Brexit can’t halt tide of new cars arriving
BREXIT and the political high jinks surrounding our leaving the European Union won’t stop car makers popping out new models like there’s no tomorrow.
Which means the UK’s new number plate change – with ‘68’ replacing ‘18’ from September – means only one thing... there are more new cars than ever to choose from.
Mazda is leading the way with upgrades to its CX-5 SUV, the Mazda6 saloon and estate and to the iconic MX-5
Volvo has a new model and it’s not an SUV but a stylish estate that will be one of the last new models Volvo produces with a diesel engine. The V60 line up will be priced from £31,810 for a D3 manual.
Latest versions of Hyundai’s flagship SUV, the Santa Fe, will be in dealer showrooms from September, with prices starting at £33,425. As well as fresh new exterior and interior styling, this latest generation Santa Fe introduces an array of new equipment, safety and powertrain features.
Ford is getting active on the crossover front with pumped up versions of the Fiesta and Ka+ superminis. SUV-like styling and raised ride heights set the so-called Active models apart. The Ka+ Active is priced from £12,950, while the Fiesta Active costs from £17,795.
The latest update of the Mazda6 is the most comprehensive yet, offering a fresh look inside and out. There’s new seating, a 2.5-litre petrol engine option and an even broader range of safety features. Prices will start from £23,045.
Toyota has added a highly specified Design grade to its sharply styled C-HR crossover plus adding features, freshening the interior look and offering a bold new blue body colour. The Design version has heated front seats and powered lumbar support, plus a central touchscreen control. The C-HR is one of the top three selling Toyotas in the UK and prices start at £21,880.
The new Maserati Levante GTS comes with the same Ferrari-built 3.8-litre V8 unit which powers the company’s flagship Quattroporte GTS but it has been re-engineered to work with the SUV’s Q4 Intelligent All-Wheel Drive System and retuned to deliver 550bhp.
Lexus has now added a genuine sevenseater version of the standard RX model. It’s called the RX 450hL and comes with an extra third row of seats in the back. The entry-level seven-seater SE costs £50,995 – some £2,305 premium over the equivalent entry-level five-seater SE.
The latest generation of the all electric Nissan Leaf now has an average range of 168 miles of mixed road motoring or 250 miles of city work. In effect, that’s around 47 per cent more range than the old model. Prices start from £21,990.
Despite being the same length and having the same wheelbase as its predecessor, the new Kia Ceed is slightly lower and wider. The Ceed will be priced from £18,295 for a range that features four trim lines including a high-spec limited number of First Edition models.
The new Fiat 500 Spiaggina ‘58’ special series will be produced in a limited edition of 1,958 cars and is only available as a convertible. Standard kit includes Uconnect 7in HD LIVE touchscreen radio. Power comes from a 1.2-litre 69bhp petrol engine.
MG Motor UK is on a bit of a roll - beating 2017’s new car annual registrations volume by early July and on course to double sales in 2018. MG’s growth is being driven by the new MG ZS compact SUV, which starts from £12,495 and includes a seven-year manufacturer warranty.
Most important new car for Honda this year is the fifth-generation CR-V. It goes on sale here in September - with only one engine on offer, a turbocharged 1.5-litre petrol. There is no diesel option but a petrol/electric hybrid arrives in 2019.
SEAT boasts sales so far in 2018 make it Britain’s fast-growing volume car brand. Sales have been helped by the company’s new mid-size Arona SUV, with more than 5,700 buyers since the start of the year. The Arona joins the larger Ateca SUV and kicks off at £16,750.
Isuzu has made its high specification D-Max Utah model available with a new finance offer. Until the end of September it is available for £239 a month (excluding VAT), over 23 months, with an initial rental of £2,150 on business contract hire. Standard kit includes heated front seats and a reversing camera.
Arriving by the end of the year is the Citroen C5 Aircross SUV, priced from around £22,700. Buyers will have two petrol and two diesel engines to choose from.
All of them will ride on Citroen’s progressive hydraulic cushion suspension, aimed at improving ride comfort, which was first launched on the new C4 Cactus earlier in the year.
The Suzuki Jimny has a firm place in the hearts of drivers who love its no-nonsense go-anywhere abilities at a sensible price. So expectations are high for the imminent arrival of the fourth generation. It will come with just one engine, a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol, replacing the outgoing Jimny’s 1.3-litre engine.