There will be plenty of new vehicle debuts in the coming year. Some will be flops, some will be successful, and some will turn an entire segment on its head. It’s hard to predict (with some) where a new vehicle will fall, but here are 10 poised to upset their class.
Ford Fusion Sport
Finally: a “Sport” model that’s more than a body kit and some badges. The 2017 Ford Fusion Sport will be sporting a twin-turbo, 2.7-liter V-6 that will make 325 hp and 350 lb-ft of torque and route it through all four wheels. How fast will this thing be? The last Ford Edge we tested with a 315 hp, 2.7-liter EcoBoost V-6 laid down a 5.7-second 0-60-mph time on the way to a 14.3-second quarter mile at 95.9 mph. The roughly 500 pounds heavier Edge (than the Fusion) is also faster than the brand’s sporty Focus ST.
The Fusion’s main bogeys, the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry, both offer V-6 engines, but they’re not even in the same league. If a Mazdaspeed6 materialized, perhaps sporting the new turbocharged I-4 destined for the CX-9, it might be able to take the fight to the Ford.
Honda Civic Type R
The front-wheel-drive hot-hatch segment is about to get a lot hotter with Honda’s biggest and baddest Civic coming to town. The Civic Type R has been lusted after by the Honda faithful for years, but now it’ll finally be taking on the establishment in the U.S. Performance puts it between the Volkswagen GTI and Golf R, as well as the Ford Focus ST and RS. If the price of the Civic Type R splits the difference, it’ll walk all over the front-wheel-drive segment, but if it strays too close to the more powerful all-wheel-drive segment in price (the Focus RS, Golf R, and Subaru WRX STI all retail for about $35,000) it’s going to be a bittersweet arrival.
Ford Raptor
The off-road truck segment is, understandably, rather small. Every time we review a new off-road trim we include a caveat about the Ford Raptor. In the First Drive of a 2015 Ram Rebel we mentioned the Raptor in the second sentence, and in the Rebel versus Tundra TRD Pro comparison the Ford was mentioned in the second paragraph. The Ford SVT Raptor set the bar when it debuted, and despite two years off the market, it is still the undisputed king of the factory off-road trucks.
The next generation, with a 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6, looks ready to send the current crop of “off-road” pickups back to their respective places at the proverbial table.
Acura NSX
Well, the Acura NSX is finally (almost) here. The long-awaited sequel to the smash hit is slated to repeat the success of the original by delivering reliability, technical prowess, and supercar styling within the same vehicle. Our First Drive left us with some mixed emotions, but we said, “Should those brilliant Ohio engineers engineer out some of the Honda rationalness from this irrational Honda product (and engineer in some balls) before it goes on sale next year, the NSX will be the irrational, uncompromised, take-no-prisoners, awesome supercar it’s already proven it can be. When it’s in Track mode.”
Ford Focus RS
Well, Ford, it’s about time! The Ford Focus RS shows up to the four-wheel-drive, turbocharged compact car rumble a little late. Now that the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution is gone, there are only a few serious contenders left: the Subaru WRX STI and the Volkswagen Golf R. Will the Ford Focus RS trounce the competition? Will it merely be a solid alternative, like the ST is to the GTI and garden-variety WRX? Time will tell, but we’re happy to be able to finally do such a comparison.
Lexus LC 500
Lexus has been gathering the pieces it needs to field a serious performance lineup, and the surprise LC 500 is the latest step in the new direction. The LC 500 will be blessed with the 5.0-liter V-8 also found in the RC F and GS F that has already proven to be a wonderful race track companion. The rumor mill is abuzz with the implications for a fifth-generation Toyota Supra, but either way the LC 500 seems poised to shake things up in the luxury grand touring segment. The main bogey is the BMW 6 Series, which has been selling without much in the way of direct competition. Things are about to change.
Read about the LC 500h hybrid right here.
Ford GT
Yeah, 2017 is looking like a good year for fans of the Blue Oval: new Raptor, performance Fusion, the Focus RS is finally coming over, and now a new Ford GT? It is the best of times, indeed. More than 600 hp from a twin-turbocharged, 3.5-liter V-6 mounted behind the driver, a wind-tunnel sculpted body with looks that scream “supercar,” and a return to endurance racing all point to a spectacular year. With Ford back in the supercar game, the Europeans finally have some serious competition, both on and off the track.
Camaro ZL1
The horsepower wars will continue, and the Chevrolet Camaro has been going strong since it launched: Motor Trend Car of the Year, winner of a comparison with the eternal Ford Mustang GT competition, and an enticingly powerful new V-8 engine. In the Corvette Z06 the supercharged LT4 pumps out 650 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque, and a tiny bit less in the Cadillac CTS-V. More power, less weight (than the previous Camaro), and better handling? The muscle car segment is about to get a lot more exciting.
Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT Hellcat
Jeep has confirmed that Hellcat power will be finding its way into the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT. The Jeep Grand Cherokee will, again, shake up the hot rod SUV market, as its SRT predecessor has for years. Vehicles such as the BMW X5 M and X6 M, the Mercedes-AMG GLE60, Land Rover Range Rover Sport SVR, and Porsche Cayenne Turbo/Turbo S will suddenly have to worry about the Jeep again. Like the original, the not-mainstream, not-luxury Grand Cherokee will assure its appeal to a wide audience, and the performance will endear it to drivers and Internet commenters alike. We can’t wait to sample this one.
Ford Super Duty
How much is too much? That doesn’t seem to be a question in the muscle car horsepower wars we’re enjoying, and the situation appears to be much the same in the heavy duty truck segment. Ram’s 3500 has held the “Best” title for standard torque and towing capacity for a while now. With the redesigned Super Duty on the horizon, set to get the aluminum weight-loss treatment the F-150 enjoyed, we’re anticipating the “Best” bragging rights will be tipped back in favor of the Blue Oval. Will we see 1,000 lb-ft of torque this year from a factory vehicle? Perhaps.
The post Disruptors: Vehicles Poised to Upset Their Class appeared first on Motor Trend.