What’s New: The Camaro’s stout performance and classic style sometimes spark nostalgia for its lamented Pontiac twin, so
It’s a tumultuous time in the U.S. for a number of reasons, and our automotive marketplace is no exception. Every segment is staring down a big shake-up, and no matter what happens, consumers will have more choice than ever before.
Much of the change is the culmination of years of market forces. Gas prices are down, and expectations are up. The meteoric rise of the crossover continues unabated while the traditional SUV retreats comfortably into its niche. Mainstream electric cars are finally hitting the road with gasolinelike driving range and practicality. Hybrid powertrains are showing up in new places while once-fledgling segment benders such as the coupelike SUV gain greater acceptance. And no matter the segment, the car had better be crammed with the latest technology and features.
What follows are the hottest new cars, trucks, crossovers, SUVs, vans, and everything in between set to go on sale within the next few years. It’s by no means a comprehensive list, but rather the vehicles we’re most excited about and what we know about them so far. Some you’ll be able to buy later this year, and others are a few years down the road. No teases, just real products you’ll be able buy soon in one form or another. Welcome to the future.
Read last year’s Future Cars special here.
Future Cars: 2017 and Beyond
What’s Now: Sports and Luxury
What’s NEXT: Cars
What’s Now: Vans and SUVs
What’s NEXT: Trucks and Vans
What’s Now: Green Cars
2017 Trans Am Worldwide Trans Am
What’s Now: Sports/Luxury
What’s New: The Camaro’s stout performance and classic style sometimes spark nostalgia for its lamented Pontiac twin, so TAW has been reskinning gen-five Camaros as ’77-’78 Trans Ams, complete with screaming chickens, shaker hood scoops, and optional T-tops. Design work on an Alpha-platform Trans Am is well underway, and it will offer two styling options—1969 or the Bandit-era look. Each will offer SLP engine upgrades of the LT1 V-8 likely mirroring the stages of Roots-supercharged tune available on the old LS3 (550, 650, and 700-plus hp).
What’s Not: The idea of Pontiac-ifying Camaros or Plymouth-izing Challengers, though TAW raises the production quality to much nearer original equipment manufacturer levels.
When: Spring 2017
How Much: $71,000
2017 Buick LaCrosse
What’s Now: Sports/Luxury
What’s New: The Buick LaCrosse has gotten longer, lower, sleeker, and wider, and we’re told it’s quieter and more comfortable—so quiet, in fact, that engineers were forced to make changes to the windshield wiper motor because it was verging on obtrusive. You can also get massaging seats for the two front passengers, and the exterior is no longer something you’d expect to find parked at the Elks Lodge.
What’s Not: It shares a V-6 engine with the Cadillac XT5 and Chevrolet Camaro, but the eAssist mild hybrid looks to be gone for good.
When: Summer 2016
How Much: $32,500 (est)
2017 Jaguar XE
What’s Now: Sports/Luxury
What’s New: Not as much as when we first drove the Euro-spec XE in January 2015. The XE enters one of the most hotly contested segments and does so with a proper mix of good looks, good power, and great handling. When you’re going toe-to-toe with the BMW 3 Series, you better hit ’em with everything you’ve got.
What’s Not: The platform is shared with the XF and F-Pace. Same story for the engines, the transmission, and the AWD.
When: Currently
How Much: $35,895-$52,695
2017 Fiat 124 Spider
What’s Now: Sports/Luxury
What’s New: A new body and a new name for the Mazda Miata. The Fiata, as we’ll call it, is built in Hiroshima alongside the Miata and gets Fiat’s port-injected, 1.4-liter turbo making 160 hp. Transmission choices mirror Mazda’s (six-speed manual or auto), and the Abarth version provides an exterior butching up plus Mazda’s Club package.
What’s Not: The Fiata was supposed to be an Alfa Romeo but was switched to Fiat at the last second. It may be built in Japan, but this is classic Italian dysfunction at its best. We’re disappointed the Abarth (pictured) won’t use the 4C’s 237-hp, 1.7-liter engine; the tired SOHC cast-iron Dodge Dart lump under the hood isn’t one of our favorites.
