All the most important 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:

The next-generation Alfa Romeo Stelvio SUV will make the switch to electric power when it arrives in 2025. It will be followed by a new Giulia saloon in 2026, and Alfa Romeo will go electric-only a year after.

Even a sports car firm like Alpine can’t ignore SUVs for ever. Unveiled as a concept car in October this car will go on sale later in 2025. A sister car to the Nissan Ariya, we expect a range of around 310 miles.

We’ve recently tested the new Vanquish coupe and it’s a terrific car. Its convertible counterpart is still under wraps however and we spotted it testing in England, with heavy camouflage.

Audi has started on-road tests of a new, third-generation version of its three-row Q7 SUV. Set for dealerships in later 2025, the SUV will be one of the last diesel and petrol powered cars Audi launches. The firm plans to launch only electric cars from 2026, and end production of petrol and diesel cars entirely in 2033.

We're also expecting a larger Q9 model too.

We have also spotted the new SQ7 out testing as well. Expect this car later in 2025 too.

Audi has abandoned its previous naming strategy, which was to put Electric Vehicles under even numbers and ICE models under odd numbers. So this car will now be called A6 Allroad, just like the generation previous model.

We spotted a range of new Audi models testing recently in the Arctic Circle. This model replaces the 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.

It should arrive in 2025.

Although unconfirmed right now, given their recent naming strategy U-turn, Audi’s flagship fast estate could very well retain the ‘RS6 Avant' namesake, rather than ‘RS7 Avant’ as was previously intended.

While the RS6 E-tron may be all-electric, the RS6 Avant successor will retain a conventional engine. The big question is whether that engine will be a V6 or V8. We expect this model towards the end of 2025.

We also recently spotted the new Audi A6 saloon winter-testing. This model replaces the Audi A6 and is expected to be launched in 2025, with conventional engines. As mentioned, this was to be called A7, but will now retain the A6 name. The new A6 Avant has just been unveiled.

The new Q5 may have been unveiled but the new Q3 remains under cover and we recently spotted it out testing in Germany. It’s longer than the current Q3, and has very different headlights and rear lights. We expect to see it on sale later in 2025.

Audi is also launching a Sportback variant.  We also expect to see it on sale later in 2025.

Audi’s next electric performance model, the RS Q6 E-tron, will be revealed in 2025. An insider at the firm recently told Autocar that the hottest version of the new Q6 E-tron will be much faster than the SQ6.

The SQ6 has a 483bhp dual-motor powertrain with four-wheel drive whereas the RS Q6 is expected to use the Macan EV Turbo’s powertrain, the upping power to 621bhp for a 0-62mph time of just 3.3 seconds.

The new Audi RS4 Avant successor is due in 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, compared to older RS models.

Again, this model was originally intended to be called the 'RS5 Avant', but it is unconfirmed if the model will keep this or retain the 'RS4 Avant' name instead. 

We’ve also spotted the successor to the RS5, too, which appears to be a four-door saloon version of the RS4/RS5 Avant.

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 BMW M3 will return for a seventh generation with the choice of either a straight-six turbo petrol engine or a high-tech EV powertrain with huge power and unprecedented dynamic ability.

Due by early 2028, the next M3 is being engineered for both powertrains in a bid to maximise its appeal and in line with BMW’s ongoing commitment to combustion power. In our photos the new M3 EV can be seen during winter testing in Scandinavia.

BMW will soon begin testing the new iX3 SUV, its first model to feature the Neue Klasse design language, as final-stage prototypes have rolled off production lines in Germany.

The iX3 will be launched at the end of 2025.

The radical new electric BMW 3 Series has hit the road 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.

This car is rumoured to be BMW’s first electric M car. It has carbon-ceramic brakes to match what we can only assume is rapid acceleration. The prototype shows a grille design similar to the M3 CS and M4 CSL. Expect this to be launched in 2025.

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.  Most recently, we also spotted it at BMW’s winter testing location in Sweden, where it got stuck in the snow. We expect this new model in 2026.

Cadillac has already unveiled its Optiq compact SUV, and we recently spotted a new high-performance Optiq V version testing in Michigan. We expect it to be unveiled later in 2025.

Four prototypes of the Chevrolet Corvette C8 Zora recently arrived at the Nürburgring for testing. This new high-performance C8 will be the second model to receive a hybrid system, following the C8 E-Ray, but the main power comes from a twin-turbo 5.5-litre V8. Expect total power of around 1000bhp, and we expect it on sale in the summer of 2025.

Volkswagen is developing a new small electric car to be called ID.2, and Cupra is developing a version of it too. Expect it in 2025.

