You don’t work in the automotive industry for as long as we have without having a pretty good idea of what’s going on, and, perhaps more importantly, what’s around the next bend. We’ve featured all shapes and sizes of vehicle in our customer magazines, but there’s nothing quite as thrilling as the launch of a new model.
2015 is shaping up to be an incredible year for new launches. We’ve put together a list of the models that we can’t wait to get creative with…
Volvo XC90
For decades, Volvo has been making practical, safe, reliable vehicles that do everything you’d want a car to do. In true Scandinavian fashion, the brand became quietly confident in its models, and allergic to anything ostentatious in design or engineering.
But, following from Geely’s acquisition of (and $11bn investment in) Volvo in 2010, everything changed.
Breaking usual reluctance to shout about their vehicles, Volvo has been slowly building the launch of the XC90 for over a year now. Built from the bottom up, and always with the driver in mind, it’ll feature a class-dominating Drive-E powertrain (six-cylinder performance at a much smaller fuel consumption), speech commands using natural language, a sound system based on the Gothenburg Concert Hall, smart active suspension, we could go on…
Land Rover’s Discovery Sport
Originally based on an old WWII Jeep, Land Rover has long produced extremely resilient, capable working machines. Then, the Range Rover and Range Rover Evoque came along, and suddenly here was a vehicle you could drop the kids off at school in, and then set off up a mountain to tackle some of the world’s most challenging terrains. Trust us, we do it all the time…
Nowadays, the crossover SUV is everywhere, and everyone seems to be producing their own model.
Not to be outdone, Land Rover swiftly revealed what it believes to be the greatest compact SUV ever produced. If its parent concept, the Discovery VISION, is anything to go by, it will be awesome to behold.
Above all, it’s a versatile vehicle. Its brand new 5+2 seating arrangement (not just a seven-seater, mind) can be adapted to almost any arrangement, including my personal favourite, limousine mode. It’s got an all-alloy Si4 2.0-litre petrol engine and a 2.2-litre turbodiesel, but emits a relatively low 119g/km of CO2.
And with Land Rover where they are at the moment, this one is going to be huge.
Audi R8 MkII
We couldn’t talk about the vehicles of 2015 without covering the brewing sports car war. The reigning champion – Porsche 911 – has held the top spot in terms of prestige for over 50 years, but next year will see a host of new contenders ready to take the crown, including the growing power of Jaguar’s F-TYPE range, and new contenders from McLaren, AMG and Audi.
But if Audi’s newfound focus on driver experience is anything to go by, we’re most excited for the R8 MkII. The first R8 packed a serious punch, but the brand has recently made leaps in pure driving enjoyment, and the MkII will be a refined, powerful, and exciting all-rounder.
With a newfound rear-wheel drive, as well as the Quattro four-wheel drive, and an updated version of Audi’s twin-turbo 4.0l V8 engine, it’ll boast 454bhp. The 5.2l V10, if you’re feeling that way inclined, will give you 533bhp.
Jaguar XE
The other side of the Jaguar Land Rover coin will also produce its own impressive offering in 2015, and its suitably bombastic Earl’s Court launch pulled no punches.
It’s not all show though, as the XE has been expertly crafted for performance. It hosts the first of Jaguar’s new family of world-class Ingenium engines. The 2.0163PS output of the diesel engine, and its drag coefficient of 0.26 Cd (making it the most aerodynamic Jaguar ever), will deliver a formidable level of power with benchmark low efficiency from 99g/km.
There’s plenty more coming up in 2015 too, why not let us know on Twitter about the launches you’re looking forward to in the coming months? Tweet @GoldSandDigital and use #2015launch