When: Summer 2016
How Much: $25,990
2017 Nissan GT-R
What’s Now: Sports/Luxury
What’s New: Everything but the roof, doors, and glass has been refreshed on Nissan’s supercar-slaying standard-bearer. The grille and bumper now reflect the corporate face, and new vents and a beefy rear diffuser hint at bumps of 20 horsepower and 4 lb-ft of torque. To make its flagship more GT than R, Nissan completely revamped the interior with a new steering wheel, dashboard, and leather-wrapped center stack with an 8-inch touchscreen (up from 7) and simplified button layout.
What’s Not: The premium front-midship platform, powertrain, and profile. This is significant plastic surgery to Godzilla—the biggest since she came ashore in 2008—but it’s not the all-new GT-R we’ve been waiting for.
When: Now
How Much: $102,000 (est)
2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia
What’s Now: Sports/Luxury
What’s New: The whole thing. A new Alfa Romeo platform gives us the brand’s first sedan sold here in decades. It’s a rear-drive stunner with either a 276-hp, turbo, 2.0-liter four-cylinder or a 505-hp, twin-turbo, 2.9-liter V-6. Top speed with the V-6 is a claimed 191 mph, and 0-60 happens in just 3.8 seconds.
What’s Not: The Giulia is more style than substance. It’s been delayed six months for failing internal crash tests, something you’d think FCA would have baked in from the start. The Giulia is supposed to change America’s perception of the brand but instead seems to prove nothing is new: Alfa still makes achingly beautiful sedans of questionable engineering.
When: Late 2016 (est)
How Much: $40,000 (est)
2017 Lincoln Continental
What’s Now: Sports/Luxury
What’s New: The 2017 Lincoln Continental replaces the old MKS and comes packed with plenty of luxury features, including the new 30-way Perfect Position seats that heat, cool, and massage. All-wheel drive and a Lincoln-exclusive 3.0-liter, twin-turbo EcoBoost V-6 with an estimated 400 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque will be offered in the 2017 Continental.
What’s Not: Lincoln’s Drive Control system, which is also found on Lincoln’s other models, will be available in the Continental and allows owners to adjust the car’s driving characteristics to their tastes. Like other Lincolns, the Continental will be available with three personalized themes from its Black Label program.
When: Fall 2016
How Much: $45,485
2017 Toyota 86
What’s Now: Sports/Luxury
What’s New: Lots and very little at the same time. With the death of the Scion brand, the beloved FR-S sports car moves under the Toyota umbrella. It drops the FR-S name in favor of 86, the name it goes by in Japan. The 86 gets a nose-lift to go with its new name, a new steering wheel, some suspension tweaks, revised gear ratios for the six-speed manual, and, as an added bonus for those who like to shift themselves, 5 extra horsepower and 5 more lb-ft for 205 horsepower and 156 lb-ft total.
What’s Not: The 2.0-liter flat-four under the hood continues to make just 200 hp and 151 lb-ft of torque in Toyota 86 models equipped with the optional six-speed automatic. We’re still waiting on a long-ago rumored turbocharged version or at the very least a convertible.
When: Late Summer 2016
How Much: $26,000 (est)
Jaguar F-Pace
What’s Now: Vans and SUVs
What’s New: Almost everything. Jaguar’s first-ever SUV is expected to do great things for the fabled British brand. Heading off-road? You’ll be better served by a ride from Jaguar’s sibling, Land Rover. The F-Pace features all-wheel drive, but it is intentionally aimed at the road. Still, if you need to get through some muck on the way to soccer practice, no worries. Odds of the F-Pace becoming Jaguar’s best-selling model? 100 percent.
What’s Not: The engines, transmission, and AWD system come straight from other big cats. You may as well think of the F-Pace as an XF Wagon on stilts.
