As the auto industry rolls into the 2017 model year, spy photos and manufacturer’s teaser images are beginning to appear on the new vehicles we’ll see for 2018. If your new-car buying timeline extends into next year, you may be interested in seeing what’s in the pipeline. You might find something worth waiting for, or you may decide to seal the deal on a current-generation model. There’s plenty to chew on as automakers plan to revamp significant mainstream models like the Toyota Camry and Honda Odyssey, while offering up some tasty all-new entries like the Kia Stinger sport sedan and Alfa Romeo Stelvio SUV.
These are the new and redefined cars, SUVs and trucks we will see in 2018:
1. 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio
The compact Stelvio will compete against similar-sized crossovers like the BMW X3, Audi Q5 and Mercedes Benz GLC. Two engines will be offered. The Stelvio and Stelvio Ti will share a 280-horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder while the Quadrifoglio will be powered by a Ferrari-developed 2.9-liter V6 making 505 horsepower. All Stelvio models will be equipped with all-wheel drive and an 8-speed automatic transmission.
The 4-cylinder powered Stelvio and Stelvio Ti boast a long list of standard equipment that includes 18-inch wheels, leather seating, rearview camera with parking sensors, power liftgate, a flat-bottom sport steering wheel and pushbutton start. The Ti comes with 19-inch wheels, wood cabin accents, and an 8.8-inch center display. Sport and Lusso packages on the Ti allow the buyer to tailor the vehicle for either high performance or luxury tastes.
The Quadrifoglio sports a leather-covered dash and sport steering wheel, leather and Alcantara-covered sport seats with 12-way power adjustment, sport-tuned adaptive suspension, torque vectoring, performance brakes and carbon fiber cabin accents. The DNA selectable driver mode, which stands for Dynamic, Natural (comfort) and Active Efficiency, has a fourth Race mode on Quadrifoglio models. Performance options include carbon fiber lightweight Sparco sport bucket seats and Brembo carbon ceramic brakes.
2. 2018 Audi Q5
Like other Audi models, the new Q5 features a mass-minimizing core structure that blends high-strength steel and aluminum. Based on a variation of the platform that underpins the latest Audi A4, the Q5 comes with a conventional chassis that’s been tuned for better overall balance. An optional adaptive damping setup can be modified using the Audi Drive Select system, which also changes steering feel, throttle response and transmission mapping. For the first time, the Q5 also will offer a new adaptive air suspension in certain models. As in the past, the Q5 will be available in both front-drive and with Quattro AWD that can be fitted with the “ultra” tech sport rear differential setup on some variants.
The new Q5 will launch in Europe with five engines, including four turbodiesels and a new 252-horsepower/2.0-liter gasoline TFSI. While the TDI engines won’t be coming to America, expect to see the TFSI – which is also used in the new A4 – included as part of whatever powertrain lineup does make it into showrooms here. Audi has confirmed a next-gen Q5 Hybrid plug-in also is in the works, and all versions will be built at the automaker’s new factory in San Jose Chiapa, Mexico.
3. 2018 Buick Enclave
The new Enclave is filled with highlights. Despite the sleek body there is more third-row interior space, aided by a longer wheelbase. Towing capability has been upped to 5,000 pounds. And a first-ever for Buick rear-view camera-mirror enables visibility to the rear unobstructed by the heads and headrests that typically dot the Enclave’s cabin. Finally there is a new premium level–Buick Enclave Avenir–that we expect will do for Buick what the Denali trim has done for GMC, namely give it more prestige and panache.
Despite a longer wheelbase than the previous generation Enclave, the new version will have a turning circle is 1.4 feet tighter than before, and we expect that agility to have many payoffs. The body structure was designed for safety, strength, stiffness and mass efficiency, all of which should contribute to good ride and handling. On the safety and convenience front a fully equipped Enclave Avenir will feature no less than 17 radar, camera and ultrasonic sensors.
Standard is a new 3.6-liter V6 engine delivering 302 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque. It will offer stop/start technology and be paired with a 9-speed automatic transmission. For those who face inclement weather, the new Enclave can be equipped with intelligent all-wheel-drive (AWD) with active twin-clutch rear differential and Buick-first switchable AWD. The MacPherson strut front and five-link rear suspensions are tuned for a quiet, isolated ride without sacrificing control.
4. 2018 Chevrolet Traverse Redesigned
The increase in overall length and width of the new body is very small—a little over a half-inch in length, and a tenth of an inch in width, to 204.4 and 78.6 inches, respectively. But thanks to its new architecture, the wheelbase stretches more substantially, from 118.9 inches to 120.9.
The net of the increase is a more voluminous Traverse—with the second- and third-row seats folded flat the rear cargo hold will now accept a 4 x 8-foot sheet of building material lying flat, according to Chevy. And it’s also a Traverse with increased structural rigidity plus revised suspension (improved ride and handling) and lower curb weights.
Chevrolet lists curb weights of 4713 and 4966 pounds, front-drive and all-wheel drive, respectively, for the current Traverse. According to preliminary specs, the redesigned model will be lighter by as much as 362 pounds.
That should result in livelier acceleration with the standard 3.6-liter V6 engine. Output is up—305 horsepower, versus 288 (with twin exhaust) for the current version—and the improved power-to-weight ratio is enhanced by GM’s new 9-speed automatic transmission, replacing the previous 6-speed.
