With a new year ahead of us, we also have an entire slate of new vehicles to look forward to. Whether you’re in the market for a new car this year or some other time down the line, the upcoming months are looking primed to be an interesting stretch for automotive fans. At a glance, we see a bunch of new SUVs, EVs, and hybrids in our immediate future, along with a few trucks, some sports cars, and a handful of models that lean in hard on nostalgia.
Some of our favorite cars coming this year are all about practicality, from off-road workhorses and long-range electrics to cars that just make perfect sense as a daily driver. Others will be all about the sizzle, the dazzle, and the performance chops, while a few out there keep us excited due to their promising tech.
These are the best cars to look forward to in 2024.
Chevrolet Equinox EV
There’s already a wide selection of electric SUVs in the market. What makes the all-electric Equinox interesting, though, is the highly approachable price point, which could very well make it the first EV for a good load of people. Despite the name, this car actually has little in common with its gas counterpart, sharing much of its engineering with other GM EVs instead. At the entry level, it offers a front-wheel drive powertrain that puts out 210 horsepower and a battery array that lets you squeeze up to 250 miles of range between charges, while more expensive models offer all-wheel drive that cranks up the ponies to 290 hp and extends the battery to deliver 300 miles of range. Despite the more affordable pricing, this comes with basic driver-assistance features as standard, including automated emergency braking, front pedestrian braking, lane keeping assistance, forward collision alerts, following distance indicator, and even automatically turn on its high beams based on surrounding traffic conditions.
2024 Toyota Land Cruiser
Yes, the Land Cruiser is coming back to the US after a three-year absence. This time, though, it’s coming in a slightly more compact frame while being a lot more affordable than the last model to make it to American shores. This mid-size Land Cruiser is built on the same platform as the Lexus GX and sports a more traditional boxy silhouette, while getting a hybrid powertrain that combines a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine and a pair of electric motors that produce a total of 326 hp and 465 lb-ft of torque. It should also get an eight-speed automatic transmission, four-wheel drive system, low-range gearing, crawl control system, and hill descent control, so you can take it adventuring much like the Land Cruisers of old, along with a two-row, five-person cabin and decent room for cargo.
2024 Ford Ranger Raptor
While originally slated to come out in late summer of last year, the Ranger Raptor will instead make its debut in the first quarter. A smaller version of the F-150 Raptor, this all-wheel drive truck brings much of the same visual cues, from that in-your-face grille to the high ground clearance and flared fenders. It runs on the same 3.0-liter V6 from the Bronco Raptor, which puts out 405 hp and 430 lb-ft of torque, while getting an electronic two-speed transfer case, 10-speed automatic transmission, 2.5-inch Fox live valve shocks, a Watts link rear suspension, locking front and rear differentials, and 33-inch all-terrain tires. We’re not sure why, but it’s getting lower towing capacity (5,510 pounds versus 7,500 pounds) and lower payload (1,411 pounds versus 1,805) than the standard Raptors, although it does get plenty of storage room, courtesy of its five-foot cargo box, under-the-seat compartments, and folding rear seats.
Volkswagen ID. Buzz
Yes, Volkswagen’s all-electric take on the Microbus is finally coming stateside in 2024. Specifically, US drivers will get the three-row passenger model, which sits up to eight and boasts a surprisingly aerodynamic drag coefficient of just 0.29. It’s offered with two powertrain options, namely a 282-hp rear-wheel-drive motor with 406 pound-feet of torque and a dual-motor 330-hp all-wheel drive, with an electronically-limited top speed of 99 mph. Comfort seems to be a priority for the US version of the modern Microbus, as it comes standard with a heated steering wheel, heated outboard rear seats, 12-way power-adjustable driver and passenger seats with heating, ventilation, and massage functions. It also appears to be every bit the utility ride the original was, with flat-folding second and third rows if you need the room for cargo, sliding doors on both sides, and even a kick-to-open tailgate.
