New Cars to Hit Singapore's Shores in 2015

- Q3 2015

Is the latest Cooper S too short on power for you? If your answer is yes then fret not, as the Mini Cooper S John Cooper Works is coming to town soon. Packing a 2.0-litre TwinPower turbocharged unit pushing out 231bhp and 320Nm, making it one of the most powerful (but also one of the heaviest) Mini John Cooper Works to date.

- Q4 2015

Set to be revealed in the middle of the year and be available locally before 2016 comes knocking, the new Mini Clubman F54 will be based on BMW’s stretched UKL1 platform, shared with the Cooper 5 door and the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer. The new Clubman will ditch the 3-doors in favour of 4 doors in a bid to make the car more practical, Mini claims.

- Q1 2015

Joining the range first in 2015 will be the Cooper 5 door, which is aimed at small families looking for more practicality in a Mini. Despite sharing the same engines as the current F56 Mini, the new 5 door is actually more closely related to the F54 Mini Clubman, the second-generation Mini Clubman.

- Q1 2015 (Launched at Singapore Motor Show)

Nissan’s launch of the Qashqai 1.2 puts the family crossover safely into Cat A COE, giving it an edge over many of its competitors. Featuring a 1.2-litre turbocharged unit pushing out 113bhp and 190Nm of torque and boasting a fuel efficiency of more than 20km/L, the excellent crossover will also be cheaper to run than its larger-engined competitors too.

- Q3 2015

Expected to be launched at the Geneva Motor Show in March, the 370Z will receive a much-needed mid-life facelift in the face of strong competition coming from fellow Japanese competitors. The ageing sports car is also slated to be introduced with a proper Nismo version, pushing out more power and offering even sharper driving dynamics.

- Q1 2015 (Launched at Singapore Motor Show)

The latest Peugeot 308 will threaten the Volkswagen Golf one of the best premium hatchbacks around. Sporting a revised family face along with LED daytime running lights, the new 308 looks sharp and distinctively Peugeot. Inside, the 308 features a cool heads-up-display, a large central touchscreen infotainment system, and a well laid-out centre console. The 308 will come in both hatchback and estate forms, and packing a 1.2-litre turbocharged engine, good for 129bhp and 230Nm.

- Q3 2015

While still looking rather fresh for a car that’s about 5 years old, the 508 will receive a facelift to update its looks and give it a refresh. New to the car are the revised family face also found in the new 308, and the LED headlights that have been getting popular of late. Inside, the car will receive a new EAT6 six-speed automatic gearbox, a whole range of updated engines, heads-up-display, and an updated touchscreen infotainment system.

- Q1 2015

The lightly facelifted Porsche Cayenne is the first new model to join the local Porsche product range in 2015. While it does not look radically different outside, the revised car features improved engines that offer increased performance and lower consumption. In the Cayenne S, the V8 unit is ditched in favour of a twin-turbocharged 3.6-litre V6 unit, but provides 20bhp and 50Nm more torque, and yet sees a drop in fuel consumption by 0.9L/100km. More standard equipment such as bi-xenon headlights and automatic tailgate are included.

- Q3 2015

To mark the 50th Anniversary of the Porsche 911 Targa, the marque launched the go-faster GTS variant of the Targa 4. Featuring the 430bhp GTS flat-six engine, Sport Chrono package, PASM chassis, 20-inch wheels and a sport exhaust system as standard, the Targa 4 GTS can do the century sprint in 4.2 seconds even with its heavy targa roof mechanism.

- Q4 2015

The new 911 GT3 RS has been leaked many times, from patent registration pictures, to photos of the die-cast model of the car, and to the photos of it sitting uncovered in a car park. The GT3 RS is expected to be the last 911 to be fitted with a naturally aspirated flat six engine as the upcoming facelift for the 911 will see all variants getting turbocharged engines. Hence, the GT3 RS may well spell the end of an era of naturally aspirated 911s. Its first worldwide debut is expected to be at the Geneva Motor Show in March, and should reach local shores before the end of the year.

Like the Cayenne S, the soon-to-be-released GTS variant will see its 4.8-litre V8 engine replaced with a 3.6-litre V6 twin-turbo unit, albeit pushing out more horses at 434bhp. The GTS is a more sporting model than the Cayenne S, as it sits 24mm lower than a standard Cayenne, and comes with a host of standard equipment, such as sports exhausts, uprated brakes borrowed from the Cayenne Turbo, wider stance and GTS sports seats.

- Q3 2015

Also expected to be launched with the GTS is the range-topping 562bhp Turbo S variant, which has been reengineered to be more efficient and produce more power. The two-tonne behemoth accelerates to 100km/h from standstill in just 4.1 seconds, and will go on to a top speed of 284km/h. Standard kit includes ceramic brakes that feature 10 pistons for the front brakes, torque vectoring, and a lavishly appointed interior.

– Q3 2015

The very recent Cayman GT4 sits at the top of the Cayman hierarchy, and it is a highly-powered, low weight Cayman that features components borrowed from its 911 sibling. Inside, the 3.8-litre flat-six engine with 380bhp is derived from the 911 Carrera S, and its entire braking system is borrowed from the 911 GT3. Outside, it sports three inlet openings at the front and a large fixed rear wing as part of an aerodynamic package designed for downforce. For purists, it is indeed good news that the Cayman GT4 comes only with a traditional six-speed manual gearbox.

