Another wave of electric vehicles is on tap for 2023 as automakers leverage new and freshened sheet metal to drive showroom traffic against a rising tide of economic and market headwinds.
Crossovers and pickup trucks dominate the list of key showroom introductions in the year ahead, though some top-selling cars also will undergo makeovers, with Honda rolling out its 11th-generation Accord. As we saw in 2022, supply bottlenecks in the wake of the pandemic upended or delayed some light-vehicle launches, and 2023 likely will see more disruptions, especially on vehicles with parts sourced in China.
Among major brands, Chevrolet — one of the big sales winners of 2022 though the third quarter — and Toyota have ambitious launch schedules planned, while Ford — another gainer this year — and Honda have at least two major launches on deck. It will be a quiet year for Nissan, Jeep, Hyundai and Kia. With solid market gains in 2022, each have another key EV on deck.
And all eyes will be on Tesla to see if and when the long-delayed Cybertruck finally begins rolling out of a new plant in Texas.
After resurrecting the Integra nameplate in 2022 to serve as the brand's new gateway, Acura adds a performance Type S variant to its smallest car with more than 300 hp. Images of prototypes of the high-performance sedan — showing wider bodywork, larger wheels and tires and three round exhaust pipes — were released in December. It goes on sale in summer 2023, according to Acura.
The Tonale plug-in hybrid, the Italian brand's first electrified model, is coming in the second quarter, giving Alfa Romeo a second utility vehicle in the U.S. — and a more balanced lineup. It's expected to have more than 30 miles of electric range. A conventional gasoline version won't be sold in the U.S. as originally planned.
The original Audi E-tron receives a new name — the Audi Q8 E-Tron — longer range and new styling in a freshening, while a gasoline-powered version, the Q8, and its performance derivatives also undergo a freshening expected to include a mild-hybrid system, driver assistance and infotainment upgrades.
An extended wheelbase version of the brand's top-selling Bentayga, the Bentayga EWB, debuts with an additional seven inches of legroom in the back seat for the chauffeured crowd.
Beyond a long-term pledge go all-electric by 2030, General Motors has not shared many details about Buick's product road map in 2023, though a spokesperson says it will introduce or refresh as many as three utility vehicles next year, with two slated for launch in the second or third quarter. GM President Mark Reuss told investors in November that the Envista compact crossover would come to the U.S. from China; it's expected in the second half of 2023. Spy photographers recently have captured the freshened Encore GX with Buick's new logo, as well as two small, heavily camouflaged EVs.
The XM plug-in hybrid will be the first standalone vehicle from the M performance brand since the BMW M1 launched five decades ago.
It will be assembled at BMW's factory in South Carolina, with deliveries beginning early next year. Pricing starts at $159,995, including shipping. The XM introduces BMW's newly developed M Hybrid drive system that packages high-octane power in a light carbon footprint.
A 4.4-liter TwinPower turbo V-8 engine with an electric motor pumps out 644 hp and propels the three-ton beast from 0 to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds. The XM can deliver an estimated 30 miles of zero-emission driving on a single charge.
An all-electric version of the 5 Series, the i5, arrives in the second half of 2023. BMW has been quiet on the new EV, but the website BMWBLOG expects two variants initially, including an M performance version.
Production of the hand-built Celestiq electric sedan will begin in December 2023, giving Cadillac a second EV after the Lyriq. The Celestiq represents Cadillac's expansion into the ultraluxury segment, alongside rivals such as Bentley and Rolls-Royce, with a starting price in the low $300,000s. The Celestiq will offer front and rear electric motors and 600 hp, with an estimated range topping 300 miles. Rear-wheel steering, all-wheel drive and GM's Ultra Cruise hands-free driving system are standard. The differentiator for the Celestiq will be an abundance of luxury features, craftsmanship and customization — no two Celestiqs will be alike, Cadillac said.
2023 is shaping up to be a big year for Chevrolet, with three core EVs headlining showrooms when they go on sale — the all-electric Silverado pickup in the first half of the year and the Equinox and Blazer EV crossovers following in the second half. All three models will compete in key volume segments, giving GM's biggest division a boost as the automaker works to electrify its portfolio and offer EVs at multiple price points to encourage adoption.
Chevy also will launch full redesigns of the Trax subcompact crossover and the Colorado midsize pickup, both in the first half of 2023. Additionally, the Silverado HD will receive a significant refresh in the first half.
