Gallery: The Most Important Cars of 2015
Tesla01tesla-model-x
Tesla's game plan is simple: Build an electric luxury sedan, then a luxury SUV, then an affordable sedan for the masses. In October, it finally took step two, introducing the Model X. At $130,000, the SUV can go 250 miles on a charge, seat seven, and stun passersby with its dramatic "falcon" doors. Now it just has to keep going.
Chevrolet02299236-ChevroletBoltConceptReveal02
At the Detroit auto show in January, General Motors CEO Mary Barra introduced the Chevrolet Bolt concept. It's a handsome little thing, but the looks don't really matter here: Barra said the all-electric car will go 200 miles on a charge and cost just $30,000. In other words, it will be the first long-range EV that's affordable for the masses. Expect to see the production version next month.
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While the Bolt challenges Tesla at the affordable end of the market, Porsche's going after the Silicon Valley automaker on the luxury front with the Mission E, a concept it's promised to bring to production. We’re light on details, but we’ve got the most important numbers. The motor (or motors, Porsche hasn’t said) will produce more than 600 horsepower. The four-seater Mission E will go from 0 to 62 mph in under 3.5 seconds. And it will go 310 miles on a charge.
BMW04344308-P90178475
The luxury market is an arms race, and each year, someone's got to pull ahead. In 2015, it was BMW, which introduced its latest 7 Series luxo-barge with a suite of active safety technologies, a Wi-Fi hotspot, massage seats, heated armrests, and screens everywhere---even on the key. Oh yeah, and it features gesture controls, an industry first.
Audi05383395-news-2016-audi-q7-exterior-1
Audi's family-friendly SUV seats seven, but the bit that matters most here is made for the driver: the "Virtual Cockpit." Audi's been at the forefront of smart and clean driver interfaces in recent years, an increasingly important field. The Q7 marks the progression of its latest system from the TT sports car into something more mainstream.
Toyota06362457-2016-Toyota-Prius-001-2452A99B7A0DE853E9CCBFC12E5E78A937FFFBE2
More than a decade ago, Toyota created the market for hybrids in the US, with the second generation of the Prius. That hatchback has gotten stale, so it's time for something new. The edgy new look is an effort to stand out again, to reinvigorate sales of a model that has seen its popularity slip in a market that's flooded with hybrids and doesn’t place as great a premium on fuel economy.
Chevrolet07299515-2016-Chevrolet-Volt-010
Mazda08344983-201616-MX5-CanUSA-604
We've seen a lot of work in the supercar arena by the likes of McLaren and Lamborghini this year, but it's Mazda doing the all-important work of reminding us you don't need to drop a million bucks to have a thrilling ride. The svelte two-seater MX-5 Miata comes with a 155-horsepower 2.0-liter engine and a six-speed manual transmission, and starts for $25,735. Go have fun.
Hyundai09383361-44466-G90-Rendering
Hyundai's moving into the luxury segment, and its opening salvo is the Genesis G90, a Mercedes S-Class-sized sedan that will undoubtedly be packed with a laundry list of luxury features and an engine big enough to ferry all that wood and leather down the highway in silence.
Volvo10384582-163562-The-new-Volvo-XC90
A few years ago, things were grim for Volvo. Its sales were down. Its owner, Ford, was struggling. Then China's Geely bought up the Swedish brand and gave it $11 billion to get its act together. This year, we saw the first result of that investment, the XC90 SUV. Packing a new engine and sitting on a platform that will be used to revamp much of the lineup, the $50,000 SUV's a great first act in what will hopefully be a long-running revival.
VW11267925-2015 Jetta TDI 1
The 2015 Jetta TDI may well go down as a modern day Czar Nicholas II---the last of its kind. It was among the diesel models carrying illegal software Volkswagen created to cheat emissions tests, and helped spark what could easily be the greatest automaker scandal of our age.
Google12Google-Self-Driving-Prototype-high-res
It doesn't have a steering wheel or pedals. It's somewhere between goofy and adorable. You can't buy it. But this prototype, which hit roads this summer for testing, represents Google's best effort to kick the human out of the driver's seat for good.
