Against all the odds, motor manufacturers have weathered a global recession, and cleaner, greener cars are rolling off production lines. Who's in the fast lane?
Petrol and diesel have never been more expensive in the UK. Apart from the enormous tax element hidden in the cost of every litre of fuel, any sign of trouble in oil-supplying nations sparks panic in the markets and sends the price for a barrel of crude even higher.
It's something we can neither ignore nor fight against. All we can do, as owners or fleet managers, is encourage more sensible buying decisions when it comes to choosing new cars and then make sure they're driven sensibly. Fortunately, with any new model fuel consumption is more frugal than in the car it replaces. Using new engine and gearbox technology and lighter materials to reduce weight, makers of even luxury and high-performance cars are keen to play their part. And this year will see some truly brilliant new models hitting the road.
Cars are here to stay for quite a while yet and these are the ones vying for the attention of buyers over the coming months...
Luxury
For the well-heeled, a luxury car is a must. It's more than a method of transport—it's a statement about who you are and what you've achieved. Far from witnessing a slowing down of new luxury and performance cars, 2011 will not disappoint those with a hankering for the fast and the exclusive. First up is Bentley with the revised Continental GT. The looks have evolved so slightly that if you blink you might miss the differences but they are there and the car now has a more balanced design.
Bentley says the reason for keeping the car essentially as it was is that customers think of it in the same light as the Porsche 911. They want it sharpening, perhaps, honing, and improvements made in one or two areas, but the basic recipe should remain the same. The new model is lighter than the original by 65kg, it's quicker and has smoother handling; the interior has been nicely refreshed with an improved touchscreen satnav; and there's more room for rear passengers thanks to new, slimmer seats. There will soon be a turbocharged V8-powered Continental GT, which should bring down the weight and fuel bills but, for now, the W12 remains the default choice in this sector.
Ferrari might have something to say about that last statement, though. Who saw the FF coming? Nobody. It's here to replace the hideous 612 Scaglietti and it really is a revolutionary step for this most hallowed Italian marque. Like the 612, it has four seats and enough room for four adults. Unlike the 612 or any road-going Ferrari before it, the FF is a four-wheel drive car. It's a £220,000, 651bhp GT with enough room for your luggage and it looks spectacular. Yes, it's twice the price of a tricked-up Porsche Panamera Turbo but park one next to the new Ferrari and it's game over for the big German.
This year sees the most powerful and most expensive Aston Martin ever built finally making its way to a handful of discerning customers. The £1.2m One-77 is a sculpture on wheels and, yes, the clue is in the name: just 77 will be handcrafted in Warwickshire and almost all have been pre-sold. Many thought Aston Martin had started to lose the plot when the One-77 was announced in the depths of recession but that's nothing compared to its other significant launch this year.
The Cygnet is basically a Toyota iQ in disguise. Aston Martin says it is being built to sate its customers' appetite for a premium city car. "In cities such as London," says Dr Ulrich Bez, Aston's Martin chief executive, "there is everything you could possibly need-except space. The Cygnet allows our customers to experience the luxury and craftsmanship we are famed for, but in a small, intelligently designed city car."
The jury is still out on that claim but the Cygnet will cut Aston's overall CO2 outputs, which means the future of its more traditional sports cars is safer. So far, each One-77 customer has placed an order for a Cygnet too, so maybe Bez is right.
Executive
Audi's march towards world domination continues unabated, as you'd expect, and the new A6 will play a key role in this. The song remains the same when it comes to its looks and there's a million variants offering lighter construction, greener credentials and so much optional gadgetry that you'll still be discovering what those buttons do in 10 years' time. Then there's the Q3. Based on the Volkswagen Tiguan, it's a small SUV with style aplenty. And, like the new Range Rover Evoque, it will be available in either front- or four-wheel drive. With Audi's recent track record, it's bound to be another hit.
Not to be outdone by its fellow Germans, Mercedes has a busy year ahead, launching what many are calling the world's ultimate performance saloon: the extraordinary CLS63 AMG. Already a fine car, here the CLS is transformed into a fire-breathing monster that offers supercar performance, subtle styling and stunning build quality. Mercedes is also bringing us a new SLK Roadster, with a clever glass roof that changes from opaque to clear at the touch of a button, and the new C-Class promises much, with the coupé being a proper looker.
The German assault continues with BMW's much-improved 6-Series. Like the 5-Series of 2010, the new Six tones down the quirky looks with a more conventional, balanced profile. A convertible will be first, followed by a coupé, and a Merc CLS-bashing GT will arrive next year.
