2019 Toyota RAV4
Highlights:
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Completely redesigned
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Regular and hybrid models continue
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More power and better fuel economy
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More advanced safety features included on all models
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Apple CarPlay now available
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Enhanced off-road capability
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Gas model available late 2018. Hybrid model in Winter 2019.
Why It’s Significant:
Crossover SUVs are becoming a dominant force in U.S. car sales, making compact crossovers like the RAV4 supremely important to automakers. The RAV4 hasn’t been fully redesigned since 2013, while key rivals like the Honda CR-V and Chevrolet Equinox have been redesigned in the past few years.
Toyota is looking for ways to preserve what buyers like about the RAV4, like its generous list of standard features and reliability, while adding new infotainment and a sharper design to challenge more recently redesigned rivals.
Toyota is starting to add Apple CarPlay to its vehicles, and it’s no surprise they moved quickly to include it in their most popular crossover. Toyota’s competitors have been offering the popular iPhone interface for some time. Apple CarPlay is standard in the new RAV4, along with a 7-inch touch-screen infotainment system. No support for Android Auto has been announced.
SUVs have been moving firmly into “wagons on stilts” territory – SUVs in name only. Looking to reverse that trend, Toyota is offering the RAV4 with Multi-Terrain select, which has settings for snow, mud, sand, and rocks. That’s similar to systems found in higher-end off-roaders, like the 2018 Toyota 4Runner. These seeking even more off-road fun can get the RAV4 Adventure trim, though the chages there are mostly cosmetic.
Toyota continues its push to include advanced safety features as standard across its lineup, something other automakers have been slow to catch up with. The RAV4 comes standard with automatic braking, pedestrian detection, full-range adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist with lane centering, automatic high beams, a rearview camera, and road sign detection.
What Else You Should Know:
The new 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine produces more horsepower and better fuel economy than the current setup. Ditto for the four-cylinder/electric motor combination in the RAV4 Hybrid. A new eight-speed automatic transmission also aids fuel economy.
RAV4 trims of note include a new sporty XSE Hybrid, the off-road-oriented Adventure, and the luxurious Limited, which is available with ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, a panoramic moonroof, and a hands-free power liftgate.
The 2018 Toyota RAV4 ranks in the lower half of our compact SUV rankings.
2019 Nissan Altima
Highlights:
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Complete redesign
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All-wheel drive now available
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Semi-autonomous ProPilot Assist system manages acceleration, steering, and braking
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Exclusive variable compression engine technology
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Improved standard infotainment system
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Available Fall 2018
Why It’s Significant:
The Altima is Nissan’s entry in the competitive midsize sedan class. It hasn’t been fully redesigned since 2012. The Honda Accord and Toyota Camry, key competitors, were redesigned for 2018, so the pressure was on Nissan to answer. Traditional family sedans are also facing significant pressure from the growing popularity of SUVs.
This is also the first time Altima will be offered with all-wheel drive. All-wheel drive is rare in the midsize sedan segment. It is available on the Ford Fusion and standard on the Subaru Legacy.
The ProPilot Assist system lays the foundation for Nissan’s future autonomous driving technology. It isn’t fully autonomous, and its designed mainly for straightforward driving scenarios like freeways and rural highways, but it’s a step toward the future. It is already available in the 2018 Nissan Leaf and 2018 Nissan Rogue.
A turbocharged four-cylinder engine with Nissan’s variable-compression technology replaces the optional V6 from the 2018 model. It generates 248 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque, which is less than the current V6. However, variable compression technology shows that internal combustion engines are still seeing innovation. First seen in the 2019 Infiniti QX50, variable compression technology mechanically changes the size of the combustion chamber, allowing the car to seamlessly produce more power or better fuel efficiency.
The 2019 Altima’s standard 8-inch touch-screen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is a significant improvement over the 2018 Altima’s 5-inch screen. Nissan needed to do this to keep up with the increasingly tech-laden competition.
