Traditionally, in early January we remember the main premieres of the past year. There were a lot of new products in 2024, and from all this variety we had to choose the ten most interesting, memorable and striking cars. In full accordance with the spirit of the times, there are also models from China. But there are not many of them, so you can safely start reading. Ahead of you are the eclectic Lancia Ypsilon, the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra sedan and, of course, the new Porsche Macan, which inappropriately replaced gasoline engines with an electric powertrain. Meanwhile, the “first” Macan is about to become a living classic, and buying one now could be a good investment.
BMW M5
BMW
We thought for a long time about who to include in the list of main premieres – the BMW X3 or M5, and in the end we settled on the Emka. There are at least two reasons: a hybrid power plant and weight. Moreover, the second was discussed more often than the first, which, in general, is not surprising, since the sedan turned out to be half a ton heavier than its predecessor in the F90 body. They tried to compensate for the excess weight by increasing output to a record 727 hp. s and 1000 Nm, but the acceleration dynamics not only did not improve, but even worsened slightly.
Dodge Charger
Dodge
Gone are the days when the Charger had an eight-cylinder heart beating under its hood. Now the muscle car is relying on a dual-motor electric setup that, depending on the version, can produce 503 hp. and 548 Nm or 679 hp. and 850 Nm. There is also a petrol engine – this is an in-line twin-turbo six 3.0 Hurricane. For the Charger Sixpack SO liftback, it was tuned to produce 426 hp. and 635 Nm, for the Charger Sixpack HO coupe – by 558 hp. and 720 Nm. The drive is full in both cases, the gearbox is an eight-speed automatic. We don’t know about you, but we are already starting to miss the compressor Helkets.
Hongqi Guoya/L1
Hongqi
The Guoya sedan, also known as L1, is the new flagship of the Hongqi brand and a potential competitor to the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class. The design of the model contains references to one of the trigrams of Taoism, Chinese teachings with elements of religion and philosophy, as well as the traditional “Hongqi/Honchi” streams of a mountain waterfall. There are two power plants, both hybrid, but without the ability to charge from the network. The initial one is based on a V6 3.0 engine with a power of 394 hp, the top one is based on a V8 4.0, the output of which is 490 hp. The premiere of L1 in Russia is planned for 2025, and this will be our first luxury Hongqi model.
Kia Tasman
Kia
Surprisingly, Kia now has a body-on-frame pickup. The Tasman model will be launched to conquer the markets of South Korea, Australia, the Middle East and Africa, and will have to compete with the Ford Ranger, Toyota Hilux and Mitsubishi L200. The truck has a double wishbone front suspension and a rear axle with leaf springs. Ground clearance varies from 224 to 252 mm. The engine range includes a 2.5 petrol turbo engine (281 hp, 421 Nm) and a 2.2 diesel engine (210 hp, 441 Nm). Transmission – “mechanics” or automatic. The drive can be either rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive.
Lada Aura
Lada
The main domestic novelty of 2024, of course, is the Lada Aura. The stretch sedan is primarily addressed to officials who will have to switch to it from their usual foreign cars. But the model will also go on sale. Two fixed configurations are available for 2.6 and 2.8 million rubles. There is one engine – 1.8 Evo (122 hp) paired with a CVT. The choice of body colors is meager: black “Panther”, silver “Platinum” and brown “Coriander”.
Lancia Ypsilon
Lancia
Under the wing of Stellantis, Lancia perked up and decided to get busy updating its lineup. The first pancake came out with Upsilon. The hatchback changed generations for the first time in 13 years, became related to the Peugeot 208 and Opel Corsa, and also demonstrated a new corporate style – Pu+Ra. Briefly, it can be described as a combination of elements of historical models (the same Stratos) with simple geometric shapes. The new Ypsilon can be a “mild” hybrid or an electric car, and it also has a “charged” HF version.
Mercedes-Benz G 580 with EQ Technology
Mercedes-Benz
The widespread electrification has not spared the iconic Geländewagen. The battery-powered version is called G 580 with EQ Technology, it is equipped with four electric motors (587 hp, 1164 Nm) and a battery with a capacity of 116 kWh, which provides up to 472 km of travel in the WLTP cycle. The battery is protected from damage by a composite panel weighing almost 60 kg. The electric G-Class can simulate cross-axle and center differential locks, turn on the spot and adapt to various types of surfaces.
Porsche 911
Porsche
Last year we witnessed another epoch-making event: the Porsche 911 became a hybrid. The T-Hybrid system went to the Carrera GTS, and it consists of a 3.6 boxer engine with an electric turbocharger and a PDK electric motor integrated into the robot. The total output is 541 hp. and 610 Nm. Acceleration to hundred in the rear-wheel drive 911 Carrera GTS takes exactly three seconds. As standard, the hybrid is equipped with a fully controlled chassis (for the first time in Porsche history, by the way), active PDCC stabilizers and an adaptive PASM suspension lowered by 10 mm. The headlights are matrix and for an additional fee they can be replaced with HD matrix LED units, like the Cayenne.
Porsche Macan
Porsche
The second generation Porsche Macan is the first-born of the PPE (Premium Platform Electric) platform. Instead of gasoline “fours” and “sixes”, it is equipped with a dual-motor electric unit, developing, depending on the version, up to 408 or up to 639 horsepower (650 or 1130 Nm). From zero to “hundreds” the initial Macan 4 accelerates in 5.2 seconds, the Turbo version in 3.3. Maximum speed is 220/260 kilometers per hour. Power reserve is up to 613 kilometers. With the change of generation, the Macan acquired a media system on Android Automotive OS and, for the first time, a fully controlled chassis.
Xiaomi SU7 Ultra
Xiaomi
Xiaomi, as a car manufacturer, is still very young, but it has already loudly announced itself several times. First the SU7 sedan, then its alter ego, the SU7 Ultra. It is customary to talk about “Ultra” in the language of numbers. For example, the carbon fiber body of an electric car consists of 24 elements with a total area of 15 m². There are three motors. Their total power is 1548 hp. To accelerate to “hundreds” the SU7 Ultra spends 1.97 seconds, to 200 – 5.96, to 300 – 15.07. Maximum speed is 350 km/h. The prototype is said to have lapped the Nürburgring in 6m and 46.874s. – faster than Rimac Nevera /m
PS Attentive readers will probably ask where the Bugatti Tourbillon is. Of course, this is one of the main premieres of the year – and it was included in another important Motor list. Throughout the January holidays we will be summing up the results of the past year. Using the same link, you can remember the most important things from past years.
The main premieres of 2023 according to Motor The main premieres of 2023: survey results together with Auto Mail.ru and Quto.ru Motor – 2023: editor’s choice
