Most anticipated new cars for 2016 – sedans

Which new sedans are the most anticipated new cars to arrive in SA in 2016?

Alfa Romeo Giulia

With Alfa Romeo having been absent from the sedan market for a long time now since the Alfa Romeo 159 went off the market, 2016 will see them making a return… and this time they are serious about becoming a player in the sporty exec sedan market.

The driven wheels will be rear or all 4, and at the top sits the Quadrifoglio model, with a V6 turbo engine said to sprint to 100 in a very quick 3.9 seconds, taking the fight directly to the German sedans namely BMW M3 and Mercedes-AMG C63 sedan.  Clearly they are serious about performance, too.

Ultra lightweight materials, renewed Alfa DNA driving modes and perfect weight distribution indicate a driver’s car.

Audi A4

Up to 120 kilograms lighter than the previous model and with Audi’s new chiseled neat lines and lights, the all-new Audi A4 has been toned into shape, ready to stand its ground in the fierce compact exec sedan segment.

The new Audi A4 is said to be more powerful, more efficient and more intelligent – a haven of Vorsprung Durch Technik.  A range of petrol and diesel, 4 and 6-cylinder engines will give a choice to buyers.  The car gets the optional Audi Virtual Cockpit digital all-in-one instrument cluster seen on Audi TT and Audi Q7.

BMW 7 Series

The technical tour de force new BMW 7 Series arrived at BMW dealers in South Africa in January 2016. 

A big weight loss was achieved, despite lots of extra built-in technology, thanks to the Carbon Core passenger cell (body).

Always a car to watch to see which new features the luxury car maker came up with, the new BMW 7 Series does not disappoint, as befits the luxury flagship in their BMW line-up.  Gesture Control lets you use your hands – without touching anything – to control items, for example swiping your hand sideways to reject a phone call.  It also super high-tech features available, like BMW Laserlight headlights, a portable tablet computer to manage in-car functions from the back seat, a digital touch-screen BMW Display key, and Remote Control Parking – yes, you can use the key remote from outside to park your BMW 7.

Jaguar XF

Jaguar will be playing the technology card, too, with its new 2nd-generation XF, due to arrive in South Africa early in 2016.

Jaguar uses aluminium-intensive architecture which it has successfully been using to cut weight and add agility in cars like its big Jaguar XJ luxury sedan.

An all-new 10.2-inch touchscreen infotainment system named InControl Touch Pro offers door-to-door navigation, and a laser head-up display projects high-contrast colour images.

The local line-up consists of 20d and 25t 4-cylinder petrol engines, while the 35t and S models use the 3.0 supercharged V6.

Mercedes-Benz E-Class

A car that steers into a lane without the driver rotating the steering wheel is clear intent by Mercedes that they want to be the pioneer in the semi-autonomous car.  The new Mercedes-Benz now has that facility.

A long wide instrument cluster with configurable modes and even more efficient yet more powerful engines including plug-in electric models like the E350e make the new E-Class fit into the C-Class and S-Class sculpted look, but aims to stand out in the business class.

Volvo S90

Elegant distinctive design is how the Volvo S90 gets attention drawn to itself.  This is the first large Volvo sedan in years, and the 2nd product after the Volvo XC90 which Volvo will use in their push into the premium car market.

Also using the Drive-E engine line-up of 4-cylinder with turbo, turbo and supercharger or both these plus an electric hybrid motor for the T8 model make the big sedan powerful yet efficient.

It introduces new technologies to improve safety through its IntelliSafe in-car infrastructure – its collision avoidance system can now detect large animals, and take evasive action.