What Else You Should Know:
The Altima’s standard four-cylinder engine is mostly new, and sees a horsepower bump from 179 to 188. The Altima’s interior and exterior design is also all new, with a longer, lower, and wider body. The Altima will be available in S, SR, SV, SL, and Platinum trims.
The current Nissan Altima ranks midpack in our affordable midsize car rankings, well below class leaders like the 2018 Toyota Camry and Honda Accord.
Volkswagen Tanoak Pickup Truck Concept
Highlights:
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First pickup truck from VW in the U.S. in more than 30 years
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Crew cab, short-bed pickup
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Based on the 2018 Volkswagen Atlas midsize SUV
Why It’s Significant:
This is the first pickup truck from Volkswagen in the U.S. since the Volkswagen Caddy, which VW stopped selling in 1984. Due to arcane U.S. tax law (the so-called Chicken Tax), trucks that aren’t built in the U.S. face stiff tariffs. It keeps many automakers with popular pickups in foreign markets from bringing them to the U.S.
That’s why every time a foreign automaker brings a truck into America, it’s big news. The Tanoak would be made in America at Volkswagen’s Tennessee plant.
What Else You Should Know:
The Tanoak continues VW’s tradition of bizzare names for its trucks and SUVs. In case you’re wondering, the Tanoak is named after a tree on the Pacific coast of the U.S., which can grow to 135 feet in height.
The Tanoak Concept pickup is powered by a 276-horsepower V6 with 266 pound-feet of torque. It has 9.8 inches of ground clearance to help it clear off-road obstacles. It’s cargo bed is 5 feet 4.1 inches long, while a built-in sliding rail can act as a boat or ladder carrier. All-wheel drive is included. The Tanoak Concept’s interior includes VW’s Virtual Cockpit, a digital display that replaces traditional gauges.
2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback
Highlights:
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Complete redesign
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Drops the iM name; now just Corolla Hatchback
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Standard 8-inch touch screen
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Apple CarPlay now available
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Even more standard advanced safety features
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Available Summer 2018
Why It’s Significant:
Hatchbacks are becoming more popular as people seek the practicality of the SUV body style in ever smaller sizes. The old Corolla hatchback, the iM, dated back to the days of the Scion brand. Now there’s an all-new model. It adds Apple CarPlay, a feature long absent from Toyotas (and present in most competitors).
What Else You Should Know:
The Corolla hatchback will be available in sporty SE and XSE trims. That means the Corolla hatchback will be geared toward more enthusiastic drivers. It will come standard with a sport-tuned suspension and a six-speed manual transmission with downshift rev-matching for smooth gear changes. It’s lower, longer, and wider than the current Corolla iM.
Standard safety features in the Corolla Hatchback include automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, full-range adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist with lane centering, automatic high beams, a rearview camera, and road sign detection.
The 2018 Corolla iM currently places near the bottom of our compact car rankings.
2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback
2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback
2019 Cadillac XT4
Highlights:
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All-new: Cadillac’s first luxury compact crossover
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New 2.0-liter turbo-four with cylinder deactivation
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Luxury and Sport trims
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New infotainment system with rotary controller
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On sale Fall 2018
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Starts at $35,790, including destination
Why It’s Significant:
Cadillac’s headquarters moved from Detroit to New York City to try to stake out their own, upscale identity, separate from other GM brands. The goal is to beat BMW and Mercedes at their own game, but people still aren’t buying Cadillacs at the same rate they’re buying European vehicles.
Enter Cadillac’s all-new crossover. Compact crossover SUVs are the hottest segment in the market, so Cadillac has big hopes that this vehicle will put them on more luxury buyers’ shopping lists.
The XT4 marks the debut of a number of substantial improvements for Cadillac as a whole. One is an updated infotainment system that uses a rotary controller instead of their slow-to-respond touch screen and touch-sensitive button interface. Critics have long complained that the current CUE system is difficult to use, which has hurt the interior score of every Cadillac model in our rankings.