Then there's the one we've all been waiting for: the M5. There's a lot riding on the new M5 because its predecessor, despite challenging looks, was a four-wheeled riot. The 2011 model will be less thirsty, more powerful and has a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. But will it be robbed of its crucial borderline psychotic character? We hope not.
If you've ever owned, or wanted to own, a Porsche 911, the new one arrives in 2011. Internally coded as the 998, it will be unveiled at the Frankfurt motor show later this year and will look the same as before thanks to Porsche employing the world's laziest styling team. But expect the tech quota to be upped significantly-the world's best all-round sports car will be even better.
With all that new German metal, you might be wondering aloud what the Brits are doing. Jaguar claims it will be unveiling one or two new models but is keeping quiet about what they are. Sister company Land Rover, on the other hand, will finally deliver the baby Range Rover, the Evoque, and it really is a fantastic piece of kit that will immediately kick life into the SUV market. Originally a concept vehicle called the LRX, the stylists have fought hard to retain its futuristic looks while keeping true to Land Rover's design principles. The Evoque is a triumph. Available in either two- or four-wheel drive guises (with two- or four-door body styles) it has street cred by the truckload and will square up to Audi's Q3. It could be a bloody battle.
Saab is getting in on the SUV act, too, with its 9-4X. It will be built in Mexico instead of Sweden and have four-wheel drive. It will be unmistakably Saab in its looks but with only one (V6 petrol) engine available, sales may well disappoint in a market where oil-burners and hybrids take the lion's share.
Fleet
The fleet market has never been more important to several key manufacturers and some, such as Peugeot, have missed out from achieving higher sales because of poor reliability and low residual values when it comes to selling them on after three years or so. We're still reeling in shock from the gorgeous RCZ sports car but Peugeot is out to prove it's not just a one-trick pony with the fleet-biased 508.
Light years ahead of the lamentable 407, the 508 is good looking and has easily the most inviting interior in its class, utilising high-quality materials, fine ergonomics and swish style. There are petrol, diesel and soon-to-come hybrid variants—Peugeot seems to be on a roll and is determined to offer quality cars that rival established German brands.
Unlike the 508, Volkswagen's new Passat is little more than a minor styling update. There's nothing wrong with the way it's built or the way it drives and the car has become ubiquitous for good reason: it will take a hammering on Britain's motorways at the hands of countless reps. But up against the new Peugeot it looks outdated. If the 508 proves to be as good as it seems then VW really needs to give the Passat a shot in the arm.
The major player in this market has always been BMW's 3-Series and, in a way, it has become a victim of its own success. Sales fell sharply in 2009 because everyone got a bit bored with it so BMW has brought forward its launch of the new Three. This year will see the four-door, with the rest of the range following in 2012. Expect lovely looks, peerless build quality, fuel consumption improved by up to 17 per cent and lower emissions. There will be a levelling of the playing field too, because, like its predecessors, everybody will want one.
Electric avenue
Carmakers are picking up the pace to develop hybrid models. Nissan claims to have 40,000 firm orders for its diminutive electric car, the Leaf-the first mass-produced battery-powered car for nearly 15 years (after the GM EV1). Strictly for urbanites thanks to its puny 100-mile range and eight-hour charge cycle, the Leaf will sell for a price not far short of an entry-level Porsche Boxster (minus the current government subsidies for electric vehicles) but it's a brave stab at something different.
Electric cars are high on the agenda for many manufacturers. Audi is busy developing zero-emission models, including an electric R8 supercar and even Rolls-Royce has announced a plan to introduce a battery-powered limo. Scoff if you like but this is an industry that pushes boundaries many thought were immovable. Perhaps a Phantom exempt from London's congestion charge doesn't seem so impossible after all.
Battery technology is still in its infancy, though, so hybrids continue to dominate. There are two types of hybrid on sale in the UK: those using either battery or engine power or those that combine the two to reduce emissions. Honda favours the latter option so cars such as the CR-Z and the Insight never run on battery power alone but the electricity generated helps the petrol engine when the driver requires more power.
In other hybrids such as those sold by Lexus and even Porsche, you can drive with zero emissions when battery power alone is used, and this means spookily silent motoring. When the engine takes over, it charges the batteries. These cars also utilise regenerative braking, which converts energy generated by the brakes into electricity. This is then sent to the nickel batteries, usually located beneath the floor of the boot.
Until electric-powered cars can better a range of 100 miles or so between charges, hybrids are going to become more popular and greener. But if you do more than city driving you may find the increasingly clean and frugal diesel options a cheaper alternative.
