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back seat. A tinted glass roof extends
from the windshield to the rear hatch.
Each bespoke sedan will have rich de-
tailing such as flower petals embedded
int the acrylic décor. The Celestiq rides
on GM’s new BEV3 dedicated electric
vehicle architecture, which uses fast-
charging Ultium batteries, placed un-
der the floor.
What’s Not: Design takes some cues
from the Cadillac Escala concept. Ban-
ner technology such as Super Cruise
will likely be standard.
When: 2022
How much: $200,000 (est)
Subaru WRX And WRX STI
What’s New: Subaru’s aging WRX and
WRX STI high-performance sedans
move to the scalable Subaru Global
Platform. Despite the cars’ new under-
pinnings and redesigned bodywork, the
two rally-inspired sedans evolve the
formula of past WRX and WRX STI
models by maintaining staple features
such as standard all-wheel drive and a
powerful turbocharged flat-four engine.
Look for the run-of-the-mill WRX to
trade the current car’s 268-hp 2.0-liter
four-cylinder for a larger, slightly more
powerful 2.4-liter unit that mates to ei-
ther a six-speed manual gearbox or an
available CVT. The big-winged, stick-
shift-only WRX STI, meanwhile, is
due to feature a nearly 400-hp variant
of its sibling’s 2.4-liter four-pot.
What’s Not: Both the platform and the
basic engine already underpin several
other Subaru products.
When: Early 2021
How Much: $30,000 (est)
Toyota GR86
What’s New: Toyota and Subaru are
making big changes for the second
coming of the co-developed Toyota 86
and Subaru BRZ. A new powerplant
will steal the most headlines, likely the
2.4-liter turbocharged unit that makes
260 hp and 277 lb-ft in the Subaru As-
cent—that would have the upcoming
two-door making 55 hp and 122 lb-ft
(!) more than the current Toyobaru.
The replacement 86 will be rebranded
as the GR86, similar to the GR Supra,
to strengthen Toyota’s Gazoo Racing
performance arm. Toyota is expected to
supply the underpinnings for the new
coupes, likely a version of the auto-
maker’s modular TNGA platform.
What’s Not: Although it hasn’t been
confirmed, we’re praying these two
will retain a manual gearbox option.
When: Summer 2021
How Much: $30,000 (est)
Mazda6
What’s New: Mazda has blown up the
6 rulebook. Front-drive four-cylinder?
Forget it. The next 6 will be rear-drive
and powered by an all-new inline-six
with Skyactiv-X spark-controlled com-
pression ignition and a supercharg-
er. An all-new eight-speed automatic
backs up the engine, and Mazda’s i-Ac-
tiv all-wheel drive will be offered. Al-
though this powertrain will be first out
the door, recent patents show Mazda
is working on electrification ideas, in-
cluding an electric motor mounted on
the gas engine with additional in-wheel
electric motors.
What’s Not: The design of the new 6
may be hiding in plain sight, previewed
by the Vision Coupe Concept shown
here (which is actually a sedan, or
four-door coupe in modern marketing
speak).
When: 2022
How Much: $28,000 (est)
BMW I4
What’s New: The i4 is BMW’s first stab
at a midsize EV, and its first job is to
take the fight to the Tesla Model 3. Ev-
erything from the massive kidney grill
to the funky rear taillights will be new.
BMW says it will have an EPA-estimat-
ed range of 270 miles on a full charge
and will sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 4.0
seconds. The i4 will also be ready to
(mostly) drive itself with radar, lidar,
and other sensors hiding behind those
inflamed kidneys. It’ll seat up to four,
feature BMW’s swoopy Gran Coupe
fastback styling, and be the first car to
wear BMW’s redesigned logo.
What’s Not: BMW’s i and M brands
still aren’t combining their efforts, so
no performance models.
When: Early 2022
How Much: $55,000 (est)
Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
What’s New: Having drifted far from
its Super-Leicht roots, the complete-
ly redesigned SL is starting over as
an AMG, built on the next generation
of the performance brand’s exclusive
sports car platform under the GT S, GT
C, and GT R supercars. Differentiating
itself, the SL will get a folding hard-top
convertible roof and 2+2 seating, strad-
dling the divide between the AMG GT
roadster and the dying S-Class Cabri-
olet.