We race into a new year full of excitement and anticipation thanks to a bumper crop of new cars winging their way to showrooms over the next 12 months. Without giving the game away, there’s something to suit all tastes and budgets, from a plethora of fully electric contenders to a brace of scintillating British sports cars, from an ingenious city runabout to go-anywhere four-wheel drives.
The motor industry rarely fails to impress with its ingenuity, yet all the analysis confirms that this will be another difficult year. No prizes for guessing that Covid has had a significant impact, and will continue to do so, but perhaps less well known is the effect of continued computer chip shortages on vehicle supply. And all this in addition to the regular daily pressures of environmental, legislative and competition issues facing car manufacturers all over the globe.
As far as computer chips are concerned, most makers are now signing long-term supply contracts, which will alleviate the issue – but only slowly. No one is expecting normal service to be resumed until at least the back end of the year. Good news, then, for the used-car market, where prices are peaking. Indeed, such is the frenzied nature of the market that the values of some low-mileage used cars have risen above the recommended retail price of a brand new example.
Long-term pressures will continue to squeeze the industry, however, including the forthcoming Euro 7 emissions standards, which are expected to be implemented from 2025. The cost of internal combustion-engined (ICE) cars could go up in order for them to comply with the more strict legislation, which bears out the industry claims that private motoring is likely to become more expensive in future.
This scenario could include road charging in addition to, or even instead of, the current system of Vehicle Excise Duty (VED). Charging for road use is one way around the emerging issue of the growing number of zero VED-rated electric cars, massively reducing the estimated £33 billion vehicle tax revenue to the Treasury. But on a more positive note for the UK’s drivers, such a scheme’s likelihood of turning into a four-wheeled poll tax could be a massive deterrent to any government.
Also positive are the developments in battery technology, as manufacturers cut back on the number of internal combustion cars in favour of hybrids and battery-electric models. Tesla, Ford and Volkswagen are looking at lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries for cheaper models, but will we see them this year?
Here, the Telegraph’s motoring correspondent Andrew English and regular contributor Alex Robbins reveal the 15 new cars that they are most looking forward to driving in 2022.
Dacia Jogger
This part estate, part SUV design is the spiritual successor to the Matra Rancho of the 1970s. The big difference is that the Jogger offers seven seats, which should make it an instant hit among young families on a budget. In fact, the Jogger will be the cheapest seven-seater on the market, with prices starting at only £15,000.
