.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
2022 has seen some major, highly anticipated new-car releases, many of which have been electric or at very least hybridised.
In some ways it’s been a turning point of a year toward new technology, instead of big combustion releases of years past. A good year then, for our EV Guide site segment, which specialises in all things with electric motors and batteries and has seen massive bursts of interest with ever-increasing fuel prices and interest in electric vehicles skyrocketing.
This list is not ranked by score, nor is there an overall winner, these are, in my opinion, the most significant or interesting new vehicles I’ve driven over the course of 2022, and some reasons why I think they are particularly important, surprising, or move the game forward.
BYD Atto 3
.jpg)
Alongside the Tesla Model Y, the BYD Atto 3 was one of the most anticipated new fully electric vehicles to hit our shores in 2022.
Seemingly infused with a cult fan base before it had even arrived, BYD is a Chinese upstart, which could be thought of as the country’s answer to Tesla, which is almost as well known for its innovative ‘blade’ battery tech as it is for its cars. Yet its headline hype-driving feature for the greater car-buying populace is its price. At the time of its launch it was priced from $44,381 before on-road costs, one of the most affordable new electric cars in Australia.
Despite the hype though, the Atto 3 really isn’t all that interesting on paper. It’s just another small fully electric SUV to join the likes of the Hyundai Kona EV, Kia Niro, and MG ZS EV. What made the Atto 3 particularly stand out this year for me though was the fact that it’s a damn sight better than it has any right to be.
Yep, the cabin is packed with gimmicks (guitar strings in the doors, and a rotating touchscreen?) and bizarre styling choices (the interior shape is meant to be ‘muscular’ and invoke the idea of a gym with its barbell vents, yet comes off as disturbingly organic), but the Atto 3 manages to feel more than just a cheap way to get into an EV, it’s actually well put together and surprisingly nice to drive.
MG should be worried with its similarly-priced but not as nice ZS EV.
Tesla Model 3
_0.jpg)
If you read the comment section for any of my Tesla reviews you would think I loathed the brand with a seething passion. Surprise, haters! I actually think the Tesla Model 3 is still up there as easily one of, if not the best electric car you can buy today.
Of course, if you actually delved into the detail of any of my reviews, that would become quite obvious, but the particular brand of acolytes Tesla attracts can’t handle simple criticisms of this car’s over-use of touch controls, the unforgiving nature of its hard ride, or the fact that the so-called ‘Autopilot’ option certainly isn’t worth the $10,100 price-tag it wears.
Once you look past the chaff, and if you’re willing to ignore Elon Musk’s current and dramatic fall from public favour (detaching the art from the artist, perhaps), the Model 3 still stands out as one of the only cars which has fully and successfully embraced the internet age with its sublime software suite and matching phone application, awesome performance on-road, and a litany of little conveniences and features which are honestly difficult to go back from once you’ve had them.
What’s most impressive though is the fact that five years on from its global launch, the Model 3 is still yet to be knocked off its perch as a shining beacon of the electric future.
Cupra Formentor VZe
.jpg)
The funny thing about this car is I don’t actually think it’s a very good plug-in hybrid. Its real-world range is a bit short, it takes too long to charge, and with a price tag up there with the Golf R (also on this list), it’s a tall order.
But the Formentor stands out for a few reasons, firstly it’s the one car in the Cupra line-up that really clicks for me, setting itself well apart from its Volkswagen relations with its bespoke look and feel. This isn’t just a re-badged T-Roc, this is truly its own car.
It also has a convincing hybrid mode, allowing you to make better use of its battery on longer trips, and most importantly, it’s really damn fun to drive, feeling light and agile and imbued with the spirit of a car like the Golf GTI, which is ultra-rare in its PHEV SUV segment. This one was a particular surprise for me, a car which is more than the sum of its parts.
BMW iX
In the past I have not been a fan of BMW SUVs.
Ever since the first X3, these affronts to God take the Bavarian marque’s once rich history of real driver’s cars and turn them into symbols of bloated luxury excess.
Over time I have come to begrudgingly admit that the current X3 and X4 are bloody nice to drive and are very well equipped, at least for SUVs, but the iX is the first one to really stop me in my tracks and think differently about the BMW brand.
Admittedly I hopped in this car with basement expectations. How could it be good? It has one of the largest battery packs on offer in the Australian market, so it was always going to be heavy, and one look at the pictures revealed controversial styling which make it look like a vacuum-wrapped X5 with an interior to suit a Saudi prince.
But oh boy, do I enjoy being that Saudi prince. The iX manages to shatter my expectations. It’s blindingly quick and terrifyingly agile on the open road, yet silky smooth, dead silent, and shockingly efficient in traffic.
The interior design is nothing short of spectacular and absolutely cannot be judged from the pictures. You can poke and prod at it for hours and still be mystified and surprised by what you find. There are metal bits which should be plastic, soft bits which should be hard, glitzy but functional and sleek software. You really have to feel this car to understand it.
Better still, it’s not anywhere near as expensive as it could be. Forget the Audi e-tron and Tesla Model X. This is what a genre-defining premium electric SUV looks like.
Read my four-way electric car comparison featuring the BMW iX here
Volkswagen Golf R
.jpg)
When VW announced the Mk8 Golf R, it was worth wondering how the brand would move the R formula forward from the incredible Mk7.5.
This became especially questionable when the brand announced the power outputs, which were merely tweaked from its predecessor.
The Mk8 Golf R then is the least revolutionary of the cars on my list here, offering a predictable iteration on an existing hot hatch formula.
As we draw toward the end of this era of non-hybridised car though, the Golf R is all about the devil in the detail. This is a car which doesn’t rely on bigger power outputs or electric motors, but instead builds on its existing technology to offer something which works smarter, not harder, with what it has.
The result is impressive. A hatchback which can seemingly do it all. It’s more comfortable, yet just as thrilling, and uses a clever new rear differential system to enable new features like a ‘drift’ driving mode, and help shave seconds off lap times by keeping things tight in the corners despite a negligible increase in its straight-line sprint.
The Golf R asserts itself as royalty amongst hot hatches once more.
Read the full Golf R review here
Runners-up
Mercedes-AMG C43 - I like this car for all the same reasons that I like the Golf R. It uses a healthy serving of clever technology to work smarter not harder with less cylinders. It’s a car which could have been significantly more boring than the one which came before it, but if anything it’s a fascinating proof of concept for what AMG has in store for the twilight years of combustion cars.
Volvo C40 Recharge - The C40 Recharge doesn’t cover any new ground. It’s essentially just a re-bodied electric Volvo XC40 or Polestar 2 with some minor changes to design. That doesn’t mean it’s not a great-looking and enormously fun SUV from behind the wheel though. The Swedes are really on to something with this family of EVs.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
Comments