The BMW 2-Series is an enthusiast favorite, assuming the enthusiast has a bit of money. With compact proportions and decent driving dynamics, this rear-wheel-drive coupe has built a reputation for being more of a purist’s car than the latest 3-Series. Now, for the 2022 model year, BMW revamps the 2-Series. There are good news and bad news.
The Cayenne is one of the biggest success stories in automotive history. It is also the catalyst that triggered the SUV frenzy almost all sports car manufacturers are engaged in nowadays. Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT is the newest addition to the SUV lineup. Hopping on the top of the SUV lineup, the Turbo GT is exclusively available with the Coupe body style. It also set an official lap time record of 7:38.9 minutes around the Nurburgring, beating the Audi RS Q8 by nearly 4 seconds to become the fastest production SUV around the track.
The BMW 4-Series Gran Coupe conveniently occupies a stylish niche between more practical BMW 3-Series and 5-Series sedans. For the new year, the 2022 BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe freshens up. It picks up more features, better dynamics, and fortunately or unfortunately, the controversial large kidney grill from the M4 and M3.
The current generation BMW X3 and X4 are in the middle of their lifecycle and the German manufacturer gives them the timely mid-cycle refresh. The 2022 BMW X3 and X4 get updated designs with a larger kidney grill, more features, and better specs. Oh, and the hot X3 M and X4 M get updated too.
There have been several high-profile post-lockdown car launches that set the internet on fire. The Nissan Patrol Nismo, the Chevy Tahoe and the upcoming Ford Bronco featured prominently among them, but those were all SUVs. The only small car to “trend” is the Volkswagen Golf GTI, which shows that cars might be giving way to SUVs, but the legendary O.G. hot hatch is always going to be around.
W GTBhile Lamborghini sticks to a two-car main lineup (ignoring the SUV), Ferrari is in no mood to let their lineup go stale. Enter the new Ferrari 296 GTB, the latest prancing horse from Maranello that will replace the F8 Tributo. This is the first V6-engined sports car from Maranello since the Dino, but with the backing of a plug-in hybrid system, it brings in 818 hp. Downsized is well and truly underway at Ferrari.
While a 2.5 ton SUV cannot be called sporty, Bentley is making a successful go at it, and decided to offer their mammoth Bentayga in another flavour. The Bentayga S joins the luxury SUV range as a sportier middle ground between the base V8 Bentayga and the full-blown Bentayga Speed V12.
Even though the name Bentley is synonymous with massive luxobarges that are filled to the brim with wood and cowhide, there always existed a “Speed” model that pushes the performance envelope of the heavy Bentley, making it go as fast as it possibly can. The new generation of the Continental GT Speed gets more tech and power than ever to make it the most capable of all Bentleys to date.
When it comes to funky car designs, Citroën sits tightly on the throne. And now they have broken out all their craziness to produce 2022 Citroën C5 X, giving company to the Peugeot 508 and DS9 as sister-model flagships. This sedan-wagon-crossover mashup takes on the likes of the Mercedes Benz E-Class, BMW 5 Series and the Audi A6, although it’s not quite premium enough for that crowd.
The recently-launched Mercedes Benz EQS was a significant addition to the top rung of the brand’s EV lineup while the EQA entered the scene as a stepping stone to the marque. In a bid to expand their electric-car portfolio further, the Mercedes-Benz EQB debuts in China with seating for seven and a maximum power output of 288 hp.