Autocar recently discovered that Citroën has started work on a retro EV city-car based on the look of its classic 2CV. The move has been inspired by the successful launch of the Renault 5 small EV; nearly 10,000 Renault 5s were sold in France in December 2024. With affordability being key, using the Stellantis Smart Car platform would be most likely; this platform is used by the Citroën e-C3 and new Fiat Grande Panda.

We spotted the car we believe is the Roma facelift – to be called Roma M - out testing in Maranello, the hometown of Ferrari in Italy. The prototype is very heavily camouflaged and only the daytime running lights shine through the camouflage. Similar in size to the current model, the interior was also camouflaged and appears to be new. Expect this car in 2025 or 2026.

We had assumed the first Ferrari EV would be a sports car, but we recently spotted the car out testing wearing modified Maserati Levante bodywork. So it could well be that the first Ferrari EV will in fact be an SUV. It will be unveiled on 9 October 2025.

The Ferrari 296 will get a new lightweight, driver focused variant later in 2025, and we believe it will be called VS (Versione Speciale). It’s a follow-up to much loved mid-engined predecessor models like the 488 Pista and 458 Speciale. We estimate that we will see a 50bhp hike on the standard 296 model, which should take the VS to 870bhp or so.

We recently spotted this rugged Ford Ranger testing in Dearborn, Michigan, and we believe it’s the prototype for the 2026 Ranger Super Duty. Designed for serious off-roading, it’s being developed by Ford Australia and will be available globally.

Recently, we also spotted a single cab version winter-testing in northern Europe (pictured at top right).

Ford is planning a new range of small electric cars on a new platform which will bring successor vehicles to the Fiesta and Focus, and also for the next-generation Puma. The new cars will launch first in America in 2026 before coming to Europe. Ford boss Jim Farley has made it clear that he wants to be able to compete with both the upcoming Tesla Model 2 and the large number of cheap electric cars from China.

This SUV EV will be the flagship Genesis brand when it launches in 2026, and we recently spotted it testing near Arjeplog in northern Sweden. 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.

We saw photos of the concept version of this car earlier in 2024, but now the production car is out testing in Germany. The Prelude will inherit the self-charging hybrid setup and CVT gearbox from the Civic. The car is expected to be launched in mid 2025, and it looks like being a model that’s globally available – we recently learned it will be sold in North America as well as Europe and Asia.

Hyundai’s N division is putting the finishing touches to a hot new version of the Ioniq 6 saloon, which it hopes will bring Porsche Taycan levels of performance and dynamic agility.

“Going forward in Europe, Hyundai is developing Hyundai N as a pioneer of high-performance EVs,” the brand said recently. “Our customers will benefit from technological developments that will make EVs even more attractive in the future.”

Jaguar is shortly about to revamp its entire model range as the brand goes all-electric from 2026. The first clue we received was with a dramatic new concept car unveiled in December 2024. We expect the first production Jaguar – a four door saloon - to be unveiled at the end of 2025, with sales starting some months later. We expect it to offer a range of 435 miles, rapid charging and 575bhp.

After that will be a sleeker model (pictured left) and then an SUV (pictured right), which we expect in 2028.

The Kia EV2 is a new affordable electric hatchback earmarked for launch in 2026 and has been spotted testing on public roads for the first time. A small, high-riding hatchback to rival the new Renault 5, it will sit on the same platform as Kia’s flagship electric cars, the EV3, EV6 and EV9.

The Kia Seltos is a medium SUV that is currently only sold in India and Korea. We recently saw the next generation Seltos testing in Sweden, and it remains to be seen if this new car will be available in more markets than just those two.

The Jeep Recon 4x4 has been spotted testing on public roads for the first time ahead of its launch in 2025. New images of the prototypes captured in Michigan, USA, reveal that the production car remains faithful to bluff, Wrangler-like proportions.

All the Recon prototypes spotted on the road were electric, but it's possible that the car will also gain a hybrid powertrain shortly after launch.

The Cherokee was axed from the Jeep lineup in 2023, partially because the new Compass had grown enough in size to compete with it. However, the new Cherokee adopts the new STLA platform, which means it will be larger than the previous model. We expect it to arrive as a hybrid, with a fully electric version coming later.

The new Mercedes-Benz CLA will be revealed in early 2025 with the choice of two battery-electric engines or an all-new petrol engine that promises diesel levels of efficiency.

And the new CLA will get an estate version too, and we recently spotted it out testing. We expect it to be unveiled in the autumn of 2025, and to go on sale in 2026. Like the CLA, it will have both EV and petrol options.

The new mild hybrid Mercedes-AMG CLE 63 will mark the return of the mid-sized V8 performance coupe within the Mercedes range. The current most powerful CLE variant, the CLE 53, produces 442bhp and 443lb-ft from a hybrid 3.0-litre inline six, so expect a significant increase over these numbers for the new eight-cylinder model.