When: Currently
How Much: $41,985-$70,695
2017 Toyota C-HR
What’s Now: Vans and SUVs
What’s New: What began life at the now-scuttled Scion brand as a two-door crossover coupe has become a new four-door compact crossover windfall for Toyota. With its edgy styling, the sporty C-HR hatchback intends to take on the Mazda CX-3, the Nissan Juke, and, to a lesser extent, the Honda HR-V. Two powertrains are being considered: a version of the 2016 Prius 1.8-liter hybrid system good for 120 hp (combined) or a 114-hp, 1.2-liter, turbocharged inline-four, the latter offered with the choice of a six-speed manual or a continuously variable automatic transmission. Our market, however, might get a 2.0-liter four-cylinder with the CVT. The CVT will be available in a front-wheel or four-wheel-drive version. All of this rides on Toyota’s New Global Architecture (TNGA) platform, which stresses body rigidity and a promises sporty dynamics to outpace the competition in the curves. To demonstrate, Toyota GAZOO Racing entered the C-HR in the 2016 Nürburgring 24 Hours race.
What’s Not: Scion is still dead.
When: Early 2017
How Much: $20,000-$30,000 (est)
Audi Q2
What’s Now: Vans and SUVs
What’s New: Audi’s compact SUV takes a different styling approach than the Q7/Q5/Q3, which all look like the same vehicle in different sizes. Angular, less rounded styling is used across the exterior, and the interior will be familiar Audi, though more like one of their cars. Front-wheel drive will be standard, and Audi’s signature Quattro all-wheel-drive system will be available.
What’s Not: Audi will build the Q2 on the same platform as the Volkswagen Golf and Audi A3, so it could get the engines we already know and enjoy from both lines.
When: Late 2016
How Much: $31,000 (est)
Mazda CX-9
What’s Now: Vans and SUVs
What’s New: Compared to the model it replaces, the 2016 Mazda CX-9 is roughly 200 to 300 pounds lighter. Mazda has ditched the old Ford-sourced 3.7-liter V-6 in favor of a new 2.5-liter turbo-four that makes 250 hp (227 hp with regular fuel) and 310 lb-ft of torque. A new range-topping model called the CX-9 Signature has also been added and comes with Auburn Nappa leather upholstery, real rosewood trim from Japanese guitar maker Fujigen, and LED signature grille lighting.
What’s Not: The 2016 CX-9 will feature Mazda’s full suite of Skyactiv technologies, including the chassis, which is also used on the CX-5 crossover, Mazda6 midsize sedan, and Mazda3 compact car.
When: Now
How Much: $32,420-$44,915
GMC Acadia
What’s Now: Vans and SUVs
What’s New: Just about everything; new for 2017, GMC shrank the formerly gargantuan Acadia to help separate it from the Yukon in the lineup and the Buick Enclave at dealerships. The smaller dimensions mean massive weight savings, which to you means better acceleration and improved fuel economy. Despite the shrinkage, the Acadia still promises to seat up to seven passengers in three rows and protects them with a full suite of active safety gizmos.
What’s Not: The Acadia’s two engines have been available in other General Motors products and are a known quantity. A 195-hp, 2.5-liter I-4 is standard; a 310-hp, 3.6-liter V-6 is optional. Both engines get a six-speed automatic and front-wheel drive or optional all-wheel drive.
When: Now
How Much: $29,995-$48,240
2017 Chrysler Pacifica
What’s Now: Vans and SUVs
What’s New: When the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica went on sale this spring, it shook up the minivan segment with better-than-ever Stow ‘n Go second-row seats, a best-in-class 287-horsepower V-6 mated to a segment-first nine-speed automatic, and such niceties as available 20-inch wheels, a useful Stow ‘n Vac integrated vacuum, and a thumping 20-speaker Harman Kardon audio system. If the standard Pacifica’s 18/28 mpg city/highway fuel economy doesn’t quite cut it, the 80-mpg-e plug-in hybrid variant with 30-mile all-electric range is due out in the fall. Either way, the new Pacifica marries high value with high style.
What’s Not: Nine speeds and no shift paddles?
When: Now
How Much: $29,590-$43,490
Buick Envision
What’s Now: Vans and SUVs
What’s New: The Envision will be a new SUV that splits the difference between the three-row Enclave and the tiny Encore. It will be built in China and is already a strong seller on that side of the Pacific. The tweener is billed as typical Buick-quiet and should go head-to-head with the Lexus RX, Acura RDX, and Audi Q5.
What’s Not: It’s still a Buick, so quiet and comfortable are still the headline values. Power skews much closer to “enough” than “too much,” so don’t expect a lot of sport with your luxury.