Its new 2.0-liter motor should also find its way into other Cadillac products. It produces 237 horsepower, and Cadillac estimates that it will get 30 mpg on the highway. A nine-speed automatic transmission will aid it in that goal.
The XT4 will debut a new split trim strategy that will eventually roll out to the rest of Cadillac’s lineup. Luxury trims will be comfort oriented, while Sport trims will offer performance upgrades like a new adaptive suspension system with adjustable firmness settings.
One focus missing from Cadillac’s strategy: safety. Cadillac will still make you pay extra for many advanced safety features, like lane keep assist, that are now standard is much less expensive cars, like the 2018 Toyota Corolla.
What Else You Should Know:
Available trims will include the base Luxury, Premium Luxury, and Sport.
Cadillac only sells one other crossover SUV, the XT5, and it performs poorly in our rankings. The brand’s large SUV, the Escalade, uses a traditional body-on-frame design.
Volkswagen’s Cross Sport 2-Row Midsize SUV Concept
Highlights:
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This is a 2-Row version of the 3-Row Atlas midsize SUV
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Production will start in Chattanooga, Tenn. in 2019
Why It’s Significant:
As SUVs and trucks become more and more popular, automakers are reaching into their existing product portfolios to find new variations that will appeal to additional customers. At the 2018 New York Auto Show, VW released two variations of their Atlas 3-row midsize SUV, a pickup truck, and this 2-row version.
What Else You Should Know:
The concept has a 355-horsepower V6/electric motor powertrain with plug-in charging. VW also discussed a mild-hybrid version of the same powertrain that produces 310 horsepower. The specific powertrains that will be included in the production model were not announced.
Infotainment features in the concept include VW’s 12.3-inch Digital Cockpit gauge screen and a 10.1-inch central touch screen that you can control by waving your hands (like a symphony conductor).
The 2018 VW Atlas is a contender for the top spot in our midsize SUV rankings and 3-row SUV rankings.
Volkswagen’s Cross Sport 2-Row Midsize SUV Concept
Volkswagen’s Cross Sport 2-Row Midsize SUV Concept
2019 Jaguar I-Pace
Highlights:
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Jaguar’s new Tesla fighter – an all-electric luxury SUV
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First luxury car in Google’s self-driving Waymo fleet
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Range of up to 240 miles
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0-60 in 4.5 sec
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Starts at $69,500
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Available in the second half of 2018
Why It’s Significant:
Jaguar’s new I-Pace debuted at the 2018 Geneva Auto Show. Now, it sees its North American debut at the 2018 New York Auto Show.
The I-Pace will compete with the Tesla Model X as one of the only all-electric luxury SUVs on the market. The Tesla has more impressive specs (the I-Pace can go from zero to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds, versus the Model X’s blistering 2.9 seconds), and a higher range (a maximum of 240 miles of range in the I-Pace, versus 295 in the Model X). However, the Model X starts at $85,500 (for a model with 238 miles of range), while the I-Pace starts at $69,500. You’ll have to spend around $135,000 to max out the performance and battery capacity of the Model X.
Jaguar’s pricing places the I-Pace between the Tesla Model 3 and Model X.
Right before the 2018 New York Auto Show, Jaguar and Google’s driverless car service, Waymo, announced a partnership that will make the I-Pace the first luxury vehicle in Waymo’s fleet. Waymo plans to purchase 20,000 I-Pace vehicles within the next two years.
What Else You Should Know:
Standard features include a glass panoramic roof plus two touch screens with touch-sensitive buttons and rotary knobs (some competitors, like Cadillac, get bogged down with difficult-to-use push buttons).
The brand’s other SUV, the 2018 Jaguar F-Pace, is currently in the upper tier of our luxury compact SUV rankings thanks to its sharp handling and spacious cabin.
2019 Kia K900
Highlights:
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Kia’s flagship luxury sedan is completely redesigned
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More luxury features
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New 365-hp twin-turbo V6
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Sportier handling
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Will go on sale in late 2018
Why It’s Significant:
Kia has predictable trouble convincing people to buy its $50,000 luxury sedan, and, according to sources at Kia, the company has no plans to give Kia its own luxury spinoff, like corporate sister Hyundai has with their new Genesis brand. That means Kia must work hard to convince people that the K900 is worth the cost.
