Powering into the new year ... the stars of 2019

IT’S set to be a year of stand-out new arrivals in both the EV and fossil-fuel powered sectors, so here are some of the models to keep an eye out for over the coming 12 months.

1This adorable electric hatchback was the surprise star of the Frankfurt Motor Show, demonstrating to the world that it’s possible to inject a dose of personality to electric motoring. Expect to see the show concept toned down a little for production when it arrives late in 2019 – but if Honda knows what’s good for it, it’ll retain as much of that cheeky character as possible.

2Porsche’s first all-electric model will be the Taycan – not a Liam Neeson movie, but a super-saloon designed to rival the Tesla Model S. Performance, as you’d expect from Porsche, will be ample with more than 600bhp on tap and four-wheel drive. Whether it can topple Elon Musk’s mighty machines as the go-to EV sports saloons remains to be seen, though.

3Ferrari’s hardcore 488 Pista arrived to critical acclaim in 2018, and the Italian supercar manufacturer is hoping that by lopping its roof off to create this – the 488 Pista Spider – it’ll extend its popularity even further. It matches the hard-top’s performance too; Ferrari claims 0-60mph in 2.6 seconds, and flat-out it’ll do 211mph.

4Citroen’s last big SUV was the C-Crosser – a hideous rebadging of the Mitsubishi Outlander – but the C5 Aircross will be based on the same underpinnings as the excellent Peugeot 3008, and fitted with the quirky design features that are traditionally Citroen’s hallmark.

5Jaguar’s big F-Pace SUV is getting the SVR treatment, which sees a 5.0-litre supercharged V8 plonked under the bonnet – giving it a hefty 176mph top speed. It’s also been given a more aggressive styling kit, with big vents, air intakes and alloy wheels befitting an SVR model. Billed as Jaguar’s ‘ultimate performance SUV’, the F-Pace SVR is likely to cause quite a fuss when it arrives.

6For a large number of people, the arrival of Tesla’s Model 3 will be an occasion slightly more important than the second coming of Jesus. The American brand’s ‘affordable’ model is set to start at around the same price as a comparable compact executive car, but is pure-electric and offers in excess of 200 miles of range with seriously strong performance.

7The Evoque’s been a massive hit for Land Rover, and the brand’s hoping to recreate that success in the new model by changing, well, as little as possible. Actually, that’s a little unfair – while the tried-andtested styling remains in place, the Evoque