Mark Richardson - Kia EV4
The Kia EV4 is not an exciting car to drive, though it’s comfortable and pleasant enough. What makes me excited is its price: an MSRP of $38,995 for the most basic but well-equipped edition, which makes it the least expensive, new all-electric production vehicle in Canada. When you add on just over $2,000 for freight, pre-delivery inspection and fees, and then add taxes on top of that, you’re looking at about $45,000 to drive it out the showroom door.
If that sounds expensive (and let’s not kid ourselves – you can buy a lot of bicycles and bus fares for $45,000), then compare it to the average price of all new cars in Canada, which AutoTrader says is now $63,665. I’m buzzed to see how low the price can go for EVs in 2026.
The Kia EV4 is unveiled during the press preview for the International Auto Show at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City on April 16, 2025.TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images
Jeremy Sinek - Slate pickup truck
I’ve always wanted a 1990-ish Mazda B2200 pickup. While I loathe the gas-swilling, planet-warming, car-crushing 4x4 Crew-Cab full-size pickups that infest the roads of North America, I can totally relate to the bare-bones, single-cab, 4x2, manual-transmission compact pickups of 30 to 40 years ago – small enough to be city-friendly economical commuters, but with the utility of a pickup bed.
And among those, the crisp, unpretentious proportions of the Mazda B-Series made it my favourite. Fast forward 40 years and that whole concept is reborn, now with climate-change sensibilities in the form of the all-electric Slate. Marketed as “a blank Slate,” the tiny pickup promises an affordable (about US$27,000) no-frills base model, with the option to hand-pick only the extra features you want. Like many other recent EVs, the Slate comes from a start-up automaker, and is built in the U.S., so in today’s climate much could change or go wrong between the promises and the delivery. Deliveries are reportedly supposed to begin in the U.S. in late 2026 and if it comes to Canada, I want to drive it.
The Slate pickup is much smaller than a Ford F-150, but is roughly the same size as a small pickup truck from the 1980s.Courtesy of manufacturer
Matt Bubbers - Whatever Mate Rimac does next
There are a couple boxy new SUVs coming in 2026 – smaller versions of the G-Class and Defender – I’ve got high hopes for, as well as the long-anticipated all-new BMW i3. But it’s Mate Rimac, the Croatian car enthusiast who got his start by building EVs in his garage, who I’ll be watching most closely.
In 2026 he’ll launch two new cars that could shift the automotive landscape, despite both being niche products. The first is the Verne robotaxi, which is slated to launch in Zagreb before rolling out elsewhere in Europe. Rimac recently took to Instagram to show off a large fleet of Verne prototypes ready to go. It’ll be interesting to see how this Croatian startup intends to compete with the likes of Waymo and if Rimac can beat Elon Musk’s Cybercab to the market. Mate Rimac’s second big launch next year is the Bugatti Tourbillon. It’s the antithesis of the Verne, a €3.8-million ($6.2-million) supercar with analog gauges, a steering wheel and a new gas-guzzling V16 engine totally devoid of any hybrid system.
It will surely upset the likes of Ferrari, McLaren and Lamborghini who have been going all-in on hybrid and electrified supercars. Rimac sees a different future, one where a few gas-burning cars – high-end ones such as the Bugatti and other more down-to-earth sports cars and classics – live on as weekend toys for diehard enthusiasts, while shared electric robotaxis handle the daily grind of gridlock and rush-hour commutes. There are a million things that could go wrong, but it’s certainly a compelling vision.
Mate Rimac and the Bugatti TourbillonCourtesy of manufacturer
Kunal D’souza - GR GT from Toyota
This is an easy one for me because I just saw it: the new GR GT from Toyota, a complete surprise. Yes, I should probably pick something a bit more eco-conscious and practical, but after all the boring cars (read SUVS) that are revealed every year, this was one reveal where I felt genuinely excited.
At the reveal in December in Japan, there weren’t any marketing reps or fancy hors d’oeuvres, just access to the engineers and designers. The car did all the marketing for itself with its massively wide and low body, packing a new Toyota-designed twin-turbo V8 and electric motor. There’s also a racecar version and an EV. The GR GT is the type of car that can build legions of fans and will help move even more Camrys and Corollas. Sports cars make people happy even though they serve little purpose other than to be enjoyable to drive, and that’s exactly why we need more of them.
The new GR GT certainly has an aggressive look.Kunal D'souza/The Globe and Mail
Miranda Lightstone - Ford GT500
So many new models are all about the EV life, so when I heard Ford was bringing back the GT500, my petrol-loving mind went bonkers. Discontinued in 2022, I thought the days of American muscle on the road were behind us. Knowing Ford is returning to its pony-car days with a vehicle that will hopefully be powered with a predicted supercharged 5.2-litre V8 good for 800 horsepower and a dual-clutch eight-speed automatic gives me hope for the future of diehard car enthusiasts surviving in the current vehicular climate, and for the survival of cars just like this continuing to make a stand and hold a place in the market.
Petrina Gentile - Honda Prelude
I’m most excited for the 2026 Honda Prelude sports car and I’m not alone. It’s one of three finalists up for the 2026 North American Car of the Year award. Not only is it a fun and exciting vehicle to drive, it brings new life into a dwindling and somewhat drab small car segment. Besides reinvigorating the car segment, it has a respectable price tag, too. The 2+2 hybrid starts at $49,990 before $2,830 for freight and pre-delivery inspection. Shockingly, it’s cheaper than the U.S. sticker price – which is US$43,195 – that’s more than $60,000 Canadian. Maybe the Prelude will prompt other car companies to do the same and offer cheaper Canadian prices than those south of the border.
The new Prelude on the track at the proving grounds in Tochigi, Japan. The Prelude has rear seats and a lift back, which makes is a little more practical as a sports car.Jason Tchir/The Globe and Mail
Emily Atkins - Hyundai Ioniq 6N
Hyundai’s 2026 Ioniq 6N is a trailblazer, creating a whole new class of car. It is a fully electric sport sedan that pretends to be a gas-powered track beast. The compact EV has borrowed the Elantra N’s engine and exhaust sounds along with transmission mapping to create the experience of driving a more traditional car on track. With just a couple taps, the sound spools up and the car ‘shifts’ as though it has a transmission.
The concept is a little goofy, but the car is wicked fast and handles beautifully. Hyundai is betting it will attract a different class of buyers and, with Honda copying the piped-in sound idea with the hybrid Prelude, it may catch on. The Ioniq 6 N will be available in Canada early in the new year.
The new Ioniq 6 N has 601 horsepower.Emily Atkins/The Globe and Mail