2018 has been sympathetic towards us as it’s brought us many exciting new cars. How agreeable will 2019 be in that respect is still too early to tell? However, some new cars 2019 is bringing our way are already giving us a hint or two. After all, there’s never a lack of excitement when it comes to modern day car industry. This time we reflect on 10 upcoming models we deemed the most exciting. All of them are the future auto show stars, whether they’re sports cars or luxury vehicles. All of them are simply insane. If you’d like to jump ahead and see what’s coming then check out our 2020 cars.
The Best New Cars 2019 Has On Offer!
Land Rover Defender
Some would name Land Rover’s decision to discontinue the iconic Defender nameplate a travesty. To be fair, this was probably one of the tougher decisions the British automaker had to make in recent years. Eighties and nineties 2-door type SUVs are a dying breed and Defender is epitome of such vehicles alongside the iconic Ford Bronco. With that in mind, it’s not surprising both of these legends are making a comeback at a similar time. Only difference was; the Defender wasn’t nearly as long gone as the Bronco.
The new Land Rover Defender has already been caught testing. Despite the Jaguar Land Rover’s efforts in keeping its release as low-key as possible. From what we can figure out from the test mule, new Defender will feature a modern Land Rover body design on a short 2-door wheelbase. It should be made from aluminum for better handling due to some serious weight reduction. JLR bosses also promise it’ll be even more capable off-road than its predecessor. All this goes hand in hand with Defender’s nature of being the indestructible, reliable, and now also luxurious SUV.
Lamborghini Urus
Considering all the hype behind crossovers and SUVs in recent years, it’s no wonder more and more automakers are deciding to jump on this extremely lucrative automotive wagon. Lamborghini is one of such automakers. Despite the crossover market being somewhat of an unknown territory to the Italians, their offering, the Urus has all the prerequisites of becoming a success. After all, Lamborghini has already overcome even more momentous of challenges. Weren’t they making tractors before stepping into the sports cars game in 1963? And didn’t they already offer an eccentric SUV the LM002 in 1986? Yes, they did.
Despite being scheduled to appear in 2019, Lamborghini Urus has already been presented. Sporty luxurious crossover will pack a mighty 4.0L twin-turbo V8 under its hood. The first Lamborghini turbocharged engine ever, and their first in-house V8 in quite some time will be able to generate as much as 641 hp and 627 lb-ft of torque. It should help propel the $200,000 crossover to 60 mph in around 3.5 seconds and to the top speed of over 190 mph.
Rolls Royce Cullinan
Lamborghini isn’t the only automaker with ultra-luxury crossovers and SUVs in mind. Famous British luxury carmaker Rolls Royce has also stepped into the game. Their Cullinan project has been kept secretive throughout its development phase, but things are soon about to change. Rolls Royce is planning on presenting its newest addition to potential buyers across the world in recent months. Only problem is; they’ll do so behind closed doors. In other words, we won’t be able to see the fruits of their labor for a while yet.
Despite that, we can already guess its most important cues and specs after seeing the Cullinan test mules at the Nürburgring. High-sided SUV will share its platform with the Rolls Royce Phantom. Likewise, the duo will most likely share the 563-horsepower 6.75L V12 powerplant as well. Difference is; Cullinan will be offered in all-wheel drive configuration. Rolls Royce bean counters are hoping it’ll provide a much-needed sales boost for the British brand. Especially after the venerable manufacturers’ sales have dropped from 4,011 total units in 2016 to only 3,362 units in 2017.
Ford Ranger
Ford Ranger is returning to the U.S. market after more than half a decade of absence. It quietly disappeared at particularly tough time for the compact pickup, but it’s reemerging now when mid-size trucks are “a thing” again. It’ll be interesting to see how will Blue Oval’s smaller truck fare against established badges such as Tacoma, Colorado, Canyon and even Ridgeline. It would be a tough nut to crack for most manufacturers, but Ford is definitely one of few marques that’s up to the challenge.
U.S. spec Ford Ranger will basically be a facelifted model available, more or less globally. It will be brought up to U.S. regulations which means mandatory rearview camera and other safety gear, but very little apart from that will actually be changed. New engines are another nice touch by Ford. Especially smaller 2.3L 4-cylinder and likely 2.7L V6 EcoBoosts. 10-speed automatic transmission should also be standard. Ford will offer the new Ranger with both 5-foot and 6-foot beds, and in at least two cab configurations.
Jaguar I-Pace
People from Jaguar are working relentlessly on expanding their lineup. After their smallest crossover to date the E-Pace made its debut recently, the attention now turns towards the future. Near future, to be more precise, as their very first all-electric crossover aims at a 2019 model year launch. This performance-oriented luxury crossover should find a stern competitor within Tesla Model X. It too should offer instant torque for lightning quick acceleration and plenty of range to boot.
How much power and range? It appears that 395 horsepower, 516 lb-ft of torque and up to 310 miles are the exact figures. That’s the case with the I-Pace concept at least. Jaguar’s electric crossover utilizes a 90 kWh lithium-ion battery pack and a pair of 197-horsepower electric motors. Charging time? Full charge in just over two hours and 80% in an hour an a half. Rather serious figures, you’ll agree. But then again, nothing less was to be expected from Jaguar and a car that probably won’t be available for less than $100,000 or thereabouts.
