Top 10 Best Concept Cars of 2018
The New Year is quickly approaching, which means its time to count down some of the best and worst new vehicles of the year.
2018 was a decent year in the world of concept cars, with several automakers rolling out concepts that are not only stylish and forward-thinking but are also destined to become real-world vehicles.
Additionally, with electric powertrains entering the marketplace en masse, automakers were keen to draw attention to their various EV programs with radical, attention-grabbing designs.
SEE ALSO: Genesis is Actually Building the Essentia Concept
In this post, we’re going to count down our top 10 concept cars that debuted in the past 12 months. We based our picks on looks and also handed out some extra points if the brand in questions intends to actually put their design study into production. Scroll down to see our picks!
10. Jeep Sandstorm Concept
Kicking off our list is the Jeep Sandstorm concept, which debuted as part of Jeep’s annual roster of Easter Jeep Safari Concepts. We think the Sandstorm would serve as an awesome limited-run, special edition variant of the new Jeep Gladiator if it were to ever head to production. Jeep describes it as a “Baja runner built for high-speed desert blitzing,” which is exactly the kind of product Jeep needs to be making, in our opinion.
9. Toyota GR Super Sport
The Toyota GR Super Sport concept is Toyota’s preview of the brand’s forthcoming hypercar. The vehicle will be based on the automaker’s TS050 hybrid LMP1 racecar and will feature a version of the racecar’s 2.4-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine and hybrid all-wheel-drive system to deliver 1,000 hp.
8. Hyundai Le Fil En Rouge
The Hyundai Le Fil En Rouge debuted at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show in March. This nicely styled sedan concept previews Hyundai’s future styling direction and will serve as inspiration for the next Hyundai Sonata. We think it looks pretty good and it’s always nice to see a concept that’s not another crossover.
7. VW Atlas Tanoak Concept
The VW Atlas Tanoak Concept is exciting as it delivers on something that a certain sect of North American VW enthusiasts have wanted for a long time: a pickup truck. While the Tanoak is only a design study for now, VW intended to gauge customer’s reactions to it to determine if its feasible for production. It’s highly unlikely, but if consumers make enough noise, VW could potentially put it into production as an Atlas-based mid-size pickup one day. Better get emailing.
6. Audi E-Tron GT Concept
The Audi E-Tron GT Concept is a great-looking design study that previews Audi’s forthcoming electric sedan, which will share a platform and other crucial bits with the Porsche Taycan. Not only does it look pretty good, but it also previews a wicked high-performance version of Audi’s electric four-door, with the concept making a claimed 590 hp from its electric all-wheel drive propulsion system.
5. VW ID Vizzion
While we certainly prefer the Audi E-Tron GT Concept’s styling to the VW ID Vizzion’s, this electric sedan places ahead of its VW Group cousin for one simple reason: it previews an affordable EV – something the industry could certainly use. VW is hoping to price its EVs around $20k, so when it finally gets around to putting its ID vehicles into production, more consumers should be able to get themselves into an emissions-free commuter car.
4. Audi PB18 E-Tron
Not everyone agrees with us on this, but we think the Audi PB18 E-Tron is one of the most stylish concepts of the past year. We love wagons and hatchbacks and this forward-thinking, sci-fi-esque performance hatch/wagon mixup from Audi is just checking all the right boxes. From the motorsport inspire split windows to the rear light bar, we like just about everything on the PB18. We’d find probably ourselves commuting via electricity if Audi were to ever put this into production.
ALSO SEE: AutoGuide.com’s Top 10 Most Popular Car Reviews: 2018
3. Genesis Essentia
The Genesis Essentia is a pretty, envelope-pushing styling exercise from Hyundai’s Genesis luxury sub-brand that’s actually heading to production. We’re not sure how many elements from this stylish concept will make it to the production car, but we hope the glass canopy roof stays, at least. The concept is an EV, too, so we expect the production car to be all electric.
2. Mission E Cross Turismo
Here’s another electric concept that’s heading to production. The Mission E Cross Turismo previews a high-riding wagon version of the brand’s new Taycan electric sedan and will probably go on sale in 2020 or 2021. This could be pretty cool – it looks like it has actually usable ground clearance, unlike the Tesla Model X and Jaguar I-Pace.
1. Peugeot E-Legend
The Peugeot E-Legend is by far and away the most stunning and on-trend styling exercise we laid eyes on this year. This gorgeous creation from the French manufacturer is an electric coupe styled by the Peugeot 504. The reaction to the E-Legend was so strong that fans started a change.org petition calling for Peugeot to build it, which has so far racked up more than 50,000 signatures. You can click here to sign the petition if you want to see the E-Legend built.
Those were AutoGuide’s top 10 concept cars of 2018! Thanks for reading and let us know what your favorite concept cars from the past year were in the comments below!
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Sam McEachern holds a diploma in journalism from St. Clair College in Windsor, Ontario, and has been covering the automotive industry for over 5 years. He conducts reviews and writes AutoGuide's news content. He's a die-hard motorsports fan with a passion for performance cars of all sorts.
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