2024 Lexus GX 550
It took a long time, but the GX is finally getting updated for this model year and it uses Toyota’s TNGA-F body-on-frame platform. The mid-size, off-road SUV brings the same rugged looks as its predecessor and comes duly-equipped for tackling treacherous trails in your overlanding adventures. It runs on a twin-turbo V6 powertrain that delivers 349 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque, although they’re also going to offer an unspecified hybrid engine option (likely just the same engine with additional motors). The vehicle gets full-time AWD, a Torsen limited-slip differential, electronic power steering, and a whole load of off-roading options, including an aluminum skid plate, adaptive suspension with wheel articulation, crawl control system, and selectable drive modes. Towing capacity starts at 6,780 for the Luxury+ trim and goes up to 8,000 pounds for the top-end trims, while fuel economy remains pretty low despite switching to V6.
Volvo EX90
Volvo’s upcoming electric SUV might be the automaker’s most important car this year, seeing how it’s, practically, the electric counterpart of their three-row XC90 flagship. Equipped with a dual-motor electric powertrain, the base model produces 408 hp, while the Performance model takes it up a notch with 496 hp and 671 lb-ft of torque. A 111 kWh battery pack gives it an impressive 300 miles of range, with fast charging allowing it to go from 10 percent to 80 percent in just 30 minutes. Volvo says the car comes with lidar sensors that can be used for self-driving capabilities, although that’s still in development, so it may or may not come at some point down the line.
Polestar 3
Polestar has high hopes for their sporty crossover, which, we have to admit, looks positively poised to help them achieve whatever goals they’ve set. It runs on a dual-motor AWD system that puts out 489 hp and 620 lb-ft of torque on the base model, then bumps up to 517 hp and 671 lb-ft on the Performance trim. According to the outfit, this powertrain allow it to go from standstill to 60 mph in just 4.9 seconds for the base and 4.6 seconds for the Performance, while getting a 300-mile driving range from its 400V 111 kWh battery pack. It gets a minimalist interior with a massive 14.5-inch touchscreen in the middle and a smaller one on the driver side, with very minimal physical controls, while getting Volvo’s AI-enhanced advanced safety tech.
2024 Porsche Panamera
The third generation of Porsche’s four-door sedan isn’t quite going the electric route as some might have believed, but it does get four hybrid variants, so it’s looking like a step towards that direction. The standard rear- and all-wheel drive variants get a 2.9-liter Turbo V6 that puts out 348 hp and 368 lb-ft of torque, which give it enough power to go from 0 to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds and hit top speeds of 169 mph. One of the hybrid variants will be the Turbo version, which sees it get a 4.0-liter V8 and an electric motor that’s integrated into the eight-speed dual-clutch auto transmission. This one’s more powerful, producing 670 hp and 685 lb-ft of torque, which allows it to hit 60 mph in just 3.0 seconds and reach top speeds of 195 mph. Features include dual-chamber air springs, adaptive dampers, and Porsche Active Ride suspension on the Turbo hybrid, which allows the car to dynamically lower by 1.2 inches and rise by 2.2 inches at various times for optimal performance.
2024 Cadillac Celestiq
This hand-built electric car pairs its stunning looks with an eye-popping price that, let’s be honest, few of us will probably be forking out for our next car. Still, this one sounds like a dream car, with a dual-motor all-wheel drive that produces 600 hp and speeds from standstill to 60 mph in just 3.8 seconds. Range is estimated at 300 miles, so it’s on par with all modern EVs, while being able to draw enough charge in 10 minutes to give you 78 miles of range to keep you on the road. This car is all about luxury, by the way, from the four bucket seats in the cabin and the electrochromic glass roof with four adjustable panels (one for each passenger) to the giant 55-inch wide digital instrument panel and buttery leather everywhere you look. Each one is built to order, by the way, so you can ask for plenty of customizations, which, we guess, is the whole point.
It gets adaptive air suspension, rear-wheel steering
Aston Martin Valhalla
This mid-engine hypercar runs on a hybrid powertrain that’s comprised of a 4.0-liter twin turbo V8 and three electric motors that combine to produce 998 hp. This produces enough power to go from 0 to 60 mph in around 2.5 seconds and hit top speeds of 217 mph. That hybrid setup feeds the rear wheels through an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, while adaptive dampers and two-stage springs allow it to be adjusted ultra-low for taking to the tracks. According to the outfit, production for the car is slated to commence this year, with only 999 units expected to be rolled out.