BMW M8
Bavarians have just recently presented the BMW M8 GTE. A sports car intended to compete in the World Endurance Championship which is a competition that hosts such prolific races as the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 1,500 Miles of Sebring. Exciting as it may be, the M8 GTE isn’t our pick for one of the best new cars 2019 is bringing our way. The conventional M8 is. If you can label any BMW M car as conventional, that is.
The BMW 8 Series isn’t a novelty item in Bavarian automaker’s portfolio. It ran between 1989 and 1999, but without notable success. BMW’s new flagship lineup is returning for 2018 model year and first M-branded 8 Series models can be expected as early as in 2019. The 2019 BMW M8 won’t only be a range-topping BMW price-wise, but performance-wise as well. It will be offered with M6’s 4.4L twin-turbo V8, and should develop at least 592 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque. That’s exactly the power output of an M6 with the Competition Package, or 40 ponies more than what regular M6 makes. Expect the BMW M8 to cost well north of $100,000, weigh around 4,000 lbs, and accelerate to 60 mph in just over 3 seconds.
Jeep Wrangler Pickup
The JL Wrangler is set for a debut in early 2018, but the most iconic American off-road SUV isn’t raising nearly enough dust as its pickup truck version that’s arriving a year later. The 2019 Jeep Wrangler pickup is bringing us pretty much what most of us have expected, but there are a few unexpected extras we’re all glad for. The optional fold-down canvas soft top, for instance. Or the Jeep Scrambler name.
The 2019 Jeep Wrangler pickup will be the first convertible truck in the U.S. market since the Chevy SSR got axed in 2006. The SSR, in all its diversity, wasn’t a dedicated pickup truck, though. Other than that, the new Wrangler pickup will share all of SUV’s perks like removable doors and removable conventional roof. It will be built upon a new platform that might utilize more widespread use of aluminum. Engine lineup should be very similar, if not entirely the same, as that of its SUV sibling. Even a diesel engine is a valid possibility, but don’t expect any Hellcats in it. In fact, don’t expect any V8’s at all. They haven’t been a part of Jeep Famous SUV’s lineup since CJ-7’s time.
Audi Q8
Audi has had plenty of success with its crossover Q lineup ever since the Q7 made its debut over a decade ago. Germans aren’t resting on their laurels, though, and are working relentlessly on expanding their crossover SUV portfolio. Sooner or later, every single digit will be tied to that Q prefix. And the most interesting of them all would have to be the upcoming 2019 Q8. Audi’s new flagship full-size crossover with even more space, features and power than the Q7.
The 2019 Audi Q8 will share a lot with its Q7 sibling, but it’ll apparently share even more with the upcoming Lamborghini Urus. Italian exotic and German luxury crossovers won’t only share the same platform, but most of their onboard technology as well. Q8 won’t get Lambo’s twin-turbo V8, though. Instead, it’ll likely be powered by Q7’s stronger options like the 333-horsepower supercharged V6. Hybrid option with even more power at tap is also more than a likely possibility. In fact, most of future Audi crossovers will actually be based around the E-Tron technology. And Q8 is only one in the long line of upcoming Audi models.
Porsche Mission E
Audi isn’t the only German firm working on implementing some electric technology. Porsche has some rather impressive and ambitious plans regarding electric vehicles as well. Their Mission E project’s reveal date is slowly but steadily drawing near. Porsche’s first all-electric vehicle should be revealed and launched by the end of 2019, and it’ll be another high-end Tesla competitor. Not just a competitor, but a car that promises better performance and even quicker charging time than the best models Tesla has to offer in that regard.
Germans are actually promising twice as fast charging network than what Tesla’s superchargers are able to offer right now. They’re planning on doing so by doubling the capacity of the high-voltage system from 400 to 800 volts. This means the Mission E will be able to offer up to 250 miles of range after just a 20-minute charge. Porsche has also already disclosed the Mission E specs. Their upcoming electric performance cars will be offered in three variants with either 402 hp, 536 hp or 670 hp. Quickest of the three should be able to hit 60 mph from standstill in just 3.5 seconds, while in true German fashion, the top speed will be limited to 155 mph.
Toyota Supra
The upcoming 2019 Toyota Supra isn’t one of the most anticipated cars of the year. It’s one of the most anticipated rides of the decade. And, hopefully one of the best new cars 2019 model year will have to offer. The new Supra will have some big shoes to fill since its predecessors are still regarded as some of the best sports cars ever to have roamed our roads. We don’t doubt the Japanese will deliver when all is said and done, but there have been some worrisome rumors about the sports car that might leave a bitter taste if they turn out to be true.
The biggest issue might be the possible lack of a manual transmission. Leaked BMW documents suggest that the 2019 Toyota Supra might end up tied exclusively to a ZF’s 8-speed auto. They also suggest the Supra will be powered by BMW engines. The latter doesn’t have to be bad at all since Bavarian automaker’s 3.0L turbocharged straight-six certainly fits Supra’s philosophy. The possibility of a hybrid powertrain, exclusive hardtop body and resemblance to the FT-1 concept car are also on the cards. What’s certain is that it’ll share a rear-wheel drive platform with the upcoming new BMW Z4.
