The 8 Most Hotly Anticipated Cars Of 2016

Alfa Romeo Giulia

This is arguably the most important car Alfa Romeo has ever built. For decades the Italian manufacturer has built beautiful, lustworthy cars, but in recent years it has completely lost its mojo. The Giulietta Quadrifoglio Verde might look great, but it’s seriously lacking as a proper driver’s car. The same could even be said of the drop-dead gorgeous 4C, though despite that car’s flaws, I can’t help but love it.

This new Giulia needs to be good. It has to rival the likes of the BMW 3-series and Mercedes C-class, so there’s no room for any weaknesses - charm will only get it so far. Alfa built the car with a dedicated skunkworks team, so if it’s rubbish there really could be no turning back for the much loved brand.

Ford Focus RS

The Ford Focus RS has been a staple of the European hot hatch scene ever since the first generation car burst onto the scene in a scrabble of torque steer in 2002. So the release of a new RS is a pretty big deal, however this new car is doubly exciting for ‘Muricans because it’s the first time the Focus RS will be sold across the pond.

The 2.3-litre EcoBoost engine makes 345bhp and feeds all four wheels. For those who want to get unruly, there’s even a ‘Drift Button’ that allows you to get the back end out. We can’t wait to get behind the wheel early next year…

Volvo S90

Arguably the smartest, classiest car in this list, the Volvo S90 is the Swedish manufacturer’s all-new luxury saloon. It’s the latest car built on Volvo’s modular platform, so the engines will likely be familiar from the XC90 range - that means a mix of petrol and diesel 2.0-litre four-pots. Most exciting of all is the fact that a Polestar version is also in the works.

Koenigsegg Regera

Christian von Koenigsegg is a man who likes to make an impact through ingenious design, and in the Regera we have perfect evidence of this fact. It has a big ol’ 5.0-litre V8, but gets electric motors in a first for Koenigsegg. Three of them, in fact. They combine for an astonishing 1700bhp, so it’ll be fascinating to see how drivable the car actually is.

The most fascinating aspect of the car, though, is the fact that it doesn’t have a gearbox. The car pulls away using the electric motors, with a hydraulic clutch bringing the engine into play as speed increases. And then there’s that fascinating rear wing. This thing is going to the best kind of bonkers.

Peugeot 308 R Hybrid

Peugeot’s found its groove again recently. After its peak with the likes of the 205 GTI decades ago, the company watered down its range to the point where even the most ardent fan must have been left craving more. Well, finally, it seems to be back on track. The 208 GTI was far from perfect, but a fine return to form, so we’ve got high hopes for the 308 R Hybrid.

It’ll almost certainly enter production, and hopefully with the same performance you’ll find in the concept: 500bhp via a 1.6-litre engine and two electric motors that power all four wheels. Four seconds from 0-62mph in a hot hatch? Yes please!

Jaguar F-Pace

It might be a surprise to see people are excited about an SUV, but for people who care about the industry, the F-Pace is an intriguing product. Jaguar is on fire at the moment, with the likes of the F-Type and XE S providing us with some exciting drives, as well as the latter holding up to rivals in ‘normal’ trim. The F-Pace promises to handle like a proper driver’s car, and if anyone can bring that to the SUV table, we reckon it’s Jaguar.

And would you just look at it; who knew an SUV could be genuinely gorgeous?

Toyota S-FR

This one hasn’t been confirmed yet, but the rumours are that it’s pretty much production ready. With funky styling and a lightweight frame, it makes the most of its 1.5-litre four-pot’s 130 or so bhp by being fun to drive rather than face-meltingly quick. At least that’s the theory - if it’s essentially a GT86-lite it should be a riot.

BMW M2

One of the most appealing aspects of the older BMW M3s, other than their stonking performance, was that they just felt like the perfect size of car. As time passed, though, the M3 started to grow, and now it’s a pretty huge car with almost unusable gobfuls of power. It’s why everyone loved the BMW 1M, and it’s why we’re all clamouring for the chance to drive this new M2.

The 3.0-litre inline-six makes 370bhp and can hit 62mph from zero in 4.3sec if you put a tick by the dual-clutch automatic gearbox option. Opt for the six-speed manual, and hopefully it’ll be a wonderful return to the old M3 recipe we used to adore.