When: Summer 2016
How Much: $42,995 for the 2016 model
2017 Tesla Model 3
What’s Now: Green Cars
What’s New: Tesla has captured our automotive interest in a way we haven’t seen since the original Mustang made its debut half a century ago. With the Model 3, Tesla has promised a lot: a sleek, glass-roofed electric family car with a range of more than 200 miles and a 0-60 time of 6.0 seconds or less. And the price? Said to be an impressive $35,000 for a base model.
What’s Not: With nearly 400,000 refundable $1,000 deposits, it’s unclear whether the Model 3 will be subject to similar delays as we saw with the Model S and Model X. And what exactly a $35,000 Model 3 includes remains to be seen.
When: Late 2017
How Much: $35,000 (est)
2017 Chevrolet Bolt
What’s Now: Green Cars
What’s New: Can an affordable, 200-plus-mile electric hatchback from a mainstream automaker be a bona fide thing? Chevy believes it can. And not just because it’ll test the buying waters well ahead of Elon’s 400,000-and-counting nest eggs in the Tesla Model 3. The Bolt comes equipped with a 200-hp, 266-lb-ft e-motor, 60-kW-hr battery, 10.2-inch interior display, and a “gamification” factor that aims to capitalize on EV enthusiast fervor.
What’s Not: The model name is similar to another Chevy vehicle that was also initially seen as a dive into the deep end (of unprofitability).
When: Late 2016
How Much: $37,500*
2017 Subaru Impreza
What’s Now: Green Cars
What’s New: The 2017 Subaru Impreza is the first vehicle to use the Subaru Global Platform that will underpin nearly every Subaru in the future. Subaru’s Starlink infotainment system has been updated with Apple CarPlay and Google Android Auto compatibility and an available 8-inch touchscreen. Impreza sedans are available in the Sport trim, which gains a unique suspension tuning compared to the Base, Premium, and Limited grades. The new Impreza will be produced in Subaru’s assembly plant in Indiana alongside the Outback and Legacy.
What’s Not: A CVT is currently the only transmission confirmed for the 2017 Impreza lineup. The 2.0-liter flat-four returns as the only engine, but it’s been updated with direct-injection, raising its output from 148 to 152 hp. Subaru’s EyeSight active safety suite returns as an option on higher trim levels.
When: Fall 2016
How Much: $20,000 (est)
2017 Kia Niro
What’s Now: Green Cars
What’s New: For its first dedicated hybrid, Kia introduces the hybrid utility vehicle: all the high-mpg attributes of a hybrid (estimated 50 mpg combined) plus a more practical configuration. The chassis is lightweight and eco-tuned, and the 146-hp drivetrain couples a 1.6-liter four-cylinder with an electric motor and a six-speed dual-clutch transmission. Software integrates topographical data into its battery-use logic. A plug-in version will come.
What’s Not: Its styling, which is polarizingly undifferentiated from mainstream Kias.
When: Winter 2017
How Much: $25,000-$32,000
2017 Hyundai Ioniq
What’s Now: Green Cars
What’s New: Public appetite for light trucks has been insatiable, but Hyundai’s alternatively propelled compact hatchback is playing the long game. The Ioniq sits atop Hyundai’s green-car platform and will come in hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and battery-electric varieties. The two hybrids feature a new 1.6-liter Atkinson-cycle I-4 and electric motor; the full-electric model comes to market with a 28-kW-hr lithium-ion battery responsible for an estimated 110-mile range.
What’s Not: The Ioniq is all-new.
When: Fall 2016 (electric), early 2017 (hybrid), summer 2017 (plug-in hybrid)
How Much: $25,000-$35,000* (est)
2017 Ford Fusion
What’s Now: Green Cars
What’s New: This mid-cycle refresh sees two new models. The high-lux Platinum comes loaded with premium content, and the V6 Sport showcases a 325-hp, 2.7-liter, twin-turbo V-6, all-wheel drive, new sport-tuned variable-damping, and upgraded brakes. A rotary gearshift dial replaces the traditional gear shifter, and new driver-assist options will include Sync 3, Pre-Collision Assist with pedestrian detection and automatic braking, park assist, and adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go functionality.