In order to make the K900 sportier, so it can compete with premium European sedans like the BMW 5-Series and all-new Audi A6, they’ve given the K900 a more potent motor and sportier suspension tuning. The K900 shares a new 365-horsepower 3.3-liter twin-turbo V6 with a few other upscale Kia/Hyundai/Genesis products, including the Genesis G80 Sport and Kia Stinger GT. An available adaptive suspension system adjusts suspension firmness to provide a better mix of ride comfort and cornering performance. The new K900 is longer and wider than the current model.
Further helping the K900 compete with German luxury cars are a 20-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, 12-way power-adjustable rear seats, a 64-color mood lighting system, and a 12.3-inch touch-screen infotainment system. The car’s traditional analog instrument cluster can be upgraded to a fully-customizable 12.3-inch display. A 9.7-inch head-up display is also available.
What Else You Should Know:
The current K900 is no longer ranked in our luxury large car ranking, but its score would put it near the bottom of the pack if it were.
2019 Kia Optima
Highlights:
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More standard advanced safety features
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Refreshed exterior and interior styling
Why It’s Significant:
Normally, a light refresh wouldn’t be that significant, but the expansion of standard advanced safety equipment across the Optima lineup is a clear effort to catch up with Toyota and Honda, which already offer those features as standard equipment on the Camry and Accord. Every 2019 Optima includes automatic braking, lane keep assist, and driver attention monitoring.
What Else You Should Know:
The Optima’s UVO infotainment system gets a tiered approach, with features increasing in three steps as you ascend the trim ladder. The lowest tier includes support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
The current Optima is midpack in our midsize car rankings. Its roomy cabin and intuitive infotainment system get high marks, but it isn’t that fun to drive. It doesn’t look like Kia has done much to address that. Performance improvements will have to wait for the Optima’s next full redesign.
2019 Subaru Forester
Highlights:
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Subaru has completely redesigned their popular compact SUV
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Subaru’s camera-based EyeSight suite of advanced safety features now standard
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Optional DriverFocus camera scans your face, checks if you’re tired, and remembers your seat settings
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More-powerful base engine
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Available later in 2018
Why It’s Significant:
Compact SUVs are one of the hottest segments in the market right now, as people clamor for their spaciousness, easy-to-park dimensions, reasonable fuel economy, and versatility.
Toyota also debuted a redesigned compact SUV at the New York Auto Show, the 2019 RAV4, and most of the rest of the class has been fully redesigned in the past two years, including the Honda CR-V, Chevrolet Equinox, GMC Terrain, and Mazda CX-5. The Subaru Forester hadn’t been fully redesigned since 2014.
Subaru is following other automakers’ trend of making advanced safety features standard. The new Forester comes standard with Subaru’s camera-based EyeSight system, which includes automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, and lane keep assist. Blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert remain options.
Other newly standard features in the 2019 Forester include automatic climate control and support for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay in all trim levels. There is also a new Sport trim, with a drive mode controller that allows you to set the car up for more spirited driving and paddle shifters to manage the continuously variable transmission.
While the EyeSight system points the cameras outside of the vehicle, the new optional DriverFocus system points a camera inside, monitoring your face for signs of fatigue, and scanning it so the Forester can set the car’s seat, infotainment, and climate settings to your specific preferences. Cadillac already uses such a system to monitor driver attention with its autonomous SuperCruise feature. Expect more driver-facing cameras, and their attendant privacy concerns, in the near feature.
What Else You Should Know:
Horsepower for the base Forester engine jumps from the current 170 to 182. Despite the uptick in horsepower, Subaru expects an improvement in highway fuel economy of 1 mpg, yielding 33 mpg. The Forester also gets engine stop/start technology for fuel savings in the city. The new Sport trim comes with black finishes and orange-stitched upholstery.
