1. Land Rover Defender
Due here by mid-year, the all-new Land Rover Defender is set for a jaw-dropping reception here in South Africa where enthusiasm for this hard-core off-roader has never been greater. Land Rover has done a stunning job in modernising the Defender, and it will first be introduced in long-wheelbase four-door form, known as the 110, with seating for seven. The chunky 90 series two-door will come towards the end of 2020 and engine options will include a 177 kW diesel and a 294 kW straight-six petrol.
Related: Land Rover's new Defender finally lands
2. Porsche Taycan
This is Porsche’s first all-electric offering for our market and the figures make stunning reading. The four-door luxury sedan model uses two electric motors, one for each axle and is set to offer a battery charge range of up to 450 km. Due here in the third quarter of 2020, the Taycan will provide stunning acceleration, with the top of the range Turbo S model rated at 2,8 seconds for the 0-100 km sprint and a top speed of 260 km/h.
3. Mini Electric
The first full-production all-electric Mini is due to go on sale in the UK in March 2020 and set for introduction here in the last quarter of 2020. It is possible that the car will be marketed here as the Mini Cooper SE, although we prefer the Mini Electric tag! The maximum range is claimed to be just 270 km, which is a bit restrictive, but performance will be good for a city car with 0-100 km/h in just over 7 seconds. Top speed will be restricted to 150 km/h.
Related: MINI Countryman and Clubman - Updated, and joined by the most powerful MINIs ever created
4. Golf 8
The eighth generation of the Golf had its global launch delayed, but went on sale in Germany in December 2019. We can expect the first version of the latest Golf to arrive here in the last quarter, and according to reports within VW, the first model we’ll get here will be the GTI! This is not that surprising as for some time now the GTI has been the most popular Golf model of all in South Africa! A lesser powered 1.4 TSI is slated to appear soon afterwards. For some, the biggest change will be a switch to an all-digital, touch screen dashboard and a fair degree of autonomous driving capability.
Related: VW goes all in on the new Golf 8
5. Nissan Juke
The second generation of the Nissan Juke is already on sale in Europe and we can expect the new ultra-styled Nissan to arrive here closer to mid-2020. The stylised Juke with its truncated rear end was a big hit when it launched here eight years ago, and the good news is that the boot has now grown to 422 litres. Power is likely to come from a small-capacity three-cylinder turbo petrol engine.
6. Opel Corsa
The global alliance between the Peugeot-Citroen Group and Opel will bear fruit here in the last quarter of 2020 in the form of the all-new Opel Corsa. It will be based on the latest Peugeot 208 platform and is likely to be powered by some zesty versions of Opel’s three-cylinder 1,2-litre turbocharged engine, with the top model rated at 96 kW.
7. Peugeot 208
Good news for the recently re-vitalised Peugeot-Citroën Group here in South Africa is that the all-new Peugeot 208 is on its way, although it will probably only launch towards the last quarter of 2020. Peugeot’s 3008 and 5008 models have garnered plenty of praise here in recent times and it will be good to experience the latest splash of French flair in the important B-Segment hatchback market. Expect small three-cylinder petrol engines as well as a bigger turbodiesel engine.
8. Renault Clio
And talking of French flair, they don’t come much more stylish than Renault’s Clio. The latest rendition of urban chic will be on sale here in the second quarter of 2020, and will no doubt further entrench Renault’s huge comeback in the South African market. Power-wise, the engine line-up will probably be the latest renditions of the 1,0-litre three-cylinder that has served Renault (and sibling Nissan) so well here in recent times.
9. Renault Captur
Another new Renault on the cards is the Captur. The Captur is one of those Renault models that has been a little under the radar compared to the more prolific Duster and Kwid offerings, but when the new version is launched in the third quarter of this tear, that could change. The new Captur is a grown-up, cross-over version of the new Clio and will feature plenty of digital animation to its cockpit and a comparatively large cabin. Petrol power from Renault’s three-cylinder turbocharged engine range is likely, with the possibility of a diesel.
Related: 2020 Renault Captur vs. current model - Top 5 differences
10. Audi E-Tron
And to round off an electrifying spread of Top 10 models covering most of the bases in our new-car scene here, Audi is making its all-electric debut in the third quarter with its E-Tron. The Audi will join Jaguar’s I-Pace and the upcoming Mercedes-Benz EQC as premium all-electric SUVs and it promises to be a stunner. Power levels are around the 300 kW mark and the optimum range is said to exceed 400 km, as the E-Tron makes us of a sophisticated energy recovery system when the car is travelling downhill.
Related: What electric cars are coming to SA?
