From the first fully electric off-roading Jeep to Slate’s promised, Jeff Bezos-backed do-it-yourself pickup and SUV, many important and interesting new vehicles will hit the road in 2026.
Will anyone address spiraling costs? Will new vehicles with familiar names strike a chord? Will a new hit be born? Which brand will spend billions on a new model, only to face-plant?
As always, I’m indebted to Automotive News’s authoritative Future Product Guide, which contributed mightily to research on this column.
Here are a dozen vehicles to watch as the new year begins:
Afeela, a 50-50 joint venture between Sony and Honda, is notoriously secretive, but the titans of Japanese industry promise more information when its first vehicle, the Afeela 1, debuts at the CES electronics show in January.
The small sedan will be built in Honda’s East Liberty, Ohio, plant. Prices will start at $89,900, so expect jaw-dropping technology.
The challenge of melding consumer electronics know-how with automotive design and engineering has defeated companies as skilled as Apple, so there’s intense interest in Afeela. The car’s model year hasn’t been announced.
On sale in the first quarter, Audi’s smallest SUV aims to maintain momentum the luxury brand began with the new A5 and Q5 this year when sales begin in the first quarter. All-wheel drive is standard. Prices start at $43,700. Power from the standard 2.0L engine increases to 255 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque, reducing 0-60 mpg time 1.6 seconds to 5.5 seconds.
The compact Bolt returns after more than a year off the market as GM’s most affordable EV.
The new Bolt looks very much like the vehicle that went out of production in 2023, but its batteries, motors and other signature technologies are all new. Built in Kansas City, Kansas, expect sales to begin in the first quarter.
A starting price of $29,990 and 255-mile range are expected at launch, with a lower price following later in the year.
The first EV Honda developed entirely internally, the 0 Series SUV is expected late in 2027. Honda is reshaping its Ohio assembly complex to build a rage of EVs.
This elegant coupe aims to revive the excitement sporty Preludes generated for Honda in the ‘80s and ‘90s. The body and interior are unique. The suspension comes from the marvelous Civic Type R. The drivetrain is shared with the Civic hybrid.
The interior looks and feels great. The big question is how well electronic systems mimic the sound and feel of previous sporty Preludes.
More: My 8 favorite new features from dozens of vehicles I tested in 2025
The first all-electric Jeep intended for serious off-roading, the brawny Recon has to deliver or risk undermining the brand’s core values. Jeep promises eye-popping performance: 650 hp, 620 pound-feet of torque and up to 250 miles range.
Questions include how far the Recon’s battery will carry it on severe off-road trails, and how the SUV’s weight affects its capability on mud, snow and deep sand. Prices will start at $65,000.
The striking three-row Telluride changed how people perceived Kia when it debuted in 2019. Expectations are high for the new model, which will be built in the West Point, Georgia, and go on sale in the first quarter.
New features include more power from a 329-hp hybrid powertrain expected to get up to 35 mpg and a more capable X-Pro model with 9.1 inches of ground clearance and a electronic limited slip rear differential.
Expected in the second half of the year, Lexus’ stalwart midsize sedan goes wild, with dramatic new styling, hybrid and EV models. The same systems and architecture will underpin a radically new Camry coming later.
Ram ― and now Ford ― have staked big chunks of their engineering and financial might on a bet that extended-range electric vehicles, or EREVs, will win buyers by combining electric efficiency and performance with traditional pickup towing performance. Simplifying to an extent that drives engineers crazy, an EREV is essentially a plug-in hybrid with a longer electric range ― let’s say 150 miles in the case of the Ram 1500 REV.
Engineers and auto writers love the technology, but it has yet to catch on with buyers. We’ll see whether Ram can change that.
Rivian’s compact electric SUV aims to deliver class-leading technology and performance with prices starting under $50,000, well below the bigger R1S SUV and R1T pickup. The R2 is intended to seat five and cover 300 miles on a charge.
Sales would begin in the first half of 2026, but the R2’s model year is not known.
Slate’s plan to tackle vehicle affordability by making common features do-it-yourself add-ons ― Want rear seats? Bolt ‘em in yourself ― raises questions, but the startup gained credibility when news got out that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos was an early investor.
Slate hopes to begin sales of its two-door compact pickup in late 2026. The compact pickup’s model year has not been announced. Prices are expected to start below $30,000.
The Corolla will move to a new multi-energy platform developed to support internal combustion, hybrid and EV drivetrains, a radical change for one of the world’s bestselling cars. A concept shown at the Japan Mobility Show in October hinted at equally revolutionary styling.
The five-passenger bZ Woodland electric SUV promises a 260-mile range, 8.3 inches of  ground clearance and 3,500-pound towing capacity. It’s intended to add off-road flair to Toyota’s growing line of EV lineup.
Contact Mark Phelan: mmphelan@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @mark_phelan. Read more on autos and sign up for our autos newsletter. Become a subscriber.

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