The current 2018 Subaru Forester ranks midpack in our compact SUV rankings. It earns praise for its large cargo area, spacious rear seats, safety features, and solid mpg, all of which have improved further for 2019. It was dinged for having fewer tech features and a lower-quality design than competitors. Both were addressed in the redesign. We’ll have to see how that affects its ranking on our site.
2019 Acura RDX
Highlights:
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Acura’s popular compact luxury SUV is all-new
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Switches back from V6 to turbo four-cylinder
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Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive is back
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Improved infotainment system
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Arriving at dealers in mid-2018
Why It’s Significant:
If we’ve said it once, we’ve said it a thousand times: Automotive sales right now are all about crossovers, crossovers, crossovers. So, it’s important for Acura to get a redesign of its aging (last fully updated in 2013) RDX into its dealer’s showrooms.
Big changes include a switch from the old model’s V6 to a turbocharged four-cylinder engine, something many automakers are doing to save fuel without sacrificing horsepower (although horsepower is actually down slightly, from 279 to 272). The first-generation RDX (introduced in 2007) had a turbo four, so this represents something of a flip-flop.
Similarly, Acura’s super-handling all-wheel drive system makes a reappearance after a generation’s absence. It uses torque vectoring at each individual wheel to help pull the RDX around corners with more confidence.
What Else You Should Know:
Along with the new turbocharged engine, a new ten-speed automatic transmission should help fuel economy.
A new Android-based infotainment system uses a 10.2-inch HD display and a touchpad (like the ones you find on a laptop). It is based on the Acura Precision Cockpit Concept, and is a huge step forward from the current model’s convoluted infotainment setup. A new, available 16-channel 710-watt ELS sound system with four ceiling-mounted speakers will help you pump up the jams.
The A-Spec trim available on other Acuras in now available on the RDX, adding sporty styling flourishes (though no additional horsepower).
A full suite of advanced safety features comes standard, including automatic emergency braking and lane keep assist. Other standard features include a wide panoramic moonroof, a power liftgate, and an onboard Wi-Fi hot spot.
The 2018 Acura RDX currently ranks in the upper half of our luxury compact SUV rankings. It’s refined V6 engine and spacious cabin earn praise, but its complicated infotainment system and lack of luxury amenities don’t. With the V6 departing, but a new infotainment system and luxury amenities arriving, it’ll be interesting to see how the new 2019 RDX lands in our rankings.
2019 Genesis G70
Highlights:
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All-new entry-level model from Genesis, Hyundai’s luxury brand
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Choice between a 252-hp turbo four and a 365-hp twin-turbo V6
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Intended to be a sport sedan, with high-performance options like Brembo brakes, a limited-slip differential, and a six-speed manual transmission available
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Available Summer 2018
Why It’s Significant:
Building a new luxury brand is tough. So far, Hyundai’s Genesis brand only has two models, the G80 midsize sedan and G90 full-size sedan. That’s going to change in the next few years, as Genesis rolls out many new models, including at least two crossover SUVs and a sports car. The Genesis G70 is first to the market, as an entry-level luxury car to capture young luxury buyers and make them loyal to the fledgling luxury brand.
Like its competitors, the BMW 3 Series and Audi A4, the Genesis G70 will be marketed as a sports sedan. It will be available with a 252-horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine or a 365-horsepower twin-turbocharged V6 (the same one in the Kia Stinger GT). The four-cylinder will come standard with rear-wheel drive, and it will be available with a six-speed manual transmission, an increasingly rare feature in luxury cars. An eight-speed automatic with serve in all other configurations. All-wheel drive will be an option.
Other high-performance options will include Brembo brakes, a limited-slip differential, and Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tires.
What Else You Should Know:
The G70 will come standard with pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, lane keep assist, and driver attention monitoring.
The 2018 Genesis G80 currently tops our luxury midsize car rankings, the Genesis G90 is in the top half of our luxury large car rankings, and both are significantly less expensive than the competition.
