Spring 2024 | The most anticipated vehicles

Here’s a look at the most anticipated vehicles this spring.

Acura ZDX

We know the Honda Prologue, now here is the Acura ZDX. These two electric vehicles essentially share the same technical architecture designed by General Motors. Two versions (A-Spec and Type-S) are found in this manufacturer’s catalog and both benefit from four-wheel drive (one motor on each axle). The assumed range for the A-Spec is 488 kilometers. The Type-S, for its part, should travel 447 kilometers before needing to refuel. The latter will produce the equivalent of 500 horsepower, according to its manufacturer’s estimates, and will benefit, unlike the A-Spec, from an adjustable suspension, a more aggressive braking system and 22-inch tires.

Fiat 500e

After a short eclipse, the Fiat 500 is back. This time, this candy box-looking city car adopts a fully electric propeller, as evidenced by the suffix “e” now integrated into its number. Equipped with a 42 kWh battery which takes 4 hours and 15 minutes to recharge on a level 2 terminal, the little Italian claims a range of 227 kilometers. And this Fiat doesn’t just drive, it also sings to warn pedestrians and cyclists of its presence in the street.

Hyundai Santa Fe

Caught between the Tucson and the Palisade, the Santa Fe discovers a more adventurous soul as part of this redesign. No more soft shapes, make way for a square bodywork which is not unlike certain creations of… Land Rover. Offered only in a configuration with three rows of seats, the Santa Fe initially uses a gasoline engine supercharged by turbocharger. During the summer, a hybrid version (half gasoline, half electric) will complete the range.

Kia K4

The Forte is dead, long live the K4. More angular than the model it replaces, the K4 also claims to be the most spacious in its category. No doubt for the sake of reliability, Kia’s latest model uses the same engines as those of the Forte. Depending on the version chosen (there are five on the program), the K4 will raise its hood to a 2 L naturally aspirated engine (147 horsepower) or to a 1.6 L supercharged by turbocharger (190 horsepower). The latter mechanism is exclusively accompanied by an eight-speed automatic transmission while the 2 L uses a continuously variable transmission.

Mazda CX-70

Do you like the CX-90, but don’t need a third row of seats? Mazda will offer a shorter and more agile version by the summer: the CX-70. This, like the CX-90, offers the choice of three engines, including a four-cylinder plug-in hybrid. This is capable of towing a load of 1588 kg (3500 lb), compared to 2268 kg (5000 lb) for six-cylinder engines. The CX-70 will also be the first Mazda to feature Amazon’s Alexa interface. Its presence aims to reduce distracted driving and improve the use of controls.

Nissan Kicks

The second generation of Nissan Kicks will arrive in dealerships this summer. More refined, more spacious and safer, the Kicks will offer a four-wheel drive mode for the first time. This will be offered as standard on the SR version (read the most expensive) and as an option on the other versions. To shake it up from its static position, the Kicks adopts a 2.0L four-cylinder (141 horsepower and 140 lb-ft of torque) to which is paired a continuously variable automatic transmission. In addition to improved connectivity, a host of driving aids enrich the features of this popular model, including a semi-autonomous driving system (ProPilot Assist).

Porsche Macan EV

For those who still doubted Porsche’s firm desire to negotiate the electric shift, here is the Macan EV. This model does not replace the gasoline version within the range (this remains in the catalog), but rather complements it. Besides, apart from the name, this electric utility vehicle has little to do with its gasoline alter ego. The Macan EV is the first vehicle from the Volkswagen group to be based on the PPE platform. The Audi Q6 e-tron will be the second. More aerodynamic (Cd of 0.25 compared to 0.35 for the gasoline Macan), the Macan EV has powerful electric motors (up to 639 horsepower) powered by a 100 kWh battery for a presumed range of around 500 kilometers .

Subaru Forester

Redesigned and improved, the Forester, sixth of the name, will enter dealerships by the summer. More elegant than that of its predecessor, the body of this utility vehicle sits on a platform that is both stiffer and lighter. The gains obtained made it possible to revisit the suspensions, which do a much better job of softening road deformations in addition to further minimizing body movements in turns. The steering, borrowed from the sports WRX, is responsible for offering a better feeling. For its debut, this new version exclusively lifts its hood with a 182 horsepower flat engine. However, a plug-in hybrid version is expected in the next 15 months.

Toyota Camry

Nine generations of Camry already. While the competition is gradually erasing the sedan from its catalogs, Toyota still believes in it. Slenderer, sportier, this new Camry exclusively uses the services of a hybrid mechanism to move it. The towed versions (front wheel drive) have two electric motors while the Camrys with all-wheel drive have three. Regardless of their number, they all use the same 2.5L four-cylinder gasoline engine. A continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) is responsible for transmitting the power to the ground.

Volvo EX30

Produced in Belgium, Volvo’s new fully electric model will set its wheels on the North American continent in a few weeks. This small car (it measures just 4.3 meters long) offers a battery with a capacity of 64 kWh for 442 km of autonomy (426 km on the four-wheel drive version). This propellant is inserted inside a chassis, modified, it goes without saying, from the latest generation Smart. Acceleration is astonishing (0-100 km/h in 3.6 seconds) and this Volvo features a “one-pedal” function that allows you to drive with virtually no need to touch the brakes.