A brand new electric Fiat Panda, the futuristic Kia EV9, and a baby, battery-powered crossover from Volkswagen - these are the cars we’re most excited to see in 2023.
The last 12 months have been pretty special when it comes to new car releases.
In recent weeks we’ve had the unveiling of cars like the new state-of-the-art new electric Volvo EX90 - and the mad, grin-inducing Porsche 911 Dakar (below).
We’ve seen all-electric models like the Lotus Eletre and the new Vauxhall Astra Electric - cars that cater to two very different markets.
Yet we’ve also witnessed the demise of two cars we grew to love - the iconic Ford Fiesta and the Kia Stinger GT, both of which are being discontinued
What thrills and spills will 2023 have in store for the motoring world? Read on to find out.
And, as you can see from the list below, the future is definitely electric…
MG Cyberster
What is MG most famous for..? Yep, pretty little two-seat sports cars like the MGB and the later MGF. Fans of the British marque have been crying-out for something similar from the manufacturer, which is now in the hands of Chinese firm SAIC Motor UK.
The result? Ask and you shall receive.
MG has put its electric know-how into the Cyberster sports car, which is due for a proper launch in April 2023. Those in the know reckon it could have a range in excess of 400 miles between charges.
Audi A6 e-tron
Fancy a super-sleek, all-electric rival to the Tesla Model S? Well, the upcoming Audi A6 e-tron could be just the car for you.
It’s slated for a big reveal in 2023. And it is, of course, a fully-electric version of the long-running A6 executive saloon.
It’s expected to have a 100 kWh battery that’ll give it a range of around 430 miles - enough to rival the Mercedes-Benz EQE Saloon.
Cupra Tavascan
Spanish performance firm Cupra has been teasing the new Tavascan SUV throughout 2022, with the most recent glimpse coming last month as part of a Metaverse-related promo.
But Cupra plans to properly launch the Tavascan next year, with deliveries to begin in 2024.
It’s a medium-sized electric SUV that’ll rival the VW ID.5. And Cupra says it’ll have a 77kWh battery, range of up to 280 miles, and power of 305 PS.
The humble Fiat Panda has been around in some form or other since 1980, evolving from ‘tin can’ to something much better equipped.
And next year Fiat will launch a brand new Panda - an all-electric mini SUV with a big emphasis on affordability.
It’ll be based on the ‘Centoventi’ Fiat concept that we first got sight of back in 2020.
Kia EV9
The large, electric Kia EV9 SUV has been going through last minute testing ahead of its world debut next year.
And it could see Kia swimming in new waters as a manufacturer.
Not only is it a big, full-on seven seater, the battery-powered EV9 is also being built for the tough stuff. Could it muscle-in on customers who might lease cars like the all-wheel drive Range Rover Sport..?
A Kia spokesperson says:
“Testing on a 4WD climbing hill and rough terrain tracks, as well as deep-water wading, will ensure maximum reliability even in the most challenging conditions.”
MINI Aceman and new three-door hatch
It could be an exciting year for MINI.
Firstly, there’s a next generation of the three-door MINI hatch waiting in the wings, having been seen - in disguise - undergoing final testing earlier this year. It’ll be available with electric and petrol powertrains.
Meanwhile MINI could also reveal a production-ready version of the ‘Aceman’ concept (above) we saw in the summer.
The Aceman is a seriously good-looking electric crossover model that features an environmentally-friendly interior which contains ‘absolutely no leather or chrome elements’.
Polestar 4
The world is going mad for sleek SUV-coupe crossovers right now.
And Polestar is getting-in on the act with the upcoming electric ‘4’.
It will actually be more affordable than the £79,900 Polestar 3, and could do battle with the upcoming Porsche Macan EV (see below).
A Polestar spokesperson said:
“Polestar 4 is expected to be launched in 2023 and enters one of the most competitive market segments in terms of demand, performance and design.”
Volkswagen ID.2
There’s no shortage of ‘ID’ models from Volkswagen - from the compact ID.3 crossover, larger ID.4 urban SUV, the coupe-shaped ID.5 and the ID.Buzz van.
Now, though, there’s a more affordable variant waiting to be revealed - the ID.2.
It’s expected to have a 57 kWh battery and a range of around 300 miles.
Looks-wise, it’ll be heavily influenced by the ‘ID.Life’ concept revealed last year.
Porsche has made no secret of the fact that the next generation Macan will be electric. In fact, the German firm announced just that way back in 2019.
And with the Macan EV being spied in testing by lots of car magazines in recent weeks, everything is pointing to a big reveal mid-2023.
It could get the large 100kWh battery from the Porsche Taycan, giving it plenty of oomph, 270 kW fast charging abilities, and a range of around 313 miles.
It might not be big, and it might not be glamorous, but the seriously well-equipped Suzuki Swift is a great family car for a whole lot of lease customers.
And Suzuki will drop a brand new version in 2023, with a test model having been spotted being put through its in the past few weeks.
As before, the Swift will be available with a fuel-saving mild-hybrid petrol powertrain, and the interior has been tweaked to attract new drivers.
How do you make one of the best-looking electric cars even better? Yep, you make it more powerful and bestow it with track-devouring skills.
Which is precisely what Hyundai has done with its Ioniq 5.
In the past few days the new ‘N’ version has been teased in a promo trailer, while a company spokesperson says:
“Hyundai N Brand is one of the fastest evolving high-performance brands in the world. All of our plans are on the right track to be carried out in line with our vision for electrification.”
We’ve also got the ‘streamliner’ style Ioniq 6 to look forward to as well.
And our Select Car Leasing coolest car of 2022…?
It’s just got to be the retro-tastic Hyundai N Vision 74.
It apes the look of the Hyundai Pony Coupe concept from 1974 and uses both electricity and hydrogen fuel so that you can have the best of all worlds.
That includes power of 680 PS, torque of 900 Nm and a driving range in excess of 373 miles.
Will it ever be put into production? At the moment there are no plans to do so, with the N Vision 74 described as a ‘rolling lab concept’.
If it did ever get made, though, you’d have queues forming around the block.
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