The car year 2020 - the novelties

Dozens of new cars will hit German roads for the first time in 2020. We have gathered the ten most important, high-volume and most interesting. From the Golf to the Mercedes S-Class.

The future and the past will meet at the Volkswagen dealership in 2020: with the new one VW Golf (at the dealer since mid-December) the eighth generation of the group's bestseller comes onto the market, visually ironed on, more networked than ever and equipped with economical electrified drives. Right next to it, the purely electrically powered one advertises VW ID.3 (from April) the driver of tomorrow. In addition to the clean drive (110 kW / 150 PS to 150 kW / 204 PS) and ranges of 330 to 550 kilometers, a space that is almost at Passat level should help. The cockpit is a bit more futuristic than with the conventionally powered Golf, but turns out to be much less classy. Which candidate the customer chooses will also depend on the prices. The ID.3 starts at 30.000 euros (without environmental bonus), the basic Golf costs 10.000 euros less, and like the ID.3 will only be available later this year. At first, just under 28.000 euros are due - more than for the state-funded ID.3.

With the  Skoda Octavia (End of March) the Golf gets a Czech cousin again. As usual, the subsidiary drills out the compact concept and builds a car that scratches the middle class in terms of dimensions. For the Czech, available as a station wagon and limousine, there are new drives, all-round networking and a new design that dispenses with double headlights. While the combi trunk remains the same size at 640 liters, it increases by 110 to 600 liters in the notchback Octavia. The further developed gasoline and diesel engines are expected to emit 14 percent less CO2 across the entire fleet, with five engines remaining below the 100 gram limit. The offer starts with a 81 kW / 100 hp 1,0 liter three-cylinder gasoline engine and ends with a plug-in hybrid with 150 kW / 204 hp. A second, more powerful plug-in hybrid will follow later than the RS model.

A class among the VW compact models is also doing a lot. Opel is resisting the new edition of the race (from February) the temptation to grow in size and price. The sixth generation, developed for the first time under PSA control - remains a small car with a focus on driving pleasure and handling instead of space. In addition, there is a modern network, but also a relatively conventional range of drives, which mainly consists of French three-cylinder petrol engines, which have to do without electrical help. To compensate, a pure electric drive with 100 kW / 136 hp and a range of 330 kilometers is available for the first time. Price: 29.900 euros. If you are looking for a visual alternative to the Rüsselsheimer, you may find it in the largely identical sister model Peugeot 208, which comes on the market in parallel. With the new Toyota Yaris (Late summer) there is also an Asian competitor. The Japanese remains true to his motto "small and economical", does not increase in length against the industry trend when changing models, but even shrinks by a few millimeters. Nevertheless, thanks to the new platform, it offers more space inside. The most important reason to buy is still the hybrid drive, which should be stronger, but more frugal than the predecessor. Prices are not yet known, should be in the 20.000 euro range.

The SUV boom will continue to accompany us in 2020 - to match this, there are three new models with ambitions. Above all the Renault Captur (Beginning of the year), which made it into the European and German car bestseller lists in the first edition. The second generation now looks strikingly similar to the first, but turns out to be more than ten centimeters longer, which is particularly beneficial for the trunk. A lot has happened with the assistance systems - thanks to a new electronic architecture, their number is growing, and even a self-driving highway assistant is available. As a novelty in the drive range, a 1,0-liter three-cylinder turbo gasoline engine with 74 kW / 100 PS is used, which will also be available in an LPG version. A version with a plug-in hybrid drive also followed later in the year. The starts in the same segment as the French Ford Puma (Beginning). The crossover, available from 23.350 euros, is positioned as a sporty and elegant alternative to ecosport, which was never really successful in Germany. In addition to a dynamic exterior, the five-door Fiesta-based vehicle also scores with inner values ​​in the form of a clever trunk concept with a huge, washable loading tub, which even makes it possible to transport upright palm trees. When it comes to the drive, the Fiesta offspring initially relies on the three-cylinder petrol engine. The base engine is a 1,0-liter engine with 92 kW / 125 hp, above which is a 114 kW / 155 hp expansion stage. Both engines - for the first time at Ford - are also available with 48-volt hybrid technology. In mid-2020, an 88 kW7120 hp 1,5-liter four-cylinder turbodiesel supplemented the engine range.

Those who need a little more space and prestige are waiting for them Mercedes GLA (Spring). The new generation remains true to the dynamic basic style of its predecessor, but now places more value on space economy. Initially, the well-known engines provide the power for everyday life and adventure: at the start of the year, the petrol engine will be the GLA 200 with 1,3 liter displacement and 120 kW / 163 hp and a brute AMG variant with 225 kW / 306 hp and all-wheel drive , Further petrol and diesel engines with 110 kW / 150 PS and 140 kW / 190 PS will be submitted later. An electric variant also followed later, but was launched as an independent model under the name EQA. The electricity crossover will then also be used in the expanded field of competitors BMW iX3 (Spring) meet. With i3 and i8, Munich was once an avant-garde when it comes to e-mobility, with the battery-powered version of the X3 they now want to catch up with the competition. The SUV should benefit from the know-how gained in the past in electric motors and control electronics, but does not use a specially developed vehicle platform, but the architecture of the conventional X3 models. Around 270 hp and 400 kilometers range should be possible - and that at a competitive price, the four-wheel drive will probably undercut competitors like Audi E-Tron and Mercedes EQC by around 10.000 euros and start at around 70.000 euros.

There is also something new in the luxury class, where the Mercedes S-Class (Herbst) wants to set the standard for technology and comfort in the future. A gigantic display in the cockpit, autonomous driving functions and extensive networking - the digitization in particular is the focus of the new generation. Visually, no big experiments can be expected - customers like it conservative. The motors receive extensive support, at least in the form of 48-volt starters. So the twelve-cylinder version should make it through the exhaust and CO2 hurdle. A pure E-model is not planned, will be submitted in the form of the offshoot EQS.