2012 (like any other year) is a great one for petrol heads as companies and manufacturers flex their muscle in the year which could be the ‘last year’ ever, according to Mayans! So what new cars for 2012 can we expect? More and more talk about the environment, more ‘green’ cars? Or can we expect more V6 and V8 engines that are heart throbs of most of us? Well, the truth be told, we can expect anything and everything from the motoring industry. From tiny cars to monster trucks; from V8 engines to lawnmower engines installed in a plastic body! Let’s review some hot arrivals of 2012 that are worth waiting for.
What To Expect – Green or Supercars?
Good news for 4X4 lovers as Grand Cherokee continues their scene with the STR8 model. With an expected price of $45,000, the car will pose a serious threat to its competitors such as Porsche Cayenne Turbo. The Hemi V8 (6.4 liter) will deliver a massive 500 BHP. With a coupled eight speed transmission, the Jeep Grand Cherokee will overtake the Cayenne both literally and in terms of sales!
Are you ready to spend $20,000 on a Hyndai badge? Get ready for the Hyundai Veloster. This car is all about fuel consumption and squeezing more gallons per liter from the car without going for the hybrid option. So, Hyndai doesn’t like to be green?! This may raise your eyebrow if you’re an environmentalist but the best guess would be that Hyndai wants to keep things simple. The car will give up to 40 miles to the gallon owing to its light 1.6-liter engine. However, Hyundai’s approach to its car’s weight loss has resulted in the Hyundai losing quite a few doors! So don’t be surprised if you have to access the back seats from the passenger windows!
New Sports Cars
Just as I was writing the review on the Hyundai, Toyota and Subaru announced their collaboration for their FT-86 sports car! If you don’t want a mileage car that costs $20K you can get an absolutely stunning FT-86 that has the reliability of Toyota and the agility of the Subaru. The looks of this car are very pretty indeed. The flat 2.0 liter engine is more powerful than what you’ll get in the Hyundai but the mileage meter might not be something you want to look at when you drive the car. So if you want to look for this car in the future, look for SubaScion or a Scion FR-s (Two varying models).
Chevrolet Camaro, a brand name that usually causes high blood pressure in grown men and a ‘testicle drop’ in most children! The new ZL1 model supports a monster 6.2 liter V8 which gives 550 BHP; enough power for you to go head to head with a Saturn V rocket. With this type of speed, the next question comes to mind is the car’s handling; at this time there are only speculations but if you consider a price that will fall between $42K and $48K, the deal is a good one. It won’t matter if your steering is made from wood when you’re going head to head with the Porsche 911!
Who Else Is Going Green in 2012?
$25K is a steep price for a Ford Focus but that’s what the company is demanding for its new 2012 model. A few changes that they’ve made include turbo-charging the 2.0 liter engine to deliver 250 BHP. Will that be enough to take on the Volkswagon Golf GTI? Only speculations exist at this moment. The suspension of the car has also been stiffened and the brakes have been improved as well along with better tires. Are these all justifications to a 25K badge or is the car really worth it; 2012 will better answer this question.
This car may as well disappoint you and you may even break a few things lying around you.
Mitsubishi Evo XI may go ‘green’! Thanks to our environmentalists (And two dying seals on the North Pole) the Evo which is the heart beat of the dirt road may become a hybrid after all. Rumors are that Mitsubishi may go for a Turbo diesel or a gasmotor or an electric hybrid. The good news is that there’s no mention of toning down the car itself. So we may look at an Evo which has the same lunacy on the track but it may be switched to civilized driving on an electric motor when on the motorway, all in the name of a better fuel economy.
Mini Cooper manufacturers are promising a new model in 2012 or 2013. The concept released earlier tells the whole story. Mini is trying to go for a rally pedigree car. They’ve lowered he ride height, fattened the car and added AWD system to make it compatible to its new home ground. The Mini has also lost two of its doors in a struggle to keep up with its new pedigree. The model name is Mini Paceman and at first glance that Mini is trying too hard to explore areas where they don’t belong. The dirt belongs to the Subaru and the Mitsubishi and Mini will face a hard time to give these cars a hard time!
What Else Can You Buy For Under 50k in 2012?,
While we’re still on the topic of beating Subaru WRX, another contender is the Volkswagen Golf R. Volkswagen have gone with the same formula of lowering ride height, getting a 6 speed gearbox but the smarter thing they’ve done is that they still have 4 doors on this model. The 2-door option is available separately for this car. Speculated price is going to be anything in the range of $32,000. Other areas Volkswagen have paid attention to include stability control for the car and new, more efficient brakes to go with. This 280 HP powered model is something to keep an eye on in 2012.
All these cars make up a good collection of automobiles that you can purchase for under $50,000. Some are concept cars, some are just speculations while others are sure shot releases for the year 2012.