Chevy engineers anticipate 0-to-60 mph in less than 7 seconds, as well as improved fuel economy. No specifics on EPA consumption forecasts yet. The current Traverse is rated 17 mpg city, 24 highway for front-drive models, 16/23 with all-wheel drive.
5. 2018 Honda Odyssey
The new Honda anticipates increased vigor in the 0-to-60 mph department, as well as best-in-class EPA fuel economy ratings. The current Odyssey is rated for 19 mpg city, 28 highway, and sprints to 60 in a little less than 8 seconds.
As you’d expect, there are extensive interior refinements—improved materials, more soft-touch surfaces, more small object stowage, and of course a vast cargo hold with the second and third row seats folded flat. Honda adds “Magic Slide” seats to the second row, with side-to-side adjustability that allows multiple configurations and also allows simple removal of the center section for easier rear seat access.
6. 2018 Hyundai Accent
The 2018 Hyundai Accent rolls onto the scene with a bolder look, enhanced technology and more sophisticated dynamics. Once again offered in 4-door Sedans and 5-door hatchbacks, the fifth-generation Accent expands on the high-value formula that has served it well in the past while breaking some new ground.
Slightly longer and nearly an inch wider than the model it replaces, the new Accent also gains almost half an inch of wheelbase which helps improve interior packaging and brings it up to a technical “compact” size classification. Its more sculpted bodywork incorporates smoother contours set off by a sweeping roofline, edgier front/rear fascias and sleeker lighting elements. The car presents a new take on Hyundai’s cascading grille design and is available with 17-inch alloy wheels. While providing few specifics,Hyundai states that more extensive underbody fairings, a new front splitter and a lower ride height also help tidy up the 2018.
7. 2018 Land Rover Discovery
To set your mind at ease that the Discovery is not going soft, the sleek new version will feature all the off-road toughness and all-terrain capabilities that have made the Land Rover brand famous on seven continents. After all, it will be equipped with the newest versions of the off-road driving technologies that Land Rover has added to supplement its rugged construction, and offer 11.1 inches of ground clearance – a significant increase of 1.7 inches from the outgoing LR4. The new Discovery can ford a stream nearly three-feet deep (actually 35.4 inches – an increase of 7.9 inches over the LR4) so when it comes to go-anywhere no vehicle will make the new Discovery take a back seat. Despite this extreme capability, the Discovery’s back seat might be its most-talked–about feature. Not only does it fold away in amazing fashion, it also can accommodate full-grown human beings.
8. 2018 Lexus LS
In today’s luxury market one can’t design a sedan without calling it “coupelike,” and so it goes with the new LS. Happily the design is swoopy enough to bear the “coupelike” label while still offering a commodious interior. Based on Lexus’ premium rear-drive (GA-L) platform, the new LS is intended to be more involving to drive than the current version of the stately LS, and it backs up that claim with an all-new twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 engine designed specifically for the new luxury sedan. The move to replace the venerable V8 with a V6 might be surprising to some, but the switch to a forced-induction engine is indicative of the regulatory atmosphere in which we live. By using turbocharging, Lexus engineers were able to improve fuel economy at no sacrifice to power. In fact, the powertrain delivers 415 horsepower and 442 lb-ft of torque, which represent sizeable gains over the current LS model’s 386-horsepower V8. With a projected 0-60 time of 4.5 seconds, the LS should feel as fast as it is good-looking.
The twin-turbo V6 is mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission very similar to the one already fitted in the Lexus LC 500 performance coupe. Interestingly, it is a torque-converter automatic, yet Lexus claims its shift times will rival those of dual-clutch transmissions. Typically torque-converter automatics have a smoother feel than dual-clutch units, and we expect that is a key reason Lexus engineers decided to go in that direction. Paddle shifting is available with the transmission, but we expect the paddles will be as lightly used as those in the typical motorboat. The smart transmission features an advanced electronic control system, which anticipates the driver’s input and chooses the ideal ratio by monitoring the acceleration, braking and lateral-g forces in virtual real-time. In other words it probably does a better job of gear selection than you would.
9. 2018 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet
While almost identical to the E-Class Coupe below its shoulder line, the new Cabriolet is crowned with a premium fabric top that borrows much from the new S-Class Cabrio. Available in dark brown, dark blue, red or black, this multi-layer automatic lid can be cycled in 20 seconds at vehicle speeds up to 30 mph. When dropped, it’s covered by a hard tonneau. The Cabriolet’s cabin features a 12.3-inch center display with Comand Navigation and four individual seats. The leather upholstery has a heat-reflecting finish and both Airscarf neck-warming and Aircap wind blocking technology is available.
10. 2018 Volkswagen Atlas
Specifically crafted to address the needs of “the modern family,” the new Atlas offers an exceptionally spacious and flexible interior and comes in no less than five different trim levels. The largest Volkswagen model ever assembled in the U.S. also boasts features that will make it one of segment’s most technologically advanced.
the Volkswagen Atlas will have one of two transversely-mounted engines underhood. The standard motivator is a 2.0-liter/4-cylinder TSI turbo that makes 238 horsepower and drives the front wheels. The naturally aspirated 280-horse/3.6-liter VR6 is optional, and going with that more potent alternative also allows buyers to step up to VW’s multi-mode 4Motion AWD system. Regardless of cylinder count, the sole transmission is an 8-speed automatic. Pricing — which VW promises will be extremely competitive — as well as packaging, EPA numbers and other details about the 2018 Volkswagen Atlas will be released closer to its official on-sale date.
Source: Kelly Blue Book.com