Best new cars for 2019
These are the best new cars set to arrive in 2019, featuring a particularly fine crop of EVs, hybrids, SUVs and sports cars...
Skoda Kamiq
Price: From £17,700On sale: Now
Skoda is stretching out into the compact SUV market with its new Kamiq, revealed at Geneva this year and all set for first deliveries before the end of the year. Taking influences from bigger SUVs in the range and the recently launched Scala hatchback, the Kamiq has strong creases across the bonnet and around the nose, with LED headlights available as an option and a choice of 16 to 18-inch wheels.
The Kamiq will major on practicality, with lots of legroom for rear-seat passengers and a boot that can carry 1,395 litres. Buyers will have a choice of three infotainment systems, while the engine line-up includes three petrols and one diesel.
Skoda Octavia
Price: From £18,000 (est)On sale: Late 2019
Skoda’s next-generation Octavia is about to break cover, and this exclusive Auto Express image shows how it could look. Modest exterior changes, with revised headlights and a new grille, will bring the hatch closer in appearance to the Superb, while vRS cars will get bigger air intakes and a more aggressive front bumper, with a boot spoiler to match.
Engine options will include 1.0-litre three-cylinder and 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrols, plus three diesels with between 114 and 187bhp. The Octavia will come in hybrid form for the first time, sharing the Superb iV’s powertrain for a range of 40 miles on electric power. A 48V mild-hybrid version is also possible.
Skoda Superb
Price: From £24,655On sale: Now
Skoda’s Superb has been given a major makeover, with sharper looks and a new hybrid powertrain. Buyers can choose from two petrol and two diesel engines at launch, but the main addition will be a plug-in hybrid option using tech shared with the Volkswagen Passat GTE. The 1.4-litre TSI petrol combines with an electric motor to deliver 215bhp and 400Nm of torque, giving an electric range of 34 miles and CO2 emissions as low as 40g/km.
The revamp also sees the brand’s flagship benefit from LED matrix headlights, a refreshed nose and new rear lamps. Inside it gets a digital instrument display and infotainment set-ups shared with the latest Volkswagens.
Smart ForFour EQ
Price: £24,000 (est)On sale: December
A facelifted Smart ForFour EQ is ready to hit the showrooms, with the new-generation car going on sale at the end of this year. Detail changes to the exterior run to a larger grille, new foglamps and a revised front bumper, while the bonnet design has been altered for improved aerodynamics.
Inside, the ForFour benefits from a redesigned centre console, with new cup-holders and a dedicated smartphone storage area. A welcome upgrade of the infotainment system brings an eight-inch screen that connects directly to the driver’s smartphone to share data and app functionality. A new dedicated Smart EQ app allows the driver to check the vehicle’s status and operate its climate control and central locking functions, while 22kW charging is now supported on all models.
Vauxhall Astra
Price: From £18,905 On sale: Now
Vauxhall’s key compact hatch competitor has been updated for 2020, with the revised Astra gaining significant hardware updates alongside a mild facelift. The latest model will be hard to spot; only minor changes have been made to the front grille to give the car improved aerodynamics, while the cabin remains as before. Underneath, however, the latest Astra gains a range of new three-cylinder petrol and diesel engines. The 1.2-litre petrol is available in 108bhp, 128bhp and 143bhp versions, all of which offer 51.4mpg and 99g/km of CO2.
The new 1.4-litre petrol also offers 143bhp, but with extra torque, and is paired with a CVT transmission. Finally, there’s a choice of 104bhp and 120bhp variants of the 1.5-litre diesel. The revised Astra gains suspension changes, including new dampers for improved ride quality, while its front-facing camera has been upgraded to offer improved traffic-sign recognition.
Vauxhall Corsa
Price: From £15,550On sale: Now
An all-new Vauxhall Corsa supermini is arriving in showrooms ready for the new year, with a fresh platform, upgraded tech and a pure-electric model for the first time. A 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine, which is available in 74bhp and 99bhp guises, will make up the bulk of the hatchback range, alongside a 1.5-litre four-cylinder diesel.
In the spring of 2020 the new e-Corsa EV will arrive, with a 134bhp electric motor and offering a claimed range of 211 miles on a single charge. The Corsa’s new CMP platform contributes to significant weight savings of 10 per cent across the line-up, and the lightest model weighs less than one tonne. Despite this, the new Corsa is bigger than the previous version, with a longer wheelbase, increasing room for passengers and their luggage.
Click on to page 6 for more of the best new cars to come in 2019...
