It’s car show season, and that means the world’s premiere automotive companies are hitting the circuit while firing salvo after salvo of PR blasts, panel discussions, and, of course, offering sneak peeks or unveiling new models for the first time publicly. Needless to say, there’s an awful lot going on in the world of cars, and it makes it easy for some of the most exciting new vehicles to get lost in the shuffle.
Well fear not, for Autos Cheat Sheet has your back. With 2015 models already hitting the streets and 2016 models hot on their heels, we’ve combed through the best of the most recent auto shows to select a small handful of vehicles that, quite simply, we can’t wait to see for ourselves. This includes a hotly anticipated new SUV from Tesla, a new Mercedes, and several others from the likes of Honda, Toyota, and Chevrolet.
So which 10 models do we deem to be 2015’s and 2016’s most anticipated? Read on to find out.
Source: Ford
1. 2016 Ford Focus RS
As a part of Ford’s new, well, focus, on performance, the company’s trusty commuter car is getting a more muscular makeover. The Ford Focus RS — a car that had a short lifespan several years back, but never in the States — is being reborn for 2016. Outpacing the Focus ST, the new RS variant will boast a 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine, providing more than 315 horsepower, along with standard all-wheel drive. Expect the new Focus RS to go head-to-head with Volkswagen’s Golf R and garner a lot of attention upon its initial release early next year.
David McNew/Getty Images
2. 2016 Honda HR-V
Considering how successful Honda’s Pilot and CR-V offerings have been, why not add another SUV to the mix? That’s precisely what the Japanese auto giant plans to do in 2016, with the all-new HR-V. The HR-V will be small; in fact, it will be built on the Honda Fit platform, putting it in the same market segment as the Nissan Juke and Kia Soul. That size gives it some big advantages over larger SUVs, including class-leading fuel economy of up to 35 miles per gallon on the highway. It also employs more traditional SUV aesthetics than its future rivals, which may or may not play in the vehicle’s favor upon release next year.
Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images
3. 2015 Jeep Renegade
The newest addition to the Jeep SUV lineup is the Renegade, a smaller and shinier offshoot of its corporate siblings like the Cherokee and Wrangler. The Renegade instantly becomes the smallest vehicle offered by the Jeep brand, bumping the Compass out of the lineup. Four trims will be available, each with a 1.4-liter turbocharged inline four that produces 160 horsepower, along with a 4×4 powertrain. If you wanted the offroad capabilities of a Cherokee or Wrangler in a smaller package, the Renegade fills the niche perfectly.
David Becker/Getty Images
4. 2016 Toyota Mirai
There’s been a lot of hullabaloo around the new Toyota Mirai, the first fuel-cell vehicle from Toyota. The Mirai is exciting for a number of reasons, chief among them the fact that it will be the first fuel-cell vehicle to get a nationwide launch. The vehicle itself took more than two decades to come to fruition, and Toyota is hoping the FCV revolution can get a kickstart from the Mirai much like the hybrid segment received from the Prius a decade and a half ago.
Scott Olson/Getty Images
5. 2016 Nissan Titan XD
If there was one truck on the market that was in desperate need of a rehash, it was the Nissan Titan. Luckily, Nissan’s brass gave the project the green light, and we are about to see the company’s hard work hit the open market in the form of the new Titan XD. This is the first new Titan in more than a decade, and Nissan hopes it will fill the gap between full-size and heavy-duty pickups. It will be available with a 5.0-liter Cummins diesel engine, making 310 horsepower and 555 pound-feet of torque. The question going into 2016 is how well it will do against a slate of incredibly tough competition from Ford, GM, Ram, and Toyota.
Source: Tesla
6. 2016 Tesla Model X
Perhaps the most anticipated vehicle on our list, Tesla’s Model X SUV has had luxury auto fans salivating for quite a long time now. Considering the success — both commercially and critically — of the the Model S, big things are expected from the Model X. It will be the first production all-electric SUV, with three rows of seats and a similar powertrain to the near range-topping Model S 85D. Oh, and it will be tow-capable, as well. There are still a lot of unknowns with the Model X, but it’s due late this year or in early 2016, so the wait is almost over.
Scott Olson/Getty Images
7. 2015 Alfa Romeo 4C
If you missed Alfa Romeo, your cries are being answered. The 4C is making its comeback to the U.S. and will be the only Alfa Romeo model available in America — for now. To get one, you’ll need to visit Maserati and Ferrari showrooms, where it will be on sale at a starting price of about $55,000. However, the 4C will be a hot commodity, as only 1,200 per year will be imported to the States. With a turbocharged 1.8 liter inline-four that produces 237 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, they’ll probably go fast, too.
Source: Chevrolet
8. 2016 Chevrolet Volt
Chevy is taking another shot at the hybrid segment with the freshly redesigned 2016 Volt. The car is getting a full facelift and will include a number of improvements over the first generation, including seating for five. Also, the new aesthetics give the car a more mainstream look that’s closer to that of rivals from Honda or Toyota. Perhaps most importantly, the new Volt will be priced much more competitively, around $25,000 or so. Add that on to an improved all-electric range and a more efficient battery pack, and Chevy may have a winner on their hands.
Source: Mercedes
9. 2016 Mercedes-Benz AMG GT S
It doesn’t get much more sexy than this. For 2016, Mercedes is set to roll out the new AMG GT S, a luxury vehicle that incorporates muscle car elements with explosive results. If you want performance, the AMG GT S has it. A 4.0-liter V8 biturbo engine allows for top speeds of up to 193 miles per hour and can spring from zero to 60 miles per hour in 3.7 seconds. The one downside? It’ll probably cost a pretty penny. Expect to see the AMG GT S hit dealerships this spring with a price tag somewhere between $150,000 and $175,000.
Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images
10. 2016 Buick Cascada
Buick has been doing fairly well for itself lately, and as a result, the brand is expanding with the new Cascada in 2016. The Cascada will be Buick’s first convertible in a quarter-century and will be built based on the existing Opel Cascada, which is on sale in Europe and also in Australia. A 1.6-liter turbo-four engine will provide drivers with 200 horsepower, and pricing is expected to be very reasonable at around $30,000.
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