 version is marked out from the base car by a slightly more aggressive front bumper – with wider duct openings on each flank – and four tailpipes. An RS5 version will follow.

Whether in saloon or estate form, the A6 has long been at the heart of Audi’s range, so this first electric version is very significant. The BMW i5 rival sits on a new EV platform co-developed by Audi and Porsche and will offer a range of 435 miles at launch.

The all-new Audi SQ5 is approaching a launch in 2024 as the sportiest variant of the totally overhauled Q5 range. The third-generation version of Audi’s best-selling global model, the Q5, will also be one of the German car maker’s final new ICE cars. Before the German firm starts releasing only EVs from 2026, it will launch a new line of combustion engines compliant with the latest Euro 7 emissions regulations.

Audi has started on-road tests of a new, third-generation version of its three-row Q7 SUV. Set for UK dealerships in early 2026, the SUV will be one of the last combustion-powered cars Audi launches. The firm plans to launch only electric cars from that year, on the way to phasing out ICE models completely in 2033.

Design-wise, the new Q7 follows Audi's upcoming Q3 and Q5 in adopting a new-style front end, with an expansive new version of the octagonal grille and sleek, split-cluster LED light designs and a clamshell bonnet. We're also expecting a larger Q9 model too.

We spotted this model testing in Germany; it replaces the A6 Allroad, and will have conventional combustion engine options. All-wheel drive is standard, and we expect the car to arrive in 2025 as a 2026 model year.

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.

Scheduled for introduction in 2025, the new four-door performance model is planned to be sold under the RS6 E-tron name.

We also expect the RS6 to have a more coupe-like version, to be called RS7. Expect it also in 2025.

The new Audi A7 Avant range will also be available in hot S7 and RS7 versions. This particular example we spotted has four tailpipes, which in Audi tradition probably means means it’s the S7 model. Expect is in 2025 as a 2026 model.

This may look like a normal BMW i4 M50 in an M livery, but it's a much more than that. This is rumoured to be BMW’s first full electric M car hiding a quad-motor powertrain. Gold brake callipers tell us it has carbon-ceramic brakes to match what we can only assume is rapid acceleration. The prototype shows a kidney grille design reminiscent of the M3 CS and M4 CSL. Expect this to be launched in 2025.

We’ve recently seen the new M5 unveiled, and next up is the wagon. The first estate-bodied uber-5 Series since 2010 will pack a V8 plug-in hybrid system, expected to kick a whopping 790bhp and 737lb ft through both axles.

The new Escalade was spotted completely devoid of camouflage gear for the first time recently. The new front end has a sleeker design with narrower lights leading to the edge of the bonnet. The black plastic trim around the grille is like that of an Escalade IQ. The largest changes appear to be in the interior. It has digital screens spanning the width of the dash with very little in the way of dials. Expect a late 2024 launch. 

Chevrolet arrived at the Nürburgring with two different prototypes of the Corvette ZR1, which is set to be launched for the 2025 model year. Both cars dropped some camouflage compared to older spy shots seen earlier this year. We can see a new rear spoiler which they’re testing, but both are different from each other. We suspect there will be two versions of this model: a road-going version, and a track focused alternative.

Kick-starting the brand's push into the crucial C-segment, the Bigster is a 4.6-metre-long rival to the Ford Kuga when it’s launched later in 2024. It will be based on the same CMF platform as the Nissan X-Trail and Renault Austral, and is being engineered from the off with an outright focus on affordability. We recently spotted the car testing in southern Europe (pictured inset).

Ferrari hasn’t said what form its first EV will take, but it will feature in-house batteries, motors and electronics. The CEO has driven a prototype but would only say: “I like it a lot.” This is our guess of how it might look.

There is no name yet for this model set to come out in 2025, but we do know its internal code: F250. This model, like all new supercars, will be a hybrid and is expected to set a new benchmark in terms of performance at Maranello. This model can be seen with FloViz colour in the front air intake in the bumper, hinting at interesting aerodynamic developments…

We recently spotted this car testing in Italy wearing its full body for the first time. It’s a follow up to the SF90 model, and will feature a hybrid engine, like the SF90. We expect it to arrive in 2025.

