7 to watch

Volvo S90 | The S90 is the Swedish car maker’s long-awaited answer to cars such as the BMW 5 Series and Audi A6. It follows in the footsteps of the dated S80, with the company hoping to build on the success of its award-winning XC90 SUV.
It sits on the same Scalable Product Architecture as the XC90, and much of the styling is reminiscent of that car, with identical ‘Thor’s Hammer’ daytime running lights and a portrait touchscreen.
The S90 will get the same range of four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines, as well as a 400bhp T8 Twin-Engine hybrid. It features Pilot Assist to automatically maintain a set speed or distance from the car in front, as well as giving gentle steering inputs to keep you properly aligned within your lane markings. There’s a 360 degree camera option for parking as well as Park Assist, an automatic high beam that detects oncoming cars and dips and Large Animal Detection and City Safety to avoid collisions. The Volvo S90 will go on sale in September at a price of £32,555.

Porsche 718 Cayman | Porsche has adopted the same downsizing approach to the Cayman as the Boxster, replacing the flat-six, with a newly developed flat-four turbo. On performance the car will do 0 to 62mph in 5.1 seconds and deliver a top speed of 170 mph with a fuel consumption of 38.2 mpg on the manual but still with 350 units of turbo-charged horsepower. The updated model will share exterior, interior and chassis tweaks with the drop-top, and for the first time it will be marginally cheaper at around £40,000.
Porsche says “a strong emphasis on the horizontal’’ lends a striking appearance to the new dashboard design. An ascending centre console brings the new sports steering wheel derived from the 918 Spyder and the gear lever/selector closer together. There’s also the option for the GT sports steering wheel with its smaller diameter. The cluster of three round instruments, with the rev counter in the centre, is flanked by a 4.6-inch colour screen and the centre console includes the revised version of Porsche Communication Management (PCM) featuring a 7-inch multi-touchscreen. The 718 Cayman will be on sale later this year.

Aston Martin DB11 | The DB11, authentic, dynamic sporting GT showcases a fresh and distinctive design language, pioneering aerodynamics and is powered by a potent new in-house designed 5.2-litre twin-turbocharged V12 engine. Built upon a new lighter, stronger, and more space efficient bonded aluminium structure, DB11 is the most powerful, most efficient and most dynamically gifted DB model in Aston Martin’s history. This new engine develops 608PS (600BHP) and 700Nm of torque, making DB11 the most powerful production DB model ever.
Naturally, it’s the most dynamic and most accelerative too, with a top speed of 200mph and a 0-62mph time of just 3.9sec. The RRP is from £154,900 and first deliveries are scheduled to begin during the fourth quarter of 2016.

Lexus LC 500h

The new Lexus LC 500h is an impressive 2+2 petrol-electric hybrid sports car that marries racing speed with supermini running costs. The drivetrain uses two gearboxes – a CVT for the electric motor, programmed with conventional ‘step’ gearchanges, and a four-speed automatic for the 3.5-litre V6 petrol. Total power is 354bhp, bringing a 0-62mph time of under five seconds and yet boasting an average economy of nearly 70mpg.

Jaguar F-Type SVR | This summer also sees the arrival of the new F-Type SVR. Priced from £110,000, this two-seater boasts a 567bhp and 700Nm of torque, with four-wheel drive, a 200mph top speed and a 0-62mph in just 3.5 seconds. It comes as a coupe or convertible, with retuned suspension, carbon-ceramic brakes, lightweight alloy wheels and carbon-fibre body parts, as well as a titanium exhaust. The SVR features: unique body configuration; advanced aerodynamics and cooling; 5.0 litre v8 575ps supercharged engine; lightweight titanium and inconel® exhaust; all wheel drive system; and 20” coriolis forged alloy wheels unique to SVR.
Economy and CO2 emissions figures for both the coupe and the convertible are 25.0mpg and 269g/km respectively. The SVR is based on the F-Type R and its aerodynamic styling is an uprated version of that used by that model. It includes a new front end, a flat underfloor and a carbonfibre active rear wing. Jaguar has modified the chassis, adding new dampers and anti-roll bars and fitting stiffer rear knuckles, and with wider tyres.

BMW X3 M | BMW has introduced a new construction for the all-new BMW X3 to significantly reduce weight, and this will combine with two-wheel drive to improve efficiency. The rear-wheel-drive compact SUV, on sale in late 2016, will have a 2.0-litre diesel delivering 60mpg-plus. But it will be offered alongside M Division performance models, potentially including a six-cylinder diesel badged X3M 40d.
According to reports, cosmetic differences for the new M-specific model include a restyled front bumper with bigger air intakes, a rear diffuser, bigger exhaust, side skirts, a quad-exit exhaust and a roof spoiler.
In the intertior, the redesigned seats are said to be slimmer and lighter than before, adjustable in length and recline front and rear, and fully collapsible to provide a long and even cargo area. Also new, are a larger extra-cost sunroof, bigger brakes and wheels, drag-cutting front wheel air curtains and intakes, a choice of X-line and M Sport equipment packs and optional adaptive LED headlights. The new X3 is expected to cost around £35,000.