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SUVs and superminis are set to triumph over the rest of the automotive world as we run down the best new cars for 2018.
There’s an army of new cars heading to showrooms over the next year, with everything from superminis to SUVs and plug-in hybrids to full EVs on the way. So if you’ve got a big deposit burning a hole in your bank account, it can be difficult to decide what to do with it.
We can’t promise to make your choice any easier, but below we can at least give you all the information you need. We’ll tell you exactly what’s coming, when it’ll arrive, how much it’s likely to cost and, crucially, whether it’s worth holding on for. So don’t sign on the dotted line on a new car until you’ve read our essential guide.
Click on the links below to go to that section:
Best new cars for 2018
Alfa Romeo 5 Series rival
Price: From £35,000
On sale: Late 2018
On sale: Late 2018
The Giulia proved Alfa can seriously challenge market-leaders such as the BMW 3 Series, and the brand is now looking to repeat the trick with a rival for the BMW 5 Series and Mercedes E-Class. Alfa has stayed tight-lipped about the unnamed saloon, but our exclusive image shows how we think it will look. We expect it to share the Giulia’s style, using the same platform and engine range.
• Alfa Romeo's new BMW 5 Series rival
Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio
Price: From £65,000 (est)
On sale: Summer
On sale: Summer
Alfa’s Giulia Quadrifoglio proved the firm can make superb high-performance cars, and the Stelvio Quadrifoglio looks like another hit.
It gets the same 503bhp 2.9-litre bi-turbo V6 and eight-speed auto as the flagship saloon, and they’re every bit as effective here. The Stelvio is an incredibly fast and secure performance SUV – and a worthy rival for the Porsche Macan Turbo.
• Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio review
Alpine A110
Price: From £51,000 (est)
On sale: Now
On sale: Now
You won’t find a better revival than the A110. This Porsche Cayman rival looks like its sixties’ namesake, but it’s a thoroughly 21st-century sports car, with a rear-drive aluminium chassis and superb agility. Order books are already open, and the first owners will take delivery in June. Those cars will be well-equipped Premiere Edition models – which will cost about £51,000 – but the range will expand in the future. It will certainly include some cheaper versions, plus a lighter and more powerful Sport.
Aston Martin Vanquish
Price: £220,000
On sale: Summer
On sale: Summer
Our spy shot shows the third-generation Vanquish is undergoing final testing. It shares much of its profile with the DB11, but we expect Aston will develop it to be a performance-focused supercar.
We think most of the changes to the way the DB11 looks are to improve the aerodynamics, and we expect the 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12 to develop much more than the DB11’s 600bhp.
Aston Martin V8 Vantage
Price: From £120,900
On sale: Now
On sale: Now
Aston Martin is back in the black and powering along nicely, with £87million profit recorded in 2017. The new V8 Vantage is now all set to give the firm another significant sales boost.
The latest car shares its basic aluminium architecture with the larger DB11, as well as its rear-wheel-drive layout and AMG-sourced 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8. In the Vantage this produces 503bhp and 685Nm of torque to give a 0-62mph time of 3.6 seconds and a top speed of 195mph.
With 50:50 weight distribution, an electronic E-Diff rear differential and adaptive dampers, the Vantage promises to offer handling to match its high performance.
• Aston Martin Vantage 2018 prototype review
Audi A1
Price: From £15,000 (est)
On sale: Winter
On sale: Winter
Audi is gearing up to move its smallest car on to the same A0 version of the MQB platform as the new SEAT Ibiza and Volkswagen Polo.
As a result, the new A1, previewed in our exclusive image, is expected to be roomier than at present thanks to a 90mm-longer wheelbase. The engine line-up is likely to resemble that of the Polo, and include a 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol with a range of outputs. Audi could launch a BMW i3-rivalling plug-in hybrid A1 e-tron, too.
• All we know about the new Audi A1
Audi A6
Price: From £35,000 (est)
On sale: June
On sale: June
Audi has held nothing back for its all-new A6, which moves the game on from the current car in every area. It’s bigger, for a start, and with an extra 12mm in the wheelbase, there’s more legroom without sacrificing any of the old model’s 530 litres of boot space.
The A6 also benefits from aluminium panels in order to counteract the weight gain brought about by the mild-hybrid powertrains across the range. Borrowing tech from the bigger A8 means buyers can specify air suspension for the smoothest ride possible, too.
• 2018 Audi A6 specs and pics
Audi e-tron
Price: From £60,000 (est)
On sale: Summer
On sale: Summer
We have yet to see a production version of Audi’s first pure EV, but the company did bring camouflaged e-tron prototypes to the recent Geneva show, no doubt to steal some of the Jaguar I-Pace’s thunder. The e-tron will be the first of a pair of all-electric crossovers built on the VW Group’s MLB platform.
We’d expect it to offer around 310 miles of range from a single charge – although it’s still feasible that Audi could offer it with more than one battery capacity.
