Five new cars in autumn – a few highlights are still to come

Very cheap offers
Five new cars in autumn – a few highlights are still to come

The car year is also slowly coming to an end. But a few new models are still coming. Five highlights for the autumn, from Citroën to Škoda. Including a few inexpensive offers.

The summer break and factory holidays are over, and now the car market is entering the final stretch of the year – with numerous new models. We have selected five highlights for the fall.

Citroen C3

They still exist, the cheap new cars. The Citroën C3, which is a good 4 meters long, costs from 15,000 euros with a lively little three-cylinder petrol engine and from 23,300 euros as an electric model with a range suitable for everyday use (326 kilometers), without being a cheap solution.

The five-door car drives quickly, offers enough space for city traffic and exudes a certain charm with its cute appearance and lovely interior details. It only really comes into its own in the higher of the two design and equipment lines (plus 4000 euros), but even then the price-performance ratio remains very good.

Dacia Spring Electric

It can be even cheaper: At 17,000 euros, the Romanian mini-crossover defends its price-breaking position in the electric car market even after its recent, very extensive upgrade.

However, despite the revision of the basic version, the small electric car still requires serious compromises in terms of ambience, performance and range, so that the choice of the 20,000 euro “Extreme” model is practically inevitable. It is much more attractive, can do a lot of things a little better, but also only has a maximum range of 228 kilometers. For a pure city car or as a second car, however, this could be enough for many customers.

Ford Explorer

Ford was also a go-to for affordable cars for many years. Since the Cologne-based company began its strategic transformation into a lifestyle provider, however, Fiesta and co. have been gradually phased out of the range. They are being replaced by the Explorer, for example. The angular electric SUV in fashionable US style is, however, essentially German, as it rolled off the production line in Cologne and shares the technology with the VW ID.4.

If you don't like the new Wolfsburg electric style, find the interior too dull or are unfamiliar with the operating system, the Explorer, which costs around 50,000 euros, is an alternative with tried-and-tested drive technology that is suitable for everyday use.

Peugeot e-5008

Peugeot takes a different approach to the drive system. The parent company Stellantis wants to make the electric motor more mainstream than others and is also putting it in its large family SUV. A range of 500 kilometers for 50,000 euros is not such a bad price considering the competitive prices, but for those on a tighter budget there is also a mild hybrid for 42,000 euros.

What all variants have in common is an ultra-modern appearance inside and out, up to seven seats and a very large luggage compartment. If necessary, you could even sleep in the crossover: the loading area measures two meters from the front seats to the tailgate.

Skoda Superb Sedan

The attribute “tried and tested” also applies to the Škoda Superb. The flagship of the Czech VW subsidiary has proven itself so well over the decades that this time it is taking over the group leadership for the volume mid-range. For the first time, the VW Passat is based on the Superb and not the other way around.

Another point also underlines the new hierarchy: while the VW is only available as an estate car, the Škoda is also available as a classic mid-size sedan. The stylish four-door model should also convince some previous estate car drivers thanks to its hatchback and large trunk. In terms of drivetrains, however, there are only home-style options with conventional diesel and petrol engines for the time being, with prices starting at a manageable 38,500 euros by today's standards.