What’s Not: The base S, midlevel SE, and Titanium models receive subtle styling changes but essentially are carryovers, as are the Fusion Hybrid and Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid.
When: Now (Sport: July 2016)
How Much: $22,880-$41,995
BMW Z5
What’s Next: Cars
What’s New: This will be the Z4’s successor and the first sports car born of the collaboration between BMW and Toyota. Based on the spy photos, the Z5 will ditch the Z4’s folding hard top in favor of a simpler and lighter soft top. The Z5 may also be smaller than the Z4, which should make it handle more athletically.
What’s Not: Powertrain details haven’t been announced, but there’s a strong chance it’ll include engines already found in BMW’s lineup. A 2.0-liter turbo-four will likely serve as the base engine, and a turbocharged inline-six should offer more power.
When: 2017 (est)
How Much: $50,000 (est)
2018 Lexus LS
What’s Next: Cars
What’s New: Based on the LF-FC concept (pictured) that wowed visitors at last year’s Tokyo Motor Show, Lexus’ next-generation LS flagship is scheduled to debut in early 2017 (possibly at January’s 2017 Detroit auto show) and go on sale in the fall as a 2018 model year. Expect most of the concept’s radical L-Finesse design to carry over to the production car, as Lexus has no intentions of the next LS blending in. The new LS will no longer reside on the small side of the segment or lack the back-seat comfort and amenities of its European counterparts. Our sources tell us that the LS’ longer wheelbase (comparable to the Benz S550’s 124.6 inches) will allow rear-seat passengers to not only stretch out but also enjoy what promises to be Lexus’ most opulent interior ever. In terms of powertrains, we hear a new generation of engines is in the cards—a naturally aspirated V-8 and/or a twin-turbo V-6 are likely candidates—with the LC 500 coupe’s 10-speed auto a sensible partner.
What’s Not: A face only Vader could love.
When: Fall 2017
How much: $75,000 (est)
Porsche Panamera
What’s Next: Cars
What’s New: The Porsche Panamera will be underpinned by an all-new chassis dubbed the MSB. The modular platform will use high-strength steel, aluminum, and composite materials for about 200 pounds in weight savings. The automaker will also introduce a new 3.0-liter, twin-turbo V-6 engine to its lineup. It will be offered in a new Shooting Brake body style, shown on the 2012 Sport Turismo concept. Porsche will also add 3-D rear lights. The next-gen Panamera will feature fewer buttons controlling the climate and infotainment systems in favor of touch-sensitive controls.
What’s Not: Porsche will carry over the rest of its powertrain options, including a 3.6-liter V-6; a supercharged, 3.0-liter V-6 hybrid; and a 4.8-liter V-8.
When: Spring 2017
How Much: $80,000 (est)
Jeep Wrangler Pickup
What’s Next: Trucks and Vans
What’s New: After years of iterating, Jeep is finally doing a Wrangler-based pickup. It’ll most likely be based on the next-generation Wrangler Unlimited chassis, stretched even farther to get the proportions right. (Crew Chief 715, a Wranger Unlimited-based concept from the 2016 Jeep Easter Safari, is pictured.) Expect upgrades to towing and hauling capabilities. Don’t, however, count on a convertible.
What’s Not: It will likely use the same engine and transmission as the next-gen Wrangler, probably an updated 3.6-liter V-6 with an eight-speed auto or a six-speed manual.
When: 2018 or later
How Much: $30,000 (est)
Honda Odyssey
What’s Next: Trucks and Vans
What’s New: The next-gen Honda Odyssey will move to the new Pilot crossover’s platform and will likely gain that model’s drivetrain options, including an updated direct-injected, 3.5-liter V-6 and available nine-speed automatic transmission. Thanks to those updates, performance and efficiency should both improve.
What’s Not: Based on spy shots we’ve seen, don’t expect the Odyssey’s design to change much from the current generation. The zigzag character line that runs from the sliding doors to the D-pillar appears to be gone, but the rest of the minivan looks familiar. Also look for the HondaVac to return to take on the Chrysler Pacifica’s built-in vacuum option.
When: Fall 2017
How Much: $32,000 (est)
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