The Blue Oval will resurrect the hallowed Capri name for its second electric crossover on Volkswagen's MEB platform, serving as a direct rival to the Volvo C40 and Peugeot e-3008. It will look more like a raised saloon than an SUV-coupé – similar to the Polestar 2 – with a raft of bespoke design cues to differentiate it from the larger Explorer, and possibly with nods back to its iconic namesake. It will be unveiled in July 2024, with the car on the road in early 2025.

Chinese car giant Chery is coming to Europe with Omoda and the Jaecoo brand.  The 7 SUV is Hyundai Tucson-sized and will likely come with plug-in hybrid powertrains.

Jaguar is shortly about to revamp its entire model range as the brand goes all-electric from 2025. The first model will be a new four-seat grand tourer EV, conceived as an indirect replacement for its long-running XJ series of luxury saloons. Expect recharging in as little 13 minutes, a range of at least 385 miles, four-wheel drive and steering, and 450bhp on tap.

Koenigsegg doesn’t do normal. So its first four-seater can be had with either a camless twin-turbo triple or a twin-turbo V8 engine within a PHEV system to offer either 1381bhp or 2268bhp. Because of course it can.

The smallest Lambo comes of age with a hybridised, twin-turbo V8 that spins to 10,000rpm and a dramatic new look modelled on the V12 Revuelto. Rally-ready Sterrato has set a high bar.

The first electric super sports car. Maserati says it’s committed to retaining the feel of a V6 while giving it whip-crack acceleration, courtesy of an expected 745bhp and 997lb ft of torque. Expect it in 2025.

The new mild hybrid Mercedes-AMG CLE 63 could be the car for you, adding heavily ramped-up performance, a redesigned interior and sporty exterior styling over the standard car. Some 442bhp and 413lb ft of torque is pumped out from AMG’s twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre straight-six petrol engine, which is backed up by an integrated starter-generator (ISG). You’ll be as fast as almost anything else on the road, with a 4.2sec sprint from 0-62mph and a top speed limited to 155mph.

Yes, yes, the Mercedes-AMG is losing its V8 engine for a straight-six plug-in hybrid. But it’s not all bad - it will gain electric-only driving for improved economy, plus higher power and performance than ever before. Figures are still under wraps, but it’s claimed the brand is targeting more than 700bhp and 884lb ft, which puts many sports and supercars to shame.

The successor to the GT 4-Door Coupé will pack an unprecedented 1000bhp punch in a bespoke, electric super-saloon that will begin testing soon. Arriving in 2025, this will likely be the firm’s most powerful road car yet. Serving as an electric alternative to the V8 engined GT 63 4-Door Coupé, AMG’s first bespoke electric car will be tasked with taking on big-selling EV sports saloons such as the Porsche Taycan, Audi E-tron GT and Lucid Air.

PHOTO: spy shot, Autocar artist impression

The Omoda C5 is a direct competitor (and lookalike) of the Aiways U5 found further up this list. The C5 showcases the work of Omoda’s owner Chery, which is one of the largest car firms in China.

The Polestar 4 is a pure-electric take on the Porsche Macan and Polestar’s fourth model. It’s tipped to be the company’s bestselling model and will be built in China and Korea. Intriguingly the Chinese market cars will receive an entirely different operating system. Notably, it will not come with a rear window.

The next generation Porsche Cayenne is going all-electric. We saw some early Cayenne EVs testing at the Nürburgring in 2023, but we have now spotted Porsche Macan EV wearing chassis mules winter testing in Scandinavia near the Arctic circle. Expect to see the car formally for the first time in 2025, as a 2026 model.

This car may wear GT3 clothing, but the engine noise we heard at the Nordschleife suggests it definitely has a turbocharged engine. We reckon it will feature a 4.0-litre engine, but it’s early days here – we don’t expect this model to arrive until 2026 at the earliest.

