The European automotive industry is going through tough times. Nevertheless, several new and highly relevant (volume) models of European origin will appear in the new year. In this part, we cover cars from Alfa Romeo up to and including DS.
Alfa Romeo Stelvio: Reimagined
The Alfa Romeo Stelvio has been with us for nine years, and the next one will therefore be a huge step more modern. This means it will be based on the brand-new STLA Large platform and will receive both electric and hybrid powertrains. In the US, they already know the Dodge Charger on this basis, and it is also available with an inline-six… In terms of appearance, there is a strong dose of Junior in the front.
Alfa Romeo Giulia: Italian American
Not only the new Stelvio but also the second Giulia will be an Italian cousin of the Dodge Charger. This also means electric and hybrid propulsion, and it will be exciting to see if Alfa Romeo also puts the up to 550 hp 3.0 Hurricane six-cylinder in the Giulia. Electrically, the Charger already manages up to 679 hp. Do we hear a new Giulia GTA? Moreover, there is also 800V technology for this platform, so expect impressive charging speeds.
Alpine A110 and A390: Electric continuation
The Alpine A110 offers a lot of driving pleasure with a relatively small internal combustion engine. The next one will approach things a bit differently, as it will be fully electric. Alpine will undoubtedly do everything to keep the weight as low as possible, so expect a relatively small battery pack. In terms of power, we can assume at least a repetition of the more than 300 hp that the current A110 puts on the scale. Furthermore, we expect the already revealed large SUV brother A390 to be on the market next year.
Audi Q7: Truly a replacement now
The current Audi Q7 has been around for about ten years, and just like with the first generation, after a decade, it’s high time for a changing of the guard. With its significantly altered appearance, the new Q7 suggests that virtually nothing has remained the same under the hood. Nevertheless, it is plausible that it will again be based on a variant of the MLB platform. This does not mean that everything will remain the same technically. We expect, among other things, a significantly larger electric range for the plug-in hybrids.
Bentley SUV: Electrically ascending
Fully electric propulsion and a high body. For a long time, these two elements were anathema at Bentley, but a brand-new SUV now makes the combination possible. It will likely be a sister model to the Audi Q6 e-tron and Porsche Macan. The Macan is available with 360 hp, 408 hp, 516 hp, and even 639 hp. It wouldn’t surprise us if Bentley surpasses that with the newcomer, possibly named Mayon or Bernato.
BMW 3 Series and i3: Two-stage rocket
In the new year, BMW will launch both a brand-new 3 Series and an electric brother called i3. The i3 will not simply be an electric 3 Series. Although the two strongly resemble each other, the proportions are slightly different here and there. Broadly speaking, the same Neue Klasse design language will be applied. For the i3, we are banking on a range of about 800 km and, among other things, an insanely powerful ‘iM3’ version.
BMW X5 and iX5: A bit of both
Like the new BMW 3 Series, the next X5 will also receive a strong dose of the design language that initially seemed purely intended for electric BMWs. Technically, however, it remains more conservative. The basis is probably a further development of the current one. We expect a lot from the plug-in hybrid powertrains, which will likely allow you to travel well over 100 km electrically. A fully electric version is also coming, and an iX5 with a fuel cell is also in development.
BMW X7: Mélange
While the BMW X5 hobbles behind the Neue Klasse with its exterior, the new X7 is awaiting a somewhat different look. At the rear, some of that new design language will be visible, but the front will remain somewhat true to the familiar. This means there will again be two-layer divided lighting, as well as very large ‘kidneys’. Underneath, things also largely remain familiar, although BMW is undoubtedly working on a greater range for the plug-ins. It is still exciting whether the X7 will be available as early as 2026.
Cupra Raval: Accessibly sporty
The Volkswagen Group is preparing numerous electric compact models, including the Volkswagen ID Polo and Skoda Epiq. They will be joined by a Spanish cousin in the form of the Cupra Raval. Where the ID Polo will be a hatchback and the Epiq an SUV-like vehicle, the Raval falls somewhat in between. The emphasis for the Raval, as is characteristic of Cupra, will primarily be on a sporty appearance. The target starting price is the same as that of the Volkswagen and Skoda: €25,000.
Dacia EV: Romanian Twingo
Renault is working on a cheerful electric retro-Twingo, and sister brand Dacia is also keen on a new EV. A Dacia will appear on this Twingo basis, which should be more convincing than the Spring on various fronts. For example, this newcomer will soon roll off the production line in Europe, and its starting price will be below that of the Spring. Dacia is already talking about €18,000. We are curious whether Dacia will also bring out retro lines, but we don’t expect it.
DS Numéro 7: Following suit
With its EMP2 basis, the DS 7 is now truly a veteran in Stellantis-land, but a successor named Numéro 7 is coming, which, like its group siblings, will be based on the STLA Medium platform. A cousin of the Peugeot 5008 and Opel Grandland, then. It will strongly resemble the brand-new top model DS Numéro 8, which is also based on that platform. The Numéro 7 will only have electric propulsion. Expect the same 97.2 kWh battery pack as in the Numéro 8 and a range of about 700 km.