See all Motoring News10 Exciting New Cars to Arrive in 2016
With so many cars to look forward to arriving in 2016, our experts have picked the top 10 that we are most excited about. Alfa Romeo, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and more all have cars ready to launch in Ireland over the next year. New car sales are on the increase and here are some of our top picks for 2016.
Car enthusiasts the world over all have a special place in their hearts for the charismatic Alfa Romeo brand, but it was in serious danger of going extinct, thanks to continued reliance on what were effectively restyled Fiat hatchbacks. That's all set to change though, as Alfa has developed a brand new rear-drive platform and is taking aim at the BMW 3 Series with its seductive new Giulia saloon. Expect 1.6- and 2.0-litre diesel variants to hit the road late this year, though those of us that love cars will be keeping an eye out for the fire-breathing Quadrifoglio sports saloon, as it features a V6 engine with input from Ferrari.
BMW has yet to reveal its all-new 5 Series, though we don't expect anything drastic in the styling department. Why change a perfectly good recipe? Instead, we predict there'll be a more spacious and luxurious interior inspired by that in the BMW 7 Series and a reduction in mass to maintain agility and improve efficiency even further. We're certain to see the new 5 before the end of 2016, but it may not arrive in Ireland until it's time for the '171' plate next January.
Now that SUV sales are on the up again, it's perfect timing for Ford to launch its largest offering, the new Edge. It's a stylish looking thing, originating in the USA, but considerably overhauled for European tastes. That means there'll be a diesel engine of course, a 2.0-litre TDCi unit producing either 180- or 210hp. The latter comes with an automatic transmission as standard and all versions feature four-wheel drive. Should do well here, depending on pricing, though it may miss out on some sales due to the lack of seven seats.
Jaguar's first-ever SUV has been a long time coming and this year we'll finally drive it on Irish roads. It looks exceptionally sporty and we don't expect it to go quite as far off the beaten track as its cousins over in Land Rover. However, while there will be supercharged high-performance options, so too will there be efficient diesel models powered by reasonable 2.0-litre engines so don't dismiss it as something only for the rich and famous.
Compact crossovers continue to be big business in Ireland, as evidenced by the presence of the Hyundai ix35 and Nissan Qashqai near the top of the sales charts. The ix35 has been replaced by the even more impressive Tucson and its close cousin is this, an all-new Kia Sportage. It comes with the same efficient engine line-up, a seven-year warranty and - though the styling may divide opinion somewhat - it's sure to be a cracking car to own. One to watch for sure.
Mercedes-Benz will launch its all-new E-Class saloon at this year's Detroit Auto Show and we know it's packed to the hilt with technology that even puts its big brother, the Mercedes S-Class, to shame. That means loads of autonomous driving tech, connectivity and the likes. There'll be a new range of efficient engines too, though of course we're holding our breaths for the inevitably brilliant AMG variants.
Ok, the Irish market isn't exactly awash with open-topped cars (for obvious reasons - you've seen the flooding news recently, right?), but MINI has always sold a few to buyers that love the cheeky personality of the four-seat version. There's a brand new one on the way, this time majoring on quality and luxury. We bet it still features an 'openometer' to record how long you dare to keep the roof open for though. 'Not long' is usually the answer in Ireland...
Family hatchbacks still make up the largest part of the new car market in Ireland and though the Ford Focus and Volkswagen Golf dominate the charts, there are plenty of other worthy choices that all want a piece of that lucrative pie. Renault aims to get back towards the top of the pile with a spanking new Mégane hatchback this year, though it won't arrive until the middle of 2016. It looks great, is highly efficient and should be very well equipped.
There's an ever so subtle increase in demand for hybrid cars and arguably one of the most successful of them all, the Toyota Prius, gets reinvented for 2016. It looks more modern and distinctive inside and out and promises to be better to drive. Under the new skin is a revamped powertrain that is even more efficient.
Seems it's the year of the new executive saloons, as joining the new BMW and Mercedes-Benz mentioned above will one of the most interesting cars of the year, Volvo's new S90, a high-tech four-door saloon that shares a lot with the highly desirable Volvo XC90 SUV. That means a range of 2.0-litre engines, including a plug-in hybrid with exceptional efficiency figures. The biggest talking point though is a beautiful interior featuring a quick-acting, portrait-layout touchscreen interface.