BEST NEW CARS FOR 2020

Audi Q4 etron 

Price: From £60,000 (est)On sale: Summer 2020

Audi has a big electric future, and the Q4 e-tron is one of the biggest stories. This is the brand’s first car to be based on the MEB platform, which has only been used for Volkswagen, Skoda and SEAT products in the past, and it will join the e-tron and e-tron Sportback in Audi’s range of EV crossovers when it arrives in the summer of 2020. 

The MEB architecture means the Q4 e-tron offers an 82kWh battery pack that drives front and rear electric motors, giving a total output of 302bhp and 460Nm of torque, as well as Audi’s signature quattro four-wheel drive. Capable of 0-62mph in 6.3 seconds, the Q4 has a maximum range of more than 280 miles under WLTP rules, Audi says, with an 80 per cent charge taking half an hour.

Audi Q5

Price: £42,000 (est)On sale: Late 2020 

Audi is working hard to keep pace with its premium competitors, with an updated Q5 due towards the end of next year. This mid-life refresh will bring subtle changes to the exterior, including new bumpers, a honeycomb grille and new headlights. Inside, the Q5 will receive the latest 12.3-inch instrument cluster alongside the twin touchscreens that now feature on Audi’s latest larger cars.

The most significant change will be to the engine line-up as a mild-hybrid set-up appears for the first time, using the same 187bhp 40 TFSI and 242bhp 45 TFSI petrol powertrains as the Audi A4. The Q5 will also continue with its 187bhp 40 TDI diesel unit but this time it’s boosted by the addition of 12V mild-hybrid technology. All units will send their power to a quattro four-wheel-drive system via a seven-speed automatic transmission.

Audi RS 6 Avant

Price: From £85,000 (est)On sale: Early 2020 

The next generation of Audi’s flagship high-performance estate has arrived in the shape of the new RS 6 Avant, which combines 190mph potential with fuel-saving technology. The RS 6 has a 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine at its heart, delivering 592bhp and 800Nm of torque, but also offers mild-hybrid tech and cylinder deactivation to boost fuel economy.

Dramatic exterior changes include a body that is 40mm wider than the previous model’s, with flared wheelarches covering 21-inch alloys, while standard models are fitted with air suspension.

Opt for the Dynamic Package Plus and you get steel springs, adjustable dampers and four-wheel steering, while the limited top speed rises from the standard 155mph to a supercar-rivalling 190mph.

Audi RS 7

Price: £90,000 (est)On sale: Early 2020

Hot on the heels of the impressive S7 comes the Audi RS 7, mixing turbocharged petrol and mild-hybrid technology for the first time. Similar in mechanical layout to the just-announced RS 6 Avant, the RS 7 delivers 592bhp from a twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 engine and drives all four wheels through an eight-speed Tiptronic gearbox. 

A healthy 800Nm of torque means the RS 7 will be capable of 0-62mph in less than four seconds and can reach a limited top speed of 155mph. But the RS 7’s mild-hybrid tech helps to cut emissions, with up to 12kW of energy harvested during coasting. Cylinder deactivation tech allows it to operate on just four cylinders in the right conditions.

Audi RS Q3 Sportback

Price: £50,000 (est)On sale: Early 2020

Sticking to its plan of offering a high-performance version of almost every model in its range, Audi has just unveiled its RS Q3 Sportback compact SUV. Sporting the typical RS visual upgrades, including a substantial bodykit, larger alloy wheels and a lowered ride height, the new RS Q3 Sportback is also expected to use the same 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine as the current RS3.

With four-wheel drive and a seven-speed automatic transmission as standard, the RS Q3 Sportback will be capable of a top speed of 155mph and a 0-62mph time of less than five seconds. It shares the upgrades bestowed on the regular Q3 Sportback range, too, including the latest-generation touchscreen and digital instrument panel arrangement.

Alfa Romeo Tonale

Price: From £20,000 (est)On sale: Late 2020

Alfa Romeo will double the size of its SUV family when it releases the Tonale this year. Sitting below the Stelvio in the brand’s range, the Tonale will fall into a lucrative part of the premium SUV class.

As well as representing Alfa’s debut in this sector, the Tonale will mark another first for the brand: plug-in hybrid drive. The low-emission set-up will join conventional petrol and diesel-powered options, most likely borrowed from FCA cousins the Jeep Renegade and the Fiat 500X, cars with which the Tonale will also share a platform. The Alfa will have unique suspension and steering tuning that should make it feel sporty to drive.

But it’s the styling which will set the Tonale apart. A design previewed by the Tonale concept at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show should have the brand’s iconic shield grille, flanked by slim LED headlights and the usual offset grille. Elsewhere, clean design elements, such as rear door handles which blend into the C-pillars, could make it one of the most handsome SUVs yet.

Alpina B3 Touring

Price: £60,000 (est)On sale: Early 2020

Alpina has worked its magic once again, creating a faster and more dynamic take on the 3 Series estate with the just-announced B3 Touring. Easily identifiable by Alpina’s signature 19-inch alloy wheel design, the B3 Touring also receives a modest bodykit and quad exhaust pipes.

Aston Martin DBX

Price: From £140,000 (est)On sale: Now

It’s been a long time coming, but Aston Martin has finally joined the SUV crowd. The £158,000 DBX is all-new and aims to deliver a performance-biased approach in the luxury 4x4 class.

Many of its specs read just like those of Aston Martin’s latest GT cars. The DBX clothes its aluminium chassis in carbon-composite panels, while the front-mounted twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 (sourced from Mercedes-AMG) has been retuned to deliver a unique character. Performance is fitting, too: its 542bhp and 700Nm launches this 2.2-tonne SUV from 0-62mph in 4.5 seconds and on to a 181mph top speed.

Audi A3

Price: From £21,000 (est)On sale: Summer 2020

Despite Audi’s recent fixation with the compact SUV market (as shown by the launch of the Q3 Sportback and A1 Citycarver), the A3 will return next year as an all-new model. It’s due to be unveiled in the coming months, before going on sale in the summer in hatchback and saloon body styles.

Our most recent spy shot (above) revealed the new A3’s styling in full. It won’t be a dramatic overhaul, with Audi instead focusing on sharpening the hatchback’s look by adding slimmer headlamps with a new lighting signature, plus a new geometric grille like that on the recently updated A4.

The A3 follows the launch of the eighth-generation Volkswagen Golf, and both cars use the same updated MQB underpinnings and engine range, including a new plug-in hybrid powertrain for the A3 e-tron. The new A3 will also use the new Golf’s line-up of petrol engines, many of which will feature 48-volt mild-hybrid assistance.

The standard A3 will be joined by a hot S3 from launch, which will act as a rival to the Mercedes-AMG A 35. It’ll feature a more aggressive bodykit, a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine and four-wheel drive. Power should increase over the current car’s 296bhp, although top speed will remain the same, at a limited 155mph.

Audi etron Sportback

Price: From £75,000 (est)On sale: Spring 2020

With the standard e-tron SUV showcasing Audi’s latest-generation EV technology it was only a matter of time before the spin-off body styles arrived, and the first is this, the e-tron Sportback. Previewed in disguised form, this new model will offer coupé-SUV styling with the all-electric hardware underneath. 

Like the regular e-tron, the Sportback is built on the MLB EV platform, with two electric motors giving four-wheel drive. The total output is 356bhp, with a 10-second ‘boost’ function providing 402bhp. The coupé style means reduced boot space, but expect a capacity of at least 500 litres with the seats in place, and another 60 litres under the bonnet.