The year 2020 will be one to seriously remember forever. Where do we even start? Protests, viruses, lockdowns, presidents, new trends, conspiracy theories, etc. It has been a truly eventful year however, there have been many great cars that have been launched this year. There have been plenty of electric cars, hydrogen cars, diesel cars, and petrol cars that have come out this year all over the world.
There wasn’t even a Geneva motor show this year (the show in Switzerland where most of the new cars are presented) yet there have still been many new cars launched. Of course, though thanks to social media many manufacturers have managed to get their cars out there to the public. Furthermore, thanks to the media such as Carwow, etc we have managed to see and experience a lot of these new cars.
Technology and expectations of cars have also changed. Cars nowadays have more tech than most people’s houses and they’re probably more luxurious as well. Cars have got faster, better at handling and they’ve become far more refined. So how has 2020 been for cars? Has it been as wild as the year 2020 itself? Well, let’s have a look.
How Many Cars Have Been Launched in 2020?
Hundreds. There have been hundreds of cars launched this year all over the world. Actually, in China alone, there have probably been hundreds of cars launched this year. VW alone has launched over 34 cars this year. It has been insane then, despite the world being in lockdown. There have been many electric cars coming out again mainly in China. It has been very exciting then.
There have definitely been more cars launched this year than in previous years. More new companies coming along making new cars, more car companies resurrecting old model names for new cars, and also plenty of new generations of cars. There have also been many car facelifts this year however, it is debated whether a facelift car is a new car or just really an update.
The world is getting more and more freedom to choose what they want. It’s not like back in the day where you had a limited selection for the car you wanted to buy. Nowadays, there are so many cars to choose from it really can confuse you. Why then have all of these cars been released? What’s the need for them?
Well, with the ever-growing competition and demands from customers, manufacturers have had to seriously up their game when it comes to their line ups. More and more people are becoming creative about what they want. People don’t want an SUV anymore. They want an SUV that is shaped like a coupe that can handle like a sportscar yet still be practical. People’s criteria have changed hence why manufacturers need to adapt to the customer’s needs.
Then with Internal Combustion Engined (ICE) cars getting more and more criticism from governments, environmentalists, organizations, etc car manufacturers have really had to change the way they power their cars. Fossil fuels won’t be here forever hence why car manufacturers need to seriously re-think how they will power their cars. There have been a few hydrogen cars coming out this year like the Toyota Mirai, but everything else has mainly been electric.
What Have Been The Highlight Cars of 2020?
There have been many great iconic cars that have been launched this year. One of the most iconic is probably the new Mercedes S-Class as that will pave the way for future Mercedes models. Other cars do include the Polestar 2, the Swedish-Chinese rival to the Tesla Model 3, and of course, the Ford Bronco has come back after its 24-year retirement in 1996.
There have also been many Chinese cars. You have many new cars from Nio, an electric car manufacturer in China. There have also been many new Chinese cars from startups such as the Xpeng P7, the GM owned Baojun E300, and the Byton concept electric SUV.
Many new Chinese cars will be sold in America from probably next year onwards. This is somewhat great news as it makes the market a lot more competitive and exciting. It sure will put masses of strain on Tesla though. However, Tesla does have the upper hand due to taxes.
Some of the best new cars have also been big gas guzzlers. Things like the RAM 1500 TRX from FCA is a 6.2 liter Hemi supercharged V8 powered pickup with 707hp. That engine is from the Hellcat and it gives an mpg of probably single figures in the real world. Despite that truck being completely opposite to the likes of what GM and Tesla are doing with those two manufacturers making electric trucks. Glad to see one brand that is very enthusiast driven.
The ICE car will not go away any time soon despite what the government says. The engines are getting more and more efficient and when it comes to 2030 and 2040 people will find the infrastructure is still not there and still not ready. Plus the infrastructure requires a lot of electricity to be made which is very hard considering the US is at the moment is using more electricity than it has. People say renewable energy sources, however, they do not make as much electricity as the non-renewable sources. Look at solar panels and you will see why.
The new 4-series and M3/M4 have been very controversial. Probably the most controversial cars made this year. Ultimately though they do lead the ay for the next generation of M-cars or mostly BMW design in general.
Featured image credits via: elecktrek.co