It is 2017, and the motoring world is changing extensively.
Electric cars and hybrids are becoming increasingly more popular. Countries are beginning to ban the gasoline and diesel-fueled vehicles that we have come to know and love.
In the midst of all this change, a select few brands will be instrumental in innovating and creating.
Here are the car manufacturers that will stand ahead of everybody else in 2018.
Lucid Motors
Lucid Motors is an electric car manufacturer based in California. They plan to produce their first car, the Air, from 2018. The base model is said to start at $60,000 before tax incentives. It has a claimed 400 horsepower and a 240-mile range. That puts it head-to-head with the Tesla Model S 75. The Model S starts at $69,500, making it $9,500 more expensive than the Lucid Air.
Furthermore, the Tesla has 382 horsepower, as opposed to the Lucid's claimed 400 horsepower.
As far as range is concerned, they aren't far apart; the Tesla has a claimed 249 miles of range, and the Lucid claims 240. This makes the Lucid a worthy adversary for the Tesla. Furthermore, it is arguably much better looking, a nice change to the more ho-hum design of the Tesla.
Without a doubt, the Lucid Air will give the Tesla a good run for its money, and it's very exciting to see a new competitor in the electric car market.
Buick
Buick has been trying yet and yet again to reinvent themselves. In the United States, they have carried an "old people's car" stigma since at least the 1980s. This time, though, they may have finally gotten it right. The 2018 Regal, set to be released this fall, boasts a much more youthful design than Buicks of years previous. It will have two body-styles, a four-door hatchback, called the Sportback, and an estate called the TourX.
The Regal is powered by GM's tried-and-tested 2.0-liter four-banger with 250 horsepower. With front-wheel drive, you get a nine-speed automatic or an 8-speed auto with all-wheel drive.
While it does share its platform with the Chevrolet Malibu, General Motors has undoubtedly breathed new life into the Buick brand. Buicks of today have come a long way from the Regals and Centuries from the 90s and early 2000s that we love to hate. It's exciting to see the direction that the company is going in the future.
Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce unveiled the latest iteration of the Phantom this year, and it is set to begin sales in 2018. It is the last word in unnecessary opulence, with amazing features such as self-leveling air suspension, WiFi, and even a satellite aided transmission.
Their new SUV, the Cullinan, is set to debut next year. It is intended to compete with the Bentley Bentayga, Bentley's latest entry into the SUV segment. Unlike the Bentayga, the Rolls is said to be on a bespoke platform; it isn't based upon a lesser vehicle.
The Bentayga shares its underpinnings with the Audi Q7 and the upcoming Volkswagen Touareg. It will likely be priced in the same price bracket, starting in the low-to-mid $200,000 range.
The fact of the matter is, crossovers and SUVs are becoming increasingly more popular, and Rolls Royce is breaking their tradition and building an SUV. The Cullinan marks a new era for Rolls-Royce, and it will be interesting to see where the brand goes in the future.
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