As 2025 comes to an end, the upcoming year, like this one, is going to be nothing short of an adrenaline rush, even for enthusiasts. Here’s a list of luxury cars you should eye out on, for one of these could enter your garage as a souvenir.
2026 Audi Q5
An updated Audi Q5 should make its way earlier this year. With no official announcement yet, the SUV is set to be built on top of the PPC (Premium Platform Architecture) platform. The updated SUV will also get a newer, aggressive design, and the overall silhouette gets sleeker with connected tail lights. Internally, the Q5 gets an 11.9-inch driver display and a 14.9-inch infotainment screen. There’s also a 10.9-inch tertiary display for the front passenger. 2026 will go bigger on AI, and Audi won’t skimp out on this integration, either. Mechanically, the 2026 Audi Q5 will be powered by a 2.0L 268bhp motor, and the Sportback makes way for a 363bhp V6. Both motors will be paired with a 7DCT system, and a 0-100kmph sprint should be under 5.7s (four-cylinder) and 4.7s (V6), respectively. Expect an India showcase in the first half of 2026.
Lexus ES
The eighth-gen Lexus ES will be the first core Lexus to get hybrid and BEV powertrains. Set to be available in both FWD and AWD configurations, the 2026 Lexus ES is dimensionally larger than its previous iteration, spanning 6.5 inches longer, and a wheelbase elongated by three inches. Display duties will be handled by a 12.3-inch MID and a 14-inch IC with wireless connectivity. Built on top of the TNGA GA-K platform, the ES 350h (petrol) will be powered by a 2.5L petrol-hybrid powertrain. Meanwhile, its electric offerings, the ES 350e (FWD) and the 500e (AWD) will get claimed range figures of 483km and 402km. 0-100kmph will come in at 7.4s (petrol FWD), 7.2s (petrol AWD), 7.7s (350e), and 5.4s (500e), respectively.
The Lexus ES (EV) will also support the NACS (North American Charging Standard) port for DCFC (DC Fast Charging), and an 11kW charger comes as a standard home charging unit. Expect the India-spec offering to get CCS2 ports.
Audi A6
The next-gen Audi A6 is set to receive a refreshed design and stronger mechanicals. While the existing iteration gets the same powertrain as the Skoda Octavia RS and the VW Golf GTI – a 2.0L, four-pot TSI motor – churning out 261bhp/370Nm, the successor will utilise a turbocharged V6, tuned to churn out 357bhp/551Nm, and it will send power to a Quattro AWD setup (hybrid). Vanities will include an 11.9-inch MID and a 14.5-inch infotainment screen. The 2026 A6 will also bundle in an ADAS suite.
Tata Avinya
While this may not be conventionally counted as a luxury offering, it will, in some sense, be one. The carmaker’s sub-brand will produce vehicles positioned above the costliest mainstream Tata – the Harrier EV. Avinya, as a sub-brand, will take up separate showroom spaces, making an attempt to create its own unique identity. There’s also a phygital (physical + digital) showroom strategy charted out for the same. With the Avinya X reportedly set to roll of production lines in 2026, Avinya will go up against Hyundai’s luxury arm, Genesis, 2027 onwards.
Hyundai Ioniq 5 Facelift
The existing Ioniq 5 will get a refresh, which includes new colourways, clamshell tailgate, and 150kW DCFC support that enables a 10-80 per cent top-up in about 30 minutes. Internally, a three-spoke steering and a dual 12.3-inch cluster will dominate the display real estate. Sources hint at a different cell supplier for the Ioniq 6, and this has reportedly led to the eSUV shedding its weight.
Mechanically, the larger 84kWh battery will be carried over, but the reduction in weight should make room for a slight bump in power, and consequently, better range. The Ioniq 5 Facelift should ideally get 165.6bhp/350Nm (63kWh, RWD), 222bhp/350Nm (84kWh, RWD), and 315.5bhp/605Nm (84kWh, AWD) as powertrain choices. An N Line variant will amp up these numbers, churning out 632bhp/770Nm via the bigger 84kWh battery pack. Should this diversity come to India, it will be a performance vs range game.
Mercedes-Benz GLC EV
The Mercedes-Benz GLC luxury SUV is set to receive an EV derivative. Like all other tech-forward in-cabin implementations, Mecedes-Benz has committed to the use of Microsoft and Google AI models. Key highlights include a 128L frunk, 305km DCFC top-up in 10 minutes, 715km range (WLTP), ADAS, MBUX Hyperscreen, new MBOS, and ambient lights. Keep an eye out for further developments on this eSUV.
Volvo EX60 and EX90
Save the date – 21 January, 2026. This is when Volvo will globally showcase the new EX60 via a livestream in Stockholm, Sweden.
While details pertaining to the EX60 are still masked, the same is not the case with the EX90. This eSUV is powered by an 800V architecture, and an NVIDIA DRIVE AGX Orin-based computers for AI, of which the latter gets a computing power of 500 TOPS (Trillion Operation Per Second). With regards to its charging characteristics, the EX90 can add 250km range in 10 minutes via a 350kW DCFC gun. Volvo has also attributed the adoption of the new architecture to the car shedding its weight.
Mechanically, the EX90 gets three powertrain configurations, viz. single-motor, twin-motor, and twin-motor performance, tuned to churn out 328.3bhp/480Nm (92kWh), 450bhp/670Nm (106kWh), and 670bhp/870Nm (106kWh), respectively. 0-100kmph acceleration times (sequential order) stand at 6.8s, 5.5s, and 4.2s. Expect an India debut in the second half of 2026.