Lincoln Aviator
Highlights:
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Lincoln brings back the Aviator name for a three-row luxury midsize crossover
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A plug-in hybrid powertrain with a twin-turbo engine will be available
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Rear-wheel drive standard
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You can use your smartphone as a key
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30-way-adjustable front seats
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Road-scanning suspension system
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Available in 2019
Why It’s Significant:
SUVs are king of the sales charts, and with Lincoln lagging the luxury competition, they need more of them, and they know it. They already have a luxury compact (the MKC), a 2-row midsize (the recently introduced Nautilus), and a luxury full-size (the Navigator). The 3-row midsize Aviator will fit nicely into the middle of the lineup.
Along with expanding their SUV lineup, Lincoln will begin electrifying their fleet, starting with the Aviator. It will be available with a plug-in hybrid powertrain consisting of electric motors and a twin-turbocharged engine.
While the Ford company’s current 3-row midsize SUV platform is front-wheel drive (it underpins the Ford Explorer), the Aviator will sit on a rear-wheel drive platform. That may be a forecast of where the Ford Explorer is headed when it’s redesigned.
Finally, the Aviator will allow you to use your smartphone as a key to open and start the crossover, likely using the same near-field communication technology that lets you use your smartphone as a credit card in some stores. That’s something you might see in other cars in the coming years.
What Else You Should Know:
The Aviator will have the 30-way-adjustable Perfect Position seats that we’ve seen in other Lincoln products, such as the 2018 Continental. Other features will include Wi-Fi and Lincoln’s Co-Pilot360 suite of advanced driver assistance features, including automatic emergency braking and lane keep assist. A road-scanning camera will automatically adjust the suspension when it sees potholes and other imperfections on the road ahead.
The redesigned Lincoln Navigator is currently our top-ranked luxury large SUV, but Lincoln’s other products don’t perform as well. We’ll see if the Aviator can follow in the Navigator’s footsteps – or tire treads.
Genesis Essentia Concept
Highlights:
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All-electric, high-performance sports car
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Genesis’ first battery-electric vehicle
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Lightweight carbon-fiber monocoque chassis and body
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Transparent hood
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Laser headlights
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Fingerprint and facial recognition to open the butterfly doors
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Transparent bubble roof
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0-60 in 3 seconds
Why It’s Significant:
Genesis is attempting to establish an identity for itself, and a splashy concept like this all-electric GT sports car is a great way to do it. The car embodies all of the latest automotive trends, including vehicle-to-vehicle communications, smart home integration, and predictive navigation based on machine learning. Many of these technologies won’t be available for a while, but a time is coming when they will be reality, and not just marketing buzzwords.
What Else You Need to Know:
The Essentia will not be produced, but look for Genesis to produce battery-electric vehicles in the future, and to introduce some of the high-tech features previewed in this model.
2019 Hyundai Kona EV
Highlights:
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The battery-electric version of Hyundai’s new Kona subcompact SUV
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250-mile range
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Same cargo space as the gas-powered Kona
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Available in the fourth quarter of 2018, starting in California only
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Front-wheel drive only
Why It’s Significant:
Electric vehicles are the future – eventually – and automakers are eager to claim an early spot in the EV hierarchy. Small SUVs are the present, and they are the hottest segment in the industry. It makes sense, then, that a forward-thinking company would combine the two, as Hyundai has done with the Kona EV.
Its estimated 250-mile range will put it just past the 238-mile range Chevrolet Bolt and into Tesla territory. Pricing hasn’t been announced yet, but it’s likely to be less than a Tesla, bolstering the Kona EV’s appeal. Hyundai is nowhere near the cap on electric vehicle tax credits available to consumers, so most Kona EV buyers in the next few years should be able to qualify for the $7,500 credit.
What Else You Should Know:
The Kona EV is powered by an electric motor that makes 201 horsepower and an impressive 291 pound-feet of torque. (That’s more than many V6 sedans, and should provide lively acceleration in city driving.)
