9:00 am, December 26, 2023
If you thought 2023 was a busy year for new cars, you haven’t seen 2024’s schedule.
With supply very much back to plentiful levels and the first year of the ZEV mandate kicking in, carmakers are keen to keep the buying public’s appetite wetted.
Industry big names Cox Automotive and Auto Trader both think 2024 will see a return to a ‘push’ in the market, with carmakers encouraging sales of new cars in ways they haven’t done for the last few years – during that period, the market operated in a ‘pull’ method.
Also, that ZEV mandate is important. Manufacturers will face punitive fines if they don’t sell enough EVs in 2024 – 22% of carmakers’ new car sales have to be of zero emission models.
Here are the cars we are most looking forward to in the next 12 months. And yes, surprise surprise, most are EVs…
New Mini Cooper
Thanks to various special editions and spin-offs it seems like Mini launches a new car all of the time. But, in actual fact, this is only the fourth new Mini hatchback since BMW kept the brand after selling off Rover over 20 years ago.
The new hatch, now called Cooper, is built on a platform co-engineered with Chinese carmaker Great Wall. Initially it’ll be launched as an EV with a 40.7kWh battery, 181bhp motor and a 190-mile range, but petrol power will arrive later.
Polestar 3
Yes, we know, the Polestar 3 doesn’t seem all that new as it was revealed in 2022. But in 2024 the car will finally be arriving in the UK after it was hit by delays.
The 3, the brand’s new electric SUV, is the first proper Polestar (the 1 and 2 were originally Volvo concept cars) and will take on premium high-riders such as the BMW iX.
It uses a new platform shared with the new Volvo EX90 and is priced from £79,900. It’ll be joined by the smaller Polestar 4 crossover during the year, too.
Ford Puma EV
Ford will really move into top gear in 2024 with its electric products. It will be launching a range of electric vans, and its Volkswagen MEB platform-based Explorer will finally be arriving, too.
But we’re more interested in the Puma EV. The Puma has sort of become the successor to the Fiesta; it’s a top-seller in the UK and is a fine car, so an EV version is big news.
No specs have been revealed yet, but it’s likely to be competitive with rival Stellantis products such as the Vauxhall Mokka Electric and Peugeot e-2008, so expect a 250-ish-mile range.
Fiat Panda
Fiat will begin deliveries of its 600e in 2024, but the exciting news is that the hatchback will be joined by another electric car.
The Panda is set to be reinvented and is likely to be revealed at the Italian carmaker’s 125th birthday event on July 11, 2024.
It’ll take inspiration from the 2019 Centoventi concept (pictured) and is likely to be a more back-to-basics design referencing the original Panda of the 1980s – so think simple, logical design details and a relatively modest price tag.
MG Cyberster
MG will begin deliveries of the type of car die-hard fans have wanted for years – a two-seater sports car.
Enthusiasts morned the death of the MG TF around a decade ago, and since then the Chinese-owned British brand has focussed on offering value-for-money cars and has found great success with its electric models.
The Cyberster will arrive and give MG’s model range a large dose of sparkle. Top models will have a 536bhp electric dual-motor powertrain and a £50-60k price tag is mooted.
Renault 5
The reborn Renault 5 could be the car of 2024. The French firm shocked everyone when it revealed the retro-designed electric hatchback in 2022, and confirmed it would wear the legendary ‘5’ moniker.
More than that, Renault said the 5 would be joined by a new 4 – it’s a real trip down memory lane. But there’s nothing old fashioned about the Renault 5.
The design may hark back to the original but it’ll be based on a new EV platform and, like the first 5, it will focus on offering value for money. Prices should be around £30,000.
Citroen e-C3
Speaking of value for money, there’s the Citroen e-C3. When this arrives in 2024, it’ll be one of the cheapest EVs on sale in the UK. Prices are expected to be around the £23,000 mark and for that customers will have a 44kWh LFP battery and 199 miles of range.
The car also features a raft of styling and design cues taken from the fantastic Oli concept car. The e-C3 could be the EV that switches a lot of people to electric in the years ahead.
Skoda Superb
Skoda may be focusing heavily on its new range of EVs – just like most carmakers are – but it isn’t forgetting a mainstay of its model line-up.
A new Superb will arrive in 2024 in both saloon and estate bodies, with updated styling and a raft of new technologies. It won’t be an EV but come in a range of electrified petrol and diesel forms, along with plug-in hybrids.
Interior space – a hallmark of recent Superbs – will be just as, if not more, cavernous than before – don’t worry!
Alfa Romeo Milano
Alfa Romeo will launch its first EV in 2024. It’s the next step in the much-promised turnaround of Alfa Romeo, and this new small electric SUV will wear an important name – Milano.
That’s the birthplace of the Italian carmaker and shows the level of importance Alfa will place in on the model.
It’ll use the underpinnings shared with the Fiat 600e and Jeep Avenger, which means Alfa could launch with both EV and petrol mild-hybrid power. The Milano will also debut a new design language.
Peugeot e-3008
The outgoing 3008 has been a game-changer for Peugeot. It was the first model to show off the brand’s new daring and more premium-looking design, and it sold by the bucketload.
The pressure is on for this new third-generation 3008, initially arriving as an EV. It gets a new ‘fastback SUV’ shape and a fancier new interior, and Peugeot has lofty sales expectations for it in the UK.