We’ve also seen a convertible version of the car testing too.

The new GT 4-Door Coupé will arrive in 2025 as an electric super saloon. Expected to feature around 1000bhp, this will likely be one of the firm’s most powerful road cars yet.

We spotted it testing once again recently, and it’s certainly very low and very long.

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 400km (250 miles) in 15 minutes. The long-range model with a large battery is expected to have a range of up to 750km (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.

The V-Class is going all-electric in 2026, and it will also look very different. Whether as a van for workers, a large-capacity taxi or a MPV for families, the new V-Class will be ultra-modern. It will also feature a large amount of autonomous driving technology.

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 also 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 parent 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.

The current generation of the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport is getting long in the tooth. The model, also known as the Montero Sport in some markets, is an updated version of a design first unveiled back in 2015. However, we recently spotted a new version testing in Germany.

The new prototype reveals a completely new bonnet and a significantly larger grille. The car is expected to be unveiled towards the end of 2025.

We recently spotted the third generation Nissan Leaf electric car out testing for the first time. It is dropping the hatchback shape and is becoming a crossover. We expect to see it launched in 2025.

The key feature of the sleek new Polestar 5 EV is that it will have ultra-fast charging. Using new battery technology, Polestar claims that the new car will charge to 80% at a peak charging rate of 370kW. We believe the most expensive versions may offer a range of 370 miles.

We spotted the forthcoming Porsche 983 Cayman during winter tests near the Arctic Circle. We originally expected this car in 2025, but the slowing market for electric cars combined with continuing good sales for the existing petrol-powered models has led it to be delayed. We now expect this model in 2026.

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

Alongside the new Cayenne EV, Porsche will also launch a Coupé version. We expect to see the car launched in late 2026.

This car may wear GT3 RS 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.

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 38,000 people have expressed an interest in buying the new model.

We recently spotted the new all-electric Range Rover EV testing at the Nürburgring. Most notably, this prototype has a completely redesigned grille from the current petrol and diesel version of the car. We expect the car to be on the road in the first half of 2025.

In addition to the all-electric Range Rover Electric and the future Range Rover Velar Electric, the Range Rover Sport will also be available as an all-electric model. We recently spotted it testing in England. We expect the car to be unveiled in early 2025.

We spotted the new Range Rover Velar EV testing recently. It currently looks like the Velar Mk2 will only be available as an EV, with no conventional engine offering. We expect the car to be unveiled early in 2026.

The next-generation Renault Clio is set to ditch pure-petrol engines and go hybrid-only when it arrives in 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.

Forget your previous idea that Smart was for small citycars. Thanks to parent company Geely, Smart will launch its sleek new #6 EV later in 2026, sharing a platform with the Polestar 5 and Zeekr 007. Like those cars, expect a healthy range of around 800 km (497 miles).

We just got our first look at prototypes of the all-new 2026 Subaru Outback, revealing big design changes for the popular off-roader. It’s much more of an SUV than the current model, with a boxy design that should prove very practical. Expect to see it on sale in 2025.

The market is demanding cheaper electric cars and we can certainly see this model selling like hot cakes, if and when it arrives. As with everything that Elon Musk does, it’s unlikely to be boring. We like to think this car could be on the road in 2025.

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.

Toyota has confirmed that it’s working on a new Celica, 18 years after production of the sports car ended. Discussion on reviving the model name has been rife for years and Autocar was told in 2023 that a reborn Celica was being considered as part of a new-era of electric Toyota sports cars. But now it’s official.

Toyota unveiled the GR Corolla recently but we recently spotted a new and more powerful GRMN version out testing at the Nürburgring. The main visual difference is a much larger rear wing. We expect it to go on sale in both Europe and North America in 2025.

The Rav4 is one of the world’s best selling cars, and we recently spotted a new sixth generation model testing in Detroit. The new model gets an all-new design, along with an expected technology upgrade on the engine front:  The new RAV4 is expected to go all-hybrid with this new generation, both self-charging and plug-in. We expect to see it on sale in early 2026.

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.

We believe Volkswagen is working a new version of the Golf R, and will use the famous Club Sport name. It will be the first time the Club Sport name has been used on a car other than the Golf GTi.

Expect big power (of at least 345bhp), lower weight, and handling tuned for the race track.

Volkswagen has launched ideas for a new electric-powered Scirocco as a part of a joint project with Porsche, Audi and Cupra. Expect a launch in 2028 if approval is granted by the company.

If you enjoyed this story please click the Follow button above to see more like it from Autocar