These are some of the upcoming cars we cannot wait to get our hands on

These are some of the upcoming cars we cannot wait to get our hands on
PHOTO: Tesla

We love our cars, which is exactly why we are doing what we're doing today.

However, there are days when some cars just make us feel like the job is way too mundane and some can make us feel eager to turn up at work.

And then there are exceptional times when there are certain cars that can really make our balls tingle and body shiver.

Here are some of those exceptional upcoming cars that we just cannot wait to get our hands on, just because tingling balls and shivering bodies are way more exciting in our line of work.

1. Audi A6 e-tron

Based on a new electric vehicle platform - Premium Platform Electric (PPE) - the Audi A6 e-tron has a battery module between the axles that holds around 100kWh of energy.

And because the battery size and wheelbase of PPE vehicles are scalable, they can be used in different car segments. Best of all, the drive technology of the A6 e-tron is the 800V charging capability.

This means the car's battery can be charged with up to 270kW in a very short time at fast-charging stations. Just 10 minutes at a fast charger will be enough to charge the battery to a level sufficient to power the car for more than 300km.

Once juiced up, this luxury electric sedan - with its two electric motors - will deliver a total output of 469bhp and 800Nm of torque.

The Audi A6 e-tron has an expected range of approximately 700km.

2. BMW i7

Unveiled in late April this year, the all-new all-electric flagship i7 sedan will be BMW's most luxurious and arguably the most tech-savvy model the brand has ever produced.

Based on an all-new fifth-generation architecture that's highly scalable, the BMW i7 xDrive60 adopts a dual motor setup, which bestows the electric flagship sedan with 544bhp and a torque figure of 745Nm. Thus, the car is capable of completing the century sprint in just 4.7 seconds.

More relevantly, the BMW i7 is capable of an impressive range of up to 625km on a single charge, based on the WLTP cycle. Assuming the average Singaporean clocks about 16,000km a year, the said range will be able to last you for approximately 14 days.

DC fast charge takes about 30 minutes to reach 80 per cent while a 10-minute fast charge will be able to juice up the car with 170km worth of range. Naturally, we will only be able to provide a more accurate assessment of how the car really behaves in real-world driving conditions in Singapore when it arrives end of this year.

3. Cupra Tavascan

The Cupra Tavascan is a high-performance concept coupe SUV that's the first road Cupra to use an all-electric powertrain. It will come equipped with two motors, one on the front axle and the other at the rear, to provide a combined 297bhp of power to all four corners.

This will allow the Cupra Tavascan to hit the 100km/h mark in less than 6.5 seconds.More than just acceleration, this concept car also houses a 77kWh lithium-ion battery pack that can store enough energy to have a range of up to 450km based on the WLTP cycle.

With its design elements already strongly hinted at in the 2021 Cupra Tavascan Extreme E Concept, we can expect to see the Cupra Tavascan in its production form some time in 2024.

4. Hyundai Ioniq 6

Thanks to the carmaker's Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP), the Hyundai Ioniq 6 - a full-electric swoopy four-door car - is a thing of beauty that can hold a battery with a maximum capacity of 77.4kWh for the long-range variant, allowing a WLTP range of up to 610km.

Power for the top-of-the-line all-wheel driven model is rated at 321bhp and 605Nm of torque.

The standard-range variant, on the other hand, will hold a battery with 53kWh of capacity. Power output for this variant is currently unknown at the moment, but we're pretty sure more of it will be revealed once the Ioniq 6 starts production some time in the third quarter of this year.

We can expect to see the production-ready model in 2024.

5. Mercedes-Benz EQG

Nothing comes quite close to the Mercedes-Benz EQG when comes to the perfect blend of rugged and cool.

Unveiled at the Munich International Motor Show last year, this all-electric off-roader takes in the iconic G-Class' angular silhouette including its signature elements.

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From the round headlamps and boxy silhouette to the rear lockable box and 22-inch polished aluminium alloy wheels, the EQG is anything but ugly.

Best of all, the car has even been given a flat roof rack, which has been designed to form the shape of the letter 'G'.

How apt. The car is powered by four electric motors that are close to the wheels, which allows the vehicle to offer unique driving characteristics both on and off-road.

And as with any real 4x4, the EQG's off-road reduction can be activated via a shiftable two-speed gearbox in order to tackle off-road terrain.

6. Nissan Z

One of the most highly-anticipated sports car that was unveiled this year has to be the all-new Nissan Z.

Equipped with a 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged V6 powerplant, the car is capable of 395bhp and 475Nm of torque.

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These figures will be sent to the rear wheels via a standard six-speed manual transmission.

A rev-matching system will also be available with Performance models equipped with the manual gearbox - a feature similar to the Hyundai i30 N Of course, a nine-speed automatic transmission is also available for those who prefer two pedals in their cars.

For automatic models, aluminium paddle shifters will come standard, with Performance models getting theirs in the same design as those found on the Nissan GT-R.

While local Nissan distributor Tan Chong has no plans to bring the Z into Singapore just yet, you can be rest assured we will be doing an in-depth review once the opportunity arises.

7. Range Rover Electric

The recently launched Range Rover in Singapore is the first vehicle from Jaguar Land Rover to be underpinned by an entirely new platform, dubbed the Modular Longitudinal Architecture (MLA-Flex). And it is exactly because of this platform that allows for the electrification of the Range Rover.

With this in mind, plug-in hybrid drivetrains are already available on the Range Rover, but it's the full-electric variant that has gotten our attention - one that will be unveiled only in 2024.

After an in-depth drive of both the 4.4-litre V8 as well as the 3.0-litre in-line six variants, we're pretty confident the all-electric Range Rover won't disappoint.

8. Tesla Roadster

We may not be big fans of Tesla, but the upcoming Tesla Roadster looks like one helluva car to pilot.

And if the previous Tesla Roadster is anything to judge by, we cannot wait to get our hands on the new model. According to Tesla, the Roadster will get from nought to hundred in 2.1 seconds before hitting a top speed of 400kmh, thanks to a massive torque of 10,000Nm.

Not only is this car mighty quick, it's also very useable with a range of 1,000km, thanks to a 200kWh battery pack. As to when the Tesla Roadster will arrive in Singapore currently remains unknown.

But when it does, this will be the place to find out more about it.

9. Toyota GR Corolla

Yes, with all the teasers you heard and read, it's true. There's a Toyota GR Corolla and we really cannot wait to get behind the wheel of one.

Like the Toyota GR Yaris we tested back in 2021, the GR Corolla gets a turbocharged three-cylinder powerplant that's paired to an all-wheel drive technology and all wrapped within an aggressive hatchback form.

With this hot hatch, you'll be enjoying 300bhp and 370Nm of torque from the word go via a six-speed manual transmission equipped with a rev-matching system.

If that's not entertaining enough, you can also expect modern amenities such as a 12.3-inch instrument cluster and an 8.0-inch infotainment touchscreen. Oh, and there's a conventional parking brake lever - our favourite.

10. Volkswagen ID.4 GTX

The first car to receive Volkswagen's GTX electric performance sub-branding is the ID.4 GTX.

This electric performance SUV has one electric drive motor on both the front and rear axle that will send a total power output of 295bhp and 460Nm of torque to all four corners, which is a first for the ID. family.

This will allow the car to finish the century sprint in 6.2 seconds before hitting a top speed of 180kmh.

And being a performance car, the ID.4 GTX has design elements such as honeycomb designs forming the daytime running lights that resemble the Golf GTI hot hatch The electric performance SUV offers a WLTP range of up to 500km and has a maximum charging capacity of 135kW.

This article was first published in sgCarMart.

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