- Q2 2015

Expected to be launched together with the new Legacy in April, the Subaru Outback aims to improve upon the tried and tested formula that made the Outback popular in the first place. By using a raised Legacy Estate body as its basis, the new Outback is fitted with a new CVT gearbox to improve fuel efficiency and an aluminium hood to improve steering response.

- Q2 2015

The new Legacy features Subaru’s new design language, as seen in the Subaru Legacy Concept back in 2013. The car is 10% more aerodynamically efficient to improve fuel efficiency, and while the boxer engines are carried over from its predecessor, they are retuned to give slightly more power and consume less fuel.

- Q3 2015

In 2015, we will see the introduction of the 1.4-litre 92bhp Ciaz, which replaces the SX4 sedan, the company’s budget sub-compact sedan. It is larger than its competitors, the Honda City and Toyota Vios, and hence has an accommodating interior with a 510-litre boot. Already a sales success in India since its launch in October, we can expect the Ciaz to make a big splash locally too, especially if it is competitively priced.

- Q3 2015

Making a comeback after a few of years of absence is Suzuki’s new Vitara. The new Vitara looks fresher and bundles more interesting than the car it is based on, the S-Cross. It is also great to drive too, as it was developed to handle like the very fun-to-drive Swift Sport. It is expected to be cheaper than the S-Cross too, potentially making the latter car irrelevant and less competitive, oops.

- Q2 2015

This year, one of the crowns of the Toyota range, the Camry, will be see a mid-life refresh, with slimmer headlights and grille, along with a completely new front fascia. Inside, there will be a new steering wheel, instrument panel, interior illumination and colour schemes. Finally, also new to the car is a 2.0-litre VVT-iW engine coupled to a six speed automatic transmission, which replaces the old 2.0-litre engine that was coupled to an ancient 4 speed transmission.

- Q2 2015

Toyota’s best-selling pair of luxo-MPVs, the Alphard and Vellfire, will see a new generation launched at the second quarter of the year. Both cars feature bold designs, the Alphard packs an oversized and outlandish chrome grille and snout in the front, while the Vellfire features split headlights and split multi-bar like its predecessor. Powering the cars will be engines carried over from their predecessors, but their interior will be way more luxury and cossetting than before, Toyota promises.

- Q3 2015

One of the most well-loved and best-selling cars in the company’s history, the XC90 will finally be replaced with a brand new model after a 13-year production run. Powering the car will be a range of new and rather interesting engines. Throughout the range, the car will be exclusively driven by 2.0-litre petrol and diesel engines. The D4 model implements a 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel engine while the D5 is twin-turbocharged. The T5 will be a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol unit, while the T6 is a turbo and supercharged, and the T8 is the T6 but with the addition of an electric motor, essentially making it a twin-engine plug-in hybrid. All will feature Volvo’s new 8-speed Geartronic transmissions.

– Q3 2015

The marque’s Cross Country family will be joined by the V60 Cross Country before the end of 2015, the V60 Cross Country. Essentially a jacked-up all-wheel-drive version of the V60 with some plastic body cladding, the V60 is targeted at the Subaru Outback and is a successor to the old V70 Cross Country. With a 65mm increase in ground clearance over the standard V60 and the addition of Hill Descent Control, the Cross Country is definitely a more than able to cross a muddy field.

- Q3 2015

By late 2015, the Golf model range will be joined by a new model – the Golf Sportsvan. Essentially a Golf XL with ample space and seating for five, the car is stretched by 107mm at the wheelbase but is just 50mm longer than the Golf. The Sportsvan is jam-packed with practical touches littered around the interior, such as storage areas and sliding rear seats.

- Q1 2015

Volkswagen’s Jetta is facelifted for 2015, and now packs more features than before. Also upgraded are the interior materials, seat architecture, and the trim, to give the car a more upmarket feel. The car is expected to receive VW's line of revised 4 cylinder engines that are more efficient and powerful than before.

- Q2 2015

The new Passat now sports a sleeker design and will be lighter than the outgoing car, thanks to VW’s new MQB platform that underpins the car. Inside, the car will feature neat high-end technology such as heads-up-display and VW’s new generation of in-car infotainment system. In local markets, the car will likely feature updated 1.4-litre turbocharged units found on the newer VW range.

- Q1 2015 (Launched at the Singapore Motor Show)

First in Volkswagen’s line up to receive a facelift for 2015 was the Scirocco, which was launched on local shores at the recent Motor Show. New are the front and rear lights and bumpers on both ends. The car now also packs newer updated 4-cylinder engines, new interior trim and paint colours outside.

- Q1 2015

For 2015, the Touareg will receive freshened up new face and rear. The headlights are now larger than before, and feature bi-xenon lights as standard. The car will come with stop/start and battery regeneration systems as standard, as well as improved interior switchgear and upgraded seats with additional lumbar support adjustment.

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