After numerous delays, Maserati finally revealed its slightly uninspiring new Grecale SUV but performance fans were more excited by the arrival in SA of the MC20 sports car. McLaren’s new Artura is due in SA any minute bringing with it plug-in hybrid performance while Lotus returned to SA this year, although things are still a bit quiet locally as we await the arrival of the Evija, Emira and the first Lotus SUV, the Eletre.
It’s been a busy old year, one where the industry clearly hoped we’d all want to plug-in given the large number of electric cars that arrived. Infrastructure is going to keep holding things back for many, but the vast range of choices from small cars to electrified luxury and sports cars shows automakers are really charging up.
Expect more to come in 2023 but for now it’s the holidays, so the only thing most of us will be charging are our glasses. Cheers!
Luxury electric and performance cars that were released in 2022
2022 has seen the arrival of lots of new luxury and performance models with electrification becoming more of a theme
Image: Supplied
2022 has been the best and the worst of times, but it has also been the sportiest and the most luxurious of times, at least when it comes to cars. We’ve seen more luxury electric cars being launched, some of which are in SA already and others on the way, but this year has seen some of the worst load-shedding, which undoubtedly made many cautious about going electric.
That hasn’t stopped the rest of the world in making the switch though and we attended the reveal of Rolls-Royce’s first battery-electric model, Spectre, a few months ago. It has all the luxury you expect of the famous marque, together with the silent motoring that Rolls has always sought to provide to its exclusive clientele.
Rolls-Royce electrifies luxury with Spectre
Bentley hasn’t given us an electric model yet, you’ll have to wait a couple more years for that, but this year it launched a plug-in hybrid version of its Flying Spur. The demise of the Mulsanne left space for a flagship limo which, in a sign of the times, Bentley has filled with an extended wheelbase version of its Bentayga SUV.
Image: Supplied
The brilliant new Range Rover arrived on local soil and as day follows night, Land Rover launched the new Range Rover Sport which will be here next year. Both continue to be benchmarks for luxury SUVs offering all the capability, character and status you desire. We only expect a pure electric Range Rover in a couple of years time, but in the meantime there are plug-in hybrid versions if you want to dip a wheel into the world of electrification.
Image: Supplied
Mercedes however has gone on the electric offensive with its EQ range. This includes a veritable alphabet soup of electric models in the EQA, EQB, EQC, EQE and the luxurious EQS with even more to follow. Big news for fans of performance Mercs was the debut of the new C63 S E-Performance, which says goodbye to its bellowing V8 and instead has a two-litre petrol electric hybrid. We drove it recently and what it loses in character it makes up for by being much better dynamically.
Image: Supplied
Few will argue that BMW is miles ahead of Mercedes when it comes to electrification and while we said a sad goodbye to the iconic little i3 this year, we said wilkommen to the new 7 Series, including the battery-electric i7. 2022 marked the arrival in SA of the iX3 and i4 and the reveal of the new iX1. We also saw the debut of the new M2 which promises to be better to drive than it looks.
Image: Supplied
Audi also went big on electric with its E-Tron SUV, Sportback and GT models arriving in SA, while it has ended the year with the arrival of the mighty S8 sedan.
We haven’t been short on outright performance models either, with Ferrari launching its stunning 296 GTB and GTS. It also revealed its first SUV, insisting that the Purosangue is actually a sports car and not an SUV. Whatever it is, it will be in SA in 2023 and promises performance, practicality and we suspect, desirability.
Image: Supplied
Porsche launched its fantastic Cayenne Turbo GT as well as the new 911 GT3 and GT3 Touring in SA early in the year. Then it reminded us of the days when its 911 was used in rallying and the 959 competed in the Dakar when it gave us the gorgeous 911 Dakar. Lamborghini tried to trump its VW Group sibling with the off-road capable Huracan Sterrato, but no-one could see past the awful marketing video that accompanied it, although we are assured that it is really good fun.
Image: Supplied
After numerous delays, Maserati finally revealed its slightly uninspiring new Grecale SUV but performance fans were more excited by the arrival in SA of the MC20 sports car. McLaren’s new Artura is due in SA any minute bringing with it plug-in hybrid performance while Lotus returned to SA this year, although things are still a bit quiet locally as we await the arrival of the Evija, Emira and the first Lotus SUV, the Eletre.
It’s been a busy old year, one where the industry clearly hoped we’d all want to plug-in given the large number of electric cars that arrived. Infrastructure is going to keep holding things back for many, but the vast range of choices from small cars to electrified luxury and sports cars shows automakers are really charging up.
Expect more to come in 2023 but for now it’s the holidays, so the only thing most of us will be charging are our glasses. Cheers!
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