Future Cars
by the Auto Editors of Consumer Guide
2011 Cars

2011 Ford Fiesta
| 2011 Alfa Romeo Milano: A stylish new Italian premium compact car is near the top of the to-do list for the Fiat-Chrysler alliance. The Alfa Romeo Milano might even be built in the U.S. |
| 2011 Alfa Romeo MiTo: If all goes well, the Fiat-Chrysler alliance will deliver a stylish premium small car to lead the U.S. return of a storied Italian brand. Alfa Romeo's MiTo will need to be as popular as the competing Mini Cooper to give the new partnership a chance. |
| 2011 Audi A7: Audi antes up a "four-door coupe" against the Mercedes-Benz CLS and a likely BMW player. The A7 is still a long way off, but count on high style, high performance-and a high price. |
| 2011 Audi Q3: Audi does a premium take on parent VW's Tiguan SUV to create a second compact crossover. With sporty style and available turbodiesel economy, the Q3 should be as much a timely recession-fighter as bigger-brother Q5. |
| 2011 Bentley Mulsanne: A famed British motorcar maker has an all-new flagship sedan that spares no expense for luxury, tech, and craftsmanship. The Bentley Mulsanne isn’t for everyone, but neither is the new Rolls-Royce Ghost. |
| 2011 BMW X1: BMW fields its first baby SUV with a spinoff of its new 1-Series compact car. With smooth 6-cylinder power, standard all-wheel drive, and "ultimate driving machine" cachet, it could be the new star of a fast-growing market class. |
| 2011 BMW X4: Imagine a junior edition of the new X6 crossover based on the redesigned X3 SUV and you have the newest all-wheel-drive Bimmer. The X4 looks good to go, even though the jury is still out on its big brother. |
| 2011 Buick Regal: Europe’s 2009 Car of the Year reportedly bows in America as a new Buick Regal instead of the next Saturn Aura. |
| 2011 Cadillac CTS: The CTS Coupe Concept that dazzled auto show attendees is poised to become a reality for model-year 2011. |
| 2011 Cadillac STS: A redesigned STS is set to replace today's model and the slow-selling DTS. With V6 power and a modern platform, it could be the thriftiest, most agile big Caddy ever. |
| 2011 Chevrolet Aveo: Small cars are hot, but Aveo is not. Chevy hopes to change that with a fully redesigned subcompact featuring funky looks, more room, higher mpg, and maybe more go. Is it true that Chevy is planning to change the name to Viva? Or might they call it the Chevy Agile? |
| 2011 Chevrolet Camaro: It's been a long time coming, but Chevrolet's reborn ponycar was on track for an early-2009 debut. It's a great nostalgia trip, but will it be spoiled by unstable gas prices? |
| 2011 Chevrolet Caprice PPV: Chevrolet brings back the big V8 Caprice...for John Law only. Still, you’ll want to keep a lookout for this new thunder from Down Under, which should also help arrest General Motors’ financial problems. |
| 2011 Chevrolet Cobalt: Turbochargers are back, and Chevrolet’s compact car is getting one in a wheels-up redesign that aims to add fuel economy without subtracting performance. It’s another sign that General Motors is once again serious about cars. |
| 2011 Chevrolet Cruze: It will end up being called the Chevrolet Cruze, and the once-planned replacement for the Chevy Cobalt may be bowing earlier in Europe than it is in the United States, but the new car is expected to help consumers--and General Motors--deal with the wildest market swing in automotive history. |
| 2011 Chevrolet Orlando: Call it a mini-minivan or a tall compact wagon, but Chevrolet is cooking up a seven-seat people mover that could help many families cope with rising gas prices and not cramp their lifestyle. |
| 2011 Chevrolet Spark: Get ready for the smallest Chevrolet ever. The Spark is General Motors' surprise entry in the minicar stakes, and it could be a needed sales spark with the likely return of $4 gas. |
| 2011 Chevrolet Volt: A big-buzz plug-in hybrid car (GM calls it an extended-range electric vehicle) is on the fast track to showrooms as General Motors races to trump hybrid-leader Toyota. But it won’t look like the racy Volt concept, and a carload of costly and complex “clean tech” could mean a stiff un-Chevy price. |
| 2011 Chrysler 300 & Dodge Charger: While Ford and General Motors have lately canceled plans for new rear-wheel-drive large sedans, Chrysler is going ahead with a redesigned 2011 Chrysler 300 and 2011 Dodge Charger. |
| 2011 Coda EV: The Electric Avenue parade adds a battery-powered midsize sedan that may be the first China-built vehicle sold in the U.S. The American-engineered Coda bows for California only, but this “all-electric vehicle for everyone” could go nationwide. |
| 2011 Fiat 500: It’s the Italian Mini Cooper: retro-cute, fun-to-drive, small, and super-stingy with gas. And if all goes well, it will be coming to you from a U.S. or Mexican plant. But will you care that it’s a Fiat? |
| 2011 Ford Explorer: Crossovers are hot, trucky SUVs are not, so Explorer is being reimagined as a thriftier, eco-friendlier car-based wagon. But does Ford really need a fourth midsize crossover? |
| 2011 Ford F-100: When it comes to trucks, small is looking like the new big. That’s why Ford is said to be planning its first-ever midsize pickup. With smaller size and less weight promising better fuel economy, the rumored F-100 looks like a smart move for the company and consumers. |
| 2011 Ford Fiesta: The stylish Verve concept previews Ford’s promised subcompact challenger to Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris and other “B-Class” cars. The styling will change (and the name from Verve to Fiesta), but a Mazda foundation ups the chances for success. |
