CARS TO KEEP YOUR EYES ON

Electric cars are coming in a big way, but there are still some exciting combustion-engined models on the way too in 2022. Darren Cassey picks his nine of the best.

CUPRA BORN

Cupra is the electric/performance offshoot of Seat, itself a division of the Volkswagen Group. As a result of the latter, the firm gets access to VW’s latest MEB electric vehicle platform, which currently underpins the VW ID.3. Cupra’s version is called Born and has a very stylish, modern exterior. Its range of up to 263 miles isn’t the longest around, but it should be more than enough for most.

LOTUS EMIRA

Lotus is a real UK car industry success story. Despite changing demands from buyers, the Norfolk-based company has continued to excel in its niche – lightweight sports cars. A major evolution is coming from the brand, with electrification on the horizon. But first, there’s Emira. It’s developed on a new aluminium chassis and has an engine from AMG. An intoxicating combination.

RENAULT MEGANE E-TECH ELECTRIC

Like every car company, Renault is shifting its range towards EVs, and the Megane E-Tech Electric is the first. It will have a range of almost 300 miles, a stylish exterior and a hugely spacious cabin, with an infotainment system based on Google’s Android system. These credentials made it a finalist in the 2022 Car of the Year awards, with the winner to be announced in February.

DACIA JOGGER

Dacia has found a niche building the most affordable cars possible in any given segment, while still offering sound build quality and decent specifications. Its newest model is the Jogger, which will be the least expensive seven-seater on sale. When it comes to large family cars, the Jogger might just be the best value option on the market.

MERCEDES-BENZ EQE

Surprisingly, this is only the second electric vehicle on this list so far, and there’s a good reason it’s included. The mid-sized executive car market has proved hugely lucrative for MercedesBenz and its fellow premium car makers, so seeing it evolve for an EV market is very interesting indeed. For this German firm the answer is EQE, essentially an electric version of the hugely popular E-Class. Targeted at those who do lots of miles, it’s said to be targeting more than 400 miles between charges.

TOYOTA BZ4X

If we’re being honest, bZ4X is a terrible name for a car. But if you can look past that it’s a very interesting model, as it’s Toyota’s first production electric vehicle. Yes, despite the firm forging ahead with electrification through Prius hybrids, it hasn’t actually sold an EV yet. That’s changing in a big way, with 15 coming over the next three years, and seven getting bZ badging. The bZ4X is the first of this onslaught and is about the same size as the current Rav4 SUV.

INEOS GRENADIER

When Land Rover took the old Defender off sale after what felt like hundreds of years, its new one was met with mixed feelings from off-road enthusiasts and farmers who need a more utilitarian model. The Ineos Grenadier is a response to this, with a more back-to-basics, robust interior and bundles of off-road capability.

RANGE ROVER

In the luxury car market, the Range Rover has long been top of the class. Earlier this year, Land Rover revealed the new one, bringing sleek, minimalist styling and bundles of new technology. It has new plug-in hybrid technology as well as a performance V8 engine – and an electric model in 2024.

TOYOTA GR86

At the other end of Toyota’s range is the GR86, the successor to the much-loved GT86. While car enthusiasts loved its affordable sports car ethos, it never quite reached cult status because its engine, in particular, lacked excitement. To combat this, Toyota has made the engine bigger and brought more power. Will a little more performance make this a worldbeater? Time will tell, but in the meantime, we’re excited by the prospect.