While compact utility shoppers are looking for practicality, Dodge is pushing speed. The Hornet R/T plug-in hybrid, Dodge's first electrified vehicle when it arrives early in the year, will surpass 285 hp while generating 383 pound-feet of torque. It boasts a "PowerShot" feature that can supply an extra 25-hp burst on demand at 15-second intervals. The conventional GT trim has a Hurricane 4 engine, a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder design that Dodge says will be the segment's most powerful gasoline engine. It produces at least 265 hp and 295 pound-feet of torque.
Henrik Fisker's latest creation, the all-electric Ocean crossover, is slated for initial deliveries to European and U.S. customers in February. Magna has begun building the Ocean in Graz, Austria.
While 2022 for Ford was all about EV debuts such as the F-150 Lightning and E-Transit, 2023 will be all about gasoline-powered products. The automaker will launch a redesigned, seventh-generation Mustang that doubles down on gasoline with an updated V-8 engine and a new Dark Horse performance variant. Ford also will introduce a redesigned Super Duty featuring two new engines, more technology and more power. The next-generation Ranger, along with a performance-focused Ranger Raptor, will debut in 2023 as well.
Ford is freshening the Escape crossover — which comes in both gasoline-powered and hybrid configurations — with a new exterior design and interior technology upgrades. It is expected to reveal midcycle updates for the F-150 and Explorer later in the year.
The biggest launch at GM's second-largest division in 2023 is the Hummer EV SUV in the first quarter. It follows the Hummer EV pickup, which went on sale late in 2021. The Hummer SUV's Edition 1 trim will have a range of about 300 miles, 830 hp and a GM-estimated 11,500 pound-feet of torque, with a 0-to-60 mph time of 3.5 seconds, GM has said.
The redesigned Canyon midsize pickup will go on sale in early 2023. The Canyon will be sold with four trims and a limited-edition model.
The AT4X off-road performance trim and a limited AT4X Edition 1 trim will be added, and the base Elevation Standard trim will be dropped. A refreshed Sierra HD will go on sale in the first quarter, with new Denali Ultimate and AT4X versions.
The venerable Accord — a stalwart of Honda's U.S. lineup for decades — undergoes a makeover to become sleeker and offer four hybrid trims aimed at attracting half of all Accord shoppers.
A Civic hybrid was part of the compact sedan's lineup for the 2003-13 model years, spanning the seventh through ninth generations. Honda has said it will resurrect the gasoline-electric powertrain to further stoke interest in hybrids. It's possible a Civic hybrid won't come until 2024, in concert with a midcycle update.
The Ioniq 6 sedan — with 340 miles of range when configured with rear-wheel drive and a long-range battery — goes on sale in early 2023, giving Hyundai a third EV after the Ioniq 5 and Kona Electric. The Kona gets a bigger footprint and gasoline-electric hybrid variant when the second-generation subcompact crossover goes on sale in the second half of 2023.
The Electrified GV70 crossover — the first Hyundai Motor Group vehicle that could be eligible for at least a portion of the EV new tax credit — goes on sale in the first quarter of 2023.
Kia's EV lineup will grow again when the EV9 launches late in the year (though it could spill over to 2024). It will be the first three-row EV on the market aside from the Tesla Model X. Pricing has not been released but is expected to be between $50,000 and $60,000.
The Urus will undergo a re-engineering to accommodate a plug-in hybrid powertrain in the first half of the year, while the Aventador's successor will debut as a plug-in hybrid with a V-12 engine in the second half.
Ford Motor Co.'s luxury brand is expected to get a boost from freshening the Corsair crossover in the first half of the year and the Aviator crossover later in the year.
The Lexus RZ, a battery-electric compact crossover, debuts next year. It's been delayed by the same issues Toyota had with its sibling, the Toyota bZ4X. Also on tap is a freshening of the brand's entry-level crossover, the UX, which will get infotainment and driver assistance upgrades, along with updated styling. Finally, a true three-row, full-size luxury crossover, the TX, is expected to debut late in the year, featuring the brand's most advanced driver assistance package and replacing the RX L.
The CX-90 — a three-row crossover — will replace the CX-9 in Mazda's U.S. lineup as the brand's biggest utility vehicle. The CX-90 is engineered on an all-new platform and tailored to U.S. driving habits. It will be shown in late January and go on sale in the first half of 2023. A gasoline-powered version is planned as well as a performance plug-in hybrid , which will be Mazda's first nationally available electrified vehicle.
