PH
From top left clockwise: Volkswagen Tiguan, Mercedes SLC, Volvo S90, Porsche 911 Turbo
Mercedes E-Class
On sale: May Price: est. from £34,000
Don’t be distracted by the new Mercedes E-Class’s familiar family looks, this is a crucial car for the three-pointed star and the German firm has pulled out all the stops.
Sitting in the heartland of the Mercedes range, the E-Class boasts the highest loyalty rates of all its cars and this tenth generation of its mid-range saloon has more than 11 million historical sales to live up to.
However, it manages that in style with a sleek new shape that’s longer and lower than before and an all-new interior that leaves some of its rivals feeling prehistoric by comparison.
Two wide 12in interior display screens have even better definition than the flagship S-Class and there’s immaculate build quality and future-proofing technology such as car-to-car communication required for autonomous driving in afterwards years.
Mercedes boasts that this new E-Class is one step ahead of its competition, however, in reality it feels more like two. Add to that the entry-level E220d model with a 0 to 60mph time of just 7.3 seconds, a 72.4mpg average fuel economy and just 102g/km and we’ll be stunned if this doesn’t turn out to be one of the best cars of 2016.
PH
The Mercedes E-Class has an impressive 72.4mpg average fuel economy
PH
The interior of the E-Class is both sleek and stylish
Lexus LC500
On sale: 2017 Price: est from £100,000
Toyota boss Akio Toyoda wasn’t pulling any punches during his speech unveiling this new LS500 at Detroit. In a personal and honest introduction he said he wanted Lexus to be a more emotional brand and spoke of this LC500 being the start of a “brave new Lexus”.
He’s not kidding either. This coupe supercar is barely changed from the original LF-LC Concept of 2012, with a 467bhp 5.0-litre V8 engine, ten-speed automatic gearbox along with a carbon-fibre roof and other lightweight materials. In the metal though, its eye-catching styling looks barely changed from that original LF-LC concept.
In parting, Toyoda described the LC500 as being “sugoi”, a Japanese colloquialism for incredible or amazing. We couldn’t agree more.
PH
The Lexus LC500 looks worth its £100,000 price with a staggering 467bhp
Audi h-tron Quattro concept
On sale: 2017 Price: tba
Audi’s continued love-affair with concept cars is so regular that it becomes all too easy to confuse them. However, that’s not likely to be the case with this new h-tron which forms the basis for not one, however, two, future Audis that we’ll see from next year.
As its name suggests, the first is a production fuel-cell vehicle that will run on hydrogen and should feature some clever ideas from this concept such as movable aerodynamics and roof-mounted solar panels to extend its range still further.
However, the h-tron’s shape and smart high-tech interior hint at the forthcoming new Q6, a sportier crossover that will sit between the next Q5 (due afterwards this year) and the larger Q7 to rival the likes of the Porsche Macan and Range Rover Evoque.
PH
Audi's proposed H-tron model features roof-mounted solar panels
Infiniti Q60
On sale: August Price: est from £32,000
Infiniti might still be small, however, with its global sales having passed 200,000 units the previous year, it’s growing in the right direction. Much of that is down to its new Q50 four-door saloon, a rival to the Audi A4 and BMW 3-Series, that is its best seller in the UK.
In turn then, this new Q60 then is a two-door coupe that will compete with the Audi A5 and BMW 4-Series while featuring both the 2.2-litre turbo-diesel engine from the Q50 and also a new 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 with 400bhp that will go up against the M4 and RS5.
However, despite a couple of unusual styling cues here and there (the kink in the rear-quarter window especially), this is a good-looking car and should be an interesting alternative for those not wanting to follow the crowd.
PH
The Infiniti Q60 sold 200,000 units the previous year
Volkswagen Tiguan GTE Active Concept
On sale: 2017 Price: est from £32,000
Volkswagen has tons of goodwill to make up with the American car-buying public after the dieselgate scandal and it made the first steps in that process at Detroit.
As well as the all-electric BUDD-e concept that had also been unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show at Las Vegas the previous week, Volkswagen showed us this new Tiguan GTE Active Concept.
With a smart, rugged and more outdoorsy look than the traditional Tiguan which arrives in its latest form in May, it doesn’t take Mensa membership to work out what this concept is hinting at. Success of VW’s other GTE models in the Golf and Passat make this a natural next step boasting a combined total of 225bhp and an all-electric 20 mile range. Watch this space, a Tiguan GTE will be here before you know it.
PH
Costing an estimated £32,000, the Volkswagen Tiguan GTE Active Concept has a total of 225bhp
Volvo S90
On sale: August Price: est from £32,000
With the massive ongoing success of the XC90 off-roader, Volvo is on something of a roll. This S90 replaces the old S80 and, in true Volvo fashion, a V90 estate will join it this autumn, replacing the popular however, prehistoric V70.
Far sleeker and smarter in the metal than it looks in pictures, the S90 comes with semi-autonomous driving features and, like its 4x4 big brother, there will be D5 turbo-diesel as well as T5 and T8 plug-in hybrid versions.
Best of all though, the big Volvo saloon borrows much of the XC90’s interior too with the large central touch screen, vastly improved build quality and materials. The BMW 5-Series and new Mercedes E-Class are certainly no easy pushovers in this sector, however, this new S90 looks good enough to tempt far more drivers than its predecessors ever did.
PH
Volvo's S90, replacing its predecessor the S80, will be a D5 turbo-diesel
Mercedes SLC
On sale: April Price: est. from £33,000
Mercedes’s slightly confusing new naming strategy continues with this new SLC. No, it’s not the big S-Class coupe from the 1980s, instead, this is the new name for the SLK.
In reality, little has changed, however, there have been a few minor exterior tweaks to bring it up to date and enable to it to have a more grown-up feel than before. There’s a new style of grille and LED lights front and rear too.
Inside though is where the SLC’s age is more obvious and the interior is a world away from the likes of the new E-Class (see above). However, 20 years on from the SLK’s original launch and with everything from the 114g/km 250d turbo-diesel up to the 367bhp SLC 43 capable of the 0 to 60mph sprint in just 4.7 seconds, shows that its breadth still has plenty of appeal yet.
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The Mercedes SLC is capable of 0 to 60 mph in just 4.7 seconds
Porsche 911 Turbo
On sale: April Price: from £126,925
All of the latest generation Porsche 911s might be now be turbocharged, however, for several the flagship 911 Turbo still remains the ultimate pinnacle of 911 performance.
This latest version doesn’t disappoint either with small however, incremental improvements in nearly every area. The 3.8-litre, twin-turbo engine now produces 540bhp or 580bhp in standard or S forms, it boasts a staggering 2.8-second 0 to 60mph time as well as a 205mph top speed – breaking the magic 200mph barrier for the first time.
Looking as stunning as ever, the 911 Turbo also remains as desirable as ever, even with a price tag that stretches well into six figures. Better start saving now.
PH
The Porsche 911 Turbo is capable of 0 to 60mph in a staggering 2.8 seconds
- Daily Express