New in 2016: Premium arrivals set to soar

THE luxury car segment had another bumper year in 2015, especially among the ranks of more entry-level prestige sedans.

There will be more of the same in 2016, although the true high-end luxury sedan market will see little activity as key brands like Rolls-Royce, Maserati and Bentley prepare luxury SUVs.

Alfa Romeo will show a revised version of its Giulietta hatchback in the back half of the year, while the Giulia mid-size sedan is now not anticipated until next year.

Audi has lined up the all-new A4 for launch in February, with the Avant (wagon) version to follow in the second quarter. The warmed-over S version should surface in about quarter three, while the Allroad quattro shown in Detroit this month will launch around the same time. The super-hot RS version is not expected until 2017 at the earliest.

Another key player in the luxury arena, BMW, will debut the 330e plug-in hybrid in May. The new 7 Series range, meanwhile, will be joined by the range-topping, V8-powered 750i in late May.

As usual, Mercedes-Benz has quite a number of new and refreshed models landing in 2016, with the facelifted A-Class hatch the first cab off the rank in January. An upgraded CLA range will debut soon after. The company’s biggest launch of 2016 will be the all-new E-Class, which is slated for the second half of the year, while the C-Class ranks will be bolstered by the arrival of the C450 AMG Sport late in 2016.

Infiniti’s glut of new and updated models continues unabated this year. The facelifted Q70 sedan is marked down for February, while a tweaked Q50 will arrive in the second half with the addition of a new V6 engine. The all-new Q30 compact hatch will lob in the third quarter to do battle with the Audi A3, BMW 1 Series and the related A-Class, while the Q60 coupe shown in Detroit this month will land around the same.

Jaguar has a busy time of it in 2015, launching a pair of updated luxury sedans along with its F-Pace SUV. A new XF large sedan will debut in February, while the big XJ limousine will score a mid-life update in March.

Finally, Volvo will offer up a facelift of its V40 hatch – most likely with additional powertrains – in the second half of the year. The Swedish brand will then introduce its all-new S90 large sedan – built on the same platform as its new XC90 SUV – towards the end of 2016.

WHAT’S COMING

Alfa Romeo Giulietta – Q3
Audi A4 Allroad – Q3
Audi A4 Avant – Q2
Audi A4 sedan – February
Audi S4 sedan/Avant – Q3
BMW 330e – May
BMW 750i – March
Infiniti Q30 – Q3
Infiniti Q50 – Q3/Q4
Infiniti Q60 Coupe – Q3
Infiniti Q70 – February
Jaguar XF – February
Jaguar XJ – March
Mercedes-Benz A-Class – January
Mercedes-Benz C450 AMG Sport – late 2016
Mercedes-Benz CLA sedan/Shooting Brake – February/March
Mercedes-Benz E-Class – Q3/Q4
Volvo V40 – Q3
Volvo S90 – Q4