New Year of electric dreams?

Here, the Advertiser Motors section looks ahead to another year behind the wheel, giving a brief glimpse of some of the cars we hope to road test for readers in the coming 12 months.

Alpine A290

Hot hatch fans already purring after the arrival of the retro Renault 5 E-Tech will get an added hit of performance from its hardcore cousin, the Alpine A290.

On sale from March, the baby Alpine features a more powerful electric motor, delivering up to 220PS, a more focussed suspension set-up, wider track and bespoke Michelin tyres. A sprint to 62mph takes 6.4 seconds.

Cupra Tavascan

Fresh from stirring up the Volkswagen Group portfolio with the super-successful Born, Catalonia’s sporty Cupra brand is back with the aggressive-looking Tavascan SUV.

The Nissan Ariya and Tesla Model Y rival is priced from £47,340 and comes with a choice of 290PS rear-wheel-drive or 340PS all-wheel-drive electric drivetrains.

New flagship Jaguar

Jaguar gained a mixed reception when it shared images of a concept version of its new flagship GT car.

However, expect the real thing to make a splash when it enters the market in 2025. Jaguar is moving upmarket and the new model in its new era will be a four-door GT which is expected to command a six-figure price tag.

Dacia Bigster

Fresh in the tyre tracks of the new Dacia Duster, which we will test early in the new year, the Bigster is set to shake up the mid-size SUV segment.

As the name suggests, this is the Duster’s big brother, featuring a 155PS hybrid drivetrain and a 667-litre boot. Prices are expected to start from around £27,000.

Hyundai Inster

Another affordable new market entrant to watch out for in 2025 is Hyundai’s new entry-level EV – the Inster.

Prices will start at around £22,000 for the mini crossover, which measures in at just over 3.6 metres long and will serve up a 221-mile range in ‘Long Range’ guise, which features a

49kWh battery.