The Kona EV’s standard touch screen comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. A full suite of advanced safety features is also standard, including automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, and driver attention monitoring.
2019 Honda Insight
Highlights:
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A dedicated hybrid – Honda’s answer to the Toyota Prius is a compact sedan without the polarizing styling of the Prius
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Estimated 55 mpg in the city, according to Honda
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Honda’s third time using the Insight name on a hybrid
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Priced between the Civic and Accord
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Based on the Civic, it will function as an unofficial replacement for the Civic Hybrid, which hasn’t been produced since the Civic’s last redesign
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Launching in early Summer 2018
Why It’s Significant:
Honda has struggled for years to beat Toyota’s Prius with their own dedicated hybrid model, the Insight. They have always come up short in the sales race. Honda’s original Insight was the first hybrid passenger car to be sold in the U.S.
However, Honda is betting that their restrained approach to the hybrid market – a sedan body style instead of the Prius’ hatchback, and low-key styling instead of the Prius’ sharp stealth-fighter angles – will put then back on the sales map.
What Else You Need to Know:
The Insight’s hybrid powertrain makes 151 horsepower. It will come standard with the Honda Sensing suite of advanced safety features, which includes automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, and traffic sign recognition. The Insight will be available in three trims: LX, EX, and Touring.
The last Insight was retired in 2014. It performed poorly in our compact car rankings and hybrid rankings due to its limited standard features, tight rear seat, rough gas-to-electric transition, and below-average fuel economy. It did earn praise for its handling, which was livelier than most hybrids’. Honda’s sales for the Insight were anemic, to put it kindly.
The last Civic Hybrid also performed poorly in our compact and hybrid rankings due to its small trunk, frustrating audio controls, slow acceleration, and grabby brakes. It did earn points for its large back seat.
The new Insight’s trunk is almost 50 percent larger than the Civic Hybrid’s, plus the Insight has an improved infotainment system on upper trims and more horsepower.
2019 Hyundai Santa Fe
Highlights:
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Complete redesign
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Sharper exterior design
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More safety features for less money
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New diesel engine option
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“Santa Fe Sport” now just “Santa Fe”
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3-row, 7-passenger Santa Fe now “Santa Fe XL”
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Available summer 2018
Why It’s Significant:
Hyundai will be rolling out eight crossover SUVs by 2020, because in the global automotive sales race, crossovers are king. The Santa Fe is the brand’s best-selling SUV.
It bowed at the Geneva Motor Show this year, and it has now made its North American debut at the New York Auto Show.
The 2019 Santa Fe shows a new design direction for Hyundai vehicles, with sculpted lines, high-tech lighting, and a bold front grille.
What Else You Need to Know:
The name of the base two-row Santa Fe is no longer “Santa Fe Sport”; it’s simply “Santa Fe.” The redesigned two-row Santa Fe is also available with an optional “occasional use” third row, but only if you opt for the new 2.2-liter four-cylinder diesel engine. It offers 200 horsepower and 320 pound-feet of torque. The base 185-horsepower four-cylinder and optional turbocharged four-cylinder remain.
The old three-row Santa Fe is still around, but it’s now the “Santa Fe XL.” It has not been redesigned and will soldier on until it is replaced by a larger three-row Hyundai SUV currently under development. That's expected in 2020 (and will hopefully reduce confusion with the Santa Fe naming scheme).
The 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe currently places midpack in our midsize SUV rankings. We praise it for its class-leading warranty and efficient, peppy engines. However, its small cargo area hurts its appeal. Cargo space is up only slightly in the 2019 Santa Fe.
2019 Lexus UX
Highlights:
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All-new model
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Lexus’ first subcompact SUV – the smallest SUV in the Lexus lineup
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First Lexus available with a subscription leasing plan
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Available December 2018
Why It’s Significant:
It’s Lexus’ first subcompact SUV. Consumers can’t get enough crossover SUVs, and luxury subcompact SUVs are quickly becoming a popular segment, so this is an important vehicle for Lexus.
