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Sedans aren't over yet, not by a long shot.
Electrification, combined with lighter engineering, more elegant styling and better road manners compared to heavier SUVs, means there's still lots of life left in them. Suddenly, sedans are swoopy, sporty and green. How cool!
Below are the best sedans leading this transformation. Not all are electrified, but all provide a fresh perspective on an old and trusted formula. Just keep in mind that timing is subject to change, particularly due to the semiconductor shortage that has stymied production globally in recent times.
The electric luxury sedan sphere is hotting up, with who else but Hyundai at the forefront, with the Genesis G80 Electrified.
With more than 500km of range and a 0-100km/h time of under five seconds courtesy of two electric motors and all-wheel drive, the sumptuous, five-metre-long sedan is a derivative of the second-generation G80.
The Genesis is taking direct aim at the Mercedes-Benz EQS when Australian sales commence in the first half of 2022.
If the luxury-focused EQS is too timid for you, from the first quarter of 2022, Mercedes-Benz has just the solution for you – the AMG EQS53 4Matic+.
The performance brand's first foray into  mass electrification, the flagship EV with a motor on each axle delivers 484kW/950Nm of power and torque respectively in Basic form, or a barely believable 560kW/1020Nm in flagship AMG Dynamic Plus guise.Â
The latter whooshes to 100km/h from zero some 0.4 seconds faster at 3.4s , living up to Daimler's exalted sub-brand's reputation for speed. Tesla's monopoly on slingshot EV sedans is over... or is it?
Based on the current seventh-generation S-Class sedan, the Mercedes-Maybach S680 is substantially longer and even more opulent where it counts – in the back seat.Â
With acres of space to stretch, cabin noise-cancellation tech, available powered doors, special massaging seats, beverage refrigeration and an audio experience to knock your socks off, the S680 pushes the boundaries of chauffeured luxury like no other new Benz can.Â
Also taking the fight to the Rolls-Royce Phantom and Bentley Flying Spur are a 450kW/900Nm 6.0-litre twin-turbo V12 capable of 100km/h in 4.5s, all-wheel drive and four-wheel-steering – so there's something for the driver to revel in, too, from the first quarter of 2022.
Porsche has broadened the Taycan EV sports sedan series for 2022, breaking new ground with Australia's first-ever EV sports wagon, while introducing a round of improvements across the range, all from the first quarter.
First up is the spiritual nod to the 989 four-door '911' of 30 years ago, the base Taycan rear-wheel-drive sedan, featuring a rear-axle mounted electric motor in two states of tune: 300kW/345Nm and 369km of WLTP range with the standard 79.2kWh battery, or 350kW/357Nm and 434km WLTP range with an optional 93.4kWh unit. A 0-100km/h time of 5.4 seconds is possible.
This has also been joined by the Taycan 4 Cross Turismo – a high-riding wagon/crossover offering a front as well as rear electric motor for AWD, resulting in combined outputs of 350kW/500Nm, 0-100km/h in 5.1s and 437km of WLTP range. Look out, Tesla Model S!
Due in late 2022, the facelifted Tesla Model S' bones are now more than a decade old, with the basic shape remaining – as does the timeless appeal of this large five-door liftback EV.
Targeting the Porsche Taycan and Audi e-tron GT, this is the second facelift, with minor changes to the bumpers, wheels and trim. But the dramatically different interior includes a rectangular steering wheel with no stalks and landscape-view 17-inch touchscreen dubbed Cinematic Display.
Of course, the Model S has constantly evolved underneath, with the MY23 range consisting of the 500kW dual-motor Long Range with an astonishing 652km range (WLTP), joined by the 761kW tri-motor Plaid, deposing the old dual-motor Performance flagship in more ways than one, since it can manage 637km range as well as a record-breaking 0-100km/h time of 2.1s. Breathtaking.
After a hiatus, the Volkswagen Arteon mid-sizer returns to Australia in facelifted liftback and new Shooting Brake wagon guises, gaining much of the advanced driver-assist and multimedia technologies from the Golf 8 range.
Sitting above the related Passat, Arteon kicks off with the 140TSI Elegance front-driver, powered by a 140kW/320Nm 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine.
There's also the R-Line, offering a 206kW/350Nm 2.0-litre unit with an all-wheel-drive system.
The fourth-generation A8 upper-large sedan has undergone a facelift, with sales set to start in Australia in mid-2022.
You’ll pick it from the restyled front end, which now includes a wider version of the Volkswagen Group luxury brand’s ‘singleframe’ grille, trick new ‘Digital Matrix LED’ headlights with driver’s-own-lane high-intensity illumination, reshaped bumpers, refreshed alloys and ‘Digital OLED’ LED tail-lights offering unique visual signatures depending on grade.
Fewer changes abound inside, limited to updated materials, upgraded rear-seat multimedia screens where applicable and a 23-speaker, 1920-watt Bang & Olufsen Advanced sound system option, while under the bonnet, variations of the existing 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel and 4.0-litre twin-turbo petrol V8 engines are expected for Australia, driving all four wheels via an eight-speed torque-converter automatic.
The evergreen Mercedes-Benz C-Class finally undergoes a metamorphosis in 2022, with mini-S-Class styling inside and out, including the latter’s portrait touchscreens, latest MBUX multimedia software and other advanced tech.
All engines will be four-cylinder turbo petrol only – including the AMG models coming later on – and brandishing some sort of electrification for improved efficiency, starting with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system on even the lowest grade C200 and popular C300 slated for Australia. Drive is to the rear wheels via a nine-speed automatic. Also expect the C300e plug-in hybrid with up to 100km of pure-electric range to follow soon after.
With no wagon version slated for SUV-mad Australia, the W206 sedan is larger in every dimension bar height, and scores a 25mm wheelbase stretch for improved cabin space – courtesy of the company’s new MRA II modular architecture that – you’ve guessed it – also underpins the S-Class. The mini-limo Merc label has never seemed truer.
Mercedes-Benz C-Class 2022 review
Want to know what other new models are due in 2022? Check out our rolling coverage by clicking on the links below.
-Â The best new cars coming to Australia in 2022
-Â Best crossovers arriving in 2022
-Â Best electric cars arriving in 2022
-Â Best hatchbacks arriving in 2022
-Â Best 4x4 and off-road vehicles arriving in 2022
-Â Best sedans arriving in 2022
Want to know what new models are due in 2023? Check out our rolling coverage by clicking on the links below.
-Â The best new cars coming in 2023
-Â Best sports cars arriving in 2023
-Â Best hatchbacks and sedans arriving in 2023
-Â Best small SUVs and crossovers arriving in 2023
-Â Best 4x4, off-roaders and light-commercial vehicles arriving in 2023
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