The Alfa Romeo Tonale.
The Alfa Romeo Tonale.
Welcome to the third of our four-part introduction to some of the best new cars which will make their debut in Arnold Clark showrooms across the country in 2022. Today we focus on the best traditional - internal combustion engine - small and family crossovers and SUVs.
If you like the Alfa Romeo Stelvio SUV, you’ll love the new plug-in hybrid Tonale family SUV. As you can see, design-wise, it’s essentially a scaled-down Stelvio, which in my mind is definitely no bad thing.
It’s expected to combine a 1.3-litre engine with an electric motor; the later allowing for a full-electric range of around 30 miles.
Though images of the official production Tonale – which takes its name, like the Stelvio, from a mountain pass in Northern Italy – haven’t yet been released by Alfa, expect the exterior design to very strongly mirror that of the ‘concept car’ pictured here.
The Tonale, certainly the higher-specced models, with hybrid power and four-wheel drive, will go head-to-head with other upmarket small SUVs, including the Volvo XC40, Audi Q3 and BMW X1.
Price: From around £33,000 (est.)
The latest X2 coupé-SUV from BMW will deliver something of a minor facelift. Probably safe not to expect dramatic changes, though the likely tweaks may include repositioned lights and a restyled bumper. Inside, the biggest change will see the infotainment system updated to match those of newer BMWs across the range.
Price: From around £30,000 (est.)
Dacia will introduce its first seven-seater when the Jogger enters showrooms in the spring. And the Sandero sibling will again rock the establishment in terms of pricing; the entry model starts at £14,995. I know… for seven seats! Not surprisingly it’ll be the cheapest seven-seat car for sale in the UK. And don’t tell anyone, but it’s more than £2,000 cheaper than the entry-level Ford Fiesta.
Of course, there’s a trade-off to that. Don’t expect any fancy, clever drop-into-the-floor folding seat mechanisms. But what buyers will get is more of Dacia’s traditional no-nonsense sensibilities. Why change the philosophy: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
With a clear lifestyle focus, the Jogger has 200mm of ground clearance and SUV-inspired styling. Measuring just over 4.5-metres in length, it’s the longest Dacia model in the current line-up.
From launch, the only engine available will be Dacia’s 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol unit delivering 108bhp with a six-speed manual gearbox as standard.
Next year will see the Jogger become Dacia’s first hybrid model when it receives the same 1.6-litre petrol engine and dual-electric motor and 1.2kWh battery system currently fitted to Renault’s Clio.
Price: From £14,995
Bidding to reclaim its position at the top of the UK sales chart from its arch rival the Vauxhall Corsa, the 2022 Ford Fiesta gets a new look and a host of new kit as standard.
The facelifted Fiesta, which starts at £16,620, previews Ford’s new family face with a larger and more angular grille. Ford’s iconic blue oval badged is housed within it rather than above. And not only has the nose of the car been raised, but the bonnet has also been resculpted. New mean-looking LED headlights finish off the front-end.
Ford has also tweaked the trim line-up: the 2022 version includes Trend, Titanium, ST-Line and Active variants, plus the ST hot hatch.
Inside the cabin there’s new infotainment, plus added safety technology. Most important is the 12.3-inch digital instrument panel which the driver can configure. It also features changeable graphics that correspond to the car's drive mode: Normal, Sport and Eco. The Fiesta Active trim gains Trail and Slippery modes.
The new model line-up features the mild-hybrid petrol units first introduced in 2020. The engine line-up begins with a 99bhp 1.0-litre EcoBoost three-cylinder motor paired to a six-speed manual gearbox. Ford claims 45.2mpg and 118g/km of CO2 on the WLTP cycle.
Next-up comes the two 48-volt mild-hybrid options. They also use the 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine but is combined with a belt-driven starter/generator and a 48-volt battery pack for improved performance and efficiency. The hybrid produces either 123bhp or 153bhp with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox as an option. Both hybrid options give a combined 48mpg and emit 111g/km of CO2.
Price: From £16,620
The sixth generation of Honda’s strong-selling SUV will again be available only as a hybrid, building on the global success of the current model.
Continuing to take the fight to the likes of the Nissan Qashqai and Toyota RAV4, the new generation of CR-V is expected to focus on smoother, cleaner styling changes, plus further improvements to the technology and equipment. It’s also likely to be roomier inside, though it’s unlikely a seven-seat model will be added to the range.
Price: From around £33,000 (est.)
You may find yourself rubbing your eyes and scratching your head when you see the new Mazda 2 Hybrid. If you think you’ve seen the styling before, it’s because you have: it’s essentially a Toyota Yaris Hybrid with a Mazda badge. It’s the result of the ongoing collaboration between the two Japanese carmakers.
In fact, externally and internally, both superminis are pretty much identical … apart from the badges. And to be honest, that’s no bad thing, because the Yaris, which we’ve already driven, is excellent.
Like the Yaris, the Mazda 2 Hybrid is powered by a 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine and a 79bhp electric motor; combined, the total system output is 114bhp. And it’s frugal, too. On the WLTP cycle, it’ll return between 70.7mpg and 74.3mpg. Performance? It’ll cover 0-62mph in 9.7secs.
Price: From around £20,000 (est.)
ŠKODA’s small SUV arrives boasting mild design tweaks and a number of interior kit upgrades. But perhaps the most important aspect is the fact it is more efficient. To achieve what ŠKODA claims is a 9% reduction in drag to a Cd of 0.30, the new model benefits from an aerodynamically optimised fuel tank, a front apron with air curtains, a longer body-coloured rear spoiler and new alloy wheel designs. Buyers can choose from 17-inch, 18-inch and 19-inch wheels.
It will also be available with a choice of five Evo-badged engines, ranging from the entry-level 108bhp 1.0-litre TSI three-cylinder turbo petrol, to the top-spec 187bhp 2.0 TSI petrol. Two 2.0-litre TDI diesels, delivering either 114bhp or 148bhp, are also available. The latter can be had as a 4WD when mated to the DSG gearbox.
Price: From around £25,000 (est.)
Toyota flies the flag for city cars with the introduction of its new Aygo X. Now morphed into a rugged-looking baby crossover, the newcomer sits beneath the Yaris and is the smallest model in Toyota’s line-up. At 3700mm, the Aygo X is longer than its predecessor, enjoys a wheelbase which is 90mm longer – resulting in more interior space all round, plus 60 litres of additional boot space – and is 50mm taller in terms of overall height.
It also includes a number of 4x4-inspired cues, including a raised ride height (11mm higher than that of the old Aygo), colour-contrasting wheel-arch surrounds and the prominent front skid plate.
Aygo X models – there are four trim levels, Pure, Edge (£16,495) and Exclusive (£17,715), plus a Limited Edition special (£19,640) at launch – are powered by the same 71bhp 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine. A five-speed manual is standard, with the optional CVT automatic gearbox available for an extra £1,100.
Price: From £14,795
With more than one million T-Roc models already sold around the globe, this midlife facelift promises to make the small SUV even more attractive and appealing to buyers.
Styling changes include chunkier bumpers and a new light bar that runs through the front grille. LED headlights are also now standard. Inside, the traditional instruments have been ditched to be replaced with a configurable 8.0-inch digital display. The options list allows the buyer to increase this to 10.3 inches. The infotainment touchscreen, which now sits atop the dashboard rather than in it, is available either as an 8.0-inch or 9.2-inch.
The engine line-up remains unchanged with the 109bhp 1.0-litre petrol unit still my personal favourite. Alternatively, there’s a couple of 2.0-litre diesels. The R-Model, as previously, remains the ‘performance’ version.
Price: From around £26,000 (est.)