New cars don’t get much more significant than this: JLR has invested heavily in its electric transformation, and while the reinvented Jaguars will steal the limelight, the first electric Range Rover will be crucial to finding sales volume and perhaps helping convert a new group of buyers to EVs.

Renault will revive another of its most popular historic models, this time as a small, retro crossover that’s aimed at the city but should be able to cope off road. Expect it to be mechanically similar to the 5 below. But Renault insists the interior will be very different.

This brand-new entrant to the French brand’s crossover range will fill the gap between the Captur and Arkana. With styling inspired by the latter, it will follow the firm’s latest design language and sit atop the CMF-EV platform, shared with the Nissan Ariya and Renault Mégane E-Tech.

This is the new electric SUV that will replace the Karoq model in 2024. It will have rapid charging capability, taking just 35 minutes to reach 80% capacity.

A smaller and more affordable Tesla has been rumoured for years, but recently Elon Musk teased a picture that may be the new ‘Model 2’. The market is crying out for cheaper EVs and we can certainly see this model selling like hot cakes, if and when it arrives. As with everything that Mr Musk does, it’s unlikely to be boring. We like to think this car could be on the road by 2025.

There have been press reports that this model has been dropped in favour of a Tesla robotaxi effort, but it seems this model is still on judging from what Elon Musk said on an investor conference call in April 2024.

A hotter new variant of the GR Supra is set to arrive later in 2024, swapping the BMW Z4’s B58 straight six for the fiery S58 one from the new BMW M2. That should make for a very healthy power bump, while track-focused revisions to the chassis could enable it to bid for sports car supremacy at the Nürburgring.

We saw this new Toyota EV on the road for the first time in 2023. This prototype is a pure electric vehicle, but the model will also be available as a plug-in hybrid. In terms of size, the new model is similar to the Yaris Cross; we expect to see this car officially in late 2024.

Toyota Gazoo Racing is launching a new GT3 racing car for the 2026/2027 motorsport season, and will launch a Lexus-branded road car version too. We previously spotted the car at Toyota’s Fuki Speedway, but it’s now arrived in Europe, testing in wet conditions at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium. The design reminds us of the Dodge Viper, and we gather power will come from a V8 engine.

Could this be the most useful EV on the market? Volkswagen’s reborn ‘bus’ finally lives up to its billing with seats for seven in long-wheelbase form, also gaining a bigger battery and a more powerful motor.

The outgoing Phideon has not set the market alight in its homeland of China with only 3500 units getting sold last year. Based on the spy photographs, it is likely the new Phideon will be using the same platform as current version. The test car appears to have a slightly longer wheelbase and Passat influenced styling. Expect it to arrive in some showrooms around the world in the latter part of 2024.

The Tayron is currently only available in China, but in 2025 it will go on sale in most major global markets as a replacement for the Tiguan Allspace, though it will be significantly longer than that car.

Volkswagen will launch the second generation of the Volkswagen T-Roc in 2025 as a 2026 model, and we’ve spotted it out testing several times. Significantly it will be Volkswagen’s final pure internal-combustion engine car. It certainly looks like it will be quite a stylish new entrant to the market, and an importance one for VW: The T-Roc was the third best-selling car in Europe in 2023.

We recently spotted the second generation of the Volkswagen Teramont/Atlas testing in Switzerland. Expect the model to arrive in 2025 as a 2026 model.

Volkswagen has launched internal studies around a new Scirocco as a part of a joint project with Porsche, Audi and Cupra. There have been hints that the design will resemble that of the original Scirocco and will come in the form of an electric sportscar, with a possible dual-motor, and an all-wheel drive flagship model badged as an ‘R’. Expect a launch in 2028 if production approval is granted by Volkswagen brand CEO Thomas Schäfer.

Electronics giant Xiaomi is entering the car market and the SU7 is its first model. The basis for it is a new electric car platform that goes under the internal name Modena. It has been conceived to support 400-volt and 800-volt electric architectures, plus single- and dual-motor drivetrains.