What are the best features of this year’s new cars? Seatbelt lights and augmented reality
Detroit Free Press car critic Mark Phelan tests dozens of new cars each year. Here are some of his favorite new features for 2025.
- Jeep Recon tests off-road EV performance.
- We will reveal the super secret Sony Honda car for the first time.
From the first all-electric off-road Jeep to Slate’s promised Jeff Bezos-backed do-it-yourself pickup and SUV, a number of important and interesting new vehicles will hit the roads in 2026.
Will anyone address rising costs? Will a new vehicle with a familiar name impress people? Will a new hit be born? What brand spends billions of dollars on a new model only to fail?
As always, I’m grateful for Automotive News’ authoritative Future Product Guide. This guide made a huge contribution to the research for this column.
Here are more than a dozen vehicles to keep an eye on as the new year begins.
2026 Afera
Afeela, a 50-50 joint venture between Sony and Honda, is notoriously secretive, but the Japanese industrial giants are promising more information when the company’s first vehicle, the Afeela 1, debuts at the CES electronics show in January.
The compact sedan will be produced at Honda’s East Liberty, Ohio, plant. Prices start at $89,900 and you can expect amazing technology.
There’s a lot of interest in Afeela because the challenge of blending consumer electronics know-how with automotive design and engineering has defeated seasoned companies like Apple. The model year of the car has not been announced.
2026 Audi Q3
Audi’s smallest SUV, which goes on sale in the first quarter, aims to maintain the momentum the luxury brand started with this year’s new A5 and Q5. All-wheel drive is standard. Prices start at $43,700. The standard 2.0L engine’s output increases to 255 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque, reducing 0-60 mpg acceleration time from 1.6 seconds to 5.5 seconds.
2027 chevrolet volt
The compact Volt returns after more than a year off the market as GM’s most affordable EV.
The new Volt will look a lot like the car that will end production in 2023, but the battery, motor, and other distinctive technologies are all new. It will be built in Kansas City, Kansas, and sales are expected to begin in the first quarter.
At launch, it will have a starting price of $29,990 and a range of 255 miles, with lower prices expected later this year.
honda series 0
The 0 Series SUV, Honda’s first EV developed entirely in-house, is scheduled to go on sale in the second half of 2027.
Honda is reorganizing its Ohio assembly facility to manufacture a variety of EVs.
2026 Honda Prelude
This elegant coupe aims to bring back the excitement of the sporty Prelude created by Honda in the ’80s and ’90s. Both the body and interior are unique. The suspension is from the excellent Civic Type R. The drivetrain is shared with the Civic Hybrid.
The interior looks and feels great. The big question is how well the electronic system mimics the sound and feel of the previous sporty Prelude.
2026 Jeep Recon
As the first all-electric Jeep aimed at serious off-roading, the rugged Recon must deliver on the brand’s core values or risk undermining them. Jeep promises incredible performance, including 650 horsepower, 620 pound-feet of torque, and up to 250 miles of range.
Questions include how far the Recon’s battery can go on tough off-road trails and how the SUV’s weight affects its performance on mud, snow, and deep sand. Prices start at $65,000.
2027 kia telluride
The impressive three-row Telluride changed the way people viewed Kia cars when it debuted in 2019. Expectations are high for the new model, which will be produced in West Point, Georgia and released in the first quarter.
New features include more power with a 329-horsepower hybrid powertrain expected to get up to 35 mpg, and a higher-performance X-Pro model with 9.1 inches of ground clearance and an electronic limited-slip rear differential.
2026 Lexus IS
Expected in the second half of this year, Lexus’ rugged midsize sedan will hit the big time with dramatic new styling, hybrid and EV models.
The same systems and architecture would underpin the radically new Camry that came later.
2026 Ram 1500 REV
Ram, and now Ford, have staked much of their engineering and financial muscle on the bet that extended range electric vehicles (EREVs) will win over buyers by combining the efficiency and performance of electricity with the towing capabilities of traditional pickups. Simplified enough to drive engineers crazy, an EREV is essentially a plug-in hybrid with longer electric range. Let’s say 150 miles for a Ram 1500 REV.
Engineers and automotive writers love this technology, but it hasn’t yet caught on with buyers. Let’s see if Ram can change that.
Rivian R2
Rivian’s compact electric SUV aims to offer best-in-class technology and performance, with prices starting at less than $50,000, much lower than the larger R1S SUV and R1T pickup. The R2 seats five people and is designed to travel 300 miles on a single charge.
Sales are scheduled to begin in the first half of 2026, but the model year of the R2 is unknown.
slate pickup
Slate’s plan to tackle vehicle affordability by allowing people to add on common features themselves — Want a backseat? Bolt inside — raises questions, but the startup gained credibility when news broke that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos was an early investor.
Slate hopes to start selling a two-door small electric pickup at the end of 2026. The model year of the vehicle has not been announced. Prices are expected to start under $30,000.
2027 Toyota Corolla
The Corolla will move to a new multi-energy platform developed to support internal combustion, hybrid and EV drivetrains, a fundamental change for one of the world’s best-selling cars. A concept unveiled at the Japan Mobility Show in October suggested similarly innovative styling.
2026 Toyota bZ Woodland
The five-passenger bZ Woodland electric SUV promises 260 miles of range, 8.3 inches of ground clearance, and 3,500 pounds of towing capacity. The aim is to add some off-road flair to Toyota’s ever-growing EV lineup.
Contact Mark Phelan: mmphelan@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @mark ferran. read more car and sign up for our service automotive newsletter. become a subscriber.
