Best New Cars We’ll See In 2022

2022 is going to be promising with new motors on our roads. From electric crossovers to hatchbacks, these are the best new cars we cannot wait to drive this year

As we have slumped through the first (and what feels like the longest) month of 2022, we have already had a good look at what cars we can expect to see being released this year. Whether you’re a supercar superfan or have your eyes on a handy new estate, there are plenty of cars to get excited about that have been on our watchlists for quite some time.

Like many drivers over the last year, you might still be waiting impatiently for your next car, but the shortage of computer chips isn’t stopping this year’s new model launches. Luckily, all that patience is about to pay off with a broad variety ranging from affordable superminis to the latest generation performance cars, the list certainly looks to promise a very exciting year ahead.

As battery and driver assisting technology improves, it’s no surprise to see more and more electric cars with ever-increasing ranges appearing on this list. Let’s drive into the best new cars we’ll see in 2022…

#1 BMW M3 Touring

At last, a new BMW for thrill-seekers and families alike. Waiting for the BMW M3 Touring has been like a child trying to sleep on Christmas eve. BMW has been teasing the M3 Touring for years, and now it’s finally going to happen. The estate version of the popular performance car will sport all the same engineering as the saloon but in a more practical body style.

With the combination of M specific high performance, a generous helping of interior space and the intelligent functionality of a Touring model is set to make the BMW M3 G81 a very special vehicle. There has never been an M3 Touring before, at least not one that’s made production and open to the public, so to have a 510PS (380kW) 3 Series estate is a scintillating prospect. In the UK, the Touring is likely to be xDrive AWD only, and with the addition of a bigger tail-end, could be seen to weigh close to the wrong side of two tonnes. But with 503bhp, it’ll still have a roaring engine to back it up.

From the spy shots and sneaky glimpses the public has seen of the car, it seems that it will feature the same large kidney grille as the M3 saloon and the M4. Behind this will sit a 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged six-cylinder petrol engine with 503bhp and 600Nm of torque, plus it will be available with a selectable four-wheel-drive system.

#2 Lotus Emira

We know that we’re not supposed to have favourites (and we don’t) but the new Lotus Emira is definitely giving us goosebumps. The Lotus Emira is an all-new model from Lotus, and in one swift motion, it replaces the Elise, Exige and Evora.

Since Colin Chapman first pioneered lightweight racing cars in the 1950s and 60s from their factory in Hethal, Norfolk, Lotus has made its name by building like-minded road cars. Now that the brand has been taken over by the Chinese automotive group, Geely, it is back with a bang and is set to bless us with a spread of new sportscars such as the all-electric Evija hypercar and the Emira, which hits the road in Spring 2022.

The Emira is a supercar lookalike for sports car money and is off to a flying start already by being so much prettier than rivals like Porsche’s ageing Cayman. Available initially with two powertrains, the familiar 3.5-litre supercharged V6 and a 2.0-litre, twin-turbo four-cylinder AMG motor, it’s a stunning car and we can’t wait to get behind the wheel and hear it purr.

Lotus is on course for a very successful 2022, with the new Emira being bolstered by the delivery of the Evija electric hypercar and progress being made on the company’s first foray into crossover SUVs.

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#3 Citroen C5X

We did say this list is going to be for supercar fans and families alike…the new Citroen CX5 is spacious, comfortable and comes with a reliable engine!

Is it a saloon, an SUV or an estate? It’s hard to pinpoint. But Citroën hopes it will breathe some new life into the large car market. Instead of going retro and reinventing the likes of the DS or the SM, Citroen’s new flagship is a sort of high-riding estate available with plug-in hybrid power and seats said to be as comfortable enough that you’d never want to leave it.

The C5 X has been designed to offer a standard of luxury that you wouldn’t normally expect to see given the relatively affordable price. Sure enough, the styling seems to reflect the firm’s ambition for the car, which is to blend attributes from several sectors, including hatchbacks and SUVs. The C5 X is based on the same tech as the C5 Aircross SUV but it’s a more appealing and grown-up offering, with petrol and plug-in hybrid powertrains and an all-new 12-inch HD infotainment touchscreen inside.

Like a lot of rivals, it will come with either pure petrol or petrol PHEV powertrains and uses a hydraulic cushion suspension set-up, aping the driving style of historic Citroën saloon cars such as the DS and CX. Rivals to the much-anticipated Citroen include the Peugeot 508 and Volkswagen Passat.

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#4 BMW M2

Another BMW?! Well, with BMW’s M division having such an exciting list of launches scheduled for 2022, we couldn’t narrow it down to just 1. The German brand has plans to unveil four new performance cars in celebration of the company’s 50th anniversary.

Not many cars will be as warmly welcomed by UK drivers in 2022 as the second-generation BMW M2. While the final look is still yet to be confirmed, we can expect to see a hefty dose of scoops, spoilers and splitters on BMW’s all-new pocket rocket.

As hot hatches go, this one will pack a punch with a detuned version of its bigger brother, the M3’s, 3.0-litre straight-six engine. With the M2 you can finally embrace the angry BMW driver reputation with the Munich-based marque’s latest performance package. Featuring the same muscle-bound, two-door compact coupé template as the current car, the all-new version promises to be one of the most thrilling debuts of the year.

Based on the recently released 2 Series, the new M2 uses the same shortened platform as the larger 3 Series saloon. This results in the hot hatch will retain a traditional rear-wheel-drive layout, but it has also allowed engineers to squeeze the twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre straight-six from the latest M3 under the bonnet. The new beast will still develop around 450bhp in the M2 Competition version.

At the more regular end of the Mercedes spectrum, if you can call it that, is the new AMG SL which we are very excited to see on our roads. The Mercedes’ SL badge has meant “luxury sports grand tourer par excellence” since the 1950s, and this latest eighth-generation of the sport-leicht looks to be firmly within that tradition.

For the first time in decades, the SL will feature a fabric roof rather than a folding metal hardtop. As for luxury, which has long been an integral part of the Mercedes package, think latest S-Class yet only SLIGHTLY scaled-down. In other words, the SL is back and it’s better than ever.

The SL seems to be a credible rival to Porsche’s 911 Turbo. Beneath the bonnet of the two launch models’ sits AMG’s glorious 4-litre V8 — the SL 55’s puts out 469bhp, while that of the SL 63 makes 577 — both of which are coupled to a nine-speed auto box. While it does weigh a hefty two tonnes, the chassis is fettled with all manner of dynamic systems, this new model should handle as impeccably as it goes in a straight line.

This new drop-top is also 18 per cent more rigid than the outgoing SL and up to 50 per cent stiffer than the GT Roadster’s body.

#5 Mercedes-AMG SL