As we approach the end of 2023 it appears to be facelift season, with various brands rolling out updated exteriors, refreshed interiors and in some cases, much-needed software updates. But there are some all-new entrants, too.
From all-new generations to mid-cycle refreshes, here is a rapid-fire round-up of the latest new releases – including a special edition and even a birthday for one of the first EVs to (properly) tackle the mass market.
All-new Mercedes-AMG CLE Coupe
What do you get when you combine the agility and sportiness of the AMG-C-Class with the space and elegance of the AMG-E-Class? The AMG CLE Coupe. This new model replaces the outgoing E53 AMG and feels quintessentially on brand: a long, sloping bonnet, aggressive bodywork and an incredibly wide rear track.
Alpine tweaks A110 range for 2024
A new variant joins the A110 range with the R Turini, sporting new matte black aluminium wheels, various carbon-fibre body parts and drawing inspiration from roads found in the French Alps. The rest of the range also gets more equipment as standard, a welcome change for a car that sits very much in a premium price range (anywhere from £54,490 to £121,990+ in the UK).
Audi RS e-tron GT Ice Race Edition
The limited edition carries a unique colour scheme inspired by the annual Ice Race held in Zell am See, Austria. While some special editions are subtle in nature, this is very much the opposite end of the scale, with striking livery, a carbon fibre roof and a customised digital interface. By the time you’ve read this, they have probably all sold out, with only four right-hand drive examples being produced and 99 units in total.
Citroen e-Berlingo gets a facelift
The ‘leisure van’ has been redesigned with a new, more upright front end and a little more aggressive than we have come to expect thanks to a new grille, bumper and headlight design. Changes continue inside, with a new dual-level dashboard layout and multi-colour advanced comfort seats.
The new MINI Cooper Electric in Sport trim
The electric MINI has been given the John Cooper Works treatment, although it does not formally carry the JCW name. The new trim level is motorsport-inspired, with a red, white and black theme, ten-spoke alloys and new diffusers at the front and rear. The interior continues the colour theme and even includes a ‘Go Kart mode’ that changes the display, throttle response and sound of the car.
Renault Zoe turns ten
Introduced at a time where scepticism around EVs was even higher than it is now, the Zoe was a brave move from an established carmaker – an all-in “this has to work” gambit. While the Fluence never really took off, the Zoe was much better suited to the battery technology of the time. A sleek, handsome hatchback that was futuristic enough to attract early movers and conservative buyers alike, the Zoe has since racked up around 380,000 sales worldwide as of May 2022. With the Renault 5 EV on the horizon, it will be interesting to see how that changes things.
Fourth-generation Suzuki Swift
The all-new hatchback has been revealed with – to our eyes at least – relatively subtle changes to the overall design, toeing the line between cute and cool. Suzuki argues otherwise, stating that the redesign stretches “beyond the parameters of past models.” The surfacing is somehow more rounded yet also more muscular than before, and any redesign is a big deal for the brand but also for the many markets in which the car is sold (169, according to Suzuki).
Skoda refreshes the Enyaq
A familiar name returns as the 2024 Enyaq EV gets its own premium Laurin & Klement trim line, seen over the years on models like the Yeti, Octavia and Superb. Skoda also promises that the Enyaq will be “even more powerful and efficient”, plus new software and an infotainment interface that is “more functional and intuitive than ever before.”
VW teases new electric Transporter
Building on the long-anticipated return of the T1 van in the shape of the ID. Buzz, the new Transporter rounds out the family, this time catering to professionals. There is not much to go on yet beyond initial (heavily camouflaged) press teasers, but we know the successor to the T6.1 will have a payload of over a tonne, offered with turbodiesel, plug-in hybrid and electric powertrains.
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