The midsize EQE crossover goes on sale in early 2023 and fleshes out Mercedes' electric crossover lineup, now bookended by the compact EQB and full-size EQS. The EQE is based on the same EVA2 platform as the brand's larger full-electric offerings, the EQS sedan, EQS SUV and EQE sedan. The single-motor rear-wheel-drive EQE 350+ and dual-motor EQE 350 4MATIC deliver 288 hp.
The more powerful EQE 500 4MATIC variant pumps out 536 hp. The EQE will be the second made-in-America Mercedes electric utility after the EQS SUV.
A battery-powered, U.S.-made version of the Sprinter van will arrive in the second half of 2023. The eSprinter will be built on the EVA2 platform and be available in two wheelbases.
The midsize Polestar 3 is built on a new all-electric platform, sports dual motors and has an estimated EPA range of up to 300 miles. It will arrive at U.S. stores late next year and start at $85,300, including shipping.
The new model offers a crossover's higher riding position but in a low-to-the-ground package designed to maximize aerodynamics.
At launch, the Polestar 3 will feature a rear-biased dual-motor powertrain and torque vectoring via a dual-clutch system on the rear electric motor. The debut model delivers 483 hp with an optional Performance Pack that provides an additional 27 hp.
The crossover will be Polestar's first U.S.-made model. Polestar 3 production will begin at Volvo Cars' Chengdu, China, factory, but U.S. production is scheduled to start at Volvo's Ridgeville, S.C., plant in the first quarter of 2024.
Ram will step into the EV space for the first time in 2023 with the ProMaster van. The first commercial customer for the electric van will be Amazon, which will put it to work as a last-mile delivery vehicle.
The brand's first EV, built on the same aluminum architecture underpinning its other models, should arrive in late 2023. The Spectre can travel 320 miles on a single charge, based on European test cycles. The electric motor is rated at 576 hp and can propel the car to 62 mph in 4.5 seconds.
Rolls-Royce has optimized the aerodynamics across the car to achieve a claimed drag coefficient of 0.25, making it the sleekest model it has produced.
The redesigned Subaru Impreza, which debuted at November's Los Angeles Auto Show and will now be sold in hatchback form only, leads a parade of redesigns for the Japanese brand in 2023, which will also makeover the Forester and Crosstrek. The Forester and Crosstrek combined to account for nearly half of Subaru's U.S. sales in the first 11 months of 2022.
First shown as a prototype in 2019, Tesla's Cybertruck is expected to go into production in late 2023. Tesla hasn't revealed final specifications for the wildly styled electric pickup, but it's targeting sports-car level acceleration and up to 500 miles of range.
Recent prototypes suggest it will have an interior similar to the automaker's current vehicles, with a large screen in the dash for settings and infotainment. CEO Elon Musk has said the Cybertruck will no longer have a starting price of $40,000, as initially planned, due to rising production costs. Tesla has not released pricing.
It's a big year for Toyota's U.S. lineup, with the addition of a larger, more luxurious three-row crossover, the Grand Highlander. It will debut on the eve of the Chicago Auto Show with an advanced suite of driver assistance and safety systems, as well as a much larger third row than the current Highlander.
Toyota will also give its segment- leading Tacoma compact pickup a long-overdue redesign in 2023, adding a hybridized powertrain along with an infotainment overhaul, updated styling and improved safety systems.
The Japanese brand debuted its fifth-generation Prius at November's L.A. auto show and will put the car on sale in U.S. dealerships in the first half of the year with improved fuel economy and greatly overhauled exterior styling. Also on tap for 2023 is a freshening of Toyota's top-seller, the RAV4 compact crossover.
The Singapore-based automaker says its second EV launch will be the VF 9 crossover in early 2023. The midsize, three-row VF 9 will follow the two-row VF 8, which VinFast expected to deliver to its first U.S. customers by the end of 2022.
VinFast is also targeting the start of production of the smaller VF 6 and VF 7 in 2023, although its unclear when those would formally launch in the U.S. The VF 9 will start at $76,000 including the battery. It also can be purchased without the battery by leasing the pack for a monthly fee.
The Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport crossovers will be freshened with an improved, upscale interior and the company's latest driver assistance and safety packages.
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