It will be the first Lexus with a subscription plan. That’s a relatively new type of flexible lease that’s becoming popular with luxury carmakers. Volvo and Cadillac have already begun rolling theirs out, and more are following.
The UX will also come standard with Apple CarPlay, which Toyota and Lexus are just starting to roll out in their vehicles, after initial reluctance. Plans for Android Auto support have not been announced.
What Else You Should Know:
Lexus launched the UX at the Geneva Auto Show this year. The New York Auto Show marks its North American debut.
The UX will slot below the NX in their model lineup. Two versions will be available. The UX 200 will come with an all-new 168-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine.
The hybrid UX 250h produces 176 horsepower and higher fuel economy numbers. The UX hybrid uses a new predictive technology that senses how you’re driving and adjusts the system to improve fuel economy on the fly.
Lexus’ current lineup of SUVs performs about midpack in our rankings, except for the popular 2018 Lexus RX, which won our Best 2-Row Midsize SUV for the Money award for 2018.
2019 Audi A6
Highlights:
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Complete redesign of Audi’s midsize luxury sedan
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New dual touch-screen controllers replace the previous generation’s MMI dial
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New turbocharged V6 engine with mild hybrid technology
Why It’s Significant:
The A6 is a popular model for Audi, and, with its redesign, it brings some of the new technologies that debuted on the flagship A8 and A7, like the touch-screen controller and 48-volt mild hybrid system, down to the more-approachable midsize luxury class. We expect to see that technology trickle down to the rest of Audi’s lineup.
What Else You Need to Know:
The touch-screen system consists of two screens on the center console. You can customize which controls you want by dragging and dropping them, like you do on a smartphone.
The new A6 will provide more head- and shoulder room throughout the cabin, and more legroom in the rear.
The 2018 Audi A6 currently holds a top spot in our luxury midsize car rankings. Thanks to its powerful engines, nimble handling, opulent interior, great gas mileage, and user-friendly tech. It is our 2018 Best Luxury Midsize Car for Families award winner.
More Shopping Tools From U.S. News & World Report
To see even more fun from the 2018 New York Auto Show, check out Most Extravagant Debuts at the 2018 New York Auto Show. To see more photos, check out our New York Auto Show photo gallery.
Ready to shop? You can find the right car for you by visiting our car rankings page. Once you’ve found the right car, check to see if there are manufacturer incentives on it by going to our our new car deals and lease deals pages. Whether you choose to buy or lease, use the U.S. News Best Price Program to find the best pre-negotiated prices from dealers in your area.
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A Busy Year for Cars in the Big Apple
Exciting new products tend to come in waves at auto shows. Sometimes you go to a show and you see debut after debut of bold new vehicles. This was one of those years at the New York Auto Show, where the pace was fast and furious.
Automakers released a number of bold new concepts and – of more immediate interest to consumers – redesigns of top-selling cars and SUVs. Popular vehicles like the Toyota RAV4, Nissan Altima, and Acura RDX saw major redesigns debuting on the world stage.
Potential future hits like Cadillac’s XT4 luxury compact SUV were also unveiled for the global market.
Other popular models saw milder refreshes that still carried significance for the automotive market. Kia updated its Optima midsize sedan and announced that advanced safety features (like automatic emergency braking) will come standard. Kia is following in the footsteps of Toyota, which now includes advanced safety features as standard equipment on most of its vehicles.
You can see automakers continue to pursue broader trends in the industry – electrification, automation, and more flexible ownership options – in many of the debuts. The all-electric Jaguar I-Pace SUV made its North American debut in New York, showing the automaker’s concerted effort to beat Tesla’s Model X at its own game. The new Audi A6, also making its North American debut, will have near-autonomous driving capabilities, according to the company. And the Lexus UX, debuting for the first time in North America, is going to be available by subscription.
All of these vehicles are significant, because they show you the new designs and technology you’ll be seeing at your dealer in the next few years.
Click through the following pages to see the highlights from this year’s New York Auto Show.