| 2011 Ford Focus: Ford is redesigning its compact car with a renewed focus on “whole earth” appeal--in more ways than one. International style, high-efficiency powertrains and green-tech engineering should make it a strong competitor from Boston to Beijing. |
| 2011 Ford Ka: The Chevy Spark is on the way, and we think a Ford minicar is too. Though not official yet, the just-redesigned Ka may be headed to America with its own high-fashion blend of low price, high fuel economy, and city-friendly driving fun. |
| 2011 Hyundai Equus: It has the size, power, and gadgets to match the BMW 7-Series, Lexus LS, and Mercedes-Benz S-Class, but will cost thousands less. Meet Equus, Hyundai's next assault on the premium-car market. But what are its chances in a slumping U.S. economy? |
| 2011 Hyundai Portico: It's all set to go, but Hyundai's fourth SUV could be derailed by the credit crisis and other economic woes. And does a distressed U.S. market really want a "new Chrysler Pacifica?" |
| 2011 Hyundai Sonata: A mainstream midsize sedan gets a timely redesign featuring increased size, swanky coupe-like styling, and a first-ever gas/electric hybrid option. It’s all part of a plan to steal even more sales from the class-leading Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. |
| 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee: A redesigned Grand Cherokee is ready to go with fresh styling, better quality, and higher mpg. Chrysler sees it as a near-term revenue booster, but will shoppers flock to it? |
| 2011 Land Rover LRX: Britain’s SUV specialist takes the green path with a new high-style compact based on a show-stopping concept. An eco-friendly Land Rover? Yes, and it’s only the first. |
| 2011 Mazda 2: First it was no. Now it's go. The 2008 World Car of the Year is headed for America, promising high mpg and a "zoom-zoom" personality. But the Mazda 2 faces a tough fight in the subcompact-car arena, not least from corporate cousin Ford Fiesta. |
| 2011 Mazda CX-5: Mazda plots a new compact crossover based on parent Ford's next-generation Focus car. With distinctive "flow" styling and "Zoom-Zoom" soul, it could be the sports car of small SUVs. |
| 2011 McLaren MP4-12C: A legendary auto-racing power unwraps the first of three planned mid-engine sports cars--a slinky challenger to the new Ferrari 458 Italia and Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. The MP4-12C is all about defying convention and rewriting the rules of exotic car design. |
| 2011 Mercedes-Benz Ocean Drive: Mercedes-Benz seems ready to add a four-door convertible based on its big S-Class sedan. It should be much like the recent Ocean Drive concept except in name. |
| 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS: Mercedes-Benz is preparing a new mega-buck stormer to replace its McLaren SLR supercar. |
| 2011 Nissan GT-R: The legendary GT-R has just been redesigned, but Nissan is out to make it the undisputed king of high-performance sports cars. Rumored to have more muscle and less weight, the new SpecV version could be just that. But it could be two years away, and it’s gonna cost. |
| 2011 Nissan Leaf: Nissan makes a strong bid in the electric-car race with an all-new, battery-powered compact that could cost around $30,000. The Leaf may look like another planet-friendly econobox, but it’s totally emissions-free, full of bright ideas--and a huge gamble. |
| 2011 Porsche Cayenne: Porsche reloads its SUV into a leaner, greener package with even sportier on-road moves, better fuel economy, and lower emissions. The Incredible Hulk meets "Bionic Cheetah." |
| 2011 Saab 9-3: The premium compact car from this Swedish brand is redesigned to be even more compact. It's an unexpected move, but it could mean more driving fun with higher mpg. |
| 2011 Scion iQ: Toyota is out to get Smart with a clever new microcar. Though designed for Europe and Japan, the iQ will come stateside with Scion badges to help us cope with soaring fuel prices and growing urban congestion. |
| 2011 Volkswagen Jetta: America’s favorite “people’s car” is being redesigned to be more affordable and more reliable--and it may be built in the U.S.A. It’s part of VW’s plan to be the world’s number-one automaker. |
| 2011 Volkswagen New Beetle: The Bug gets a retro-to-metro makeover that promises modern styling, more room, better fuel thrift, and new body-style choices. Is VW chasing Mini? Sure looks like it. |
| 2011 Volkswagen Touareg: An over-the-top SUV comes down to earth, shedding frills and weight in the quest for better mpg and better value. But the redesigned Touareg also adds a 3rd-row seat--and Volkswagen’s first hybrid powertrain. |
| 2011 Volvo S60: Volvo’s two mainstream sedans merge into one curvy new premium compact. The redesigned S60 majors in high style and high tech, but can it sell when the brand’s future is so uncertain? |
For more inside information on hundreds of new cars of today and tomorrow, check out:
- Consumer Guide New Car Reviews and Prices: Road test results, photos, specifications, and prices for hundreds of new cars, trucks, minivans, and SUVs from the Auto Editors of Consumer Guide.
- Fuel-economy leaders: The EPA admits its fuel economy numbers are estimates. Ours are real. Here are the fuel-economy leaders as determined in Consumer Guide tests.
- Vehicle Class Buying Guides: Pick a vehicle category--compact cars, SUVs, premium midsize cars--or one of a dozen others and get a concentrated dose of Consumer Guide car-shopping advice specific to that class.
- How To Buy a Fuel-Efficient Car: Whether it's a hybrid or a conventional car with great mileage the goal is the same. Find out how to buy a fuel-efficient car.
- Auto Shows: Can't get to your local auto show? Consumer Guide covers all the big shows and tells you what you need to know to make the best choice in a new car.
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